JP2009037493A - Drive support device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reliably decelerate or stop a vehicle even if a driver is dazzled and visibility of a signal or a stop sign is decreased. <P>SOLUTION: When an indication object detecting means M3 detects an indication object outside a vehicle that indicates deceleration or stop of the vehicle, a warning means 17 issues to a driver a warning to decelerate or stop the vehicle at a predetermined distance back from the indication object. At this point, a luminance detection means M4 detects the luminance in front of the vehicle, and, when the luminance is a predetermined reference value or more, the predetermined distance is increased. Accordingly, when the driver is dazzled and it is difficult for the driver to visually identify the indication object, the warning is issued sooner, thereby allowing the vehicle to reliably decelerate or stop back from the indication object. Furthermore, the luminance in front of the vehicle is detected based on the road surface luminance and the equivalent veiling luminance. Accordingly, the glare of the driver that the driver feels when identifying the indication object outside the vehicle can accurately be determined, thereby allows appropriate operation of the warning means 17. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention provides a display object detection means for detecting a display object mounted on a vehicle and instructing deceleration or stop of the vehicle, and a driver a predetermined distance before the display object when the display object is detected. The present invention relates to a driving support device comprising a warning means for issuing a warning for decelerating or stopping the vehicle.

In situations where visibility is poor such as at night or in the rain, it is more difficult for the driver to see the stop line of the road than in situations where visibility is good such as during the daytime. It becomes difficult to perform the deceleration operation accurately. Therefore, in a situation where visibility is poor, it is known from Patent Document 1 below that the automatic braking device and the alarm device are stopped before the stop line by accelerating the operation timing of the automatic braking device and alarm device in comparison with the normal time when visibility is good. It is.
JP 2006-252148 A

  However, even during the daytime, the visibility of traffic lights and stop signs may be significantly reduced when the altitude of the sun is low, especially in the case of backlighting. It becomes difficult to visually recognize the stop, and there is a possibility that the timing at which the driver performs braking will be delayed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to reliably decelerate or stop the host vehicle even when the driver feels dazzling and the visibility of a traffic light or a stop sign is lowered.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display object detection means for detecting a display object mounted on a vehicle and instructing deceleration or stop of the vehicle, and the display object. And a warning means for issuing a warning to the driver for decelerating or stopping the vehicle before a predetermined distance from the display object when the vehicle is detected. The driving support device is proposed in which the warning unit increases the predetermined distance when the luminance detected by the luminance detection unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the luminance detecting means detects the luminance in front of the vehicle based on road surface luminance and equivalent light curtain luminance. A driving support device is proposed.

  According to the configuration of the first aspect, when the display object detection unit detects a display object outside the vehicle instructing deceleration or stop of the vehicle, the warning unit decelerates or stops the vehicle to the driver before a predetermined distance of the display object. Issue a warning for. At this time, the brightness detection means detects the brightness in front of the vehicle, and increases the predetermined distance when the brightness is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value, so if the driver feels dazzled and it is difficult to visually recognize the display object, an early warning is given. The vehicle can be reliably decelerated or stopped in front of the display object.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the brightness in front of the vehicle is detected based on the road surface brightness and the equivalent light curtain brightness, it is possible to correctly determine the glare that the driver feels when visually recognizing the display object outside the vehicle. The warning means can be actuated accurately.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving support device, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image in front of the vehicle taken by a TV camera, and FIG. A map for searching for the relative threshold value increase TI from the road surface luminance and the equivalent light curtain luminance, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a warning timing that changes according to the vehicle speed, and FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support device of the present embodiment detects a radar device 11 that detects an object in front of the host vehicle, a TV camera 12 that captures an image in front of the host vehicle, and a luminance in front of the host vehicle. Luminance meter 13, vehicle information detecting means 14 for detecting vehicle information such as the vehicle speed, yaw rate and lateral acceleration of the own vehicle, GPS device 15 for receiving a signal from artificial hygiene, road map, traffic light, temporary stop Warning means 17 comprised of a map database 16 for storing information such as signs, automatic braking means for automatically braking the vehicle, and an alarm device stage for prompting the driver to spontaneously brake by voice, buzzer, chime, etc. And an electronic control unit U for controlling the operation of the warning means 17.

  The electronic control unit U detects a display object such as a preceding vehicle detection means M1, an own vehicle position specifying means M2, and a traffic light or a stop sign provided at an intersection of the road on which the own vehicle travels. Means M3, brightness detection means M4 for detecting the brightness ahead of the host vehicle, and warning means operation control means M5 for controlling the operation of warning means 17 are provided. The luminance detection unit M4 includes a road surface luminance calculation unit M6, an equivalent light curtain luminance calculation unit M7, a relative threshold increase calculation unit M8, and a comparison unit M9.

  Based on the output of the radar device 11, the preceding vehicle detection means M1 detects the preceding vehicle existing on the course of the own vehicle. The own vehicle position specifying means M2 is based on the map data read from the map database 16, the signal from the GPS device 15, and the vehicle information such as the vehicle speed, yaw rate, and lateral acceleration detected by the vehicle information detecting means 14. To locate your vehicle on the map.

  The display object detection means M3 processes the information in front of the vehicle imaged by the TV camera 12 and identifies the display object such as a traffic signal and a stop sign, and the traffic signal included in the map data read from the map database 16. And the presence of a display object in front of the course of the own vehicle based on the display object information such as a stop sign or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the luminance detector M4 connected to the luminance meter 13, the preceding vehicle detection means M1, and the display object detection means M3 includes the luminance of the road surface in front of the vehicle and the area above the road surface, that is, the traffic light 18. And the brightness of the area where the display object such as the stop sign 19 exists is calculated separately. That is, the image captured by the TV camera 12 is processed to identify the image ahead of the vehicle as a road surface and an area above the road surface, and the road surface brightness calculation means M6 determines the road surface ahead of the vehicle based on the output of the luminance meter 13. The equivalent light curtain brightness calculation means M7 calculates the brightness of the area above the road surface ahead of the host vehicle based on the output of the brightness meter 13.

  When strong light is applied to a cloudy space with smoke or mist, the light is scattered to create a curtain of light, making it difficult to see the landscape behind. The brightness of this light curtain is called light curtain brightness. The same phenomenon occurs in the driver's eyeball. However, since the brightness of the light curtain in the eyeball cannot be measured directly, a substitute light curtain is assumed between the eyeball and the object, and the eyeball is actually in the eyeball. What is represented as a light curtain brightness that acts equivalent to the generated light curtain brightness is called equivalent light curtain brightness.

  The relative threshold increase calculating means M8 uses the road surface luminance and the equivalent light curtain luminance as parameters, and determines the degree of glare in front of the host vehicle from the map shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a map in which the horizontal axis is the road surface brightness and the vertical axis is the equivalent light screen brightness. The value of the relative threshold increase TI indicating the degree of the thickness increases.

  When the relative threshold value increase TI calculated by the relative threshold value increase calculation means M8 is equal to or greater than a preset reference value TIa (for example, TI = 10), the comparison unit M9 is dazzling in front of the host vehicle, and the traffic light 18 or primary stop is performed. It is determined that the sign 19 is difficult to see. Such a situation occurs mainly when the solar altitude is low in the early morning or evening. Thus, since the brightness in front of the vehicle is detected based on the road surface brightness and the equivalent light curtain brightness, it is possible to correctly determine the glare that the driver feels when viewing the display object outside the vehicle.

  The warning means operation control means M5, when the display object detection means M3 determines that there is a display object such as a traffic light 18 or a stop sign 19 in front of the path of the host vehicle, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle and the display object The warning means 17 comprising an automatic braking means or an alarm device is operated according to the arrival time.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the relative threshold increase TI is less than a preset reference value TIa and the front of the vehicle is not dazzling, for example, if the vehicle speed is 40 km / h, the vehicle reaches the display object. 3. Activate the warning means 17 before 4 seconds. On the other hand, when the relative threshold increase TI is equal to or greater than the preset reference value TIa and the front of the vehicle is dazzling, a warning is given 6.8 seconds before the vehicle reaches the display object, that is, earlier than normal. The means 17 is activated.

  Thus, even if the driver overlooks the display object such as the traffic light 18 or the stop sign 19 due to glare and the brake operation is delayed, the driver is warned by automatic braking or warning and the vehicle is in front of the display object. Can be stopped reliably. In the normal time when the warning means 17 is activated 3.4 seconds before the display object is reached, the deceleration of automatic braking is set to 0.6 G, but the display object is reached because the front of the vehicle is dazzling. When the warning means 17 is operated 8 seconds before, the deceleration of automatic braking is set to a lower 0.3 G because there is a time margin.

  The above operation will be further described based on the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the preceding vehicle is detected in front of the host vehicle by the radar device 11 in step S1, the driving support of the present embodiment is not performed. This is because if there is a preceding vehicle, the road ahead is hidden by the preceding vehicle and the road surface brightness cannot be detected. Further, when the follow-up running control for the preceding vehicle is performed, the follow-up running control is prioritized over the driving support of the present embodiment.

  If the preceding vehicle is not detected in step S1, the luminance in front of the vehicle is detected by the luminance meter 13 in step S2, the relative threshold increase TI is calculated from the luminance in step S3, and the relative threshold increase is determined in step S4. When the TI is equal to or greater than the reference value TIa, the timing for issuing a warning prompting the driver to voluntarily brake is changed in step S5, and the warning device 17 is activated in step S6 to issue a warning to the driver. If the relative threshold increase TI is less than the reference value TIa in step S4, the warning device 17 is operated in step S6 to issue a warning to the driver without advancing the timing for issuing the warning.

  As described above, when the luminance in front of the host vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value and the traffic light 18 or the like is difficult to visually recognize, the driver is dazzled because the timing for issuing a warning for voluntary braking to the driver is advanced. When it is difficult to visually recognize the traffic light 18 or the like, a warning is issued early, and the host vehicle can be surely decelerated or stopped before the display object.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  Further, the display object of the present invention is not limited to the traffic light 18 or the temporary stop sign 19 but includes other display objects such as one-way entry prohibition.

  Further, in the embodiment, the road surface luminance and the equivalent light screen luminance are calculated using the luminance meter 13, but the equivalent light screen luminance is detected by the luminance meter attached to the glare lens and directed in the horizontal direction in front of the vehicle. For example, the road surface luminance of the road surface 10 m ahead of the vehicle may be detected by a separately provided luminance meter. Alternatively, the image captured by the television camera 12 is processed to be separated into an image ahead of the host vehicle and a region above the vehicle, and the road surface brightness and the actual brightness are determined according to the relationship between the brightness on the image obtained experimentally and the actual brightness. Equivalent screen brightness may be calculated.

Block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support device The figure which shows the picture ahead of the own car which is photographed with the television camera Map for retrieving relative threshold increase TI from road surface brightness and equivalent light curtain brightness The figure which shows the warning timing which changes according to vehicle speed Flow chart explaining operation

Explanation of symbols

17 Warning means 18 Traffic light (display)
19 Stop sign (indication)
M3 Display object detection means M4 Luminance detection means TIa Reference value

Claims (2)

Display object detection means (M3) for detecting a display object (18, 19) mounted on the vehicle and instructing deceleration or stop of the vehicle, and when the display object (18, 19) is detected In a driving support device comprising warning means (17) for issuing a warning for decelerating or stopping the vehicle to the driver a predetermined distance before the display object (18, 19),
Luminance detection means (M4) for detecting the brightness in front of the vehicle is provided, and the warning means (17) is configured to detect the predetermined distance when the brightness detected by the brightness detection means (M4) is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value (TIa). A driving assistance device characterized by increasing the driving force.   The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the luminance detection means (M4) detects the luminance in front of the vehicle based on road surface luminance and equivalent light curtain luminance.

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