JP2009115803A - Vehicle position calculating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle position calculating device capable of accurately calculating the current vehicle position irrespective of the orientation of the vehicle when position information is acquired. <P>SOLUTION: A traveling direction detecting unit 16 in a vehicle position calculating ECU1 detects the traveling direction of a vehicle in a receiving area on the basis of receiving area shape information output from a receiving area shape acquisition unit 12, moving distance information output from a moving distance calculating unit 13, and course change information output from a course change behavior detecting unit 14. A vehicle position calculating unit 17 sets a reference position (x, y) on the basis of reference position information output from a reference position acquisition unit 11 and calculates the current vehicle position by adding the traveling direction output from the traveling direction detecting unit 16 to a relative change (Δx, Δy) based on relative change information output from a relative position change detecting unit 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle position calculation device that calculates a current position of a traveling vehicle.

In recent years, it has been required to calculate the travel position of a vehicle from a request for a car navigation system or physical distribution management. As a technique for calculating the traveling position of such a vehicle, there is a technique using a roadside device such as an optical beacon (for example, Patent Document 1). In this technique, while the position information (x, y) included in the beacon signal transmitted from the optical beacon is extracted, the moving direction in which the vehicle travels autonomously from the position where the position information (x, y) is extracted and The distance (Δx, Δy) is detected. The current position (x + Δx, y + Δy) of the vehicle at that time is calculated by adding the moving direction and distance (Δx, Δy) that autonomously traveled to the position information (x, y).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-160085

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the current position of the vehicle (x + Δx) is obtained by simply adding the traveling direction and distance (Δx, Δy) that autonomously traveled to the position information (x, y). , Y + Δy). For this reason, the direction of the vehicle at the position where the position information is acquired is not considered. Therefore, there is a problem that the error in the calculated vehicle position may increase depending on the direction of the vehicle when the position information is acquired.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle position calculation device that can accurately calculate the current position of the vehicle regardless of the direction of the vehicle when the position information is acquired.

  A vehicle position calculation device according to the present invention that has solved the above problems includes a reference position information acquisition unit that acquires reference position information as a reference position when detecting the position of a vehicle from a roadside device, and a point in time when the reference position is acquired. Detected by a traveling direction detecting means for detecting the traveling direction of the vehicle, a traveling state relative change detecting means for detecting a relative change in the traveling state of the vehicle relative to the traveling state of the vehicle at the time when the reference position is acquired, and a traveling direction detecting means. Position calculating means for calculating the position of the vehicle based on the traveling direction of the vehicle and the change in the traveling state of the vehicle detected by the traveling state change detecting means.

  In the vehicle position calculation device according to the present invention, the traveling direction of the vehicle at the time of acquiring the reference position acquired from the roadside device is detected, and the vehicle is based on the detected traveling direction and the change in the traveling state of the vehicle. The position of is calculated. For this reason, the position of the vehicle can be obtained in consideration of the direction of the vehicle at the reference position. Therefore, the current position of the vehicle can be accurately calculated regardless of the direction of the vehicle when the position information serving as the reference position is acquired.

  Note that “the time point when the reference position is acquired” here means the traveling direction at the start of the relative change calculation of the vehicle position. For example, in the embodiment described later, “the vehicle passes through the reception area”. And “get out of the reception area”.

  Here, the position calculating means calculates a relative change in the position of the vehicle with respect to the reference position based on the traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the traveling direction detecting means and the change in the traveling state of the vehicle detected by the traveling state change detecting means. The vehicle position can be calculated based on the reference position and the relative change in the vehicle position with respect to the reference position.

  Thus, after obtaining the relative change in the position of the vehicle, the position of the vehicle can be calculated by a simple calculation by calculating the position of the vehicle. For example, the position of the vehicle can be directly calculated from the reference position and the change in the running state of the vehicle without obtaining the relative change in the vehicle position.

Further, the traveling direction detection means detects the traveling direction by distinguishing between the direction along the lane where the roadside device is provided and the direction crossing the lane when detecting the traveling direction when the vehicle acquires the reference position. It can be set as an aspect.
In this way, by detecting the traveling direction by distinguishing the direction along the lane where the roadside device is provided and the direction crossing the lane, the vehicle position can be accurately determined by simple calculation according to the distinction. Calculations can be made.

  Further, the roadside device is a beacon that supplies wireless data to a reception area having a predetermined shape on a road on which the vehicle is traveling, and the beacon supplies reception area information related to the reception area by wireless data and is supplied from the beacon. Receiving area information acquisition means for acquiring the received area information and movement distance calculation means for calculating the distance traveled by the vehicle during communication with the beacon, and the traveling direction detection means is supplied with wireless data The traveling direction of the vehicle may be detected based on the shape of the reception area and the movement distance calculated by the movement distance calculation means.

  As described above, by detecting the traveling direction of the vehicle using the reception area to which the wireless data is supplied from the beacon, the traveling direction of the vehicle can be accurately detected without being restricted by environmental factors and personal characteristics. .

  Further, the vehicle further includes a route change behavior detecting means for detecting a route change behavior of the vehicle, and the traveling direction detection means detects the route change behavior from the start of communication when the route change behavior is detected during communication with the roadside device. It can also be set as the aspect which detects a vehicle advancing direction based on the distance to time and the distance from the time of a course change action detection to the time of completion | finish of communication.

  Thus, by using the course changing behavior, the traveling direction of the vehicle can be detected with higher accuracy. In addition, as a change action of the vehicle in this invention, the operation history of a steering angle, the presence or absence of blinker operation, straddling a white line, etc. can be mentioned.

  According to the vehicle position calculation apparatus according to the present invention, the current position of the vehicle can be accurately calculated regardless of the direction of the vehicle when the position information is acquired.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. For the convenience of illustration, the dimensional ratios in the drawings do not necessarily match those described.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle position calculation apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle position calculation ECU 1 that is a vehicle position calculation device according to this embodiment is provided in a vehicle (not shown), and includes a reference position acquisition unit 11, a reception area shape acquisition unit 12, and a movement distance calculation. Part 13 is provided. In addition, the vehicle position calculation ECU 1 includes a course change behavior detection unit 14, a relative position change detection unit 15, a traveling direction detection unit 16, and a vehicle position calculation unit 17. Further, an in-vehicle communication device 2, a wheel speed sensor 3, a steering angle sensor 4, and a winker switch 5 are connected to the vehicle position calculation ECU 1.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the in-vehicle communication device 2 performs bidirectional communication with the optical beacon 20 that is a roadside device installed on the roadside. Between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2, data can be transmitted and received by near infrared rays. The optical beacon 20 transmits infrastructure cooperation information and VICS information including position information of a position where the optical beacon 20 is installed. The in-vehicle communication device 2 receives infrastructure cooperation information and VICS information transmitted from the optical beacon 20. On the other hand, the in-vehicle communication device 2 transmits vehicle ID information. The optical beacon 20 receives the vehicle ID information transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 2. In this way, bidirectional communication is performed between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2.

  The reception area in which the optical beacon 20 transmits a signal and the in-vehicle communication device 2 can receive the signal transmitted by the optical beacon 20 has an elliptical shape when reaching the road. Yes. The elliptical reception area has, for example, a major axis of 6.3 m and a minor axis of 4 m. When the vehicle-mounted communication device 2 receives data transmitted from the optical beacon 20, the vehicle position calculation ECU 1 uses the optical beacon information including the optical beacon position information indicating the position of the optical beacon 20 and the reception area information as a reference position acquisition unit. 11 and output to the reception area shape acquisition unit 12 and the relative position change detection unit 15.

  The wheel speed sensor 3 is a sensor that is provided on each wheel and detects a wheel speed pulse. The wheel speed sensor 3 detects a wheel speed pulse at each wheel, and outputs the detected wheel speed pulse to the movement distance calculation unit 13 and the relative position change detection unit 15 in the vehicle position calculation ECU 1.

  The steering angle sensor 4 is composed of a rotary encoder or the like provided on a steering (not shown). The steering angle sensor 4 detects the direction and magnitude of the steering angle input by the driver, and transmits a steering angle signal corresponding to the detected direction and magnitude of the steering angle to the vehicle position calculation ECU 1.

  The winker switch 5 is provided in a winker (not shown) and detects the operating state of the winker. The winker switch 5 sends the winker operation information corresponding to the operation to the course changing action detection unit 14 and the relative position change detection unit 15 in the vehicle position calculation ECU 1 when an operation corresponding to the left turn or the right turn is performed on the winker. Output.

  The reference position acquisition unit 11 in the vehicle position calculation ECU 1 acquires the optical beacon position as the reference position when acquiring the optical beacon position information included in the optical beacon information output from the in-vehicle communication device 2. The reference position acquisition unit 11 outputs reference position information regarding the acquired reference position to the vehicle position calculation unit 17.

  Based on the reception area information included in the optical beacon information output from the in-vehicle communication device 2, the reception area shape acquisition unit 12 obtains a reception area shape that is a shape of the reception area that can receive a signal from the optical beacon 20. get. The reception area shape acquisition unit 12 outputs reception area shape information related to the acquired reception area shape to the traveling direction detection unit 16 when acquiring the reception area shape. As shown in FIG. 5B, the reception area R in which a signal from the optical beacon 20 can be received has an elliptical shape.

  The reception area information includes the shape of the reception area which is an ellipse in the present embodiment, the long diameter ra and the short diameter rc of the reception area, and the diameter (hereinafter referred to as “deviation consideration diameter”) rb in consideration of the deviation angle. . The deviation consideration radius rb here is determined based on the angle θ between the main line LA and the branch line LB deviating from the main line LA on the road shown in FIG. The angle θ here may be set for each position where the optical beacon 20 is provided, or may be set uniformly.

  The movement distance calculation unit 13 calculates the vehicle speed based on the wheel speed pulse output from the wheel speed sensor 3. Moreover, in the movement distance calculation part 13, while the optical beacon information is output from the vehicle-mounted communication device 2, the calculated vehicle speed and the time during which the optical beacon information is output are used to output the optical beacon information. Calculate the travel distance of the vehicle. The movement distance calculation unit 13 outputs movement distance information regarding the calculated movement distance to the relative position change detection unit 15 and the traveling direction detection unit 16.

  The course changing action detecting unit 14 detects whether or not there is a course changing action on the vehicle based on the steering angle signal transmitted from the steering angle sensor 4. The course change behavior detection unit 14 outputs the course change information to the travel direction detection unit 16 when the course change behavior is detected. Further, the course change action detection unit 14 outputs the turn signal operation information to the traveling direction detection unit 16 when the turn signal operation information output from the turn signal switch 5 is output. The route change information includes information regarding the direction in which the route is changed, in addition to the presence / absence of the route change. Similarly, the winker operation information includes information on the direction indicated by the winker, in addition to the presence / absence of the winker operation.

  The relative position change detection unit 15 calculates the vehicle speed based on the wheel speed pulse output from the wheel speed sensor 3. In addition, in the relative position change detection unit 15, after the output of the optical beacon information output from the in-vehicle communication device 2, the calculated vehicle speed and the time elapsed after the output of the optical beacon information are ended, The travel distance of the vehicle after leaving the reception area is calculated. Further, the relative position change detection unit 15 acquires the steering angle history of the vehicle after the optical beacon information signal is output from the in-vehicle communication device 2 based on the steering angle signal transmitted from the steering angle sensor 4. The relative position change detection unit 15 detects a relative change in the vehicle position moved from the reference position based on the movement distance of the vehicle after exiting the reception area and the history of the steering angle. The relative position change detection unit 15 outputs relative position change information based on the detected relative change in the vehicle position to the vehicle position calculation unit 17.

  The traveling direction detection unit 16 includes the reception area shape information output from the reception area shape acquisition unit 12, the travel distance information output from the travel distance calculation unit 13, and the route change information output from the route change action detection unit 14. Based on this, the traveling direction of the vehicle in the reception area is detected. A specific procedure for detecting the traveling direction will be described later. The traveling direction detection unit 16 outputs traveling direction information regarding the detected traveling direction to the vehicle position calculation unit 17.

  The vehicle position calculation unit 17 is based on the reference position information output from the reference position acquisition unit 11, the relative change information output from the relative position change detection unit 15, and the traveling direction information output from the traveling direction detection unit 16. The current vehicle position is calculated. The calculation procedure of the current vehicle position will also be described later.

  Next, the calculation procedure of the vehicle position in the vehicle position calculation apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. In the vehicle position calculation apparatus according to the present embodiment, after performing transmission / reception with the optical beacon 20, the position after the vehicle exiting the reception area of the optical beacon 20 is currently calculated.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the vehicle position calculation apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the vehicle position calculation apparatus according to the present embodiment, first, the reference position acquisition unit 11 acquires a reference position (S1). The reference position acquired here is the position of the optical beacon 20 based on the optical beacon position information included in the optical beacon related information transmitted from the optical beacon 20. The reference position acquired here is set as a reference position (x, y).

  When the reference position is acquired, the traveling direction detection unit 16 detects the traveling direction of the vehicle when the vehicle at the time of acquiring the reference position passes through the reception area and exits the reception area (S2). The traveling direction detection unit 16 outputs traveling direction information regarding the detected traveling direction to the vehicle position calculation unit 17.

  Detection of the traveling direction of the vehicle is performed along the flow shown in FIG. The detection of the traveling direction of the vehicle is basically performed by the vehicle travel distance (hereinafter referred to as “communication travel distance”) d during communication between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2 and the reception area. It is performed based on the relationship with each diameter. Roughly speaking, if the moving distance d during communication is equal to or less than the major axis ra and greater than the deviation consideration radius rb, it is determined that the vehicle has traveled straight through the reception area. If the moving distance d during communication is equal to or less than the deviation consideration radius rb and greater than the minor radius rc, it is determined that the vehicle has traveled diagonally in the reception area. Further, when the moving distance d during communication is equal to or less than the minor axis rc, it is determined that the vehicle has crossed the reception area and has changed lanes or is traveling in the adjacent lane. When the moving distance d during communication is larger than the major axis ra, it is determined that the system is abnormal or meandering operation is performed. Specifically, the traveling direction is detected along the flowchart shown in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing for detecting the traveling direction of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 3, when detecting the traveling direction, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has made a right / left turn action during communication between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2 (S <b> 11). . The determination that communication is being performed between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2 is performed based on the optical beacon information output from the in-vehicle communication device 2. The determination as to whether or not the vehicle has made a right / left turn action is made based on the course change information output from the course change action detection unit 14. Here, when the course change information is output from the course change action detection unit 14, it is determined that the left / right turn action has been performed, but the turn change information is output and the winker operation information indicating that the winker operation has been performed is It can also be set as the aspect which judges that the right-left turn action was performed when it output.

  As a result, when it is determined that the vehicle is not making a right / left turn during communication between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2, the counter count remains 0 (S12), and the process proceeds to step S16. move on. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle has made a left / right turn during communication between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2, the counter count is set to 1 (S12). Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has further made a right / left turn action during communication between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2 (S13).

  As a result, if it is determined that the vehicle is not making a left / right turn during communication between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2, the count of the counter remains at 1 and the process proceeds to step S16. If it is determined that the vehicle has made a right / left turn during communication between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2, the counter is set to 2 (S14) and the process proceeds to step S16.

  When the count of the counter is set in steps S12, S14, and S15, the movement distance calculation unit 13 calculates the movement distance d during communication (S16). The travel distance d during communication is calculated while the optical beacon information is output from the in-vehicle communication device 2 and the time during which the optical beacon information is output (communication between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2). Time).

  The time when the optical beacon information is output can be calculated, for example, by storing the first data reception time and the last data reception time of the optical beacon, and taking the difference between the two times. It can also be calculated by the number of frames of received data. However, in these methods, it is required that the maximum amount of data can be reduced even when the required data is small, and when the number of data frames is used, an error due to missing data may occur. In order to avoid these problems, it is possible to adopt a mode in which the time during which infrared rays from an optical beacon are sensed is measured. Further, when the vehicle speed is high, the moving distance d during communication is also shortened. Therefore, the moving distance d during communication can be calculated by multiplying a coefficient inversely proportional to the vehicle speed.

  When the travel distance calculation unit 13 calculates the travel distance d during communication, the travel distance calculation unit 13 outputs travel distance information regarding the travel distance d during communication to the traveling direction detection unit 16. On the other hand, the reception area shape acquisition unit 12 outputs the reception area information output from the in-vehicle communication device 2 to the traveling direction detection unit 16.

  The traveling direction detection unit 16 includes a moving distance d during communication acquired from the moving distance information output from the moving distance calculation unit 13 and a reception area acquired from the reception area information output from the receiving area shape acquisition unit 12. A comparison is made with the minor axis rc to determine whether or not the moving distance d during communication is less than or equal to the minor axis rc of the receiving area (S17).

  As a result, if it is determined that the travel distance d during communication is equal to or less than the minor axis rc of the reception area, the vehicle is considered to have crossed the reception area. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined that the pattern is a pattern A (PA) in which the vehicle travels across the reception area R (S18). In this case, the vehicle travels to the side of the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends.

  If it is determined that the moving distance d during communication is not less than or equal to the minor axis rc of the receiving area (the moving distance d during communication is greater than the minor axis rc of the receiving area), the moving distance d during communication is equal to the receiving area. It is determined whether or not the deviation consideration diameter rb is less than (S19). As a result, if it is determined that the moving distance d during communication is less than or equal to the deviation consideration radius rb of the reception area, it is determined whether or not the count of the counter is 0 (S20).

  At this time, if it is determined that the count of the counter is 0, the vehicle has not changed the traveling direction in the reception area. In this case, it is considered that the vehicle traveled diagonally in the reception area. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined that the vehicle is a pattern B (PB) traveling diagonally in the reception area R (S21). In this case, the vehicle travels in an oblique direction on the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends.

  If it is determined that the count of the counter is not 0, it is determined whether or not the count of the counter is 1 (S22). As a result, when it is determined that the count of the counter is 1, as shown in FIG. 7, after the vehicle has entered the reception area R obliquely, the pattern C (PC) goes straight or the vehicle receives It is considered that the pattern D (PD) moves diagonally and deviates from the route after going straight into the area.

  Here, since the shape of the reception area R is an ellipse, due to the shape of the ellipse, both of the determinations are as follows. As shown in FIG. 8A, the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2 start communication. Then, the distance (hereinafter referred to as the “first moving distance during communication”) d1 to the position X where the vehicle has performed the course changing action (hereinafter referred to as “the course changing action position”) d1 and the course changing action The distance from the position X to the distance that the vehicle has moved until the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2 end communication (hereinafter referred to as “second moving distance during communication”) d2 can be used.

  Specifically, when the first moving distance d1 during communication is greater than the second moving distance d2 during communication, the pattern C (PC) goes straight after the vehicle enters the reception area R obliquely. On the other hand, when the second movement distance d2 during communication is greater than the first movement distance d1 during communication, the vehicle travels diagonally after entering the reception area R and deviating from the route. D (PD). Therefore, when it is determined that the count of the counter is 1, it is determined whether or not the first movement distance d1 during communication is greater than the second movement distance d2 during communication (S23).

  As a result, when it is determined that the first moving distance d1 during communication is greater than the second moving distance d2 during communication, as shown in FIG. Is determined to be the pattern C (PC) to be performed (S24). In this case, the vehicle travels straight on the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the first moving distance d1 during communication is equal to or less than the second moving distance d2 during communication, the vehicle moves straight ahead and enters the reception area R, then moves diagonally and deviates from the route. It is determined that the pattern D (PD) is to be performed (S25). In this case, the vehicle travels in an oblique direction on the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends.

  If it is determined in step S22 that the count of the counter is not 1, the count of the counter is 2. In this case, two course changing actions are performed, and it is determined whether or not these two course changing actions are in the same direction as a right or left turn (S26). As a result, when it is determined that the two course changing actions are not in the same direction as the right or left turn, it is determined that the vehicle is a pattern E (PE) in which the vehicle performs an overtaking operation in the reception area R as shown in FIG. S27). In this case, the vehicle travels straight ahead without changing the lane on the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the two course changing actions are in the same direction as the right or left turn, it is determined that the vehicle is a pattern F (PF) in which the lane change is performed in the reception area R as shown in FIG. S28). In this case, the vehicle travels in a straight line after changing the lane on the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends.

  If it is determined in step S19 that the moving distance d during communication is not less than the deviation consideration diameter rb of the reception area R (the movement distance d during communication is larger than the deviation consideration diameter rb of the reception area R), Proceed to the flow shown in FIG. Subsequently, it is determined whether the moving distance d during communication is equal to or less than the major axis ra of the reception area R (S31). As a result, when it is determined that the moving distance d during communication is not less than the major axis ra of the reception area R, as shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle is meandering pattern G (PG), or the system It is determined that an abnormality has occurred (S32). In this case, it is assumed that the vehicle has traveled straight without detecting the traveling direction, and the traveling direction detection process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the moving distance d during communication is equal to or less than the major axis ra of the reception area R, it is determined whether or not the count of the counter is 0 (S33). As a result, when the count of the counter is determined to be 0, the vehicle does not change the traveling direction in the reception area R. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10, it is determined that the vehicle has a pattern H (PH) that goes straight in the vicinity of the center of the reception area R (S34). In this case, the vehicle goes straight on the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends.

  If it is determined in step S33 that the counter is not 0, it is determined whether or not the counter is 1 (S35). As a result, when it is determined that the count of the counter is 1, it is a pattern I (PI) in which the vehicle goes straight into the reception area R and then goes straight, or the vehicle goes straight into the reception area R and enters After that, the pattern J (PJ) is considered to be one of the patterns J (PJ) that moves diagonally, deviates from the route, and changes the course in the direction of going straight after leaving the reception area R.

  Also in this case, since the shape of the reception area R is an ellipse, the first moving distance d1 during communication and the first distance during communication as shown in FIG. The determination of both can be made based on the magnitude of the two moving distances d2. Specifically, when the first moving distance d1 during communication is greater than the second moving distance d2 during communication, the vehicle moves straight ahead into the reception area R and then moves diagonally to deviate from the route. Pattern I (PI). On the other hand, when the second movement distance d2 during communication is greater than the first movement distance d1 during communication, the pattern J (PJ) goes straight after the vehicle enters the reception area R obliquely. Therefore, when it is determined that the count of the counter is 1, it is determined whether or not the first movement distance d1 during communication is greater than the second movement distance d2 during communication (S36).

  As a result, when it is determined that the first moving distance d1 during communication is greater than the second moving distance d2 during communication, as shown in FIG. It is determined that the pattern I (PI) moves diagonally and deviates from the route (S37). In this case, the vehicle travels in an oblique direction on the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends. On the other hand, when it is determined that the first movement distance d1 during communication is equal to or less than the second movement distance d2 during communication, the vehicle C goes straight to the reception area R and then goes straight C (PC). (S38). In this case, the vehicle travels straight on the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends.

  If it is determined in step S35 that the count of the counter is not 1, the count of the counter is 2. In this case, two course changing actions are performed, and it is determined whether or not these two course changing actions are in the same direction as a right or left turn (S39). As a result, when it is determined that the two course changing actions are not in the same direction as the right or left turn, it is determined that the vehicle has a pattern K (PK) in which the vehicle performs an overtaking operation in the reception area R (see FIG. 10). S40). In this case, the vehicle travels straight ahead without changing the lane on the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the two course changing actions are in the same direction as the right or left turn, it is determined that the vehicle has a pattern L (PL) for changing lanes in the reception area R as shown in FIG. S41). In this case, the vehicle travels in a straight line after changing the lane on the road where the beacon 20 is provided. Thus, the traveling direction detection process ends.

  Returning to the flow shown in FIG. 2, when the traveling direction of the vehicle is detected, the relative position change detection unit 15 detects a relative change in the vehicle position (S3). The relative position change detection unit 15 detects the relative position change (Δx, Δy) of the vehicle from the reference position based on the history of the moving distance and steering angle of the vehicle after leaving the reception area R. The relative position change detection unit 15 outputs relative change information based on the detected relative change in the vehicle position to the vehicle position calculation unit 17.

  Subsequently, the vehicle position calculation unit 17 calculates the vehicle position (S4). When calculating the vehicle position, the reference position (x, y) acquired by the reference position acquisition unit 11 in step S1, the traveling direction detected by the traveling direction detection unit 16 in step S2, and the relative position change detection in step S3. The relative change in the vehicle position detected by the unit 15 is used. When it is determined that the traveling direction at the reference position detected by the traveling direction detection unit 16 travels straight on the road, the vehicle position changes relative to the reference position (x, y) (Δx, Δy). The added position (x + Δx, y + Δy) is calculated as the current position.

  Further, when the traveling direction detection unit 16 detects a change in the traveling direction of the vehicle with respect to the road extending direction, the current position of the vehicle is calculated in consideration of the variation in the traveling direction of the vehicle. For example, if it is determined in step S18 that the vehicle is crossing the road, the relative change (Δx, Δy) in the vehicle position is set to a position (Δy, Δx) converted by 90 °, and the current position is ( x + Δy, y + Δx).

  Further, when the traveling direction detection unit 16 detects that the vehicle has changed lanes, the current position of the vehicle is calculated by taking the lane changes into account. For example, if it is determined in step S28 that the vehicle has changed lanes, the position obtained by adding the relative change (Δx, Δy) of the vehicle position to the position (x + α, y) obtained by adding the lane width α to the reference position. (X + Δx + α, Δy) can be calculated as the current position.

  If a branch road is provided ahead of the main road where the optical beacon 20 is installed as road information included in the infrastructure cooperation information transmitted from the optical beacon 20, a route deviation is detected in step S25. In this case, it can be determined that the vehicle has entered the branch road. In the subsequent position calculation, the position where the position (x + Δx, y + Δy) is corrected in consideration of the point where the vehicle travels on the side road can be calculated as the current position.

  Thus, in the vehicle position calculation apparatus according to the present embodiment, the current position of the vehicle is calculated in consideration of the traveling direction of the vehicle at the reference position in addition to the relative change between the reference position and the vehicle position. For this reason, the position of the vehicle can be obtained in consideration of the direction of the vehicle at the reference position. Therefore, the current position of the vehicle can be accurately calculated regardless of the direction of the vehicle when the position information serving as the reference position is acquired.

  Further, since the position of the vehicle is calculated after obtaining the relative change in the vehicle position, the position of the vehicle can be calculated by a simple calculation. Further, since the traveling direction is detected by distinguishing between the direction along the lane where the optical beacon 20 is provided and the direction crossing the lane, the vehicle position is accurately calculated regardless of the traveling state of the vehicle at the reference position. can do. Moreover, since the traveling direction of the vehicle is detected using the reception area to which wireless data is supplied from the optical beacon 20, it is possible to accurately detect the traveling direction of the vehicle without being restricted by environmental factors and personal characteristics. it can. And since the course direction is calculated using the course change action of the vehicle by the steering operation, the traveling direction of the vehicle can be detected with higher accuracy.

  On the other hand, in the above embodiment, the course changing behavior at the reference position is detected based on the steering angle and the blinker operation. However, the course changing behavior can also be detected by detecting that the vehicle straddles the white line. . In this case, a stereo camera is connected to the vehicle position calculation ECU 1. The stereo camera is provided at a position where a white line drawn on the road around the vehicle can be imaged. The course change behavior detection unit 14 in the vehicle position calculation ECU 1 is provided with a white line detection function for detecting a white line in an image by performing image processing on an image captured by a stereo camera.

  In this case, during the communication between the optical beacon 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 2 in steps S11 and S13, it can be determined whether or not the vehicle has made a right or left turn action depending on whether or not the white line is straddled. . When the white line is detected by image processing and the vehicle is straddling the detected white line during communication, it is determined that the vehicle has made a right or left turn, and when the vehicle is not straddling the detected white line during communication, the vehicle is Judge that he is not making a left turn. In this way, the right / left turn action can be determined. Further, in the method of detecting the white line, the angle between the white line and the vehicle when straddling the white line can be detected. The angle between the white line and the vehicle when straddling the white line at this time is advanced, and this can be taken into account when calculating the row direction. In addition, it is possible to determine whether or not there is a course change by making mutual use of the steering angle, the operation of the blinker, and whether or not the white line is straddled.

  Further, the vehicle position calculation ECU 1 according to the present embodiment also determines whether or not there is a lane change. For this reason, for example, as shown in FIG. 11A, in addition to the blue display 31, the yellow display 32, and the red display 33, the signal 30 may be displayed with a right turn arrow lamp 34 indicating that a right turn is possible.

  In this case, the presence of the signal 30 can be added to the calculation of the traveling direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 11B, when the reception area R is the left lane of the road, after the vehicle has entered the reception area R in a straight line in step S25, it moves diagonally and deviates from the route. Even when the pattern D (PD) is determined, it can be determined that the lane change pattern M (PM) changes the traveling direction at a position beyond the reception area R due to the presence of the signal 30 ahead.

  In addition, when the optical beacon 20 is present in front of the signal 30, the presence / absence of a lane change can be determined by performing the above vehicle position calculation. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 11 (b), when it is determined in step S28 that the vehicle has changed lanes, driving assistance or the like considering the right turn arrow lamp 34 in the signal 30 may be performed. it can. Conversely, if it is determined in step S24 that the vehicle has entered the reception area R diagonally and then goes straight, a driving support or the like that does not consider the right turn lamp 34 in the signal 30 is performed as the pattern N (PN). be able to.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the shape of the reception area is an ellipse, but may be a shape other than an ellipse, for example, a circle, a rectangle, or other polygonal shapes. Further, in the above embodiment, when the meandering or system abnormality occurs in step S32, the direction of travel is not detected and the processing is terminated as it is. However, for example, the meandering or system abnormality is caused by the alarm means. Can also be notified. The alarm means at this time can be based on icon display or sound.

  On the other hand, in the above embodiment, the traveling direction of the vehicle is calculated based on the moving distance and right / left turn behavior during reception of the optical beacon information, but the right / left turn while passing through the reception area or before and after passing the reception area A simple configuration in which the traveling direction is detected only from the presence or absence of an action can also be adopted. For example, it is possible to determine that the lane has been changed when the winker operation information and the steering angle signal are acquired while receiving the optical beacon information.

It is a block block diagram of the vehicle position calculation apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process in a vehicle position calculation apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process which detects the advancing direction of a vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process following FIG. (A) is a schematic perspective view explaining the installation situation of an optical beacon, (b) is a plan view of an irradiation area, and (c) is a road alignment diagram in the vicinity of a road where an optical beacon is provided. It is explanatory drawing explaining the example of the traffic pattern of the vehicle in a reception area. It is explanatory drawing explaining the other example of the traffic pattern of a vehicle. (A) (b) is explanatory drawing explaining the relationship between the 1st movement distance d1 and the 2nd movement distance when performing a 1st course change action within a receiving area. It is explanatory drawing explaining the further another example of the traffic pattern of a vehicle. It is explanatory drawing explaining the further another example of a traffic pattern. (A) is a front view of a signal provided with an arrow lamp, and (b) is a plan view showing a reception area of an optical beacon provided at a position before the position where the signal is provided.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle position calculation ECU, 2 ... In-vehicle communication apparatus, ... Wheel speed sensor, 4 ... Steering angle sensor, 5 ... Winker switch, 11 ... Reference position acquisition part, 12 ... Reception area shape acquisition part, 13 ... Movement distance calculation part , 14 ... Course change action detection unit, 15 ... Relative position change detection unit, 16 ... Travel direction detection unit, 17 ... Vehicle position calculation unit, 20 ... Light beacon, 30 ... Signal, 34 ... Right turn arrow lamp, d ... Movement Distance, d1 ... first movement distance, d2 ... second movement distance, LA ... main line, LB ... branch line, ra ... long diameter, rb ... deviation consideration diameter, rc ... short diameter, X ... track change action position.

Claims (5)

Reference position information acquisition means for acquiring reference position information as a reference position when detecting the position of the vehicle from the roadside device;
A traveling direction detecting means for detecting a traveling direction of the vehicle at the time of acquiring the reference position;
A running state relative change detecting means for detecting a relative change in the running state of the vehicle with respect to the running state of the vehicle at the time of obtaining the reference position;
Position calculating means for calculating the position of the vehicle based on the traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the traveling direction detecting means and the change in the traveling state of the vehicle detected by the traveling state change detecting means;
A vehicle position calculation device comprising: The position calculating means is based on the traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the traveling direction detecting means and the change in the traveling state of the vehicle detected by the traveling state change detecting means. For the relative change in
The vehicle position calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the position of the vehicle is calculated based on the reference position and a relative change in the position of the vehicle with respect to the reference position.   The traveling direction detection means distinguishes between the direction along the lane in which the roadside device is provided and the direction crossing the lane when detecting the traveling direction when the vehicle acquires the reference position. The vehicle position calculation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a direction is detected. The roadside device is a beacon that supplies wireless data to a reception area of a predetermined shape on a road on which the vehicle travels, and the beacon supplies reception area information related to the reception area by the wireless data,
Reception area information acquisition means for acquiring reception area information supplied from the beacon;
A travel distance calculating means for calculating a distance traveled by the vehicle during communication with the beacon;
The said traveling direction detection means detects the traveling direction of the said vehicle based on the shape of the receiving area to which the said radio | wireless data is supplied, and the movement distance calculated by the said movement distance calculation means. 4. The vehicle position calculation device according to claim 1. A route change behavior detecting means for detecting a route change behavior of the vehicle;
The advancing direction detecting means, when a course changing action is detected during communication with the roadside device, a distance from the start of communication to the time of changing the course of change, and from the time of detecting the course change action to the end of communication The vehicle position calculation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle traveling direction is detected based on the distance to the vehicle.

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