JP2014067185A - Driving support device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving support device which can give only necessary warnings and notices to a driver.SOLUTION: The driving support device determines the contents of a main sign and an auxiliary sign constituting road signs, and if the travel condition of the vehicle corresponds to a regulation condition displayed in the auxiliary sign of the road sign, the driving support device warns the driver on the basis of the regulation content of the main sign.

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support apparatus that performs appropriate driving support in accordance with the content of a road sign.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a driving assistance device that assists a driver so that a road sign provided on a traveling road of a vehicle is recognized and a driving operation according to the content of the road sign is performed. For example, a system has been proposed in which regulation information transmitted from a transmitter attached to a road sign or the like is received by a receiver mounted on an automobile and notified to the driver (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In addition, for example, when a road sign (traffic sign) is imaged with a camera, sign information is acquired based on the image data, and an appropriate driving operation corresponding to the sign information is not performed, the driver is In some cases, a warning is issued (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP-A-8-269921 JP 2009-301267 A

  By the way, the road sign includes a guidance sign, a warning sign, a regulation sign, and an instruction sign. Further, the road sign includes this sign and an auxiliary sign that supplements the meaning and content of the sign. For example, the restriction conditions such as the type of vehicle and the date and time are marked on the auxiliary sign of the restriction sign. That is, the regulation content of the regulation sign (the present sign) is not always applied to all vehicles.

  However, since the Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not have a description suggesting that the display contents of the auxiliary sign are targeted, the system described in Patent Document 1 and the apparatus of Patent Document 2 are intended only for this sign. It is considered that the display contents of the auxiliary signs are not taken into consideration. Therefore, in these systems and devices, unnecessary warnings and notifications are given to the driver, and the driver may feel annoyed.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and it aims at providing the driving assistance device which can perform only a warning and notification which are required with respect to a driver | operator.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problem, an image is picked up by an image pickup means for picking up a road sign installed on the road of the vehicle, a drive state detection means for detecting the drive state of the vehicle, and the image pickup means. The display content of the main sign included in the road sign is determined from the captured image, and when the main sign is a restriction sign, a sign determination means for determining a restriction condition displayed on the auxiliary sign, and When the sign is a restriction sign, a right / no-go determining means for determining whether or not the traveling condition of the vehicle corresponds to the restricting condition; and when the traveling condition of the vehicle corresponds to the restricting condition, the book And a warning means for warning the driver based on the contents of the restriction of the sign.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the driving support device according to the first aspect, the success / failure determination unit further determines whether or not the traveling state of the vehicle conflicts with the regulation content displayed on the sign. The warning means may be a driving support device that warns the driver when the traveling state of the vehicle conflicts with the contents of the regulation.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the driving support device according to the first or second aspect, the restriction condition includes date and time.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the vehicle further includes distance determination means for determining whether the road sign and the vehicle are within a predetermined distance. The warning means may be a driving support device that warns the driver when the road sign and the vehicle are within a predetermined distance.

  In the driving support device of the present invention, only a warning or notification necessary for the driver can be performed at an appropriate timing. That is, driving assistance can be performed without making the driver feel bothersome.

It is the schematic explaining the driving assistance apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the driving assistance device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the driving assistance control which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the driving assistance device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the driving assistance control which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the schematic explaining the driving assistance control which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the schematic explaining the driving assistance control which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

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

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the driving support device 10 according to the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 1, and includes an in-vehicle camera 20 that is an imaging unit, an ECU (electronic control unit) 30, and a traveling state detection unit. Various sensors 40 and a display 50 are provided.

  The in-vehicle camera 20 is installed toward the front of the vehicle 1 and images the road sign 100 installed on the traveling road. For example, a CCD camera or the like is preferably used as the in-vehicle camera 20. The in-vehicle camera 20 is not particularly limited as long as it can capture images with a resolution that allows the road sign 100 to be recognized.

  Here, the road sign 100 is a regulation sign and includes not only the main sign 101 but also the auxiliary sign 102. The auxiliary sign 102 is generally provided below the present sign 101. The auxiliary sign supplements the meaning and content of the sign 101, and examples thereof include regulation conditions such as distance / region, date / time, and vehicle type.

  The in-vehicle camera 20 is provided so that not only the main sign 101 but also the auxiliary sign 102 can be imaged.

  The sensors 40 include various sensors for detecting the traveling state of the vehicle 1, and examples include a vehicle speed sensor 41 that detects the vehicle speed, a shift position sensor 42 that detects the position of the shift lever, and the like.

  The display 50 displays an image (video) captured by the in-vehicle camera 20, and displays a warning message and the like described later. In addition, the display 50 is provided in the front side of a vehicle, for example, an instrument panel so that a driver | operator can visually recognize. The display 50 includes a speaker 55 that emits voice messages and warning sounds.

  The ECU 30 includes a sign determination unit 31, a win / fail determination unit 32, and a warning unit 33. The sign discriminating means 31 discriminates the restriction contents of the road sign 100, that is, the restriction of the main sign 101 and the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 from the image (video) captured by the in-vehicle camera 20. Specifically, the sign discriminating means 31 discriminates whether or not the road sign 100 is a regulation sign from the outer shape or the design of the main sign 101 constituting the road sign 100. When the sign 101 is a restriction sign, the sign discrimination means 31 further discriminates the restriction condition described in the auxiliary sign 102. Examples of the restricting conditions include distance / region, date / time, vehicle type, and the like, as described above.

  Based on the information from the various sensors 40, the determination unit 32 determines whether or not the traveling state of the vehicle 1 conflicts with the regulation content of the sign 101. The traveling state of the vehicle 1 includes not only the state in which the vehicle 1 is traveling, but also the state in which the vehicle 1 is stopped (a state where the vehicle 1 is stopped or parked).

  For example, when the restriction content of the sign 101 restricts the maximum speed to 50 km / h, the success / failure determination means 32 determines whether or not the current vehicle speed is 50 km or less based on information from the vehicle speed sensor 41. judge. Further, for example, when the regulation content of the sign 101 prohibits parking, it is determined based on information from the vehicle speed sensor 41 whether or not the current vehicle speed is 0 km. Alternatively, based on information from the shift position sensor 42, it is determined whether or not the current shift position is in the parking (P) range.

  In addition, when it is determined that the traveling state of the vehicle 1 conflicts with the restriction content of the sign 101, the determination unit 32 further determines whether the traveling condition of the vehicle 1 corresponds to the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102. The traveling condition of the vehicle 1 is the same as the restriction condition item of the auxiliary sign 102, for example, distance / region, date / time, vehicle type, and the like.

  For example, when the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 is time and “8-20” is displayed, the determination unit 32 determines whether the current time is between 8:00 and 20:00 as the traveling condition of the vehicle 1. Determine whether or not.

  The warning means 33 gives a warning to the driver based on the restriction contents of the sign 101 when it is determined by the validity determination means 32 that the traveling condition of the vehicle 1 corresponds to the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102. For example, in the example of the speed regulation described above, when the success / failure determination unit 32 determines that the speed of the vehicle 1 is higher than 50 km, the warning unit 33 warns the driver that the vehicle is “overspeed”. Do. In the example of parking regulation, when the determination unit 32 determines that the speed of the vehicle 1 is 0 km, or when the shift position is determined to be in the P range, the warning unit 33 notifies the driver. A warning that “the current value is a parking prohibited area” is issued. For example, the warning means 33 displays a warning message on the display 50 and sends a voice message or a warning sound from the speaker 55 to the passenger compartment, thereby warning the driver. Of course, the warning method to the driver by the warning means 33 is not particularly limited.

  An example of the driving support control by the driving support apparatus 10 of the present embodiment will be further described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the road sign 100 is detected by the sign discriminating means 31 based on the image (video) captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 while the vehicle 1 is traveling (step S1: Yes), the sign The discrimination means 31 discriminates whether or not the main sign 101 of the road sign 100 is, for example, a restriction sign that restricts the maximum speed or the like. The condition is determined (read) (step S2). Next, the success / failure determination means 32 determines whether or not the traveling condition of the vehicle (own vehicle) 1 corresponds to the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 (step S3). For example, when the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 is time and “8-20” is displayed, the success / failure determination unit 32 sets the current time between 8 o'clock and 20 o'clock as the running condition of the vehicle 1. It is determined whether or not.

  If the traveling condition of the vehicle 1 does not correspond to the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 (step S3: No), the process is terminated without giving a warning. On the other hand, when the traveling condition of the vehicle 1 corresponds to the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 (step S3: Yes), the process proceeds to step S4, and whether or not the traveling state of the vehicle 1 conflicts with the restriction contents of the sign 101. Determine. Specifically, as described above, the success / failure determination unit 32 determines whether or not the traveling state of the vehicle 1 conflicts with the regulation contents of the sign 101 based on information from the various sensors 40.

  If the traveling state of the vehicle 1 does not conflict with the regulation content of the sign 101 (step S4: No), the process is terminated without warning. On the other hand, when the traveling state of the vehicle 1 conflicts with the regulation content of the sign 101 (step S4: Yes), the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the warning means 33 issues a warning to the driver. That is, the warning means 33 notifies the driver that the traveling state of the vehicle 1 conflicts with the regulation contents of the road sign 100 by displaying a message on the display 50, for example.

  Thereafter, until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S6: No), the warning by the warning means 33 is continued (step S5), and when a predetermined time has elapsed since the warning was started (step S6: Yes), a series of The driving support control is terminated.

  As described above, the driving support device 10 according to the present embodiment recognizes not only the main sign but also the auxiliary sign as the road sign, and only when the driving condition of the vehicle corresponds to the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign, Added a warning. Therefore, only necessary warnings and notifications can be given to the driver at an appropriate timing, and driving assistance can be performed without making the driver feel bothersome.

  In this embodiment, the driver is warned only when the driving state of the vehicle conflicts with the contents of regulation of this sign.However, when the driving condition of the vehicle corresponds to the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign, Even if the running state of the vehicle does not conflict with the restriction contents of the sign, the restriction contents of the sign may be warned (notified) to the driver.

(Embodiment 2)
The present embodiment is an example in which the traveling state of the vehicle is determined more finely. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the ECU 30 </ b> A constituting the driving support device 10 </ b> A further includes a distance determination unit 34 and a traffic signal determination unit 35. The distance determination unit 34 determines whether or not the road sign 100 and the vehicle 1 are within a predetermined distance. The traffic signal determination means 35 determines the presence or absence of the traffic signal 110 based on an image (video) captured by the in-vehicle camera 20. The warning unit 33 issues a warning to the driver according to the determination results of the distance determination unit 34 and the traffic light determination unit 35 together with the determination result of the success / failure determination unit 32.

  Hereinafter, driving support control by the driving support apparatus 10A according to the present embodiment will be described by taking as an example the case where the road sign 100 is a parking prohibition sign.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the road sign 100 is detected by the sign discriminating means 31 based on the image (video) captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 while the vehicle 1 is traveling (step S11: Yes), the sign The discriminating means 31 discriminates whether or not the main sign 101 of the road sign 100 is a restriction sign, and if the sign 101 is a restriction sign, for example, a parking prohibition sign, the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 is further determined. Determination (reading) is performed (step S12). Next, the success / failure determination unit 32 determines whether or not the traveling condition of the vehicle (own vehicle) 1 corresponds to the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 (step S13). For example, when the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 is time and “8-20” is displayed, the success / failure determination unit 32 sets the current time between 8 o'clock and 20 o'clock as the running condition of the vehicle 1. It is determined whether or not.

  If the traveling condition of the vehicle 1 does not correspond to the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 (No at Step S13), the process is terminated without giving a warning. On the other hand, when the traveling condition of the vehicle 1 corresponds to the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign 102 (step S13: Yes), the process proceeds to step S14, and whether or not the traveling state of the vehicle 1 conflicts with the restriction contents of the sign 101. Determine. That is, the determination unit 32 determines whether or not the traveling state of the vehicle 1 conflicts with the regulation contents of the sign 101 based on information from the various sensors 40. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the speed of the vehicle 1 is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed, and in the present embodiment, whether or not the current vehicle speed is 0 km.

  If the speed of the vehicle 1 is not 0 km in step S14 (step S14: No), the process is terminated without giving a warning. On the other hand, when the speed of the vehicle 1 is 0 km (step S14: Yes), the process proceeds to step S15.

  In step S15, the distance determination means 34 determines whether or not the distance D1 of the vehicle 1 to the road sign 100 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold D2 (see FIG. 6). Then, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the distance D1 is longer than the threshold value D2 (step S15: No), the process ends without performing a warning. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the distance D1 is equal to or smaller than the threshold D2 (step S15: Yes), the process proceeds to step S16. In step S16, it is further determined whether or not there is a traffic light in front of the vehicle 1. That is, the traffic signal determination unit 35 determines the presence or absence of the traffic signal 110 based on the image (video) captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 (see FIG. 7).

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7A, when it is determined that the traffic signal 110 is present in front of the vehicle 1 (step S16: Yes), the success / failure determination means 32 is further based on information from the shift position sensor 42. Then, it is determined whether or not the current shift position is in the P range (step S17). In step S17, it may be determined whether the parking brake is ON instead of the shift position.

  If the shift position is not in the P range in step S17 (step S17: No), it is determined that the vehicle is stopped with a red light, and the process ends without giving a warning. On the other hand, when the shift position is in the P range (step S17: Yes), the process proceeds to step S18.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG.7 (b), also when it determines with there being no traffic signal ahead of the vehicle 1 (step S16: No), it progresses to step S18. In step S18, the warning means 33 issues a warning to the driver. That is, the warning means 33 notifies the driver that “the current location is a parking prohibited area”, for example, by displaying a message on the display 50.

  Thereafter, until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S19: No), the warning by the warning means 33 is continued (step S18), and when a predetermined time has elapsed since the warning was started (step S19: Yes), a series of The driving support control is terminated.

  As described above, in the driving support device 10A according to the present embodiment, the warning unit 33 gives a warning to the driver according to the determination result of the distance determination unit 34 and the traffic light determination unit 35 together with the determination result of the success / failure determination unit 32. I did it. As a result, a warning can be given to the driver at a more appropriate timing.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, of course, this invention is not limited to these embodiment.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the driver is warned when the content of the main sign constituting the road sign is violated and the restriction condition of the auxiliary sign is met. Alternatively, instead of the warning, the running state of the vehicle may be automatically controlled. For example, when the speed is exceeded, the fuel injection amount or the like may be controlled so that the vehicle speed is lowered to a speed limit or less.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 10, 10A Driving support apparatus 20 Car-mounted camera 31 Mark | bright discriminating means 32 Correspondence judging means 33 Warning means 34 Distance judging means 35 Traffic signal judging means 40 Sensors 41 Vehicle speed sensor 42 Shift position sensor 50 Display 55 Speaker 100 Road sign 101 This sign 102 Auxiliary sign 110 Traffic light

Claims (4)

An imaging means for imaging a road sign installed on the traveling road of the vehicle;
Traveling state detecting means for detecting the traveling state of the vehicle;
The display content of the main sign included in the road sign is determined from the image captured by the imaging unit, and when the main sign is a restriction sign, the restriction condition displayed on the auxiliary sign is further determined. Sign discrimination means;
When the main sign is a restriction sign, whether or not the vehicle traveling condition corresponds to the restriction condition is determined / not determined,
Warning means for giving a warning to the driver on the basis of the regulation content of the sign when the traveling condition of the vehicle corresponds to the regulation condition;
A driving support apparatus comprising: The driving support device according to claim 1,
The success / failure determination unit further determines whether or not the traveling state of the vehicle conflicts with the regulation content displayed on the sign.
The driving support device, wherein the warning means issues a warning to the driver when the traveling state of the vehicle conflicts with the contents of regulation. In the driving assistance device according to claim 1 or 2,
The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the regulation condition includes date and time. In the driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Further comprising distance determining means for determining whether the road sign and the vehicle are within a predetermined distance;
The driving support device, wherein the warning means issues a warning to the driver when the road sign and the vehicle are within a predetermined distance.

Images