JP7377054B2 - Control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a device that detects objects around a host vehicle and predicts a collision between the detected object and the host vehicle (for example, Patent Document 1). This device detects objects around the vehicle based on ultrasonic waves transmitted and received from a radar sensor installed at the front end of the vehicle.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-230947

Instead of a radar sensor, it is also possible to detect objects around the own vehicle based on images captured by an imaging device mounted on the own vehicle. For example, if the object is a moving object, the position of the moving object can be detected. It is possible to calculate the moving path of a moving object from the coordinates. However, when acquiring the moving path of a moving object based on an image captured by an imaging device, an error may occur in the position coordinates of the moving object, and this error may cause an error in the moving object's moving path. It is conceivable that this may occur.

If an error occurs in the moving path of a moving object, there is a concern that the operation of the safety device may be adversely affected. In other words, when a moving object moves towards the side of the own vehicle while the own vehicle is running, based on the fact that the moving path of the moving object intersects with the side of the own vehicle, the A safety device is activated to avoid a collision of a moving object with the side part. However, if the moving path of the moving object is incorrectly calculated, there is a concern that the safety device may be activated unnecessarily.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a control device that can suppress unnecessary operation of a safety device due to an error in the moving path of a moving object.

Means for solving the above problems is applied to a vehicle that is equipped with an imaging device that images the surroundings of the own vehicle and a safety device that avoids a collision between the own vehicle and an object or reduces collision damage, and the imaged image of the imaging device is A control device that operates the safety device based on detection information of a moving object around the vehicle, the control device including a moving path of the moving object calculated from an image captured by the imaging device as the detection information of the moving object. and a control unit that activates the safety device when the travel path of a moving object intersects with a side surface of the vehicle, and the control unit is configured to operate the safety device when the vehicle is traveling. , when the travel path of the moving object intersects with the side surface of the host vehicle, if the intersection is in the rear region of the side surface of the host vehicle that is the rear side in the direction of travel of the host vehicle, the intersection point is , the operation of the safety device is restricted more than when the vehicle is located in a front region of the side surface of the host vehicle that is further forward in the direction of travel than the rear region.

When a moving object around the vehicle is detected based on an image captured by an imaging device, an error may occur in the position coordinates of the moving object, and this error may cause an error in the moving object's path. It is conceivable that this may occur. If an error occurs in the moving path of a moving object, there is a concern that the operation of the safety device may be adversely affected. In other words, when a moving object moves towards the side of the own vehicle while the own vehicle is running, based on the fact that the moving path of the moving object intersects with the side of the own vehicle, the A safety device is activated to avoid a collision of a moving object with the side part. However, if the moving path of the moving object is incorrectly calculated, the safety device may be activated unnecessarily.

In this regard, in the above configuration, when the side surface of the vehicle intersects with the moving path of the moving object while the vehicle is running, the intersection point is on the rear side of the side surface of the vehicle in the direction of travel of the vehicle. If the intersection point is in the rear region of the vehicle, the operation of the safety device is more restricted than if the intersection point is in the front region of the side surface of the host vehicle that is further forward in the direction of travel than the rear region. In this case, even if a moving object moves toward the rear end of the own vehicle in the traveling direction, there is a possibility that the own vehicle can pass through the moving object without colliding with the moving object. By defining the operation restriction area of the safety device in the rear region on the rear side in the direction of travel on the side surface of the own vehicle, it is possible to suppress unnecessary activation of the safety device due to a coordinate error of a moving object. As a result, it is possible to properly provide driving support for the own vehicle.

Another means for solving the above problem is applied to a vehicle that is equipped with an imaging device that images the surroundings of the vehicle and a safety device that avoids a collision between the vehicle and an object or reduces the damage caused by the collision. A control device that operates the safety device based on detection information of a moving object around the host vehicle based on an image captured by the device, wherein the detection information of the moving object is a moving object calculated from the image captured by the imaging device. and a control unit that activates the safety device when the moving path of the moving object intersects with a side surface of the own vehicle, the control unit comprising: When traveling, only the front area of the front area of the side surface of the vehicle, which is the front side of the vehicle in the traveling direction, and the rear area of the vehicle, which is behind the front area in the traveling direction, is used to detect the moving object. It is determined whether or not the travel path and the side surface of the own vehicle intersect, and when it is determined that they intersect, the operation of the safety device is permitted.

In the above configuration, when the host vehicle is traveling, only the front region of the front region and the rear region of the side surface of the host vehicle is used to determine whether the moving path of the moving object intersects with the side surface of the host vehicle. The safety device is permitted to operate. On the side of the vehicle, a non-judgment area is defined in the rear area in the direction of travel where safety device activation is not determined, thereby suppressing unnecessary activation of safety devices due to coordinate errors of moving objects. can do. As a result, it is possible to properly provide driving support for the own vehicle.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a driving support device. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of operation restriction processing. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a front region and a rear region when the own vehicle is traveling forward. The figure which shows the front side area and the rear side area when the own vehicle is traveling backwards. A graph showing the relationship between the distance from the own vehicle to a moving object and the length of the rear region. A graph showing the relationship between the relative speed of a moving object and the region length of the rear region.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a control device according to the present invention is applied to a vehicle-mounted driving support device 100 will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a camera 11, a sonar device 12, an image processing ECU 21, a vehicle ECU 22, and a safety device 30.

The camera 11 is, for example, a monocular camera. The cameras 11 are attached to the front end, the rear end, and both sides of the own vehicle, and take images of the surroundings of the own vehicle. The camera 11 transmits image information of the captured image to the image processing ECU 21. Note that in this embodiment, the camera 11 corresponds to an "imaging device."

The sonar device 12 is, for example, a radar device that uses a millimeter wave band high frequency signal (ultrasonic wave) as a transmission wave. The sonar devices 12 are mounted on the front end, rear end, and both sides of the host vehicle, and measure distances to objects around the host vehicle. Specifically, a probe wave is transmitted at a predetermined period, and reflected waves are received by a plurality of antennas. A plurality of detection points on the object are detected based on the transmission time of the exploration wave and the reception time of the reflected wave, and the distance to the object is thereby measured. In addition, the direction of the object is calculated based on the phase difference between the reflected waves received by multiple antennas. If the distance to the object and the direction of the object can be calculated, the relative position of the object with respect to the own vehicle can be specified.

Furthermore, the sonar device 12 calculates the relative velocity of the object based on the frequency of the reflected wave reflected by the object, which has changed due to the Doppler effect. As a result, objects existing around the host vehicle are detected as stationary objects. Specifically, when the sum of the relative speed of the object and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle becomes zero, the object is detected to be stationary. The sonar device 12 transmits detection information of stationary objects around the host vehicle to the vehicle ECU 22. Note that the stationary object detection information includes information on the relative position of the stationary object with respect to the own vehicle.

The ECUs 21 and 22 are control devices equipped with well-known microcomputers including a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. The ECUs 21 and 22 acquire various signals and perform various controls based on the acquired information.

Specifically, the image processing ECU 21 detects moving objects around the host vehicle based on images captured by the camera 11. Specifically, the image processing ECU 21 calculates the relative position of each object captured in the captured image of the camera 11 with respect to the host vehicle. Furthermore, the image processing ECU 21 calculates the moving speed of each object based on this relative position. The image processing ECU 21 calculates the optical flow of the object based on the image information transmitted from the camera 11 at predetermined intervals, and calculates the moving speed of the object based on the calculated optical flow. Here, the optical flow is a method in which a plurality of boundary points are detected as points that construct a boundary line whose brightness has changed in an image, and the detected plurality of boundary points are expressed as a motion vector. As a result, moving objects existing around the host vehicle are detected.

The image processing ECU 21 then calculates the moving path of the moving object based on the relative position and relative velocity. That is, the image processing ECU 21 calculates the moving path of the moving object based on the captured image of the camera 11. The image processing ECU 21 transmits moving object detection information to the vehicle ECU 22. Note that the detection information includes information on the relative position, relative speed, and movement course of the detected moving object with respect to the own vehicle.

Vehicle ECU 22 operates safety device 30 based on detection information of moving objects around the vehicle transmitted from image processing ECU 21 . The safety device 30 is a device that avoids a collision between the host vehicle and an object or reduces collision damage, and includes a brake device 31, a seat belt device 32, and a warning device 33. In addition, in this embodiment, vehicle ECU22 corresponds to a "control device."

The brake device 31 decelerates the own vehicle based on a collision avoidance signal output from the vehicle ECU 22. The seatbelt device 32 winds up the seatbelt based on a collision avoidance signal output from the vehicle ECU 22 to tighten the seatbelt. The warning device 33 is a device that notifies the driver of the possibility of a collision based on a collision avoidance signal output from the vehicle ECU 22, and is, for example, an audible device such as a speaker or a buzzer installed in the passenger compartment of the own vehicle. There are devices that provide notification and devices that provide visual notification, such as displays.

A yaw rate sensor 13, a steering angle sensor 14, and a vehicle speed sensor 15 are connected to the vehicle ECU 22. The yaw rate sensor 13 is provided, for example, at the center of the host vehicle, and outputs a yaw rate signal to the vehicle ECU 22 in accordance with the rate of change in the steering amount of the host vehicle. The steering angle sensor 14 is attached to, for example, a steering rod of the vehicle, and outputs a steering angle signal to the vehicle ECU 22 in response to changes in the steering angle of the steering wheel caused by operations by the driver. The vehicle speed sensor 15 is attached to, for example, a wheel portion of the own vehicle, and detects the rotation direction of the wheel, and outputs a vehicle speed signal corresponding to the wheel speed to the vehicle ECU 22.

By the way, when estimating the moving path of a moving object based on the captured image of the camera 11, an error may occur in the relative position of the moving object, and due to this error, an error may occur in the moving object's moving path. is possible. In particular, when the camera 11 is a monocular camera, the calculation accuracy of the relative position in the depth direction of the captured image is lower than the relative position in the in-screen direction of the captured image, which may cause an error in the relative position of the moving object. It will be done.

If an error occurs in the moving path of the moving object, there is a concern that the operation of the safety device 30 will be adversely affected. In other words, when a moving object moves toward the side surface MS of the own vehicle while the own vehicle is running, the self The safety device 30 is activated to avoid a collision of a moving object with the side part MS of the vehicle. However, if the moving path of the moving object is incorrectly calculated, there is a concern that the safety device 30 may be activated unnecessarily.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the operation restriction process is performed while the own vehicle is traveling. In the operation restriction processing, when the side part MS of the own vehicle intersects with the moving path of the moving object, if the intersection point is in the front area MSF of the side part MS of the own vehicle, which is the front side in the traveling direction of the own vehicle. , the operation of the safety device 30 is permitted. Furthermore, if the intersection point is in the rear region MSR of the side surface MS of the own vehicle, which is more rearward in the traveling direction than the front region MSF, the operation of the safety device 30 is not permitted.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of the operation restriction process of this embodiment. The vehicle ECU 22 repeatedly performs the operation restriction process at predetermined intervals while the vehicle is running.

When the operation restriction process is started, first in step S10, it is determined whether or not a moving object exists around the own vehicle based on moving object detection information transmitted from the image processing ECU 21. If a negative determination is made in step S10, the operation restriction process is ended.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S10, the moving path of the moving object is acquired as moving object detection information in step S12. For example, since a moving object moves backward in the direction of travel of the host vehicle as the host vehicle travels, in step S10, it is preferable to acquire the movement course of the moving object that moves backward in the direction of travel of the host vehicle. In addition, in this embodiment, the process of step S12 corresponds to a "course acquisition part."

In the following step S14, it is determined whether the host vehicle is traveling forward. Whether or not the vehicle is traveling forward is determined based on the rotational direction of the wheels detected by the vehicle speed sensor 15 and the shift position information of the transmission. In addition, in this embodiment, the process of step S14 corresponds to a "driving|running|working determination part."

If the host vehicle is traveling forward, an affirmative determination is made in step S14, and a front side area MSF is set from the front end of the host vehicle CS in step S16. Here, the front region MSF means a region of the side surface MS of the host vehicle that is on the front side in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. The side surface MS of the host vehicle is divided into a front region MSF and a rear region MSR that is rearward in the traveling direction than the front region MSF, and in step S16, both the front region MSF and the rear region MSR are set. . The same applies to step S18.

If the host vehicle is traveling backwards, a negative determination is made in step S14, and a front area MSF is set from the rear end of the host vehicle CS in step S18. Note that the front area MSF and rear area MSR that are set will be described later using FIGS. 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the processing in steps S16 and S18 corresponds to a "setting section".

In the following step S20, it is determined whether or not there is an intersection between the movement path of the moving object acquired in step S12 and the front area MSF set in steps S16 and 18. The vehicle ECU 22 has previously acquired the relative position of the front area MSF with respect to the position of the camera 11, and determines whether or not an intersection exists based on the relative position of the front area MSF and the moving path of the moving object. . Note that if a plurality of moving objects are detected in step S10, a determination is made for each moving object.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S20, the moving object is set as an activation target of the safety device 30 in step S22, and the operation restriction process is ended. That is, in the process of step S22, when the moving object intersects the moving path of the moving object and the side surface MS of the own vehicle while the own vehicle is running, the point of intersection is located within the side surface MS of the own vehicle where the own vehicle is moving. If it is in the front area MSF, which is the front side in the direction, the operation of the safety device 30 is permitted. Therefore, when the distance between the moving object and the host vehicle becomes smaller than the threshold value, a collision avoidance signal is output to the safety device 30, and the safety device 30 is activated. In other words, the safety device 30 is activated when the moving path of the moving object intersects with the side surface MS of the own vehicle.

If a negative determination is made in step S20, in step S24, it is determined whether the distance L between the own vehicle and the moving object, which is calculated based on the relative position of the moving object included in the moving object detection information, is greater than a predetermined value Lth. Determine whether or not. If a negative determination is made in step S24, the process advances to step S22.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S24, it is determined in step S26 whether the relative velocity V of the moving object included in the moving object detection information is greater than a predetermined value Vth. If a negative determination is made in step S26, the process advances to step S22.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S26, the moving object is set as not to be activated by the safety device 30 in step S28, and the operation restriction process is ended. If an affirmative determination is made in step S26, in addition to cases where the moving object's travel path and the side surface MS of the host vehicle do not intersect, and cases where the moving object's travel path and the host vehicle's side surface MS intersect, the intersection This includes a case where the vehicle is located in the rear region MSR of the side surface MS of the host vehicle, which is the rear side in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. Therefore, in the process of step S28, when the moving path of a moving object intersects with the side surface MS of the own vehicle while the own vehicle is traveling, the point of intersection is located within the side surface MS of the own vehicle where the own vehicle is moving. If it is in the rear region MSR, which is the rear side in the direction, it can be said that the operation of the safety device 30 is not permitted.

Note that the process in step S28 is performed when it is determined in step S22 that the distance L is greater than the predetermined value Lth, and in step S24 it is determined that the relative velocity V of the moving object is greater than the predetermined value Vth. Implemented. Therefore, the process in step S28 is performed on the moving path of the moving object and the side surface of the host vehicle on the condition that the distance L is larger than the predetermined value Lth and the relative speed V of the moving object is larger than the predetermined value Vth. This can be said to be a process in which the operation of the safety device 30 is not permitted when the intersection with MS is in the rear region MSR. Note that in this embodiment, the processing in steps S20 to S28 corresponds to the "control unit".

Next, the operation restriction process will be explained in more detail using FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 shows a front region MSF and a rear region MSR that are set when the own vehicle CS is traveling forward. In this case, the moving object DS around the own vehicle CS moves backward in the traveling direction of the own vehicle CS (to the rear of the own vehicle) as the own vehicle CS moves forward.

FIG. 3 shows movement paths W1 and W2 of the moving object DS. Furthermore, these movement paths W1 and W2 include errors caused by detection errors of the moving object DS, and the errors are shown as ΔW. A region of a predetermined length from the rear end PR of the own vehicle CS, which is the end on the rear side in the traveling direction of the own vehicle CS, of the side surface MS of the own vehicle CS is the rear side region MSR. The area on the front side in the traveling direction is the front side area MSF.

When the moving object DS moves along the movement path W1, the movement path W1 intersects the host vehicle CS in the front region MSF. In this case, operation of the safety device 30 is permitted. In other words, when the moving path W1 of the moving object DS intersects the front area MSF of the own vehicle CS, there is a high possibility that the moving object DS will collide with the own vehicle CS, regardless of the presence or absence of the error ΔW in the moving path W1. it is conceivable that. Therefore, the operation of the safety device 30 is permitted based on the movement path W1 of the moving object DS intersecting the front area MSF of the host vehicle CS.

Furthermore, when the moving object DS moves along the movement path W2, the movement path W2 intersects with the host vehicle CS in the rear region MSR. In this case, the safety device 30 is not permitted to operate. In other words, when the moving path W2 of the moving object DS intersects the rear region MSR of the own vehicle CS, if the moving path W2 includes an error ΔW, the moving object DS approaches the own vehicle CS. However, there is a possibility that the host vehicle CS can pass through the moving object DS without colliding with the moving object DS. If the safety device 30 is activated even though the vehicle CS can pass through the moving object DS without colliding with it, it becomes unnecessary. Therefore, when the travel path W2 of the moving object DS intersects the travel path W2 of the own vehicle CS, the operation of the safety device 30 is not permitted.

FIG. 4 shows a front region MSF and a rear region MSR that are set when the host vehicle CS is traveling backwards. In this case, the moving object DS around the host vehicle CS moves backward in the traveling direction of the host vehicle CS (to the front of the host vehicle) as the host vehicle CS moves backward.

FIG. 4 shows the movement paths W11 and W12 of the moving object DS and the error ΔW included in the movement paths W11 and W12. A region of a predetermined length from the front end PF of the own vehicle CS, which is the end on the rear side in the traveling direction of the own vehicle CS, of the side part MS of the own vehicle CS is the rear side region MSR, which is longer than the rear side region MSR. The area on the front side in the traveling direction is the front side area MSF.

Note that when traveling backwards, the vehicle speed is lower than when traveling forwards, and the relative speed VA of the moving object DS is considered to be smaller. Therefore, the length of the rear region MSR when the host vehicle CS is traveling backwards is: It is preferable that the length is smaller than the length of the rear region MSR when traveling forward.

When the moving object DS moves along the movement path W11, the movement path W11 intersects the host vehicle CS in the front region MSF. In this case, regardless of the presence or absence of the error ΔW in the travel path W11, there is a high possibility that the moving object DS will collide with the own vehicle CS, so the operation of the safety device 30 is permitted.

Further, when the moving object DS moves along the movement path W12, the movement path W12 intersects with the host vehicle CS in the rear region MSR. In this case, if the movement path W12 includes an error ΔW, even if the moving object DS approaches the own vehicle CS, there is a possibility that the own vehicle CS can pass through it without colliding with the moving object DS. , operation of the safety device 30 is not permitted in order to suppress unnecessary operation.

According to this embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.

- In this embodiment, when the side part MS of the own vehicle intersects with the moving path of a moving object while the own vehicle is running, the intersection point is the front side of the side part MS of the own vehicle in the traveling direction of the own vehicle. If the vehicle is in the front region MSF, the operation of the safety device 30 is permitted. Further, if the intersection point is in the rear region MSR of the side surface of the own vehicle, which is further rearward in the traveling direction than the front region MSF, the operation of the safety device 30 is not permitted. In this case, even if a moving object moves toward the rear end of the own vehicle in the traveling direction, there is a possibility that the own vehicle can pass through the moving object without colliding with the moving object. In the side part MS of the host vehicle, a region where the operation of the safety device 30 is not permitted (operation restriction region) is defined in the rear region MSR on the rear side in the direction of travel, so that safety caused by errors in the relative position of moving objects is prevented. Unnecessary operation of the device 30 can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to properly provide driving support for the own vehicle.

- In particular, when a moving object that moves backward in the direction of travel of the own vehicle as the own vehicle travels moves toward the side part MS of the own vehicle, the moving path of the moving object may be calculated incorrectly. In some cases, a moving object passing behind the own vehicle in the traveling direction is calculated to intersect near the rear end of the own vehicle in the traveling direction. As a result, the safety device 30 may be activated unnecessarily.

In this regard, in the present embodiment, for a moving object moving rearward in the traveling direction of the own vehicle, when the intersection of the moving path of the moving object and the side surface MS of the own vehicle is in the rear region MSR, the safety device 30 operation is not permitted. Thereby, the safety device 30 can be operated correctly with respect to a moving object that moves backward in the traveling direction of the host vehicle as the host vehicle travels.

- In this embodiment, an area of a predetermined length from the end of the side surface MS of the host vehicle on the rear side in the traveling direction of the host vehicle is defined as the rear region MSR. In this case, although the overall length of the vehicle varies depending on the vehicle type, etc., the rear region MSR is determined based on the rear end of the own vehicle in the direction of travel, so that the safety device 30 is activated regardless of the difference in overall vehicle length. Disallowed areas can be appropriately set.

・Specifically, it is determined whether the own vehicle is traveling forward or backward, and if it is determined that the own vehicle is traveling forward, the side part MS of the own vehicle is A region corresponding to a predetermined length from the rear end PR is defined as a rear region MSR. Further, when the host vehicle is traveling backward, a region of the side surface MS of the host vehicle that is a predetermined length from the front end PF of the host vehicle is defined as a rear side region MSR. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately set the rear region MSR in either case, taking into account whether the own vehicle is traveling forward or backward.

- In this embodiment, the moving route and the moving object are determined on condition that the distance L from the own vehicle to the moving object is larger than the predetermined value Lth, and the moving speed of the moving object is larger than the predetermined value Vth. When the intersection with the side surface MS of the vehicle is in the rear region MSR, the operation of the safety device 30 is not permitted. Therefore, the relative position calculated based on the captured image of the camera 11 is calculated based on the safety device 30, taking into account that the degree of error changes depending on the distance L from the own vehicle to the moving object and the moving speed of the moving object. It can be operated properly.

- In this embodiment, when the host vehicle is running, only the front region MSF of the front region MSF and the rear region MSR in the side surface MS of the host vehicle is used to determine the moving path of the moving object and the side surface of the host vehicle. It is determined whether or not the MS intersects, and the operation of the safety device 30 is permitted. In the side part MS of the host vehicle, a non-judgment area is defined in the rear region MSR on the rear side in the direction of travel, where the activation of the safety device 30 is not determined. Unnecessary operations can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to properly provide driving support for the own vehicle.

(Other embodiments)
Note that each of the above embodiments may be modified and implemented as follows.

- The front region MSF and the rear region MSR may be set according to the magnitude of the error ΔW of the moving path W. Here, the error ΔW of the movement path W becomes larger as the distance LA from the host vehicle CS to the moving object DS becomes longer, and becomes larger as the relative speed VA of the moving object DS becomes larger. Therefore, each region MSF, MSR is set based on the distance LA from the host vehicle CS to the moving object DS and the relative speed VA of the moving object DS.

Specifically, in steps S16 and S18 of FIG. 2, the region length of the rear region MSR is set using the relationship shown in FIG. According to the relationship in FIG. 5, if the distance L from the own vehicle CS is shorter than LA, X1 is set as the area length, and if the distance L is longer than LA, the area length is set as X2, which is longer than X1. Ru. That is, if L<LA, the rear region MSR is set as a narrow region, and if L>LA, the rear region MSR is set as a wide region.

Alternatively, in steps S16 and S18 of FIG. 2, the region length of the rear region MSR is set using the relationship shown in FIG. According to the relationship in FIG. 6, if the relative velocity V is smaller than VA, X1 is set as the region length, and if the relative velocity V is greater than VA, the region length X2, which is longer than X1, is set. That is, if V<VA, the rear region MSR is set as a narrow region, and if V>VA, the rear region MSR is set as a wide region.

Both of the processing of setting the rear region MSR based on the distance L from the own vehicle CS and the processing of setting the rear region MSR based on the relative speed V may be performed, or either one of them may be performed. only may be performed.

According to this configuration, when calculating the relative position of a moving object based on the captured image of the camera 11, the degree of error in the relative position is determined by the distance L from the host vehicle to the moving object or the moving speed of the moving object. It is possible to appropriately set the rear region MSR in the side surface MS of the own vehicle while taking into account that it varies depending on the vehicle.

- The camera 11 is not limited to a monocular camera, and may be a stereo camera, for example. If the camera 11 is a stereo camera, the accuracy of calculating not only the relative position of the captured image in the direction within the screen but also the relative position in the depth direction of the captured image is high, so it is thought that no error will occur in the relative position of the moving object. .

However, an increase in the temperature outside the vehicle may cause distortion in the frame to which the stereo camera is attached, and in this case, an error occurs in the relative position of the moving object. In this embodiment, even if the frame to which the stereo camera is attached is distorted, unnecessary operation of the safety device 30 can be suppressed.

- In the above embodiment, the moving path of the moving object is determined on the condition that the distance L from the own vehicle to the moving object is larger than the predetermined value Lth, and the relative speed V of the moving object is larger than the predetermined value Vth. Although an example has been shown in which the operation of the safety device 30 is not permitted when the intersection with the side surface MS of the host vehicle is in the rear region MSR, this may be changed. For example, if the distance L from the host vehicle to the moving object is greater than a predetermined value Lth, or the relative speed V of the moving object is greater than the predetermined value Vth, then the moving path of the moving object is The operation of the safety device 30 may not be permitted when the intersection with the side surface MS of the own vehicle is in the rear region MSR.

- In the above embodiment, when the moving path of the moving object intersects with the side surface MS of the host vehicle, if the intersection is in the front region MSF, differential operation of the safety device 30 is permitted, and the intersection is in the rear region MSF. Although an example has been shown in which the operation of the safety device 30 is not permitted if it is in the region MSR, the present invention is not limited to this. If the intersection of the moving path of the moving object and the side surface MS of the host vehicle is in the rear area MSR, the operation of the safety device 30 is more restricted than when the intersection is in the front area MSF, then the configuration No questions asked.

For example, if the intersection of the moving path of the moving body and the side surface MS of the own vehicle is in the rear region MSR, the safety device 30 may be made more difficult to operate than when the intersection is in the front region MSF. As an example of making it difficult for the safety device 30 to operate, for example, if the intersection of the moving path of the moving object and the side surface MS of the host vehicle is in the rear region MSR, the safety device 30 will be more difficult to operate than if the intersection is in the front region MSF. The conditions for operating the device 30 may be stricter.

As an example of the condition for activating the safety device 30, for example, when determining whether or not a collision will occur by comparing the time to collision (TTC) with a threshold value, this threshold value corresponds to the above-mentioned condition. If the intersection of the moving path of the moving object and the side surface MS of the own vehicle is in the rear area MSR, the threshold value is set smaller than when the intersection is in the front area MSF, and the collision is prevented until the collision time is reached. By not making a determination, the conditions for operating the safety device 30 are made stricter.

- Although the above-mentioned embodiment showed the example where vehicle ECU22 corresponds to a control device, it is not restricted to this, and what combined image processing ECU21 and vehicle ECU22 may correspond to a control device. That is, the control device may generate detection information of moving objects around the host vehicle based on images captured by the imaging device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11...Camera, 22...Vehicle ECU, 30...Safety device, MS...Side part, MSF...Front side area, MSR...Rear side area.

Claims (6)

Applicable to vehicles equipped with an imaging device (11) that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and a safety device (30) that avoids a collision between the vehicle and an object or reduces the damage caused by the collision. A control device (22) that operates the safety device based on detection information of moving objects around the vehicle,
a path acquisition unit that acquires, as the detection information of the moving object, a moving path of the moving object calculated from the captured image of the imaging device;
a control unit that activates the safety device when the movement path of the moving object intersects with the side surface (MS) of the own vehicle;
Equipped with
The control unit includes :
When the travel path of a moving object intersects with the side surface of the vehicle while the vehicle is running, the point of intersection is a rear region ( MSR), the operation of the safety device is restricted more than when the intersection point is in a front side area (MSF) of the side part of the host vehicle that is further forward in the traveling direction than the rear side area ,
A region corresponding to a predetermined length from the rear end in the traveling direction of the host vehicle of the side surface of the host vehicle is defined as the rear region,
Further, a setting unit that sets a region length from a rear end in the traveling direction of the host vehicle in the rear region based on at least one of a distance from the host vehicle to the moving object and a moving speed of the moving object. A control device comprising : Applicable to vehicles equipped with an imaging device (11) that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and a safety device (30) that avoids a collision between the vehicle and an object or reduces the damage caused by the collision. A control device (22) that operates the safety device based on detection information of moving objects around the vehicle,
a path acquisition unit that acquires, as the detection information of the moving object, a moving path of the moving object calculated from the captured image of the imaging device;
a control unit that activates the safety device when the movement path of the moving object intersects with the side surface (MS) of the own vehicle;
Equipped with
The control unit includes:
When the travel path of a moving object intersects with the side surface of the vehicle while the vehicle is running, the point of intersection is a rear region ( MSR), the operation of the safety device is restricted more than when the intersection point is in a front side area (MSF) of the side part of the host vehicle that is further forward in the traveling direction than the rear side area,
The moving path of the moving object and the own vehicle are determined on the condition that the distance from the own vehicle to the moving object is greater than a predetermined value, and the moving speed of the moving object is greater than the predetermined value. A control device that limits the operation of the safety device when the intersection with the side surface portion is in the rear region, and does not limit the operation of the safety device when neither of the conditions is satisfied. 3. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control section defines a region of a side surface of the host vehicle that is a predetermined length from a rear end in the traveling direction of the host vehicle as the rear region. It includes a running determination unit that determines whether the own vehicle is running forward or backward,
When the own vehicle is traveling forward, the control unit defines a region of a side portion of the own vehicle that is a predetermined length from the rear end (PR) of the own vehicle as the rear side region, and when the own vehicle is traveling backward. 4. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rear region is a region of a side portion of the vehicle that is a predetermined length from the front end (PF) of the vehicle. . The control unit limits the operation of the safety device for a moving object moving rearward in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, when an intersection of the moving path of the moving object and a side surface of the host vehicle is in the rear area. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . Applicable to vehicles equipped with an imaging device (11) that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and a safety device (30) that avoids a collision between the vehicle and an object or reduces the damage caused by the collision. A control device (22) that operates the safety device based on detection information of moving objects around the vehicle,
a path acquisition unit that acquires, as the detection information of the moving object, a moving path of the moving object calculated from the captured image of the imaging device;
a control unit that activates the safety device when the movement path of the moving object intersects with the side surface (MS) of the own vehicle;
Equipped with
The control unit includes :
When the host vehicle is running, only the front region of the front region (MSF) which is the front side in the direction of travel of the host vehicle on the side surface of the host vehicle and the rear region (MSR) which is behind the front region in the direction of travel of the host vehicle. using the method to determine whether the moving object intersects with the side surface of the own vehicle, and when it is determined that they intersect, permitting the operation of the safety device ;
A region corresponding to a predetermined length from the rear end in the traveling direction of the host vehicle of the side surface of the host vehicle is defined as the rear region,
Further, a setting unit that sets a region length from a rear end in the traveling direction of the host vehicle in the rear region based on at least one of a distance from the host vehicle to the moving object and a moving speed of the moving object. A control device comprising :

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