CN113386664A

CN113386664A - Vehicle control device and vehicle without side mirror

Info

Publication number: CN113386664A
Application number: CN202110220691.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 广冈睦喜; 忍田圭; 漆崎直之; 茂木优辉; 芝内翼
Original assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-03-13
Filing date: 2021-02-26
Publication date: 2021-09-14
Also published as: JP2021142958A

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle without a side mirror. The power consumption of image display is reduced without greatly reducing the driving assistance function. A vehicle control device is provided with: a peripheral image providing means for capturing an image of the periphery of the vehicle and providing the captured image to the driver; a detection mechanism that detects steering of the driver; and an estimation unit configured to estimate a direction of a line of sight of the driver, the peripheral image providing unit including: a left display unit that is disposed on a left side of the vehicle and displays an image behind the left side of the vehicle; a right display unit that is disposed on a right side of the vehicle and displays an image behind the right side of the vehicle; and a control unit that executes low power control for reducing power consumption of one of the left display unit and the right display unit, based on the direction of the steering detected by the detection unit and the line-of-sight direction estimated by the estimation unit.

Description

Vehicle control device and vehicle without side mirror

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and a sideless vehicle, and more particularly to a technique for providing an image of the periphery of the vehicle to a driver.

Background

A vehicle provided with a surrounding image providing system including a camera that captures a surrounding of the vehicle and a display device that provides a driver with a captured image has been proposed (for example, patent document 1). The driving by the driver can be assisted by displaying the peripheral image on the display device.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2019-36924

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

When an image is displayed on the display device all the time while the vehicle is traveling, the power consumption of the display device increases. A peripheral image providing system capable of reducing power consumption while maintaining a driving assistance function of a driver is desired.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technique that can reduce the power consumption of image display without significantly reducing the driving assistance function.

Means for solving the problems

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle control device characterized in that,

the vehicle control device includes:

a peripheral image providing means for capturing an image of the periphery of the vehicle and providing the captured image to the driver;

a detection mechanism that detects steering of the driver; and

an estimation means for estimating a direction of a line of sight of the driver,

the peripheral image providing mechanism includes:

a left display unit that is disposed on a left side of the vehicle and displays an image behind the left side of the vehicle;

a right display unit that is disposed on a right side of the vehicle and displays an image behind the right side of the vehicle; and

and control means for executing low power control for reducing power consumption of one of the left display means and the right display means, based on the direction of steering detected by the detection means and the direction of line of sight estimated by the estimation means.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle without a side mirror, which is provided with the vehicle control device.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for reducing power consumption for image display without significantly reducing the driving assistance function.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle and a control device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the CMS.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the vehicle interior.

Fig. 4 (a) to (C) are flowcharts showing examples of processing executed by the control device of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the control device of fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a display example and the like before the low power control.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a display example and the like in the low power control.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the control device of fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing another example of processing executed by the control device of fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of processing executed by the control device of fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of processing executed by the control device of fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing another example of processing executed by the control device of fig. 1.

Description of the reference numerals

V: a vehicle; 1: a control device; 10: CMS; 8L: a display device; 8R: a display device.

Detailed Description

< first embodiment >

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle V and a control device 1 thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows a schematic of a vehicle V in a plan view and a side view. As an example, the vehicle V is a sedan-type four-wheeled passenger vehicle.

The vehicle V of the present embodiment is, for example, a parallel hybrid vehicle. In this case, the power unit 50 that outputs the driving force for rotating the driving wheels of the vehicle V may be constituted by an internal combustion engine, a motor, and an automatic transmission. The motor can be used as a drive source for accelerating the vehicle V, and can also be used as a generator (regenerative braking) at the time of deceleration or the like.

< control device >

The configuration of a vehicle control device 1 as an in-vehicle device of a vehicle V will be described with reference to fig. 1. The control device 1 includes an ECU group (control unit group) 2. The ECU group 2 includes a plurality of ECUs 20 to 29 configured to be able to communicate with each other. Each ECU includes a processor typified by a CPU, a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, an interface with an external device, and the like. The storage device stores a program executed by the processor, data used by the processor for processing, and the like. Each ECU may include a plurality of processors, storage devices, interfaces, and the like. The number of ECUs and the functions in charge may be appropriately designed, and may be further detailed or integrated than in the present embodiment. In fig. 1, names of representative functions of ECUs 20 to 29 are denoted. For example, the ECU20 is described as a "driving control ECU".

The ECU20 executes control related to the travel assist including automatic driving of the vehicle V. In the automatic driving, driving (acceleration of the vehicle V by the power unit 50, etc.), steering, and braking of the vehicle V are automatically performed without an operation by the driver. In addition, during manual driving, the ECU20 can execute travel assist control such as collision reduction braking, lane departure suppression, and the like. When the possibility of collision with an obstacle in front is high, the collision reduction braking instructs the brake device 51 to operate to assist in avoiding the collision. In the case where the possibility of the vehicle V deviating from the traveling lane is high, the electric power steering device 41 is instructed to operate by lane departure suppression to assist in avoiding lane departure.

The ECU21 is an environment recognition unit that recognizes the running environment of the vehicle V based on the detection results of the

detection units

31A, 31B, 32A, 32B that detect the surrounding conditions of the vehicle V. In the present embodiment, the

detection units

31A and 31B are cameras (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a camera 31A and a camera 31B) that capture images of the front of the vehicle V, and are attached to the vehicle interior side of the front window 5 at the front roof of the vehicle V. By analyzing the images captured by the

cameras

31A and 31B, the outline of the target object and the lane line (white line, etc.) on the road can be extracted.

In the present embodiment, the Detection unit 32A is a Light Detection and Ranging (hereinafter, may be referred to as an optical radar 32A) and detects a target object around the vehicle V or measures a distance to the target object. In the present embodiment, five optical radars 32A are provided, one at each corner of the front portion of the vehicle V, one at the center of the rear portion, and one at each side of the rear portion. The detection unit 32B is a millimeter wave radar (hereinafter, may be referred to as a radar 32B) and detects a target object around the vehicle V or measures a distance to the target object. In the present embodiment, five radars 32B are provided, one at the center of the front portion of the vehicle V, one at each corner portion of the front portion, and one at each corner portion of the rear portion.

The ECU22 is a steering control unit that controls the electric power steering device 41. The electric power steering device 41 includes a mechanism for steering the front wheels in accordance with a driving operation (steering operation) of the steering wheel 9 by the driver. The electric power steering apparatus 41 includes a drive unit 41a, a steering angle sensor 41b, a torque sensor 41c, and the like, in which the drive unit 41a includes a motor that generates a driving force (sometimes referred to as a steering assist torque) for assisting a steering operation or automatically steering front wheels, and the torque sensor 41c detects a steering torque (referred to as a steering load torque, which is different from the steering assist torque) applied to a driver. The ECU22 can acquire the detection result of the sensor 36 that detects whether or not the driver is gripping the steering wheel 9, and can monitor the gripping state of the driver.

The ECU23 is a brake control unit that controls the hydraulic device 42. The brake operation of the brake pedal BP by the driver is converted into a hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder BM and transmitted to the hydraulic device 42. The hydraulic device 42 is an actuator capable of controlling the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the brake devices (for example, disc brake devices) 51 provided on the four wheels, respectively, based on the hydraulic pressure transmitted from the master cylinder BM, and the ECU23 performs drive control of the solenoid valves and the like provided in the hydraulic device 42. In addition, the braking ECU23 can turn on the brake lamp 43B. This can improve the attention of the following vehicle to the vehicle V.

The ECU23 and the hydraulic device 42 can constitute an electric servo brake. The ECU23 can control, for example, the distribution of the braking forces of the four brake devices 51 and the braking force of the regenerative braking of the motor provided in the power unit 50. The ECU23 can also realize the ABS function, the traction control function, and the posture control function of the vehicle V based on the detection results of the wheel speed sensors 38, the Yaw Rate (Yaw Rate) sensor (not shown), and the pressure sensor 35 that detects the pressure in the master cylinder BM, which are provided on the four wheels, respectively.

The ECU24 is a stop maintaining control unit that controls the electric parking brake device (e.g., drum brake) 52 provided on the rear wheels. The electric parking brake device 52 includes a mechanism for locking the rear wheels. The ECU24 can control locking and unlocking of the rear wheels by the electric parking brake device 52.

The ECU25 is an in-vehicle report control unit that controls the information output device 43A that reports information to the inside of the vehicle. The information output device 43A includes, for example, a head up Display (head up Display), a Display device provided on an instrument panel, or an audio output device. Further, a vibration device may be further included. The ECU25 causes the information output device 43A to output various information such as vehicle speed and outside air temperature, information such as route guidance, and information relating to the state of the vehicle V.

The ECU26 controls a Camera Monitoring System (CMS). The details of the CMS will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

The ECU27 is a drive control unit that controls the power unit 50. In the present embodiment, one ECU27 is assigned to the power plant 50, but one ECU may be assigned to each of the internal combustion engine, the motor, and the automatic transmission. The ECU27 controls the output of the internal combustion engine and the motor or switches the shift speed of the automatic transmission in accordance with, for example, the driving operation of the driver, the vehicle speed, and the like detected by the operation detection sensor 34a provided on the accelerator pedal AP and the operation detection sensor 34b provided on the brake pedal BP. Further, the automatic transmission is provided with a rotation speed sensor 39 that detects the rotation speed of the output shaft of the automatic transmission as a sensor that detects the running state of the vehicle V. The vehicle speed of the vehicle V can be calculated based on the detection result of the rotation speed sensor 39.

The ECU28 is a position recognition unit that recognizes the current position and the travel path of the vehicle V. The ECU28 controls the gyro sensor 33, the GPS sensor 28b, and the communication device 28c, and performs information processing of the detection result or the communication result. The gyro sensor 33 detects a rotational motion of the vehicle V. The travel path of the vehicle V can be determined based on the detection result of the gyro sensor 33 and the like. The GPS sensor 28b detects the current position of the vehicle V. The communication device 28c wirelessly communicates with a server that provides map information and traffic information, and acquires these pieces of information. The database 28a can store highly accurate map information, and the ECU28 can specify the position of the vehicle V on the lane with higher accuracy based on the map information and the like.

The input device 45 is disposed at a position in the vehicle where a driver can operate the device, and receives an instruction from the driver or an input of information.

The ECU29 is an occupant recognition unit that recognizes the state of the driver based on the detection result of the detection unit 29a that detects the state of the driver seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle V. In the present embodiment, the detection unit 29a is a camera (hereinafter, may be referred to as a camera 29a) that photographs the interior of the vehicle. The state of the driver can be recognized from the captured image of the camera 29a, and particularly in the case of the present embodiment, the line-of-sight direction of the driver is estimated.

< Camera monitoring System >

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the CMS10 provided in the vehicle V. The CMS10 is a peripheral image providing device that captures an image of the periphery of the vehicle V and provides the image to the driver. The vehicle V has two seats in the front row adjacent to the front window 5, two seats in the rear row, a driver seat on the right side of the front row, and a passenger seat on the left side. The vehicle 1 has a total of four doors adjacent to the respective seats, and the door 6R is a door adjacent to the driver's seat and a right door on the front side. The door 6L is a door adjacent to the front passenger seat and is a front left door.

The CMS10 includes

imaging devices

7R, 7L, and 7B that image the periphery of the vehicle V. These

image pickup devices

7R, 7L, and 7B are cameras each having an image pickup element such as an image sensor and an optical system such as a lens, for example. The imaging device 7R is disposed in front of the door 6R on the right side of the vehicle V, and the imaging range RR thereof is the right rear side of the vehicle V. The imaging device 7L is disposed in front of the door 6L on the left side of the vehicle V, and the imaging range LR thereof is the left rear side of the vehicle V. The imaging device 7B is disposed behind the vehicle V, and an imaging range BR thereof is the rear of the vehicle V. In the case of the present embodiment, three

imaging devices

7R, 7L, and 7B are provided, but one or two imaging devices may be used depending on the capabilities (imaging ranges) of the imaging devices.

Reference is made to fig. 3 on the basis of fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the interior of the vehicle V, and particularly shows the periphery of the instrument panel DB. An instrument panel is provided on the front side of the driver seat at an instrument panel DB on the front side of the steering wheel 9.

A display device 8R is provided on the right side of the vehicle V, a display device 8L is provided on the left side, and a display device 8B is provided in the center. In the case of the present embodiment, these display devices are disposed in the vehicle interior. The display device 8R is disposed at the right end portion of the instrument panel DB, and the display device 8L is disposed at the left end portion. The

display devices

8R, 8L, and 8B are image display devices, and in the case of the present embodiment, are liquid crystal display devices. The display device 8R is a side monitor that displays an image captured by the imaging device 7R, and the display device 8L is a side monitor that displays an image captured by the imaging device 7L.

The vehicle V of the present embodiment is a vehicle without a side mirror, and the

imaging devices

7R and 7L and the

display devices

8R and 8L are provided to allow the driver to confirm the lateral rear of the vehicle 1 in place of the side mirror (door mirror). Basically, while the vehicle 1 is traveling, the display device 8R always displays the captured image of the imaging device 7R, and the display device 8L always displays the captured image of the imaging device 7L.

The display device 8B is a rear monitor that displays the image captured by the imaging device 7B. The vehicle V of the present embodiment is a vehicle without an interior mirror, and the imaging device 7B and the display device 8B are provided to allow the driver to confirm the rear of the vehicle 1 instead of the interior mirror. The display device 8B can also function as a mirror that does not display a captured image by having an image display device disposed behind the half mirror.

The ECU26 is a control unit that controls the CMS10, and performs imaging control of the

imaging devices

7R, 7L, and 7B and display control of the

display devices

8R, 8L, and 8B.

< control example >

A control example of the control device 1 will be explained. Each process is repeatedly executed periodically. Fig. 4 (a) is a flowchart showing a mode selection process of the driving control performed by the ECU 20.

At S1, it is determined whether or not the mode selection operation is performed by the driver. The driver can give an instruction to switch between the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode by operating the input device 45, for example. The process proceeds to S2 when there is a selection operation, and ends when there is no selection operation.

At S2, it is determined whether or not the selection operation is a selection operation indicating automated driving, and if the selection operation is a selection operation indicating automated driving, the process proceeds to S3, and if the selection operation is a selection operation indicating manual driving, the process proceeds to S4. In S3, the automatic driving mode is set, and automatic driving control is started. In S4, the manual driving mode is set, and manual driving control is started. The ECU21 to ECU29 are notified of the current settings relating to the mode of driving control by the ECU20, and are recognized by the ECU21 to ECU 29.

In the manual driving control, driving, steering, and braking of the vehicle V are performed in accordance with the driving operation of the driver, and the ECU20 appropriately executes the driving assistance control. In the automatic driving control, the ECU20 outputs control commands to the

ECUs

22, 23, and 27 to control steering, braking, and driving of the vehicle V, and automatically drives the vehicle V without depending on the driving operation of the driver. The ECU20 sets the travel route of the vehicle V, and refers to the position recognition result of the ECU28 and the recognition result of the target object, to cause the vehicle V to travel along the set travel route. The target object is identified based on the detection results of the

detection units

31A, 31B, 32A, 32B.

Fig. 4 (B) is a flowchart showing the steering detection process executed by the ECU 22. Here, the steering of the steering wheel 9 by the driver is detected. In S11, the detection result of the steering angle sensor 41b is acquired, and the steering direction (left or right) and the steering amount (steering angle of the steering wheel 9) are detected. In S12, the detection result of S11 is stored in the storage device provided in ECU 22.

Fig. 4 (C) is a flowchart showing the line-of-sight direction estimation process executed by the ECU 29. Here, the left and right sight line directions of the driver are estimated. In S21, the captured image of the camera 29a is acquired. In S22, the line of sight direction of the driver is estimated from the captured image acquired in S21. Specifically, for example, the orientation of the face of the driver is specified from the image of the face included in the captured image, and the position of the eyeball is specified from the image of the eyeball. The left and right sight line directions of the driver are estimated from the orientation of the specified face and the positions of the eyeballs. At S23, the estimation result at S22 is stored in a storage device provided in ECU 29.

< control of Power consumption >

During the traveling of the vehicle V, the peripheral image is basically always displayed on the

display devices

8R and 8L. The

display devices

8R and 8L are electronic image display devices and consume power. The reduction in power consumption contributes to improvement in fuel economy and improvement in cruising distance of the vehicle V. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the driver does not need the display device 8R or the display device 8L, control (low power control) for reducing the power consumption is performed.

Specifically, in the case where the driver views the left direction with turning left, there is an extremely low possibility that the driver needs the display of the display device 8R. In this case, low power control is performed on the display device 8R. In contrast, in the case where the driver views the right direction under the right steering, the possibility that the driver needs the display of the display device 8L is extremely low. In this case, low power control is performed on the display device 8L. By using both the steering direction and the line-of-sight direction as a basis for the determination, it is possible to more reliably specify a display that is less necessary for the driver. As the content of the low power control, a reduction in luminance of the

display devices

8R and 8L (for example, a reduction in the amount of light of the backlight, a reduction in the display area, and the like) can be cited, and an example of the reduction in luminance will be described in the present embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of start control for controlling the start of low power control of the

display devices

8R and 8L, and is executed by the ECU26 during manual driving. It is determined at S31 whether or not the current state is under low power control, and if so, the routine proceeds to S39, and if not, the routine proceeds to S32. The information indicating whether or not the ECU26 is under low power control can be stored in a storage device provided in the ECU 26.

In S32, information of the steering direction and steering amount is acquired from ECU 22. At S33, it is determined whether or not the acquired steering amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount (whether or not the wheel angle is large), and if the steering amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount, the routine proceeds to S34, and if the steering amount is less than the predetermined amount, the routine proceeds to S39.

In S34, information of the driver' S sight-line direction is acquired from ECU 29. In S35, it is determined whether the steering direction and the line-of-sight direction are the same direction (common in which of the left direction or the right direction) based on the pieces of information acquired in S32 and S34. The process proceeds to S36 when the direction is the same, and proceeds to S39 when the direction is different. In S36, the timer is added. The timer counts the duration of a state in which the turning direction and the line-of-sight direction are the same direction.

At S37, it is determined whether or not the timer is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (whether or not a predetermined duration has elapsed), and if the timer is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to S38, and if the timer is less than the predetermined value, the process ends. In S38, low power control is started for the display device on the opposite side to the viewing direction. When the viewing direction is rightward, the low power control of the display device 8L is started to lower the luminance. When the line of sight direction is left, low power control of the display device 8R is started to lower the luminance. Then, the information indicating that the low power control is in progress is stored in the storage device of the ECU 29. In S39, the timer is reset.

Fig. 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams showing examples before and after the start of the low power control. Fig. 6 illustrates a state before the low power control is started. Arrow D1 represents the driver's direction of sight. The display of the display device 8R is a display of normal luminance. The same applies to the display of the display device 8L.

In fig. 7, the steering wheel 9 is steered leftward by a predetermined amount θ a or more. The predetermined amount θ a is, for example, an amount in the range of 60% to 80% of the maximum steering amount. The driver's sight line direction D1 is set to the left direction if directed to the left side beyond the virtual reference line LL, and is set to the right direction if directed to the right side beyond the virtual reference line RL. In the example of fig. 7, the line-of-sight direction D1 is the left direction. When such turning and the line-of-sight direction continue for a predetermined time period measured by a timer, low-power control is started for the display device 8R on the right side, which is the opposite side to the line-of-sight direction. In the display example of fig. 7, the display becomes darker as compared with the display example of the display device 8R of fig. 6. Although not shown, the display of the display device 8L is still at normal luminance.

By the above processing, it is possible to more reliably specify a display that is less necessary for the driver, and to perform low power control to reduce power consumption.

Next, an example of processing in which the ECU26 ends the low power control and returns to the normal power control will be described. Fig. 8 is a flowchart thereof. It is determined at S41 whether or not the control is currently under low power control, and if the control is under low power control, the routine proceeds to S42, and if the control is not under low power control, the process ends.

In S42, information of the steering amount is acquired from ECU 22. At S43, it is determined whether or not the acquired steering amount is smaller than a predetermined amount (whether or not the wheel angle is small), and if smaller than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to S46, and if not smaller than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to S44. The determination here is a determination of whether or not the steering wheel 9 is turned. The predetermined amount to be the threshold may be the same as θ a or another amount, and in the case of another amount, may be an amount smaller than θ a.

In S44, information of the driver' S sight-line direction is acquired from ECU 29. In S45, it is determined whether or not the line of sight direction acquired in S44 has changed since the start of the low power control, and if the line of sight direction has changed, the process proceeds to S46, and if the line of sight direction has not changed, the process ends. The change in the line of sight direction is, for example, a case where the line of sight direction returns to the range between the reference line LL and the reference line RL in fig. 7, or a case where the line of sight direction changes in the opposite direction.

In S46, the low power control is ended. The display luminance of the display device 8R or the display device 8L on which the low power control is performed is returned to the normal luminance. Further, if the low power control is ended in S46 because the transition vector amount is smaller than the predetermined amount in S43, the display luminance of the display device 8R or the display device 8L on which the low power control has been executed so far is observed. Moreover, since it is brightened, it is easy to attract the attention of the driver. For example, after the luminance of the display device 8R is decreased in the left turn, the display of the display device 8R becomes bright in the process of turning the steering wheel 9, and thus the driver is likely to be noticed to the right. Therefore, the driver can be prompted to pay attention to the right side after the left turn or to the left side after the right turn.

< second embodiment >

The start of the low power control of the display device 8R or the display device 8L may be restricted according to the running state or the running environment. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of this, and shows an example of processing by the ECU 26. In the example of fig. 9, the process of fig. 5 is started only when the vehicle V is in a decelerating state. It is assumed that the low-power control of the first embodiment is basically executed in a case where the vehicle V is turning at an intersection or the like. When the vehicle V is in the inertia running state or the acceleration state, the possibility of such turning is low. Therefore, the processing load of the ECU26 can be reduced by performing the processing of fig. 5 only when the vehicle V is in a decelerating state.

In S51, information indicating the running state of the vehicle V is acquired from the ECU 23. The information indicating the traveling state includes information on the acceleration of the vehicle V and information on the amount of brake operation of the brake pedal BP by the driver. In S52, it is determined whether the vehicle V is in a decelerating state based on the information acquired in S51. If it is determined that the vehicle is in the decelerating state, the routine proceeds to S53, and if it is determined that the vehicle is not in the decelerating state, the process is terminated. In S53, the process illustrated in fig. 5 is executed.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of processing executed by the ECU26 to restrict the start of the low power control according to the running environment. At intersections without signal lights, attention needs to be paid to vehicles coming from behind the lanes into which the destination is entered. That is, the necessity of checking the right side of the vehicle V in the left turn is high, and the necessity of checking the left side of the vehicle V in the right turn is also high. Therefore, the start of the low power control is restricted at the intersection where there is no traffic light.

In S61, information of the traveling position of the vehicle V is acquired from the ECU 28. The information indicating the travel position includes the current position of the vehicle V and information indicating whether or not an intersection exists forward in the traveling direction. At S62, it is determined whether the vehicle V is in a situation of entering the intersection based on the information acquired at S61. For example, it is determined whether or not the vehicle V is present within a range from 10m in the front of the intersection to the intersection. If it is determined that the vehicle V is in a state of entering the intersection, the process proceeds to S63, and if it is not in a state of entering, the process ends.

In S63, information on the periphery is acquired from ECU28 or ECU 21. Here, information on whether there is a traffic light at the intersection is acquired. The information whether there is a traffic light on the map information is obtained from the ECU 28. As a result of the detection of the surrounding situation, information on whether or not there is a traffic light is obtained from the ECU 21.

At S64, it is determined whether or not there is a traffic light at the intersection to be entered based on the information acquired at S63, and the flow proceeds to S65 if there is a traffic light, and to S66 if there is no traffic light. In S65, the process illustrated in fig. 5 is executed. In S66, the low power control is prohibited until the vehicle V passes through the intersection (the processing illustrated in fig. 5 is not executed).

Further, a combination of the example of fig. 9 and the example of fig. 10 is also possible.

< third embodiment >

When the low power control of the display device 8R or the display device 8L is performed, the possibility that the driver confirms the rear through the display device 8B is low. Therefore, when the low power control of the display device 8R or the display device 8L is performed, the display device 8B may perform the low power control. Specifically, in the case where the low-power control is executed in S38 of fig. 5, the low-power control is executed not only for the display device 8R or the display device 8L but also for the display device 8B.

On the other hand, when the low power control is ended and the normal power control is resumed, the driver's line of sight direction approaches the display device 8B. For example, in a situation where the display device 8R is set to the normal power control and the display device 8L is set to the low power control, the line of sight direction of the driver is on the right side, that is, the display device 8R side. When the

display devices

8B and 8L are returned to the normal power control, the driver's line of sight direction is closer to the display device 8B located in the middle than the display device 8L. Therefore, the driver may view the display device 8B before the display device 8L. Therefore, when the low power control is ended and the normal power control is resumed, the control is performed to resume the display device 8R first.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of this process, and shows an example of the process in which the ECU26 ends the low power control and returns to the normal power control. The processing of S41 to S45 is the same as the processing of S41 to S45 of fig. 8.

If it is determined in S43 that the steering amount is smaller than the predetermined amount, and if it is determined in S45 that the driver' S visual direction has changed since the start of the low power control, the routine proceeds to S71. In S71, the low power control of the display device 8B (rear monitor) is ended to return the display luminance to the normal luminance. In next S72, the low power control of the display device 8R or the display device 8L (side monitor) is ended to return the display luminance to the normal luminance. The display luminance of the display device 8B is restored faster than the display luminance of the display device 8R or the display device 8L, and the driver can see the image behind the vehicle V with good visibility.

< fourth embodiment >

In the autonomous driving, low power control may be performed. However, when the driver grips the steering wheel 9 during the automatic driving, the driver may immediately shift to the manual driving, and the driver may monitor the periphery of the vehicle V. Therefore, in the automatic driving, the low power control is performed when the driver grips the steering wheel 9. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of this process, and is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the start control for controlling the start and end of the low power control by the ECU26 to the

display devices

8R and 8L.

In S81, it is determined whether the vehicle V is in automatic driving. In the case of automatic driving, the process proceeds to S82. It is determined at S82 whether or not the vehicle is currently under low power control, and if the vehicle is under low power control, the routine proceeds to S83, and if the vehicle is not under low power control, the routine proceeds to S87.

In S83, the detection result of sensor 36 is acquired from ECU22, and it is determined whether or not the driver is gripping steering wheel 9. If it is determined that the grip is not being held, the process proceeds to S84, and if it is determined that the grip is being held, the process ends.

In S84, information relating to the running state of the vehicle V is acquired. Here, information necessary for turning determination is acquired from the ECU 22. In S85, it is determined whether the vehicle V is turning left or turning right based on the information acquired in S84. The process proceeds to S86 when the vehicle is turning left or turning right, and ends when the vehicle is moving straight. Whether the vehicle is turning left or turning right can be determined based on whether the steering angle of the steering angle sensor 41b is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

In S86, if the determination result in S85 is that the vehicle is turning right, the low power control is started for the display device 8L on the opposite side, and if the determination result in S85 is that the vehicle is turning left, the low power control is started for the display device 8R on the opposite side. The determination is made according to whether the vehicle V is turning right or turning left without referring to the driver's sight line direction. This is because, in the case where the driver is in the autonomous driving and the driver does not hold the steering wheel 9, the driver may not be aware of the surroundings of the vehicle V originally.

In S87 to S89, processing related to the end of the low power control is performed. In S87, information relating to the running state of the vehicle V is acquired. Here, information necessary for determination of the end of turning is acquired from the ECU 22. In S88, it is determined whether the vehicle V is turning left or turning right based on the information acquired in S87. The process ends when the vehicle is turning left or turning right, and the process proceeds to S89 when the vehicle is moving straight. Whether the vehicle is turning left or turning right can be determined based on whether the steering angle of the steering angle sensor 41b is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In S89, the low power control currently being executed is ended.

The present embodiment can be combined with the second embodiment and the third embodiment, and the contents of each of these embodiments can be applied to the present embodiment relating to the process in the automatic driving.

< summary of the embodiments >

The above embodiment discloses at least the following embodiments.

1. The vehicle control device (1) of the above embodiment includes:

a peripheral image providing means (10) for capturing an image of the periphery of the vehicle and providing the captured image to the driver;

detection means (41b, 22) for detecting the steering of the driver; and

estimating means (29a, 29) for estimating the direction of the driver's sight line,

the peripheral image providing mechanism includes:

a left display means (8L) which is disposed on the left side of the vehicle and displays an image of the left rear side of the vehicle;

a right display means (8R) which is disposed on the right side of the vehicle and displays an image behind the right side of the vehicle; and

and a control means (26) that executes low power control for reducing the power consumption of one of the left display means and the right display means, based on the direction of steering detected by the detection means and the line-of-sight direction estimated by the estimation means.

According to this embodiment, a technique capable of reducing power consumption for image display without significantly reducing the driving assistance function of the peripheral image providing means can be provided.

2. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

in the low power control, the luminance of one of the left display means and the right display means is reduced.

According to this embodiment, power consumption can be reduced by reducing luminance.

3. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the control means executes the low power control on the display means on the opposite side of the line-of-sight direction out of the left display means or the right display means on condition that at least the direction of the steering detected by the detection means and the line-of-sight direction estimated by the estimation means are in the same direction (S35) (S38).

According to this embodiment, power consumption can be reduced for a display device with a low possibility of visual recognition.

4. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

when the operation amount of the steering detected by the detection means is equal to or greater than a first predetermined amount (S33), and the direction of the line of sight estimated by the estimation means is the same direction as the direction of the steering for a predetermined time or longer (S37), the control means executes the low power control on the display means on the opposite side of the line of sight direction out of the left display means and the right display means (S38).

5. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

after the low power control is executed on one of the left display means and the right display means, the control means ends the low power control (S46) when the operation amount of the steering is returned to less than a second predetermined amount in accordance with the detection means (S43).

According to this embodiment, when the driver is likely to be visually recognized, the original power control can be resumed earlier.

6. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the control means executes the low power control on the condition that at least the vehicle passes through an intersection having a traffic light (S64, S65).

According to this embodiment, the power consumption of the image display can be reduced in accordance with the running environment without significantly reducing the driving assistance function of the peripheral image providing means.

7. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the control mechanism executes the low-power control (S52, S53) on condition that at least the vehicle is in a decelerating state.

8. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the peripheral image providing means is provided with a rear display means (8B) for displaying an image of the rear of the vehicle,

when the operation amount of the steering detected by the detection means is equal to or greater than the first predetermined amount (S33), and the direction of the line of sight estimated by the estimation means is the same direction as the direction of the steering for equal to or greater than the predetermined time (S37), the control means executes low power control for reducing the power consumption of the rear display means (S38).

9. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

after the low power control is performed on one of the left display means or the right display means and the rear display means, if the amount of operation of the steering is returned to less than a second predetermined amount in accordance with the detection means (S43), the control means ends the low power control of the one display means after the low power control is ended on the rear display means (S71, S72).

According to this embodiment, the rear display means in the direction close to the driver's sight line can be returned to the original power control state.

10. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the vehicle (V) is an autonomous vehicle,

when the vehicle is under automatic driving and the driver does not hold the steering wheel (S83), the control means executes the low power control on the left display means when the vehicle turns right, and executes the low power control on the right display means when the vehicle turns left (S86).

According to this embodiment, power consumption can be reduced even in autonomous driving.

11. The vehicle (V) according to the above embodiment is a vehicle without a side mirror, which is provided with the vehicle control device (1).

While the embodiments of the invention have been described above, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A control device for a vehicle, characterized in that,

the vehicle control device includes:

a detection mechanism that detects steering of the driver; and

the peripheral image providing mechanism includes:

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein in the low power control, a luminance of one of the left display means and the right display means is decreased.

3. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 1,

the control means executes the low power control on the display means on the opposite side to the line-of-sight direction out of the left display means or the right display means on the condition that at least the direction of the steering detected by the detection means and the line-of-sight direction estimated by the estimation means are in the same direction.

4. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 1,

the control means may execute the low power control on a display means on the opposite side of the direction of the line of sight from the left display means or the right display means, when the amount of operation of the steering detected by the detection means is a first predetermined amount or more and the direction of the line of sight estimated by the estimation means is the same direction as the direction of the steering for a predetermined time or more.

5. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 4,

the control means ends the low power control when the operation amount of the steering is returned to less than a second predetermined amount in accordance with the detection means after the low power control is executed on one of the left display means and the right display means.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control means executes the low power control on condition that at least the vehicle passes through an intersection having a traffic light.

7. The vehicular control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means executes the low-power control on condition that at least the vehicle is in a decelerating state.

8. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 4,

the peripheral image providing means includes a rear display means for displaying an image of the rear of the vehicle,

the control means executes low power control for reducing power consumption of the rear display means when the operation amount of the steering detected by the detection means is equal to or more than the first predetermined amount and the direction of the line of sight estimated by the estimation means is equal to or more than the direction of the steering for the predetermined time.

9. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 8,

the control means may be configured to terminate the low power control of one of the left display means and the right display means after the low power control is executed on the one of the left display means and the right display means and when the steering operation amount is returned to less than a second predetermined amount by the detection means, the control means may terminate the low power control of the one of the left display means and the right display means after the low power control is terminated on the one of the left display means and the right display means.

10. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 1,

the vehicle is a vehicle capable of autonomous driving,

when the vehicle is in automatic driving and the driver does not hold the steering wheel, the control means executes the low power control on the left display means when the vehicle turns right, and executes the low power control on the right display means when the vehicle turns left.

11. A vehicle without a side mirror, comprising the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.