JP2000194995A - Obstacle alarm device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately display the danger degree between a obstacle and the driver's own vehicle by correcting and displaying the danger degree of the obstacle existing on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the driver's own vehicle in accordance with the recognition ability of the driver against the obstacle. SOLUTION: A CPU calculates the distances D between the driver's own vehicle and obstacles such as other vehicles existing on the left and right rear sides of the driver's own vehicle and the relative speed. The distances D are shown on a head up display(HUD) 13 arranged in the front of a driving seat in an identifiable way. A symbol representing the rear view of the driver's own vehicle which is shown in an upper central part of the image and segment lines 13a and 13b extending vertically by one line each to the left and right of the central part of the image are shown on the HUD 13. A characteristic curve representing the recognition ability of the driver is corrected in accordance with the change of ambient situations. And, the display pitch (every 1 m, every 2 m, etc.), when the distances D are shown by the lines 13a and 13b is decided by the corrected characteristic curve.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle obstacle warning device which assists a driver of a vehicle by providing information on an obstacle existing around the vehicle to the driver of the vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an obstacle warning device for a vehicle has been proposed which supports a driver of the vehicle by providing information on an obstacle existing around the vehicle to the driver of the vehicle.

[0003] As such an obstacle warning device, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-161599, when a driver performs a blinker operation, a display on an obstacle on the rear side is displayed.

[0004]

Generally, the ability of a driver to recognize an obstacle approaching from behind through a rear monitoring mirror such as a side mirror depends on the dynamic visual acuity characteristics of a human, such as traffic volume in the surroundings and weather. It is known that it changes every moment due to various factors. However, in the above-described conventional example, a display related to an obstacle is performed irrespective of the driver's ability to recognize an obstacle that changes from moment to moment. The driver may not be able to recognize the actual behavior of the obstacle, which may lead to a dangerous state.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle obstacle warning device which appropriately provides information on an obstacle present behind the vehicle together with the risk of the obstacle and the host vehicle.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve the above object, a vehicle obstacle warning device according to the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, an obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle present on the rear side of the vehicle, a display means for displaying information on a distance between the obstacle and the own vehicle in a vehicle cabin, and a change in the distance. Determining means for determining whether or not an occupant of the vehicle can be recognized via a rear monitoring mirror provided on the vehicle, based on at least the own vehicle speed and the distance; and at least the obstacle and the own vehicle Display control means for instructing the display means to display a degree of danger of the obstacle to the own vehicle based on the relative speed and the distance, and correcting the degree of danger in accordance with a result of the determination by the determination means; It is characterized by having.

Further, for example, the display control means may correct the risk level higher when the result of the determination by the determination means is unrecognizable than when the result is recognizable.

[0009] Alternatively, an obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle present on the rear side of the vehicle, a display means for displaying information on a distance between the obstacle and the own vehicle in a vehicle compartment, and a display for displaying a change in the distance. Determining means for determining whether or not an occupant of the vehicle can be recognized via a rear monitoring mirror provided on the vehicle, based on at least the own vehicle speed and the distance; and at least the obstacle and the own vehicle A display for instructing the display means to display the degree of danger of the obstacle to the own vehicle based on the relative speed and the distance, and changing the display mode of the degree of danger in accordance with the result of the determination by the determination means. Control means.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a vehicle obstacle warning device according to the present invention is applied to a typical automobile will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] First, the hardware configuration of an obstacle warning device for a vehicle according to this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an entire system of an obstacle warning device for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism of a driver seat of the vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a vehicle obstacle warning device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3, a vehicle according to this embodiment has left and right door mirrors (side mirrors) 1 and 2 provided with a left rear side detection sensor 11 and a right rear side detection sensor as obstacle detecting means. 12 are respectively provided. still,
The detection sensors 11 and 12 include an image sensor such as a general line CCD sensor.

The support portion of the steering wheel 4 is provided with a wiper switch / light switch 3 used in rainy weather or at night. The navigation unit 14 uses a general method based on a GPS (global positioning system) signal, a VICS (road traffic information communication system) signal, or the like, which is received from outside.
It detects the current position of the host vehicle, detects the traveling environment such as the number of lanes around the current position, provides road information such as traffic volume, and performs route guidance. Left side mirror rotation position sensor 15
Detects the rotation angle of the left side mirror, and the right side mirror rotation position sensor 16 detects the rotation angle of the right side mirror. A vehicle speed sensor 17 (not shown in FIG. 1)
Detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle.

The seat slide position sensor 18 is
The position of the seat 20 that can be changed by the seat slide device 22 is detected. Seat reclining position sensor 19
Detects a reclining position of the seat 20 that can be changed by the seat reclining device 21.

Each of the above-described units includes a CPU 101, an R
AM 102 and an electronic control unit (ECU) 10 having a ROM 103.
When an obstacle such as another vehicle is detected on the left and right rear sides of the vehicle using image signals from the detection sensors 11 and 12 based on information obtained from each unit, the PU 101 detects the obstacle. A distance D between the object and the vehicle (own vehicle) is calculated, and information on the detected obstacle is displayed on a head-up display (HUD) 13 disposed in front of a driver's seat according to the calculation result. I do. Also, CP
Prior to displaying the calculation result on the HUD 13, the U101 determines the display mode based on the distance between the obstacle and the host vehicle (details will be described later).

The processing by the CPU 101 is executed in accordance with programs and parameters stored in the ROM 103 in advance while using the RAM 102 as a work area.

The HUD 13 can be used also as a navigation unit 15 having a liquid crystal display or the like.
Alternatively, it may be provided exclusively for obstacle warning.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state of the right rear side detection sensor 12 provided in the right door mirror 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The detection sensors 11 and 12 are, as shown in the case of the detection sensor 12 on the right side in FIG. 3, rearward by two auto-focus cameras 12 a and 12 b arranged vertically inside the body 2 a of the door mirror 2. And the mirror surface 2b of the door mirror 2 so as not to hinder the imaging.
Is composed of a half mirror. The CPU 101
The distance D is calculated by a general method such as a three-point survey method based on the defocus of each image captured by the two autofocus cameras 12a and 12b as the detection sensor 12.

Incidentally, these methods of object recognition (extraction of an object) and distance calculation are generally well known.
The technology disclosed in JP-A-106599 can be used, and a detailed description of this embodiment will be omitted.

Next, the form of the display screen of the HUD 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the HUD 13 has a function of identifiably displaying a distance (separation distance) D between an obstacle existing on the left and right rear sides of the host vehicle and the host vehicle.

FIGS. 5 to 9 are views showing examples of the display screen of the HUD 13 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a lighting state when an obstacle exists on the right rear side of the own vehicle. (FIGS. 6 to 9 show only the display mode).

As shown in FIG. 1, the HUD 13 displays a symbol representing the rear view of the vehicle displayed at the upper center of the screen, and segment rows 13a and 13b extending vertically in the left and right directions at the center of the screen. Is done.

Each of the segment rows 13a and 13b is divided into six display areas E1 to E6, each of which represents an interval of 5 m, and the display area E1 has a distance D.
Is 25 m to 30 m, the display area E2 has a distance D of 20 m to 25 m, and the display area E3 has a distance D of 1
From 5m to 20m, ... and display area E6
Can be turned on when the distance D is from 0 m to 5 m.

The segment rows 13a and 13b are arranged so as to be closer to each other as they are closer to the symbol portion representing the rear view of the host vehicle, and to be separated from each other as they are lower. In addition, each segment row 13a, 13
The display areas E1 to E6 forming b also have such a shape that the width becomes narrower toward the upper part closer to the symbol portion representing the rear view of the host vehicle, and conversely, the width becomes wider from the lower side. In this embodiment, these segment rows 1
The display frames 3a and 13b are always displayed regardless of the display level of the distance D.

In the above-mentioned display areas E1 to E6, based on the positions of the left and right rear obstacles imaged by the detection sensors 11 and 12, and the display control processing described later,
A plurality of line-shaped segments are displayed so as to be stacked from below according to the distance D. For example, in the display example of FIG. 5, the segment row 13b is a distance D on the right rear side of the own vehicle.
Indicates that an obstacle exists at a position of about 13 m. Similarly, FIG. 6 shows an obstacle at a position of 27 m to 30 m, FIG. 7 shows an obstacle at a position of 15 m to 16 m, FIG. 8 shows an obstacle at a position of 13 m to 14 m, and FIG. The case where the distance D is 10 m or less is shown.

In this embodiment, a line-shaped segment will be described for convenience of explanation. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, control is performed in pixel units of the HUD 13 so as to increase or decrease the display area in each display area. You may.

Next, the basic principle of display control of the HUD 13 having the above configuration will be described. First, the display control performed in the present embodiment will be briefly described. In the display control described below, the difference between the surrounding situation recognized by the driver itself and the situation of the obstacle displayed on the HUD 13 is determined. For the purpose of eliminating discomfort, the driver responds to a characteristic (hereinafter referred to as a movement recognition characteristic) as to whether or not the driver can recognize the movement of an obstacle present on the rear side through the side mirror, particularly, whether or not the driver can recognize the approach. , The display pitch of the segment displayed on the HUD 13 is changed.

In general, a driver's perception of a movement to an obstacle includes a curvature of a rear monitoring mirror such as a side mirror, and a distance between the driver's viewpoint and the mirror surface which changes according to a seat slide position or a reclining position (hereinafter referred to as a mirror position). , Viewing distance: see FIG. 10). In addition, the movement cognitive characteristics are those that change from moment to moment depending on the surrounding environment, and the main factors are changes in the gaze time of the rear monitoring mirror according to changes in the vehicle speed and surrounding traffic, and Changes in the surrounding weather conditions such as nighttime and rain. Specifically, for example, when the traffic volume is large, the driver tries to keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, so that the gaze time of the side mirror (corresponding to a parameter T described later) is shortened. Also, at night or the like, since the driver's ability to recognize an obstacle is reduced, it is difficult to notice that the angle (corresponding to a parameter Δθ described later) formed by the approaching obstacle in the field of view increases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when displaying the separation distance D between the host vehicle and the obstacle in the segment rows 13a and 13b of the HUD 13, the display pitch of the segments is controlled in accordance with the change in the movement recognition characteristics.

Here, the movement recognition characteristics of the driver with respect to the obstacle are represented by mathematical expressions. That is, the movement recognition characteristic when the obstacle behind is present at the position of the distance L is the amount of change per unit time of the separation distance D between the host vehicle and the obstacle that can be recognized by the driver (hereinafter, the movement recognition threshold). ) ΔL [m /
s]) is given by the following equations (1) and (2).

At the time of approaching an obstacle: ΔL (m / s) = k × L１2 / (1 + k × L) × (1 / T) (1), at the time of moving away from the obstacle: ΔL ( m / s) = k × L ↑ 2 / (1−k × L) × (1 / T) (2), where a ↑ b in equations (1) and (2). Is a of b
Power, k = Δθ × Lm / α, α = W × (R × Lm) / (R
+ 2 × Lm), where R (m) is a side mirror curvature parameter, Lm (m) is a viewing distance parameter, T (s) is a gaze (fixation) time parameter, and Δθ (rad / s) is a driver's movement recognition. The threshold parameter, and W (m) is the width of the rear obstacle (vehicle). The above movement recognition threshold ΔL
If the display pitch of the HUD 13 is optimally controlled according to
The above-mentioned uncomfortable feeling of the driver can be prevented. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the characteristic curve representing the cognitive ability of the driver is corrected according to a change in the surrounding situation,
By referring to the corrected characteristic curve based on the calculated distance D, the distance change Δ
Set L. Then, according to the corrected characteristic curve,
The display pitch (every 1 m, every 2 m, or the like) when displaying the distance D by the segment rows 13 a and 13 b is determined.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams showing an example of a change pattern of the display pitch in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows a case where the driver's cognitive ability is low.
FIG. 12 shows a case where the driver's cognitive ability is high. These characteristic curves and other characteristic curves (not shown) having an intermediate slope between these characteristic curves are shown in a look-up table (L
UT) data is stored in the ROM 103 in advance.

FIG. 11 shows a characteristic curve in the case where the driver's cognitive ability is low.
Use of the side mirror on the passenger side, large reclining amount of the seat 20 (state in which the seat back is greatly collapsed),
And it is set according to items such as a large curvature of the side mirror, nighttime, bad weather such as rain, a high vehicle speed, and a large traffic volume.

On the other hand, the characteristic curve shown in FIG. 12 when the driver's cognitive ability is high is such that the sliding position of the seat 20 is at the foremost end, the use of the driver's seat side mirror, and the reclining amount of the seat 20 is small (the seatback is too small). It is set according to the following items: the curvature of the side mirror is small; daytime, sunny weather, low vehicle speed, and low traffic.

In a display control process described later, the characteristic curve is corrected in accordance with the driver's cognitive ability, and the corrected characteristic curve is referred to based on the calculated distance D, so that the driver can recognize the change in distance. The amount ΔL is set, and the corrected characteristic curve is used to set the segment row 1
The display pitch (every 1 m, every 2 m, etc.) when displaying the distance D is determined by 3a and 13b.

Next, the display control processing in this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a display control process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
01 represents a process to be executed based on the program stored in the ROM 103.

In the figure, step S1: the distance (separation distance) D between the own vehicle and the other vehicle and the calculated distance D
Is calculated based on the relative speed. As a method of calculating these values, a general method may be adopted. Specifically, an object in the imaging plane is detected based on the photographing data obtained from the detection sensors 11 and 12, and the object is detected. If there is, there is an object that can be an obstacle in the object, that is, do not run along the roadside, such as a reflector, guardrail, street light, etc., drive on the left rear side or right rear side of your vehicle It is determined whether another vehicle is included.
When it is determined that the vehicle is another vehicle, the distance D to the own vehicle is calculated by a general method such as a three-point survey method, and the rate of change of the distance D per unit time is calculated. The relative speed may be calculated.

Step S2: A distance change amount ΔL recognizable by the driver is set (details will be described later).

Step S3: The change amount of the distance D from the time when the display screen of the HUD 13 was last updated to the present time is equal to the distance change amount Δ set in step S2.
It is determined whether or not it is larger than L, and if NO (when smaller than the distance change amount ΔL), the process returns.

Step S4: YE is determined in step S3.
In the case of S (when greater than the distance change amount ΔL), the distance D calculated this time in step S1 is displayed on the HUD 13 based on the display pitch change pattern set in step S2, and the process returns.

Next, the process of setting the distance change amount ΔL in step S2 will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are flow charts showing a process of setting the distance change amount ΔL in the display control process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. By correcting each parameter used in the equation (2), the optimum distance change amount ΔL for the current situation is set.

In FIG. 5, step S21: the seat slide position is detected by the seat slide position sensor 18, and the seat reclining angle is detected by the seat recline position sensor 19. Further, the curvature of the side mirror is read from the ROM 103.

Step S22: Left and right side mirrors 1,
2 is calculated based on the side mirror curvature parameter R corresponding to the curvature of the side mirror read in step S21, the seat slide position and the seat reclining angle detected in step S1, and the vehicle parameters stored in the ROM 103 in advance. The driver's viewing distance parameter Lm is set.

Step S23: The rotation angles of the left and right side mirrors 1 and 2 are detected by the left side mirror rotation position sensor 15 and the right side mirror rotation position sensor 16.

Step S24: It is determined whether or not the other vehicle whose distance D or the like has been calculated in step S1 is reflected in the curvature changing portions of the left and right side mirrors 1 and 2, and if NO (not reflected), the flow proceeds to step S26. . This determination is made, for example, when the relationship between the angles of view of the detection sensors 11 and 12 and the reflection surface including the curvature change portion of the side mirror is stored in the ROM 103 in advance, and when the detection sensor takes an image of the rear side, It may be determined based on the relationship whether another vehicle is included in an area corresponding to the curvature change portion on the imaging surface.

Step S25: If the determination in step S24 is YES (when the other vehicle is reflected in the curvature changing portion), the side mirror curvature parameter R set in step S22 is compared with the other vehicle reflected in the curvature changing portion. Correct based on the distance to the vehicle.

Step S26: By detecting the operating state of the wiper and the light with the wiper switch / light switch 3, it is determined whether it is day or night, sunny or rainy.

Step S27: The movement recognition threshold parameter Δθ is set in accordance with the result of the judgment in step S26.
That is, it is determined whether or not the light switch is ON (step S271), and if NO (not at night), it is determined whether or not it is rainy based on the state of the wiper switch (step S2).
72). If the determination in step S272 is YES,
Since it is daytime and rainy, a movement recognition threshold parameter Δθ of a daytime rain pattern is set. On the other hand, if the determination in step S272 is NO, it is daytime and clear weather, so the movement recognition threshold parameter Δθ of the daylight pattern is set. Similarly, when the determination in step S271 is YES (night), it is determined in step S275 whether it is rainy or not, and the night fine pattern (step S276) or the night rain pattern (step S277) is moved according to the determination result. The recognition threshold parameter Δθ is set. Here, in the setting of step S27, the cognitive ability of the driver is the daylight pattern,
The setting is lower in the order of day rain pattern, night sunny pattern, and night rain pattern.

Step S28: For example, the surrounding traffic volume is detected based on the VICS information received by the navigation unit 14 (the traffic volume may be estimated by image processing), and the own vehicle speed is detected by the vehicle speed sensor 17. .

Step S29: fixation time parameter T
Is set to a pattern corresponding to the traffic volume and the vehicle speed detected in step S28. That is, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (step S291), and if NO (smaller than the predetermined value), it is determined whether the traffic volume is high (step S292). If the determination in step S292 is YES, the gaze time parameter T of the slow-mix pattern is set because the vehicle speed is slow and the surrounding traffic volume is large.
On the other hand, if the determination in step S292 is NO, the gaze time parameter T of the slow pattern is set because the own vehicle speed is slow and the surrounding traffic volume is small. Similarly, if the determination in step S291 is YES (greater than the predetermined value), it is determined in step S95 whether or not the traffic volume is large, and a fast-moving pattern (step S296) or a fast-mixing pattern is determined according to the determination result. (Step S297)
Is set. Here, in the setting in step S29, the cognitive ability of the driver is set to be lower in the order of the slow pattern, the fast pattern, the slow-mix pattern, and the fast-mix pattern.

According to the embodiment described above, the HUD
The display pitch of each segment in the thirteen segment rows 13a and 13b can be appropriately controlled in accordance with the change amount ΔL of the distance D and the occupant recognition characteristics.

[Second Embodiment] According to the above-described embodiment, the display pitch of the segments can be appropriately changed. However, in a situation where the lane change cannot be actually performed, if the fact is displayed so as to be identifiable, the mental burden on the driver can be further reduced. Therefore, in the present embodiment, based on the configuration of the obstacle alarm device described in the first embodiment, it is automatically determined whether or not lane change is possible. This is performed together with the display of the distance D to the HUD 13.

As a specific display mode, it is indicated that lane change is impossible or should not be performed. (1) All the segments of the left and right segment rows 13a and 13b on the side where lane change is not possible are displayed. (2) change the display color of each segment representing the calculated distance D to a warning color such as red, or (3) change the segment on the side where lane change is not possible. Columns 13a, 1
In the vicinity of 3b, for example, a display such as "lane change is impossible" or "lane change is dangerous!"

Next, a method of automatically determining whether or not lane change is possible in the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 16 is a characteristic diagram used for determining whether or not to change lanes in the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows general driving characteristics of a driver obtained by experiments with a plurality of subjects.

In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the distance D between the host vehicle and the other vehicle on the rear side, and the vertical axis represents the relative speed between the host vehicle and the other vehicle on the rear side. FIG. 16 shows, as an example, determination lines for determining whether or not lane change is possible at three vehicle speeds of the own vehicle speed of 20 km / h, 60 km / h, and 100 km / h, and an area on the right side of each determination line. Indicates that the lane can be changed, and the left area indicates that the lane cannot be changed. In the display control processing according to the present embodiment described later, data representing the characteristics shown in FIG. 16 is stored in the ROM 103 in advance as a look-up table (LUT), and the LUT is referred to by the calculated distance D and relative speed. It is determined whether or not lane change is possible.

Next, the display control processing in this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a display control process according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
It may be executed as a multitask (pseudo multitask) process by the CPU 101 as another task that is processed in parallel with the display control process in the first embodiment.

In FIG. 11, step S51: The distance D and the relative speed are calculated in the same manner as in step S1, and the vehicle speed sensor 17 detects the own vehicle speed.

Step S2: L representing the characteristic of FIG. 16 based on the own vehicle speed and the relative speed obtained in step S51.
By referring to the UT, it is determined whether or not the lane change is possible.

Step S55: If the determination in step S52 is NO, it is impossible to change lanes.
In order to notify the driver to that effect, display such as turning on all the segments on the side where lane change is impossible regardless of the calculated distance D is performed, as in the above three types of examples, and return. I do.

Step S56: When the determination in step S52 is YES (when the lane change is possible), the display of the HUD 13 is updated as in step S4 described above, and the routine returns.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to appropriately and early provide information on whether or not lane changes are possible, and it is possible to more efficiently provide driver assistance.

<Modification of Second Embodiment> FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a display control process according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present invention. Is different from the flowchart shown in FIG.

That is, steps S53 and S54:
When the determination in step S52 is NO, the change amount ΔL is set as in step S2 described above (step S5).
3) If the determination is YES (when approach recognition is possible), the process proceeds to step S56 to update the distance display, and if NO (when approach recognition is not possible), the process proceeds to step S55. Notifies that lane change is not possible.

According to this modification, the display mode of the HUD 13 is changed only when the driver cannot recognize the approach of another vehicle on the rear side. As a result, it is possible to prevent the driver's mental tension from unnecessarily increasing as in the case where the display is changed to a display indicating a warning in spite of the recognition of the approach of another vehicle. Can provide assistance.

[Third Embodiment] According to the above-described second embodiment, when a situation in which lane change is not possible is displayed on the HUD 13, the driver's attention can be raised. For example, the risk associated with attempting to change lanes when another vehicle is present around the host vehicle generally generally increases gradually in response to continuous changes in the surrounding conditions. Therefore, in the present embodiment, based on the configuration of the obstacle alarm device described in the first embodiment, the distance D described above is displayed on the HUD 13, and a change in the degree of danger is further displayed.

As a specific example of displaying the change of the degree of danger in a display mode, when the distance D is displayed on the HUD 13, the display colors of a plurality of segments representing the distance D are changed according to the degree of danger. For example, the color may be changed to green, yellow, or red as the risk increases.

Next, a method for automatically determining the degree of danger in the present embodiment will be described. When the risk is represented by a mathematical expression, a0 and a1 are given by Expression (3) as constants.
That is, (risk degree) = (a0 + a1 × (relative speed Vr / own vehicle speed Vo)) − distance D / own vehicle speed Vo (3), and the limit timing at which the lane can be changed is ,
When a plurality of drivers are modeled as subjects, FIG.
Indicated by

FIG. 19 is a characteristic diagram used for judging the degree of danger accompanying a lane change in the third embodiment of the present invention, and shows general driving characteristics of a driver obtained by experiments with a plurality of subjects. ing.

In the figure, the horizontal axis is the distance D between the host vehicle and the other vehicle on the rear side, and the vertical axis is the relative speed between the host vehicle and the other vehicle on the rear side. FIG. 19 shows, as an example, a determination line for determining whether or not the lane change at the own vehicle speed of 60 km / h is possible. In the area on the right side of each determination line, the farther to the right from the line, the lower the risk, In the left area, the farther to the left from the line, the higher the risk. In the display control process according to the present embodiment described later, data representing the characteristics shown in FIG. 19 is stored in the ROM 103 in advance as a look-up table (LUT), and the LUT is referred to by the calculated distance D and relative speed. Is used to determine the degree of danger.

Next, the display control processing in this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing a display control process according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
It may be executed as a multitask (pseudo multitask) process by the CPU 101 as another task that is processed in parallel with the display control process in the first and / or second embodiment.

In the figure, step S61: The distance D, the relative speed, and the own vehicle speed are obtained as in step S51 described above.

Step S62: Based on the own vehicle speed and the relative speed obtained in step S61, the current degree of danger is determined by referring to the LUT representing the characteristic shown in FIG.

Steps S63 and S64: Similar to steps S2 and S3 described above, the variation ΔL
Is set (step S63), and it is determined whether the driver can recognize the approach of another vehicle on the rear side (step S6).
4).

Step S65: The degree of risk determined in step S62 is corrected by the above equation (3) according to the distance D, the relative speed and the own vehicle speed calculated in step S61.

Step S66: The distance D calculated this time at step S61 is displayed in a display mode representing the degree of risk corrected at step S65, and the routine returns.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to appropriately provide information on an obstacle present behind, together with the degree of danger between the obstacle and the host vehicle. As a result, it is possible to prevent the mental tension of the driver from sharply increasing.

<Modification of Third Embodiment> FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing a display control process according to a modification of the third embodiment of the present invention, and a description will be given focusing on portions different from the flowchart of FIG. .

That is, from step S61 to step S6
3: The same processing as in the flowchart of FIG. 20 is performed.

Steps S67 and S68: It is determined whether or not the driver can recognize the approach of another vehicle on the rear side (step S67). If the determination is NO, in step S68, the driver approaches the other vehicle. The display mode of the HUD 13 is changed in order to notify the distance D, and the distance D calculated this time in step S61 is displayed in the display mode.
To return. Here, as a display mode for notifying the approach of another vehicle, for example, a plurality of segments to be lit may be blinked, or the lighting luminance may be increased.

Step S69: If the determination in step S67 is YES (if it is recognizable), the distance D calculated this time in step S61 is displayed in the normal display mode shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, and the routine returns. .

According to this modification, the display mode of the HUD 13 is changed only when the driver cannot recognize the approach of another vehicle on the rear side. As a result, it is possible to prevent the driver's mental tension from unnecessarily increasing as in the case where the display is changed to a display indicating a warning in spite of the recognition of the approach of another vehicle. Can provide assistance.

[0088]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide an obstacle warning device for a vehicle that appropriately provides information on an obstacle present behind the vehicle along with the danger between the obstacle and the host vehicle.

In other words, according to the first aspect of the present invention, information on an obstacle present behind can be provided appropriately together with the risk of the obstacle and the own vehicle, and the driver's mental tension can be reduced. Rapid increase can be prevented.

Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to more appropriately display a display indicating the degree of risk.

Further, according to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to more appropriately display the display indicating the degree of danger in accordance with the surrounding traffic volume (claim 3) and the weather (claim 4). Can be.

According to the fifth and sixth aspects of the present invention, the driver is mentally nervous as in the case where the display is changed to a display indicating the degree of danger despite recognition of the approach of another vehicle or the like. Can be prevented from increasing more than necessary,
More appropriate driving support can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an entire system of an obstacle warning device for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism of a driver seat of the vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an obstacle warning device for a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state of a right rear side detection sensor 12 provided in the right door mirror 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a display screen of the HUD 13 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display screen of the HUD 13 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram exemplifying a display screen of a HUD 13 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display screen of the HUD 13 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram exemplifying a display screen of the HUD 13 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a change in a driver's viewing distance that changes according to a seat slide position.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change pattern of a display pitch according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change pattern of a display pitch according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a display control process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a process of setting a distance change amount ΔL in a display control process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a process of setting a distance change amount ΔL in a display control process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a characteristic diagram used for determining whether or not to change lanes in the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a display control process according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a display control process according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a characteristic diagram used for determining a degree of risk associated with a lane change in the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a display control process according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating a display control process according to a modification of the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2: door mirror, 3: wiper switch / light switch, 4: steering wheel, 10: electronic control unit (ECU), 11: left rear side detection sensor, 12: right rear side detection sensor, 12a, 12b: Auto focus camera 13: Head-up display (HUD), 14: Navigation unit, 15, 16: Side mirror rotation position sensor, 17: Vehicle speed sensor, 101: CPU, 102: RAM, 103: ROM,

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) B60R 21/00 622F 622T 622Q

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle present on the rear side of a vehicle, a display means for displaying information on a distance between the obstacle and the host vehicle in a vehicle compartment, Determining means for determining whether or not an occupant of the vehicle can be recognized via a rear monitoring mirror provided on the vehicle, based on at least the own vehicle speed and the distance; and at least the obstacle and the own vehicle Display control means for instructing the display means to display the degree of danger of the obstacle to the vehicle based on the relative speed and the distance, and correcting the degree of danger in accordance with the result of the determination by the determination means; An obstacle warning device for a vehicle, comprising: 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control means corrects the risk higher when the result of the determination by the determination means is unrecognizable than when the result is recognizable.
An obstacle warning device for a vehicle as described in the above. 3. The vehicle further comprising a traffic volume detection unit that detects a traffic volume around the vehicle, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine a speed of the vehicle, the distance, and a traffic volume detected by the traffic volume detection unit. The vehicle obstacle warning device according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not the vehicle can be recognized. 4. The vehicle further comprises a weather condition detecting means for detecting a weather condition around the vehicle, wherein the determining device is configured to determine a vehicle speed, the distance, and a detection result detected by the weather condition detecting device.
The vehicle obstacle warning device according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not the vehicle can be recognized. 5. An obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle present on the rear side of the vehicle; a display means for displaying information on a distance between the obstacle and the host vehicle in a vehicle cabin; Determining means for determining whether or not an occupant of the vehicle can be recognized via a rear monitoring mirror provided on the vehicle, based on at least the own vehicle speed and the distance; and at least the obstacle and the own vehicle A display for instructing the display means to display a degree of danger of the obstacle to the own vehicle based on the relative speed and the distance, and changing a display mode of the degree of danger in accordance with a result of the determination by the determination means. An obstacle warning device for a vehicle, comprising: a control unit. 6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the display control means highlights the display mode of the risk by blinking when the result of the determination by the determination means is unrecognizable. Obstacle warning device.