JP2005115637A - Vehicle detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle detection device which enables a user to be informed of positions of vehicles running near his or her vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: A periphery detection device 5 maps locations indicated by preceding vehicle information acquired from a radar device 2 and preceding vehicle information acquired from an inter-vehicle communication device 31, in a mapping area based on the user's vehicle. With respect to a plurality of vehicle locations between which distances are shorter than a prescribed distance and degrees of congruence of going directions are high, out of mapped vehicle locations, reliabilities of information indicating the vehicle locations are calculated, and vehicle locations are specified in accordance with the reliabilities. A navigation ECU 44 displays vehicles running near the user's vehicle on a display device 43 to inform the user on the basis of vehicle location information generated from the specification result. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle detection device that notifies the position of another vehicle existing around a host vehicle.

  Conventionally, a radar device that detects and notifies a vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle is known. The aforementioned radar device transmits, for example, a millimeter wave having a predetermined frequency in front of the host vehicle, and receives a reflected wave reflected by the millimeter wave hitting a vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle. And based on the phase difference and attenuation level of the transmitted millimeter wave and the received reflected wave, a vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle is detected and notified to the user.

  However, the conventional device only detects a vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle, and it is difficult to detect a vehicle traveling alongside the own vehicle or a vehicle traveling behind the own vehicle. For this reason, the user can only know the position of the vehicle traveling in front of the user's own vehicle, which is inconvenient.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle detection device capable of notifying a user of the position of a vehicle traveling around the host vehicle.

  In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle detection device according to claim 1 communicates with radar means for detecting the position of a vehicle traveling around the host vehicle, and acquires position information of the other vehicle. And means for identifying the position of the other vehicle existing around the own vehicle based on the detection result of the radar means mounted on the own vehicle and the position information of the other vehicle acquired by the communication means. It is characterized by providing.

  As described above, the vehicle detection device of the present invention detects the position of the vehicle traveling around the host vehicle by the radar unit, communicates with the other vehicle by the communication unit, and acquires the position information of the other vehicle. The specifying means specifies the position of the other vehicle existing around the own vehicle based on the detection result of the radar means mounted on the own vehicle and the position information of the other vehicle acquired by the communication means. Thereby, this vehicle detection apparatus can specify not only the vehicle that travels in front of the host vehicle, but also the position of the vehicle that travels on the left and right or behind the host vehicle.

  As described in claim 2, it is desirable that the communication means obtains the detection result of the position detecting means mounted on the other vehicle for detecting the absolute position of the vehicle as the position information of the other vehicle. By acquiring the detection result of the position detecting means mounted on the other vehicle as the position information of the vehicle, the position of the other vehicle existing around the own vehicle can be accurately specified.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the communication means also acquires the detection result of the radar means mounted on the other vehicle, and the specifying means detects the detection result of the radar means mounted on the own vehicle, and the position detection. In addition to the detection result of the means, it is desirable to specify the position of the other vehicle existing around the own vehicle based on the detection result of the radar means in the other vehicle. Thereby, the position of the other vehicle which exists in the circumference | surroundings of the own vehicle can be pinpointed more correctly.

  As described in claim 4, the own vehicle is provided with road specifying means for specifying the road on which the own vehicle travels, and the communication means also acquires information on the road on which the other vehicle is running and specifies the road. The means may exclude the detection result from the data specifying the position of the other vehicle when the road on which the other vehicle travels obtained by the communication means is inconsistent with the road on which the host vehicle is traveling. desirable. This is because a detection result from a vehicle traveling on a road different from the own vehicle is not necessary for specifying the vehicle position.

  As described in claim 5, the own vehicle is provided with a traveling direction detection means for detecting the traveling direction of the own vehicle, the communication means also acquires information related to the traveling direction of the other vehicle, and the specifying means includes: When the degree of coincidence between the traveling direction of the other vehicle and the traveling direction of the own vehicle acquired by the communication means is smaller than a predetermined degree of coincidence, the detection result is excluded from the data specifying the position of the other vehicle. It is desirable. If the degree of coincidence between the traveling direction of the other vehicle and the traveling direction of the host vehicle is smaller than a predetermined degree of coincidence, the other vehicle is traveling in the oncoming lane, and the detection result from such a vehicle is This is because it becomes unnecessary.

  As described in claim 6, the determination means for determining whether or not the vehicle positions specified from the detection results of the radar means and the position detection means in another vehicle acquired by the communication means overlap, and the determination means, When it is determined that the vehicle positions overlap, a selection unit that selects any one of the overlapping vehicle positions is provided, and the specifying unit uses the vehicle position selected by the selection unit with respect to the overlapping vehicle positions. It is desirable to specify the position. Depending on the positional relationship of the vehicles, the same vehicle may be detected by a plurality of radar means. The determination means determines whether the vehicle position overlaps, and if there are overlapping vehicle positions, the vehicle position can be reliably specified by selecting any one of them and specifying the position. It becomes possible.

  As described in claim 7, the determination means includes a plurality of vehicle positions that are closer than a predetermined distance among vehicle positions specified from the detection results of the radar means and the position detection means in another vehicle. In addition, it is desirable to determine that the plurality of vehicle positions overlap. This is because when the distance between the vehicle positions is smaller than the predetermined distance, there is a high possibility that a plurality of radar means detect the same vehicle.

  As described in claim 8, the determination means calculates the speed of each vehicle at a plurality of vehicle positions closer than a predetermined distance from the detection result of the radar means of another vehicle, and the speed of each vehicle is predetermined. When it is within the speed difference, it is desirable to determine that the plurality of vehicle positions overlap. If the distance between the vehicle positions is smaller than the predetermined distance and the speed of each vehicle at the vehicle position is within a predetermined speed difference, it is more likely that a plurality of radar means detect the same vehicle. is there.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the communication means also acquires information related to the traveling state of the other vehicle, and the selecting means performs the lane change based on the traveling state of the other vehicle acquired by the communication means. It is desirable to exclude the vehicle position indicated by the detection result detected when the vehicle is present from a plurality of vehicle positions. This is because the vehicle position indicated by the detection result detected during the lane change is inaccurate than the vehicle position indicated by the detection result detected when the lane change is not performed.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, it is desirable that the selection unit selects a vehicle position that is determined to be closer to the center of the detection range of the radar unit in another vehicle. This is because the closer to the center of the detection range of the radar means, the higher the accuracy of the vehicle position indicated by the detection result.

  As described in claim 11, it is desirable that the selection means selects a vehicle position having a shortest relative distance to another vehicle from among a plurality of vehicle positions. This is because the shorter the relative distance to the other vehicle, the higher the accuracy of the vehicle position indicated by the detection result.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the communication unit also acquires information related to the detection time of another vehicle, and the selection unit can select a vehicle position indicated by the detection result with the latest detection time from a plurality of vehicle positions. desirable. This is because the accuracy of the vehicle position indicated by the latest detection result of the detection time is the highest.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided reliability calculation means for calculating the reliability of the detection result detected by the radar means in the own vehicle, and the determination means is specified from the detection result detected by the radar means in the own vehicle. It is also determined whether there is a vehicle position that overlaps with the vehicle position, and the selection means has a vehicle position that overlaps with the vehicle position specified by the determination means from the detection result detected by the radar means in the own vehicle. When the determination is made, when the reliability calculated by the reliability calculation means is larger than the predetermined reliability, it is desirable to select the vehicle position specified from the detection result detected by the radar means in the own vehicle. Thus, even when there is a vehicle position that overlaps with the vehicle position detected by the radar means of the own vehicle, the selection means can select the vehicle position according to the calculated reliability, and the vehicle position can be specified more accurately. It becomes possible to do.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the reliability calculation means is based on at least one of a detection time and a detection level when the radar means in the own vehicle detects another vehicle, and a relative distance as a detection result. It is desirable to calculate the degree. This is because the detection time, relative distance, and detection level contribute greatly to the reliability of the detection result of the radar means in the vehicle.

  As described in claim 15, it is desirable to provide notifying means for notifying the position of the other vehicle specified by the specifying means. Thereby, the user can know the position of the other vehicle which exists around the own vehicle.

  According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, it is desirable that the notifying means also notifies the traveling direction of the vehicle acquired by the communication means in addition to the position of the other vehicle specified by the specifying means. Thereby, the user can know the traveling direction in addition to the position of other vehicles existing around the own vehicle.

  As described in claim 17, when the selection means selects a vehicle position specified from the detection result detected by the radar means in the own vehicle, the relative distance to the other vehicle detected by the radar means in the own vehicle; Comparing the relative distance to the other vehicle detected by the radar means in the other vehicle and providing a determining means for determining the traveling direction included in the shorter detection result as the traveling direction of the vehicle, the notifying means determines It is desirable to notify the traveling direction determined by the means. This is because the traveling direction in the detection result determined that the relative distance to the other vehicle is short is more accurate than the traveling direction in the detection result determined to be long.

  As described in claim 18, it is desirable that the notifying means notifies the position and traveling direction of the other vehicle by displaying an image. Thereby, the user can grasp | ascertain immediately the vehicle currently drive | working the circumference | surroundings of the own vehicle from the displayed image.

  As described in claim 19, it is desirable to provide transmission means for transmitting the detection results of the radar means and the position detection means provided in the own vehicle to another vehicle. Thereby, the other vehicle which exists around the own vehicle can grasp | ascertain the position and the advancing direction of the own vehicle from the detection result transmitted from the own vehicle.

  As described in claim 20, it is desirable that the vehicle detection device is used in combination with a device for automatically operating the vehicle. In recent years, automatic vehicle operation devices represented by cruise control devices have become widespread due to their convenience. However, although the above-described device has a function of detecting a vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle, the device often does not have a function of detecting a vehicle traveling left and right or behind the host vehicle. By using this vehicle detection device together with a device for automatically operating the vehicle, the user can know the positions of other vehicles around the own vehicle while automatically operating the own vehicle, which is more convenient.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a vehicle detection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the radar device 2 includes, for example, a millimeter wave transceiver, and transmits a millimeter wave with a predetermined frequency in front of the host vehicle, and each vehicle ( The reflected wave reflected on the other vehicle is received. And based on the phase difference and attenuation level between the transmitted millimeter wave and the received reflected wave, the relative distance to each vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle, the relative direction of each vehicle viewed from the host vehicle, Measure the relative speed of each vehicle. At that time, the reception level of the reflected wave and the detection time of the reflected wave are also measured, and the forward vehicle information is created for each vehicle together with the above-mentioned relative distance, relative direction, and relative speed. For measurement of the relative distance, relative direction, and relative speed of each vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle, an ultrasonic transceiver or laser transceiver may be used.

  The inter-vehicle communication device 31 is, for example, a wireless communication device, and communicates with each vehicle traveling around the host vehicle using the inter-vehicle communication antenna 32. Then, the latitude, longitude, travel direction, and road name of the point where the vehicle is running, measured by the measuring device mounted on each vehicle, are acquired and communication vehicle information is created for each vehicle. To do. Further, the inter-vehicle communication device 31 also acquires forward vehicle information regarding one of the vehicles on which the radar device 2 is mounted as one piece of communication vehicle information.

  The map data input device 41 is composed of, for example, a hard disk, and stores map information including road information including the name of each road, building information, address information of each area, zip code information, and the like as map data. The map data input device 41 stores map image data for displaying a map image. These data may be stored in a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or the like.

  The GPS antenna 42 receives a GPS signal for position measurement transmitted from a GPS satellite (not shown) that is an artificial satellite.

  The display 43 is a small liquid crystal display, for example, and performs various navigation displays. For various navigation displays, an in-vehicle head-up display or the like may be used.

  The navigation ECU 44 calculates the latitude and longitude of the point where the host vehicle is traveling from the GPS signal received by the GPS antenna 42, calculates the traveling speed and traveling direction of the host vehicle, and executes various navigation operations. . Specifically, the map image data around the vehicle position is read from the map data input device 41, and a map image in which marks indicating the vehicle position and the traveling direction of the vehicle are superimposed is generated and output to the display 43.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the navigation ECU 44 generates an image that displays each vehicle traveling around the host vehicle along with its traveling direction based on vehicle position information acquired from the periphery detection device 5 described later. The generated image is output to the display 43 together with the above-described map image and displayed side by side (see FIG. 2). In addition, the calculated vehicle position, traveling speed, traveling direction, and the name of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, read from the map data input device 41, are also output to the periphery detection device 5.

  Note that the vehicle position may be detected based on detection signals from other sensors such as a vehicle speed sensor capable of detecting a travel distance and a steering sensor capable of detecting a traveling direction.

  The surrounding detection device 5 acquires the forward vehicle information from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle, and acquires communication vehicle information including the forward vehicle information from the inter-vehicle communication device 31. Further, from the navigation ECU 44, the position of the host vehicle, the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and the name of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling are acquired, and the position of each vehicle traveling around the host vehicle is identified based on these data. To do.

  Specifically, first, the front vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle and the vehicle position indicated by the communication vehicle information acquired from the inter-vehicle communication device 31 are mapped to a mapping area based on the own vehicle. At that time, the latitude / longitude included in the communication vehicle information is based on the distance calculated per unit latitude / unit longitude calculated in advance, using a known primary conversion formula, etc. Converted.

  However, for communication vehicle information, before mapping, the road name included in the information is checked. If the road name of the road on which the vehicle is traveling does not match, the vehicle position indicated by the information is mapped. Not performed. Further, even when the degree of coincidence between the traveling direction included in the communication vehicle information and the traveling direction of the host vehicle is smaller than a predetermined degree of coincidence, the vehicle position indicated by the information is not mapped. Of course, in addition to this, the distance between the vehicle position indicated by the communication vehicle information and the own vehicle position may be calculated, and mapping may not be performed for a distance that is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.

  Next, it is checked whether or not there are a plurality of vehicle positions that are closer than a predetermined distance among the mapped vehicle positions. When there are a plurality of vehicle positions that are closer than a predetermined distance, the vehicle traveling speed at each vehicle position is calculated, and when this is within a predetermined speed difference, the above-described vehicle positions overlap each other. It is determined that Then, any one vehicle position is selected from the plurality of vehicle positions described above, and the others are deleted. Details regarding these processes will be described later.

  Thus, each vehicle position mapped in the mapping area is specified as a vehicle position of each vehicle traveling around the host vehicle, vehicle position information is created, and the vehicle position information is output to the navigation ECU 44 and the speed control device 6.

  The speed control device 6 operates the throttle valve 7 and the transmission 8 on the basis of the vehicle position information from the surrounding detection device 5 and the inter-vehicle distance and travel speed set by the user to control the engine of the host vehicle (not shown). I do.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart relating to processing in which the vehicle detection device of the present embodiment notifies the user of each vehicle that is traveling around the host vehicle. The processing of this flowchart is executed at regular time intervals.

  In step 301, the periphery detection apparatus 5 acquires the forward vehicle information from the radar apparatus 2 of the own vehicle. In step 302, communication vehicle information is acquired from the inter-vehicle communication device 31. By using the communication vehicle information in addition to the forward vehicle information, it is possible to more accurately identify the position of another vehicle existing around the host vehicle. In step 303, the navigation ECU 44 acquires the vehicle position, the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the name of the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

  In step 304, the road name included in the communication vehicle information acquired in step 302 matches the road name of the road on which the host vehicle acquired in step 303 is running, and the communication vehicle information is included in the communication vehicle information. Communication vehicle information whose degree of coincidence between the included traveling direction and the traveling direction of the own vehicle acquired in step 303 is larger than a predetermined degree of coincidence is selected as communication vehicle information to be mapped. This is because communication vehicle information transmitted from a vehicle traveling on another road or a vehicle traveling on the opposite lane is not necessary for specifying the vehicle position.

  In step 305, the position of the vehicle traveling around the host vehicle is specified from the preceding vehicle information acquired in step 301 and the communication vehicle information selected in step 304, and vehicle position information is created.

  In step 306, the vehicle position information created in step 305 is transmitted to the navigation ECU 44 and the speed control device 6. Thereby, the user can immediately grasp the position and traveling direction of each vehicle traveling around the host vehicle from the image displayed on the display 43. Moreover, since the user can know the positions of other vehicles around the own vehicle while automatically operating the own vehicle by the speed control device 6, it is easy to use.

  In step 307, the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the host vehicle in step 301, the host vehicle position, the traveling direction of the host vehicle, the name of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling, acquired from the navigation ECU 44 in step 303. Is transmitted to other vehicles via the inter-vehicle communication device 31 as communication vehicle information. As a result, the vehicle traveling around the own vehicle can also grasp the position and traveling direction of the own vehicle from the communication vehicle information transmitted from the own vehicle.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of a process in which the vehicle detection device of the present embodiment specifies the position of each vehicle traveling around the host vehicle. The process of this flowchart corresponds to the process of step 305 in the flowchart of FIG.

  In step 401, the surrounding detection device 5 maps the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle and the vehicle position indicated by the selected communication vehicle information in a mapping area based on the own vehicle. In step 402, the traveling speed of the vehicle at each vehicle position mapped in step 401 is calculated.

  In step 403, the vehicle traveling speed at each vehicle position that is closer than a predetermined distance among the vehicle positions mapped in step 401 and that is calculated in step 402 is within a predetermined speed difference. Search for multiple vehicle positions. In step 404, one of the plurality of vehicle positions searched in step 403 is selected and the others are deleted. This is because when there are a plurality of vehicle positions that satisfy the above-described relationship, it is highly possible that these indicate the positions of the same vehicle.

  In step 405, each vehicle position mapped on the mapping area is specified as the vehicle position of each vehicle traveling around the host vehicle, and vehicle position information is created.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing details of a process in which the vehicle detection device of the present embodiment maps the vehicle position indicated by the forward vehicle information and the communication vehicle information. The process of this flowchart corresponds to the process of step 401 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 described above.

  In step 501, the surrounding detection device 5 determines whether there is information that has not yet been mapped to the vehicle position among the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle and the selected communication vehicle information. judge. If there is information that has not yet been mapped to the vehicle position, the process proceeds to step 502. Otherwise, the process ends.

  In step 502, one piece of information that has not yet been mapped to the vehicle position is selected, and the latitude / longitude and relative distance indicated by the information are converted into a vehicle position based on the own vehicle and mapped onto the mapping area. To do. In step 503, the traveling direction of the vehicle at the vehicle position converted in step 502 is converted into a traveling direction based on the own vehicle. The converted traveling direction is displayed on the display 43 together with the position of the other vehicle, and is notified to the user. Then, it returns to step 501 and repeats the above process.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart regarding processing for selecting any one of a plurality of searched vehicle positions and specifying the vehicle position in the vehicle detection device of the present embodiment. The process of this flowchart corresponds to the process of step 404 in the flowchart of FIG.

  In step 601, the periphery detection device 5 determines whether there is a vehicle position indicated by the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle among the plurality of searched vehicle positions. If there is this, go to step 602. If not, go to step 604.

  In step 602, the reliability of the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle is calculated, and it is determined whether or not this is greater than a predetermined value. If the calculated reliability is greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step 603, where the vehicle position indicated by the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle is selected, the others are deleted, and the process ends. On the other hand, if the calculated reliability is smaller than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step 604. By selecting the vehicle position according to the calculated reliability, even when there is a vehicle position that overlaps the vehicle position detected by the radar device 2 of the own vehicle, the vehicle position can be accurately specified. It is.

  In step 604, the communication vehicle information indicating each of the plurality of vehicle positions and the selection index of the preceding vehicle information are calculated. In step 605, the vehicle position indicated by the highest information is selected from the selection indices of the information calculated in step 604, and the others are deleted, and the process ends. Thereby, even when the forward vehicle information cannot be obtained from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle or when the reliability of the obtained forward vehicle information is smaller than the predetermined value, the position of each vehicle traveling around the own vehicle is accurately determined. Can be specified.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of a process for calculating the reliability of the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the host vehicle in the vehicle detection device of the present embodiment. The process of this flowchart corresponds to the process of step 602 in the flowchart of FIG.

  In step 701, the periphery detection device 5 resets an internal counter (not shown). In step 702, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has passed from the detection time of the reflected wave included in the preceding vehicle information and the time of an internal clock (not shown). If it is determined that the predetermined time has not yet elapsed, the routine proceeds to step 703, where the value of the internal counter is incremented by one. If it is determined that the predetermined time has already elapsed, the process proceeds to step 704.

  In step 704, it is determined whether or not the relative distance included in the preceding vehicle information is smaller than a predetermined distance. If it is determined that the relative distance included in the preceding vehicle information is smaller than the predetermined distance, the process proceeds to step 705 and the value of the internal counter is incremented by one. If it is determined that the distance is greater than the predetermined distance, the process proceeds to step 706.

  In step 706, it is determined whether or not the reception level of the reflected wave included in the preceding vehicle information is higher than a predetermined level. When the reception level of the reflected wave included in the preceding vehicle information is higher than the predetermined level, the process proceeds to step 707 and the value of the internal counter is incremented by 1. If it is determined that the level is lower than the predetermined level, the process proceeds to step 708.

  In step 708, the current value of the internal counter is calculated as the reliability of the preceding vehicle information acquired from the radar apparatus 2. Thus, the reliability of the front vehicle information acquired from the radar apparatus 2 is reliably calculated by using the time when the radar apparatus 2 detects the reflected wave, the detection level of the reflected wave, and the measured relative distance. It can be done.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 6 described above, the same processing as that of this flowchart is performed when calculating the selection index in step 604. In this case, the reliability calculated in step 708 becomes the selection index of each information.

  As described above, in the vehicle detection device of the present embodiment, each vehicle running around the vehicle is determined from the forward vehicle information created by the radar device 2 of the vehicle and the communication vehicle information acquired by the inter-vehicle communication device 31. The position of the vehicle is specified, and this is displayed on the display 41. As a result, the vehicle detection device can specify the position of the vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle and also the position of the vehicle traveling left and right of the host vehicle and the rear thereof, and can notify the user. .

  Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described.

  In the vehicle detection device of the present modification, the front vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle and the communication vehicle information acquired from the inter-vehicle communication device 31 when specifying the position of each vehicle traveling around the own vehicle, Is different from the above-described embodiment. In other words, the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle is not used preferentially according to the reliability, but the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle and the inter-vehicle communication device. The reliability in each of the communication vehicle information acquired from 31 is calculated, the vehicle position indicated by the highest information is selected, and the others are deleted.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing details of a process in which the vehicle detection device of the present modification identifies the position of each vehicle traveling around the host vehicle. The process of this flowchart corresponds to the process of step 305 in the flowchart of FIG.

  In step 801, the surroundings detection device 5 sets the vehicle position indicated by the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle and the communication vehicle information acquired from the inter-vehicle communication device 31 to the mapping region based on the own vehicle. Map. In step 802, the traveling speed of the vehicle at each vehicle position mapped in step 801 is calculated.

  In step 803, among the vehicle positions mapped in step 801, the vehicle travel speed is closer than a predetermined distance and the vehicle speed at each vehicle position calculated in step 802 is within a predetermined speed difference. Search for multiple vehicle positions. In step 804, the reliability of the information indicating each vehicle position searched in step 803 is calculated, the vehicle position indicated by the information with the highest calculated reliability is selected, and the others are deleted.

  In step 805, each vehicle position mapped on the mapping area is specified as the vehicle position of each vehicle traveling around the host vehicle, and vehicle position information is created.

  In the present modification, the reliability of the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 and the communication vehicle information acquired from the inter-vehicle communication device 31 is calculated according to the process of the flowchart of FIG. 7 in the above-described embodiment. .

  In the vehicle detection device according to the present embodiment and the present modification, the same road (uphill) as the own vehicle is extracted from the forward vehicle information acquired from the radar device 2 of the own vehicle and the communication vehicle information acquired from the inter-vehicle communication device 31. The vehicle position indicated by the communication vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle traveling down) is mapped to the mapping area, and the vehicle position is specified. However, regarding communication vehicle information, the steering steering angle, travel acceleration, rotational angular velocity, etc. of the vehicle that transmits the information are also received, and in addition to the above-described conditions, those parameters that are smaller than a predetermined value, It is good also as mapping to a mapping area | region. Thereby, it is possible to exclude communication vehicle information transmitted from a vehicle whose traveling state is changing rapidly (lane change or the like), and it is possible to specify the vehicle position more accurately. Of course, the setting of the direction indicator may be received, and the communication vehicle information that is not set to turn left or right may be mapped, or these may be used in combination.

  In addition, the vehicle detection device according to the present embodiment and the modified example selects any one of a plurality of overlapping vehicle positions based on the calculated reliability and selection index, and specifies the vehicle position. went. However, it is also possible to select the vehicle with the latest detection time of each vehicle position, or select the vehicle with the shortest relative distance to the vehicle. Furthermore, a vehicle position closer to the center of the detection range of the radar device 2 mounted on the own vehicle or another vehicle may be selected.

  Further, in the vehicle detection device of the present embodiment and this modification, the traveling direction included in the information indicating the specified vehicle position is set as the traveling direction of the vehicle. However, when there are a plurality of vehicle positions indicating the same vehicle, the traveling direction included in the information with the shortest relative distance to the vehicle may be the traveling direction of the vehicle. Thereby, it can identify more correctly also to the advancing direction of each vehicle.

  Finally, the vehicle detection device of the present embodiment and this modification acquires communication vehicle information from a vehicle traveling around the host vehicle through inter-vehicle communication. However, the communication vehicle information may be acquired using the Internet or the like. In this case, communication vehicle information transmitted from a vehicle traveling around the host vehicle is transmitted to a base station such as a management center, and the host vehicle acquires the communication vehicle information via the base station. It will be. Of course, a mobile object such as an artificial satellite may be used as the base station.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a vehicle detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the vehicle detection apparatus of this embodiment, it is a figure which shows an example which displayed the vehicle currently drive | working the circumference | surroundings of the own vehicle on a display. It is a flowchart regarding the process which the vehicle detection apparatus of this embodiment alert | reports to the user each vehicle which is driving | running the circumference | surroundings of the own vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the process which the vehicle detection apparatus of this embodiment pinpoints the position of each vehicle currently driving | running | working the circumference | surroundings of the own vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the process which the vehicle detection apparatus of this embodiment maps the vehicle position which forward vehicle information and communication vehicle information show. In the vehicle detection apparatus of this embodiment, it is a flowchart regarding the process which selects any one from the searched several vehicle position and pinpoints a vehicle position. 5 is a flowchart showing details of processing for calculating reliability of forward vehicle information acquired from a radar device of the own vehicle in the vehicle detection device of the present embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the process in which the vehicle detection apparatus of this modification specifies the position of each vehicle which is driving | running the circumference | surroundings of the own vehicle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle detection apparatus 2 ... Radar apparatus 31 ... Inter-vehicle communication apparatus 32 ... Inter-vehicle communication antenna 41 ... Map data input device 42 ... GPS antenna 43 ... Display 44 ... Navigation ECU
5 ... Peripheral detection device 6 ... Speed control device 7 ... Throttle valve 8 ... Transmission

Claims (20)

Radar means for detecting the position of a vehicle traveling around the vehicle;
Communication means for communicating with other vehicles and obtaining position information of the other vehicles;
Specifying means for specifying the position of the other vehicle around the own vehicle based on the detection result of the radar means mounted on the own vehicle and the position information of the other vehicle acquired by the communication means. A vehicle detection device. 2. The vehicle detection according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit acquires a detection result of a position detection unit mounted on the other vehicle for detecting an absolute position of the vehicle as position information of the other vehicle. apparatus. The communication means acquires the detection result of the radar means mounted on the other vehicle,
The specifying means is present around the own vehicle based on the detection result of the radar means mounted on the own vehicle and the detection result of the position detecting means, as well as the detection result of the radar means in the other vehicle. The vehicle detection device according to claim 2, wherein a position of another vehicle to be identified is specified. The own vehicle is provided with road specifying means for specifying the road on which the own vehicle runs,
The communication means also acquires information about a road on which the other vehicle is traveling,
If the road on which the other vehicle is traveling is inconsistent with the road on which the host vehicle is traveling, the specifying unit acquires data indicating the position of the other vehicle based on the detection result. The vehicle detection device according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle detection device is excluded from the above. The own vehicle is provided with traveling direction detection means for detecting the traveling direction of the own vehicle,
The communication means also acquires information on the traveling direction of the other vehicle,
When the degree of coincidence between the traveling direction of the other vehicle and the traveling direction of the host vehicle acquired by the communication unit is smaller than a predetermined degree of coincidence, the specifying unit obtains the detection result of the other vehicle. The vehicle detection device according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle detection device is excluded from data for specifying a position. A determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle positions specified from the detection results of the radar unit and the position detection unit in the other vehicle acquired by the communication unit overlap;
When it is determined by the determination means that the vehicle positions overlap, a selection means for selecting any one of the overlapping vehicle positions is provided,
The vehicle detection device according to claim 2, wherein the specifying unit performs position specification using the vehicle position selected by the selection unit with respect to the overlapping vehicle position. The determination unit is configured to detect a plurality of vehicle positions when there are a plurality of vehicle positions closer than a predetermined distance among vehicle positions specified from the detection results of the radar unit and the position detection unit in the other vehicle. The vehicle detection device according to claim 6, wherein it is determined that the two overlap. The determination means calculates the speed of each vehicle at a plurality of vehicle positions closer than a predetermined distance from the detection result of the radar means of the other vehicle, and the speed of each vehicle is within a predetermined speed difference. The vehicle detection device according to claim 6, wherein it is determined that the plurality of vehicle positions overlap each other. The communication means also acquires information related to the running state of the other vehicle,
The selection unit is configured to determine, from the plurality of vehicle positions, a vehicle position indicated by a detection result detected when the other vehicle is changing lanes based on a traveling state of the other vehicle acquired by the communication unit. The vehicle detection device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the vehicle detection device is excluded. The vehicle detection device according to claim 6, wherein the selection unit selects a vehicle position that is determined to be closer to a detection range center of a radar unit in the other vehicle. The vehicle detection device according to claim 6, wherein the selection unit selects a vehicle position having a shortest relative distance to the other vehicle from the plurality of vehicle positions. The communication means also acquires information related to the detection time of the other vehicle,
The vehicle detection device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the selection unit selects a vehicle position indicated by a detection result with the latest detection time from the plurality of vehicle positions. A reliability calculation means for calculating the reliability of the detection result detected by the radar means in the host vehicle;
The determination means also determines whether or not there is a vehicle position that overlaps with the vehicle position specified from the detection result detected by the radar means in the host vehicle,
When the determination unit determines that there is a vehicle position that overlaps with the vehicle position specified from the detection result detected by the radar unit in the host vehicle, the selection unit calculates the reliability calculated by the reliability calculation unit. The vehicle position specified from the detection result detected by the radar means in the host vehicle is selected when the degree is greater than a predetermined reliability. Vehicle detection device. The reliability calculation means calculates the reliability based on at least one of a detection time and a detection level when the radar means in the own vehicle detects the other vehicle, and a relative distance as a detection result. The vehicle detection device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies a position of another vehicle specified by the specification unit. 16. The vehicle detection device according to claim 15, wherein the notifying unit also notifies the traveling direction of the vehicle acquired by the communication unit in addition to the position of the other vehicle specified by the specifying unit. When the selection means selects a vehicle position specified from the detection result detected by the radar means in the own vehicle, the relative distance to the other vehicle detected by the radar means in the own vehicle, and the radar means in the other vehicle Is provided with a determining means for determining the traveling direction included in the detection result of the shorter one as the traveling direction of the vehicle,
The vehicle detection device according to claim 16, wherein the notification unit notifies the traveling direction determined by the determination unit. The vehicle notification device according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the notification unit notifies the position and the traveling direction of the other vehicle by displaying an image. The vehicle detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, further comprising a transmission unit that transmits detection results of a radar unit and a position detection unit included in the own vehicle to the other vehicle. The vehicle detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the vehicle detection device is used in combination with a device for automatically operating a vehicle.

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