JP2005339117A - Operation supporting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display information related with another vehicle in the optimal display mode matched with actual emergency even when the traveling status of another vehicle is changed. <P>SOLUTION: A data string transmitted from another vehicle is received by an other vehicle information receiving means 1, and converted by an other vehicle information calculating means 2, and other vehicle information including the location or speed of the other vehicle and the driving operation information or the like is calculated. The other vehicle to be displayed is selected by a display object selecting means 8 by using the other vehicle information and its own vehicle information showing the status of its own vehicle, and the display mode of information related with the other vehicle are decided based on the relative location and relative speed of the other vehicle to its own vehicle and the status of the driving operation by a relative relation predicting means 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support device for supporting driving of a driver by displaying information related to another vehicle traveling around the host vehicle on display means.

  In recent years, with the advancement of intelligent vehicles, research and development of various technologies for supporting driver's driving operations has been actively conducted, and one of them is information on other vehicles that run around the host vehicle. Is detected by a device, and the information is displayed on a vehicle-mounted display or the like, so that the driver is notified, and for example, an attempt to assist driving operation such as lane change has been made (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In Patent Document 1, another vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle is detected, and a margin between the other vehicle and the host vehicle is calculated from a relative distance and a relative speed of the other vehicle to the host vehicle, A technique is disclosed in which information relating to detected other vehicles is displayed on an in-vehicle display in a display form corresponding to the margin.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-120498

  As described above, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the margin is calculated from the relative distance and relative speed of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle, and the display form of the information related to the other vehicle is determined accordingly. Therefore, as long as the relative relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle does not change, it is considered that information on the other vehicle can be displayed in an appropriate display form that matches the actual urgency.

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the change in the subsequent traveling state of the other vehicle cannot be predicted, the traveling state of the other vehicle has changed and the relative relationship with the own vehicle has changed. In some cases, it is not always possible to display in an appropriate display form that matches the actual urgency, and information regarding other vehicles may not be accurately transmitted to the driver.

  The present invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and displays information relating to other vehicles in an optimal display form that matches the actual urgency even when the traveling state of the other vehicles changes. An object of the present invention is to provide a driving support device that can perform the above operation.

  Considering changes in vehicle behavior, the vehicle behavior changes according to the driving operation by the driver, but there is a predetermined time lag between the driver's driving operation and the actual vehicle behavior change. Occur. Therefore, if the driver obtains the information as soon as the driving operation is performed, it is possible to predict the change in the driving state of the vehicle in advance, and the driving state of the other vehicle changes by considering the information. Even in this case, it is considered possible to display information on other vehicles in an optimal display form that matches the actual urgency.

  The driving support device according to the present invention has been created based on the above knowledge, and includes an information acquisition unit and a display mode determination unit, and the information acquisition unit performs at least driving related to the driving operation of another vehicle. The operation information is acquired, and the display mode determining means calculates the margin calculated from at least one of or both of the relative position and the relative speed of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle, and the driving operation of the other vehicle acquired by the information acquiring means. In accordance with the information, the display form of the information related to other vehicles to be displayed on the display means is determined.

  According to the present invention, since the display form of the information related to the other vehicle is determined in consideration of the driving operation information of the other vehicle, even when the traveling state of the other vehicle changes, it matches the actual urgency. Information regarding other vehicles can be displayed in an optimal display form, and information regarding other vehicles can be accurately transmitted to the driver.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of a driving support device to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
The driving support device of the present invention displays information related to other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle on display means to assist the driving of the driver. In this embodiment, on the premise of an environment in which information can be transmitted and received by wireless communication between the own vehicle and another vehicle, information on the other vehicle traveling in the detection target area set on the rear side of the own vehicle An example of application to a driving support device that supports driving operations such as a lane change of a driver by displaying the above on a display unit integrated with a side mirror of the host vehicle will be described.

  An example of a driving scene assumed in this embodiment is shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the host vehicle 101 travels on a three-lane road on one side, and other vehicles 102 to 105 travel in the same direction on the same road. Further, another vehicle 106 is traveling on a different road in a direction different from the own vehicle. The host vehicle 101 travels at the vehicle speed V1 in the leftmost lane of the three-lane road on one side, and the other vehicle 102 travels in the center lane behind the host vehicle 101 at the vehicle speed V2. Further, the other vehicle 103 travels in the central lane at the vehicle speed V3 behind the other vehicle 102, and the other vehicle 104 travels in the rightmost lane at the vehicle speed V4 on the side of the other vehicle 103. The other vehicle 105 is traveling in the center lane at the vehicle speed V5 in front of the host vehicle 101.

  A detection target area S for detecting another vehicle that is an information display target is set on the rear side of the host vehicle 101. In the example of FIG. 104 is shown running.

  FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the driving support apparatus of this embodiment. This driving support apparatus includes other vehicle information receiving means 1, other vehicle information calculating means 2, own vehicle state detecting means 3, own vehicle information calculating means 4, own vehicle information transmitting means 5, and own vehicle information storage. Means 6, map storage means 7, display object selection means 8, relative relationship prediction means 9, mirror angle detection means 10, head position detection means 11, display means 12, and display control means 13. It is prepared for.

  The other vehicle information receiving means 1 receives information transmitted from another vehicle by wireless communication. The contents of the information from the other vehicle received by the other vehicle information receiving means 1 include, for example, a vehicle ID that is identification information allocated to the other vehicle, the position, speed, traveling direction, accelerator pedal operation information, Brake pedal operation information, steering operation information, etc., which are transmitted from other vehicles as a data string according to a predetermined communication format determined in advance and received by the other vehicle information receiving means 1. The contents of this information will be described in detail later using Table 1.

  The other vehicle information calculation unit 2 converts the data string received by the other vehicle information reception unit 1 and calculates information on the other vehicle necessary for processing in the host vehicle. In the driving support device of this embodiment, the other vehicle information receiving unit 1 and the other vehicle information calculating unit 2 correspond to the information acquisition unit.

  The own vehicle state detection means 3 detects the position, speed, direction, operation state of the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal, the steering, etc. of the own vehicle, and is based on various sensors installed in each part of the own vehicle. Composed.

  The own vehicle information calculation means 4 calculates the information of the own vehicle necessary for later processing based on the output of the own vehicle state detection means 3, and the own vehicle information calculation means 4 calculates the own vehicle information. The vehicle information is temporarily stored in the own vehicle information storage means 6. The own vehicle information calculation means 4 also has a function of reading information temporarily stored in the own vehicle information storage means 6 and converting it into a data string transmitted from the own vehicle information transmission means 5 to other vehicles. .

  The own vehicle information transmission means 5 transmits the data string of the information of the own vehicle converted by the own vehicle information calculation means 4 to other vehicles. Here, as the data string of the information transmitted to the other vehicle in the own vehicle information transmitting means 5, the same communication format as the data string received from the other vehicle in the other vehicle information receiving means 1 is used.

  The own vehicle information storage means 6 is a memory that temporarily stores information on the own vehicle calculated by the own vehicle information calculation means 4. The time intervals of various sensor outputs output from the vehicle state detection means 3 are often different for each sensor. Even in such a case, the information on the own vehicle calculated by the own vehicle information calculating unit 4 based on the sensor output of the own vehicle state detecting unit 3 is stored in the own vehicle information storage unit 6 at any time, so that the latest information is always maintained. By updating with, you can refer to the latest information all at once.

  The map information storage means 7 is a recording medium such as a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc-Read Only Memory) in which map information is recorded, and is used in a navigation device or the like. The map information recorded in the map information storage means 7 is referred to in order to grasp the position of the other vehicle or the own vehicle on the road map by matching with the received and calculated position information of the other vehicle or the own vehicle. The

  The display target selection unit 8 selects an other vehicle that is an information display target from the other vehicles whose information is calculated by the other vehicle information calculation unit 2. Details of the processing in the display target selection unit 8 will be described later.

  The relative relationship predicting unit 9 predicts the relative relationship with the own vehicle for each of the other vehicles selected by the display target selecting unit 8 and determines the other vehicle that actually needs to be displayed. The display form is determined. Here, in addition to the relative position and relative speed of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle, the relative relationship is predicted in consideration of information on the accelerator pedal operation and brake pedal operation between the other vehicle and the host vehicle, information on the steering operation, and the like. And the display form of the information regarding other vehicles is determined according to the result. In the driving support device of this embodiment, the relative relationship predicting means 9 corresponds to a display form determining means. Details of the processing in the relative relationship predicting means 9 will be described later.

  The mirror angle detection means 10 detects the adjustment angle of the side mirror of the host vehicle in which the display means 12 is incorporated. The head position detecting means 11 detects the head position of the driver who is driving the host vehicle. The detection results by the mirror angle detection means 10 and the head position detection means 11 are sent to the display control means 13 as information for determining the display position of information on the display means 12.

  The display means 12 displays information relating to other vehicles traveling in the detection target area on the rear side of the host vehicle, and is integrated into a side mirror of the host vehicle. The form of the display unit 12 is not limited to this example, and various types can be applied. For example, a display in a passenger compartment used in a navigation device or the like may be used as the display unit 12.

  The display control unit 13 generates a drawing command based on the information from the relative relationship prediction unit 9 and the information from the mirror angle detection unit 10 and the head position detection unit 11, and sends the drawing command to the display unit 12, thereby displaying the display command. Information on other vehicles traveling in the detection target area on the rear side of the host vehicle is displayed at a predetermined position of the means 12 in a predetermined display form.

  Next, details of the control of the driving support apparatus of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 to 5.

  FIG. 3 shows a process for notifying the other vehicle of the state of the host vehicle, and is always executed after the engine is started until the engine is stopped. In the present embodiment, the same processing is also executed in other vehicles running around the own vehicle, and the state of the other vehicle is always notified to the own vehicle.

  The control flow shown in FIG. 3 is started by starting the engine of the host vehicle. First, in step S101, the host vehicle state detection means 3 is set to various sensors that indicate the state of the host vehicle from various sensors mounted on each part of the host vehicle. Collect information. Information collected from these various sensors is processed by the vehicle information calculation means 4 and converted into a data format suitable for processing in the information equipment used in the present system as information related to the vehicle required in subsequent processing. . In addition, when the information which shows the state of the own vehicle has already been transmitted on information networks, such as in-vehicle LAN mounted in the own vehicle, you may make it utilize the data.

  Next, in step S102, various information indicating the state of the host vehicle collected by the host vehicle state detection unit 3 and processed by the host vehicle information calculation unit 4 is temporarily stored in the host vehicle information storage unit 6. The With this function, even if the timings output from the plurality of sensors do not necessarily match, the information equipment used in the system can acquire necessary information all at once.

  Next, in step S103, the vehicle information calculation unit 4 reads out the information indicating the state of the vehicle temporarily stored in the vehicle information storage unit 6 and transmits this information to other vehicles. To the specified communication format. The contents of the information converted in this step are the same as those described later using Table 1.

  Next, in step S <b> 104, the data string converted by the vehicle information calculation unit 4 is transmitted to the outside by the vehicle information transmission unit 5. The information indicating the state of the own vehicle transmitted from the own vehicle information transmitting unit 5 is received by the other vehicle information receiving unit 1 of the other vehicle, so that the other vehicle is notified of the state of the own vehicle. .

  FIG. 4 shows the main processing in the driving support apparatus of the present embodiment, which is always executed in parallel with the processing shown in FIG. 3 until the engine is stopped after the engine is started. is there.

  In this control flow, first, in step S201, reception of information by the other vehicle information receiving means 1 is started, and in step S202, information indicating the state of the other vehicle transmitted from another vehicle by wireless communication is received. When the signal is received by the means 1, the process proceeds to the next step S203.

  In step S203, the other vehicle information calculation unit 2 converts the information from the other vehicle received by the other vehicle information reception unit 1 into a data format suitable for the processing in the information device used in the present system, as other vehicle information. This is sent to the display object selection means 8. Details of the other vehicle information calculated by the data conversion will be described later using Table 1.

  Next, in step S204, the display target selection unit 8 reads information indicating the state of the host vehicle temporarily stored in the host vehicle information storage unit 6, and in step S205, each of the other information for which the information has been received. About the vehicle, the other vehicle is the same as the own vehicle by using the information of the own vehicle read from the own vehicle information storage unit 6, the other vehicle information sent from the other vehicle information calculation unit 2, and the map information of the map information storage unit 7. Determine if you are driving on the road. Here, if the road on which the host vehicle is traveling has a plurality of lanes, next, in step S206, the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling is determined and information is received and the vehicle travels on the same road. For each of the other vehicles determined to be inside, the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is determined.

  Next, in step S207, the display target selection unit 8 calculates the direction in which the other vehicle viewed from the own vehicle exists for each of the other vehicles that have received the information and are determined to be traveling on the same road as the own vehicle. Then, in step S208, it is determined whether or not these other vehicles exist within the detection target region (region S shown in FIG. 1) set on the rear side of the host vehicle. Here, the other vehicle determined to exist in the detection target region set on the rear side of the host vehicle is selected as the other vehicle to be displayed.

  Next, in step S209, the relative relationship predicting means 9 calculates the relative distance from the own vehicle for all other vehicles selected as other vehicles to be displayed. In step S210, the relative speed with respect to the host vehicle is calculated for all other vehicles selected as other vehicles to be displayed.

  Next, in step S211, the relative relationship predicting means 9 needs to display information on the other vehicle based on the determination result of the travel lane in step S206 and information on the steering operation of the other vehicle to be displayed. In the next step S212, the relative distance calculated in step S209, the relative speed calculated in step S210, and information related to driving operations of the host vehicle and other vehicles are determined. According to the above, the display form of the information related to the other vehicle to be displayed is determined. Details of the processes in steps S211 and S212 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Next, in step S213, the mirror angle detection means 10 detects the adjustment angle of the side mirror of the host vehicle in which the display means 12 is incorporated, and the head position detection means 11 detects the driver driving the host vehicle. Detect head position. The driver's head position can be detected by, for example, capturing a driver's face image from a camera installed in the passenger compartment and processing the image.

  Next, in step S214, the display control means 13 controls the side mirror based on the position of the other vehicle to be displayed and the information on the adjustment angle of the side mirror and the head position of the driver detected in step S213. The display position of the information on the other vehicle on the incorporated display means 12 is determined, and a drawing command for displaying the information on the other vehicle in the display form determined in step S212 is generated at this display position. In step S215, the display unit 12 performs a drawing process based on the generated drawing command, so that information related to the other vehicle is optimally displayed at an appropriate position on the display unit 12 incorporated in the side mirror. It will be displayed in the form.

  Here, the details of the processing of step S211 and step S212 executed by the relative relationship prediction means 9 will be described with reference to FIG. The control flow shown in FIG. 5 is executed for all other vehicles selected as other vehicles to be displayed.

  First, in step S301, it is determined whether another vehicle to be processed is traveling in a lane adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. When it is determined that the other vehicle is traveling in the adjacent lane, in the next step S302, the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is moved in the minus direction away from the host vehicle, for example, as shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not the steering operation is performed at a predetermined angle or more and the vehicle is in the process of changing the lane to the adjacent lane (that is, the adjacent lane of the adjacent lane) of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. FIG. 6 shows a case where the own vehicle 101 traveling on the merge lane on an expressway or the like rotates the steering to the right and merges with the main line. This shows a scene in which a steering operation at an angle or more is performed to change the lane from the driving lane on the main line to the passing lane.

  When the determination in step S302 is No, it is determined that it is necessary to display information regarding the other vehicle for the other vehicle to be processed, and the process proceeds to step S305. On the other hand, if the determination in step S302 is Yes, it is determined that it is not necessary to display information on the vehicle or other vehicle, and the process returns to step S201 of the main process shown in FIG.

  If it is determined in step S301 that the other vehicle is not traveling in the adjacent lane, then in step S303, the other vehicle travels in the lane adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. It is determined whether or not. If it is determined that another vehicle is traveling on the adjacent lane, in the next step S304, the other vehicle traveling on the adjacent lane is, for example, as shown in FIG. A steering operation of a predetermined angle or more is performed in the approaching plus direction, and it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in the process of changing lanes to the adjacent lane side of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. Note that FIG. 7 shows a case where the own vehicle 101 traveling on a merged lane on an expressway or the like rotates the steering to the right and merges with the main line, and the other vehicle 102 to be processed is predetermined in the plus direction approaching the own vehicle. This shows a scene in which a steering operation at an angle or more is performed to change the lane from the overtaking lane on the main line to the traveling lane.

  If the determination in step S304 is Yes, for the other vehicle to be processed, it is determined that information related to the other vehicle needs to be displayed, and the process proceeds to step S305. On the other hand, if the determination in step S304 is No, it is determined that it is not necessary to display information related to the other vehicle, and the process returns to step S201 of the main process shown in FIG. In addition, when the host vehicle and the other vehicle are traveling three or more lanes away on a road with four or more lanes on one side, the determination in step S303 is No. It is determined that display is not necessary, and the process returns to step S201 of the main process shown in FIG.

  In step S305, based on TTC (Time To Collision), a basic display pattern for displaying information on the other vehicle on the display means 12 is selected. Here, TTC is the time until the collision determined by the relative distance and relative speed with the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane when the own vehicle changes to the adjacent lane. It shows the margin between them. The basic display pattern selected here will be described in detail later using Table 3.

  In step S306, the first correction term and the second correction term are calculated with respect to the basic display pattern selected in step S305 in consideration of the driving operation in each vehicle, and the basic display pattern is corrected to be the final. Specific display pattern (display form) is determined. Details will be described later with reference to Table 4 for the first correction term and Table 5 for the second correction term.

Next, in the driving support device of the present embodiment, Table 1 is used as an example of other vehicle information obtained by converting the data string from the other vehicle received by the other vehicle information receiving unit 1 by the vehicle information calculating unit 2. I will explain.

  Table 1 shows an example of other vehicle information handled by the driving support device of the present embodiment. The “vehicle ID” column, “position” column, “speed” column, “direction” column, “accelerator pedal” ”Column and“ steering ”column.

  In the “vehicle ID” column, the ID of the other vehicle that has received information by the other vehicle information receiving means 1 is described. This value should just be a value which can uniquely identify each other vehicle having a plurality of own vehicles. Here, it is assumed that a 5-digit number string is given in accordance with a predetermined method. In addition, it is desirable that a standard format be determined in advance in order to easily transmit and receive information between vehicles with respect to a data string handled by the driving support device of the present embodiment.

In the “position” column, the position (latitude, longitude) on the map where the other vehicle exists is described. For example, the first term represents latitude and the second term represents longitude. In the example of Table 1, the vehicle ID of 00101 indicates that the other vehicle is traveling at the position of latitude _X00101 and longitude _Y00101 .

  In the “speed” column, the traveling vehicle speed of the other vehicle is described by a numerical value expressed in units of Km / h, for example.

  In the “direction” column, the traveling direction of the other vehicle is described by a numerical value expressed in units of degree, for example. Here, true north is set to 0 degrees, and the right angle is set to be a positive rotation angle to represent the traveling direction of the other vehicle.

  In the “accelerator pedal” column, the operation amount of the accelerator pedal of the other vehicle is described, for example, by a numerical value representing the pedal depression amount in nine stages. In the example of Table 1, the operation amount of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle other than the vehicle ID 00101 represents that there are 3 levels of 9 levels (0 to 8). Here, level 0 represents a state where the pedal is not depressed at all, and level 8 represents a state where the pedal is depressed to the maximum.

  In the “brake pedal” column, the operation amount of the brake pedal of the other vehicle is described, for example, by a numerical value representing the depression amount of the pedal in nine steps, similarly to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal. In the example of Table 1, the operation amount of the brake pedal of the vehicle other than the vehicle ID 00101 is a zero level of 9 levels (0 to 8), and indicates that the brake pedal is not depressed at all.

  In the “steering” column, the steering operation amount of the other vehicle is described by a numerical value expressed in units of degree, for example. Here, the steering operation amount of the other vehicle is represented by a rotation angle in which the front of the vehicle is 0 degree, the clockwise direction is positive, and the counterclockwise direction is negative.

Next, an example of a processing result in the display target selection unit 8 in the driving support device of the present embodiment will be described using Table 2.

  Table 2 shows an example of the processing result in the display target selection means 8, and is in a data format having a “vehicle ID” column, a “same road determination” column, and a “detection target region determination” column. .

  In “Vehicle ID”, the ID of another vehicle that has performed display target determination processing by the display target selection unit 8 is described. The vehicle ID described here is the same as the other vehicle information shown in Table 1.

  In the “same road determination” column, a determination result as to whether or not the other vehicle to be processed is traveling on the same road as the own vehicle is described. In the example shown in Table 2, “1” indicates a case where it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on the same road, and “0” indicates a case where it is determined that the vehicle is not traveling on the same road. Here, the same road is a concept including the meaning of the same direction.For example, when the vehicle is traveling south on a road laid north-south, it travels south on this road. It is determined that only the existing vehicle is traveling on the same road.

  In the “detection target area determination” column, a determination result of whether or not the other vehicle to be processed is traveling in the detection target area set on the rear side of the host vehicle is described. In the example shown in Table 2, “1” indicates a case where it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in the detection target region, and “0” indicates a case where it is determined that the vehicle is traveling outside the detection target region.

Next, in the driving support device of the present embodiment, an example of a basic display pattern of information related to other vehicles selected by the relative relationship predicting unit 9 will be described with reference to Table 3.

  Table 3 shows an example of display patterns defined in accordance with the level of urgency based on the TTC described above. In the example of Table 3, the emergency level of level 5 is set in the range of TTC = 0 to 6 seconds, and information regarding other vehicles is displayed in red flashing. Moreover, the emergency level of the level 4 is set within the range of TTC = 7 to 8 seconds, and information regarding other vehicles is displayed in blinking yellow. Moreover, the emergency level of level 3 is set within the range of TTC = 9 to 10, and information on other vehicles is displayed in yellow. Moreover, the emergency level of level 2 is set within the range of TTC = 11 to 12, and information related to other vehicles is displayed in light yellow. When TTC = 13 or more, the emergency level is level 1, and information regarding other vehicles is not displayed. Since the other vehicle of this urgency level 1 is a vehicle that does not affect the own vehicle, such as being far away from the own vehicle, by not displaying such information on other vehicles, The complexity of the display can be reduced. Note that information about other vehicles with an emergency level of 1 may be displayed in blue, for example. In this case, when the driving support apparatus does not recognize other vehicles around the host vehicle, Since the display is not performed, the driver of the host vehicle can easily recognize the operation state of the driving support device from the presence / absence of the display and the actual situation that can be visually confirmed.

Next, regarding the first correction term when the basic display pattern is corrected by the relative relationship predicting means 9, the relationship between the operation of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal between the host vehicle and the other vehicle and the correction term based on this is shown. This will be described with reference to Table 4.

  Table 4 shows an example in the case of correcting the level of urgency based on the TTC described above according to the pedal operation states in the host vehicle and other vehicles. In the example of Table 4, if there is no pedal operation on both the other vehicle and the host vehicle, no correction is made to the level of urgency based on TTC. Further, when the accelerator pedal of the other vehicle is depressed, if there is no pedal operation of the host vehicle, it is predicted that the TTC will become a smaller value thereafter, so the level of urgency based on the TTC is raised by one step. . In addition, when the accelerator pedal of another vehicle is depressed, and when the brake pedal is depressed in the host vehicle, it is predicted that the TTC will be a smaller value. Therefore, the level of urgency based on the TTC Raise 2 levels. On the other hand, if the accelerator pedal is depressed in both the other vehicle and the host vehicle, the necessity of correction may be determined in consideration of individual vehicle performance. When the amount of operation is large, specifically, for example, when the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal is equal to or higher than level 3 in the above nine steps, the level of urgency based on TTC is increased by one step.

  In addition, when there is no pedal operation of the other vehicle and the accelerator pedal of the host vehicle is depressed, the TTC is predicted to become a large value thereafter, so the level of urgency based on the TTC is lowered by one step. . On the other hand, when there is no pedal operation of the other vehicle and the brake pedal of the host vehicle is depressed, the TTC is predicted to become a large value thereafter, so the level of urgency based on the TTC is set to 1. Step up.

  Further, when the brake pedal of the other vehicle is depressed, if there is no pedal operation of the host vehicle, it is predicted that the TTC will subsequently become a large value, so the level of urgency based on the TTC is lowered by one step. In addition, when the brake pedal of another vehicle is depressed, and when the accelerator pedal is depressed in the host vehicle, it is predicted that TTC will be a larger value. Therefore, the level of urgency based on TTC 2 steps down. On the other hand, when the brake pedal is depressed in both the other vehicle and the host vehicle, the necessity of correction may be determined in consideration of the performance of the individual vehicle. When the amount of operation is large, specifically, for example, when the amount of operation of the brake pedal is equal to or higher than level 3 in the nine steps described above, the level of urgency based on TTC is decreased by one step.

  As for the level correction of the urgency level described here, if the level is already at the upper limit (level 5 in the example of Table 3) or the lower limit (level 1 in the example of Table 3), the level is exceeded. No correction will be made.

Next, with respect to the second correction term when the basic display pattern is corrected by the relative relationship predicting means 9, the relationship between the steering operation of the other vehicle and the correction term based on this will be described with reference to Table 5.

  Table 5 corrects the level of urgency based on the TTC described above according to the steering operation amount Th, with the direction in which the steering operation of the other vehicle approaches the host vehicle being positive and the direction away from the host vehicle being negative. An example of the case is shown. In the example of Table 5, the steering operation amount Th of the other vehicle is compared with predetermined threshold values α and β (0 <α <β) to determine whether the correction is necessary. When Th is within the range of -α to α, the urgency level is not corrected. In addition, when the steering operation amount Th of the other vehicle is greater than or equal to α and less than β, it is predicted that the other vehicle will approach the host vehicle. When Th is equal to or greater than β, it is predicted that the other vehicle will be closer to the host vehicle, so the level of urgency is increased by two levels.

  On the other hand, when the steering operation amount Th of the other vehicle is equal to or less than −α and larger than −β, the other vehicle is predicted to leave the own vehicle. When the operation amount Th is −β or less, it is predicted that the other vehicle will be further away from the host vehicle, and therefore the level of urgency is lowered by two levels.

  As described above, in the driving support device of the present embodiment, when displaying information on other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle in order to support driving operations such as lane changes by the driver, The urgency level is set based on the TTC obtained from the relative position and relative speed of the vehicle with respect to the host vehicle, and the urgency level is set according to the operation operation of the accelerator pedal, brake pedal operation, steering operation, etc. of other vehicles. Since the display form of the other vehicle information to be displayed on the display means 12 is determined according to the corrected level of urgency level, even if the traveling state of the other vehicle changes, the actual urgency is improved. Information about other vehicles can be displayed in a matched optimal display form, and information about other vehicles can be accurately conveyed to the driver.

  The embodiment described above shows one application example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above example. Accordingly, various modifications can be made to the configuration of the apparatus described above, specific processing contents, and the like without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment described above, the margin between the other vehicle and the host vehicle is determined based on TTC. However, the margin is not necessarily limited to TTC, and the margin is determined based on the relative distance or the relative speed itself. The margin may be determined by performing a process such as adding a predetermined correction value to the TTC under bad weather such as rainy weather, and using this as a reference.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, although demonstrated while exemplifying an example of the target travel scene, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated travel scene, for example, overtaking in a single lane, approaching vehicles in the same lane, etc. The same effect can be obtained in a traveling scene in which another vehicle approaches the host vehicle.

  In the embodiment described above, it is assumed that information can be transmitted and received by wireless communication between the own vehicle and other vehicles. However, in actual road traffic, vehicles having no communication function are also mixed. The current situation is. An application example in such an environment will be described below as a second embodiment.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, as a second embodiment of the present invention, an application example of the present invention in an environment where a vehicle having a function of transmitting and receiving information by wireless communication and a vehicle having no communication function are assumed is described. To do.

  FIG. 8 shows the overall configuration of the driving support apparatus of the present embodiment. The driving support device of the present embodiment includes an other vehicle information storage unit 21, a surrounding information detection unit 22, and a second other vehicle information calculation unit 23 in addition to the configuration of the driving support device of the first embodiment described above. It is added. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, the same configuration and the same processing contents as those of the first embodiment will be omitted by using the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. Only the characteristic features of the embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the configuration corresponding to the other vehicle information calculation unit 2 in the first embodiment is referred to as the first other vehicle information calculation unit 2 so as to be distinguished from the second other vehicle information calculation unit 23.

  The other vehicle information storage unit 21 is a memory that temporarily stores information on other vehicles obtained by converting the data string received by the other vehicle information receiving unit 1 by the first other vehicle information calculating unit 2.

  The surrounding information detection means 22 detects an obstacle or the like around the own vehicle using at least one sensor attached to the own vehicle. Examples of the sensor used here include a camera, a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, and an ultrasonic sensor. Any of these may be used, or a combination of these may be used. In the driving support device of this embodiment, the surrounding information detection unit 22 corresponds to an obstacle detection unit. It should be noted that a known method may be adopted as a method for detecting other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle using these sensors, and the details of the method are omitted here.

  The second other vehicle information calculation unit 23 converts the data string detected by the surrounding information detection unit 21 and calculates information on the other vehicle necessary for processing in the host vehicle.

  Details of the control of the driving support apparatus of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described along the flowcharts of FIGS. 9 and 10. Note that, in the driving support device of the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment described above, a process of notifying the other vehicle of the state of the host vehicle is performed. This process follows the flowchart of FIG. Since the processing is the same as that described, the description thereof is omitted here.

  FIG. 9 shows a process of acquiring information sent from another vehicle by wireless communication, and is always executed after the engine is started until the engine is stopped.

  In this control flow, first, in step S401, reception of information by the other vehicle information receiving means 1 is started. In step S402, information indicating the state of the other vehicle transmitted from the other vehicle by wireless communication is received. When the signal is received by the means 1, the process proceeds to the next step S403.

  In step S403, the first other vehicle information calculation unit 2 converts the information received from the other vehicle received by the other vehicle information reception unit 1 into a data format suitable for processing in the information device used in the present system. In step S404, the information from the other vehicle converted by the first other vehicle information calculating unit 2 is temporarily stored in the other vehicle information storage unit 21 as other vehicle information. With this function, even if reception timings from a plurality of other vehicles do not necessarily match, the information equipment used in this system can acquire necessary information in a batch.

  FIG. 10 shows main processing in the driving support apparatus of the present embodiment. In parallel with the processing shown in FIG. 3 and the processing shown in FIG. 9, the period from when the engine is started until the engine is stopped. Is always executed.

  In this control flow, first, in step S501, detection by the surrounding information detection unit 22 is started, and in step S502, information on other vehicles existing in the detection target area of the host vehicle is detected by the surrounding information detection unit 22. In step, the process proceeds to the next step S503.

  In step S503, the second other vehicle information calculation unit 23 calculates the direction, relative distance, and relative speed from the own vehicle for each of the other vehicles existing in the detection target area detected by the surrounding information detection unit 22. To do. In step S504, the calculated information on the other vehicle is written in the detected vehicle table. Details of the detected vehicle table will be described later with reference to Table 6.

  Next, in step S505, the display target selection unit 8 reads information indicating the state of the host vehicle temporarily stored in the host vehicle information storage unit 6, and in step S506, based on the current position of the host vehicle. In addition, the position of the other vehicle existing in the detection target area of the host vehicle is calculated as a latitude / longitude predicted value and written in the detected vehicle table.

  Next, the display target selection unit 8 reads the other vehicle information temporarily stored in the other vehicle information storage unit 21 in step S507, and in step S508, based on the predicted latitude and longitude calculated in step S506. If a matching data set is searched from the data received by wireless communication, and a matching data set is found, it corresponds to the “matching vehicle ID” column of the corresponding vehicle in the detected vehicle table. Write the vehicle ID.

  Further, in step S509, the display target selection unit 8 determines the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and also determines the lane in which the vehicle is traveling for each of the other vehicles having the “matched vehicle ID” data.

  Thereafter, with respect to other vehicles having “matched vehicle ID” data, the relative relationship prediction means 9 performs the same processing as in the first embodiment to determine whether information display is necessary and to determine the display form. Is called. That is, the relative relationship predicting means 9 first obtains the traveling lane determination result in step S509 and the steering operation information of the other vehicle for each of the other vehicles having the “matched vehicle ID” data. First, it is determined whether or not information display is necessary for the other vehicle. If it is determined that there is a necessity, the relative distance and relative speed of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle and the driving in the next step S511. The display form of the information related to the other vehicle is determined according to the information related to the operation. Note that the details of the processing of step S510 and step S511 are the same as the contents of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG.

  Note that other vehicles that do not have the “matched vehicle ID” data, that is, other vehicles that are detected by the surrounding information detection unit 22 but for which information is not received by the other vehicle information receiving unit 1 are vehicles that do not have a communication function. It is assumed that there is, but for such other vehicles, a basic display form based on TTC obtained from the relative position and relative speed may be selected.

  Next, in step S512, as in the first embodiment, the mirror angle detection means 10 detects the adjustment angle of the side mirror of the host vehicle, and the head position detection means 11 detects the head position of the driver of the host vehicle. Is detected.

  In step S513, as in the first embodiment, the display control means 13 uses the side mirror information based on the position of the other vehicle to be displayed, the adjustment angle of the side mirror, and the head position information of the driver. The display position of the information of the other vehicle on the display means 12 incorporated in is determined, and a drawing command for displaying the information related to the other vehicle in the display form determined in step S511 is generated at this display position. In step S514, the display unit 12 performs a drawing process based on the generated drawing command, so that information related to the other vehicle is optimally displayed at an appropriate position on the display unit 12 incorporated in the side mirror. It will be displayed in the form.

Here, in the driving support device of the present embodiment, an example of the detected vehicle table in which the information on the other vehicle calculated by the second other vehicle information calculating unit 23 is written will be described with reference to Table 6.

  Table 6 shows an example of a detected vehicle table handled by the driving support device of the present embodiment. The “vehicle ID” column, the “direction” column, the “distance” column, the “relative speed” column, the “position” (Latitude, longitude) "data format.

  In the “vehicle ID” column, IDs of other vehicles detected by the surrounding information detection unit 22 are described. This value should just be a value which can be uniquely identified with respect to other vehicles in which a plurality of own vehicles exist. Here, it is assumed that a 4-digit number string is given in accordance with a predetermined method.

  In the “direction” column, the traveling direction of the other vehicle detected by the surrounding information detection unit 22 is described by a numerical value expressed in units of, for example, degree. Here, true north is set to 0 degrees, and the right angle is set to be a positive rotation angle to represent the traveling direction of the other vehicle.

  In the “distance” column, the distance of the other vehicle detected by the surrounding information detection unit 22 from the host vehicle is described by a numerical value expressed in units of meters, for example.

  In the “relative speed” column, the relative speed of the other vehicle detected by the surrounding information detection unit 22 with respect to the host vehicle is described by a numerical value expressed in units of km / h, for example. Here, a positive value is expressed when the other vehicle is faster than the own vehicle, and a negative value is expressed when the own vehicle is faster than the other vehicle. The numerical values described in the “direction” column, the “distance” column, and the “relative speed” column are calculated by the processing in step S503 in FIG.

  In the “position (latitude, longitude)” column, the position (latitude, longitude) on the map where the other vehicle detected by the surrounding information detection means 22 is described, for example, the first term is latitude and the second term is longitude. It is a form that represents. The position of the other vehicle described in the “position (latitude, longitude)” column is calculated by the process in step S506 in FIG.

  In the “matching vehicle ID” column, when a matching data set is found from the data received by wireless communication by the processing in step S508 of FIG. 10, the vehicle ID of the corresponding other vehicle is described. The Specifically, the “position” column shown in Table 6 and the “position” column shown in Table 1 are compared, and when an error is found that is less than a certain value, the corresponding “vehicle” in Table 1 is found. The same value as the ID described in the “ID” column is described.

  As described above, in the driving support device of this embodiment, when displaying information on other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle on the display unit 12 in order to support driving operations such as lane change by the driver, wireless communication is performed. For other vehicles having the function of transmitting and receiving information by the same manner as in the first embodiment described above, the level of urgency based on the TTC is corrected according to the situation of the driving operation and corrected. Since the display mode of the information on the other vehicle to be displayed on the display means 12 is determined according to the level of urgency, even when the traveling state of the other vehicle changes, the optimum display that matches the actual urgency The information regarding the other vehicle can be displayed in the form, and the information regarding the other vehicle can be accurately transmitted to the driver.

  Further, in the driving support device of the present embodiment, for other vehicles that do not have a communication function, information on the other vehicles is displayed on the display unit 12 in a display form according to the level of urgency based on TTC. Therefore, even in an environment where a vehicle having a function of transmitting and receiving information by wireless communication and a vehicle having no communication function coexist, information on other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle is surely obtained. It is possible to display and assist the driving operation of the driver.

It is a figure which shows an example of the driving | running | working scene where the driving assistance device to which this invention is applied operate | moves. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the driving assistance device of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detail of the control in the driving assistance device of 1st Embodiment, and is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process which alert | reports the state of the own vehicle with respect to another vehicle. It is a figure which shows the detail of the control in the driving assistance device of 1st Embodiment, and is a flowchart which shows the flow of a main process. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the process which determines the necessity of a display, and the process which determines a display form. It is a figure explaining judgment of the necessity of display, and is a figure showing an example of the run scene judged as the necessity of no display. It is a figure explaining judgment of the necessity of display, and is a figure showing an example of the run scene judged with the necessity of display. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the driving assistance apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detail of the control in the driving assistance device of 2nd Embodiment, and is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process which acquires the information sent by radio | wireless communication from another vehicle. It is a figure which shows the detail of the control in the driving assistance device of 2nd Embodiment, and is a flowchart which shows the flow of a main process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Other vehicle information receiving means 2 Other vehicle information calculation means 3 Own vehicle state detection means 4 Own vehicle information calculation means 8 Display object selection means 9 Relative relationship prediction means 12 Display means 13 Display control means 22 Peripheral information detection means 23 2nd Other vehicle information calculation means

Claims (5)

In a driving support device for supporting driving of a driver by displaying information on other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle on a display means,
Information acquisition means for acquiring at least driving operation information related to driving operation of another vehicle;
Displayed on the display unit according to the margin calculated from at least one of or both of the relative position and the relative speed of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle and the driving operation information of the other vehicle acquired by the information acquisition unit And a display form determining means for determining a display form of information relating to the other vehicle to be driven.   2. The information acquisition unit acquires at least one of accelerator pedal operation information, brake pedal operation information, and steering operation information, or a combination thereof, or all as driving operation information of another vehicle. The driving support device according to 1. The information acquisition means acquires information on either or both of the position and speed of the other vehicle in addition to the driving operation information of the other vehicle,
The said display form determination means calculates the said margin using the information of either or both of the position and speed of the other vehicle acquired by the said information acquisition means, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Driving assistance device.   The driving support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information acquisition unit receives information transmitted from another vehicle by wireless communication. It further comprises obstacle detection means for detecting obstacles around the host vehicle,
The driving support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display form determination unit calculates the margin using information detected by the obstacle detection unit.

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