JP2007253819A - Parking backup device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a parking backup device which precisely understands an intention of a driver without causing the driver lots of trouble and properly reflects the driver's intention on backup operation in parking. <P>SOLUTION: The parking backup device is provided for backing up the driver in parking and estimates a parking space where the driver intends to park on the basis of direction information on the direction of the face and/or line of sight of the driver. Based on the estimated parking space, the parking backup device backs up the driver at the stage of proceeding to a parking start position and of setting a target parking position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a parking support apparatus that supports parking.

Conventionally, in a parking assistance device, it is known that a target parking frame is superimposed and displayed on a real image around a vehicle on a display monitor before parking assistance control is started (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this conventional parking assistance device, the driver can adjust the target parking position by rotating or moving the position of the target parking frame on the display monitor.
JP 2005-67263 A

  By the way, in this type of parking assistance device, how the device side can accurately estimate the parking space intended by the driver without imposing a heavy burden on the driver can improve the convenience of parking assistance. It becomes an important element. This means that if the parking space intended by the driver can be accurately recognized, driving support to an appropriate parking start position can be realized, and target parking position setting support that does not require significant changes (less stress) is realized. Because it can.

  In this regard, the above-described conventional technology is configured to recognize the driver's intention based on the screen operation (touch panel operation) by the driver, so that the parking space intended by the driver can be recognized with high accuracy. When the initial display position of the frame is different from the target parking position intended by the driver, it is necessary to move the position of the target parking frame by appropriately operating the touch switch, which places a heavy burden on the driver There is.

  Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a parking assistance device that can accurately recognize the driver's intention without imposing a heavy burden on the driver and appropriately reflect the driver's intention in the parking assistance. And

In order to achieve the above object, a first invention provides a parking assistance device for assisting parking,
Parking assistance is performed based on direction information regarding the direction of the driver's face and / or the direction of the line of sight.

2nd invention is the parking assistance apparatus which concerns on 1st invention,
Based on the orientation information, a parking space where the driver intends to park is estimated, and parking assistance is performed based on the estimated parking space. Thereby, multifaceted assistance can be realized in various parking assistance scenes based on the parking space suitable for the driver's intention.

3rd invention is the parking assistance apparatus which concerns on 2nd invention,
The parking assistance includes at least one of assistance in a forward stage to reach a parking start position and assistance in a target parking position setting stage. Thereby, the parking assistance based on the direction information regarding the direction of the driver's face and / or the direction of the line of sight can be realized in an appropriate scene.

4th invention is the parking assistance apparatus which concerns on 3rd invention,
When a plurality of parking spaces are detected as candidates, one parking space selected according to the direction information among the plurality of parking spaces is estimated as a parking space intended for parking by the driver. And Thereby, even in a situation where a plurality of parking spaces compete as candidates, the parking space where the driver intends to park can be accurately estimated.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the parking support apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a parking space viewed by a driver is selected from the plurality of parking spaces. Thereby, the parking space which a driver intends to park can be selected with high accuracy.

6th invention is the parking assistance apparatus which concerns on 4th invention,
Among the plurality of parking spaces, a parking space that is long in time viewed by the driver is selected. Thereby, the parking space which a driver intends to park can be selected with high accuracy by using the tendency that the parking space intended by the driver is viewed relatively long.

7th invention is the parking assistance apparatus which concerns on 4th invention,
When steering is performed to reach the parking start position, a parking space that is visually observed by the driver at the start of the steering is selected from the plurality of parking spaces. Thereby, it is possible to accurately select the parking space where the driver intends to park using the tendency to see the parking space intended by the driver at the start of steering.

8th invention is the parking assistance apparatus which concerns on either invention of 2-7,
In the case where the target parking position is set by the driver by moving the position of the target parking frame displayed together with the actual image around the vehicle on the screen,
The target parking frame is initially displayed at a position corresponding to the estimated parking space. This increases the possibility that the target parking frame is initially displayed at a position corresponding to the parking space intended by the driver, so the time required for setting the target parking position is reduced and the burden on the driver is reduced. be able to.

A ninth invention is the parking assist device according to any one of the first to eighth inventions,
In the case where the target parking position is set by the driver by moving the position of the target parking frame displayed together with the actual image around the vehicle on the screen,
The target parking frame is moved according to the movement of the driver's face and / or the line of sight based on the orientation information. Thereby, an excellent man-machine interface is realized.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is the parking assist apparatus according to the ninth aspect,
When the movement of the face and / or line of sight of a predetermined driver corresponding to the position change instruction is detected, the target parking frame is moved to a position corresponding to another parking space not selected. Features. As a result, when a plurality of parking spaces are detected as candidates, the target parking frames are sequentially moved to the positions corresponding to the positions of the candidate parking spaces in order from the parking spaces that are likely to match the driver's intention. Since the vehicle is moved, the target parking frame can be moved to the position intended by the driver in a short time even if there is an error in the estimation of the parking space intended by the driver.

An eleventh aspect of the invention is the parking assist apparatus according to the tenth aspect of the invention,
Based on the direction information, when a driver's gaze is detected for another parking space that is not selected, the target parking frame is moved to a position corresponding to the other parking space. . Thus, the driver pays attention to the parking space desired by the driver, so that the target parking frame is moved to a position corresponding to the parking space, so that an excellent man-machine interface is realized.

A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the parking assist device according to any one of the eighth to eleventh aspects of the invention,
Based on the direction information, the position of the target parking frame is determined when a predetermined face movement and / or line-of-sight movement of the driver is detected. As a result, the driver can determine the position of the target parking frame by the movement of the face and / or line of sight, so that an excellent man-machine interface is realized.

A thirteenth invention is the parking assist device according to the twelfth invention,
Based on the direction information, when the driver's gaze on the parking space corresponding to the position of the target parking frame is detected, the position of the target parking frame is determined. As a result, the driver can determine the position of the target parking frame by gazing at the parking space desired by the driver when the position of the target parking frame is as intended. A machine interface is realized.

A fourteenth invention is the parking assist device according to the first invention, wherein
In alerting to assist the vehicle in driving to the final parking position,
Based on the orientation information, when a driver's gaze is detected on a screen displaying a real image around the vehicle, a warning is issued, and a continuous gaze on the screen is performed despite the alert. If it is detected, the parking assistance is interrupted. This makes it possible to appropriately evaluate the driver's safety confirmation status based on the orientation information on the driver's face orientation and / or gaze orientation during back-up assistance, which tends to pay attention to screens other than the traveling direction. can do.

A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the parking assist device according to the first aspect of the present invention,
When performing parking start position guidance to assist the vehicle traveling to the parking start position,
When a parking space is detected, it is determined whether or not the driver is viewing the parking space, and parking start position guidance for the parking space is performed only when the parking space is viewed. . Thereby, it can prevent performing unnecessary parking start position guidance with respect to the parking space which a driver does not intend.

A sixteenth aspect of the present invention is the parking support apparatus according to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention,
The parking start position guide includes a steering instruction that instructs a steering mode toward the parking start position,
When the parking space is detected, it is determined whether or not the driver is viewing the parking space, and only when the driver is viewing, the steering instruction regarding the parking space is given. Thereby, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary steering instruction from being given to a parking space that is not intended by the driver.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the parking assistance apparatus which can recognize a driver | operator's intent accurately and can reflect a driver | operator's intention in parking assistance appropriately is provided, without imposing a big burden on a driver | operator.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a basic configuration of a parking assistance apparatus 10 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the parking assistance device 10 is configured around an electronic control unit 12 (hereinafter referred to as “parking assistance ECU 12”). Parking assistance ECU12 is comprised as a microcomputer which consists of CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. which were mutually connected via the bus | bath which is not shown in figure. The ROM stores programs and data executed by the CPU.

  The parking assist ECU 12 detects a steering angle sensor 16 that detects a steering angle of a steering wheel (not shown) and a vehicle speed via an appropriate bus such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a high-speed communication bus. A vehicle speed sensor 18 is connected. The vehicle speed sensor 18 may be a wheel speed sensor that is disposed on each wheel and generates a pulse signal at a cycle according to the wheel speed.

  The parking assist ECU 12 is connected to a distance measuring sensor 70 that detects a distance from an obstacle using sound waves (for example, ultrasonic waves), radio waves (for example, millimeter waves), light waves (for example, laser), or the like. The distance measuring sensor 70 may be any sensor that can detect a distance, such as a laser vision, a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic radar, or a stereo vision. The distance measuring sensor 70 is set on both the left and right sides of the front portion of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the distance measuring sensor 70 detects a distance from an obstacle on the side of the vehicle by emitting a sound wave or the like in a predetermined direction centered on the vehicle width direction and receiving the reflected wave. To do. The distance measuring sensor 70 is mounted, for example, near the bumper in the front part of the vehicle, and may emit a sound wave or the like toward a diagonally forward direction of 17 to 20 degrees with respect to the lateral direction of the vehicle. The distance measuring sensor 70 may output a reflection part of the obstacle (a set of reflection points such as sound waves) as a point sequence, and the output data is stored in the memory 72 (for example, EEPROM) at every output cycle as needed. Good.

  A face orientation monitoring camera 74 is connected to the parking assist ECU 12. The face-facing monitoring camera 74 is, for example, a camera including a color or infrared-sensitive CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor array. For example, it is provided at an appropriate location of the vehicle so that the front surface of the driver (for example, the face portion from the front) can be captured. For example, the face-facing monitoring camera 74 is installed at an appropriate location such as a vehicle rearview mirror, a dashboard of an instrument panel, or a steering column. The face orientation monitoring camera 74 may acquire an image of the driver in real time and supply it to the parking assist ECU 12 in a stream format with a predetermined frame period (for example, 30 fps).

  A reverse shift switch 50 and a parking switch 52 are connected to the parking assist ECU 12. The reverse shift switch 50 outputs an ON signal when the shift lever is operated to the reverse position (reverse), and maintains the OFF state in other cases. In addition, the parking switch 52 is provided in the passenger compartment and can be operated by the driver. The parking switch 52 is normally maintained in an off state, and is turned on by a driver's operation.

  A back monitor camera 20 is connected to the parking assist ECU 12. The back monitor camera 20 is mounted at an appropriate location (for example, a back door) at the rear of the vehicle so as to capture a landscape in a predetermined angle area behind the vehicle. The back monitor camera 20 may be a camera provided with a CCD, a CMOS, or the like in the image sensor, like the face direction monitoring camera 74.

  The parking assistance ECU 12 determines whether the driver needs parking assistance based on the output signal of the parking switch 52. That is, when the parking switch 52 is turned on while the vehicle is traveling, the parking assist ECU 12 starts parking assist control for assisting the vehicle traveling to the target parking position in the parking space as soon as possible. Parking support control includes not only vehicle control such as steering control when traveling to the target parking position, but also information output control to the driver, such as output of a guidance message for guiding the vehicle to the parking start position, Including screen display control to assist in setting the target parking position.

  Next, some examples will be described on the premise of the basic configuration described above. Hereinafter, for the parking assistance ECU 12 having different functions for each embodiment, a capital letter is attached to the end of the reference symbol (that is, the parking assistance ECUs 12A to 12E).

  Example 1 relates to a configuration for realizing notification (parking support) of a parking space suitable for a driver's intention.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing main functions of the parking assist ECU 12A of the present embodiment. The parking assist ECU 12A includes a face orientation detection unit 40, a parking space detection unit 41A, an information output control unit 42A, and a deflection angle calculation unit 43. Hereinafter, the configuration and function of each unit will be described.

  The face direction detection unit 40 recognizes the driver's face direction and / or line-of-sight direction by image processing on each image acquired by the face-direction monitoring camera 74, and determines the driver's face direction and / or line-of-sight direction. Generate orientation information. For example, the face orientation detection unit 40 first extracts representative points (feature points) of the face from the image acquired by the face orientation monitoring camera 74. This feature extraction method may be any appropriate method, and for example, a technique based on Active Appearance Model (AAM) may be used. An appropriate edge detection algorithm (eg, Sobel's edge detection algorithm) is then applied to extract the boundary between the face and facial features. Next, using the edges and feature points extracted as described above, as shown in FIG. 4, the facial parts are separated, and the shape of the facial parts is extracted. FIG. 4 shows only a part of the face as a representative, and shows an image in which the eyebrows and eyes are extracted as parts. The face orientation detection unit 40 is in the position or orientation of the extracted facial parts and in each prestored posture (for example, a posture when looking at the display 22 or a posture looking right and left). The current posture (face orientation) is detected by comparing the degree of matching with the position or orientation of the part. The orientation of the face may be represented by, for example, a rotation angle about three axes with the front direction of the face in a normal posture as one axis.

  Note that there are various face orientation detection methods by image recognition processing, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described one. For example, the face direction detection unit 40 may extract the outline of the eyeball as a face part and detect the direction of the driver's line of sight based on the position of the eyeball within the eye outline. The driver's gaze direction and driver's face direction are parameters that are effective in estimating the driver's intention, so they can be used alone or in combination. is there. Hereinafter, various parking assistance using the driver's face direction will be described. However, instead of or in addition to the face direction, the driver's gaze direction can also be used.

  The detection result of the face direction detection unit 40 is stored in a predetermined memory in association with the vehicle position or time at the time of detection. Thereby, as will be described in detail later, the relationship between the direction of the driver's face and the position of the parking space can be evaluated retrospectively (back to the past).

  The parking space detection unit 41 </ b> A detects a parking space that may exist on the side of the vehicle based on the detection result (point sequence) of the distance measuring sensor 70. Based on the detection results of the left and right ranging sensors 70, the parking space detection unit 41A detects parking spaces that can exist on the left and right sides of the vehicle independently in parallel on the left and right. Since the left and right detection methods may be the same, the detection method on one side will be described below unless otherwise specified.

  The parking space detection method differs between garage parking and parallel parking. Hereinafter, an example of a parking space detection method in the case of garage parking will be described first, and then an example of a parking space detection method in the case of parallel parking will be described. The parking switch 52 may include a switch for specifying either garage parking or parallel parking. In this case, the parking space detection unit 41A may select a parking mode (garage insertion mode or Operates in tandem mode).

[Parking space detection method for garage parking]
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the situation of a parking lot for parking in a garage. In this situation, there are two parking spaces S1, S2 between obstacles (vehicles Z), and parking spaces S1, S2 The vehicle is passing around. In the following description, the back side and the near side are based on the traveling direction of the vehicle (own vehicle).

  First, as a premise, when the vehicle passes by a side of a certain obstacle, the obstacle detection area (the length of the point sequence) by the distance measuring sensor 70 increases as the vehicle moves. For example, the parking space detection unit 41A of this example sets a flag (hereinafter, “provisional flag”) that means that an obstacle has been temporarily detected when the length of the point sequence becomes 1 m or longer.

  The parking space detection unit 41A is in a stage where a point sequence having a predetermined length (> 1 m) is detected and the point sequence no longer exists after 50 cm. In this case, since it can be determined that the entire obstacle has been detected, the parking space detection unit 41A has a flag (hereinafter referred to as “the obstacle is present on the side of the vehicle) and the detection of the obstacle has been completed. Set the completion flag.

  After the completion flag is set, the parking space detection unit 41A determines that there is a parking space on the side of the vehicle when there is no point sequence more than a predetermined length (for example, 2 m), and a flag indicating that (hereinafter, “ Set parking space valid flag "). In this example, the parking space detection unit 41A relates to the completion flag when a point sequence having a predetermined length (> 1 m) is detected and there is no point sequence of a predetermined length L1 or more thereafter. It is determined that there is a parking space behind the obstacle, and a parking space valid flag is set. The predetermined length L1 is a minimum opening width necessary as a parking space for garage parking, and is a value that should be determined depending on the vehicle width of the own vehicle (L1 = 2.5 m in this example). ).

  When the parking space validity flag is set, for example, the driver is notified that the parking space exists on the side of the vehicle under the control of the information output control unit 42A as described later. Thereby, the driver can know that there is a parking space that can be parked on the side, and the burden of searching for the parking space with his own eyes is reduced.

  In the case of parking in the garage, for example, when parking in the parking space on the front side of the obstacle vehicle Z, if the steering wheel is not started from the vicinity of the front side of the vehicle Z, assistance to the parking space (when the vehicle moves backward) It is often difficult to reach a parking start position where assistance is possible. In the present embodiment, in consideration of this, the space on the back side, not the front side of the obstacle, is set as the detection / notification target parking space. In this case, when a predetermined space (a space having an opening width of 2.5 m) is detected on the back side of the obstacle, a notification that informs the parking space is performed. In addition, it is possible to reach the parking start position where it is possible to support the parking space without difficulty.

[Parallel parking parking space detection method]
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the situation of the parking lot. In this situation, two parking spaces S1 and S2 exist between the obstacles (vehicle Z), and the vehicle is surrounded by the parking spaces S1 and S2. Is passing.

  For example, the parking space detection unit 41A sets the provisional flag when the length of the point sequence becomes 2.0 m or more. In addition, the parking space detection unit 41A sets a completion flag when a point sequence having a predetermined length (> 2.0 m) is detected and the point sequence no longer exists after 50 cm.

  The parking space detection unit 41A determines that the parking space exists on the side of the vehicle when the point sequence appears and the provisional flag is set from the state where the point sequence does not exist for the predetermined length L2 or more. Set the valid flag. That is, the parking space detection unit 41A parks the front side of the obstacle related to the provisional flag when there is no point sequence of the predetermined length L2 and after that, for example, a point sequence of 2.0 m or more is detected. It is determined that there is a space, and a parking space valid flag is set. The predetermined length L2 is a minimum opening width necessary as a parking space for parallel parking, and is a value that should be determined depending on the total length of the own vehicle (L2 = 6 m in this example).

  In addition, after the completion flag is set, the parking space detection unit 41A determines that there is a parking space on the side of the vehicle when there is no point sequence more than a predetermined length (for example, L2-0.5 [m]), Set the parking space valid flag. In this example, the parking space detection unit 41A detects the completion flag when a point sequence having a predetermined length (> 2.0 m) is detected and no point sequence exists after the predetermined length L2. It is determined that there is a parking space on the back side of the obstacle according to, and a parking space valid flag is set.

  When the parking space validity flag is set, for example, the driver is notified that the parking space exists on the side of the vehicle under the control of the information output control unit 42A as described later. Thereby, the driver can know that there is a parking space that can be parked on the side, and the burden of searching for the parking space with his own eyes is reduced.

  In the case of parallel parking, the detection area of the obstacle to be detected (in the case of a vehicle, the side surface of the vehicle) is larger than in the case of parking in the garage, and it is not necessary to start turning the handle at an early stage. In this embodiment, in consideration of this, the point sequence length when setting the provisional flag is increased compared to the case of parking in the garage, and the space on both the front side and the back side of the obstacle is increased. The parking space is subject to detection and notification. In this case, when a predetermined space (space with an opening width of 6 m) is detected on the front side of the obstacle, or when a predetermined space (space with an opening width of 6 m) is detected on the back side of the obstacle, Since the notification that informs the parking space is performed, it is possible to reach the parking start position where the parking space can be supported without difficulty from the point where the notification is made.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of main processing realized by the information output control unit 42A. Here, the process in the situation of the parking lot for garage parking as shown in FIG. 5 will be described as an example.

  In step 100, the information output control unit 42A determines whether or not the parking space valid flag is set by the parking space detection unit 41A. In this example, as shown in FIG. 8 (A), when the parking space validity flag for the parking space S1 is set, and as shown in FIG. 8 (A), the parking space validity flag for the parking space S2 is set. At this point, an affirmative determination is made.

  In step 110, the information output control unit 42 </ b> A is based on the detection result of the face direction detection unit 40 (including the detection result of the past frame period; the same applies hereinafter), and parking according to the parking space validity flag set this time. It is determined whether or not the driver is viewing the space. For example, when the parking space validity flag related to the parking space S1 is set, the information output control unit 42A determines whether or not the driver is viewing the parking space S1. Whether or not the driver is viewing the parking space S1 is determined based on whether or not the driver's face is directed toward the parking space S1. At this time, the information output control unit 42A assumes that the direction of the vehicle is parallel to the front surface of the parking space S1 (line on the entrance side of the parking frame line) and the driver's face direction and the parking space S1. You may know the positional relationship. For example, when the angle formed by the vector representing the driver's face direction in plan view and the vector from the vehicle occupant position toward the center of the parking space S1 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined angle, the driver's face is in the parking space S1. You may judge that it is directed to.

  In step 110, the information output control unit 42 </ b> A allows the driver to visually observe the parking space S <b> 1 when the time during which the driver's face is directed to the parking space S <b> 1 is equal to or longer than the predetermined time T [ms]. You may judge. This is because, even if parking in the parking space S1 is not desired, the driver's face may be directed to the parking space S1 instantaneously. In other words, when parking in the parking space S1 is desired, the driver's viewing time for the parking space S1 becomes longer than when parking in the parking space S1 is not desired. Then, the driver's intention to park the parking space S1 is accurately determined. The value of the predetermined time T may be appropriately set from this viewpoint and may be experimentally adapted.

  For example, the information output control unit 42A is a driver from the time when the temporary flag or the completion flag is set for the obstacle Z1 in front of the parking space S1 to the time when the parking space valid flag for the parking space S1 is set. The face direction is evaluated, and it is determined whether or not the time during which the driver's face is directed to the parking space S1 is equal to or longer than the predetermined time T. Similarly, the information output control unit 42A operates from the time when the provisional flag or the completion flag is set for the obstacle Zs before the parking space Ss to the time when the parking space valid flag for the parking space Ss is set. The face direction of the driver is evaluated, and it is determined whether or not the time during which the driver's face is directed to the parking space Ss is equal to or longer than the predetermined time T.

  In this step 110, when the information output control unit 42A determines that the driver is viewing the parking space related to the currently set parking space valid flag, the driver desires parking in the parking space. If it is determined that the vehicle is in the parking space, the process proceeds to step 120. Otherwise, it is determined that the driver does not want to park in the parking space, and the process ends.

  In step 120, a sound of pawn is output through the speaker 24 (see FIG. 1), and a steering instruction for guiding the vehicle to the parking start position is given. Note that the sound of pawn may be output from the speaker 24 on the side where the parking space exists, among the speakers 24 present on the left and right. Thereby, the driver can understand the side where the parking space exists through hearing. In addition, the steering instruction may be a voice output indicating, for example, “Please move slowly until you hear a ping pong while turning the steering wheel”.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8, when the driver wants to park in the parking space S2 and does not want to park in the parking space S1, the driver looks at the parking space S1. Without observing the parking space S2. Therefore, in the vicinity of the vehicle position shown in FIG. 8 (A), it is determined that the driver is not viewing the parking space S1, the notification of the parking space S1 is not executed, and the vicinity of the vehicle position shown in FIG. 8 (B). Then, it is determined that the driver is viewing the parking space S2, and the parking space S2 is notified.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, only the parking space viewed by the driver is notified of the presence of the parking space, so that the driver can accurately notify the parking space intended for parking, It is possible to prevent the driver from unnecessarily reporting a parking space that is not intended for parking.

  In the present embodiment, the voice guidance that informs the existence of the parking space and the steering guidance for guiding the vehicle to the parking start position are executed at the same time. For example, as in the case of parallel parking, the parking space In the case where it is not necessary to perform steering immediately after detection of these, these guidances may be performed separately in time. In this case, the voice guidance is executed every time the parking space valid flag is set, while the steering guidance may be executed only when the driver is viewing the voice guided parking space. . At this time, whether or not the driver visually observes the voice guided parking space can be determined by evaluating the driver's face direction from the voice guidance time point to the time point immediately before steering guidance is necessary. Good.

  Further, in this embodiment, the voice guidance that informs the existence of the parking space and the steering guidance for guiding the vehicle to the parking start position are realized by voice, but instead of or in addition to this, a video May be realized.

  Further, in this embodiment, it is determined whether or not to notify the presence of the parking space based on the two conditions of the parking space valid flag and the driver's visual condition. Conditions may be added to limit the conditions for performing such notification. For example, in the case of parking in a garage, conditions such as the change angle of the vehicle direction away from the parking space being within a predetermined angle, or the vehicle speed being a small value within a predetermined range may be added.

  The second embodiment relates to a configuration for realizing guidance (parking support) to a parking start position suitable for a driver's intention.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the main functions of the parking assist ECU 12B of the present embodiment. The parking assist ECU 12B includes a face direction detection unit 40, a parking space detection unit 41A, an information output control unit 42B, a deflection angle calculation unit 43, a parking start position calculation unit 44, and a target movement locus calculation unit 48. . Hereinafter, configurations similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and configurations and functions of other units are described.

  The deflection angle calculation unit 43 calculates the amount of change in the direction of the vehicle in a predetermined section (hereinafter referred to as “deflection angle α”) based on the output signals of the steering angle sensor 16 and the vehicle speed sensor 18. The predetermined section is a section at a predetermined distance from the current vehicle position, and is determined as appropriate. The deflection angle α is defined as positive in the clockwise direction and negative in the counterclockwise direction. Here, in general, the deflection angle α can be calculated by the equation (1), where ds is a minute movement distance of the vehicle and γ is a road curvature (corresponding to the reciprocal of the turning radius R of the vehicle). This formula 1 is to obtain the deflection angle α as a change in the direction of the vehicle from the position before βm (β = 7 in this example) to the local point.

偏向角演算部４３は、数１の式を変形した以下の数２の式に基づいて、所定の移動距離（本例では、０．５ｍ）毎の微小偏向角α_ｉを算出すると共に、算出した各微小偏向角α_１〜ｋを総和して偏向角αを算出する。

The deflection angle calculation unit 43 calculates a minute deflection angle α _i for each predetermined moving distance (0.5 m in this example) based on the following equation (2) obtained by modifying the equation (1). The deflection angles α are calculated by summing the small deflection angles α ₁ to _k .

この際、所定の移動距離（本例では、０．５ｍ）は、車速センサ１８の出力信号（車輪速パルス）を時間積分することによって監視される。また、路面曲率γは、舵角センサ１６から得られる舵角Ｈａに基づいて決定され、例えばγ＝Ｈａ／Ｌ・ηにより演算される（Ｌはホイールベース長、ηは車両のオーバーオールギア比（車輪の転舵角に対する舵角Ｈａの比）である）。尚、微小偏向角α_ｉは、微小移動距離０．０１ｍ毎に得られる路面曲率γに当該微小移動距離０．０１を乗算し、これらの乗算値を移動距離０．５ｍ分積算することによって算出されてもよい。尚、路面曲率γと舵角Ｈａとの関係は、予め車両毎に取得された相関データに基づいて作成されたマップとして、偏向角演算部４３のアクセス可能なメモリに格納されていてよい。

At this time, the predetermined moving distance (0.5 m in this example) is monitored by time-integrating the output signal (wheel speed pulse) of the vehicle speed sensor 18. The road surface curvature γ is determined based on the steering angle Ha obtained from the steering angle sensor 16, and is calculated by, for example, γ = Ha / L · η (L is the wheelbase length, η is the overall gear ratio of the vehicle ( The ratio of the steering angle Ha to the steering angle of the wheel)). The minute deflection angle α _i is calculated by multiplying the road surface curvature γ obtained every minute movement distance 0.01 m by the minute movement distance 0.01 and integrating these multiplied values by the movement distance 0.5 m. May be. The relationship between the road surface curvature γ and the steering angle Ha may be stored in a memory accessible by the deflection angle calculation unit 43 as a map created based on correlation data acquired for each vehicle in advance.

  The parking start position calculation unit 44 determines a parking start position that can support the parking space according to the parking space detected by the parking space detection unit 41A as described above (traveling track to the target parking position in the parking space). A possible parking start position) is calculated. There are various ways to calculate the parking start position. For example, the parking start position calculation unit 44 determines the target parking direction in the parking space (in any direction within the parking space) based on the direction of the vehicle (own vehicle) when passing through the parking space (the above-described deflection angle α). And the target parking position (for example, the center of the rear axis of the vehicle in the parking space) based on the end point of the obstacle adjacent to the parking space (the obstacle related to the set completion flag or provisional flag) May be determined. Alternatively, if possible, the direction of the obstacle is estimated by performing a straight line or curved line approximation on the point sequence representing the obstacle for which the completion flag is set, and the target parking is performed based on the direction of the obstacle. The direction may be determined. After determining the target parking direction and the target parking position, the parking start position calculation unit 44 then considers the maximum turning curvature of the vehicle and the like, and the parking start position where parking in the determined target parking direction and target parking position is possible. (Including the direction of the vehicle at the start of parking). In addition, since the parking start position which can assist the parking space has a range instead of a single point, the parking start position determined by the parking start position calculation unit 44 is defined by an allowable position range. It may be a thing.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of main processing realized by the information output control unit 42B. Here, the process in the situation of the parking lot for garage parking as shown in FIG. 11 will be described as an example.

  In step 200, the information output control unit 47B determines whether there are two or more parking start positions that can be supported from the current vehicle position. That is, it is determined whether there are two or more parking start positions calculated by the parking start position calculation unit 44 that can be guided from the current vehicle position. For example, in the situation shown in FIG. 11, two parking start positions SS1 and SS2 (illustrated by dotted lines) calculated by the parking start position calculation unit 44 with respect to the parking spaces S1 and S2 can be supported from the current vehicle position. Affirmative determination is made. In step 200, if there is only one parking start position that can be supported from the current vehicle position, the information output control unit 47B performs parking start position guidance described later using the parking start position as it is. (Step 220).

  In step 210, the information output control unit 47B determines, based on the detection result of the face direction detection unit 40, which parking space at which each of the two or more parking start positions is being viewed by the driver, Select the parking space that the driver is viewing. In this example, the information output control unit 47B determines which of the time when the face is directed to the parking space S1 and the time when the face is directed to the parking space S2 is longer, and determines the longer parking space. You may choose. This is because, as described above, when parking in the parking space S1 is desired, the driver's viewing time for the parking space S1 becomes longer. Alternatively, the information output control unit 47B determines to which parking space the driver's face is directed when the steering is started from the straight traveling state (or before and after), and the driver's face at the steering start time. You may select the parking space where was directed. This is because the driver generally determines the steering start timing toward the parking start position while looking at the parking space intended for parking. Alternatively, the information output control unit 47B may select a parking space in which the driver's face is directed for a predetermined time or more last in the time series.

  In step 220, the information output control unit 47B determines that the parking start position related to the parking space selected in step 210 (or the only parking start position through the negative determination in step 200) is the parking intended by the driver. It determines that it is the parking start position which concerns on space, and performs parking start position guidance with respect to the said parking start position.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 11, when the driver wants to park in the parking space S2 and does not want to park in the parking space S1, the driver looks at the parking space S1. Instead, steering is started while viewing the parking space S2. For this reason, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 11, parking start position guidance is performed with respect to the parking start position SS2 calculated with respect to the parking space S2.

  During execution of the parking start position guidance, the information output control unit 47B determines the vehicle travel pattern (position) based on the deflection angle α (and the travel distance calculated from the output of the vehicle speed sensor 18) constantly calculated by the deflection angle calculation unit 41. Further, various guidance for guiding the vehicle to the parking start position is performed while grasping the change history). For example, the information output control unit 47B appropriately selects “start a little closer to the parking space” or “a little more from the parking space” based on the correspondence between the current position (and direction) of the vehicle and the parking start position. A message stating “Please start away” or “Please start with a slightly larger tilt of the vehicle” is sent via the speaker 24 and / or the display 22. With this parking start position guidance, the driver can easily move the vehicle to a parking start position suitable for the parking space.

  In addition, when the vehicle reaches the parking start position, the information output control unit 47B sends a voice message (for example, “Please stop and return the steering wheel”) to stop the vehicle, the speaker 24 and / or the display 22. You may output via. Alternatively, the information output control unit 47B may execute automatic steering for guiding the vehicle to the parking start position via steering means (not shown) and / or when the vehicle reaches the parking start position. The automatic braking may be executed via a braking means (not shown).

  Further, when the vehicle stops at the parking start position, the information output control unit 47B displays a message to the effect that “the support for the reverse operation can be started by putting the shift lever into R”, and the speaker 24 and / or the display 22. You may output via. As a result, the driver can know that the parking assist device 10 is in a supportable state.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, even when there are a plurality of parking spaces that can be supported, the driver's face direction with respect to each parking space is appropriately evaluated, and parking start position guidance is performed. It is possible to guide to an appropriate parking start position related to a parking space intended for parking (a driver can be prevented from guiding to an inappropriate parking start position not intended for parking).

  The third embodiment relates to a configuration for facilitating setting of a target parking position (parking support) suitable for a driver's intention.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the main functions of the parking assist ECU 12C of the present embodiment. The parking assist ECU 12C includes a face direction detection unit 40, a parking space detection unit 41C, and an information output control unit 42C. The parking assist ECU 12C may include a deflection angle calculation unit 43 as necessary. Hereinafter, configurations similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and configurations and functions of other units are described.

  The parking space detection unit 41 </ b> C replaces or adds to the method of detecting the parking space based on the output result of the distance measuring sensor 70 described above, for example, parking in the image of the back monitor camera 20 (or the side camera). The parking space may be detected based on the recognition processing result of the frame line. There are various parking frame line image recognition processes, and any appropriate method may be used. For example, an appropriate region of interest (ROI) is set, and feature points in the region of interest are extracted. The feature point is extracted as a luminance change point exceeding a predetermined threshold (that is, a contour (edge) having a sharp change in brightness is extracted from the image). Next, conversion from the camera coordinate system to the real coordinate system of each pixel is performed by distortion correction. Next, straight line fitting (straight line approximation) is performed on the contour (a sequence of feature points) to derive a contour line of the feature points. Next, two parallel pairs of contour lines are detected as parking frame lines (typically white lines). The parking space detection unit 41C detects the space as a parking space when there is no obstacle in the space on the rectangular plane defined by the parking frame line. Note that whether or not an obstacle exists in the space on the rectangular plane defined by the parking frame line may be determined based on the output result of the distance measuring sensor 70 or the image recognition result.

  In the method of detecting the parking space using the image of the back monitor camera 20, the parking space detection unit 41C can detect the parking space only when the vehicle reaches the vicinity of the parking start position. On the other hand, in the method of detecting the parking space using the image of the side camera, as in the parking space detection method using the distance measuring sensor 70 described above, at a relatively early stage (before reaching the parking start position), Parking space can be detected.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a flow of main processing realized by the information output control unit 42C. Here, the process in the situation of the parking lot for garage parking as shown in FIG. 14 will be described as an example. The processing routine shown in FIG. 13 may be started when the vehicle is stopped at the parking start position and the shift lever is put into R.

  In step 300, the information output control unit 47C determines whether there are two or more parking spaces that can be supported from the current vehicle position (parking start position) based on the detection result of the parking space detection unit 41C. That is, the information output control unit 47C determines whether there are two or more parking spaces detected by the parking space detection unit 41C that can generate a traveling track from the current vehicle position. For example, in the situation shown in FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B, the parking spaces S1 and S2 can generate a running track (a dashed-dotted arrow) from the current vehicle position. The spaces S1 and S2 can be supported, and an affirmative determination is made. Whether or not a traveling track can be generated may be determined based on a traveling track that is approximately calculated based on the current positional relationship between the vehicle position and the parking space, the turning radius of the vehicle, and the like. In this step 300, if there is only one parking space that can be supported from the current vehicle position, the information output control unit 47C executes an initial display of a target parking frame, which will be described later, based on the parking space (step 320). ). On the other hand, if there are two or more parking spaces that can be supported from the current vehicle position in step 300, the process proceeds to step 310.

  In step 310, the information output control unit 47C determines which of the two or more parking spaces was viewed by the driver based on the detection result of the face direction detection unit 40, and the driver visually checked. Select a parking space. In this example, the information output control unit 47C determines which of the time when the face is directed toward the parking space S1 and the time when the face is directed toward the parking space S2 is longer. You may choose. This is because, as described above, when parking in the parking space S1 is desired, the driver's viewing time for the parking space S1 becomes longer. Alternatively, the information output control unit 47C determines which parking space the driver's face is pointed to when the steering is started from the straight traveling state (or before and after), and the driver's face at the steering start time. You may select the parking space where was directed. This is because the driver generally determines the steering start timing toward the parking start position while looking at the parking space intended for parking. Alternatively, the information output control unit 47C may select a parking space in which the driver's face is directed for a predetermined time or more in the time series during the period until the parking start position is reached. It should be noted that the orientation of the face with respect to the parking space during the period from the steering start time to the parking start position is based on the assumption that the direction of the vehicle at the steering start point is parallel to the parking space, and the above deflection angle calculation. The determination may be made in consideration of the change in the vehicle direction (deflection angle α) calculated by the unit 43.

  In Step 320, the information output control unit 47C determines that the parking space selected in Step 310 (or the only parking space through the negative determination in Step 300) is the parking space intended by the driver. The target parking frame is initially displayed at a position corresponding to the parking space (position on the screen).

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on the display 22 on which the target parking frame is initially displayed.

  On the display 22, as shown in FIG. 15, a target parking frame is superimposed on the captured image and a touch switch for setting a target parking position is displayed. The target parking frame may be a figure imitating the actual parking frame or the outer shape of the vehicle, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. The target parking frame also has a form that allows the driver to visually recognize its position and orientation, and two types of display, garage parking display and parallel parking display, may be prepared. The coordinate value of the target parking frame on the display 22 is managed in a coordinate system representing the position and orientation of the target parking frame.

  The driver uses the touch switch for setting the target parking position to move the target parking frame on the display 22 so as to perform a setting operation on the display 22 to adapt the target parking frame to the actual parking frame. That is, the driver uses the touch switch to translate and rotate the target parking frame in the vertical and horizontal directions on the display 22 so that the position of the target parking frame (in the case of the target parking frame for garage parking, (Including orientation) is adapted to the actual parking frame position (including orientation) of the intended parking space. The target parking frame whose position (including direction) is adjusted in this way is determined as the final target parking frame by the driver pressing the determination switch, for example (that is, the target parking position by the driver). Setting is complete). The position of the target parking frame determined in this way is converted into a target parking position and used for parking assistance at the time of final retreat.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the information output control unit 47C causes the initial display position of the target parking frame on the captured image to correspond to the position of the parking space selected as described above (the position in the coordinate system of the captured image). . At this time, the initial display direction of the target parking frame may correspond to the direction of the parking space selected as described above. The direction of the parking space may be estimated based on the direction of the vehicle (own vehicle) when passing through the parking space, or a straight line or a curve with respect to the point sequence representing the obstacle for which the completion flag is set. By performing approximation, the direction of the obstacle may be estimated, and the direction of the parking space may be estimated based on the direction of the obstacle.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the driver's face direction with respect to each parking space is appropriately evaluated, and the initial display position of the target parking frame is determined. The target parking frame can be initially displayed (the driver can prevent the target parking frame from being displayed at an inappropriate position where the driver does not intend to park). This eliminates the need to adjust the target parking frame by operating the touch switch many times, as in the case where the target parking frame is displayed at a position in the parking space different from the driver's intention. The time required for setting can be greatly reduced.

  The fourth embodiment relates to a configuration (No. 2) for facilitating setting (parking support) of a target parking position suitable for the driver's intention.

  FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating main functions of the parking assist ECU 12D of the present embodiment. The parking assist ECU 12D includes a face orientation detection unit 40, a parking space detection unit 41C, and an information output control unit 42D. The parking assist ECU 12D may include a deflection angle calculation unit 43 as necessary. Hereinafter, configurations similar to those in the first and third embodiments described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and configurations and functions of other units are described.

  The information output control unit 42D of the present embodiment displays the target parking frame as described above, and then, based on the detection result of the face direction detection unit 40 detected in real time, the target parking frame 42D corresponds to the movement of the driver's face. Move the frame (change the display position). The correspondence relationship between the movement of the face and the method of moving the target parking frame (the operation method of the target parking frame) is a matter that should be specified in the instruction manual and the driver should know in advance.

  For example, the information output control unit 42D moves the target parking frame to the left when the driver's face is directed to the left, and displays the target parking frame when the driver's face is directed to the right. Move to the right and move the target parking frame up if the driver's face is facing up, or move the target parking frame down if the driver's face is directed down That's good. In this case, since the target parking frame is moved in the same direction as the direction in which the driver's face is directed, operability is improved. When the driver's face orientation stops in a predetermined direction for a predetermined time (for example, when the display 22 is watched for a predetermined time), the current position of the target parking frame may be determined. If the position of the target parking frame is determined, the position of the target parking frame will not change in conjunction with the change in the direction of the driver's face.

  Or when the information output control part 42D of a present Example has the parking space selection function similar to the information output control part 42C of the above-mentioned Example 3, information output control part 42D is the target parking frame as mentioned above. After the display, the target parking frame may be moved to a position in a different parking space that has not been selected according to the movement of the face of a predetermined driver. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 14, the target parking frame is initially displayed at a position corresponding to the selected parking space S2, but the driver shakes his / her head when he / she sees the initial display (left-right direction). In response to the change in the orientation of the face), it may be moved to a position corresponding to a different parking space S1. That is, among a plurality of candidate parking spaces, the parking spaces that are highly likely to match the driver's intention are displayed in order (for example, in the order of long viewing time). Thereby, even if the selection result based on the driver's face orientation described above is inappropriate, the target parking frame can be immediately moved to the position of another new candidate parking space. In this case, the information output control unit 42D may determine the current position of the target parking frame in response to the movement of vertically swinging the driver's neck (change in the face direction in the vertical direction).

  Alternatively, the information output control unit 42D may move the target parking frame to a position of a supportable parking space that exists in the direction in which the driver faces. In this case, the information output control unit 42D may determine the current position of the target parking frame when the driver pays attention to the parking space corresponding to the position of the target parking frame. As for the direction of the face with respect to the parking space, the direction of the vehicle at the steering start point is assumed to be parallel to the parking space, and the change in the direction of the vehicle until the parking start position (deflection angle α) is taken into consideration. Alternatively, it may be determined in consideration of the relative relationship between the vehicle and the parking space that are image-recognized using the image of the back monitor camera 20.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the target parking frame can be adjusted according to the change in the driver's face orientation, etc., so that an excellent man-machine interface is realized and the target parking position is set. The burden on the driver can be reduced. In this embodiment, the touch switch as shown in FIG. 15 may ultimately be omitted, but may be prepared in advance for fine adjustment of the position of the target parking frame. .

  The fifth embodiment relates to a configuration that performs parking support at the time of retreat toward the target parking position.

  FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating main functions of the parking assist ECU 12E of the present embodiment. The parking assist ECU 12E includes a face orientation detection unit 40, an information output control unit 42E, a deflection angle calculation unit 43, a target parking position determination unit 46, a target travel path calculation unit 48, and a vehicle control unit 49. Hereinafter, configurations similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and configurations and functions of other units are described.

  The target parking position determination unit 46 appropriately determines the target parking position when the vehicle is present at the parking start position. The target parking position may be defined by, for example, the position of the vehicle rear axle center when parking is completed. There are various methods for determining the target parking position, and any appropriate method may be used.

  For example, the target parking position determination unit 46 may determine the target parking position based on the output result (stored data) of the distance measuring sensor 70. In this case, the target parking position determination unit 46 may determine, for example, a point having a predetermined relative positional relationship as the target parking position with respect to the end position (end point) of the obstacle on the turning center side. At this time, the angular relationship between the target parking position and the end position of the obstacle is determined based on the direction of the vehicle, the shape of the obstacle (approximation result), the straight line connecting the end points of the two obstacles, etc. May be. In addition, when a parking space is detected between two obstacles (for example, when there is a section without a point sequence of a predetermined length or more between the end points of the point sequence representing the two obstacles. The target parking position may be determined at an intermediate point between the respective end points of the two obstacles. At that time, regarding the angular relationship between the target parking position and the end position of the obstacle, similarly, the direction of the vehicle, the shape of the obstacle (approximation result), the straight line connecting the end points of the two obstacles, etc. It may be decided on the basis.

  For example, the target parking position determination unit 46 may determine the target parking position based on the recognition processing result of the parking frame line in the image of the back monitor camera 20 (or the side camera). In this case, the target parking position determination unit 46 determines, for example, a point having a predetermined relative positional relationship as the target parking position with respect to the end position (end point) of the vertical line of the parking frame line on the turning center side. Also good. At this time, the angular relationship between the target parking position and the end position of the vertical line may be determined based on the direction of the parking frame line. Or you may determine a target parking position based on the recognition process result of the obstruction in an image.

  For example, when it is determined that the target parking position determination unit 46 has temporarily stopped within a predetermined moving distance 6.5 m before reaching the parking start position, the target parking position determination unit 46 has a predetermined relative relationship with respect to the temporary stop position at that time. A certain position may be determined as the target parking position. Alternatively, the target parking position determination unit 46 may determine a position having a predetermined relative relationship with the vehicle position when the user presses a predetermined switch as the target parking position. Alternatively, the target parking position determination unit 46 may determine the target parking position based on the traveling pattern of the vehicle (change history of position and orientation).

  The target parking position determination unit 46 may determine, for example, based on the display position / orientation (see FIG. 15) of the target parking frame displayed on the display 22. The target parking position determination unit 46 determines a target parking position corresponding to the position and orientation of the target parking frame based on a given conversion formula between the coordinate system (image coordinate system) of the display 22 and the real coordinate system. .

  The target travel trajectory calculation unit 48 is a target travel trajectory for guiding the vehicle to the target parking position based on the relationship between the current position of the vehicle and the target parking position, turning characteristics of the vehicle, etc. Is calculated. It should be noted that the generation of the target travel path at this stage leaves a margin for later correction of the target travel path, so that the turning curvature is somewhat smaller than the maximum turning curvature of the vehicle (for example, up to 90% of the maximum turning curvature). ) May be used.

  The vehicle control unit 49 estimates the vehicle position of the host vehicle using the vehicle movement amount calculated from the output signal of the vehicle speed sensor 18 and the rudder angle position obtained from the rudder angle sensor 16, and from the target traveling track of the estimated vehicle position. The target rudder angle corresponding to the deviation is calculated, and the target rudder angle is transmitted to the steering control ECU 30. The steering control ECU 30 controls the motor 32 (steering actuator) so as to realize the target steering angle. The motor 32 may be provided in a steering column or a steering gear box and rotate the steering shaft according to the rotation angle. In this case, the target travel path may be recalculated at any time according to the target parking position that is corrected at any time based on the captured image of the back monitor camera 20 acquired when the vehicle moves backward. The vehicle control unit 49 may have a function of automatically adjusting the driving force and the braking force in cooperation with the ECU that controls the driving source (engine or motor) and the ECU that controls the brake. Good.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a flow of main processing realized by the information information output control unit 42E. The information output control unit 42E displays and / or outputs a message “Please reverse the vehicle while confirming safety” when the vehicle control unit 49 starts vehicle control (ie, when starting reverse). Good.

  In step 400, the information output control unit 42E grasps the direction of the vehicle with respect to the target parking position based on information from the deflection angle calculation unit 43 and the target parking position determination unit 46 during the vehicle control by the vehicle control unit 49. Based on the detection result of the face direction detection unit 40 detected in real time, the driver's safety confirmation operation is evaluated. That is, the information output control unit 42E sees the rear image (moving image) displayed on the display 22 more than necessary without the driver sufficiently viewing the traveling direction of the vehicle during vehicle control by the vehicle control unit 49. Judge whether or not. If the driver does not fully observe the traveling direction of the vehicle and is viewing the rear image displayed on the display 22 more than necessary, the process proceeds to step 410. Whether or not the display 22 is being watched is determined based on the degree of matching between the currently detected driver's face orientation and the face orientation when the display 22 is preliminarily stored. It may be determined by comparison.

  In step 410, the information output control unit 42E refers to, for example, a flag set when alerting is performed, and determines whether alerting has already been performed. If no alert has been issued, the information output control unit 42E alerts the driver to fully observe the traveling direction of the vehicle (step 420) and confirms that the alert has been issued. Set the meaning flag. The alerting may be realized by stimulating / vibrating in addition to voice and / or video. On the other hand, when alerting is already performed in step 420 (that is, the driver still does not fully observe the traveling direction of the vehicle despite the alerting), the information output control unit 42E performs vehicle control. An instruction is sent to the unit 49 to stop the support. As a result, automatic steering or the like by the vehicle control unit 49 is stopped, and the vehicle is forcibly stopped by intervention braking as necessary. At the same time, the information output control unit 42E may display and / or output a message “Cancel support”.

  By the way, in the parking assistance at the time of reversing, since the rear image by the back monitor camera 20 is displayed on the display 22 and steering etc. are automatically executed, the driver has a reduced driving burden, and the display 22 Only the upper rear image is seen, and the direction of travel tends to be neglected.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, during the vehicle control by the vehicle control unit 49, when the driver's face direction is monitored and the rear image displayed on the display 22 is viewed more than necessary, Since alerting and assistance cancellation are performed, it is possible to effectively detect and prevent a driver's safety check negligence that tends to occur during parking assistance as described above.

  In this embodiment, the information output control unit 42E determines that “the speed is too fast” when the vehicle control unit 49 controls the vehicle, for example, when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined range (for example, 12 km / h or more). May be displayed on the display 22 or the message “speed is too fast” may be output via the speaker 24 by voice. Similarly, when the speed exceeds a certain value, an instruction to stop the support is sent to the vehicle control unit 49, and a message “stop support” is output by video or audio. Good.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Can be added.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the parking assistance device 10 does not necessarily need to grasp (detect) the parking space as a space having a volume, and when the parking space is assumed to be in the parking space, for example, similarly to the target parking position. You may grasp | ascertain by the position of the vehicle's rear axle center and the direction (direction) of the vehicle.

  In the above-described embodiment, information related to the driver's face orientation is obtained by the face orientation monitoring camera 74, but information relating to the driver's face orientation or line of sight is obtained using other detection means. Also good. For example, the driver's face orientation is acquired based on the detection result (capacitance that varies depending on the face direction) of the electrostatic capacitance sensor built in the headrest or the detection result of the ultrasonic sensor (distance that varies depending on the face orientation). Also good.

  In the above description, some embodiments are described independently of each other in order to avoid complication of explanation, but it is naturally possible to combine the embodiments as appropriate.

  In the above-described embodiment, various applications are activated when the parking switch 52 is turned on. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, when the parking switch 52 is not turned on. However, it may be activated when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, when it is determined from the map data of the navigation device that the vehicle position is in the parking lot. In this case, a configuration in which the parking switch 52 does not exist is also conceivable.

  In the above-described embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the obstacle is assumed to be a vehicle. However, as the obstacle, any tangible object such as a bicycle, a two-wheeled vehicle, a wall, and two or more pylons can be assumed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle speed sensor 18, the steering angle sensor 16, and the deflection angle calculation unit 41 acquire and derive information on the vehicle direction, but instead of or in addition, a yaw rate sensor, a gyro sensor, An azimuth meter, a GPS positioning result, or the like may be used.

  Moreover, in the above-mentioned Examples 1 to 4, it is assumed that the user is a driver, but the user may be another passenger (passenger seat passenger) who knows the driver's intention.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a parking assistance device 10 according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the detection aspect of the object (in this example, vehicle Z) of the detection target of the ranging sensor. It is a block diagram which shows the main functions of parking assistance ECU12A of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the image from which the eyebrows and eye part of the face were extracted as parts. It is a top view which shows the condition of the parking lot for garage parking. It is a top view which shows the condition of the parking lot for parallel parking. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the main processes implement | achieved by 42 A of information output control parts. It is a top view which shows an example of the scene where the process of FIG. 7 is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the main functions of parking assistance ECU12B of Example 2. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the main processing implement | achieved by the information information output control part 42B. It is a top view which shows an example of the scene where the process of FIG. 10 is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the main functions of parking assistance ECU12C of Example 3. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the main processing implement | achieved by information information output control part 42C. It is a top view which shows an example of each scene to which the process of FIG. 13 is applied. It is a figure which shows an example of the touch panel for the target parking position setting on the display. It is a block diagram which shows the main functions of parking assistance ECU12D of Example 4. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the main functions of parking assistance ECU12E of Example 5. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the main processing implement | achieved by the information information output control part 42E.

Explanation of symbols

10 Parking assistance device 12A-12E Parking assistance ECU
16 Steering angle sensor 18 Vehicle speed sensor 20 Back monitor camera 22 Display 30 Steering control ECU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 Face direction detection part 41 Parking space detection part 42 Information output control part 43 Deflection angle calculation part 44 Parking start position calculation part 48 Target movement locus calculation part 49 Vehicle control part 50 Reverse shift switch 52 Parking switch 70 Distance sensor 74 Face direction Surveillance camera

Claims (16)

In a parking assistance device that supports parking,
A parking assistance device that performs parking assistance based on direction information related to a driver's face direction and / or line-of-sight direction.   The parking assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the driver estimates a parking space intended for parking based on the direction information, and performs parking assistance based on the estimated parking space.   The parking assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the parking assistance includes at least any one of assistance in a forward stage to reach a parking start position and assistance in a setting stage of a target parking position.   When a plurality of parking spaces are detected as candidates, one parking space selected according to the direction information among the plurality of parking spaces is estimated as a parking space intended for parking by the driver. 3. The parking assistance device according to 3.   The parking assistance apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a parking space viewed by a driver is selected from the plurality of parking spaces.   The parking assistance device according to claim 4, wherein a parking space that has a long time viewed by a driver is selected from the plurality of parking spaces.   The parking assistance device according to claim 4, wherein when steering to reach a parking start position is performed, a parking space that is visually checked by a driver at the start of the steering is selected from the plurality of parking spaces. In the parking assistance device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the setting of the target parking position by the driver is performed by moving the position of the target parking frame displayed together with the actual image around the vehicle on the screen.
A parking assist device that initially displays the target parking frame at a position corresponding to the estimated parking space. In the parking assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the setting of the target parking position by the driver is performed by moving the position of the target parking frame displayed together with the actual image around the vehicle on the screen.
A parking assistance device that moves the target parking frame in accordance with the movement of the driver's face and / or the movement of the line of sight based on the orientation information. In the parking assistance device according to claim 9 subordinate to any one of claims 4 to 8,
Parking that moves the target parking frame to a position corresponding to another parking space that was not selected when movement of the face and / or line of sight of a predetermined driver corresponding to the position change instruction is detected. Support device.   The driver may move the target parking frame to a position corresponding to the other parking space when a driver's gaze on the other parking space not selected is detected based on the orientation information. The parking assistance device described.   The parking assistance according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein a position of the target parking frame is determined when a predetermined facial movement and / or movement of a line of sight of the driver is detected based on the orientation information. apparatus.   The parking assistance device according to claim 12, wherein when a driver's gaze on a parking space corresponding to the position of the target parking frame is detected based on the orientation information, the position of the target parking frame is determined. The parking assistance device according to claim 1, wherein alerting is performed to assist driving of the vehicle to a final parking position.
Based on the orientation information, when a driver's gaze is detected on a screen displaying a real image around the vehicle, a warning is issued, and a continuous gaze on the screen is performed despite the alert. A parking assistance device that interrupts parking assistance if detected. In the parking assistance device according to claim 1, which performs parking start position guidance for supporting driving of the vehicle to the parking start position.
A parking assist device that, when a parking space is detected, determines whether or not the driver is viewing the parking space, and performs parking start position guidance for the parking space only when the driver is viewing the parking space. The parking start position guide includes a steering instruction that instructs a steering mode toward the parking start position,
16. When a parking space is detected, it is determined whether or not the driver is viewing the parking space, and a steering instruction regarding the parking space is issued only when the parking space is viewed. Parking assistance device.

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