JP2008226150A - Periphery monitoring device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a periphery monitoring device and a periphery monitoring method for improving detection accuracy of an approaching vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The periphery monitoring device mounted on a vehicle for monitoring circumstances of the periphery of the vehicle is provided with a radar detecting the travel directional front side and the front lateral sides of the vehicle, a sound gathering means gathering sound around the vehicle, a determination means determining whether there is another vehicle approaching to one's own vehicle or not based on the detection result by the radar and the detection result by the sound gathering means, and a control means controlling the radar and the sound gathering means based on the determination result by the determination means. The determination means determines whether there is a stopping vehicle or not based on the detection result by the radar, and the control means drives the sound gathering means when the determination means determines presence of the stopping vehicle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a periphery monitoring apparatus and a periphery monitoring method that are mounted on an automobile or the like and that avoid collision during traveling or reduce damage from collision.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to prevent a traffic accident caused by an automobile, a system that reliably performs a braking operation based on a driver's judgment, such as ABS (Antilock Brake System), has been used. The driving operation for avoiding a collision or the like must be appropriately selected according to the driving environment around the automobile. Then, the periphery monitoring apparatus which can prevent an accident beforehand according to the condition of a vehicle is proposed (for example, refer patent document 1). Specifically, a long-range radar device and a short-range radar device are used in combination, and they are switched appropriately. This perimeter monitoring device has different detection areas for a long-range radar whose detection area is mainly in front of the vehicle and a short-range radar that can also detect the front side of the vehicle. used.
JP 2005-165752 A

  However, the background art described above has the following problems.

  For example, when approaching an intersection, switching to a short-range radar may be delayed.

  Even when switching to a short-range radar and approaching an intersection, detection of an obstacle may be delayed at an intersection with poor visibility due to the relationship between the diffraction rates of radar waves.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a periphery monitoring device and a periphery monitoring method capable of improving the detection accuracy of an approaching vehicle.

In order to solve the above problems, the periphery monitoring device of the present invention is
A periphery monitoring device mounted on a vehicle and monitoring a situation around the vehicle,
A radar for detecting the front and front sides of the vehicle in the traveling direction;
Sound collecting means for collecting sounds around the vehicle;
Determination means for determining whether there is another vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on the detection result by the radar and the detection result by the sound collecting means;
Control means for controlling the radar and the sound collection means based on the determination result by the determination means,
The determination means determines whether or not there is a stopped vehicle on the front and front sides in the traveling direction of the host vehicle based on the detection result by the radar,
The control means drives the sound collecting means when the determination means determines that there is a stopped vehicle.

  By comprising in this way, the vehicle approaching from the back of a stop vehicle can be detected.

In yet another configuration example, the determination unit determines whether there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on a detection result by the radar.
The control means is configured to drive the sound collection means when it is determined by the determination means that there is no vehicle approaching the host vehicle and there is a stopped vehicle.

  By comprising in this way, the presence or absence of the vehicle which approaches the own vehicle is detectable using a radar with high detection accuracy.

Another peripheral monitoring device of the present invention is
A periphery monitoring device mounted on a vehicle and monitoring a situation around the vehicle,
A radar for detecting the front and front sides of the vehicle in the traveling direction;
Sound collecting means for collecting sounds around the vehicle;
Determination means for determining whether there is another vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on the detection result by the radar and the detection result by the sound collecting means;
Control means for controlling the radar and the sound collection means based on the determination result by the determination means,
The determination means determines whether there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on a detection result by the sound collection means,
One of the characteristics is that the control means changes the driving condition when the radar is driven when the determination means determines that there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle.

  By configuring in this way, the presence of an approaching vehicle is detected in advance by a sound collecting means having a high diffraction rate, for example, an acoustic microphone, and based on the detection result, the traveling direction and the front side of the vehicle are detected by the radar. Can promote. For example, the measurement condition of the radar can be changed based on the detection result by the sound collecting means.

  In still another configuration example, the control unit is configured to drive the radar and / or change the driving condition when the radar is not driven.

  By configuring in this way, the presence of an approaching vehicle is detected in advance by a sound collecting means having a high diffraction rate, for example, an acoustic microphone, and based on the detection result, the traveling direction and the front side of the vehicle are detected by the radar. Can promote. For example, based on the detection result by the sound collecting means, the radar measurement conditions including the driving of the radar, that is, including the on / off can be changed.

The periphery monitoring method of the present invention is
A periphery in a periphery monitoring device that is mounted on a vehicle and includes a radar that can detect the front and front sides of the vehicle in the traveling direction and a sound collecting unit that collects sound around the vehicle, and monitors a situation around the vehicle A monitoring method,
Based on the detection result by the radar, a stop vehicle determination step for determining whether or not there is a stop vehicle in the front and front sides of the traveling direction of the host vehicle;
And a driving step of driving the sound collecting means when it is determined by the determination step that there is a stopped vehicle.

  By doing in this way, the vehicle approaching from the back of a stop vehicle can be detected.

In yet another configuration example, an approaching vehicle determination step of determining whether there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on the detection result by the radar,
The driving step is configured to drive the sound collecting means when it is determined in the approaching vehicle determination step that there is no vehicle approaching the host vehicle and there is a stopped vehicle.

  In this way, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of a vehicle approaching the host vehicle using a radar with high detection accuracy.

Other perimeter monitoring methods of the present invention include:
A periphery in a periphery monitoring device that is mounted on a vehicle and includes a radar that can detect the front and front sides of the vehicle in the traveling direction and a sound collecting unit that collects sound around the vehicle, and monitors a situation around the vehicle A monitoring method,
A determination step of determining whether there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle, based on a detection result by the sound collecting means;
When it is determined by the determination step that there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle, the driving step of driving the radar and / or changing the driving condition when the radar is not driven is provided. One of them.

  In this way, the presence of an approaching vehicle is detected in advance by a sound collecting means having a high diffraction rate, for example, an acoustic microphone, and the detection of the traveling direction and the front side of the vehicle by the radar is promoted based on the detection result. it can. For example, the measurement condition of the radar can be changed based on the detection result by the sound collecting means.

  In still another configuration example, the driving step is configured to change a driving condition when the radar is driven.

  In this way, the presence of an approaching vehicle is detected in advance by a sound collecting means having a high diffraction rate, for example, an acoustic microphone, and the detection of the traveling direction and the front side of the vehicle by the radar is promoted based on the detection result. it can. For example, based on the detection result by the sound collecting means, the radar measurement conditions including the driving of the radar, that is, including the on / off can be changed.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to realize a periphery monitoring device and a periphery monitoring method that can improve the detection accuracy of an approaching vehicle.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on the following embodiments with reference to the drawings.

  In all the drawings for explaining the embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for those having the same function, and repeated explanation is omitted.

  A periphery monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  The periphery monitoring device 100 according to the present embodiment is mounted on, for example, a vehicle, and includes a radar 102, a sound collection unit 104, and an electronic control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit) 106. The electronic control device 106 includes a control unit 108, a determination unit 110, and a collision determination processing unit 112.

  The radar 102 is constituted by, for example, a long-range radar and / or a short-range radar.

  In the long-distance radar, the angle of the beam for searching is configured to be narrow, for example, configured to extend to a range of a width of about several meters after several tens of meters. In the long-range radar, when a detection beam is directed in front of the vehicle, a range of 100 m or more can be set as a detection target. For example, the long-range radar detects a target by the FM-CW method in a frequency band of 76 GHz. Different frequency bands and radar systems can be used. In the short-range radar, the angle of the beam for detection is wider than that of the long-range radar, and spreads over a wide angular range at a shorter distance than the beam of the long-range radar. For example, the short-range radar detects a target by an SS (Spectrum Spread) method in a frequency band of 24 GHz. Different frequency bands and radar systems can be used.

  The long-range radar can search a distant place that cannot be detected by the short-range radar, but cannot detect an area just before the host vehicle. The short-range radar can detect a wide range in the lateral direction including diagonally forward. For example, a moving object approaching from a direction intersecting with the traveling direction of the host vehicle at an intersection or the like can be detected. In this way, it is desirable to use a short-range radar from the viewpoint of detecting a moving object forward and front side in the traveling direction and further detecting a stopped vehicle. The radar 102 inputs the detection result to the determination unit 110.

  In addition, ultrasonic waves and laser light can be used without using radio waves. Furthermore, the periphery of the vehicle may be imaged and the target may be recognized by image processing.

  The sound collection unit 104 is constituted by, for example, a sound collection microphone, takes in sound outside the vehicle, and converts it into an electric signal. The sound collection unit 104 inputs a detection signal converted into an electrical signal to the determination unit 110 at a predetermined cycle determined in advance.

  Based on the detection result input by the radar 102, the determination unit 110 determines whether or not there is a moving body that approaches from the front and front sides in the traveling direction. Further, when determining that there is no moving body approaching from the front and the front side in the traveling direction, the determination unit 110 determines whether or not there is a stopped vehicle in the front and the front side in the traveling direction. The determination unit 110 controls a moving body determination result indicating whether or not there is a moving body approaching from the front and front sides in the traveling direction, and a stopped vehicle determination result indicating whether or not there is a stopped vehicle in the front and front sides in the traveling direction. Input to the unit 108.

  Further, the determination unit 110 determines whether there is an approaching vehicle based on the detection signal input by the sound collection unit 104. For example, the sound collection unit 104 divides the detection signal input at a predetermined cycle for each frequency band, and determines whether there is an approaching vehicle based on the change. For example, the determination unit 108 frequency-divides the sound captured by the sound collection unit 104 and converted into an electrical signal using a plurality of bandpass filters, and the signal intensity for each frequency band is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold. It is determined that there is an approaching vehicle. The determination unit 110 inputs an approaching vehicle determination result indicating whether there is an approaching vehicle by the sound collection unit 104 to the control unit 108.

  The control unit 108 controls the radar 102 and the sound collection unit 104. In addition, when there is a moving body approaching from the front and the front in the traveling direction based on the moving body determination result input by the determination unit 110, the control unit 108 determines the moving body determination result as described later in a collision determination processing unit 112. To enter. Further, the control unit 108 does not have a moving body approaching from the front and the front side in the traveling direction based on the moving body determination result and the stopped vehicle determination result input by the determination unit 110, and stops the vehicle in the traveling direction front and front side. If there is no, control of the radar 102 is continued. Further, the control unit 108 does not have a moving body approaching from the front and the front side in the traveling direction based on the moving body determination result and the stopped vehicle determination result input by the determination unit 110, and stops the vehicle in the traveling direction front and front side. If there is, the sound collection unit 104 is controlled to be driven. In this case, the driving of the radar 102 may be stopped. Then, if there is an approaching vehicle based on the approaching vehicle determination result input by the determination unit 110, the control unit 108 inputs the approaching vehicle determination result to the collision determination processing unit 112. When the drive of 102 is stopped, the radar 102 is controlled to be driven.

  The collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision determination process based on the moving body determination result or the approaching vehicle determination result input by the control unit 108. For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 detects the distance to the moving object based on the moving body determination result input by the control unit 108, and performs a preset collision avoidance operation based on the detection result. . For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 assists a deceleration operation by controlling a brake and a throttle actuator. Further, the steering actuator may be driven to assist in changing the course in a direction that avoids a collision. Further, for example, the collision determination processing unit 112 warns the driver of an automobile with light or sound that there is an approaching vehicle based on the approaching vehicle determination result input by the control unit 108. Here, the approaching vehicle includes a motorcycle and the like.

  Next, the operation of the periphery monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The determination unit 110 acquires a detection result from the radar 102 (step S202). The detection result includes radar information on the front and front sides in the traveling direction.

  Next, the determination unit 110 determines whether there is a moving body, for example, an approaching vehicle, based on the acquired detection result (step S204). The determination unit 110 inputs a moving body determination result indicating whether or not there is a moving body approaching from the front and the front side in the traveling direction to the control unit 108.

  When it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle approaching from the front and the front side in the traveling direction (step S204: YES), the control unit 108 inputs the input moving body determination result to the collision determination processing unit 112. The collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision determination process based on the input moving body determination result (step S206). For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 detects a distance to the moving object, and performs a collision avoidance operation set in advance based on the detection result.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no approaching vehicle (step S204: NO), the control unit 108 instructs the determination unit 110 to determine whether there is a stopped vehicle forward and in front of the traveling direction. The determination unit 110 determines whether or not there is a stopped vehicle in the front and front sides in the traveling direction according to a command from the control unit 108, and indicates whether or not there is a stopped vehicle in the front and front sides in the traveling direction. The determination result is input to the control unit 108 (step S208).

  When it is determined that there is a stopped vehicle (step S <b> 208: YES), the control unit 108 inputs a control signal for driving the sound collection unit 104 to the sound collection unit 104. The sound collection unit 104 is driven by a control signal from the control unit 108, collects sound generated from the approaching vehicle at a predetermined cycle, and converts the sound into an electric signal. The detection signal converted into the electric signal is input to the determination unit 110 (step S210). The sound generated from the approaching vehicle includes, for example, the traveling sound of the approaching vehicle, wind noise, engine sound, siren sound output from the emergency vehicle, and the like.

  The determination unit 110 determines whether there is an approaching vehicle based on the input detection signal (step S212). The determination unit 110 inputs an approaching vehicle determination result indicating whether there is an approaching vehicle to the control unit 108.

  When it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle (step S212: YES), the control unit 108 inputs the input approaching vehicle determination result to the collision determination processing unit 112. The collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision determination process based on the input approaching vehicle determination result (step S214). For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 warns the driver of an automobile with light or sound that there is an approaching vehicle.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S208 that there is no stopped vehicle (step S208: NO) and if it is determined in step S212 that there is no approaching vehicle (step S212: NO), the process returns to step S202.

  According to the periphery monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, there are stopped vehicles in the front and front sides in the traveling direction, and a vehicle approaching from the rear of the stopped vehicle can be detected. For this reason, the detection accuracy of the approaching vehicle can be improved. In other words, when there is a vehicle / bike approaching from behind the stopped vehicle, it cannot be detected by the radar alone, but can be detected by detecting the sound of the approaching vehicle. For this reason, it is possible to prevent head-on accidents at intersections.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the radar 102 detects a moving body in the radar detection area 250, and detects the presence or absence of a moving body and the presence or absence of a stopped vehicle in the front and front sides of the traveling direction. When there is no moving body and there is a stopped vehicle, the sound collecting unit detects sounds around the host vehicle in the traveling sound detection area 260, and detects the presence or absence of an approaching vehicle. The running sound detection area 260 has a narrow detection width, but includes an area far from the radar detection area 250. When an approaching vehicle is detected by sound collection, it is affected by noise and the like, so the detection accuracy is lower than that when an approaching vehicle is detected by the radar 102. Therefore, a moving body and a stopped vehicle are detected in advance by a radar with high detection accuracy, and an approaching vehicle is detected by sound collection using the detection result as a trigger. By using the sound as a trigger in this manner, the sensitivity of the diffracted millimeter wave can be improved. Further, it is possible to reduce erroneous detection that may occur when an approaching vehicle is detected by collecting sound.

  Next, a periphery monitoring device according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The configuration of the periphery monitoring device 100 according to the present embodiment is the same as the configuration described with reference to FIG.

  In the periphery monitoring device 100 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 108 always drives the sound collection unit 104. You may make it drive intermittently. The sound collection unit 104 inputs a detection signal converted into an electrical signal to the determination unit 110 at a predetermined cycle determined in advance.

  Based on the detection signal input by the sound collection unit 104, the determination unit 110 determines whether there are vehicles approaching from the front and front sides in the traveling direction. The determination unit 110 inputs an approaching vehicle determination result indicating whether or not there is an approaching vehicle from the front side and the front side in the traveling direction by the sound collection unit 104.

  Based on the approaching vehicle determination result input by the determination unit 110, the control unit 108 sets the counter value of the collision determination counter, which is an index for performing a collision determination, when there is an approaching vehicle from the front and the front side in the traveling direction. A predetermined value, for example, + α is added. The collision determination counter is counted up with time when there is an approaching vehicle. When the counter value becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision avoidance operation set in advance. Then, when the radar 102 is not driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving of the radar 102 and / or the driving condition thereof, and includes a control signal for driving the radar 102 and the determined driving condition. Input a control signal. Further, when the radar 102 is driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving condition and inputs a control signal including the determined driving condition. In this way, the detection state by the radar 102 can be promoted. Here, the driving conditions include a detection threshold value when detecting a moving object, a detection area (radar detection area), and the like.

  When there is no approaching vehicle and the radar 102 is not driven based on the approaching vehicle determination result input by the determination unit 110, the control unit 108 determines the driving of the radar 102 and / or the driving condition thereof. A control signal for driving the radar 102 and a control signal including the determined driving condition are input. Further, when the radar 102 is driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving condition and inputs a control signal including the determined driving condition.

  Here, the driving condition of the radar 102 when there is an approaching vehicle and the driving condition of the radar 102 when there is no approaching vehicle are determined in advance.

  The radar 102 is driven by a control signal from the control unit 108 and inputs a detection result to the determination unit 110.

  Based on the detection result input by the radar 102, the determination unit 110 determines whether or not there is a moving body that approaches from the front and front sides in the traveling direction. The determination unit 110 inputs a moving body determination result indicating whether or not there is a moving body approaching from the front and the front side in the traveling direction to the control unit 108.

  The control unit 108 determines that there is an approaching vehicle from the front and the front side in the traveling direction based on the moving body determination result input by the determination unit 110, and there is a moving body that approaches from the front and the front side in the traveling direction. In this case, a predetermined value, for example, + β is added to the above-described collision determination counter, and the value of the collision determination counter is input to the collision determination processing unit 112. Here, β may be the same value as α, and from the viewpoint of weighting detection of approaching vehicles from the direction intersecting the traveling direction of the host vehicle, it is preferable that α> β. In addition, the control unit 108 determines that there is no approaching vehicle based on the moving object determination result input by the determining unit 110, and determines that the moving object determination result is a collision when there is a moving object approaching from the front in the traveling direction. Input to the processing unit 112.

  The collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision determination process based on the moving object determination result input by the control unit 108. For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 detects the distance to the moving object based on the moving body determination result input by the control unit 108, and performs a preset collision avoidance operation based on the detection result. . For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 assists a deceleration operation by controlling a brake and a throttle actuator. Further, the steering actuator may be driven to assist in changing the course in a direction that avoids a collision. Further, the collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision determination process based on the input value of the collision determination counter. For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 performs a preset collision avoidance operation according to whether the value of the input collision determination counter is greater than or less than a predetermined threshold value. For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 assists a deceleration operation by controlling a brake and a throttle actuator. Further, the steering actuator may be driven to assist in changing the course in a direction that avoids a collision.

  Next, the operation of the periphery monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The control unit 108 inputs a control signal for driving the sound collection unit 104 to the sound collection unit 104. The sound collection unit 104 is driven by a control signal from the control unit 108, collects sound generated from the approaching vehicle from the front and the front side in the traveling direction at a predetermined cycle and converts the sound into an electric signal. The detection signal converted into the electric signal is input to the determination unit 110 (step S402). The sound generated from the approaching vehicle includes, for example, the traveling sound of the approaching vehicle, wind noise, engine sound, siren sound output from the emergency vehicle, and the like.

  Based on the input detection signal, the determination unit 110 determines whether there is an approaching vehicle from the front and the front side in the traveling direction (step S404). The determination unit 110 inputs an approaching vehicle determination result indicating whether there is an approaching vehicle to the control unit 108.

  When it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle (step S404: YES), the control unit 108 adds + α to the counter value of the collision determination counter (step S406). In this way, by adding the value obtained by adding + α to the normal addition value to the collision determination counter, the collision determination processing unit 112 can perform the collision avoidance operation earlier than usual. In other words, it is possible to prepare for performing the collision avoidance operation earlier than usual. For example, when an approaching vehicle is detected based on sounds generated from an approaching vehicle from the front and front sides in the running direction, the collision avoidance operation is performed earlier than usual when the detected time continues for a long time. Can do.

  Then, when the radar 102 is not driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving of the radar 102 and / or the driving condition thereof, and includes a control signal for driving the radar 102 and the determined driving condition. A control signal is input to the radar 102. In addition, when the radar 102 is driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving condition, and inputs a control signal including the determined driving condition to the radar 102. Here, the drive condition includes a detection threshold value when detecting a moving object, a detection area (radar detection area), and the like as described above.

  Next, the determination unit 110 acquires a detection result from the radar 102 (step S408). The detection result includes radar information (detection result) on the front and front sides in the traveling direction.

  Next, the determination unit 110 determines whether there is a moving body, for example, an approaching vehicle, based on the acquired detection result (step S410). The determination unit 110 inputs a moving body determination result indicating whether or not there is a moving body approaching from the front and the front side in the traveling direction to the control unit 108.

  When it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle (step S410: YES), the control unit 108 adds + β to the counter value of the collision determination counter (step S412). In this way, by adding the value obtained by adding + β to the normal addition value to the collision determination counter, the collision determination processing unit 112 can perform the collision avoidance operation earlier than usual. In other words, it is possible to prepare for performing the collision avoidance operation earlier than usual. For example, when it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle based on the detection result from the radar 102, the time from the determined time until the collision avoidance operation is performed can be shortened. In other words, the time from when the vehicle is detected by the radar 102 until the collision avoidance operation is performed can be shortened.

  Then, the control unit 108 inputs the count value of the collision determination counter to the collision determination processing unit 112. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no approaching vehicle (step S410: NO), the process returns to step S402.

  The collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision determination process based on the count value input by the control unit 108 (step S414). Then, it returns to step S402.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S404 that there is no approaching vehicle (step S404: NO), the control unit 108 performs detection by the radar 102. That is, when the radar 102 is not driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving of the radar 102 and / or its driving condition, and includes a control signal for driving the radar 102 and the determined driving condition. A control signal is input to the radar 102. In addition, when the radar 102 is driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving condition, and inputs a control signal including the determined driving condition to the radar 102. Here, as described above, the drive condition includes a detection threshold when detecting a moving object, a detection area (radar detection area), and the like.

  Next, the determination unit 110 acquires a detection result from the radar 102 (step S416). The detection result includes radar information on the front and front sides in the traveling direction.

  Next, the determination unit 110 determines whether or not there is a moving body, for example, an approaching vehicle, based on the acquired detection result (step S418). The determination unit 110 inputs a moving body determination result indicating whether there is a moving body approaching from the front in the traveling direction to the control unit 108.

  When it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle (step S418: YES), the control unit 108 inputs the moving body determination result to the collision determination processing unit 112. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no approaching vehicle (step S418: NO), the process returns to step S402.

  The collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision determination process based on the moving object determination result input by the control unit 108 (step S420). For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 detects a distance to the moving object, and performs a collision avoidance operation set in advance based on the detection result. Then, it returns to step S402.

  According to the periphery monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the presence of an approaching vehicle can be detected in advance by an acoustic microphone having a high diffraction rate provided in the sound collection unit. And the detection by a radar is accelerated | stimulated based on the detection result of an approaching vehicle. By doing in this way, the accident especially at the head of encounter can be reduced. Specifically, when the radar 102 is not driven, the driving of the radar 102 and / or the driving condition thereof is determined, and when the radar 102 is driven, the driving condition is determined. In addition, the detection distance can be expanded by detecting the approaching vehicle using a sound collection unit, for example, a sound collection sensor, before detection by the radar. Furthermore, by performing the collision determination process using the detection result by the radar, the reliability of the collision determination process can be improved.

  As shown in FIG. 5, first, the sound collecting unit detects sounds around the host vehicle in the traveling sound detection area 260, and detects the presence or absence of an approaching vehicle. Thereafter, the radar detects the front and front sides of the vehicle in the radar detection area 250 in the traveling direction, and detects the presence or absence of a moving object. The running sound detection area 260 has a narrow detection width, but includes an area far from the radar detection area 250. When an approaching vehicle is detected by sound collection, it is affected by noise and the like, and therefore the detection accuracy is lower than when an approaching vehicle is detected by a radar. Therefore, an approaching vehicle is detected in advance by collecting sound, and a detection state by a radar with high detection accuracy is promoted based on the result.

  Next, a periphery monitoring device according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The configuration of the periphery monitoring device 100 according to the present embodiment is the same as the configuration described with reference to FIG.

  In the periphery monitoring device 100 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 108 always drives the sound collection unit 104. You may make it drive intermittently. The sound collection unit 104 inputs a detection signal converted into an electrical signal to the determination unit 110 at a predetermined cycle determined in advance.

  Based on the detection signal input by the sound collection unit 104, the determination unit 110 determines whether there are vehicles approaching from the front and front sides in the traveling direction. The determination unit 110 inputs an approaching vehicle determination result indicating whether or not there is an approaching vehicle from the front side and the front side in the traveling direction by the sound collection unit 104.

  Based on the approaching vehicle determination result input by the determination unit 110, the control unit 108 determines that there is an approaching vehicle from the front and the front side in the traveling direction, and when the radar 102 is not driven, A drive signal and / or a drive condition thereof are determined, and a control signal for driving the radar 102 and a control signal including the determined drive condition are input. Further, when the radar 102 is driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving condition and inputs a control signal including the determined driving condition. In this way, the detection state by the radar 102 can be promoted. Here, the driving conditions include a detection threshold value when detecting a moving object, a detection area (radar detection area), and the like.

  When there is no approaching vehicle and the radar 102 is not driven based on the approaching vehicle determination result input by the determination unit 110, the control unit 108 determines the driving of the radar 102 and / or the driving condition thereof. A control signal for driving the radar 102 and a control signal including the determined driving condition are input. Further, when the radar 102 is driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving condition and inputs a control signal including the determined driving condition.

  Here, the driving condition of the radar 102 when there is an approaching vehicle and the driving condition of the radar 102 when there is no approaching vehicle are determined in advance.

  The radar 102 is driven by a control signal from the control unit 108 and inputs a detection result to the determination unit 110.

  Based on the detection result input by the radar 102, the determination unit 110 determines whether or not there is a moving body that approaches from the front and front sides in the traveling direction. The determination unit 110 inputs a moving body determination result indicating whether or not there is a moving body approaching from the front and the front side in the traveling direction to the control unit 108.

  The control unit 108 determines that there is an approaching vehicle from the front and the front side in the traveling direction based on the moving body determination result input by the determination unit 110, and there is a moving body that approaches from the front and the front side in the traveling direction. In this case, a command for advancing (shortening) the determination processing time of the collision determination processing or decreasing the determination threshold is input to the collision determination processing unit 112. In addition, the control unit 108 determines that there is no approaching vehicle based on the moving object determination result input by the determining unit 110, and determines that the moving object determination result is a collision when there is a moving object approaching from the front in the traveling direction. Input to the processing unit 112.

  The collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision determination process based on the moving object determination result input by the control unit 108. For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 performs a preset collision avoidance operation based on the moving body determination result input by the control unit 108. For example, when a command for advancing (shortening) the determination processing time of the collision determination process is input, the collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision avoidance operation set in advance. By doing in this way, the time from when it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle to when the collision avoidance operation is performed can be shortened. In other words, even if the vehicle suddenly appears from the blind spot at the intersection and the vehicle is detected by the radar 102 immediately before the collision, the collision avoidance operation can be performed in a short time. In addition, when an instruction to lower the determination threshold is input, the collision determination processing unit 112 detects the distance to the moving object and performs a preset collision avoidance operation based on the detection result. Thus, by lowering the determination threshold, for example, sensitivity, it is possible to detect a motorcycle or the like that frequently encounters head accidents. For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 assists a deceleration operation by controlling a brake and a throttle actuator. Further, the steering actuator may be driven to assist in changing the course in a direction that avoids a collision.

  Next, the operation of the periphery monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The control unit 108 inputs a control signal for driving the sound collection unit 104 to the sound collection unit 104. The sound collection unit 104 is driven by a control signal from the control unit 108, collects sound generated from the approaching vehicle from the front and the front side in the traveling direction at a predetermined cycle and converts the sound into an electric signal. The detection signal converted into the electrical signal is input to the determination unit 110 (step S602). The sound generated from the approaching vehicle includes, for example, the traveling sound of the approaching vehicle, wind noise, engine sound, siren sound output from the emergency vehicle, and the like.

  Based on the input detection signal, the determination unit 110 determines whether there is an approaching vehicle from the front and the front side in the traveling direction (step S604). The determination unit 110 inputs an approaching vehicle determination result indicating whether there is an approaching vehicle to the control unit 108.

  When it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle (step S604: YES), if the radar 102 is not driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving of the radar 102 and / or the driving condition thereof, and drives the radar 102. A control signal including the control signal and the determined driving condition is input to the radar 102. In addition, when the radar 102 is driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving condition, and inputs a control signal including the determined driving condition to the radar 102. Here, the drive condition includes a detection threshold value when detecting a moving object, a detection area (radar detection area), and the like as described above.

  Next, the determination unit 110 acquires a detection result from the radar 102 (step S606). The detection result includes radar information (detection result) on the front and front sides in the traveling direction.

  Next, the determination unit 110 determines whether or not there is a moving body, for example, an approaching vehicle, based on the acquired detection result (step S608). The determination unit 110 inputs a moving body determination result indicating whether or not there is a moving body approaching from the front and the front side in the traveling direction to the control unit 108.

  When it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle (step S608: YES), the control unit 108 inputs an instruction to shorten (decrease) the determination processing time of the collision determination process or lower the determination threshold to the collision determination processing unit 112 (step). S610). Which command is input may be determined in advance, or may be selected depending on whether a predetermined condition is satisfied.

  Then, the control unit 108 inputs the input moving body determination result to the collision determination processing unit 112. The collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision determination process based on the input moving body determination result (step S612). Thereafter, the process returns to step S602. For example, when a command for advancing (shortening) the determination processing time of the collision determination process is input, the collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision avoidance operation set in advance. In addition, when an instruction to lower the determination threshold is input, the collision determination processing unit 112 detects the distance to the moving object and performs a preset collision avoidance operation based on the detection result. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no approaching vehicle (step S608: NO), the process returns to step S602.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S604 that there is no approaching vehicle (step S604: NO), the control unit 108 performs detection by the radar 102. That is, when the radar 102 is not driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving of the radar 102 and / or its driving condition, and includes a control signal for driving the radar 102 and the determined driving condition. A control signal is input to the radar 102. In addition, when the radar 102 is driven, the control unit 108 determines the driving condition, and inputs a control signal including the determined driving condition to the radar 102. Here, as described above, the drive condition includes a detection threshold when detecting a moving object, a detection area (radar detection area), and the like.

  Next, the determination unit 110 acquires a detection result from the radar 102 (step S614). The detection result includes radar information on the front and front sides in the traveling direction.

  Next, the determination unit 110 determines whether there is a moving body, for example, an approaching vehicle based on the acquired detection result (step S616). The determination unit 110 inputs a moving body determination result indicating whether there is a moving body approaching from the front in the traveling direction to the control unit 108.

  When it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle (step S616: YES), the control unit 108 inputs the moving body determination result to the collision determination processing unit 112. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no approaching vehicle (step S616: NO), the process returns to step S602.

  The collision determination processing unit 112 performs a collision determination process based on the moving object determination result input by the control unit 108 (step S618). For example, the collision determination processing unit 112 detects a distance to the moving object, and performs a collision avoidance operation set in advance based on the detection result. Thereafter, the process returns to step S602.

  According to the periphery monitoring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the presence of an approaching vehicle can be detected in advance by an acoustic microphone having a high diffraction rate provided in the sound collection unit. And the detection by a radar is accelerated | stimulated based on the detection result of an approaching vehicle. By doing in this way, the accident especially at the head of encounter can be reduced. Specifically, when the radar 102 is not driven, the driving of the radar 102 and / or the driving condition thereof is determined, and when the radar 102 is driven, the driving condition is determined. In addition, the detection distance can be expanded by detecting the approaching vehicle using a sound collection unit, for example, a sound collection sensor, before detection by the radar. Furthermore, by performing the collision determination process using the detection result by the radar, the reliability of the collision determination process can be improved. Further, the time from when it is determined that there is an approaching vehicle to when the collision avoidance operation is performed can be adjusted without using the collision determination counter.

  As described with reference to FIG. 5, first, the sound collecting unit detects sounds around the host vehicle in the traveling sound detection area 260 and detects the presence or absence of an approaching vehicle. Thereafter, the radar detects the front and front sides of the vehicle in the radar detection area 250 in the traveling direction, and detects the presence or absence of a moving object. The running sound detection area 260 has a narrow detection width, but includes an area far from the radar detection area 250. When an approaching vehicle is detected by sound collection, it is affected by noise and the like, and therefore the detection accuracy is lower than when an approaching vehicle is detected by a radar. Therefore, an approaching vehicle is detected in advance by collecting sound, and a detection state by a radar with high detection accuracy is promoted based on the result.

It is a partial block diagram which shows the periphery monitoring apparatus concerning one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the periphery monitoring apparatus concerning one Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows a radar detection area and a running sound detection area. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the periphery monitoring apparatus concerning one Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows a radar detection area and a running sound detection area. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the periphery monitoring apparatus concerning one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

100 Perimeter Monitoring Device 102 Radar 104 Sound Collection Unit 106 Electronic Control Unit (ECU)
108 Control Unit 110 Determination Unit 112 Collision Determination Processing Unit 250 Radar Detection Area 260 Traveling Sound Detection Area

Claims (8)

A periphery monitoring device mounted on a vehicle and monitoring a situation around the vehicle,
A radar for detecting the front and front sides of the vehicle in the traveling direction;
Sound collecting means for collecting sounds around the vehicle;
Determination means for determining whether there is another vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on the detection result by the radar and the detection result by the sound collecting means;
Control means for controlling the radar and the sound collection means based on the determination result by the determination means,
The determination means determines whether or not there is a stopped vehicle on the front side and the front side in the traveling direction of the host vehicle based on the detection result by the radar,
The periphery monitoring device, wherein the control means drives the sound collection means when the determination means determines that there is a stopped vehicle. In the periphery monitoring device according to claim 1,
The determination means determines whether there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on a detection result by the radar,
The periphery monitoring device, wherein the control means drives the sound collection means when it is determined by the determination means that there is no vehicle approaching the host vehicle and there is a stopped vehicle. A periphery monitoring device mounted on a vehicle and monitoring a situation around the vehicle,
A radar for detecting the front and front sides of the vehicle in the traveling direction;
Sound collecting means for collecting sounds around the vehicle;
Determination means for determining whether there is another vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on the detection result by the radar and the detection result by the sound collecting means;
Control means for controlling the radar and the sound collection means based on the determination result by the determination means,
The determination means determines whether there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on a detection result by the sound collection means,
The periphery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein when the determination unit determines that there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle, the control unit changes the driving condition when the radar is driven. In the periphery monitoring device according to claim 3,
The periphery monitoring device, wherein the control means drives the radar and / or changes the driving condition when the radar is not driven. A periphery in a periphery monitoring device that is mounted on a vehicle and includes a radar that can detect the front and front sides of the vehicle in the traveling direction and a sound collecting unit that collects sound around the vehicle, and monitors a situation around the vehicle A monitoring method,
Based on the detection result by the radar, a stop vehicle determination step for determining whether or not there is a stop vehicle in the front and front sides of the traveling direction of the host vehicle;
And a driving step of driving the sound collecting means when it is determined by the determination step that there is a stopped vehicle. In the periphery monitoring method according to claim 5,
An approaching vehicle determination step of determining whether there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on the detection result by the radar,
The drive monitoring step drives the sound collecting means when it is determined in the approaching vehicle determination step that there is no vehicle approaching the host vehicle and there is a stopped vehicle. A periphery in a periphery monitoring device that is mounted on a vehicle and includes a radar that can detect the front and front sides of the vehicle in the traveling direction and a sound collecting unit that collects sound around the vehicle, and monitors a situation around the vehicle A monitoring method,
A determination step of determining whether there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle, based on a detection result by the sound collecting means;
When it is determined by the determination step that there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle, the driving step of driving the radar and / or changing the driving condition when the radar is not driven is provided. Perimeter monitoring method. In the periphery monitoring method according to claim 7,
In the driving step, when the radar is driven, the driving condition is changed.

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