JP2008305162A - Vehicle traveling support device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To decide whether a vehicle is running on a proper lane or not. <P>SOLUTION: This vehicle traveling support device has: a camera 1 photographing a scene in front of a vehicle; a camera control means 2a for taking a picture with the camera when the distance to a crossing becomes a predetermined value; an image processing means 2b recognizing a crossing traffic signal within a prescribed range above an acquisition image when a rut can be extracted from the acquisition image by the camera; display means 2c, 4 displaying the lane along the extracted rut on a windshield; and a control means 2d performing guidance according to a recognition processing result of the image processing means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle travel support apparatus and a program that perform lane determination on a snowy road or the like and perform travel guidance according to the determination result.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed an apparatus that displays a front image of a front camera or lane information indicating the shape and position of a traveling lane of a host vehicle acquired from a road map database as a guide line on a front window (Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-350617 A

  However, in the above proposal, when the lane marker is hidden on the snowy road, the guide line is displayed based on the lane information acquired from the road map database. I could not know exactly whether or not.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to determine whether or not a travel line is on an original lane even when a lane marker on a road surface cannot be recognized.
The present invention relates to a camera for photographing the front of a vehicle, camera control means for executing camera photographing when approaching a predetermined distance to an intersection, and when a wrinkle can be extracted from an image obtained by the camera, Image processing means for recognizing the intersection traffic signal within the range, display means for displaying the lane along the extracted saddle on the front window, and control means for performing guidance according to the recognition processing result of the image processing means It is characterized by having.
The present invention also includes a step of performing camera photographing in front of the vehicle when approaching a predetermined distance to the intersection, a step of extracting wrinkles from the acquired image by the camera, and a recognition process for the intersection traffic signal within the upper predetermined range of the acquired image. And a program for causing a computer to execute a step of performing, a step of displaying a lane along the extracted saddle on a front window, and a step of performing guidance according to a recognition processing result of an intersection traffic light.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not a running line is on an original lane if a hail can be detected even on a road where a lane marker is hidden such as a snowy road.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle travel support apparatus according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a diagram of a state when a vehicle approaches a predetermined distance from an intersection, and FIG. 3 is a diagram of a vehicle acquired by a front camera. It is a figure which shows a front image.
In FIG. 1, a front camera 1 is attached to a car bumper, a rearview mirror, etc., and is used to photograph a front image of a road surface in front of the vehicle, a traffic light at an intersection, a guide plate, and the like. Controlled by the camera control means 2a of the apparatus main body 2, the front is photographed when approaching a certain distance to the intersection. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when it is acquired from the position detection system of the navigation device 3 (FIG. 1) that the vehicle 12 has approached the intersection 10 by a predetermined distance, the front camera 1 operates and moves forward. Take a picture. Of course, the apparatus main body 2 may have a position detection system.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the image 20 photographed by the camera includes a kite 13, a traffic light 11, and the like, but a lane cannot be photographed on a snowy road. The front image thus obtained is subjected to image processing by the image processing means 2b. First, the vehicle running trace (轍) 13 is extracted from the density of the image, and then within the upper fixed range 21 of the image in the extending direction of the kite 13. The traffic light 11 that should be photographed is recognized. The range 21 is a range that can be easily set if the distance to the intersection is determined. However, the range 21 may be set by acquiring the type, installation position, and the like of the traffic signal 11 from the traffic signal data of the navigation device 3. When the traffic light 11 can be recognized within the certain range 21, the ridge 13 is on the original lane, so the lane 14 along the ridge 13 is displayed on the display 4 of the front window by the display processing means 2c. The display 4 is, for example, a transmissive display element attached to the front window, and may be a head-up. FIG. 3 is an image taken with a camera and an explanatory diagram of an image displayed on the front window. Next, the control means 2d guides the driver to travel with the eaves 13 in the travel lane. For example, the guidance is “Please drive along the displayed lane.” When performing voice guidance, the speaker of the navigation apparatus 3 may be used, or the apparatus main body 2 may be provided with a speaker.

  In addition, when the traffic light 11 cannot be recognized within the certain range 21, the extracted basket 13 may be deviated from the original lane. Therefore, the display processing means 2c displays the lane 14 along the ridge 13 on the display 4 of the front window, but the control means 2d informs the driver that the displayed lane is not on the original lane. To do. For example, the guidance is as follows: “The displayed lane is not in the original lane. Be careful when driving.” As such a case, for example, when the road is narrow on one side of one lane and snow is piled up due to snow removal and the road becomes narrow, and the traffic light 11 is not traveling on the actual lane, the traffic light 11 is set within a certain range 21 at the top of the image. It can happen that it cannot be recognized within.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a driving support processing flow of the present embodiment.
It is determined whether or not the vehicle has approached a certain distance to the intersection. When approaching, a front image of the front camera is taken (steps S1 and S2). Next, it is determined whether or not a kite has been extracted from the photographed front image (step S3). If a kite cannot be extracted such as a snowy road on which other vehicles have not yet passed, this processing ends. When the hail can be extracted from the captured image, the traffic signal recognition processing within the upper fixed range of the front image of the front camera is performed (step S4), and the lane along the hail is displayed on the front window display (step S5). . Next, it is determined whether or not the traffic light can be recognized from the front image photographed by the front camera (step S6). If the traffic signal can be recognized, the travel of the displayed lane is guided (step S7). Attention is given to guide that the displayed lane is not on the original lane (step S8).

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle travel assistance apparatus of this embodiment. It is the figure which looked at the state when a vehicle approached the intersection at the predetermined distance from the upper part. It is a figure which shows the front image acquired with the camera. It is a figure which shows the driving assistance process flow of this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera, 2 ... Apparatus main body, 2a ... Camera control means, 2b ... Image processing means, 2c ... Display processing means, 2d ... Control means, 3 ... Navigation apparatus, 4 ... Display.

Claims (4)

A camera that captures the front of the vehicle,
Camera control means for executing camera shooting when approaching a predetermined distance to the intersection;
When a wrinkle can be extracted from an acquired image by the camera, an image processing means for performing recognition processing of an intersection traffic signal within an upper predetermined range of the acquired image;
Display means for displaying the lane along the extracted fence on the front window;
Control means for performing guidance according to the recognition processing result of the image processing means;
A vehicle travel support device comprising: The vehicle travel support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means guides traveling along the displayed lane when an intersection traffic signal can be recognized in the recognition processing. The vehicle travel support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means guides that the displayed lane is not on the original lane when an intersection traffic signal cannot be recognized in the recognition process. Performing camera photography in front of the vehicle when approaching a predetermined distance to the intersection;
Extracting cocoons from images acquired by the camera;
Performing an intersection traffic signal recognition process within an upper predetermined range of the acquired image;
Displaying the lane along the extracted fence on the front window;
Performing guidance according to the recognition processing result of the intersection traffic light,
A program that causes a computer to execute.

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