JP2009020569A - Vehicle traveling support apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle traveling support apparatus that allows a driver to surely understand situations around his or her own vehicle without being forced to take an unreasonable attitude when changing lanes. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle traveling support apparatus is provided which is characterized in that, if the driver's action reflecting his or her intention to change lanes is detected when the road on which his or her own vehicle is driven has a plurality of lanes in the forward direction, the apparatus obtains information on situations around his own vehicle which reflects the presence and situation of other vehicles around the vehicle; that if the presence of at least part of another vehicle is specified in a predetermined range, the apparatus outputs a warning sound indicating the presence of that vehicle; and that if, after the warning sound is output, the driver's selective input for display, for displaying the information on situations around his or her own vehicle in a display, is detected, the apparatus controls the display of the information on situations around his or her own vehicle in the display. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular travel support apparatus that provides information on a vehicle existing in a vehicle blind spot in a lane change direction when a lane is changed.

  There is a driving support device that combines images from a plurality of cameras, displays a rear view or a blind corner view on a monitor, and provides the driver with information necessary for driving at that time. For example, a driving support device has been devised that automatically selects a video to be provided to a driver according to a situation by detecting a driving situation with respect to videos of a plurality of cameras installed in a vehicle (see Patent Document 1). ).

  In addition, the driving state of the host vehicle and surrounding vehicles is detected and taken into consideration by means of evaluating the desired operation amount for the host vehicle and the operation amount expected to be executed by the driver in the future. There has been devised a vehicular driving operation assisting device that gives a stimulus only when a certain operation is not appropriate, and can appropriately perform driving assistance even in a dynamic scene such as a lane change (see Patent Document 2).

  In addition, by displaying the distance information to the obstacle detected by the distance measuring sensor in time series on the display means, the fixed obstacle such as a guardrail is in a safe area or has a risk of contact. It is easy to determine whether it is approaching, and it is easy to check the obstacles in the blind spots without issuing an alarm for fixed objects, etc., and the obstacles that are present in the blind spots at low cost because of the simple configuration A peripheral monitoring device has been devised that can inform the driver of the presence or absence of obstacles and the approaching state of obstacles (see Patent Document 3).

  In addition, a vehicle periphery visualizing device has been devised that can control the image capturing direction of the camera in conjunction with the operation of the direction indicator of the vehicle so that the driver can image the periphery of the vehicle over a wide range and be visually recognized by the driver. (See Patent Document 4).

  In addition, for example, a vehicle body that can quickly and accurately provide driving assistance by projecting an external scene that changes from moment to moment in real time without giving an unnatural impression on the inner surface of the pillar located in front of the driver An external display device has been devised (see Patent Document 5).

Japanese Patent No. 38033021 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-114954 JP 2005-310010 A JP 2006-051874 A JP 2006-303583 A

  Although the example of patent document 1 can provide a driver | operator with required information according to a driving | running condition, it does not assume the specific situation like a lane change, and does not determine the blind spot of a vehicle. Absent.

  In the example of Patent Document 2, it is determined whether the driver's operation is appropriate. In order to improve the accuracy for estimating the driver's intention, a means for detecting a traveling state such as a sensor is provided. The load of the estimation process increases and the estimation process takes time, and the timing for applying the stimulus may be missed.

  The example of Patent Document 3 does not assume a specific situation such as lane change, and does not determine the blind spot of the vehicle.

  In the example of Patent Document 4, the camera photographing direction is changed (in cooperation with the operation) in cooperation with the direction indicator, and the lane change is not particularly assumed. In addition, the driver can always see the photographed image, but it is necessary for the driver himself to decide the priority order of which of the vehicles included in the image should be paid attention to.

  In the example of Patent Document 5, an object (such as a vehicle) that is blocked by the pillar portion and cannot be seen appears as if the pillar portion has no pillar. For this reason, since it is necessary to display the image projected on the inner surface of the pillar and the actual landscape without a sense of incongruity, there is a problem that the processing becomes complicated.

  In recent vehicles, the so-called B-pillar at the center of the vehicle is thickened with an emphasis on design and vehicle strength, and visual confirmation when changing lanes may be difficult. In this case, the visual observation may be insufficient or the visual orientation may not be confirmed unless the driving posture is significantly changed, such as twisting the upper body, in addition to changing the face orientation.

  Against the background of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular travel support device that can surely grasp the situation around the host vehicle without forcing the driver to take an uncomfortable posture when changing lanes. It is in.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  A vehicle travel support apparatus for solving the above problems includes a position detection unit that detects a current position of the host vehicle, a road map data storage unit that stores road map data together with lane number information of each road, and a road map. In the above, when the traveling road identifying means for identifying the road on which the host vehicle is traveling together with the traveling direction, and the identified traveling road is a road having a plurality of lanes in the traveling direction, the driver's intention to change lanes Lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means for detecting behavior reflecting the vehicle, own vehicle surrounding information acquiring means for acquiring the surrounding information of the own vehicle reflecting the presence of other vehicles around the own vehicle, and displaying the surrounding information of the own vehicle Display means for performing, display selection input detection means for detecting display selection input by the driver regarding whether or not to display the surrounding information of the vehicle on the display means, and driver's lane change intention reflecting behavior A warning sound output means for outputting a warning sound indicating that the other vehicle is present when the presence of at least a part of the other vehicle is identified within a predetermined range, and after the warning sound is output Display control means for performing display control of the vehicle surrounding information on the display means when a display selection input is detected.

  When a lane is changed, there are frequently approaching vehicles around the vehicle, particularly behind the lane to be changed, and notifying the driver of the presence is effective for safety. On the other hand, even if the presence of an approaching vehicle is informed when the lane change is not going to be made, the user only feels annoyed, so information needs to be output only when necessary. With the above configuration, the output that the other vehicle is present is limited when the driver tries to change lanes, so the driver does not feel bothered and should pay more attention to the surroundings of the vehicle. Become. In addition, since the warning sound (hearing) is output first, the driver does not need to move the line of sight, and the influence on driving can be minimized. However, although sound notification is effective, various in-vehicle devices are installed as a result of sophistication of the vehicle system, and information from these in-vehicle devices is output by warning sounds or voice messages. It is difficult to instantly determine what the sound means. However, outputting detailed information each time can be a source of annoyance. With the above configuration, since display output is performed only when the driver's display selection input is detected, that is, when the driver really needs it, troublesomeness is suppressed and convenience is improved.

  Further, the road map data storage means in the vehicle driving support apparatus of the present invention stores the type of road, and the lane change intention reflecting behavior detection means detects the driver while the own vehicle is traveling on a multi-lane automobile road. The lane change intention reflection behavior can be detected.

  For example, an automobile exclusive road such as an expressway has only an inflow path and an outflow path, and is composed of a plurality of lanes of a traveling lane and an overtaking lane. In this case, the rate of lane change in the driving behavior is very large. With the above configuration, the driver's intention to change lanes can be accurately detected. Moreover, since it is not necessary to always perform the process for detecting the driver's intention to change lanes, an increase in processing load can be suppressed.

  Further, the lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means in the vehicle travel support device of the present invention is specified as the vehicle traveling in a lane that joins another lane on a road including a plurality of lanes in the same direction. In this case, the driver can also be configured to detect the driver's lane change intention reflecting behavior.

  With the above configuration, the merging from the inflow path to the main line can be regarded as a kind of lane change, so that the driver's intention to change lanes can be detected, and the operation of the present invention can be achieved even on a one-lane automobile exclusive road. An effect can be obtained. Similarly, the driver's intention to change lanes can be detected even when the vehicle is traveling in a lane where the lane decreases in front of the traveling direction, that is, the vehicle merges with an adjacent lane. Furthermore, since the execution conditions of the process for detecting the driver's intention to change lanes are limited, an increase in the processing load can be suppressed.

  The vehicle travel support device of the present invention further includes traffic regulation information acquisition means for acquiring traffic regulation information, and the lane change intention reflection behavior detection means is based on the acquired traffic regulation information. It can also be configured to detect reflection behavior.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not to change the lane ahead in the traveling direction based on the traffic regulation information. And since the process for detection of a driver | operator's lane change intention is performed based on the determination, the increase in processing load can also be suppressed.

  Further, the lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means in the vehicle travel support device of the present invention is configured to detect the driver's lane change intention reflecting behavior when there is a lane reduction regulation ahead of the traveling direction of the host vehicle. You can also.

  When the traffic regulation information includes the lane reduction regulation, the vehicle traveling in the lane to be reduced must change the lane. Also with the above configuration, the driver's intention to change lanes can be accurately detected. Moreover, since the execution conditions of the process for detecting the driver's lane change intention are limited, an increase in the processing load can be suppressed.

  The vehicle travel support device of the present invention includes vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed of the host vehicle, and the lane change intention reflection behavior detection means is when the detected vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed threshold value. It can also be configured to detect the driver's lane change intention reflecting behavior.

  If the vehicle is not running, the possibility of changing lanes is low. With the above configuration, when the possibility of changing the lane is low, the processing for detecting the driver's intention to change the lane is not executed, so that an increase in processing load can be suppressed.

  In addition, the vehicle travel support device of the present invention includes gaze direction detection means for detecting the gaze direction of the driver of the host vehicle, and the lane change intention reflecting behavior detection means is based on the detected gaze direction. It can also be configured to detect lane change intention reflection behavior.

  When changing lanes, first visually check if there is a following vehicle on the lane to be changed to, then flash the direction indicator to indicate the intention to change lanes, check again whether there is a following vehicle, and then change lanes. Recommended to do the operation. At the time of visual confirmation, the line-of-sight direction changes from the vehicle front (travel direction) to the right rear side or the left rear side. With the above configuration, the driver's lane change intention reflecting behavior can be accurately detected.

  Further, the warning sound output means in the vehicle travel support apparatus of the present invention can be configured to output a warning sound when another vehicle exists within the blind spot formed by the pillar of the host vehicle.

  With the above configuration, a warning sound is output only when there is another vehicle in a blind spot where visual confirmation is not possible. Therefore, it is possible to solve the problem that the driver feels bothersome because the warning sound is output even though visual confirmation is possible.

  In addition, the vehicle travel support apparatus of the present invention includes voice input detection means for detecting the voice input of the driver, and the display selection input detection means detects the display selection input by the driver based on the voice input of the driver. It can also be configured to.

  In a vehicle navigation apparatus, a function of recognizing a user's voice using a voice recognition unit and converting it into an operation command has become widespread. With this configuration, by using this function, it is possible to perform display selection input without the driver releasing his / her hand from the steering wheel or moving his / her line of sight from the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle.

  The vehicle travel support apparatus of the present invention further includes operation input detection means for detecting an operation input of the driver, and the display selection input detection means detects a display selection input by the driver based on the operation input of the driver. It can also be configured to.

  With the above configuration, for example, if a switch for operation input is provided on the steering wheel, the display selection input can be performed even if the driver does not release his / her hand from the steering wheel or moves the line of sight from the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle. It becomes possible.

  Hereinafter, the driving support device of the present invention applied to a vehicle navigation device will be described as an example with reference to the drawings. Of course, you may comprise a driving assistance apparatus as an independent vehicle-mounted apparatus different from the navigation apparatus for vehicles.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle navigation device (hereinafter abbreviated as a navigation device) 100. The navigation device 100 includes a position detector 1, a map data input device 6, an operation switch group 7, a remote control (hereinafter referred to as remote control) sensor 11, a voice synthesis circuit 24 for performing voice guidance, a speaker 15, a memory 9, and a display. 10, a transceiver 13, a hard disk device (HDD) 21, a LAN (Local Area Network) I / F (interface) 26, a control circuit 8 connected thereto, a remote control terminal 12, and the like.

  The position detector 1 is based on a known geomagnetic sensor 2, a gyroscope 3 that detects the rotational angular velocity of the host vehicle 101 (see FIG. 2), a distance sensor 4 that detects the travel distance of the host vehicle 101, and radio waves from a satellite. The GPS receiver 5 that detects the position of the host vehicle 101 is provided. Since these sensors 2, 3, 4, and 5 have errors of different properties, they are configured to be used while being complemented by a plurality of sensors. Depending on the accuracy, the sensor may be constituted by a part of the sensors described above. Furthermore, a well-known steering angle sensor 36 (see FIG. 3) attached to the steering shaft 35a, a wheel sensor of each rolling wheel, for example, A vehicle speed sensor 23 or the like may be used. The position detector 1 corresponds to the position detection means of the present invention.

  As the operation switch group 7, for example, a known touch panel 22 integrated with the display 10 or a mechanical switch is used. In addition to the mechanical switch, a pointing device such as a mouse or a cursor may be used.

  It is also possible to input various instructions using the microphone 31 and the voice recognition unit 30. In this method, a voice signal input from the microphone 31 is processed by a voice recognition technique such as a well-known hidden Markov model in the voice recognition unit 30, and converted into an operation command corresponding to the result. Various instructions can be input through the operation switch group 7, the remote control terminal 12, the touch panel 22, and the microphone 31. The voice recognition unit 30 and the microphone 31 correspond to the display selection input detection means and the voice input detection means of the present invention.

  The transceiver 13 is, for example, a VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System: registered trademark) center 14 by an optical beacon or a radio beacon output from a transmitter (not shown) provided along the road. It is a device for receiving road traffic information from or receiving FM multiplex broadcasting. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which can be connected to external networks, such as the internet, using the transmitter / receiver 13. FIG. The transceiver 13 corresponds to the traffic regulation information acquisition means of the present invention.

  The control circuit 8 includes a well-known CPU 81, ROM 82, RAM 83, I / O 84 which is an input / output circuit, A / D conversion unit 86, drawing unit 87, clock IC 88, image processing unit 89, and a bus line connecting these components. 85 is provided. The CPU 81 controls the navigation program 21p and data stored in the HDD 21. The CPU 81 controls the reading / writing of data to / from the HDD 21. In addition, a program for performing a minimum necessary operation as the navigation device 100 may be stored in the ROM 82 in a case where the data read / write control from the CPU 81 to the HDD 21 becomes impossible. The control circuit 8 corresponds to the traveling road specifying means, lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means, and display control means of the present invention.

  The A / D conversion unit 86 includes a well-known A / D (analog / digital) conversion circuit, and converts analog data input from the position detector 1 or the like to the control circuit 8 into digital data that can be calculated by the CPU 81, for example. It is.

  The drawing unit 87 generates display screen data to be displayed on the display 10 from road map data 21m (described later), display data, and display color data stored in the HDD 21 or the like.

  The clock IC 88 is also called a real-time clock IC, and sends or sets clock / calendar data in response to a request from the CPU 81. The CPU 81 acquires date / time information from the clock IC 88. Further, date and time information included in the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver 5 may be used. The date information may be generated based on a real-time counter included in the CPU 81. The date / time information is used, for example, for travel history management.

  The image processing unit 89 includes an image processing circuit that analyzes an image photographed by the outside camera group 32 or the inside camera 37 (described later) by a known technique such as pattern recognition. In the image processing unit 89, for example, a general binarization process is performed on a video signal captured by the outside camera group 32 or the in-vehicle camera 37, thereby converting it into digital multi-value image data for each pixel. Then, a desired image portion (feature point) is extracted from the obtained multi-value image data using a general image processing method. By performing these binarization processing and feature point extraction processing, the driver's face image is extracted, and the driver's eye position is detected as three-dimensional coordinate data based on the analysis processing of the extracted image .

  In addition to the navigation program 21p, the HDD 21 stores so-called map matching data for improving the accuracy of position detection and road map data 21m, which is a map database including road data representing road connections. The road map data 21m stores predetermined map image information for display and road network information including link information and node information. The link information is predetermined section information constituting each road, and is composed of road type, position coordinates, distance, required time, road width, number of lanes, speed limit, and the like. The node information is information defining an intersection (branch road) or the like, and is composed of position coordinates, the number of right / left turn lanes, a connection destination road link, and the like. In addition, data indicating whether or not traffic is possible is set in the inter-link connection information. The road map data 21m corresponds to the road map data storage means of the present invention.

  In addition, in the HDD 21, auxiliary information for route guidance, entertainment information, and other data can be written independently by the user and stored as user data 21u. Data and various information necessary for the operation of the navigation device 100 are also stored as the database 21d.

  The navigation program 21p, road map data 21m, user data 21u, and database 21d can be added / updated from the storage medium 20 via the map data input device 6. The storage medium 20 is generally a CD-ROM or DVD based on the amount of data, but may be another medium such as a memory card. Moreover, you may use the structure which downloads data via an external network.

  The memory 9 is composed of a rewritable device such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable & Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash memory, and stores information and data necessary for the operation of the navigation apparatus 100. Has been. The memory 9 holds the stored contents even when the navigation device 100 is turned off. Further, necessary information and data may be stored separately in the memory 9 and the HDD 21 according to the function or operation of the navigation device 100.

  The display 10 is composed of a known color liquid crystal display, and includes a dot matrix LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a driver circuit (not shown) for performing LCD display control using, for example, a known active matrix drive system. It is configured. The driver circuit performs display based on a display command and display screen data sent from the control circuit 8 (drawing unit 87). Further, an organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) display or a plasma display may be used as the display 10. The display device 10 corresponds to the display means of the present invention.

  The speaker 15 is connected to a well-known voice synthesis circuit 24, and the digital voice data stored in the memory 9 or the HDD 21 in accordance with a command from the navigation program 21p is converted into analog voice by the voice synthesis circuit 24 and sent out. Note that speech synthesis methods include a recording / editing method in which speech waveforms are stored as they are or after being encoded and connected as necessary, and a text synthesis method in which corresponding speech is synthesized from character input information. The speaker 15 and the voice synthesis circuit 24 correspond to the warning sound output means of the present invention.

  The vehicle speed sensor 23 includes a rotation detection unit such as a known rotary encoder. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 23 is installed in the vicinity of the wheel mounting unit to detect the rotation of the wheel and send it to the control circuit 8 as a pulse signal. In addition to converting the number of rotations of the wheels into the speed of the host vehicle 101, the control circuit 8 calculates an expected arrival time from the current position of the host vehicle 101 to a predetermined location, or for each travel section of the host vehicle 101. Calculate the average vehicle speed. The vehicle speed sensor 23 corresponds to the vehicle speed detection means of the present invention.

  The LAN I / F 26 is an interface circuit for exchanging data with other in-vehicle devices and sensors via the in-vehicle LAN 27. Further, data may be taken from the vehicle speed sensor 23 or the like via the LAN I / F 26.

  With this configuration, the navigation device 100 allows the user to operate the operation switch group 7, the touch panel 22, the remote control terminal 12, or from the microphone 31 when the navigation program 21 p is activated by the CPU 81 of the control circuit 8. When a route guidance process for displaying a destination route on the display 10 is selected from a menu (not shown) displayed on the display 10 by voice input, the following process is performed.

  That is, when the user searches for a destination and the destination is set, the current position of the host vehicle 101 is obtained by the position detector 1, and an optimum guide route to the destination is obtained using the current position as a departure point. Processing is performed. Then, the guidance route is displayed on the road map on the display 10 so as to guide the user to the appropriate route. As a method for automatically setting an optimum guide route, a method such as the Dijkstra method is known. In addition, at least one of the display 10 and the speaker 15 performs notification of a message according to an operation guidance or an operation state.

  The outside camera group 32 captures the surroundings of the host vehicle 101, and captures a road image in the immediate vicinity of the host vehicle 101 with a plurality of cameras whose fields of view are continuous along the periphery of the host vehicle 101. It is. FIG. 2 shows an example of such mounting, in which eight cameras 32 a to 32 h are provided on the body of the host vehicle 101. The front right camera 32a, front left camera 32b, rear right camera 32c, rear left camera 32d, right front camera 32e, right rear camera 32f, left front camera 32g, left rear camera 32h, respectively. It is called.

  For example, the right front camera 32e is arranged so as to photograph the front right side of the vehicle body of the host vehicle 101, and an object such as another vehicle on the right front is an image including a part of the body of the host vehicle 101. You can shoot. Similarly, the right rear camera 32f is arranged so as to photograph the right rear, and an object such as another vehicle on the right rear can be photographed as an image including a part of the vehicle body of the own vehicle 101. . In addition, the remaining camera can also take an image of an object such as another vehicle on the front, rear, or left side in the same manner. Of course, it is possible to reduce the number of in-vehicle camera groups from the above (for example, four on the front and rear, right and left or side rear). The outside camera group 32 corresponds to the vehicle surrounding information acquisition means of the present invention.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the radar group 34 detects an object existing around the host vehicle 101 using a laser, millimeter wave, or ultrasonic wave, and is provided in association with the cameras 32 a to 32 d of FIG. 2 described above. For example, the distance or speed to the measurement object is measured in each of the front right side, front left side, rear right side, and rear left side. The radar group 34 corresponds to the vehicle surrounding information acquisition means of the present invention.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of the camera monitoring range Q (on the right side of the host vehicle 101) by the vehicle exterior camera group 32. The same applies to the left side of the host vehicle 101. The scan area by the radar group 34 may be the same area as the camera monitoring range Q. As the lane change approaching vehicle warning range setting value A, for example, a width of an adjacent lane or a value exceeding it is used, and is stored in the database 21d in advance. In the example of FIG. 4, other vehicles existing on the front side and rear side of the host vehicle 101 are detected by the outside camera group 32 or the radar group 34. Further, the camera monitoring range Q or the scan area may be the entire periphery of the own vehicle 101. Reference numeral 35 denotes a steering handle.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the in-vehicle camera 37 is provided to detect the position of the driver's eyes of the host vehicle 101, for example, a light projecting unit that projects infrared light toward the driver's face, 3 including a conversion unit that converts reflected infrared light from a person's face into a video signal. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 8, FIG. At least the head of the driver of the host vehicle 101 can be photographed at the center of the front part or on the upper part of the dash panel or the steering column (position 37a in FIG. 3). The in-vehicle camera 37 corresponds to the line-of-sight direction detecting means of the present invention.

  The driving support process of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This process is included in the navigation program 21p and is repeatedly executed together with other processes of the navigation program 21p. First, it is determined whether or not a condition for detecting a lane change intention reflecting action (hereinafter, abbreviated as a lane change action, the same notation in FIG. 5) that is an action reflecting the driver's intention to change lanes is established. A lane change action detection condition establishment determination process is executed (S11, described later).

  When the lane change behavior detection condition is satisfied (S12: Yes), a lane change behavior detection process for detecting the lane change behavior of the driver is executed (S13, described later). And when a driver | operator's lane change action is detected (S14: Yes), the own vehicle surrounding information output process which outputs own vehicle surrounding information is performed (S15, mentioned later).

  The lane change action detection condition establishment determination process corresponding to step S11 in FIG. 5 will be described with reference to FIG. First, vehicle speed information of the host vehicle 101 is acquired from the vehicle speed sensor 23 (S51). Next, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle 101 is traveling. That is, when the vehicle speed exceeds a vehicle speed threshold such as 5 km / h, it is determined that the host vehicle 101 is traveling. If the vehicle speed falls below the vehicle speed threshold and it is determined that the host vehicle 101 is not traveling (S52: No), the lane change behavior detection condition is not satisfied, and the lane change behavior detection condition flag whose area is secured in the RAM 83 is cleared. (S60).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the host vehicle 101 is traveling (S52: Yes), the current position information of the host vehicle 101 is acquired from the position detector 1 (S53). Next, the position of the host vehicle 101 on the map is specified with reference to the road map data 21m (S54). When the host vehicle 101 is on a road, information regarding the type of the road and the number of lanes is also acquired from the road map data 21m.

  When the host vehicle 101 is traveling on an expressway (S55: Yes), the lane change action detection condition is established, and a lane change action detection condition flag that secures an area in the RAM 83 or the like is set (S61).

  If the host vehicle 101 is not traveling on a highway (S55: No), but is traveling on a multi-lane road (S56: Yes), a lane change behavior in which a lane change behavior detection condition is satisfied and an area is secured in the RAM 83 or the like is established. A detection condition flag is set (S61).

  When the host vehicle 101 is not traveling on a multi-lane road (S56: No), but is traveling on a merged lane (S57: Yes), the lane change behavior in which a region is secured in the RAM 83 or the like is established as the lane change behavior detection condition is satisfied. A detection condition flag is set (S61).

  In the above description, the lane change action detection condition is satisfied when the vehicle is traveling on a multi-lane road or a merged lane (OR condition), but the lane change action detection condition is satisfied when the vehicle is traveling on a merged lane of a multi-lane road (AND condition). ).

  When the host vehicle 101 is not traveling in the merged lane (S57: No), traffic information is acquired from the outside of the host vehicle 101 such as the VICS center 14 (S58). Then, it is determined whether or not the acquired traffic information includes lane restriction information indicating that lane restriction is performed in front of the traveling direction of the host vehicle 101. When the lane restriction information is included (S59: Yes), the lane change action detection condition is established, and the lane change action detection condition flag for securing the area is set in the RAM 83 or the like (S61).

  On the other hand, when the lane restriction information is not included (S59: No), the lane change action detection condition is not established, and the lane change action detection condition flag whose area is secured in the RAM 83 or the like is cleared (S60).

  The lane change behavior detection process corresponding to step S13 in FIG. 5 will be described with reference to FIG. First, image information captured by the in-vehicle camera 37 is acquired (S71). The in-vehicle camera 37 captures an image of the driver's face at a predetermined capturing timing. At this time, the lane change action detection condition flag may be cleared. Next, the image processing unit 89 analyzes the captured image as described above to detect the driver's face orientation angle θ (see FIG. 9) (S72). The face orientation angle θ can be detected from a change in the driver's line-of-sight direction. The driver's line-of-sight direction can be detected by specifying the position of the driver's eyes from the captured image.

  8 and 9 show an outline of detection of the driver's face orientation angle. FIG. 8 shows a state where the driver is facing the front (reference direction), and FIG. 9 shows a state where the driver is checking the rear side. A method for detecting the position of the driver's eyes is well known by, for example, a drowsiness driving prevention technique. Further, since the mounting position and mounting angle of the in-vehicle camera 37 are known, the driver's face angle θ can be detected from the detected eye position as a value with the reference direction set to 0 degree.

  Returning to FIG. 7, when the detected face orientation angle θ exceeds a predetermined angle threshold value (S73: Yes), a lane change action detection flag in which an area is secured in the RAM 83 or the like is detected as a lane change action is detected. Set (S74).

  On the other hand, when the driver's face orientation angle is less than a predetermined angle threshold (S73: No), information related to the operation of the well-known direction indicator switch 38 for operating the direction indicator is acquired (S75). ). If a blinking operation of the direction indicator on the adjacent lane side is detected (S76: Yes), a lane change action detection flag that secures an area is set in the RAM 83 or the like, assuming that a lane change action is detected (S74). . On the other hand, when the blinking operation of the direction indicator on the adjacent lane side is not detected (S76: No), the lane change behavior detection flag in which the area is secured in the RAM 83 or the like is cleared as the lane change behavior is not detected. (S77).

  The own vehicle surroundings information output process corresponding to step S15 in FIG. 5 will be described with reference to FIG. First, image information photographed by the outside camera group 32 is acquired (S91). At this time, the lane change action detection flag may be cleared. The camera group 32 outside the vehicle is shooting around the host vehicle 101 at a predetermined shooting timing. Subsequently, the detection result of the radar group 34 is acquired (S92).

  Next, using either one or both of the image information (analyzed by the image processing unit 89) and the detection result, there is another vehicle on the side and rear of the lane that the driver of the host vehicle 101 wants to change lanes. Whether or not to do so is detected (S93).

  When another vehicle exists (S94: Yes), a warning sound is output from the speaker 15 (S95). The warning sound is a so-called beep sound, but a voice message such as “Caution on Lane Change” may be output. Subsequently, the voice recognition unit 30 is set in an operating state, and a voice input waiting state from the microphone 31 is set (S96). Steps S951 to S953 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the voice recognition unit 30 is provided with a dictionary switching control unit 30a and dictionaries such as an audio dictionary 30b, an air conditioner dictionary 30c, a navigation dictionary 30d, a TV / DVD dictionary 30e, and a driving support dictionary 30f. Yes. In each dictionary, words related to the operation of the corresponding in-vehicle device are registered. For example, words such as “hot” and “cold” are registered in the air conditioner dictionary 30c. These dictionaries are used by estimating the operation target device from the voice input content of the driver. The dictionary switching control unit 30a receives the information from the control circuit 8 based on the operation state of the operation switch group 7, the remote control terminal 12, or the voice input state, and is operated most recently by the dictionary switching control unit 30a, for example. Switch to the device dictionary. Speech recognition is performed by collating the input speech with the dictionary.

  The driving support dictionary 30f includes words that can be estimated to be a response to a warning sound, such as “what”, “show me”, “display”, “where”, “OK”, “OK”. It is registered.

  Returning to FIG. 10, when waiting for voice input in step S96, the dictionary switching control unit 30a switches to the driving support dictionary 30f. Subsequently, a voice input determination timer is started (S97). The timer value is updated at a predetermined timing. For example, when a predetermined time such as 5 seconds elapses and no voice command is input (S98: No → S101: Yes), it corresponds to a warning sound. It is determined that there is no response and there is no need to display surrounding information of the host vehicle, and this process is terminated.

  On the other hand, if a voice command is input within a predetermined time (S98: Yes), it is determined based on the content whether or not the driver is requesting display of the vehicle surrounding information. When the voice command is a content that understands the content of the warning sound such as “OK” or “OK”, that is, the driver recognizes the situation around the own vehicle 101 and If it is not necessary to display (S99: No), this process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when the voice command is a content requesting the display of the vehicle surrounding information such as “what”, “show me”, “display”, “where” (S99: Yes), the display unit 10 displays and outputs the vehicle surrounding information (S100).

  FIG. 12 shows a display example of the vehicle surrounding information on the display 10. In the example of FIG. 12, the display device 10 is installed in the meter panel, but the installation location of the display device 10 is not particularly limited. 10a shows an enlarged view of the display screen. The driver of the host vehicle 101 is trying to change the lane to the lane on the right side, but the other vehicle 102 is running on the right rear side of the host vehicle 101, indicating that it is difficult to change the lane in this situation. At this time, for example, a voice message such as “the vehicle is traveling in the right rear OOm” may be output from the speaker 15.

  The display content on the display 10 may display an image taken by the outside camera group 32 in real time, or may display the detection status of other vehicles in an animation format. Further, the specific blind spot areas R1 and R2 as shown in FIG.

  Other vehicles that output a warning sound or display on the display 10 may target all detected vehicles, or may target only other vehicles that exist within the blind spot formed by the pillar of the host vehicle 101. Good. A blind spot (specific blind spot area) formed by pillars will be described with reference to FIG. The specific blind spot areas formed by the B pillar 101b, which is the column in the center of the vehicle 101, and the C pillar 101c, which is the column behind the rear door, are indicated by R1 and R2, respectively. Since the specific blind spot areas R1 and R2 are areas that are generally determined for each vehicle, data in these areas is stored in advance in the database 21d as a blind spot area setting table 21t (see FIG. 1).

  In step S94 of FIG. 10, it is determined whether or not the detected other vehicle is at least partially included in the specific blind spot areas R1 and R2 set in the blind spot area setting table 21t. When the part is included in the specific blind spot areas R1 and R2, it is determined that there is another vehicle, and the processes after step S95 are executed.

  In the own vehicle surrounding information output process of FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 12, for example, a “acknowledge” button 35b is provided on the steering handle 35, and after a warning sound is output (S95), a timer is started (S951). For example, when the “acknowledgement” button 35b is pressed within a predetermined time such as 5 seconds (S952: Yes), a voice input waiting state (S96) may be entered. If the “acknowledgement” button 35b is not pressed within a predetermined time (S953: Yes), this process is terminated. The “sound recognition” button 35b corresponds to the display selection input detection means and the operation input detection means of the present invention.

  In the own vehicle surrounding information output process of FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 12, for example, a “display” button 35c is provided on the steering handle 35, a warning sound is output (S95), and predetermined after the timer is started (S951). If the “display” button 35 c is pressed within the given time, the vehicle surrounding information may be displayed on the display 10. In this case, when the “display” button 35c is pressed (S952: Yes), steps S96 to S99 are skipped and the process proceeds to step S100. The “display” button 35c corresponds to the display selection input detection means and the operation input detection means of the present invention.

  The “acknowledgement” button 35b and the “display” button 35c are included in the operation switch group 7 in FIG.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the knowledge of those skilled in the art can be used without departing from the spirit of the claims. Various modifications based on this are possible.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation apparatus for vehicles. The figure which shows the example of mounting of a camera group outside a vehicle and a radar group. The figure which shows the example of mounting, such as an in-vehicle camera. The figure which shows the monitoring range of a camera group outside a vehicle and a radar group, and a specific blind spot area. The flowchart explaining a driving assistance process. The flowchart explaining the lane change action detection condition establishment determination processing. The flowchart explaining a lane change action detection process. The figure explaining the detection of a driver | operator's face direction angle. The figure explaining the detection of a driver | operator's face direction angle following FIG. The flowchart explaining the own vehicle surroundings information output process. The figure explaining the detail of the dictionary switching of a speech recognition unit. The figure which shows the example of a display of the own vehicle periphery information.

Explanation of symbols

1 Position detector (position detection means)
7 Operation switch group (display selection input detection means, operation input detection means)
8 Control circuit (running road identification means, lane change intention reflection action detection means, display control means)
10 Display (display means)
12 Remote control terminal (display selection input detection means, operation input detection means)
13 Transceiver (Traffic regulation information acquisition means)
15 Speaker (Warning sound output means)
21 Hard disk drive (HDD)
21d database 21m road map data (road map data storage means)
21t blind spot area setting table 23 vehicle speed sensor (vehicle speed detection means)
24 Speech synthesis circuit (warning sound output means)
30 Voice recognition unit (display selection input detection means, voice input detection means)
31 Microphone (display selection input detection means, voice input detection means)
32 Out-of-vehicle camera group (own vehicle surrounding information acquisition means)
34 Radar group (own vehicle surrounding information acquisition means)
35b "Sound recognition" button (display selection input detection means, operation input detection means)
35c “Display” button (display selection input detection means, operation input detection means)
37 Vehicle camera (Gaze direction detection means)
89 Image processing unit (lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Vehicle navigation apparatus 101 Vehicle (own vehicle)

Claims (10)

Position detecting means for detecting the current position of the host vehicle;
Road map data storage means for storing road map data together with lane number information of individual roads;
On the road map, a running road specifying means for specifying the road on which the host vehicle is running along with the running direction;
A lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means for detecting an action reflecting the driver's intention to change lanes when the identified traveling road is a road having a plurality of lanes in the traveling direction;
Own vehicle surrounding information acquisition means for acquiring own vehicle surrounding information reflecting the presence of other vehicles around the own vehicle;
Display means for displaying the vehicle surrounding information;
Display selection input detection means for detecting a display selection input as to whether or not to display the vehicle surrounding information on the display means by the driver;
When the driver's lane change intention reflecting behavior is detected and the presence of at least a part of another vehicle is specified within a predetermined range, a warning sound for outputting a warning sound indicating that the other vehicle exists Output means;
Display control means for performing display control of the vehicle surrounding information on the display means when the display selection input is detected after the warning sound is output;
A vehicle travel support apparatus comprising: The road map data storage means stores the type of the road,
2. The vehicle travel support device according to claim 1, wherein the lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means detects the driver's lane change intention reflecting behavior while the host vehicle is traveling on a multi-lane automobile exclusive road.   The lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means is a road that includes a plurality of lanes in the same direction, and when it is specified that the host vehicle is traveling in a lane that merges with another lane, the lane of the driver The vehicle travel support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a change intention reflecting action is detected. A traffic regulation information acquisition means for acquiring traffic regulation information is provided.
The vehicle travel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means detects a lane change intention reflecting behavior of the driver based on the acquired traffic regulation information. Support device.   5. The vehicle travel support device according to claim 4, wherein the lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means detects a lane change intention reflecting behavior of the driver when there is a lane reduction restriction in front of the traveling direction of the host vehicle. Vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed of the host vehicle,
The lane change intention reflection behavior detecting means detects the lane change intention reflection behavior of the driver when the detected vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed threshold. The vehicle travel support device according to claim. Gaze direction detecting means for detecting the gaze direction of the driver of the host vehicle,
The vehicle driving support according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lane change intention reflecting behavior detecting means detects a lane change intention reflecting behavior of the driver based on the detected line-of-sight direction. apparatus.   The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the warning sound output means outputs the warning sound when the other vehicle exists within a blind spot formed by a pillar of the host vehicle. Travel support device. Voice input detection means for detecting the driver's voice input;
The vehicular travel support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the display selection input detection unit detects a display selection input by the driver based on a voice input of the driver. Comprising an operation input detecting means for detecting an operation input of the driver;
The vehicle travel support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the display selection input detection unit detects a display selection input by the driver based on an operation input of the driver.

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