JP2011086204A - Traveling safety device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To avoid the collision of a vehicle with a traveling object approaching the vehicle at an intersection or the like by estimating the visual line of a driver without using an in-cabin camera. <P>SOLUTION: A traveling safety device includes: an object detection means 12 for detecting a surrounding object of a vehicle; a traveling state detection means 14 for detecting the traveling state of the vehicle; a traveling object specification means 36 for specifying a traveling object approaching the traveling path of the vehicle from among the detected objects; a visual line direction estimation means 34 for estimating the visual line direction of a driver from the amounts of drawing of the seat belt of the driver's seat of the vehicle; and notification means 20 and 40 for notifying the driver of the approach of the traveling object when the visual line direction of the driver is different from the direction of the approaching traveling object. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a traveling safety device for a vehicle, and more specifically to a safety device for avoiding a collision between a vehicle and a moving object approaching the vehicle.

  There have been a number of accidents involving vehicles at the intersection. Of these, collisions with vehicles approaching from the side, caused mainly by the lack of confirmation of the driver's left and right fronts, are endless. This tendency is particularly noticeable at intersections with poor prospects.

Patent Document 1 discloses a driving support device that can automatically monitor an obstacle present in a blind spot region of a driver's line of sight. This driving support device calculates the blind spot area of the driver's line of sight detected by the camera in the vehicle interior, and issues a warning to the driver when it is determined that there is an obstacle detected by the camera outside the vehicle in the blind spot area. Prompt.
JP Patent Publication No. 2007-148506

  In the invention described in Patent Document 1, since the vehicle interior camera is used, for example, when the driver bends forward in a place with a poor view, the driver's face is removed from the imaging area of the camera and the line of sight is detected. There are cases where it is not possible. In addition, the camera may not be able to detect the driver's line of sight due to backlight or lack of contrast during night driving. Furthermore, it may not be easy to install a camera for imaging the driver from the viewpoint of privacy protection and cost.

  The present invention improves the above-described problems of the prior art, estimates the driver's line of sight without using a vehicle interior camera, and avoids a collision between a vehicle at an intersection or the like and a moving object approaching the vehicle. The purpose is to do.

  The present invention provides a vehicle travel safety device. The travel safety device is provided in a vehicle, and includes an object detection unit that detects an object around the vehicle, a travel state detection unit that detects a travel state of the vehicle, and of the detected objects, the travel of the vehicle Moving object identification means for identifying a moving object approaching the route, gaze direction estimation means for estimating the driver's gaze direction based on the amount of the seat belt pulled out of the driver's seat, and the driver's gaze direction are close And a notification means for notifying the driver of the approach of the moving object when the direction is different from the direction of the moving object.

  According to the present invention, since the direction of the driver's line of sight is estimated from the amount of the seat belt in the driver's seat, the change in the line of sight accompanying the movement of the driver can be accurately captured. As a result, it is possible to accurately know the presence of a moving object approaching the driver, and to avoid a collision with the moving object due to a driver's lack of forward confirmation. On the other hand, since the notification is not performed when the moving object is noticed and moving forward, the driver is relieved from the troublesome notification that is not necessarily required.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, the moving object specifying means includes estimating a traveling path of an approaching moving object, and the vehicle traveling safety device approaches the traveling state and traveling path of the vehicle. The information processing device further includes means for determining a collision risk between the vehicle and the moving object from information on the traveling path of the moving object, and the notification means notifies the approach of the moving object when the collision risk is within a predetermined range.

  According to this aspect of the present invention, when the risk of collision between the vehicle and the moving object is high to some extent, the approach of the moving object is notified. Therefore, when the risk of collision is low, the notification is not dared. Thus, the driver can be released from the troublesomeness caused by the notification. In other words, the driver can be notified only when the effectiveness of the notification of the approach of the moving object is considered to be high.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, the information processing device further includes means for acquiring type information of a road on which the vehicle and the moving object are traveling, and the notification means is an intersection between the traveling path of the vehicle and the traveling path of the moving object approaching. When the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road having a lower priority for traveling than the road on which the moving object is traveling, the approach of the moving object is notified.

  A moving object traveling on a road with a high priority of traveling at an intersection is likely to enter the intersection without stopping or extremely slowing down, so a vehicle traveling on a road with a low priority of traveling toward the intersection If the driver fails to confirm ahead, the possibility that the moving object and the vehicle will collide increases, but according to one aspect of the present invention, the moving object approaches the vehicle in such a case. This notification can avoid the collision. In particular, when viewed from a vehicle traveling on a road with a low priority of traveling, an intersection often has poor visibility, so that a collision at an intersection with poor visibility can be avoided. On the contrary, when approaching an intersection with good visibility, since the notification of the approach of the moving object is not performed, the driver is released from the troublesomeness due to the notification.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, the approach notification means issues a collision warning regardless of the driver's line-of-sight direction when the collision risk is greater than a predetermined range.

  According to this aspect of the present invention, when the risk of collision is large, the driver is prompted to take quick action to avoid an imminent collision by issuing a collision warning instead of a notification. This can make collision avoidance more reliable.

1 is a block diagram of a travel safety device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is a figure which shows the mode of the vehicle approach at an intersection. It is a figure around a seat belt. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a seatbelt sensor unit. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the pull-out amount of a seatbelt, and a driver | operator's gaze direction. It is a figure which shows the control flow in the case of alerting | reporting the moving object approach of this invention. It is a control flow in the case of performing warning or brake control when a moving object approaches according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the deceleration of this invention, and the estimation time until a vehicle collides with an approaching moving object. It is a figure which shows the control flow in the case of alerting | reporting the moving object approach of this invention of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle travel safety device 100 mounted on a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The travel safety device 100 includes a processing device 10, an external sensor 12, a vehicle state sensor 14, a seat belt sensor 16, a navigation device 18, and a notification device 20. The brake actuator 22 in the figure is described as a target to which a control signal from the processing device 10 is sent, and is a device originally associated with the vehicle.

  The processing device 10 is an electronic control unit (ECU) which is a computer including a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory. In the figure, functions realized by the processing device 10 are represented as blocks. In this embodiment, the processing apparatus 10 includes an object information acquisition unit 30, a host vehicle information acquisition unit 32, a driver gaze estimation unit 34, an approaching moving object specification unit 36, a collision risk determination unit 38, and a collision avoidance control unit 40. Is provided. Details of each function of the processing apparatus 10 will be described later. Note that the processing device 10 may be configured as a part of the navigation device 18 or as an accompanying device.

  In this embodiment, the external sensor 12 is provided at the front portion of the vehicle and detects an object existing around the vehicle. Preferably, the external sensor 12 detects a moving object approaching the traveling path of the vehicle, for example, as exemplified by reference numeral 56 in FIG. It is provided at the left end and / or right end of the front part of the vehicle (for example, the left end and / or right end part of the front bumper) or the front end center part (in the case of wide-angle laser radar) so as to detect the region. The external sensor 12 can be configured by, for example, a radar device using electromagnetic waves such as millimeter waves or an imaging device that images the periphery of the vehicle.

  Here, the radar apparatus can be realized by any known appropriate radar apparatus. For example, the radar apparatus divides a detection target area set in the external environment of the host vehicle into a plurality of angle areas, and transmits an electromagnetic wave transmission signal so as to scan each angle area. Each transmission signal receives a reflection signal generated by reflection from an object outside the host vehicle (for example, another vehicle or structure), and generates a signal indicating the distance and direction from the radar device to the object. And output to the processing device 10.

  The imaging device can be implemented with any known appropriate imaging device. The imaging device acquires images captured by one or more cameras, and outputs the image data to the processing device 10.

  The vehicle state sensor 14 is described as a general term for a plurality of sensors that detect the state of the host vehicle as various parameters. The vehicle state sensor 14 includes, for example, a sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle and a sensor that detects the position of the brake pedal. The sensor for detecting the speed of the host vehicle can be realized by any known appropriate means, for example, a wheel speed sensor for detecting the rotation speed (wheel speed) of the driving wheel of the host vehicle, or the speed of the host vehicle. This can be realized by a vehicle speed sensor that detects the acceleration or an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration acting on the vehicle body. The sensor that detects the position of the brake pedal is realized by a mechanical or photoelectric switch that detects the position of the drive unit of the pedal that moves according to the amount of depression of the brake pedal. The output (detection signal) of the vehicle state sensor 14 is input to the processing device 10.

  The seat belt sensor 16 detects the amount of seat belt withdrawn by the driver. The output (detection signal) of the seat belt sensor 16 is input to the processing device 10. Details of the detection of the amount of seat belt withdrawal by the seat belt sensor 16 will be described later.

  The navigation device 18 includes an output unit, an input unit, a storage unit, and the like, and the output unit includes a display and a speaker. The storage means stores map data and road information of the map data. The road information includes attribute information (road type, road shape, etc.) indicating attributes for each road. The navigation device 18 calculates the current position of the vehicle from the GPS signal and the gyro sensor signal. The navigation device 18 obtains the speed signal of the host vehicle from the vehicle state sensor 14 and selects an optimum route for traveling. The navigation device 18 can include a communication unit (not shown) having a communication function for acquiring real-time traffic information from a predetermined server. The traffic information includes, for example, information on traffic jams, construction work, traffic regulations, and the like. Information obtained by the navigation device 18 (vehicle position, planned travel route, road type, road shape, etc.) is sent to the processing device 10 as necessary.

  The notification device 20 receives a signal from the processing device 10 and performs notification and warning to the driver of the vehicle. Although the notification and the warning are common in that the approaching of the moving object is common, the former simply notifies the approaching of the moving object and has a strong meaning to call attention. For example, by voice or (and) character display etc. We are approaching from the left. " Moreover, you may alert | report by a sound (notification sound). The latter warning has a strong implication of notifying that there is a high risk of a collision with the moving object. For example, by voice or (and) flashing text display, the vehicle from the left of the intersection is dangerous. Immediately apply the brake. Please let me know. " Moreover, you may warn by a sound (alarm sound).

  More specifically, the notification device 20 can be realized using any one or a plurality of devices among a tactile transmission device, a visual transmission device, and an audio transmission device. The tactile transmission device is, for example, a seat belt device or a steering control device, and can generate a predetermined tension on the seat belt, for example, according to a control signal output from the processing device 10, and can be perceived by the driver. The driver is informed by applying a tightening force or generating vibrations that can be perceptually perceived by the driver in the steering wheel.

  The visual transmission device is, for example, a display device or the like, and displays a predetermined notification or alarm as described above in response to a control signal from the processing device 10 or blinks or lights a predetermined warning light, so that the driver To inform.

  The auditory transmission device is, for example, a speaker or the like, and notifies the driver by outputting the above-described predetermined notification or warning as sound in accordance with a control signal from the processing device 10.

  Here, each function of the processing apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 is demonstrated. The object information acquisition unit 30 acquires the output signal of the external sensor 11 at predetermined time intervals, and based on the output signal, for each object existing around the vehicle, an object including the position, speed, and traveling direction of the object Get information. When the external sensor 11 is a radar device, the position of the object can be obtained based on a signal output from the radar device. When the external sensor 11 is an imaging device, the imaged object is extracted from image data output from the imaging device, and the position of the object is obtained based on the position of the object in the image. Can do. By tracking the position of the object, the speed and direction of travel of the object can be determined. For example, the speed of the object can be obtained by dividing the moving distance of the position of the object in a predetermined time by the predetermined time.

  The own vehicle information acquisition unit 32 acquires various output signals of the vehicle state sensor 12 at the predetermined time intervals, and acquires own vehicle information including the speed of the own vehicle based on the output signals. The own vehicle information acquisition unit 32 further acquires the current position, the planned travel route, and the like from the navigation device 18.

  The approaching moving object specifying unit 36 specifies a moving object approaching the traveling path of the host vehicle from information on objects existing around the vehicle acquired by the object information acquiring unit 30. For example, based on the traveling direction and speed of the moving object and the traveling direction and speed of the host vehicle, the moving object approaching, in other words, the moving object that may intersect may be specified.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state of approach between a vehicle traveling to an intersection and a moving object (vehicle). It is assumed that the vehicle 50 on the vertical road in FIG. 2 has just resumed running after being temporarily stopped before the “stop” display in front of the intersection. The vehicle 50 travels in the direction of the arrow 58 at the intersection. An external sensor 56 is installed at the left end portion of the vehicle 50. The external sensor 56 in the figure is exaggerated and drawn for the sake of clarity, but is actually installed so as not to protrude from the surface of the vehicle.

  On the horizontal road in FIG. 2, two vehicles 52 and 54 are traveling toward the intersection. The object information acquisition unit 30 detects the traveling direction and speed of the two vehicles 52 and 54 based on the detection signal from the external sensor 56. Taking the vehicle 52 as an example, the speed in the traveling direction 62 is detected. The object information acquisition unit 30 obtains a distance D from the host vehicle 50 when the vehicle 52 travels along the traveling direction 62 at the same time. The approaching moving object specifying unit 36 acquires these pieces of information from the object information acquiring unit 30, specifies the approaching vehicles 52 and 54, and obtains information such as the position, traveling direction, and speed of the approaching vehicle. Then, the time until the host vehicle 50 and the vehicle 52 come to the point of the distance D is obtained, and the times are compared to determine whether or not there is a possibility that the two vehicles cross each other. A moving object having the possibility is specified as an approaching moving object.

  The driver's line-of-sight estimation unit 34 estimates the driver's line of sight from the amount of seat belt withdrawn detected by the seat belt sensor 16. First, the detection of the amount of withdrawal of the seat belt by the seat belt sensor 16 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 3 is a view around the seat belt. The seat belt 74 is pulled out from the winder 78 of the seat belt 74, and the buckle 76 is inserted into the opening 82 of the mounting portion 81. The seat belt sensor 80 is provided in the winder 78 of the seat belt 74, and detects the movement amount of the seat belt 74, that is, the withdrawal amount (m) or the winding amount (m). The output signal of the seat belt sensor 80 is sent to the processing device 10. The seat belt sensor 80 is installed in the winder 78 as one sensor unit, for example.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the sensor unit. The sensor unit includes a magnetic disk 90 and two Hall elements (IC) 92 and 94. On the outer periphery of the magnetic disk 90, north and south poles are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction. The magnetic disk 90 rotates around the central axis CT in accordance with the movement (drawing or winding) of the seat belt. When the magnetic disk 90 rotates, the Hall elements 92 and 94 output an A-phase pulse S1 and a B-phase pulse S2. Waveforms 96 and 98 are output examples of the pulses S1 and S2. One cycle of the pulses S1 and S2 corresponds to an output when one set of the N pole and the S pole on the outer peripheral portion of the magnetic disk 21 crosses in front of the Hall element 92 or 94.

  Since the Hall elements 92 and 94 are placed at a predetermined distance, a phase difference ΔF is generated between the pulses 96 and 98. In FIG. 4, the phase of the pulse S2 is delayed, but when the rotation direction of the magnetic disk 90 is reversed, the phase of the pulse S1 is delayed. Since the rotation direction of the magnetic disk 90 corresponds to the moving direction of the seat belt, it is detected whether the phase of the pulses S1 and S2 is delayed, and the seat belt is pulled out. It can be judged whether it is. Further, since the movement amount (m) of the seat belt is correlated with the rotation amount of the magnetic disk 90, and the rotation amount of the magnetic disk 90 is correlated with the lengths (number of pulses) of the pulses 96, 98, By counting the number of pulses, the movement amount (m) of the seat belt can be calculated. That is, 1 pulse = belt length ΔL (m) is established.

  Next, a method for estimating the driver's line of sight from the amount of the seat belt withdrawn by the seat belt sensor 16 by the driver's line of sight estimation unit 34 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the amount of seat belt withdrawal and the driver's line-of-sight direction. FIG. 5 assumes a right handle. In the normal traveling state, as shown in FIG. 5A, the driver 70 drives while looking at the front with the back seated on the normal seat 72. In this case, the amount by which the seat belt 74 is pulled out is often in a range equal to or less than the predetermined length S1 in the figure.

  When the vehicle enters an intersection as illustrated in FIG. 2, for example, an intersection with poor visibility, the driver moves away from the seat 72 and leans to the right as shown in FIG. 5 (b). May look to the right. In this case, the seat belt 74 is withdrawn from the winder 78 (FIG. 3) as much as the driver gets on, and the amount of withdrawal is often in the range of Sl to Sr in the lower part of the figure.

  Similarly, when looking at the left direction at an intersection or the like, the driver may move away from the seat 72 and lean on the left side as shown in FIG. In this case, the seat belt 74 is further pulled out, and the pulling amount is often in the range of Sr or more in the lower part of the figure. The withdrawal amounts S1 and Sr are determined in advance by monitoring the operation of the driver. In this manner, the direction of the driver's body, that is, the direction of the line of sight can be estimated from the amount of the seat belt 74 that is detected by the seat belt sensor 80. In the case of the left handle, the relationship between the pull-out amount and the person's orientation in FIG. 5 is reversed between right gaze and left gaze, and the pull-out amount is larger in the case of right gaze than left gaze. The correlation between the pull-out amount of the seat belt 74 and the driver's line of sight is stored in advance in a memory (not shown) of the processing apparatus 10 as one table.

  The collision risk determination unit 38 includes information on the approaching moving object (traveling direction and speed) specified by the approaching moving object specifying unit 36 and information on the own vehicle (traveling direction and speed) from the host vehicle information specifying unit 32. The risk of a collision between the host vehicle and the approaching vehicle identified from the driver's line-of-sight information from the driver's line-of-sight estimation unit 34 and the information (position, planned traveling route, etc.) of the host vehicle obtained from the navigation device 18. Determine the degree. The determination of the risk of collision will be described later.

  The collision avoidance control unit 40 generates three types of control signals (notification, alarm, and brake control) according to the collision risk determined by the collision risk determination unit 38 and sends the control signal to the notification device 20 or the brake actuator 22.

  Next, the operation of the travel safety device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a control flow for notification of approaching a moving object. In step S101, the external sensor 12 detects an object existing around the vehicle. In step S103, the vehicle state sensor 14 detects the state of the host vehicle (speed, brake pedal position, etc.). In step S105, the processing device 10 (the approaching moving object specifying unit 36) specifies the approaching moving object from the detected information on the surrounding objects and the information on the host vehicle. In step S107, it is determined whether there is an approaching moving object. If there is no approaching moving object, the control flow ends (117).

  If there is an approaching moving object, in step S109, the seat belt sensor 16 detects the pull-out amount of the seat belt. The seat belt withdrawal amount (m) is calculated by counting the number of pulses 96 and 98, as already described with reference to FIGS. The count of the number of pulses is based on the count (length) when the seat belt 74 is completely wound (stored) on the winder 78 or pulled out from the winder 78 and mounted. Perform as (zero).

  In step S111, the processing device 10 (driver's line-of-sight estimation unit 34) estimates the driver's line-of-sight direction from the detected amount of seat belt withdrawal. The estimation method is as described above with reference to FIG. In step S113, the processing device 10 (collision risk determination unit 38) determines whether the driver's line-of-sight direction is different from the direction of the approaching moving object, and if not, the control flow ends (117). This is because the driver recognizes the approaching moving object and can estimate that the risk is low.

  When the driver's line-of-sight direction and the direction of the approaching moving object are different, the processing device 10 (collision risk determination unit 38) does not recognize the approaching moving object and moves closer due to insufficient confirmation of the driver's front. It is determined that there is a possibility of collision with an object (high risk). For example, in FIG. 2, the case where the driver's line-of-sight direction of the vehicle 50 is in the direction of the arrow 60 is different from the direction of the vehicle 52 traveling from the left side at the intersection. In FIG. 2, the driver of the vehicle 50 is distracted by the vehicle 54 on the right side of the intersection, has failed to confirm the direction of the vehicle 52, and is estimated to have a high risk.

  When the driver's line-of-sight direction and the direction of the approaching moving object are different, the approach of the moving object is notified to the driver in step S115. Specifically, the processing device 10 (collision avoidance control unit 40) instructs the notification device 20 to notify the approach of the moving object, and the notification device 20 performs the notification. Thus, according to the present invention, when it is estimated that the driver is not aware of the approach when the moving object approaches, the driver can be notified to notify the approach. Further, when it is estimated that the user is aware of the approach, the driver can be released from the troublesomeness caused by unnecessary notification without performing notification.

FIG. 7 is a control flow when warning or brake control is performed when a moving object is approaching. The flow in FIG. 7 is executed between step S107 and step S109 in FIG. After the approaching moving object is specified, the deceleration Ga is calculated in step S201. The deceleration Ga means acceleration of deceleration for avoiding a collision of the host vehicle with an approaching moving object. Specifically, with reference to FIG. 2, in order for the traveling host vehicle 50 to avoid a collision with the approaching vehicle 52, the host vehicle 50 needs to stop before the position of the distance D. For that purpose, when the own vehicle 50 travels at the initial speed V ₀ , the own vehicle 50 has a negative acceleration a,
a = V ₀ ² / 2D (1)
It is necessary to drive at a reduced speed. The acceleration a in equation (1) is expressed using the gravitational acceleration g.
a _g = V ₀ ² / (2D · g) (2)
Is the deceleration Ga (G) (= a _g ).

  In three steps of steps S203, S205, and S207, it is determined whether or not the deceleration Ga (G) is larger than three predetermined threshold values. The three threshold values are a threshold value Gth_brk for performing collision avoidance control (brake control), a threshold value Gth_alm1 for performing a collision avoidance warning, and a threshold value Gth_alm2 for performing notification of vehicle approach.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining these three threshold values. The three threshold values will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 8, the vertical axis of the graph is the deceleration Ga (G), and the horizontal axis is the estimated time (s) until the vehicle collides with the approaching moving object. The time at the right end of the horizontal axis is taken as a reference (zero), and the time is indicated by a negative value to indicate that the time is earlier than that. In the example of FIG. 2, since the position of the distance D is a collision time, the estimated time becomes zero, and the negative time increases as the distance from the position (coming in front of the figure) increases.

  In FIG. 8, when the threshold Gth_brk for performing the collision avoidance control (brake control) is set to about 0.6, the estimated time until the collision is about 0.35 s. If the threshold Gth_alm1 for performing the collision avoidance alarm is set to about 0.3, the estimated time until the collision is about 0.70 s. Similarly, if the threshold Gth_alm2 for notifying the approach of the vehicle is set to about 0.16, the estimated time until the collision is about 1.35 s. As is apparent from FIG. 8, as the time until the collision becomes shorter, the process proceeds from notification to alarm and further to brake control. These threshold values are determined in consideration of the controllability of the brake, the safety performance of the vehicle, etc., using the relationship of FIG.

  Returning to FIG. 7, in step S <b> 203, it is determined whether the deceleration Ga is equal to or greater than the threshold Gth_brk. When the deceleration Ga is equal to or greater than the threshold value Gth_brk, the risk of collision is extremely high, so brake control is performed in step S209. Specifically, the processing device 10 sends a control signal for applying a brake to the brake actuator 22. Thus, the brake is automatically applied regardless of the brake operation by the driver, and the collision with the approaching vehicle is avoided.

  If the deceleration Ga is not greater than or equal to the threshold Gth_brk, it is determined in step S205 whether the deceleration Ga is greater than or equal to the threshold Gth_alm1. If the deceleration Ga is greater than or equal to the threshold value Gth_alm1, the risk of collision is high, and thus an alarm is given in step S211 to avoid the collision. Specifically, the danger of a collision is notified to the driver from the notification device 20 by voice, character display, vibration, or the like. Thereby, the driver can take action for collision avoidance such as immediately applying a brake, and collision with an approaching moving vehicle is avoided.

  If the deceleration Ga is not greater than or equal to the threshold Gth_alm1, it is determined in step S207 whether the deceleration Ga is greater than or equal to the threshold Gth_alm2. When the deceleration Ga is equal to or greater than the threshold value Gth_alm2, the risk of collision becomes slightly low, so the process proceeds to step S109 in FIG. Thereby, when it is estimated that the driver is not aware of the approach when the moving object approaches, the driver can be notified to notify the approach.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a control flow in the case of informing the moving object approach of the present invention. The flow of FIG. 9 is executed between step S107 and step S109 of FIG. 6 when the vehicle heads for an intersection as shown in FIG. After the approaching moving object is specified, intersection information is acquired from the navigation device 18 in step S301. The intersection information includes the number, width, route, priority, etc. of the intersecting road.

  In step S303, it is determined whether the road on which the vehicle runs is a priority road. A priority road means a road that can be run preferentially (as is) without temporarily stopping over other roads that intersect. If there is no priority road, it is highly likely that it is an intersection with poor visibility (high risk) because the road width is narrow, etc. This is because it is useful for avoiding collision.

  If it is not a priority road, it is determined in step S305 whether the host vehicle is traveling at a low speed. Specifically, it is determined whether the speed of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle state sensor 14 and acquired by the host vehicle information acquisition unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed. The predetermined speed is determined based on, for example, whether or not the vehicle can be stopped within a predetermined distance after sudden braking. The reason for judging whether or not the vehicle is traveling at low speed is to inform the driver that there is an approaching moving object because it can be inferred that the driver is driving with caution at low speed. It is.

  If the vehicle is traveling at a low speed, it is determined in step S307 whether the vehicle is traveling while braking. Specifically, it is determined whether the position of the break pedal detected by the vehicle state sensor 14 is deviated from the predetermined position in the direction in which the brake is applied. If you are driving with the brake applied, you can infer that the driver is driving with caution. This is to notify that there is an approaching moving object.

  If the vehicle is running while the brake is applied, the process proceeds to step S109 of FIG. As a result, when approaching an intersection with poor visibility, when the driver is driving with caution and it is estimated that the driver is not aware of the approach of moving objects, the driver is notified and the approach is made Can be informed. On the other hand, even at an intersection with poor visibility, if it can be estimated that the driver is aware and is aware of the approaching vehicle, it is possible to avoid unnecessary notifications that bother the driver.

  The above-described embodiment is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. Various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The present invention can be basically applied to any vehicle having a navigation device and a seat belt.

Claims (4)

An object detection means provided on the vehicle for detecting an object around the vehicle;
Traveling state detection means for detecting the traveling state of the vehicle;
Among the detected objects, moving object specifying means for specifying a moving object approaching the traveling path of the vehicle;
Gaze direction estimating means for estimating the gaze direction of the driver from the amount of the seat belt withdrawn from the driver's seat of the vehicle;
When the driver's line-of-sight direction is different from the direction of the moving object approaching, notifying means for notifying the driver of the approach of the moving object;
A vehicle travel safety device comprising: The moving object specifying means includes estimating a traveling path of the approaching moving object;
Means for determining a collision risk between the vehicle and the moving object from information on a traveling state and a traveling path of the vehicle and a traveling path of the approaching moving object;
The vehicle travel safety device according to claim 1, wherein when the collision risk is within a predetermined range, the notification unit notifies the approach of the moving object. Means for obtaining type information of a road on which the vehicle and the moving object are traveling;
The informing means has a traveling priority of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is higher than the road on which the moving object is traveling at the intersection of the traveling path of the vehicle and the traveling path of the approaching moving object. The travel safety device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the road is a low road, the approach of the moving object is notified.   The vehicle travel safety device according to claim 2, wherein when the collision risk is larger than the predetermined range, the notification unit issues a collision warning regardless of the driver's line-of-sight direction.

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