JP2016151913A - Driving support device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide notification at appropriate timing when a distance between a subject vehicle and a following vehicle becomes shortened.SOLUTION: A driving support device 10, when a distance between a following vehicle and a subject vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value, provides notification such as turning-on of a rear lamp 16 to the following vehicle, and also changes a form of the notification on the basis of results from a comparison between vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle and vehicle characteristic information of the subject vehicle. A degree of the notification performed by notification means 108 is made greater as a size of the following vehicle becomes smaller than that of the subject vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support device that supports driving of a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a technique in which when a succeeding vehicle that travels behind a host vehicle is too close to the host vehicle, the other vehicle is notified and the distance between the vehicles is increased.
For example, the following Patent Document 1 detects at least the other vehicle behind the own vehicle and outputs information indicating that the other vehicle has been detected, and at least the other vehicle is approaching the own vehicle. Informing means for informing the other vehicle, and control means for controlling the informing means to control the manner of informing performed by the informing means. The control means determines the approach degree between the host vehicle and the other vehicle based on the information indicating that the other vehicle output from the detection means is detected, and estimates the collision avoidance performance of the other vehicle, and determines the approach degree and the collision avoidance performance. Control according to is performed on the notification means.

JP 2012-168811 A

Various types of vehicles are running on the road, and depending on the vehicle characteristics of the following vehicle, especially when compared with the own vehicle, the vehicle to each vehicle when the own vehicle and the following vehicle contact each other The impact is different.
In the above-described conventional technology, the difference in vehicle characteristics between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is not taken into consideration, and there is room for improvement.
Further, the notification as described above is performed, for example, by turning on a lamp provided in the rear portion of the host vehicle. Therefore, it is recognized not only by the following vehicle but also by vehicles traveling on the left and right lanes, two-wheeled vehicles, etc., and this affects the driving operation of these vehicles.
For this reason, it is preferable to avoid unnecessary notification as much as possible.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to perform notification at an appropriate timing when the space between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is shortened.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the driving support device according to the invention of claim 1 includes an inter-vehicle measuring means for measuring an inter-vehicle distance with a following vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle, and when the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value, Informing means for informing the following vehicle and vehicle characteristic detecting means for detecting vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle, wherein the informing means includes the vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle and the vehicle of the host vehicle. The notification form is changed based on the comparison result with the characteristic information.
In the driving support apparatus according to a second aspect of the invention, the vehicle characteristic detecting means detects the size of the succeeding vehicle, and the notifying means reduces the size of the succeeding vehicle as compared with the own vehicle. The degree of notification by the notification means is increased.
In the driving support apparatus according to a third aspect of the invention, the vehicle characteristic detection means detects the size of the subsequent vehicle, and the notification means increases the size of the subsequent vehicle as compared with the own vehicle. The degree of notification by the notification means is increased.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support device, the vehicle characteristic detection means specifies the vehicle type of the following vehicle from an image obtained by photographing the rear of the host vehicle, and searches a database in which vehicle characteristic information of the vehicle type is recorded. Then, the vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle is detected.
The driving support apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the invention is characterized in that the notification means is a lamp provided in a rear portion of the host vehicle.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the driving support device that notifies the following vehicle when the distance between the following vehicle and the own vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle and the own vehicle is compared. The notification form is changed based on the result. Accordingly, it is possible to perform notification in consideration of the influence on each vehicle when the host vehicle and the following vehicle come into contact with each other, which is advantageous in improving the usefulness of the notification.
According to the invention of claim 2, since the degree of notification is increased as the size of the following vehicle is smaller when compared with the own vehicle, the driver of the following vehicle is notified when the influence on the following vehicle is large at the time of contact. Therefore, it is possible to promote stronger attention, which is advantageous in avoiding dangers such as contact.
According to the invention of claim 3, since the degree of notification is increased as the size of the following vehicle is larger than that of the own vehicle, when the influence on the own vehicle is large at the time of contact, the driver of the following vehicle is notified. Attention can be urged more strongly to perform a collision avoidance driving operation, which is advantageous in avoiding dangers such as contact.
According to the invention of claim 4, since the vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle is detected by searching the database in which the vehicle characteristic information of the vehicle type is recorded, for example, compared with detecting the vehicle characteristic information using a camera. Thus, it is advantageous in increasing the accuracy of information, and is advantageous in obtaining more types of vehicle characteristic information.
According to the invention of claim 5, since the notification means turns on the lamp provided in the rear portion of the host vehicle, the driver of the following vehicle is highly likely to notice the notification, and the effectiveness of the notification is improved. It will be advantageous.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of the driving assistance apparatus 10 concerning embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving support device 10. FIG. It is a table | surface which shows an example of the vehicle database 110. FIG. It is a table | surface which shows the blink interval of the size discrimination with the own vehicle 20 and the succeeding vehicle 30. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the driving support device 10. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of a change of alerting | reporting form.

  Exemplary embodiments of driving assistance according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overview of a driving support apparatus 10 according to the embodiment.
The driving assistance device 10 (see FIG. 2) according to the embodiment notifies the subsequent vehicle 30 when the distance between the own vehicle 20 and the subsequent vehicle 30 traveling behind the own vehicle 20 becomes excessively narrow. And has a function of encouraging the driver of the following vehicle 30 to widen the distance between the vehicles.
In the present embodiment, the driving assistance device 10 performs notification when the inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle 20 and the following vehicle 30 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold distance Lx. The inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle 20 and the following vehicle 30 is measured using, for example, a captured image of the camera 12 provided in the rear portion R of the host vehicle 20.

In the present embodiment, the notification to the following vehicle 30 is performed by turning on a lamp (rear lamp) 16 provided in the rear portion R of the host vehicle 20.
The rear lamp 16 may be a lamp conventionally provided in the vehicle such as a tail lamp that does not serve as a brake lamp, or may be a lamp provided exclusively for notification by the driving support device 10.
For the notification to the following vehicle 30, various conventionally known notification methods such as not only lighting the rear lamp 16 but also outputting an alarm sound toward the rear of the host vehicle 20 and transmitting an alarm message to the following vehicle 30 are applied. Is possible.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the driving support device 10.
The driving support device 10 includes a processing unit 11, a camera 12, and a rear lamp 16.
The processing unit 11 is, for example, an ECU of the host vehicle 20, and includes a CPU, a ROM that stores and stores a control program, a RAM as an operation area of the control program, an EEPROM that holds various data in a rewritable manner, a peripheral circuit, and the like. An interface unit that takes an interface is included, and the CPU functions as the inter-vehicle distance measuring unit 102, the vehicle characteristic detecting unit 104, and the lamp control unit 106 by executing the control program.

The inter-vehicle distance measuring unit 102 measures the inter-vehicle distance between the following vehicle 30 and the own vehicle 20 that travel behind the own vehicle 20.
The inter-vehicle distance measuring means 102 uses, for example, a captured image of the camera 12 installed with the rear portion R of the host vehicle 20 facing the rear portion R of the host vehicle 20 to determine the inter-vehicle distance between the succeeding vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 by image analysis. calculate.
At this time, for example, by identifying the vehicle type of the succeeding vehicle 30 from the image and referring to a database (for example, the vehicle database 110) in which the vehicle specifications of the vehicle type are recorded, the dimensions of the specific location are used as known values. The inter-vehicle distance between the succeeding vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 can be calculated with higher accuracy.
Alternatively, a stereo camera provided with two lenses may be used as the camera 12.
Further, the inter-vehicle distance between the following vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 may be measured using a radar (not shown) instead of the camera 12.

  Moreover, what is measured by the inter-vehicle distance measuring means 102 is not limited to the inter-vehicle distance, and may be an inter-vehicle time, for example. Here, the inter-vehicle distance refers to the time it takes for the following vehicle 30 to pass through the point A after the host vehicle 20 passes through the point A. In this case, for example, the traveling speed of the host vehicle 20 is detected from the speed sensor of the host vehicle 20, the inter-vehicle distance between the succeeding vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20, and the relative relationship between the succeeding vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 from The speed is calculated, and the time between the host vehicle 20 and the following vehicle 30 is measured.

The vehicle characteristic detection unit 104 detects vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle 30.
The vehicle characteristic information is, for example, information on the size, displacement, weight, dimensions of each part, vehicle grade, vehicle type, vehicle price, registered year, etc. of the following vehicle 30. At least one of them is detected.
For example, the vehicle characteristic detection unit 104 identifies the vehicle type of the following vehicle 30 from an image obtained by photographing the rear of the host vehicle 20 with the camera 12 and searches the vehicle database 110 in which the vehicle characteristic information of the vehicle type is recorded to search the subsequent vehicle 30. Vehicle characteristic information is detected.
In order to characterize the vehicle type of the following vehicle 30 from the image, a conventionally known image recognition technique such as pattern matching processing can be used.
In addition, the vehicle database 110 may be held by the driving support device 10, or the vehicle database 110 stored in an external server may be accessed by wireless communication or the like.
Further, instead of detecting the vehicle characteristic information using the vehicle database 110, the vehicle characteristic information may be obtained by analyzing a captured image of the camera 12.
In addition, the vehicle characteristic detection unit 104 also stores vehicle characteristic information of the host vehicle 20.

The lamp control means 106 constitutes a notification means 108 together with the rear lamp 16.
The notification unit 108 notifies the subsequent vehicle 30 when the distance between the subsequent vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 is equal to or less than a predetermined value. This notification is performed in order to make the driver of the following vehicle 30 recognize that the distance between the vehicles is shortened, and to urge the driver to perform a driving operation such as deceleration to extend the distance between the vehicles.
In the present embodiment, the rear lamp 16 is used as the notification unit 108. That is, the lamp control means 106 turns on the rear lamp 16 when the inter-vehicle distance measured by the inter-vehicle distance measuring means 102 becomes a predetermined value (threshold distance Lx) or less.
When the inter-vehicle time is used as a value indicating the inter-vehicle distance, the rear lamp 16 may be turned on when the inter-vehicle time becomes a predetermined value (threshold time Tx) or less.

Here, the notification means 108 changes the notification form based on the comparison result between the vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle 30 and the vehicle characteristic information of the host vehicle 20.
The notification form is, for example, the notification timing, frequency, degree, and the like. Specifically, for example, when the rear lamp 16 is used as the notification means 108, the lighting interval, the lighting color, the luminance at lighting, the threshold distance (threshold time). ) Etc. at least one of them.
If the notification form is changed, the degree of recognition and the recognition timing for the notification of the driver of the following vehicle 30 are different, and it is considered that the timing and the degree of subsequent driving operation (for example, deceleration operation) are affected. That is, the degree of notification (the magnitude of the influence on the driver of the following vehicle) can be changed by changing the form of notification.
The driving support device 10 determines the importance and urgency of the notification based on the comparison result between the vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle 30 and the vehicle characteristic information of the host vehicle 20, and changes the notification form based on the result. .

As an example, when the inter-vehicle distance between the following vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (threshold distance Lx), notification is performed by blinking the rear lamp 16, and the size of the vehicle is obtained as vehicle characteristic information. The case of comparing these will be described.
In this case, for example, the notification unit 108 increases the degree of notification (decreases the blinking interval) as the size of the succeeding vehicle 30 compared to the host vehicle 20 is smaller.
This is because the smaller the succeeding vehicle 30 is, the greater the influence on the succeeding vehicle 30 when it comes into contact with the host vehicle 20 is, so that stronger attention is urged and the succeeding vehicle 30 is protected.

FIG. 3 is a table showing an example of the vehicle database 110.
In the vehicle database of FIG. 3, the vehicle type name and the size of the vehicle type are recorded. The size is indexed with a numerical value of 1 to 5, and the smaller the numerical value, the smaller the size.
For example, when the following vehicle 30 is a C vehicle and the own vehicle 20 is a D vehicle, the size of the following vehicle 30 is 1, the size of the own vehicle 20 is 4, and the size of the following vehicle 30 is the own vehicle. It can be seen that it is 3 smaller than 20 (size difference −3).
FIG. 4 is a table showing the size discrimination blinking interval between the host vehicle 20 and the following vehicle 30.
In FIG. 4, the size difference between the own vehicle 20 and the following vehicle 30 and the blinking interval at each size difference are recorded.
As the blinking interval is shorter, the degree of notification to the driver of the following vehicle 30 is larger, and the notification mode is more strongly urging attention. In FIG. 4, as the following vehicle 30 is smaller than the own vehicle 20, the blinking interval of the rear lamp 16 is shortened, and a notification for stronger attention is given.
As described above, the size difference between the succeeding vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 is −3. Therefore, 0.75 seconds is selected as the blinking interval.

In FIG. 4, the blinking interval of the rear lamp 16 is shortened as the succeeding vehicle 30 is smaller than the own vehicle 20. However, the blinking interval of the rear lamp 16 is shortened as the succeeding vehicle 30 is larger than the own vehicle 20. Then, a notification for stronger attention may be given.
This is because it is considered that the influence on the own vehicle 20 is larger when the large succeeding vehicle 30 comes into contact with the own vehicle 20.

In the above description, the case where the blinking interval of the rear lamp 16 is changed has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the threshold distance (or the start distance) depending on the size difference between the own vehicle 20 and the following vehicle 30 (or (Threshold time) may be changed.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, the smaller the size of the succeeding vehicle 30 compared to the host vehicle 20 is, the longer the threshold distance is, and the notification is started earlier. The earlier the notification is made, the greater the degree of notification to the driver of the succeeding vehicle 30, and a notification form that prompts attention more strongly.
In FIG. 6, the threshold distance when the following vehicle 30 is equal to or larger than the own vehicle 20 (size difference 0 to +4) is Lx1, and the following vehicle 30 is smaller than the own vehicle 20 (size difference −1). In the case of -3, the threshold distance is set to Lx2 longer than Lx1.
Conversely, the larger the size of the succeeding vehicle 30 compared to the host vehicle 20, the longer the threshold distance and the earlier the notification may be.

  Further, for example, the lighting color of the rear lamp 16 is changed in accordance with the size difference between the host vehicle 20 and the following vehicle 30 (for example, when the rear lamp 16 is normally lit in green and stronger notification is desired, that is, the degree of notification is changed). If you want to increase the brightness, turn it on in orange or red), change the brightness at lighting (if you want to make a stronger notification, that is, increase the brightness as you want to increase the notification level) Good.

  In the above description, the sizes of the following vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 are compared. However, for example, the displacement and weight may be replaced with the vehicle size described above. In addition, change the form of notification in consideration of the monetary effect when the vehicle is damaged, such as the vehicle price and the number of years of registration (for example, if the monetary effect when the vehicle is damaged is large, increase the threshold distance). Or shortening the blinking interval).

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the driving support device 10.
Note that the flowchart of FIG. 3 shows a process in the case where the blinking interval of the rear lamp 16 is changed based on the difference in size between the host vehicle 20 and the following vehicle 30.
In the flowchart of FIG. 5, the driving support apparatus 10 determines whether or not there is a following vehicle 30 with reference to a captured image of the camera 12 (step S500). When there is no following vehicle 30 (step S500: loop of No), it returns to step S500 and continues monitoring of the presence or absence of a following vehicle.
When there is the following vehicle 30 (step S500: Yes), the inter-vehicle distance measuring means 102 measures the inter-vehicle distance between the subsequent vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 (step S502), and determines whether the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value. (Step S504). The inter-vehicle distance is, for example, the inter-vehicle distance L described above, and the predetermined value is the threshold distance Lx.
When the inter-vehicle distance is not less than the predetermined value, that is, when the inter-vehicle distance exceeds the predetermined value (step S504: No), the process returns to step S500, and the subsequent processing is repeated.
On the other hand, when the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value (step S504: Yes), the size of the following vehicle 30 is detected by the vehicle characteristic detection unit 104 (step S506). That is, the vehicle type of the subsequent vehicle 30 is specified from the captured image of the subsequent vehicle 30, and the size of the subsequent vehicle 30 is searched from the vehicle database 110.
The notification means 108 compares the size of the host vehicle 20 with the size of the following vehicle 30 (step S508), determines the blinking interval of the rear lamp 16 from the comparison result (step S510), and turns the rear lamp 16 on at the determined blinking interval. Flashes (step S512).
The blinking of the rear lamp 16 continues until, for example, the inter-vehicle distance between the succeeding vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 exceeds the threshold distance Lx. Thereafter, the process returns to step S500, and the subsequent processing is repeated.

As described above, according to the driving support apparatus 10 according to the embodiment, in the driving support apparatus 10 that notifies the subsequent vehicle 30 when the distance between the subsequent vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20 is equal to or less than a predetermined value. The notification form is changed based on the comparison result between the vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle 30 and the host vehicle 20.
Accordingly, it is possible to perform notification in consideration of the influence on each vehicle when the host vehicle 20 and the following vehicle 30 come into contact with each other, which is advantageous in improving the effectiveness of the notification.
In the driving support device 10, for example, if the degree of notification is increased as the size of the following vehicle 30 is smaller when compared with the host vehicle 20, the following vehicle is affected when the influence on the following vehicle 30 is large at the time of contact. 30 drivers can be alerted more strongly, which is advantageous in avoiding dangers such as contact. Further, for example, if the degree of notification is increased as the size of the succeeding vehicle 30 is larger than that of the own vehicle 20, the driver of the succeeding vehicle 30 is affected when the influence on the own vehicle 20 is large at the time of contact. Attention can be urged more strongly to perform a collision avoidance driving operation, which is advantageous in avoiding dangers such as contact.
Further, since the driving support device 10 searches the vehicle database 110 in which the vehicle characteristic information for each vehicle type is recorded and detects the vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle 30, for example, the vehicle characteristic information is detected using the camera 12. This is advantageous in increasing the accuracy of information and is advantageous in obtaining more types of vehicle characteristic information.
Further, in the driving support device 10, the notification means 108 lights the rear lamp 16 provided in the rear part of the own vehicle, so that the driver of the succeeding vehicle 30 is highly likely to notice the notification and improves the effectiveness of the notification. This is advantageous.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Driving assistance device, 102 ... Vehicle distance measurement means, 104 ... Vehicle characteristic detection means, 106 ... Lamp control means, 108 ... Notification means, 11 ... Processing part, 12 ... Camera, 16 ... Rear lamp , 20... Own vehicle, 30 .. following vehicle, L .. inter-vehicle distance, Lx... Threshold distance, R.

Claims (5)

An inter-vehicle measuring means for measuring an inter-vehicle distance with a following vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle;
When the distance between the vehicles is equal to or less than a predetermined value, an informing means for informing the subsequent vehicle;
Vehicle characteristic detection means for detecting vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle,
The notification means changes a notification form based on a comparison result between the vehicle characteristic information of the following vehicle and the vehicle characteristic information of the host vehicle.
A driving support device characterized by that. The vehicle characteristic detection means detects the size of the succeeding vehicle;
The notification means increases the degree of notification by the notification means as the size of the succeeding vehicle compared to the host vehicle is smaller.
The driving support apparatus according to claim 1. The vehicle characteristic detection means detects the size of the succeeding vehicle;
The notification means increases the degree of notification by the notification means as the size of the succeeding vehicle compared to the host vehicle is larger.
The driving support apparatus according to claim 1. The vehicle characteristic detection means identifies the vehicle type of the subsequent vehicle from an image obtained by photographing the rear of the host vehicle, and searches the database in which the vehicle characteristic information of the vehicle type is recorded to detect the vehicle characteristic information of the subsequent vehicle. To
The driving support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The notification means is a lamp provided in a rear portion of the host vehicle.
The driving support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein

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