JP2017167915A - Driving support device and driving support method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology for warning of intrusion by other vehicle to a lane own vehicle is travelling on according to situation of an intersection.SOLUTION: A lane on which an own vehicle is travelling when passing an intersection provided with a left turn lane or a right turn lane is to be a prediction lane, and other vehicles travelling in the surrounding of the own vehicle is detected by an other vehicle detection unit. When at least one of the prediction lane or the prediction lane of the other vehicle is the left turn lane or the right turn lane, determination is made of whether a warning of intrusion to the prediction lane by the other vehicle is necessary or not according to whether or not the other vehicle is travelling on the lane adjacent to the prediction lane. When determined that the warning is necessary, the warning is outputted to a driver of the own vehicle from an outputting unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for supporting driving of a vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an apparatus that assists in driving a vehicle by outputting a warning for preventing a collision with another vehicle to the driver of the host vehicle by voice. For example, in Patent Document 1, it is detected that the vehicle is traveling in an overtaking lane at a junction, and a detected vehicle traveling in front of the left lane located on the left side of the lane is detected. Therefore, it is determined that warning and guidance needs to be output, and a warning such as “the vehicle in front of the left lane may change lanes” is output as a sound, and a vehicle traveling in front of the left lane is detected. A device is described in which it is determined that there is no need to output a warning and guidance if there is no warning and no warning is output.

JP 2007-257228 A

  The technology of Patent Document 1 outputs a warning by determining that there is a possibility that another vehicle may change lanes to the lane of the own vehicle when another vehicle exists on the left front of the own vehicle at the junction. Yes, the conditions for outputting warnings are limited. For this reason, it could not be applied to a device that issues a warning at a place other than a meeting point. For example, it was not possible to output a warning about the possibility that another vehicle would interrupt the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling before the intersection.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for warning the interruption of another vehicle in the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling according to the situation of the intersection.

The driving support device of the present invention solves the above-described problem,
A lane prediction unit that predicts a lane in which the vehicle travels when passing through an intersection where a left turn lane or a right turn lane is provided;
Other vehicle detection unit for detecting other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle,
When at least one of the predicted lane and the predicted lane of the other vehicle is the left turn lane or the right turn lane, depending on whether the other vehicle is traveling in the lane adjacent to the predicted lane A determination unit that determines whether or not a warning for interrupting the predicted lane by the other vehicle is necessary;
An output unit that outputs the warning to the driver of the host vehicle when it is determined that the warning is necessary;
Equipped with.

The driving support method of the present invention solves the above-described problem,
Predicting the lane in which the vehicle travels when passing through an intersection where a left turn lane or a right turn lane is provided, and setting it as a predicted lane;
A step of detecting another vehicle traveling around the host vehicle by another vehicle detection unit;
When at least one of the predicted lane and the predicted lane of the other vehicle is the left turn lane or the right turn lane, depending on whether the other vehicle is traveling in the lane adjacent to the predicted lane Determining whether an interrupt warning to the predicted lane by the other vehicle is necessary;
When it is determined that the warning is necessary, a computer executes a step of causing the driver of the host vehicle to output the warning from an output unit.

  The present invention may be a program for realizing the steps executed by the computer described above. Furthermore, the present invention may be a computer-readable recording medium that records such a program. In this case, the function can be provided by causing the computer or the like to read and execute the program of the recording medium. Note that a computer-readable recording medium is a recording medium that accumulates information such as data and programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read from a computer or the like. Say.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the technique which warns the interruption of the other vehicle to the lane which the own vehicle drive | works according to the condition of an intersection can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a driving support device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of driving assistance by the driving assistance device. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of avoidance action determination conditions. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the skill level determination condition. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a warning table. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating processing steps when the driving support device executes the driving support method. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lane prediction process.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configuration of the following embodiment is an exemplification, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment.
<1. Device configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a driving support device 20 in the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of driving support by the driving support device 20. The driving support device 20 is a device mounted on a vehicle. A vehicle equipped with the driving support device 20 is referred to as a host vehicle 2, and a vehicle that travels around the host vehicle 2 is referred to as another vehicle 1. The driving support device 20 warns about the possibility of another vehicle interrupting the lane of the host vehicle 2 according to the lane that the host vehicle 2 is predicted to travel, the lane that the other vehicle is traveling, the operation and skill level of the driver. Whether or not is necessary is determined. The driving support device 20 does not output a warning when it is determined that a warning is unnecessary, and outputs a warning to the driver of the host vehicle 2 when it is determined that a warning is necessary.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, since the host vehicle 2 goes straight through the intersection 70, the central lane among the three lanes on one side is set as the predicted lane 71. When another vehicle 1 is traveling diagonally right forward of the host vehicle 2, the driver of the other vehicle 1 notices that the driver is traveling on the right turn exclusive lane 72 immediately before the intersection 70, and is predicted. You may be forced into lane 71. For this reason, a warning such as “Please be careful about interruptions from the right-turn exclusive lane” is output to the driver of the host vehicle 2.

As a result, the driver of the host vehicle 2 recognizes the possibility of interruption by another vehicle and passes while paying attention to the behavior of the other vehicle, thereby avoiding being involved in an accident. In addition, since it is not output when it is determined that a warning is unnecessary, useless alarms can be suppressed and attention can be urged appropriately.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support device 20 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a storage unit 23, an input unit 24, a detection unit 25, a navigation device 26, and a speaker 27. In addition, the driving assistance apparatus 20 may include an air conditioner or a vibrator as an output unit as appropriate.

  The communication unit 22 is a wireless communication device that includes an antenna and a wireless communication circuit and performs information communication with other devices via a network. The communication function uses, for example, WiMAX (registered trademark), LTE, or the like.

  The storage unit 23 is a memory that stores data. For example, it is a nonvolatile storage medium such as an EEPROM, a flash memory, or a hard disk drive having a magnetic disk. The storage unit 23 stores map data 23a, avoidance action determination conditions 23b, skill level determination conditions 23c, a warning table 23d, driver information 23e, a travel history 23f, and a program 23g.

  The map data 23a is data indicating a map used by the navigation device 26 for navigation. The map data 23a represents roads and terrain on the basis of latitude and longitude, and has information on buildings, facilities, intersections, and the like in addition to roads. The information on the intersection is information indicating the situation of the intersection such as the position of the intersection, the number of lanes, the presence / absence of a right turn lane, the presence / absence of a straight lane, the presence / absence of a left turn lane, and the like.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the avoidance action determination condition 23b. The avoidance action determination condition 23b is a condition for determining whether or not the driver has performed an operation for avoiding an accident with another vehicle. For example, in the avoidance action determination condition 23b, there was a movement of the line of sight confirming another vehicle, and after the distribution in the direction of the line of sight was unevenly distributed near the side mirror, there was an increase or decrease in speed or a change of lane more than a predetermined level. Etc. Further, the avoidance action determination condition 23b is that the vehicle is decelerated so as to take a distance from the preceding vehicle, the vehicle is accelerated so as to escape from the blind spot of the parallel running vehicle, and the like. The language of the condition in FIG. 3 is shown in natural language for convenience of explanation, but is not limited to this, and is preferably written in a language that can be processed by a computer. The same applies to the languages in FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the skill level determination condition 23c. The skill level determination condition 23c is a condition for determining the skill level of the driver. For example, if the driving behavior such as acceleration, deceleration, and inter-vehicle distance in a predetermined period, which has been caused by an accident due to an interrupt in the past, is within a predetermined range, change the lane within a predetermined distance from an intersection with a right turn lane or a left turn lane It is determined that the skill level is high when a condition such as the number of times or frequency of execution is not more than a predetermined range is satisfied, and the skill level is low when the condition is not satisfied.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the warning table 23d. The warning table 23d stores status information, warning information, and output form in association with each other. The situation information is information indicating a situation such as a lane in which the host vehicle 2 and other vehicles are traveling, a predicted lane of the host vehicle 2, presence / absence of route setting, presence / absence of avoidance behavior, and the skill level of the driver. The warning information is information indicating warning contents, and is information indicating, for example, voice data, images, messages, indicator values, vibration patterns, and air volume of an air conditioner. The warning information stored in the warning table 23d may be information indicating the storage location of the file to be output, such as the path name of an audio file or an image file, instead of the output information itself.

The driver information 23e is information for determining the skill level of the driver, and includes the driver's accident history, the number of years since the driver's license was acquired, the driving frequency, the driving tendency, and the like. The accident history of the driver is, for example, information input by the driver via the input unit 24 or information acquired from a computer of the insurance company via the communication unit 22. Driving tendency includes driving behavior such as acceleration, deceleration and inter-vehicle distance, the number or frequency of lane changes within a predetermined distance from the intersection with the right turn lane or left turn lane, the number or frequency of sudden braking and acceleration, etc. It is the information which shows the tendency of the past driving.

  The travel history 23f is information indicating a travel history such as a travel route and date / time, a position / date / time when the vehicle has stopped for a predetermined time, a position where the engine is turned off, and the like in a past predetermined period.

  The program 23g is firmware that is read by the control unit 21 so that the control unit 21 executes the function of the driving support device 20. The program 23g can be input to the driving support device 20 via a storage medium such as a memory card or connected to an external device via a line.

  The input unit 24 inputs information by a driver's operation such as an input button, a storage medium reading device such as a memory card, and a touch panel.

  The detection unit 25 is a device or sensor provided in the host vehicle 2. The detection unit 25 includes an acceleration sensor 25a, a camera 25b, a speed sensor 25c, a rudder angle sensor 25d, an engine control unit 25e, a direction indicator sensor 25f, and a radar 25g. In addition, the detection unit 25 may be a sensor that detects an operation state of a brake, a wiper, an AV device, an air conditioner, a microphone, a luminometer, or a rain gauge.

  The acceleration sensor 25a is a sensor that measures acceleration generated in the driving support device 20, and is, for example, a capacitance type or semiconductor piezoresistive type three-axis acceleration sensor. The acceleration sensor 25a measures the acceleration generated in the driving support device 20 and transmits it to the control unit 21 as acceleration data.

  The camera 25b is attached to the front end and rear end of the host vehicle 2 and below the left and right side mirrors, and photographs the periphery of the host vehicle 2. The camera 25b is also attached to the inside of the vehicle to photograph the driver. While the host vehicle 2 is activated, the camera 25b always captures images and transmits image data to the control unit 21. The camera 25b that captures the periphery of the host vehicle 2 is a form of another vehicle detection unit that detects other vehicles.

  The speed sensor 25 c detects the speed of the host vehicle 2 and transmits it to the control unit 21. The rudder angle sensor 25d detects the angle of the steered wheel that changes the traveling direction of the vehicle according to the operation of the steering wheel, and transmits it to the control unit 21 as rudder angle data. The engine control unit 25e detects that the engine has been stopped (stall) when the operation for stopping the engine is not being performed (hereinafter, also simply referred to as engine stall), and transmits the detected result to the control unit 21. The direction indicator sensor 25 f detects the operation of the direction indicator (blinker) and transmits it to the control unit 21. The radar 25g detects the position and relative distance of another vehicle that travels around the host vehicle, and transmits it to the control unit 21. The radar 25g is a form of another vehicle detection unit that detects other vehicles. In the present embodiment, the other vehicle detection unit includes the camera 25b and the radar 25g, but either one may be omitted.

  The navigation device 26 is a device that measures the current position of the host vehicle 2 using a signal received by a GPS receiver 26c, which will be described later, and provides route guidance to the destination based on the map information. The navigation device 26 includes a display 26a and a GPS receiver 26c.

The display 26 a is a display device that displays characters, graphics, and the like and visually presents information to the driver of the host vehicle 2. For example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display 26a displays a map when the navigation device 26 performs route guidance, and also displays a message notifying a vehicle requiring attention traveling around. The display 26a includes a touch panel that accepts user input operations and also functions as an input unit.

  The GPS receiver 26c is a receiver including an antenna that receives a signal from a GPS satellite. In addition to GPS satellites, the GPS receiver 26c receives signals transmitted from satellites such as GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (European Community), and Japanese quasi-zenith satellites (such as Michibiki). It may be what performs.

  The speaker 27 is an acoustic device that outputs sound. The speaker 27 outputs a voice message notifying a vehicle requiring attention traveling around. The speaker 27 also outputs sounds such as route guidance from the navigation device 26. The speakers 27 are provided in the left and right doors of the front seat and in the left and right doors of the rear seat.

The control unit 21 includes an operation reception unit 21a, a lane prediction unit 21b, a determination unit 21c, and an output control unit 21d. The control unit 21 includes a central processing unit (CPU) (not shown) and a memory, and the operation receiving unit 21a and the lane prediction unit 21b of the control unit 21 according to a computer program that is executable in the memory. , Processing as each unit such as the determination unit 21c and the output control unit 21d is executed. The CPU is also called an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), a microprocessor, or a processor. The CPU is not limited to a single processor, and may have a multiprocessor configuration. A single CPU connected by a single socket may have a multi-core configuration. At least a part of the processing of each unit may be performed by a processor other than the CPU, for example, a dedicated processor such as a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a numerical operation processor, a vector processor, or an image processing processor. good. Further, at least a part of the processing of each unit may be an integrated circuit (IC) or other digital circuit. In addition, an analog circuit may be included in at least a part of each of the above parts. Integrated circuit is LSI, Application Specific Integrated Circuit
(ASIC), programmable logic device (PLD). The PLD includes, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Each of the above units may be a combination of a processor and an integrated circuit. The combination is, for example, MCU (Micro Controller Unit), S
It is called oC (System-on-a-chip), system LSI, and chipset.

  The operation reception unit 21 a receives operations on the driving support device 20 and the navigation device 26. For example, the operation reception unit 21a displays an input form of driver information on the display 26a to prompt the driver to input, and when the driver inputs by operating a touch panel or an input button (not shown), The receiving unit 21 a receives this input information as driver information and stores it in the storage unit 23.

  The lane prediction unit 21b predicts a lane on which the host vehicle 2 travels when passing through an intersection where a left turn lane or a right turn lane is provided, and sets the predicted lane.

  When at least one of the predicted lane and the predicted lane of another vehicle is a left turn lane or a right turn lane, the determination unit 21c determines whether another vehicle is traveling in the lane adjacent to the predicted lane. It is determined whether or not a warning for interrupting the predicted lane by another vehicle is necessary.

When it is determined that a warning is necessary, the output control unit 21d causes the output unit to output a warning to the driver of the host vehicle 2. For example, the output control unit 21 d reads out a message indicating the content of the warning from the warning table 23 d of the storage unit 23, causes the display 26 a and the indicator to display and outputs a voice message from the speaker 27. The output control unit 21d controls the air direction and the air volume of the air conditioner according to the content of the warning, or controls the air to blow out from a specific air outlet among the plurality of air outlets. Further, the output control unit 21d controls a vibration pattern of vibration provided at a location touched by the driver, such as a seat, according to the content of the warning. The output control unit 21d may cause the driver to output a warning by transmitting the warning from the communication unit 22 to another device such as a wearable device worn by the driver. That is, in this embodiment, the display 26a, the indicator, the speaker 27, the air conditioner, the vibrator, the wearable device, and the communication unit 22 are one form of the output unit.

<2. Driving support method>
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating processing steps when the driving support device 20 executes the driving support method. The processing steps shown in FIG. 6 are started when the start of processing is selected by the driver, or when the own vehicle 2 approaches the intersection and the distance from the intersection is within a predetermined range. It is repeatedly executed until it passes.

  First, the driving assistance device 20 reads the intersection information of the intersection that passes next from the storage unit 23 (step S10). In addition, the driving support device 20 reads the route setting in the navigation device 26 (step S20), and determines whether or not the route to the destination is set (step S30). When the route to the destination is set (step S30, Yes), the lane that travels when passing the intersection according to this route is predicted as the predicted lane (step S40). That is, when a route that goes straight through the intersection is set, the lane that can go straight is set as the predicted lane, and when a route that turns left at the intersection is set, the lane that can turn left is set as the predicted lane, and the intersection turns right If the route is set, the lane that can turn right is set as the predicted lane. If there are multiple lanes that can be driven straight, lanes that can turn left, or lanes that can turn right, that is, according to the route, the lane that is closest to the currently driving lane is predicted. Lane. Here, when one of the lanes that can travel according to the route is currently traveling, the currently traveling lane is set as the nearest lane, that is, the predicted lane. The currently running lane is determined by recognizing a white line that separates the lane from an image around the vehicle photographed by the camera 25b, and in which lane divided by the white line the host vehicle 2 exists. The Further, the position of the host vehicle 2 is obtained in detail by the GPS receiver 26c, and the lane in which the host vehicle is located is specified by collating with the intersection information.

  On the other hand, when determining in step S20 that the route to the destination has not been set (step S30, No), the driving support device 20 predicts the lane to travel based on the travel history (step S50). ). A specific description of the prediction process based on the travel history will be described later.

  Next, the driving assistance device 20 determines whether or not a traffic segment having a different traveling direction from the predicted lane is designated in a lane adjacent to the predicted lane (hereinafter also referred to as an adjacent lane) (step S60). For example, when the predicted lane is a straight lane, if the adjacent lane is a right turn lane or a left turn lane, it is determined that a different traffic classification is designated (step S60, Yes), and the process proceeds to step S70. . Further, when the predicted lane is a right turn lane or a left turn lane, it is determined that a different traffic classification is designated when the connected lane is a straight lane (step S60, Yes), and the process proceeds to step S70. That is, if the driver of another vehicle notices that he is driving in a lane in a direction different from the desired direction while driving in an adjacent lane, a predicted lane with a different direction of travel before the intersection (i.e., the desired lane) Therefore, the process proceeds to step S70 to warn of this interruption.

On the other hand, if the predicted lane and the adjacent lane are the same straight lane, or if the predicted lane and the adjacent lane are the same right turn lane or left turn lane (step S60, No), the possibility of interruption is low. Then, the process of FIG. If the predicted lane is a straight lane and the adjacent lane is a right turn lane that is not a right turn exclusive lane, that is, a lane that can turn right and go straight, it is determined that a different traffic classification is designated (step S60, Yes) The process may proceed to step S70, or it may be determined that a different traffic classification is not designated (step S60, No), and the process of FIG. 6 may be terminated. Further, when the predicted lane is a straight lane and the adjacent lane is a left turn lane that is not a left turn exclusive lane, that is, a lane that can turn left and go straight, it is determined that a different traffic classification is designated (step S60, Yes) The process may proceed to step S70, or it may be determined that a different traffic classification is not designated (step S60, No), and the process of FIG. 6 may be terminated.

  Next, the driving support device 20 detects another vehicle in the adjacent lane (step S70), and determines whether there is another vehicle in the adjacent lane (step S80). When it is determined that there is no other vehicle in the adjacent lane (step S80, No), the interruption in FIG. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is another vehicle in the adjacent lane (step S80, Yes), the process proceeds to step S90.

  In step S90, the driving assistance device 20 acquires the avoidance action determination condition 23b and the action of the driver, and determines whether or not the driver has taken the avoidance action (step S100). For example, when the action of the driver detected by the detection unit 25 does not satisfy the avoidance action determination condition 23b, it is determined that the avoidance action is not taken (No in Step S100), and a warning is output to the driver (Step S100). S110). On the other hand, when the driver's action detected by the detection unit 25 satisfies the avoidance action determination condition 23b, it is determined that the avoidance action has been taken (step S100, Yes), and the process proceeds to step S120.

  In step S120, the driving support device 20 reads the skill level determination condition 23c and the driver information from the storage unit 23, and determines the skill level of the driver based on the skill level determination condition 23c and the driver information (step S130). ). For example, when the driver information does not satisfy the skill level determination condition 23c, it is determined that the skill level is low and a warning is required (step S130, Yes), and a warning is output 140 to the driver. On the other hand, if the driver information satisfies the skill level determination condition 23c, the skill level is not low, so it is determined that a warning is not required (No in step S130), and the process of FIG.

  As described above, the driving support device 20 according to the present embodiment determines whether or not a warning is necessary according to the situation, and outputs a warning only when it is determined that a warning is necessary. .

<3. Lane prediction process>
Next, the prediction of the lane in which the host vehicle 2 travels will be specifically described by the lane prediction unit 21b.
(3-1) The lane prediction unit 21b predicts a lane to travel based on the travel history. For example, a travel history for a predetermined period such as the most recent years or months is read from the storage unit 23, and a place where the vehicle has stopped for a predetermined time or parked with the engine turned off is obtained as a past destination 79. Predict that you will drive in many directions. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when there are five intersections 70 in the straight direction, one in the right turn direction, and two in the left turn direction, the host vehicle 2 is predicted to go straight, and the straight lane is set as the predicted lane. And The travel history to be read may be read that matches the current position, time, time zone, weather, day of the week, season, and the like. In addition, the travel history is not limited to the configuration that is read from the storage unit 23. For example, the travel history may be stored in a data center on the network, and the travel history may be read from the data center via the network by the communication unit 22.

(3-2) The lane prediction unit 21b predicts that the host vehicle is going straight when the vehicle is traveling on a road with three or more lanes on one side and is not the lane closest to the center line, and the straight lane that is currently traveling Is the predicted lane. Note that, as described above, the currently traveling lane is determined based on the white line recognition by the camera 25b and the position of the host vehicle obtained by GPS.

  (3-3) The lane prediction unit 21b detects the driver's line of sight according to the movement of the driver's eye taken by the camera 25b, and predicts the lane in which the host vehicle travels based on the distribution of the line of sight. May be. For example, if the detected line-of-sight distribution is small to the left and right and concentrated in the front, it is determined that the host vehicle is going straight, predicts that it will turn left if it is biased to the left, and turns right if it is biased to the right Predict and set the lane that travels in this direction as the predicted lane.

  (3-4) The lane prediction unit 21b may acquire the voice of the driver with a microphone and recognize the voice, and may predict the lane in which the vehicle travels based on the voice. For example, in speech recognition, words indicating directions such as “straight”, “to the left”, and “to the right” are extracted and predicted to travel in this direction, and the lane traveling in this direction is set as the predicted lane. It is also possible to extract a word indicating a direction that co-occurs with a direction related to the traveling direction or the destination, such as “go straight”, “turn left”, “go right”, and the like.

  (3-5) The lane prediction unit 21b may predict the lane in which the host vehicle travels according to the operation status of the direction indicator, the speed of the host vehicle, the driving condition such as the acceleration, and the like. For example, when the driver operates the direction indicator, it is predicted that the vehicle will travel in the direction indicated by the direction indicator, and the lane that travels in this direction is set as the predicted lane. Further, when accelerating before the intersection or traveling at a predetermined speed or more, it is predicted that the vehicle will go straight, and the lane that travels in this direction is set as the predicted lane.

<4. Avoidance Action Judgment Processing>
Next, the avoidance action determination process by the determination unit 21c will be described in detail.
(4-1) The determination unit 21c determines avoidance behavior based on the driver's gaze distribution. For example, in step S100 of FIG. 6, when the driver's line of sight is detected by the camera 25b and the distribution of the line of sight exists in the vicinity of the side mirror on the adjacent lane side where the other vehicle exists, It is determined that he / she has noticed, that is, has taken an avoidance action. On the other hand, if the gaze distribution is not biased in the vicinity of the side mirror, it is determined that the driver is not aware of another vehicle, that is, is not taking an avoidance action.

  (4-2) The determination unit 21c may determine avoidance behavior based on the driver's line-of-sight distribution and driving operation. For example, in step S100 of FIG. 6, the driver's line of sight is detected by the camera 25b, and after detecting that the distribution of the line of sight exists in the vicinity of the side mirror on the adjacent lane side where another vehicle exists, deceleration, When a predetermined driving operation such as changing the acceleration inter-vehicle distance is performed, it is determined that the driver notices another vehicle and takes an avoidance action. On the other hand, if the gaze distribution does not exist in the vicinity of the side mirror, or if the gaze distribution does not exist in the vicinity of the side mirror, if the predetermined driving operation is not performed after that, It is determined that the person is not aware of the other vehicle, that is, is not taking an avoidance action.

(4-3) The determination unit 21c may determine an avoidance action based on a predetermined driving operation. For example, in step S100 of FIG. 6, when a predetermined driving operation is performed such as decelerating to take a distance from the preceding vehicle, accelerating to escape from the blind spot of a parallel running vehicle, It is determined that another vehicle has noticed and has taken an avoidance action. On the other hand, if the predetermined driving operation is not performed, it is determined that the driver is not aware of the other vehicle, that is, is not taking an avoidance action.
<5. Skill level judgment process>
Next, the skill level determination process by the determination unit 21c will be described in detail.
(5-1) The determination unit 21c determines the skill level based on the driver's accident history. For example, based on information input by the driver via the input unit 24 or information acquired from the computer of the insurance company via the communication unit 22, it is determined that the skill level is low when an accident related to interruption is not experienced, If you have experienced an accident related to interruption, it is determined that you are highly skilled. In addition, it is determined that the skill level is low when the person is the perpetrator of an accident related to interruption, and the skill level is determined to be high when the person is a victim of an accident related to interruption.

  (5-2) The determination unit 21c may determine the skill level based on the driving operation of the driver. For example, driving behavior such as acceleration, deceleration, and inter-vehicle distance during driving is obtained from the driving history, and when the driving behavior is within a predetermined range, it is determined that the skill level is high, and sudden acceleration exceeding the predetermined range is performed. Alternatively, it is determined that the skill level is low when sudden deceleration is performed or when the inter-vehicle distance is too short.

  (5-3) The determination unit 21c may determine the skill level based on the driving tendency of the driver. For example, when the number or frequency of dangerous driving operations is more than a predetermined value, such as the number or frequency of lane changes within a predetermined distance from the intersection with a right turn lane or left turn lane, the number or frequency of sudden braking and acceleration, etc. It is determined that the skill level is low, and when the number and frequency of dangerous driving operations are less than a predetermined value, it is determined that the skill level is high.

  In addition, when there is a right turn lane and the road is more than 3 lanes on one side, when driving in a road other than the right turn lane, the vehicle has traveled in the lane adjacent to the right turn lane or the frequency of running is over a predetermined value. It is determined that the skill level is low.

<6. Output form>
When it is determined that a warning is necessary, the output control unit 21d displays and outputs a warning on the display 26a or an indicator, or outputs a voice message or a warning sound from the speaker 27. Further, this display output and audio output may be combined.

  Further, the output control unit 21d controls the air direction and the air volume of the air conditioner according to the content of the warning. For example, when another vehicle exists in the right lane, the air is discharged from the right outlet as viewed from the driver. Control is performed so that air is blown out from the blowout opening corresponding to the direction in which the other vehicle exists so as to blow out. In order to control air to blow out from a specific outlet and not to blow out air from other outlets in this way, for example, it can be opened and closed in the ventilation path from the heat exchanger of the air conditioner to each outlet The motor damper of the ventilation path connected to the blower outlet which blows off air is provided, and the motor damper of the ventilation path connected to the blower outlet which does not blow air is closed. In addition, it may replace with the motor damper in a ventilation path | route, and you may control opening and closing of the louver of a blower outlet.

  Further, the output control unit 21d may control the vibration pattern of the vibrator provided on the seat seat surface according to the content of the warning. For example, there are other vehicles that vibrate the right part of the seat when the other vehicle is in the right lane and vibrate the left part of the seat when the other vehicle is in the left lane. Control to vibrate the position corresponding to the direction.

These output forms may be different depending on whether the predicted lane is determined according to the route setting in step S40 shown in FIG. 6 or the predicted lane is determined regardless of the route setting in step S50. good. For example, when the predicted lane is determined according to the route setting, it is output with a display or sound such as “Please watch out for interruptions from the right side”. On the other hand, when the predicted lane is determined regardless of the route setting, information indicating in which direction the warning is given is added, such as “when going straight ahead”. In other words, it outputs such as “Be careful about interruptions from the right side when going straight ahead”. Not limited to this, when the predicted lane is determined according to the route setting, and when the predicted lane is determined without depending on the route setting, the voice color is different or displayed as men and women. You may control so that it may differ. In this case, the output control unit 21d controls the sound volume of the left and right speakers 27 when outputting a warning sound or sound, and moves the sound image from the direction in which another vehicle exists toward the front. It may be different from the case where it is not moved. Further, the output control unit 21d may perform control so as to vary the strength of the air volume of the air conditioner and the strength of vibration of the vibrator. Also, combinations of output methods such as wind and sound of an air conditioner and vibration and sound of a vibrator may be varied.

  Further, when acceleration / deceleration is necessary to avoid an interruption, the driver is notified of acceleration / deceleration like "Recommend acceleration for avoiding interruption" or "Recommend deceleration for avoiding interruption". In this case, an indicator may be lit at the position of the speed changed by acceleration / deceleration in the meter panel.

  Further, the warning may be repeated a plurality of times while changing the warning content. For example, if it is determined that no other vehicle is present, that is, if it is determined that the avoidance action is not taken in step S100, first output “Please be careful about interruption from the right side”. If the line-of-sight distribution does not change, a warning corresponding to the situation is output, such as “Recommend acceleration to avoid interruption”.

  These output forms are determined as output forms of the warning table 23d, and the output control unit 21d outputs the warning data read from the warning table 23d in a corresponding output form.

<7. Effects of the embodiment>
As described above, the driving support device 20 according to the present embodiment can warn of an interruption of another vehicle in the lane in which the host vehicle travels according to the situation of the intersection. In addition, the driving support device 20 determines whether or not an interrupt warning is necessary according to whether or not another vehicle is traveling in the lane adjacent to the predicted lane, and when it is determined that the warning is necessary. Since the warning is output only, unnecessary warning output is suppressed, the driver is less annoyed, and the driver can be alerted appropriately.

  In addition, since the driving support device 20 issues a warning when there is another vehicle in the right turn lane or the left turn lane adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, it is possible to issue a warning for a frequently occurring interrupt.

  Furthermore, since the driving support device 20 determines the necessity of the warning depending on whether or not the avoidance operation is performed by the driver, the avoidance operation is performed when the avoidance operation is not performed without noticing other vehicles. Is insufficient, the warning can be output reliably, and when the avoidance operation is performed, the output of a useless warning can be suppressed.

  And since the driving assistance apparatus 20 gives a warning when it determines with a driver | operator's skill level being low, it can alert appropriately according to a driver | operator's skill level.

<8. Modification>
As described above, the driving support device 20 outputs a warning based on the situation information such as the relationship between the predicted lane of the host vehicle and the travel lane of the other vehicle. At this time, the warning content may be a combination of the above situation information and route guidance by the navigation device 26. For example, the situation information in which the route guidance by the navigation device 26 is added to the lane in which the host vehicle 2 and other vehicles travel, the predicted lane of the host vehicle 2, the presence / absence of route setting, the presence / absence of avoidance behavior, the skill level of the driver, etc. Are stored in the storage unit 23 in association with each other, and when a warning is output in steps S110 and S140 (FIG. 6), the warning content corresponding to the situation information is read from the storage unit 23. Output.

  For example, when the vehicle is driving in a right turn lane and the other vehicle is driving in an adjacent lane, the warning in steps S110 and S140 is performed. Please pay attention to the interrupt. " On the other hand, when a route is set in the navigation device 26 and a right turn is made at the next intersection, route guidance is performed as “Soon a right turn”. Since these are output at a limited time before the intersection, if they are output at the same time, they may be output at the same time and become inaudible, or one may be given priority and the other may not be output. . For this reason, in this modified example, when the route guidance of the navigation device 26 and the warning of the driving support device 20 are performed at the next intersection, the route guidance and the warning are combined, (Please pay attention to interrupts from (or straight ahead lanes) ”.

  Similarly, the host vehicle travels on the left turn lane, and in the above-mentioned embodiment, it outputs such as “Please be careful about interruptions from the left side (or straight lane)”, and the route guidance by the navigation device 26 is “soon to turn left” In this modification, instead of the route guidance, a warning is output such as “Be careful about interruption from the right side (or straight lane) when entering the left turn lane”.

  In addition, the vehicle travels in a straight lane, and in the above-mentioned embodiment, the output is “Please be careful about interruption from the left side (or right side)”, and the route guidance by the navigation device 26 is “This is straight ahead” In this modification, in this modification, a warning is output instead of the route guidance, such as “Be careful about interruptions from the left side (or right side) when going straight through an intersection”.

  Furthermore, not only when the route is set, but the situation is approaching the right turn (or left turn) lane, and guidance is output from the navigation device 26, such as “There will be a right turn (or left turn) lane soon”. In a situation where the vehicle travels in a straight lane and outputs such as “Please be careful about interruption from the left side (or right side)” in the above-described embodiment, in this variation, instead of the guidance described above, A warning is output as “Be careful of interruptions from the right-turn (or left-turn) lane when going straight at the intersection”.

  In addition, approaching the right turn (or left turn) lane, the navigation device 26 will output a guidance such as “There will be a right turn (or left turn) lane soon”, and the vehicle will drive on the right turn (or left turn) lane. In the above-mentioned example, in a situation where the output is such as “Please pay attention to the interruption from the left side (or the right side)”, in this modification, instead of the guidance, “when turning right (or left) at the intersection, "Please pay attention to interrupts from straight lanes".

  As described above, according to the present modification, a warning can be issued with appropriate contents according to the complex situation of the route guidance by the navigation device 26 and the relationship between the predicted lane of the host vehicle and the travel lane of the other vehicle. .

  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.

2 Host vehicle 20 Driving support device 21 Control unit 21a Operation receiving unit 21b Lane prediction unit 21c Determination unit 21d Output control unit 22 Communication unit 23 Storage unit 24 Input unit 25 Detection unit 26 Navigation device 27 Speaker

Claims (5)

A lane prediction unit that predicts a lane in which the vehicle travels when passing through an intersection where a left turn lane or a right turn lane is provided;
Other vehicle detection unit for detecting other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle,
When at least one of the predicted lane and the travel lane of the other vehicle is the left turn lane or the right turn lane, depending on whether the other vehicle is traveling in the lane adjacent to the predicted lane A determination unit that determines whether or not a warning for interrupting the predicted lane by the other vehicle is necessary;
An output unit that outputs the warning to the driver of the host vehicle when it is determined that the warning is necessary;
A driving assistance device comprising: When the lane prediction unit predicts a lane that travels when the host vehicle travels straight through the intersection as the predicted lane,
Whether the determination unit needs to warn the other vehicle of an interruption to the predicted lane according to whether the other vehicle is traveling in the left turn lane or the right turn lane adjacent to the predicted lane The driving support device according to claim 1, which determines whether or not. An operation detection unit for detecting the operation of the driver;
When the determination unit determines whether an avoidance operation for the interrupt has been performed based on the driver's operation detected by the operation detection unit, and determines that the avoidance operation has been performed, the warning The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the driving support device determines that is not necessary.   When the determination unit reads out information related to the driver from the storage unit, determines the skill level of the driver based on the information related to the driver, and determines that the skill level of the driver is low, The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that a warning is necessary. Predicting the lane in which the vehicle travels when passing through an intersection where a left turn lane or a right turn lane is provided, and setting it as a predicted lane;
A step of detecting another vehicle traveling around the host vehicle by another vehicle detection unit;
When at least one of the predicted lane and the predicted lane of the other vehicle is the left turn lane or the right turn lane, depending on whether the other vehicle is traveling in the lane adjacent to the predicted lane Determining whether an interrupt warning to the predicted lane by the other vehicle is necessary;
When it is determined that the warning is necessary, outputting the warning from an output unit to the driver of the host vehicle;
A driving support method comprising:

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