JP2019212186A - Drive assist device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a drive assist device that can appropriately determine whether externally acquired dynamic information is reliable at a current location.SOLUTION: A drive assist device comprises: a dynamic information acquisition unit 52 that acquires dynamic information about a road to be associated with location information; an imaging unit 2 that captures images outside a vehicle; an outside environment estimation unit 67 that estimates a state of an outside environment about the dynamic information on the basis of images captured by the imaging unit 2; and a reliability degree determination unit 66 that determines a reliability degree of the dynamic information held in the dynamic information acquisition unit 52 in accordance with whether the dynamic information acquired by the dynamic information acquisition unit 52 is consistent with the state of the outside environment about the dynamic information estimated by the outside environment estimation unit 67, or not.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support device.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a driving support device that receives dynamic information transmitted from the outside of a vehicle and calculates a route. Various dynamic information regarding such roads may be utilized when controlling a vehicle.

JP 2004-125479 A

  However, since the state of the road changes with the passage of time, the acquired dynamic information about the road may be incorrect information when the host vehicle reaches the position.

  As described above, when the acquired dynamic information is incorrect as time passes, there is a possibility that a problem may occur if the dynamic information is used for vehicle control.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a driving support device that can appropriately determine whether or not the dynamic information acquired from the outside is reliable at the current position.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a dynamic information acquisition unit that acquires dynamic information about a road associated with position information, an imaging unit that captures an image outside the vehicle, and the image based on the image. An external environment estimation unit that estimates an external environment state related to dynamic information, the dynamic information acquired by the dynamic information acquisition unit, and the external environment state related to the dynamic information estimated by the external environment estimation unit And a reliability determination unit that determines the reliability of the dynamic information held in the dynamic information acquisition unit according to whether or not matches.

  Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the dynamic information acquired from the outside is reliable at the current position.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a driving support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the state of the external environment estimated by the image recognition process corresponding to the dynamic information of the driving support apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the reliability determination process of the driving support apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  A driving support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a dynamic information acquisition unit that acquires dynamic information about a road associated with position information, an imaging unit that captures an image outside the vehicle, and an image An external environment estimation unit for estimating the state of the external environment related to the dynamic information based on the dynamic information acquired by the dynamic information acquisition unit and the state of the external environment related to the dynamic information estimated by the external environment estimation unit. A reliability determination unit that determines the reliability of the dynamic information held in the dynamic information acquisition unit according to whether or not they match.

  Thereby, the driving assistance apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can appropriately determine whether or not the dynamic information acquired from the outside is reliable at the current position.

Hereinafter, a driving assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 equipped with a driving support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an imaging unit 2, a notification unit 3, a communication unit 4, a map information management unit 5, and a control unit 6. Consists of.

  The imaging unit 2 is configured by a camera or the like, for example, and images the front of the vehicle 1. The imaging unit 2 outputs the captured image to the control unit 6. The imaging unit 2 may include a camera that images not only the front of the vehicle 1 but also other directions.

  The alerting | reporting part 3 is comprised by a monitor apparatus, a speaker, a lamp | ramp, a meter, a buzzer, etc., for example, and alert | reports various information to a driver | operator through vision, hearing, etc.

  The communication unit 4 communicates with a server device outside the vehicle, a roadside communication device installed near the road, and the like to transmit and receive information.

  The map information management unit 5 is a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a hard disk device, an input port, and an output port. It is composed of units.

  The ROM of the map information management unit 5 stores a program for causing the computer unit to function as the map information management unit 5 along with various control constants and various maps. That is, the computer unit functions as the map information management unit 5 when the CPU executes a program stored in the ROM.

  Various sensors including a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 53 and an acceleration sensor (not shown) are connected to the input port of the map information management unit 5.

  The GNSS receiving device 53 receives radio waves from a GNSS satellite via a GNSS antenna (not shown), and acquires the latitude and longitude of the current position from information included in the received radio waves. The acceleration sensor detects the acceleration of the vehicle 1.

  The map information management unit 5 and the control unit 6 mutually transmit and receive signals such as control signals via an in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) compliant with a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

  The map information management unit 5 is a static information storage unit 51 that manages, for each road link, static map information stored in, for example, a hard disk device, including road sign information, traffic signal information, road lane information, and the like. Function as.

  The road link represents, for example, a road section between two nodes such as an intersection or a node of a road.

  The map information management unit 5 receives road traffic information, road regulation information, road construction information, traffic jam information, accident information, ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) information, weather information from the server device or roadside communication device via the communication unit 4. It functions as a dynamic information acquisition unit 52 that acquires dynamic information that changes according to the environment and situation.

  The map information management unit 5 can detect the current position of the host vehicle by using the above-described GNSS receiver 53, an acceleration sensor, or the like.

  The map information management unit 5 acquires the road link of the current position from the current position, and stores map information such as road sign information, traffic signal information, road type information, road attribute information, etc. stored in association with the road link To get.

  The map information management unit 5 acquires traffic information such as traffic jam information and accident information around the current position, weather information, and the like.

  The map information management unit 5 transmits the acquired map information, traffic information, weather information, and the like to the control unit 6. The map information management unit 5 transmits, for example, map information, traffic information, weather information, and the like acquired when a road link is changed or when information is acquired from a server device or a roadside communication device to the control unit 6. .

  The control unit 6 is configured by a computer unit including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, an input port, and an output port.

  The ROM of the control unit 6 stores a program for causing the computer unit to function as the control unit 6 along with various control constants and various maps. That is, the computer unit functions as the control unit 6 when the CPU executes a program stored in the ROM.

  Various sensors including the imaging unit 2 are connected to the input port of the control unit 6. Various control objects including the notification unit 3 are connected to the output port of the control unit 6.

  The control unit 6 functions as an image reading unit 61 that reads image data captured by the imaging unit 2. The control unit 6 functions as an image processing unit 62 that performs predetermined image processing on the image data read by the image reading unit 61.

  The control unit 6 functions as a detection processing unit 63 that performs setting of an object to be recognized and the like when performing a predetermined recognition process from the image data image-processed by the image processing unit 62.

  Based on the setting of the detection processing unit 63, the control unit 6 uses the image data processed by the image processing unit 62 to perform road signs, characters, signboards, people, cars, traffic lights for cars, traffic lights for pedestrians, gates for toll gates It functions as a recognition processing unit 64 that recognizes road lanes and the like.

  The control unit 6 functions as an output processing unit 65 that causes the notification unit 3 to notify the driver of information recognized by the recognition processing unit 64 and information received from the map information management unit 5.

  The control unit 6 functions as a reliability determination unit 66 that determines the reliability of the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5. The reliability takes a plurality of levels, and the reliability level is raised or lowered by a predetermined amount by the reliability determination described later.

  The control unit 6 functions as an external environment estimation unit 67 that estimates the state of the external environment related to the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5 based on the recognition result by the recognition processing unit 64.

  When the external environment state regarding the dynamic information estimated by the external environment estimation unit 67 matches the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5, the reliability determination unit 66 is a map information management unit. The reliability of the dynamic information acquired by 5 is increased.

  The reliability determination unit 66 changes the amount by which the reliability is increased or decreased according to the type of dynamic information.

  Examples of dynamic information include information on traffic regulation, information on construction, information on accidents, information on traffic jams, ITS information, information on pylons temporarily present on the road, objects such as people and bicycles, etc. is there.

  For example, in the case of information on traffic regulation or information on construction, the reliability determination unit 66 increases or decreases the reliability by a first predetermined amount.

  For example, in the case of information on an accident, the reliability determination unit 66 increases or decreases the reliability by a second predetermined amount that is larger than the first predetermined amount.

  For example, in the case of information related to traffic jam, the reliability determination unit 66 increases or decreases the reliability by a third predetermined amount that is larger than the second predetermined amount.

  For example, in the case of information on an object that temporarily exists on the road, the reliability determination unit 66 increases or decreases the reliability by a fourth predetermined amount that is larger than the third predetermined amount.

  This is set so that the degree of increase and decrease in reliability increases as the type of dynamic information changes in a short time.

  When the dynamic information is information related to the traffic light, the reliability determination unit 66 indicates that the traffic light state estimated by the external environment estimation unit 67 is continuous with the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5 a predetermined number of times. The reliability is increased when they match, and the reliability when the state of the traffic light estimated by the external environment estimation unit 67 does not match the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5 continues for a predetermined time. Reduce. Note that the reliability may be lowered when there is a mismatch for a predetermined number of times.

  As shown in the table shown in FIG. 2, the reliability determination unit 66 matches the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5 with the state of the external environment related to the dynamic information estimated by the external environment estimation unit 67. Judge whether to do.

  In FIG. 2, when the external environment estimation unit 67 estimates the state of the external environment such as traffic closure, maximum speed regulation, lane regulation, one-sided traffic regulation, etc. from the recognition result of the variable sign as in item 1, reliability determination The unit 66 compares the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5 with information related to traffic regulation.

  When the external environment estimation unit 67 estimates the external environment state such as the construction period, the construction period, and the distance to the construction section from the recognition result of the signboard or the object on the road as described in the item 2, the reliability determination unit 66 compares with the information regarding the construction of the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5.

  When the external environment estimation unit 67 estimates the state of the external environment such as the accident location, the accident content, and the accident traffic jam from the state of the preceding vehicle and the recognition result of the variable sign as in item 3, the reliability determination unit 66 The dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5 is compared with information related to the accident.

  As described in item 4, when the external environment estimation unit 67 estimates the state of the external environment of the traffic jam from the state of the vehicle ahead and the recognition result of the variable sign, the reliability determination unit 66 acquires the map information management unit 5. Compared with information on traffic congestion in the dynamic information.

  For example, the external environment estimation unit 67 estimates traffic congestion based on information on a plurality of vehicles ahead and intermittent illumination changes of the tail lamp. The external environment estimation unit 67 may estimate a traffic jam in consideration of the speed of the host vehicle. The external environment estimation unit 67 may estimate the traffic jam in consideration of the content of the guide sign.

  When the external environment estimation unit 67 estimates the state of the external environment such as the presence / absence of the traffic signal and the traffic signal state (color) from the traffic signal recognition result as described in the item 5, the reliability determination unit 66 performs the map information management. It compares with the information regarding the traffic signal of the dynamic information acquired by the part 5.

  As described in item 6, when the external environment estimation unit 67 estimates the state of the external environment such as the presence or absence of a person from the recognition result of an object that temporarily exists on the road, the reliability determination unit 66 displays the map information. The dynamic information acquired by the management unit 5 is compared with information regarding an object that temporarily exists on the road.

  The reliability determination unit 66 indicates that the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5 indicates that there is no person, but the external environment estimation unit 67 estimates that there is a person. The dynamic information acquired by the information management unit 5 may be prohibited from use.

  When the reliability of the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5 is increased or decreased, the reliability determination unit 66 transmits the reliability of the dynamic information to each controller of the vehicle 1. Dynamic information is used based on the received reliability.

  The reliability determination process by the driving assistance apparatus according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. The reliability determination process described below is started when the control unit 6 starts the process, and is executed at a preset time interval.

  In step S <b> 1, the control unit 6 acquires the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5 from the map information management unit 5.

  In step S2, the control unit 6 estimates the state of the external environment based on the recognition result obtained by the image recognition process.

  In step S <b> 3, the control unit 6 determines whether the dynamic information acquired by the map information management unit 5 matches the estimated external environment state a predetermined number of times. When it is determined that the dynamic information and the estimated state of the external environment match a predetermined number of times, in step S4, the control unit 6 increases the reliability of the dynamic information according to the type of the dynamic information.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the dynamic information and the estimated state of the external environment do not match a predetermined number of times, in step S5, the control unit 6 determines the reliability of the dynamic information according to the type of dynamic information. Reduce the degree.

  In step S6, the control unit 6 transmits the reliability information of the dynamic information to each controller of the vehicle 1 and ends the process.

  Note that the predetermined number of times in step S3 is basically one time, and may be multiple times depending on the type of dynamic information. For example, information on traffic regulation and information on traffic lights may be set multiple times.

  Further, in step S6, the reliability is compared with a threshold value, and when the reliability exceeds the threshold value, “high reliability” is set, and otherwise “low reliability” is transmitted to each controller. .

  As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the state of the external environment is estimated based on the recognition result by the recognition processing unit 64, and the dynamic information is evaluated using the estimated external environment. It is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the dynamic information includes an error.

  In addition, since the degree of increase or decrease in reliability is set according to the type of dynamic information, the severity of information when there is an error depends on the type of dynamic information, or the external environment due to image recognition processing Even when the accuracy of the estimation is different, the reliability of the dynamic information can be appropriately determined.

  In addition, traffic regulations, construction, accidents, traffic jams, temporarily existing objects, and ITS information whose information is updated over time in various places are dynamically compared with the external environment estimated from image recognition results. Since the reliability of information is determined and the degree of increase and decrease in reliability is set according to the type of dynamic information, the reliability according to the type of dynamic information can be determined.

  In addition, since the degree of increasing and decreasing the reliability is increased as the dynamic information changes in a short time, the reliability according to the type of the dynamic information can be determined.

  In addition, since information on traffic signals is easily affected by changes over time, even if there is a mismatch, the reliability is not reduced immediately, but the state of mismatch is lowered after a predetermined period of time and only matches once. Then, since the reliability is increased by continuously matching without increasing the reliability, it is possible to appropriately determine the reliability of the acquired information on the traffic signal.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which the control unit 6 performs various determinations and calculations based on various sensor information has been described. These determinations and calculations may be performed, the determination results and calculation results may be received by the communication unit 4, and various controls may be performed using the received determination results and calculation results.

  While embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be included in the following claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Imaging part 52 Dynamic information acquisition part 66 Reliability determination part 67 External environment estimation part

Claims (5)

A dynamic information acquisition unit that acquires dynamic information about a road associated with the position information;
An imaging unit that captures an image outside the vehicle;
An external environment estimation unit that estimates the state of the external environment related to the dynamic information based on the image;
Depending on whether the dynamic information acquired by the dynamic information acquisition unit matches the state of the external environment related to the dynamic information estimated by the external environment estimation unit, the dynamic information acquisition unit A driving assistance device comprising: a reliability determination unit that determines the reliability of the dynamic information that is held.   The reliability determination unit increases the reliability by a predetermined amount set according to the type of the dynamic information when the dynamic information and the state of the external environment related to the dynamic information match, The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein when the dynamic information and the state of the external environment related to the dynamic information do not match, the reliability is reduced by the predetermined amount.   The dynamic information includes at least one of information related to traffic regulation, information related to construction, information related to accidents, information related to traffic jams, ITS information, and information related to objects that temporarily exist on the road. The driving support device according to claim 2.   The reliability determination unit sets a first predetermined amount as the predetermined amount when the dynamic information is information regarding the traffic regulation or information regarding the construction, and the dynamic information is information regarding the accident. In this case, a second predetermined amount larger than the first predetermined amount is set as the predetermined amount, and when the dynamic information is information related to the traffic jam, a third larger than the second predetermined amount is set as the predetermined amount. And a fourth predetermined amount larger than a third predetermined amount is set as the predetermined amount when the dynamic information is information relating to an object that temporarily exists on the road. 3. The driving support device according to 3.   The reliability determination unit increases the reliability when the dynamic information is information related to a traffic signal, and when the dynamic information and the state of the external environment related to the dynamic information continuously match, The driving support according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reliability is reduced when a state in which the dynamic information and the state of the external environment related to the dynamic information do not match continues for a predetermined time. apparatus.

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