JP2023164171A - Drive assistance device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a drive assistance device which can properly guide expansion or contraction of a driver's a view field.SOLUTION: A drive assistance device includes: an environment recognition unit 100 for recognizing an environment around a vehicle 1; traveling state recognition units 310, 320, 330 for recognizing a traveling state of the vehicle; a gaze region setting unit 200 for setting a gaze region which should be closely observed by a driver of the vehicle on the basis of outputs of the environment recognition unit and the traveling state recognition unit; and an image display device 210 which displays a gaze region index indicating the gaze region in a superimposing manner within a range of a view field in which the driver can see ahead of the vehicle. The gaze region index is configured such that an interval between a plurality of indices 510, 520 aligned in a vehicle width direction is changed according to change in the size of the gaze region in the vehicle width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a driving support device that presents information regarding driving operations to a driver of a vehicle.

As a technology related to driving support devices for vehicles such as automobiles, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses that in order to display warnings with reduced nuisance, information related to the position of surrounding objects of the vehicle, vehicle speed, steering direction, etc. The system predicts contact between the vehicle and surrounding objects based on vehicle information, and when there is a possibility of contact, creates an avoidance route to avoid contact with surrounding objects based on location-related information and vehicle information. An information presentation device that estimates and displays the information on an information display unit is described.
Patent Document 2 discloses that in order to display traffic information such as accident information in a manner that is easily recognizable to the driver, an accident involving a vehicle ahead that should be notified as traffic information in front of the vehicle in order to prompt the driver to change course or stop the vehicle is disclosed. The accident information of the vehicle ahead is obtained through the on-vehicle communication device, and the accident information of the vehicle ahead and the external scenery of the own vehicle are superimposed on the display.The accident information of the vehicle ahead is displayed superimposed on the display as the vehicle approaches the vehicle faster. A vehicle traffic information display system is described that displays accident information in three dimensions in a manner that emphasizes the information.
Patent Document 3 discloses that a route image corresponding to the planned travel route of the host vehicle is displayed on a monitor, and the route image is a vehicle travel guide that is displayed on the monitor in a display format corresponding to the driving force and braking force of the host vehicle. The equipment is described. It is also described that a driving situation identification image is set based on the slope or curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-163501 JP 2016-224553 Publication International Publication WO2015/029181 Publication

Driving a car does not require particularly advanced skills, and it is easy to drive in accordance with the driver's intentions, using various driving support devices, braking and driving forces for each wheel, suspension control devices, etc. It is becoming.
However, when driving on a curved road, for example, the driver visually checks the surroundings of the vehicle, controls the speed by operating the brakes, controls the steering angle by operating the steering wheel, controls the speed by operating the accelerator, and controls the steering by operating the steering wheel. It is assumed that a series of basic driving operations such as corner return are possible.
However, in the case of drivers with low driving skills, for example, when judging the curvature of a approaching curved road, in situations where a wide field of view should be taken, it is difficult to focus on a specific object, etc., or conversely, to focus on a specific area. There is a concern that if the field of view is too wide when it should be, attention will be distracted.
In such a case, there is a concern that the driver's perception of the surrounding environment of the vehicle may be incorrect, leading to inappropriate driving operations.
In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a driving support device that can appropriately guide the driver to enlarge or reduce the field of view.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a driving support device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an environment recognition section that recognizes the environment around a vehicle, a driving state recognition section that recognizes the driving state of the vehicle, and the environment recognition section. and a gaze area setting unit that sets a gaze area that the driver of the vehicle should gaze based on the output of the driving state recognition unit; A driving support device comprising: an image display device that superimposedly displays a gaze area index indicating a gaze area, wherein the gaze area index determines an interval between a plurality of indicators arranged in the vehicle width direction in the gaze area. It is characterized in that it changes in accordance with changes in width in the vehicle width direction.
According to this, by changing the interval between the plurality of indicators in accordance with changes in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to guide the driver to widen or narrow the field of view. This makes it possible to assist the driver in making appropriate judgments about the situation.

A driving support device according to another aspect of the present invention includes an environment recognition unit that recognizes an environment around a vehicle, a driving state recognition unit that recognizes a driving state of the vehicle, and the environment recognition unit and the driving state recognition unit. a gaze area setting unit that sets a gaze area that the driver of the vehicle should gaze at based on the output of the driver; and a gaze area that indicates the gaze area within a field of vision in which the driver can visually recognize the front of the vehicle. A driving support device comprising an image display device that displays indicators in a superimposed manner, wherein the size of the gaze area indicator changes in the vehicle width direction in accordance with a change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction. It is characterized by
According to this, the size of the gaze area index in the vehicle width direction is changed in accordance with the change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction, so that the driver can be instructed to widen or narrow the field of view. This makes it possible to guide the driver and assist the driver in making appropriate judgments about the situation.

In the present invention, the image display device includes a steering operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver performs a steering operation, and the image display device determines the steering direction of the steering operation and the steering operation according to the prediction of the situation in which the driver performs the steering operation. The display mode of the gaze area index may be changed to represent at least one of the amount and the amount.
Further, in the present invention, the image display device includes a deceleration operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver performs a deceleration operation, and the image display device predicts the braking force in the deceleration operation according to the prediction of the situation in which the driver performs the deceleration operation. The display mode of the gaze area index may be changed to represent at least one of the braking distance and the braking distance.
Further, in the present invention, the image display device includes an acceleration operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver performs an acceleration operation, and the image display device predicts the acceleration and acceleration in the acceleration operation according to the prediction of the situation in which the driver performs the acceleration operation. The display mode of the gaze area index may be changed to represent at least one of the directions.
According to each of these inventions, it is possible to guide the driver's field of view and guide the driving operations to be performed in the future, thereby preventing the driver from misjudging the situation or performing inappropriate driving operations, causing the vehicle to malfunction. It is possible to maintain a stable state and prevent falling into a dangerous state.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a driving support device that can appropriately guide the driver to expand or contract his or her visual field.

1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a vehicle having a first embodiment of a driving support device to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a travel line when a vehicle passes through a curved road. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a driver's field of view when the vehicle enters the curve shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of a head-up display in the driving support device of the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the display image of the head-up display in 2nd Embodiment of the driving assistance device to which this invention is applied.

<First embodiment>
Hereinafter, embodiments of a driving support device to which the present invention is applied will be described.
The driving support device of the embodiment is mounted, for example, on a four-wheel vehicle such as a passenger car, and has a function of guiding an occupant (typically a driver) to a field of view to be focused on.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a vehicle having a driving support device according to a first embodiment.

The vehicle 1 includes an environment recognition unit 100, a driving support control unit 200, an electric power steering (EPS) control unit 310, a power unit control unit 320, a brake control unit 330, and the like.
Each of these units can be configured as a microcomputer having, for example, an information processing section such as a CPU, a storage section such as a RAM or ROM, an input/output interface, a bus connecting these, and the like.
Further, each unit can communicate with each other directly or via an in-vehicle LAN such as a CAN communication system, for example.

The environment recognition unit 100 recognizes the environment around the vehicle based on outputs from various sensors and the like.
The environment around the host vehicle that is the object of recognition includes, for example, information regarding the lane shape of the road on which the vehicle 1 travels, the relative positions and relative speeds of various obstacles with respect to the host vehicle, and the like.
A visible light camera 110, a millimeter wave radar device 120, a laser scanner device 130, a high-precision map database 140, a positioning device 150, and the like are connected to the environment recognition sensor 100.
The environment recognition unit 100 functions as an environment recognition section of the present invention.

The visible light camera device 110 is an imaging device that images the surroundings (front, rear, side, etc.) of the vehicle using a visible light camera such as a stereo camera or a single camera.
The visible light camera device 110 has a function of performing image processing on a captured image and detecting the presence or absence of an object around the host vehicle, the relative position and speed of the object with respect to the host vehicle, the shape of the lane, and the like.
The millimeter wave radar device 120 is a radar device that uses radio waves in a frequency band of 30 to 300 GHz, for example, and has a function of detecting the presence or absence of an object and the relative position of the object with respect to the own vehicle.
The laser scanner device 130 scans the surroundings of the vehicle by emitting pulsed near-infrared laser light, for example, and determines the presence or absence of an object and the relative relationship of the object to the vehicle based on the presence or absence of reflected light and the time difference until the reflected light returns. It has the ability to detect the position, shape of an object, etc.

The high-definition map database 140 stores data related to high-definition three-dimensional map data (HD map) within the range in which the vehicle 1 is expected to travel.
This data is, for example, three-dimensional data of lanes, road shoulders, lane markings (so-called white lines), etc., with a resolution of, for example, centimeters and including latitude, longitude, and altitude information.
The positioning device 150 includes, for example, a receiver for a quasi-zenith satellite system such as GPS, a road-to-vehicle communication device, a gyro sensor for autonomous navigation, and detects the current position of the vehicle 1.

The driving support control unit 200 guides the driver's field of view based on the environment around the vehicle recognized by the environment recognition unit 100 and the driving state of the vehicle 1 recognized based on the outputs of each unit and sensor described later. It also performs driving support control such as guiding driving operations.

A head-up display 210 is connected to the driving support control unit 200.
The head-up display 210 is an image display device that displays images such as figures and characters overlapping the field of view that the driver sees in front of his own vehicle through a front window glass (not shown).
The head-up display 210 is provided, for example, at the top of an instrument panel provided at the front of the vehicle interior.
The head-up display 210 projects, for example, an image formed at an infinitely distant point onto the windshield.

The driving support control unit 200 includes a driving scenario generation section 201, a gaze area setting section 202, a steering operation prediction section 203, a deceleration operation prediction section 204, an acceleration operation prediction section 205, an image generation section 206, and the like.
The driving scenario generation unit 201 generates a driving pattern that the vehicle 1 should drive in the future based on the environment in front of the vehicle provided by the environment recognition unit 100 and the current driving state of the vehicle 1 (vehicle speed, acceleration, behavior, etc.). A driving scenario is generated that includes information regarding the line and vehicle speed, behavior, etc. at each location on the driving line.
The driving support control unit 200 has a function of guiding the driver in driving operations for actually driving the vehicle 1 according to a driving scenario.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a travel line when a vehicle passes through a curved road.
In FIG. 2, a right curve in the case of left-hand traffic is shown as an example.
When the vehicle 1 is driven by a driver with relatively high driving skills, the vehicle 1 often follows a so-called out-in-out running line in order to suppress the curvature of the turning trajectory of the vehicle.
In this case, at the position P1 just before entering the curve, the vehicle is in a state where the vehicle is on the left side (outside) of the lane in preparation for the right curve.

Thereafter, the vehicle 1 decelerates by applying brakes as necessary, and the driver applies a rightward steering angle, so that the vehicle 1 starts turning. At position P2 immediately after the start of the turn, vehicle V1 adjusts the yaw angle θ with respect to the traveling direction of the lane so that the front of the vehicle body faces the clipping point CP (the point where the driving line is furthest inside (the inside of the turn)). It is in a weak condition.

When the vehicle 1 further advances and reaches the clipping point passing position P3, the traveling line of the vehicle 1 becomes closest to the inside within the lane width. Around this time, the driver performs an accelerator operation (acceleration operation) while decreasing the steering angle, so that the vehicle 1 starts transitioning to a position in which it exits toward the exit of the curve.
At the escape start position P4, the vehicle 1 accelerates while decreasing the steering angle, and the lateral position within the lane gradually shifts to the outside.
Thereafter, at the escape end position P5 after exiting the curve, the steering angle becomes substantially zero, and the vehicle 1 continues to accelerate up to a predetermined speed.
At this time, the lateral position within the lane is along the outside side of the curved road.

When the driving scenario generation unit 201 detects a situation in which the driver requires some kind of driving operation, such as when a curved road approaches in front of the vehicle 1, the driving scenario generation unit 201 generates a driving scenario including a series of such driving operations.

The gaze area setting unit 202 sets a gaze area that is an area in front of the vehicle 1 that the driver should gaze at.
FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a driver's field of view when the vehicle enters the curve shown in FIG. 2. FIG.
When the vehicle 1 is at the position P1 immediately before entering a curve in FIG. 2, the driver should keep a wide field of vision from the entrance of the curve to at least as far ahead as the driver can see. is preferred.
After that, when entering a curved road (for example, position P2 immediately after the start of the turn in Fig. 2), after grasping the curvature of the curved road, narrow the field of view to focus on the front side (the exit side of the curved road), and It is preferable to focus on checking the road surface condition on the driving line and the presence or absence of an oncoming vehicle OV.
Thereafter, after passing the clipping point CP, when accelerating toward the exit of the curved road while moving the traveling line outward, it is preferable to guide the line of sight to the area through which the vehicle passes during acceleration.

When the vehicle 1 passes through a curved road, the gaze area setting unit 202 sequentially changes the gaze area from the time of entry to the time of exit, depending on the transition of the traveling location of the vehicle 1, as described above.
Further, the gaze area setting unit 202 sets the gaze area setting unit 202 to include, for example, if there are features to be noted in the terrain in front of the vehicle 1 (such as a tunnel entrance), or if there are signals, signs, etc. Set the gaze area.

The steering operation prediction unit 203 predicts the steering operation that the driver should perform in the future based on the driving scenario generated by the driving scenario generation unit 201.
The steering operation prediction unit 203 predicts, for example, a time-series change in the steering angle from entering a curved road to exiting the curved road.
Such a time-series change in the steering angle can be calculated using, for example, the shape of the lane in front of the vehicle and the vehicle motion model provided by the environment recognition unit 100.

The braking operation prediction unit 204 predicts the braking operation (deceleration operation) that the driver should perform in the future based on the driving scenario generated by the driving scenario generating unit 201.
The braking operation prediction unit 204 predicts, for example, a time-series change in braking force (or brake pedal force) from entering to exiting a curved road.
The braking operation prediction unit 204 performs braking with a predetermined braking force (deceleration) based on the target vehicle speed at the time of entering a curved road in the driving scenario (as an example, at the start of steering) and the current vehicle speed of the vehicle 1. In this case, the braking start position (or braking start timing) is estimated so that deceleration to the target vehicle speed is possible.
In addition, if the environment recognition unit 100 recognizes that the entry point to the curved road is a downhill slope, the braking operation prediction unit 204 determines that the situation is such that deceleration is severe and sets the braking start position far from the curved road. Correct it so that it becomes correct.

The acceleration operation prediction unit 205 predicts the acceleration operation (accelerator operation) that the driver should perform in the future based on the driving scenario generated by the driving scenario generation unit 201.
The acceleration operation prediction unit 205 predicts, for example, a time-series change in the driving force (or accelerator operation amount) from entering to exiting a curved road.
The acceleration operation prediction unit 205 predicts whether or not the vehicle 1 will be activated after the vehicle 1 passes, for example, a clipping point CP on a curved road, the steering angle is started to be returned, and the behavior of the vehicle 1 will not be disturbed even if the acceleration operation is performed. It is predicted that the acceleration operation will be started so that the acceleration of the vehicle will reach a predetermined value, and that the vehicle will then shift to constant speed driving after reaching a predetermined vehicle speed.

The image generation unit 206 generates image data to be displayed on the head-up display 210 based on the outputs of the gaze area setting unit 202, the steering operation prediction unit 203, the braking operation prediction unit 204, and the acceleration operation prediction unit 205. be.
A specific aspect of the image displayed on the head-up display 210 will be described in detail later.

The electric power steering control unit 310 provides an assist force according to the steering operation of the driver D and a steering force during automatic steering to a steering device (not shown) that steers the steering wheels (typically the front wheels) of the vehicle 1. It is for controlling.
A steering angle sensor 311, a torque sensor 312, a motor 313, etc. are connected to the electric power steering control unit 310.

The steering angle sensor 311 is a sensor (a steering angle detection section) that detects a steering angle in a steering device.
The torque sensor 312 is a sensor that detects the torque applied to a steering shaft connected to a steering wheel (not shown) that is steered by the driver D.
The electric power steering control unit 310 generates an assist force according to the torque detected by the torque sensor 312.
The motor 313 is an electric actuator that provides assist force and steering force to the steering device and generates rack thrust.
The output of the motor 313 is controlled by an electric power steering control unit 310.
The outputs of the steering angle sensor 311 and torque sensor 312 are transmitted to the driving support control unit 200 and used to generate a driving scenario.

The power unit control unit 320 centrally controls the driving power source of the vehicle 1 and its auxiliary equipment.
As the driving power source, for example, an internal combustion engine (ICE), an electric motor, an engine-electric motor hybrid system, etc. can be used.
The power unit control unit 320 sets a required torque based on, for example, the operation amount of an accelerator pedal (not shown), and controls the driving power source so that the actual torque generated by the driving power source matches the required torque.
Information regarding the operation amount of the accelerator pedal and the required torque of the driving power source is transmitted to the driving support control unit 200 and used to generate a driving scenario.

The brake control unit 330 individually (for each wheel) controls the braking force of the brake devices provided on the front, rear, left, and right wheels of the vehicle.
The brake device may include, for example, a hydraulic disc brake.
A hydraulic control unit 331, a vehicle speed sensor 332, an acceleration sensor 333, a yaw rate sensor 334, and the like are connected to the brake control unit 330.

The hydraulic control unit 331 is a hydraulic pressure control device that individually adjusts the brake fluid hydraulic pressure of a wheel cylinder (not shown) of each wheel.
The hydraulic control unit 331 includes an electric pump that pressurizes brake fluid, and a pressure increase valve, pressure reduction valve, pressure holding valve, etc. that control the brake fluid hydraulic pressure of each wheel cylinder.

A master cylinder, a wheel cylinder, etc. (not shown) are connected to the hydraulic control unit 331 via brake fluid piping.
The master cylinder pressurizes brake fluid in response to the driver's operation of a brake pedal (not shown) to perform a brake operation.
The brake fluid pressure generated by the master cylinder is transmitted to the wheel cylinders via the hydraulic control unit 331.
The hydraulic control unit 331 has a function of overriding the brake fluid hydraulic pressure generated by the master cylinder and increasing or decreasing the brake fluid hydraulic pressure of each wheel cylinder.
The wheel cylinder is provided on each wheel, and presses a brake pad against a disc rotor, for example, to generate a frictional force (braking force) according to brake fluid hydraulic pressure.

The vehicle speed sensor 332 is provided at a hub portion that rotatably supports each wheel, and is a sensor that generates a vehicle speed signal according to the rotational speed of each wheel.
The acceleration sensor 333 is a sensor (acceleration/deceleration detecting section) that detects acceleration acting on the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction and the left/right direction (vehicle width direction).
The yaw rate sensor 334 is a sensor that detects the yaw rate, which is the rotation (rotation) angular velocity of the vehicle body around the vertical axis.
Information regarding brake fluid pressure (correlated with braking force) and the outputs of vehicle speed sensor 332, acceleration sensor 333, and yaw rate sensor 334 are transmitted to driving support control unit 200 and used to generate a driving scenario. .

Hereinafter, specific aspects of the image displayed on the head-up display 210 in the driving support device of the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display image of a head-up display in the driving support device of the first embodiment.
FIGS. 4(a) to 4(e) show an example of a state in which the vehicle travels on the curved road shown in FIG. 2, for example.

The display image 500 has a right gaze area index 510 and a left gaze area index 520.
The right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 are triangular figures that protrude upward from the lower end of the display area in the display image 500 and narrow at the upper end.
The right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 are spaced apart in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction).
The interval between the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 indicates the gaze area set by the gaze area setting unit 202.

FIG. 4(a) shows a state where a curved road is approaching and the driver is guided to widen his field of view in order to judge the curvature of the curved road.
The right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 encourage the driver to widen their field of vision by increasing the interval.
The left end of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the right end of the left gaze area indicator 520 are both arranged in parallel along the vertical direction of the display image 500.
Furthermore, the heights of the upper ends of the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 are the same.

FIG. 4B shows a state in which a curved road approaches and the driver is prompted to perform a braking operation according to the prediction result of the braking operation prediction unit 204.
The display color of the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 is different from the normal display color, and is changed to a color reminiscent of a brake operation (for example, red, etc. reminiscent of a brake light).
Further, the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 are inclined (inwardly inclined) in a direction in which their upper ends approach each other. Such an inclination causes the driver to feel a sense of blockage and psychologically intuitively feel the need to operate the brakes.
The width W1 of the lower end of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 indicates the magnitude of the required braking force (brake depression force).
The lengths of the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 indicate the expected length of the braking distance.

FIG. 4C shows a state in which braking upon entering a curved road has been completed and the driver is prompted to perform a steering operation to give a rightward steering angle, according to the prediction result of the steering operation prediction unit 203.
The display colors of the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 return to their normal display colors.
The upper end of the right gaze area indicator 510 is lower than the upper end of the left gaze area indicator 520, thereby urging the driver to rotate the steering wheel to the right (clockwise).
The height difference H1 between the upper end of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the upper end of the left gaze area indicator 520 indicates the required magnitude of the steering angle.

FIG. 4(d) shows a state in which the line of sight is guided toward the exit side of the curved road.
The right side gaze area index 510 and the left side gaze area index 520 are spaced narrower than in the state shown in FIG. 4A when the distance includes the direct field of view of the exit portion of the curved road, narrowing the driver's field of view. induce them to do so.
Thereby, it is possible to urge the driver to keep an eye on the exit of the curved road.

FIG. 4E shows a state in which the driver is prompted to perform an acceleration operation in accordance with the prediction result of the acceleration operation prediction unit 205 when exiting from a curved road.
The display color of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 is different from that in normal times and during braking, and is changed to a color that is associated with accelerator operation (for example, green, which is associated with a green traffic light).
Further, the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 are tilted (tilted outward) in a direction in which their upper ends are separated from each other. Due to such an inclination, the driver feels that the front of the vehicle is open, and psychologically, the driver intuitively feels the need to operate the accelerator.
The width W2 of the lower end of at least one of the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 indicates an appropriate acceleration (accelerator operation amount).
Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 4E, the left gaze area indicator 520 is tilted to the left, and the upper end of the right gaze area indicator 510 is lower than the upper end of the left gaze area indicator 520, so that the vehicle is This shows that the direction in which the vehicle is moving while accelerating is moving toward the left, and that it is still necessary to maintain a steering angle to the right.

Note that the driving support unit 210 controls the brake control unit 330, electric power steering control unit 310, A command may be given to the power unit control unit 320 to cause driving assistance control or automatic driving control to intervene so as to automatically perform braking, steering, and acceleration according to the driving scenario.

According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) By changing the distance between the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 in accordance with changes in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction, This makes it possible to guide the driver to narrow the road and assist the driver in making appropriate judgments about the situation.
(2) Change the display color and slope of the right gaze area index 510 and left gaze area index 520 to prompt the driver to brake, and use the width W1 of the lower end of the right gaze area index 510 and left gaze area index 520. By indicating the necessary braking force (brake depression force), the driver can be made to perform an appropriate brake operation.
(3) The heights of the upper ends of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 are made different to prompt the driver to perform a steering operation, and the required steering angle (steering operation amount) is indicated by the height difference H. This allows the driver to perform an appropriate steering operation.
(4) Change the display color and inclination of the right gaze area index 510 and left gaze area index 520 to prompt the driver to accelerate (accelerator) operation, and the width of the lower end of the right gaze area index 510 and left gaze area index 520 By indicating the necessary acceleration force (accelerator operation amount) using W2, the driver can be made to perform an appropriate acceleration operation. Further, the direction in which the vehicle accelerates can be indicated by the inclination of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of a driving support device to which the present invention is applied will be described.
In the second embodiment, the same parts as in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly explained.
In the second embodiment, as described below, the specific aspect of the image displayed on the head-up display 210 is different from the first embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display image of a head-up display in the driving support device of the second embodiment.
FIGS. 5(a) to 5(e) show an example of a state in which the vehicle travels on the curved road shown in FIG. 2, for example.

The display image 600 has a gaze area index 610.
The gaze area index 610 is, for example, an elliptical figure with a long axis extending in the left-right direction during normal times.
The inside of the gaze area indicator 610 indicates the gaze area set by the gaze area setting unit 202.

FIG. 5A shows a state in which a curved road is approaching and the driver is guided to widen his field of view in order to judge the curvature of the curved road.
The gaze area indicator 610 urges the driver to widen the field of view by increasing the width W11.
Further, the height H11 of the gaze area index 610 indicates the distance at which the driver should gaze (H11 increases as the distance from the own vehicle increases).

FIG. 5B shows a state in which a curved road approaches and the driver is prompted to perform a braking operation according to the prediction result of the braking operation prediction unit 204.
The display color of the gaze area indicator 610 is different from the normal display color, and is changed to a color reminiscent of a brake operation (for example, red, etc. reminiscent of a brake light).
In the gaze area index 610, the width W12 is reduced and the height H12 is enlarged compared to the state shown in FIG. 5(a).
Here, the width W12 indicates the magnitude of necessary braking force (brake depression force). Moreover, the height H12 indicates the expected length of the braking distance.

FIG. 5C shows a state in which braking upon entering a curved road has been completed and the driver is prompted to perform a steering operation to give a rightward steering angle, according to the prediction result of the steering operation prediction unit 203.
The display color of the gaze area index 610 returns to the normal display color.
The gaze area indicator 610 is tilted (rotated) so that the right end is lower than the left end, thereby prompting the driver to rotate the steering wheel to the right (clockwise).
The inclination angle of the gaze area index 610 indicates the required magnitude of the steering angle.

FIG. 5(d) shows a state in which the line of sight is guided toward the exit side of the curved road.
When the gaze area indicator 610 includes the direct field of view of the exit portion of the curved road, the width W13 is narrower than in the state shown in FIG. 5A, and the driver's field of view is guided to be narrowed.
Thereby, it is possible to urge the driver to keep an eye on the exit of the curved road.

FIG. 5E shows a state in which the driver is prompted to perform an acceleration operation in accordance with the prediction result of the acceleration operation prediction unit 205 when exiting from a curved road.
The display color of the gaze area indicator 610 is different from that in normal times and during braking, and is changed to a color that is associated with accelerator operation (for example, green, which is associated with a green traffic light).
Furthermore, the upper end of the gaze area indicator 610 projects diagonally upward and to the left.
The width W14 at the bottom of the gaze area indicator 610 indicates an appropriate acceleration (accelerator operation amount).
Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 5E, the upper end of the gaze area indicator 610 protrudes diagonally upward to the left, indicating that the direction in which the vehicle advances while accelerating is toward the left.

According to the second embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) By changing the width of the gaze area index 610 in accordance with changes in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to guide the driver to widen or narrow the field of view. This can assist the driver in making appropriate judgments about the situation.
(2) By changing the display color and shape of the gaze area indicator 610 to prompt the driver to perform a braking operation, and by indicating the necessary braking force (brake pedal force) using the width W12 of the gaze area indicator 610, It is possible to perform appropriate brake operations.
(3) The tilt (rotation) of the gaze area indicator 610 prompts the driver to perform a steering operation, and the tilt angle indicates the required steering angle (steering operation amount), thereby allowing the driver to perform an appropriate steering operation. .
(4) Change the display color and shape of the gaze area indicator 610 to prompt the driver to accelerate (accelerator) operation, and use the width W14 at the bottom of the gaze area indicator 610 to indicate the necessary acceleration force (accelerator operation amount) This allows the driver to perform an appropriate acceleration operation. Moreover, the direction in which the vehicle accelerates can be indicated by the direction in which the upper part of the gaze area indicator 610 projects.

(Modified example)
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible, and these are also within the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) The configurations of the driving support device and the vehicle and the specific aspects of the images displayed by the driving support device are not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be changed as appropriate.
For example, the configurations and connections of each unit and sensors are not limited to the configurations of the embodiments, and can be changed as appropriate.
(2) In the embodiment, the specific aspect of the image displayed on the head-up display is an example, and the shape, color, arrangement, configuration, etc. of the index can be changed as appropriate. Further, other information such as vehicle speed may be displayed simultaneously with these indicators.

1 Vehicle 100 Environment recognition unit 110 Visible light camera device 120 Millimeter wave radar device 130 Laser scanner device 140 High-precision map database 150 Positioning device 200 Driving support unit 201 Driving scenario generation section 202 Gaze area setting section 203 Steering operation prediction section 204 Deceleration operation Prediction unit 205 Acceleration operation prediction unit 206 Image generation unit 210 Head-up display 310 Electric power steering control unit 311 Rudder angle sensor 312 Torque sensor 313 Motor 320 Power unit control unit 330 Brake control unit 331 Hydraulic control unit 332 Vehicle speed sensor 333 Acceleration sensor 334 Yaw rate sensor 500 Display image (first embodiment) 510 Right gaze area index 520 Left gaze area index 600 Display image (second embodiment) 610 Gaze area index

Claims (5)

an environment recognition unit that recognizes the environment around the vehicle;
a driving state recognition unit that recognizes the driving state of the vehicle;
a gaze area setting unit that sets a gaze area that the driver of the vehicle should gaze based on the outputs of the environment recognition unit and the driving state recognition unit;
A driving support device comprising: an image display device that displays a gaze area indicator indicating the gaze area in a superimposed manner within a field of view in which the driver can visually recognize the front of the vehicle,
The driving support device is characterized in that, in the gaze area index, an interval between a plurality of markers arranged in the vehicle width direction is changed in accordance with a change in width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction. an environment recognition unit that recognizes the environment around the vehicle;
a driving state recognition unit that recognizes the driving state of the vehicle;
a gaze area setting unit that sets a gaze area that the driver of the vehicle should gaze based on the outputs of the environment recognition unit and the driving state recognition unit;
A driving support device comprising: an image display device that displays a gaze area indicator indicating the gaze area in a superimposed manner within a field of view in which the driver can visually recognize the front of the vehicle,
The driving support device is characterized in that the size of the gaze area index in the vehicle width direction is changed in accordance with a change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction. comprising a steering operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver performs a steering operation,
The image display device is characterized in that the display mode of the gaze area index is changed to represent at least one of a steering direction and a steering operation amount of the steering operation in accordance with a prediction of a situation in which the steering operation is performed. The driving support device according to claim 1 or claim 2. comprising a deceleration operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver performs a deceleration operation,
The image display device changes the display mode of the gaze area index to represent at least one of a braking force and a braking distance in the deceleration operation, depending on a prediction of a situation in which the deceleration operation is performed. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2. an acceleration operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver performs an acceleration operation;
The image display device changes the display mode of the gaze area index to represent at least one of an acceleration and an acceleration direction in the acceleration operation, depending on a prediction of a situation in which the acceleration operation is performed. 3. The driving support device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

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