JP3372190B2 - Vehicle collision prevention device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle collision prevention device for detecting a preceding vehicle or the like existing on a traveling path of a vehicle and making a collision judgment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, automobiles are equipped with TV cameras, laser radars, etc. to detect vehicles in front and obstacles, judge the risk of collision with them, and issue a warning to the driver. ASV (Advanced Safety Vehicl) such as automatically operating the brake to stop the vehicle or automatically increasing or decreasing the traveling speed to keep the distance between the vehicle ahead and the vehicle safe.
e; Advanced safety automobiles) are being actively developed.

As a technique for preventing the collision between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle, conventionally, the white lines on the left and right of the road detected by a vehicle-mounted TV camera or the like are recognized as the own lane, and the solid body existing closest to the own lane is recognized. Detecting the technology of subjecting a collision warning to the object and the running state of the own vehicle such as vehicle speed, steering angle, yaw rate, etc. and estimating the running route of the own vehicle assuming that the current running state will continue in the future. Technologies and the like have been proposed in which a three-dimensional object on a travel route is targeted for a collision warning.

[0004]

However, many of the conventional collision preventing devices are intended for a well-maintained condition such as a highway, and cause obstacles to other vehicles such as a residential area, pedestrians, and electric poles. It is not intended for narrow roads that are densely populated. In such a narrow road, the road is often bent and there is no white line.

That is, on a narrow road without a white line, the conventional device cannot recognize the own lane and the collision prevention function does not work. Also, on narrow and curved roads, the steering wheel is operated large and frequently, so the estimated travel route is greatly displaced to the left and right, and a three-dimensional object outside the actual travel route is erroneously targeted as a collision warning. There is a risk that an incorrect collision warning will be frequently generated due to selection.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is capable of reliably determining the possibility of collision with an obstacle or a preceding vehicle even when the vehicle is traveling on a road whose road shape cannot be recognized. It is an object of the present invention to provide a collision prevention device.

[0007]

The invention according to claim 1 is
A recognition means for recognizing a three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle and a road
Road shape recognition means for recognizing road shape, and
General road or narrow road based on the recognition result and the running condition of the vehicle
Estimating means for estimating whether the road is a curved road or the above general road
If it is estimated that
First collision for determining a collision with a three-dimensional object on a traveling route
Select a collision detection mode to estimate a narrow road or a curved road
When the vehicle is driven, multiple settings are made according to the driving condition of the host vehicle.
Multiple driving routes and solids determined by the driving pattern
Selection means for selecting a second collision determination mode for determining a collision from the relationship with the position of the object, and collision in the selected collision determination mode by determining the possibility of the own vehicle's collision with the recognized three-dimensional object. And a control means for performing prevention control.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the control means is the second collision determination mode.
If there is no three-dimensional object on one of the multiple
The feature is that collision prevention control is not performed .

According to a third aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the plurality of travel routes are set even after a set time has elapsed.
The first travel route assuming that the current travel condition will continue
When the above set time has elapsed, the rudder angle is returned to the neutral position for traveling.
Then, assume the second travel route and after the set time has elapsed
Third run assuming that the vehicle will turn straight to the road
And a second route, wherein the control means includes the second collision determination
In the mode, there is a three-dimensional object on the first travel route.
Also, if there is no three-dimensional object on the second or third driving route
If this is the case, the collision prevention control is not performed .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the invention, the plurality of travel routes have the set time elapsed.
After that, adjust the rudder angle to the right of the traveling direction by the set angle and correct it.
4th travel route assuming that the vehicle travels with the steering angle maintained
After the above set time has elapsed, the rudder angle is set to the left of the traveling direction.
It is assumed that the vehicle travels with the corrected steering angle
And a fifth traveling route, wherein the control means includes the first traveling path.
Even if there is a three-dimensional object on the travel route, the fourth or fifth item above
If there is no three-dimensional object on the traveling route of
Characterized by suspending collision judgment for a predetermined grace time
It

[0011]

[0012]

That is, the invention according to claim 1 recognizes a three-dimensional object existing in front of the host vehicle and recognizes a road shape.
To do. Then, it is estimated whether the road is a general road , a narrow road, or a curved road from the recognition result of the road shape and the running state of the host vehicle. When the road is estimated to be a general road, the running state of the host vehicle is estimated.
Judgment of collision with a three-dimensional object on the driving route estimated from
Select the first collision determination mode to
If the road is estimated to be
Multiple runs determined by the multiple running patterns set
The second to determine the collision from the relationship between the path and the position of the three-dimensional object
Select the collision determination mode of. Then, in the selected collision determination mode, the collision prevention control is performed by determining the possibility of the own vehicle colliding with the recognized three-dimensional object.

[0014]

When the second collision determination mode is selected
Will collide if there is no three-dimensional object on one of the multiple driving routes
It is desirable not to prevent control, and multiple travel routes are set
It is assumed that the current running condition will continue even after a lapse of time.
Return the steering angle to the neutral position after the travel route and the set time
The second travel route assumed to travel and after the set time has elapsed
Third run assuming that the vehicle will turn straight in the direction of the road
In the case of the second collision determination mode, the first
The second or third run even if there is a three-dimensional object on the travel route
If there is no three-dimensional object on the path, collision prevention control may not be performed.
desirable.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned plurality of traveling routes are set to a set time.
After the lapse of time, correct the steering angle to the right of the traveling direction by the set angle
The fourth travel history on the assumption that the vehicle travels with the correct steering angle.
Road and set the rudder angle to the left in the traveling direction after the set time has elapsed
Assuming that the vehicle is traveling with the corrected steering angle corrected
Including the fifth travel route, and in the second collision determination mode
Even if there is a three-dimensional object on the first travel route,
If there is no three-dimensional object on the fifth travel route,
Hope to cancel the collision judgment for a predetermined grace period
Good

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 10 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a collision prevention device, FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of the collision prevention device, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts of collision determination processing. 5, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape of the traveling route, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the vehicle speed and the warning inter-vehicle distance, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the avoidance situation for pedestrians, and FIG. 8 is a curve road. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a traveling situation, FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an avoidance situation with respect to a preceding vehicle, and FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an avoidance situation with respect to a parked vehicle.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a vehicle such as an automobile. The vehicle 1 recognizes an obstacle existing in the traveling direction, a preceding vehicle and the like to judge the risk of collision, and the risk of collision is determined. In some cases, a collision prevention device 2 is installed to issue a collision avoidance alarm and ensure safety.

The collision prevention device 2 processes a stereo optical system 10 for picking up an image of an object outside the vehicle from different positions, and an image for recognizing an obstacle or a preceding vehicle by processing an image picked up by the stereo optical system 10. The image processing unit 50 and the collision determination unit 60 include a processing unit 50 and a collision determination unit 60 that determines the possibility of a collision from the data of the obstacle, the preceding vehicle, etc. recognized by the image processing unit 50. , A vehicle speed sensor 4, a yaw rate sensor 5, a steering angle sensor 6 and other sensors for detecting the current running state of the vehicle are connected to the display 9 installed in front of the driver.
A collision warning or the like output from 0 is displayed.

The stereo optical system 10 comprises a pair of left and right cameras as an image pickup system for picking up an object outside the vehicle. In the image processing section 50, the correlation between a pair of images picked up by the stereo optical system 10 is calculated. Then, the three-dimensional distance distribution over the entire image is calculated by the so-called stereo method, in which the distance is calculated from the parallax for the same object by the principle of triangulation,
The road shape and the three-dimensional position of a three-dimensional object (vehicle, obstacle, etc.) are detected at high speed from the distance distribution information.

The collision determination unit 60 is the image processing unit 5
Based on the road shape detected at 0, the input data from the vehicle speed sensor 4, the yaw rate sensor 5, and the steering angle sensor 6, the future traveling route of the own vehicle is set, and among the plurality of detected vehicles and obstacles. Identify the preceding vehicle to be followed and the three-dimensional object at risk of collision. Then, based on the data of these vehicles and obstacles, a collision warning is judged, and if it is judged that there is a risk of collision, it is displayed on the display 9 to warn the driver and a brake (not shown) is operated. Or output an operation signal to an automatic braking device or the like (not shown).

The image processing section 50 and the collision determination section 6
Specifically, 0 has the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 2, and the stereo optical system 10 connected to the image processing unit 50 uses a solid-state imaging device such as a charge-coupled device (CCD). 1 pair of left and right CCD cameras 10a, 10
b.

The image processing section 50 and the collision determination section 60.
Processes the image captured by the stereo optical system 10,
An image processor 20 that outputs distance distribution data (distance image) in the form of an image, and a distance image from this image processor 20 are processed to detect a road shape and a plurality of three-dimensional objects, and a preceding vehicle or an obstacle is detected. And the like, and an image processing computer 30 which performs a collision warning determination process.

The image processor 20 searches the two stereo image pairs captured by the stereo optical system 10 for a portion in which the same object is photographed for each minute area,
A distance detection circuit 20a that calculates the distance to the object by obtaining the amount of displacement of the corresponding position, and a distance image memory 20 that stores the distance distribution data that is the output of this distance detection circuit 20a.
b and.

The image processing computer 30 is also provided.
Is a microprocessor 30a that mainly performs a process of detecting a road shape, a microprocessor 30b that mainly performs a process of detecting individual three-dimensional objects, a main vehicle and an obstacle, and performs a collision risk determination process. The system configuration is a multi-microprocessor system in which a microprocessor 30c and a microprocessor 30c are connected in parallel via a system bus 31.

On the system bus 31, an interface circuit 32 connected to the distance image memory 20b, a ROM 33 for storing a control program, a RAM 34 for storing various parameters during calculation processing,
An output memory 35 for storing parameters of the processing result,
Display controller (DISP.CONT.) 36 for controlling the display (DISP) 9
And an I / O interface circuit 37 for inputting signals from the vehicle speed sensor 4, the yaw rate sensor 5, the steering angle sensor 6 and the like.

In the road detection processing by the microprocessor 30a, only the white line on the actual road is separated and extracted by utilizing the three-dimensional position information based on the distance image stored in the distance image memory 20b, and is incorporated. Recognize the road shape by modifying / changing the parameters of the road model to match the actual road shape.

In the road model, the own lane of the road up to the recognition target area is divided into a plurality of sections according to the set distance, and the left and right white lines are approximated by a three-dimensional linear equation for each section to form a polygonal line. They are connected, and the parameters of this three-dimensional linear equation are obtained to obtain a linear equation that approximates the road shape.
Actually, the left and right white lines are approximated by a linear equation, and the parameter of the linear equation for the white line on the left side in the traveling direction is obtained and the parameter of the linear equation for the white line on the right side in the traveling direction is obtained for each section.

Further, in the three-dimensional object detection processing by the microprocessor 30b, the distance image is divided into a grid pattern at predetermined intervals, and only the three-dimensional object data which may hinder traveling is selected for each area. Then, the detection distance is calculated, and if the difference in the detection distance to the three-dimensional object in the adjacent area is less than or equal to the set value, it is considered as the same three-dimensional object, while if it is more than the set value, it is considered as the different three-dimensional object. , The contour image of the detected three-dimensional object is extracted. The generation of the range image by the image processor 20 and the process of detecting the road shape and the object from the range image are described in detail in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-265547 previously filed by the present applicant. ing.

Further, in the collision judgment processing by the microprocessor 30c, the microprocessor 30a
The state of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling is estimated from the detection result of the road shape by the vehicle and the driving state of the host vehicle based on the input data from the vehicle speed sensor 4 and the steering angle sensor 6, and the host vehicle is determined according to the road condition. Set the future driving route. Then, the three-dimensional object that hangs over the area set on this travel route,
Extraction is performed based on the position data of the three-dimensional object detected by the microprocessor 30b, and the possibility of collision is determined.

The collision determination process in the microprocessor 30c will be described below with reference to the programs shown in FIGS.

In this collision judgment processing program, first, in step S101, the result of road shape recognition by the microprocessor 30a is checked, and the steering angle by the signal from the steering angle sensor 6, the vehicle speed by the signal from the vehicle speed sensor 4, etc. To read the current driving status of the host vehicle.

Next, in step S102, the condition of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is estimated from the recognition result of the road shape and the driving state of the vehicle. This road condition is estimated under the following conditions J1 to J3, and if any of the conditions J1 to J3 is not satisfied, it is estimated that the road is traveling on a general road. When the process proceeds from step S102 to step S103 and thereafter, the mode is switched to the collision determination mode on the general road, and all the conditions J1 to J3 are satisfied, the vehicle is traveling on a narrow road such as a residential area or a curved road. Then, the process proceeds from step S102 to step S105 and thereafter to switch to the collision determination mode for narrow roads.

Condition J1: The road shape cannot be recognized.

Condition J2: The vehicle speed is a set value (for example, 30 to
40 Km / h) or less.

Condition J3: The frequency at which the operating angle of the steering wheel becomes equal to or greater than the set angle (eg, 20 °) is equal to or greater than the set number of times (eg, 5 times / min).

In the collision determination mode on the general road after step S103, the future traveling route of the own vehicle is estimated in step S103, and the three-dimensional object which covers the traveling region set on this traveling route is extracted in step S104. . For example,
A travel route assuming that the current steering angle and vehicle speed of the host vehicle are maintained is estimated, and a travel route extended along the road shape is set at the end of this travel route. And stereo image processing (three-dimensional object by the microprocessor 30b)
In step S116, the three-dimensional object hanging in the travel area set on the travel route is extracted as an obstacle or a preceding vehicle from the position data of the plurality of objects detected in step S116 and stored in the output memory 35. After that, the collision determination process and the alarm output process based on the collision determination result are performed. The collision determination process and the alarm output process will be described later.

On the other hand, in the collision determination mode on a narrow road or a curved road after step S105, first, at step S105, the 0th traveling route which is the traveling route from the present to the set time T0 is set as the basic traveling route. Then, further, the first to fifth travel routes that extend ahead of the zeroth travel route and have different travel patterns are set.
The traveling route mentioned here is a locus through which the center point of the host vehicle passes.

The 0th travel route is a travel route on the assumption that the present turning radius R of the host vehicle calculated from the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 4 and the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 6 is maintained. With the turning radius R held, a set time T0 (for example, about 1 sec, from the present,
However, the range in which the optimum value varies depending on the characteristics of the driver) is defined as the 0th travel route. The turning radius R
May be calculated based on the signal from the yaw rate sensor 5 and the signal from the vehicle speed sensor 4.

On the other hand, the first traveling route is the current turning radius R.
Is a traveling route that is assumed to be maintained after the set time T0, and the second traveling route has a steering angle of 0 ° after the set time T0.
It is a travel route assuming that the steering angle is returned to the (neutral position) and thereafter, the steering angle goes straight in the traveling direction when returned to the neutral position.
To obtain the second traveling route, first, the coordinates (Zp, Xp) of the end point P of the 0th traveling route are calculated by the following equations (1) and (2), and then the radius R at the end point P is calculated. Tangent to the circular arc of θp
Is calculated by the following equation (3). Then, a straight line passing through the end point P and having an inclination θp is obtained, and this straight line is set as the second traveling route (see FIG. 5). Zp = R · sin (Ve · T0 / R) (1) Xp = R · (1-cos (Ve · T0 / R)) (2) θp = Ve · T0 / R (3) However, Ve : Driving speed of the vehicle

The third traveling route is a traveling route on the assumption that the traveling direction of the vehicle is returned to the same traveling direction as the present traveling direction after the set time T0 and the vehicle travels straight.
This straight line is the third travel route.

The fourth and fifth travel routes are travel routes when slight steering correction is performed on the first travel route. That is, it is assumed that the steering angle of the fourth traveling route is corrected to the right after the set time T0 by the setting angle θ4 (about + 10 ° on the steering wheel in the range of the correction steering that is unconsciously performed by the driver). It is a travel route on the assumption that the turning radius R4 in the state is calculated, and thereafter, the vehicle runs while keeping the turning radius R4.

Similarly, it is assumed that the rudder angle of the fifth traveling route is corrected to the left by the set angle θ5 (about -10 ° on the steering wheel within the range of the unintentional correction steering performed by the driver). This is a travel route on the assumption that the turning radius R5 in the state is calculated, and thereafter the vehicle travels with the turning radius R5 held.

After setting the 0th to 5th traveling routes,
The process proceeds from step S105 to step S106, and data of a plurality of three-dimensional objects detected by stereo image processing (three-dimensional object detection processing by the microprocessor 30b) and stored in the output memory 35, that is, the distance Zi from the own vehicle.
The position XiL at the left end and the position XiR at the right end of the three-dimensional object in
Read the traveling speed Vi, etc., for each of the 6 types of traveling routes,
The three-dimensional object to be processed is extracted.

This three-dimensional object is extracted by setting a traveling area for each traveling route and extracting one of the three-dimensional objects hanging in the traveling area that is closest to the host vehicle. . That is, first, the X coordinate Xni of the n-th traveling route at the distance Zi is obtained (n is the traveling route number: n = 0 to 0).
5) A range obtained by adding 1/2 of the lateral width of the own vehicle and a slight margin α / 2 (for example, 0.2 m to 0.8 m) to the left and right of the X coordinate Xni is defined as the traveling area. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the 0th to 5th travel regions are set for the 0th to 5th travel routes.

Next, for each of the 0th to 5th travel areas, the left end position XiL and the right end position XiR of the three-dimensional object at the distance Zi from the host vehicle and the left end and the right end at the travel area distance Zi are set. Are compared with each other, and those that lie in the travel area are extracted as candidates. Then, among the three-dimensional objects that are candidates, the one that is closest to the host vehicle is extracted as the target three-dimensional object of each traveling area, and the number Lin of the three-dimensional object is stored in the memory.

After that, the process proceeds to step S107, it is checked whether or not there is a three-dimensional object in the 0th traveling area, and if there is a three-dimensional object, it is extracted as a target three-dimensional object for collision determination, and collision determination and alarm output processing from step S107. Jump to step S116.
On the other hand, if a three-dimensional object is not detected in step S107, the process proceeds from step S107 to step S108 and thereafter. After this step S108, the presence / absence of the three-dimensional object, the position,
The traveling speed and the like are evaluated, and the three-dimensional object to be the object of collision determination is extracted.

Therefore, first, in step S108, the first
-Integrating the three-dimensional objects in the third traveling area. This three-dimensional object is first integrated into the second and third traveling areas, and then
The three-dimensional object in the first traveling area is integrated with the integration result of the second and third traveling areas.

The integration of the three-dimensional objects in the second and third traveling areas is as follows.
Let Li2 be the number of the three-dimensional object in the second traveling area, Li3 be the number of the three-dimensional object in the third traveling area, and Liq be the number of the three-dimensional object that was the object of collision determination in the previous processing. To do.

(1) When Li2 = Li3, that is, when the same three-dimensional object is extracted in the second traveling area and the third traveling area, they are integrated as a three-dimensional object Li23.

(2) In the case of Li2 ≠ Li3, integration is performed according to Table 1 below, and the three-dimensional object resulting from the integration is defined as Li23.
In addition, in the integration result according to Table 1, the second traveling area and the third traveling area
If there is no three-dimensional object in any of the traveling areas, the driver of the vehicle can avoid the collision through the traveling route without the three-dimensional object, and thus the three-dimensional object as the integrated result is not detected.

[0052]

Next, the three-dimensional object in the first traveling area is integrated with the integration result of the second and third traveling areas by the following processing.

(3) When Li1 = Li23, that is, when the same three-dimensional object is extracted, the three-dimensional objects are integrated and the integrated three-dimensional object is defined as Li123.

(4) In the case of Li1 ≠ Li23, integration is performed in accordance with Table 2 below, and a three-dimensional object resulting from the integration is defined as Li123.

[0056]

In this case, first, the three-dimensional object L in the first traveling area
If i1 is the same as the three-dimensional object Liq that was the object of collision determination in the previous processing, the three-dimensional object Li1 is set as the integration result. Next, if there is no three-dimensional object in any of the traveling areas, the driver of the own vehicle can avoid the collision through the traveling route without the three-dimensional object, and thus no detection is performed. In addition, the first in the second and third traveling areas
When a three-dimensional object different from the traveling area exists, the three-dimensional object Li1 in the first traveling area is set as the integration result.

Further, when the three-dimensional object Li23 integrated in the second and third traveling areas coincides with the target three-dimensional object Liq for the collision determination in the previous processing, the traveling speed Vi23 of the three-dimensional object Li23 is checked, and this traveling speed Vi23 is Set speed (Vehicle speed V
When it is larger than (e), the solid object Li23 is judged to be a preceding vehicle. Since the driver of the own vehicle is estimated to follow the preceding vehicle, the three-dimensional object Li23
Is the three-dimensional object Li123 that is the integration result.

On the other hand, when the traveling speed Vi23 is smaller than the set speed, the three-dimensional object Li23 is considered to be an obstacle such as a telephone pole or a pedestrian, and the driver operates the steering wheel after the set time T0, and these three-dimensional objects are operated. Since it is assumed that the vehicle will not proceed in the direction, the extraction result of the three-dimensional object in the first traveling area is adopted as the three-dimensional object Li123.

As described above, when the three-dimensional objects in the first to third traveling areas are integrated, the process proceeds from step S108 to step S109 to check whether or not the three-dimensional object Li123 as the integration result is detected. , It is concluded that there is no target three-dimensional object for collision determination, the routine is skipped from step S109, and the processing of this time is ended. That is, if there is no three-dimensional object in any of the first to third traveling areas, the driver of the own vehicle can avoid a collision through a traveling route without a three-dimensional object, and therefore, there is no target three-dimensional object for collision determination. .

On the other hand, when the three-dimensional object Li123 is detected as a result of integrating the three-dimensional objects in the first to third traveling areas in step S109, the steps S109 to S110 are performed.
Then, it is checked whether the three-dimensional object Li123 obtained as a result of the integration is the object three-dimensional object Liq for the collision determination in the previous processing, and Li123 = Liq.
In the case of, it jumps to step S116 so as to be the target of the collision determination, and when Li123 ≠ Liq, it proceeds to step S111.

In step S111, it is checked whether or not the three-dimensional object Li123, which is the integration result of the first to third traveling areas, is the three-dimensional object Li1 in the first traveling area. As a result, when Li123 ≠ Li1, it is determined that this three-dimensional object is the object of collision determination, and the process jumps from step S111 to step S116. When Li123 = Li1, the process proceeds from step S111 to step S112 and the following steps. By integrating the three-dimensional objects in the fifth travel area,
The three-dimensional object Li123 is referred to by referring to the integration result of the three-dimensional object in the traveling area.
(= Li1) is evaluated.

That is, assuming that the number of the three-dimensional object in the fourth traveling area is Li4, the distance thereof is Zi4, the number of the three-dimensional object in the fifth traveling area is Li5, and the distance thereof is Zi5, the following processing is performed in step S112. The three-dimensional objects in the fourth and fifth traveling areas are integrated.

(5) If any one of the three-dimensional objects Li4 and Li5 is not detected, the three-dimensional object Li45 as the integrated result is not detected.

(6) When both the three-dimensional objects Li4 and Li5 are detected, the distance Zi4 and the distance Zi5 are compared, and the three-dimensional object having the larger distance is set as the three-dimensional object Li45 as the integration result.

Next, in step S113, it is checked whether or not the three-dimensional object Li45 is detected. If the three-dimensional object Li45 is not detected, the process branches to step S115 to wait for the target of collision determination. T1 (for example, 1se
c) It is checked whether or not the three-dimensional object Li123 is continuously detected. As a result, if the three-dimensional object Li123 is continuously detected for the grace time T1 or more, the process proceeds from step S115 to step S116 to be the object of the collision determination, and if the detection is less than the grace time T1, the collision occurs. The target solid object to be judged is no, and the routine exits.

That is, when the three-dimensional object Li45 is not detected as a result of the integration of the fourth and fifth traveling areas (when no three-dimensional object is detected in any of the fourth and fifth traveling areas), The driver of the vehicle is required to use the angle θ4 or the angle θ5.
It is shown that the three-dimensional object Li123 (three-dimensional object Li1 in the first traveling area) can be avoided by slightly modifying the steering angle. However, when the three-dimensional object Li123 is continuously detected for the grace period T1 or longer without the correction of the steering angle, the driver judges that the danger of collision with the three-dimensional object Li123 is not recognized, and the collision determination is performed. carry out.

On the other hand, when the three-dimensional object Li45, which is the integration result of the fourth and fifth traveling areas, is detected, the above step S11 is performed.
Proceed from step 3 to step S114, and the distance Zi45 of the three-dimensional object Li45
And the distance Zi123 of the three-dimensional object Li123 is the judgment value (for example,
It is checked whether the three-dimensional object Li45 is sufficiently farther than the three-dimensional object Li123 at 20 m) or more.

As a result, when the difference in distance between the three-dimensional object Li45 and the three-dimensional object Li123 is smaller than the determination value and the three-dimensional object Li45 is close to the three-dimensional object Li123, it is difficult to avoid the three-dimensional object Li123 by correcting the steering angle. Therefore, the three-dimensional object Li123 is immediately subjected to the collision determination, and the steps S114 to S1 are performed.
Proceed to 16.

When the difference between the distance between the three-dimensional object Li45 and the three-dimensional object Li123 is equal to or larger than the determination value and is sufficiently far, the driver of the own vehicle corrects the steering angle slightly and the three-dimensional object Li123 (first running It is determined that the three-dimensional object Li1) in the area can be avoided, and the process proceeds from step S114 to step S115 described above. Similarly, the three-dimensional object Li123 continues for a grace period T1 (for example, 1se).
c) Whether or not the collision detection is continuously detected is determined, and whether or not to be a collision determination target is determined according to the correction of the steering angle by the collision risk recognition of the driver of the own vehicle.

In the collision determination and warning output processing from step S116, the traveling speed Ve of the host vehicle and the traveling speed Vit of the three-dimensional object Lit extracted as the collision determination target are determined in step S116.
From the above, the relative velocity Vr is calculated by the following equation (4),
For example, the warning inter-vehicle distance Dw is obtained according to the characteristics shown in FIG. Vr = Ve−Vit (4)

Next, in step S117, the warning inter-vehicle distance Dw is compared with the current inter-vehicle distance to determine whether there is a risk of collision. When the distance Zit of the object is smaller than the warning inter-vehicle distance Dw, it is determined that there is a risk of collision, and the process proceeds from step S117 to step S119.
When a collision warning is displayed on the display 9 to prompt the driver to perform a braking operation, and when the driver is linked with an automatic braking device (not shown), the operation signal is output to exit the routine.

On the other hand, the distance Zit of the object is D
When w or more, it is determined that there is no danger of collision, the process proceeds from step S117 to step S118, and the collision warning is already issued. If the risk of collision disappears in the subsequent operation, the collision warning is canceled. If the automatic brake device is operating, the operation is released and the routine is exited.

As described above, the possibility of collision with an obstacle or a preceding vehicle can be surely judged even in a situation where the vehicle runs on a narrow road or a curved road where there is no white line and the road shape cannot be recognized. It is possible to accurately determine the risk of collision without issuing a warning.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, assuming a situation in which the steering wheel is turned to the right in order to avoid a pedestrian in front of the own vehicle, normally when the driver is aware of the pedestrian, the right side He is also aware of the utility pole, and the driver intends to pass between the pedestrian and the utility pole.

In this case, in the conventional technique in which the collision warning is targeted only in the first traveling area in the direction in which the steering wheel is turned,
If there is a three-dimensional object such as a utility pole in the first traveling area as shown in FIG.
On the other hand, a collision warning is issued, which is an excessive warning for the driver. However, in the present invention, the second and third traveling areas (the second traveling area is omitted in FIG. 7) are set for the first traveling area, and the second and third traveling areas are set. If there is no three-dimensional object in any of the above and the vehicle can pass through, the utility pole in the first traveling area is not subject to the collision warning, and an excessive warning is prevented.

When a three-dimensional object is present on the second and third traveling areas and cannot pass through, the driver has to operate the brake to stop the vehicle. A collision warning is promptly issued to a utility pole in one traveling area. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that the driver is not aware of the utility pole and continues to drive toward the utility pole, a collision warning will be issued immediately when the utility pole approaches the utility pole and enters the 0th travel area. To be

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, assuming a situation of traveling on a road bent to the right front, the driver normally turns the steering wheel to the right and turns the steering wheel after turning the steering wheel. Return it and continue running along the track,
As in the conventional case, in a device in which a warning is given only in the direction in which the steering wheel is turned, as shown in FIG. 8, a collision warning is issued to the electric pole on the right side, which is an excessive warning for the driver. I will end up.

Even in such a case, according to the present invention,
If the second traveling area is set for the electric pole that hangs over the first traveling area, and there is no other three-dimensional object in this second traveling area, and the vehicle can pass safely, the electric pole in the first traveling area is the target of the collision warning. Outside and prevent excessive alarms.

When there is a preceding vehicle, the driver normally follows the preceding vehicle and travels. As shown in FIG. 9, according to the present invention, when the three-dimensional object in the second traveling area is a three-dimensional object that has been monitored as a collision warning target for a long time and the speed is as high as the own vehicle, this three-dimensional object is used. Since it is determined that the object is the preceding vehicle and the object of the collision alarm is the alarm, it is possible to issue an alarm that matches the driver's intention.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, it is often difficult for the driver to perform the avoidance operation with a margin in a situation where the vehicle parked to the left front is avoided on a narrow road.
Therefore, the driver of the own vehicle tends to perform a rough steering wheel operation when the distance to the parked vehicle to be avoided is large, and when the distance is short, the steering wheel is finely corrected to avoid the vehicle.

In such a case, in the conventional technique in which the collision warning is targeted only in the direction in which the steering wheel is turned, if a part of the parked vehicle is still in the traveling area, the driver of the own vehicle will move to the parked vehicle. Despite being aware of it, a collision warning will be issued to the parked vehicle. However, in the present invention,
Since the fourth traveling area is set assuming that the steering wheel is turned to the right after the set time T0 and the parked vehicle in front of the left does not reach the fourth traveling area, the collision warning is postponed. It is possible to prevent an alarm against the driver's intention. In addition, if the driver of the own vehicle does not notice that the vehicle will come into contact with the parked vehicle if the vehicle continues to drive as it is, after the grace period T1, the parked vehicle will be the target of the collision warning, and the collision warning will be issued. Is secured.

FIG. 11 relates to the second embodiment of the present invention and is an overall configuration diagram of a collision prevention device.

The collision prevention device 101 mounted on the vehicle 100 of this embodiment uses a monocular CCD camera 102 and a laser beam at regular intervals within a predetermined scanning range instead of stereo image processing by two cameras. By combining with a scanning laser radar 103 that projects and receives light, an obstacle outside the vehicle, a preceding vehicle, or the like is recognized to make a collision determination.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in contrast to the first embodiment described above, a monocular CC adopted in place of the stereo optical system 10 is adopted.
A signal from the D camera 102 and a scanning laser
The signal from the radar 103 is processed by the image processing unit 110,
The collision determination unit 60 is configured to determine a collision with a preceding vehicle to be followed and a three-dimensional object having a risk of collision.

That is, in the image processing section 110, a laser beam is projected from the scanning laser radar 103, and the time from the time required until the projected laser beam hits the object and receives the reflected light is increased to the object. By repeating the process of measuring the distance in the left-right direction, a two-dimensional distribution of a plurality of obstacles and vehicles ahead is obtained, and the above-mentioned C
The image captured by the CD camera 102 is analyzed to detect the positions of the left and right white lines.

Then, as in the case of the first embodiment described above, in the collision determination unit 60, the host vehicle is traveling based on the information from the image processing unit 110, the input data from the vehicle speed sensor 4 and the steering angle sensor 6. The road condition is estimated, the mode is switched to the collision determination mode suitable for the road condition, and the collision determination with the solid object at the risk of collision is performed.

Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment described above, even in a situation where the vehicle is traveling on a narrow road or a curved road where there is no white line and the road shape cannot be recognized, there is a possibility of collision with an obstacle or a preceding vehicle. It is possible to make a reliable judgment, and it is possible to accurately judge the risk of a collision without issuing an unnecessary alarm.

[0089]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably judge the possibility of collision with an obstacle or a preceding vehicle even in a situation where the vehicle is traveling on a road whose road shape cannot be recognized. An excellent effect is obtained such that the risk of collision can be accurately judged without issuing an unnecessary alarm.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a collision prevention device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of the collision prevention device.

FIG. 3 is the same as the flowchart of the collision determination process (No. 1).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a collision determination process (No. 2).

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape of the traveling route of the above.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a vehicle speed and a warning inter-vehicle distance.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the avoidance situation for a pedestrian.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a traveling situation on a curved road in the same as above.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an avoidance situation with respect to a preceding vehicle.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an avoidance situation for a parked vehicle.

FIG. 11 is an overall configuration diagram of a collision prevention device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Own vehicle 2 ... Collision prevention device 10 ... Stereo optical system 50 ... Image processing unit 60 ... Collision judging unit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI // G08G 1/09 G08G 1/09 V (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G08G 1/09, 1/16 B60R 21/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. Generally , a recognition means for recognizing a three-dimensional object existing in front of the host vehicle, a road shape recognition means for recognizing a road shape, a recognition result of the road shape, and a traveling state of the host vehicle.
Estimating means for estimating whether the road is a narrow road or a curved road, and the running state of the own vehicle when the road is estimated to be the above general road.
Judgment of collision with a three-dimensional object on the driving route estimated from
Select the first collision determination mode to
If the road is estimated to be
Multiple runs determined by the multiple running patterns set
The second to determine the collision from the relationship between the path and the position of the three-dimensional object
And a control means for performing collision prevention control by determining the possibility of collision of the host vehicle with the recognized three-dimensional object in the selected collision determination mode. And a vehicle collision prevention device. 2. The control means is configured to control the second collision determination mode.
If there is no three-dimensional object on one of the multiple
The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein collision prevention control is not performed.
Anti-collision device for both. 3. The plurality of traveling routes are set even after a set time has elapsed.
The first travel route assuming that the current travel condition will continue
When the above set time has elapsed, the rudder angle is returned to the neutral position for traveling.
Then, assume the second travel route and after the set time has elapsed
Third run assuming that the vehicle will turn straight to the road
And a line route, the control means, in the second collision determination mode,
Even if there is a three-dimensional object on the first traveling route, the second or
Will control the collision prevention if there is no three-dimensional object on the third travel route.
The vehicle collision prevention device according to claim 1, wherein
Place 4. The plurality of travel routes have elapsed the set time.
After that, adjust the rudder angle to the right of the traveling direction by the set angle and correct it.
4th travel route assuming that the vehicle travels with the steering angle maintained
After the above set time has elapsed, the rudder angle is set to the left of the traveling direction.
It is assumed that the vehicle travels with the corrected steering angle
And a fifth traveling route, wherein the control means includes a three-dimensional object on the first traveling route.
However, there is no 3D object on the 4th or 5th driving route.
In Kere, but between predetermined grace 予時 collision determination with respect to the three-dimensional object
The vehicle collision according to claim 3, wherein the collision is canceled.
Collision prevention device.