JP5581754B2 - Driving assistance device - Google Patents

Description

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

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an apparatus that displays an image around a host vehicle to a driver has been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, any one of a plurality of CCD cameras that pick up images of the periphery of the host vehicle, which is a blind spot of the driver, from different positions is selected based on the direction in which the driver is gazing. A vehicle periphery display device that displays an image captured by a camera on a monitor is disclosed. The monitor is installed in front of the driver.

JP 2007-142724 A

  The vehicle periphery display device described in Patent Literature 1 selects one of a plurality of CCD cameras based on the direction in which the driver gazes, and displays an image captured by the selected CCD camera. A driver who tends to check the surroundings of the back of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked backwards needs to watch the back of the vehicle in order to display an image of the surroundings of the back of the vehicle on the monitor. is there.

  However, when this driver tries to watch the back of the host vehicle, it is difficult to check a monitor installed in front of the driver. In other words, in the vehicle periphery display device described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to appropriately perform image switching that matches the characteristics of the confirmation tendency by the driver's line of sight when parking the host vehicle. There is room for driving assistance for driving.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the driving assistance device which can perform the driving assistance for a safer driving | operation.

In order to achieve the above object, a driving support apparatus according to the present invention includes a detection unit that detects a degree of change of a gazing point that a driver watches in a driving support apparatus that supports driving of the host vehicle by the driver, Based on the degree of change detected by the means, the visual recognition type for the driver's surroundings of the vehicle is determined by the determining means and the determining means for determining whether or not the driver's visual recognition type is a space recognition type for looking directly around the own vehicle. When the visual recognition type is a space recognition type, a support means for performing driving support according to the space recognition type is provided.

  The driving support device detects the degree of change of the gazing point that the driver is gazing at, determines the visual recognition type for the driver's surroundings based on the detected degree of change, and determines the determined visual recognition type. Driving assistance according to the situation. As a result, even if the driver tries to check the vicinity of the rear of the host vehicle when the host vehicle is retracted and parked, first, the gazing point is set as the degree of change of the gazing point observed by the driver. Based on the detected degree of change, it is determined that the driver recognizes the rear periphery of the vehicle as the visual recognition type for the vehicle periphery, and the determined visual recognition type is determined. It is possible to perform driving support such as providing information in response. As a result, it becomes possible to perform driving support that matches the characteristics of the confirmation tendency by the driver's line of sight when parking the host vehicle, and it is possible to perform driving support for safer driving. .

In addition, the determination means determines that the visual recognition type is a spatial recognition type when the number of times that the number of changes in the gazing point exceeds the threshold exceeds the specified number of times, and the support means is determined by the determination means. When the visual recognition type is a space recognition type, it is also preferable to display a plurality of images obtained by switching the surroundings of the host vehicle using a camera with a driver's eyes .

  Thus, an image around the host vehicle is displayed according to the determined visual recognition type. As a result, it becomes possible to perform driving support by displaying an image around the host vehicle in accordance with the characteristics of the driver's line of sight when the host vehicle is parked, and driving support for safer driving. Will be able to do.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the driving assistance apparatus which can perform the driving assistance for a safer driving | operation can be provided.

It is a block diagram for demonstrating the schematic structure of a driving assistance device. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the change degree of the gazing point from the start to completion of parking driving. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the change degree of the gazing point from the start to completion of parking driving. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the judgment process of the visual recognition type performed with a driving assistance device.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

(1) Configuration of Driving Support Device First, the configuration of the driving support device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of the driving support device 10. The driving support device 10 is mounted on a mobile vehicle such as an automobile (hereinafter referred to as the own vehicle), for example, and scene adaptation that provides visual information for supporting the driving of the own vehicle by a driver (driver) according to the scene. Type visual support system device.

  The function by the driving assistance apparatus 10 is implement | achieved by ECU which is an electronic control apparatus mounted in the inside of the own vehicle, for example. The ECU is a unit whose main component is a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support apparatus 10 includes a gazing point detection unit 1 (detection unit), a type determination unit 2 (determination unit), and a driving support unit 3 (support unit).

  The gaze point detection unit 1 detects a face direction and a line-of-sight direction by capturing the driver's face with a camera or the like, and a gaze target area (for example, a room mirror) by the driver based on the detected line-of-sight direction. Or an area to be watched by direct front view) and a computer for determining how often the area is viewed. The gaze point detection unit 1 detects the degree of change of the gaze target area as a gaze point that is a target to be watched by the driver based on the determination result by the computer.

  The type determination unit 2 is a determination calculation part that classifies and determines the visual recognition type of the driver's surroundings of the vehicle based on the degree of change detected by the gazing point detection unit 1. The visual recognition type can be broadly classified into two types, for example, a space recognition type and a landmark gaze type described later.

  Here, the space recognition type is a parking area around the host vehicle by, for example, looking directly around the host vehicle such as right and left and rear rather than using a room mirror or a side mirror when parking the host vehicle. It is a driver type that often recognizes and recognizes the geographical relationship between the vehicle and the vehicle. Many male drivers have a relatively high ability to recognize space and fall into this type.

  Also, with the landmark gaze type, for example, when the host vehicle is parked, rather than looking around the host vehicle, the target target object reflected on the mirror as a landmark such as a rearview mirror or a side mirror is watched and switched. By doing this, it is a driver type that often recognizes a deviation in the positional relationship between the parking area around the host vehicle and the host vehicle. Many female drivers have a relatively high ability to detect feature points and memorize past experiences and fall into this type. The ability to memorize past experiences also includes the ability to use the difference between the driver's own gaze target found based on past parking experiences and the host vehicle as a criterion for driving. Details of the difference between these visual recognition types will be described later.

  The driving support unit 3 selectively switches automatically to a video format suitable for the driver according to the visual recognition type determined by the type determination unit 2, and the periphery of the vehicle (for example, in the switched video format (for example, A display part for navigation that supports driving by a driver by displaying an image of an around view or a side view in which a place where attention is often lacking in general is highlighted in the own vehicle and playing a BGM. And is configured.

  For example, when it is determined that the driver is a space recognition type, the driving support unit 3 determines the surroundings of the host vehicle such as the left and right and the rear (for example, an around view in which places where attention is generally insufficient) are highlighted. Images displayed using the same camera as the driver's eyes are displayed on the display while switching in a relatively short time, such as displaying the left side image for a few seconds, the right side image for a few seconds, and the back image for a few seconds. To do.

  In addition, when it is determined that the driver is a landmark gazing type, the driving support unit 3 causes the driver's eye to be reflected on a mirror such as a room mirror or a side mirror (for example, a place where attention is generally insufficient). The image showing the highlighted side view or back view) is displayed for a relatively long time, such as the left side image is displayed for several tens of seconds, the right side image is displayed for several tens of seconds, and the rear image is displayed for several tens of seconds. Display on the screen while switching with.

(2) Details of Difference between Space Recognition Type and Mark Gaze Type Next, details of the difference between the space recognition type and the mark gaze type will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 shows a gaze point that indicates when and how long the driver has viewed the gaze target area between the start and completion of driving for parking the host vehicle. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of a change degree. FIG. 2A shows the case of the space recognition type, and FIG. 2B shows the case of the landmark gaze type.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the degree of change of the gazing point as the frequency of changing the gazing target area from the start of the driver's parking for the vehicle to the completion of the driving. is there. FIG. 3A shows the case of the space recognition type and is based on FIG. 2A, and FIG. 3B shows the case of the mark gaze type and is based on FIG. 2B.

  In the case of the space recognition type, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), there is a feature that the range to be watched has a tendency to switch approximately periodically in a relatively short time. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2B, the mark gaze type is characterized in that a specific range has a tendency to continue to gaze for a relatively long time.

  In the case of the space recognition type, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the frequency of change of the gaze target area exceeds the threshold value (the part with the black triangle mark) is compared with the change frequency of nine times. It is characteristic that it exceeds the specified number of times (for example, five times). On the other hand, in the case of the mark gaze type, as shown in FIG. 3B, the frequency of change of the gaze target area exceeds the threshold value (the part with the black triangle mark) is compared with the change frequency twice. It is characteristic that it is less than the specified number of times (for example, five times).

(3) Flow of Visual Recognition Type Determination Processing in Driving Support Device Next, the flow of visual recognition type determination processing (driving support method) executed by the driving support device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the visual recognition type determination process executed by the driving support device 10. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is mainly performed by the above-described ECU, and is repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing from when the driving support device 10 is turned on until it is turned off.

  First, the gazing point detection unit 1 detects the face direction and the line-of-sight direction by imaging the driver's face with a camera or the like (step S01). Next, based on the detected line-of-sight direction, the gaze point detection unit 1 determines how frequently the gaze target area (for example, the area of the room mirror or the area to be gazed by direct front view) is determined. It is determined whether the user is watching (step S02).

  Next, the gaze point detection unit 1 records which gaze target area the driver has seen as frequently as a determination result regarding the gaze object (step S03). Then, the gaze point detection unit 1 calculates the degree of change in the gaze target area as the gaze point that is the target to be watched by the driver (that is, the number of changes in the gaze object per unit time) based on the result of the determination process. (Step S04).

  Next, the type determination unit 2 initializes the driver as a mark gazing type, and the driving support unit 3 switches to a video format suitable for the mark gazing type driver determined by the type determination unit 2. The image around the host vehicle is displayed in the host vehicle in the video format. Further, the type determination unit 2 determines whether or not the number of changes of the gaze target area as the gaze object has exceeded the above threshold based on the degree of change detected by the gaze point detection unit 1 in step S04. (Step S05). If it is determined that the number of changes in the gaze target area is equal to or less than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S01. On the other hand, if it is determined that the number of changes in the gaze target area exceeds the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S06 described below.

  In step S06, the type determination unit 2 determines whether or not the number of times the number of changes in the gaze target area has exceeded the threshold exceeds the specified number of times (that is, whether the change frequency is relatively high). When it is determined that the number of times the number of changes in the gaze target area exceeds the threshold value is equal to or less than the specified number, the process proceeds to step S01. On the other hand, when it is determined that the number of times the number of changes in the gaze target area exceeds the threshold value exceeds the specified number, the process proceeds to step S07 described later.

  In step S07, the type determination unit 2 determines that the driver is a space recognition type. Then, a series of processing ends. After this, the driving support unit 3 automatically switches to a video format suitable for the driver of the space recognition type determined by the type determination unit 2, and images around the host vehicle in the switched video format. And display the BGM.

(4) Actions and effects of the driving support device The driving support device 10 detects the degree of change of the gaze point that the driver is gazing at, and determines the visual recognition type of the driver around the vehicle based on the detected degree of change. Driving assistance according to the determined visual recognition type. Thus, for example, for a driver who wants to check the vicinity of the rear of the host vehicle when the host vehicle is retracted and parked, first, as the degree of change of the gazing point that the driver watches, Detect that it is almost fixed.

  Based on the detected degree of change, the driver determines that the driver is a space recognition type, and can provide driving support such as providing information according to the determined space recognition type. As a result, it becomes possible to select driving assistance that matches the driver's visual recognition characteristics when parking the host vehicle, and to perform driving assistance for safer driving that matches the personal characteristics of the driver. Will be able to.

  Further, an image around the host vehicle is displayed on the display according to the determined visual recognition type. Thereby, the image around the own vehicle (that is, the image of the place required by the driver) is automatically switched accurately and displayed in accordance with the characteristics of the confirmation tendency by the driver's line of sight when parking the own vehicle. It becomes possible to perform driving support by. As a result, the driver who has been released from the troublesome manual switching of the display display is concentrated only on the display on which the above image is automatically switched and displayed to provide driving support for safer and more comfortable driving. Will be able to do.

(5) Modification In the above embodiment, there are two types of visual recognition types: a space recognition type and a mark gaze type, but these may be further subdivided. In the above embodiment, the driving support unit 3 automatically switches the image to display the display. In addition to the switching display, the sensor such as sonar is automatically selected and the sensor is displayed. It is good also as a structure which strengthens a function and sensor intensity | strength.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the driving assistance apparatus which can perform the driving assistance for a safer driving | operation can be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Gaze point detection part, 2 ... Type judgment part, 3 ... Support part, 10 ... Driving assistance apparatus.

Claims (2)

In the driving support device that supports the driving of the vehicle by the driver,
Detecting means for detecting a degree of change of a gazing point that the driver gazes;
Determining means for determining whether or not the driver's visual recognition type for the periphery of the own vehicle is a space recognition type for looking directly around the own vehicle based on the degree of change detected by the detecting means; ,
When the visual recognition type determined by the determination means is the space recognition type, support means for performing the driving support according to the space recognition type ;
A driving support apparatus comprising: The determination means determines that the visual recognition type is the spatial recognition type when the number of times that the number of changes in the point of sight exceeds a threshold exceeds a specified number of times,
When the visual recognition type determined by the determination unit is the space recognition type, the support unit switches a plurality of images in which the periphery of the host vehicle is captured using the camera of the driver's eyes Display ,
The driving support device according to claim 1.

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