JP6347369B2 - vehicle - Google Patents

Description

Cross-reference of related applications

  This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-62418 filed with the Japan Patent Office on March 25, 2013, and is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-62418. The entire contents are incorporated into this international application.

  The present invention relates to a vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for detecting a danger such as an obstacle existing in front of a vehicle using a camera or a radar mounted on the vehicle and executing a process for avoiding the danger is known (see Patent Document 1). .

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-029060

  However, in the conventional technology, since there are limitations on the types of danger that can be detected and the detection range of danger, it has been difficult to sufficiently improve vehicle safety. In one aspect of the present invention, it is desirable to provide a vehicle with excellent safety.

  The vehicle according to the present invention includes a danger information acquisition unit for acquiring road position information on a road, a vehicle position information acquisition unit for acquiring position information of the own vehicle, the position information of the danger, and the position information of the own vehicle. And a risk avoidance process execution unit that executes a risk avoidance process when the two are in a predetermined positional relationship.

  The vehicle according to the present invention can acquire danger position information about a road, and execute danger avoidance processing based on the positional relationship between the danger position information and the position information of the host vehicle. Therefore, the safety of the vehicle is high.

  For example, the vehicle of the present invention can acquire danger position information from a danger information output unit provided on the infrastructure side of the road. In this case, it is also possible to acquire position information of a danger that exists far from the vehicle.

  Examples of the danger related to the road include freezing of the road, snow accumulation on the road, collapse of structures on the road, and the like.

2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating configurations of a vehicle 1 and an information distribution system 101. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a non-slip agent injection system 21. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a base station 105. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a first information acquisition apparatus 107. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a second information acquisition apparatus 109. FIG. It is explanatory drawing showing the structure and effect | action of a camera 139. FIG. It is explanatory drawing showing the structure and effect | action of the sound wave output machine 143 and the sound wave sensor 145. FIG. It is explanatory drawing showing the structure and effect | action of an optical sensor. It is explanatory drawing showing the structure and effect | action of the electrical conductivity sensor 149. FIG. It is a flowchart showing the process in which the control center 103 accumulate | stores the danger information regarding a road. It is explanatory drawing showing a danger information database. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the vehicle 1; FIG. 14A is an explanatory diagram showing a landscape viewed through the windshield from the viewpoint of the driver of the vehicle 1 when there is snow on the road, and FIG. 14B is an image of things on the road in the landscape shown in FIG. 14A. It is explanatory drawing showing the state which superimposedly displayed by HUD13. It is explanatory drawing showing a driving | running route information database. It is a flowchart showing the process which the control center 103 performs. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the vehicle 1; 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a vehicle 1. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the vehicle 1; 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the vehicle 1; 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a vehicle 1. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the vehicle 1;

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle, 3 ... Transmitter / receiver, 5 ... Navigation system, 7 ... Speaker, 9 ... Slip detection system, 15 ... Camera, 17 ... Infrared camera, 19 ... Radar, 20 ... In-vehicle camera, 21 ... Anti-slip agent injection system, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 23 ... Automatic brake system, 25 ... Control part, 31 ... Tank, 33 ... Piping, 33a, 33b ... End part, 35 ... Control valve, 39 ... Anti-slip agent, 41 ... High pressure nitrogen, 43 ... Tire, 101 ... Information distribution System 103 103 Control center 104 Internet line 105 Base station 106 Mobile terminal 107 First information acquisition device 109 Second information acquisition device 110 Communication line 111 Control unit 113 ... Storage device, 115 ... Communication interface, 117 ... Control unit, 119 ... Communication interface, 121 ... Transceiver, 123 ... Control unit, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 25 ... Communication interface, 127 ... Camera, 129 ... Infrared camera, 131 ... Radar, 133 ... Control part, 135 ... Communication interface, 137 ... Vibration sensor, 139 ... Camera, 143 ... Sound wave output machine, 145 ... Sound wave sensor, 147 ... Optical sensor, 149 ... Conductivity sensor, 151, 153 ... Infrared sensor, 155 ... Right pressure gauge, 157 ... Left pressure gauge, 201 ... Road, 203 ... Tunnel, 203A ... Ceiling, 205 ... Bar, 205A ... Lower end, 207 ... Laser emitting device, 209 ... reflection mirror, 211, 213 ... electrode, 215 ... gate member, 217 ... infrared beam, 301 ... boundary line, 303 ... center line, 305 ... stop line

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<First Embodiment>
1. Configuration of Vehicle 1 The configuration of the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The vehicle 1 is a moving body that can travel on the road 201. The vehicle 1 can receive various information distributed by an information distribution system 101 described later. Further, the vehicle 1 can transmit various information acquired by the vehicle 1 to the information distribution system 101.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes a transceiver 3, a navigation system 5, a speaker 7, a slip detection system 9, an ABS (anti-lock brake system) 11, a HUD (head-up display) 13, a camera 15, and an infrared camera 17. , A radar 19, an in-vehicle camera 20, a non-slip agent injection system 21, an automatic brake system 23, and a control unit 25.

  The transceiver 3 transmits and receives information to and from the information distribution system 101 by wireless communication. The navigation system 5 can acquire position information of the vehicle 1 by GPS, and can set a scheduled travel route to a destination designated by the driver of the vehicle 1. The navigation system 5 has a function of connecting to the Internet line 104 and transmitting / receiving information. The speaker 7 is provided in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 1 and can output sound.

  The slip detection system 9 detects a slip of the vehicle 1 according to the following principle. The slip detection system 9 acquires the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 and the rotation speed of the wheel at any time. Then, the theoretical vehicle speed calculated from the number of rotations of the wheel, assuming that no slip has occurred, is compared with the actual vehicle speed. If the difference between the two is greater than a predetermined threshold, slip occurs. Judge that you are doing. The vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 can be obtained from, for example, the amount of change per unit time of the position of the vehicle 1.

The ABS 11 is a well-known system that operates when a predetermined condition is satisfied and prevents the wheels (tires) from being locked by intermittently decreasing the brake pressure of the vehicle 1.
The HUD 13 is a known image display system that can display an image on the windshield of the vehicle 1. That is, the HUD 13 projects light that represents an image onto the windshield of the vehicle 1, and the light is reflected by the windshield and reaches the driver's viewpoint. As a result, when viewed from the driver, the image appears to be displayed on the windshield.

  The camera 15 is a camera that is provided at the front end portion of the vehicle 1 and can photograph the road surface in front of the vehicle 1 and directly below the vehicle 1. The camera 15 captures an image based on light in the visible light region. The infrared camera 17 is a camera that is provided at the front end portion of the vehicle 1 and can capture infrared images of the road surface in front of the vehicle 1 and directly below the vehicle 1.

  The radar 19 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 and outputs a millimeter wave band radar wave in the forward direction of the vehicle 1 and receives a reflected wave reflected by an obstacle or the like. Then, the distance from the vehicle 1 to the obstacle is calculated based on the time difference from the radar wave output time to the reflected wave reception time. Further, the direction of the obstacle viewed from the vehicle 1 is determined based on the direction in which the reflected wave arrives.

  The in-vehicle camera 20 is attached to the interior of the vehicle 1 and images the front of the vehicle 1 through the windshield. The vehicle 1 recognizes the type of an object (for example, a preceding vehicle, a traffic light, a pedestrian, etc.) ahead of the vehicle 1 shown in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 by image recognition. Then, it is determined how clear the object shown in the image is, and based on the determination result, the degree of dirt on the windshield is determined. When the degree of dirt is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the vehicle 1 instructs the driver to take safety measures such as deceleration by the sound of the speaker 7 or the display screen of the navigation system 5.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the anti-slip agent injection system 21 includes a tank 31, a pipe 33, and a control valve 35. The tank 31 is a metal sealed pressure vessel, and is filled with a liquid anti-slip agent 39 and high-pressure nitrogen 41. The anti-slip agent 39 is obtained by suspending fine particles such as metal, sand, and resin in a dispersion medium (for example, water, alcohol, etc.).

  The pipe 33 has one end 33 a inside the tank 31, and the opposite end 33 b faces the tire 43 of the vehicle 1. The opposite end 33b has a nozzle shape. The control valve 35 is provided at an intermediate position of the pipe 33, and opens and closes the pipe 33 in response to a command from the control unit 25.

  When the control valve 35 is closed, the anti-slip agent 39 does not flow in the pipe 33 and maintains the state held in the tank 31. On the other hand, when the control valve 35 is opened, the anti-slip agent 39 is pushed into the pipe 33 by the high-pressure nitrogen 41, ejected from the end portion 33 b, and adheres to the surface of the tire 43. The tire 43 having the anti-slip agent 39 attached to the surface is less likely to slip on a frozen road surface or snow.

  The automatic brake system 23 operates the brake of the vehicle 1 (even if there is no driver's braking operation). The control unit 25 is a known computer that controls each of the above components, and includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. In addition, although the vehicle 1 is equipped with the structure similar to a normal vehicle, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Moreover, the vehicle 1 can switch a mode between several control modes (1st mode, 2nd mode, 3rd mode ...). The (n + 1) th mode is a mode in which it is less likely to slip on a frozen road surface than the nth mode (n = 1, 2, 3,...).

  The difference in the difficulty of slipping between the modes is realized by the operating conditions of the ABS 11 and the restriction process for sudden acceleration and sudden steering. That is, in the mode in which slipping is difficult, the ABS 11 is easier to operate than in the mode in which slipping is likely to occur. Even if the driver depresses the accelerator by a predetermined amount, acceleration is limited. The corner is limited.

  The vehicle 1 is initially in the first mode, and each time the slip detection system 9 detects slip, the vehicle 1 sequentially shifts to the second, third, fourth,. This can reduce the slip of the vehicle 1 on the frozen road surface. When the slip detection system 9 does not detect a slip for a predetermined time, the system returns to the first mode.

  The transceiver 3 is an embodiment of the danger information acquisition unit. The navigation system 5 is an embodiment of the vehicle position information acquisition unit. The navigation system 5, the speaker 7, the ABS 11, the HUD 13, the anti-slip agent injection system 21, the automatic brake system 23, and the control unit 25 are an embodiment of a danger avoidance process execution unit.

2. Configuration of Information Distribution System 101 The configuration of the information distribution system 101 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4 to 11. The information distribution system 101 is a kind of infrastructure related to roads, and includes a control center 103, a base station 105, a first information acquisition device 107, and a second information acquisition device 109, as shown in FIG. The control center 103 and other components are connected by a wired communication line 110.

  The control center 103 includes a control unit 111, a storage device 113, and a communication interface 115. The control unit 111 is a known computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and controls each component of the control center 103. The storage device 113 includes an HDD (hard disk drive), and can write, save, and read various information. The communication interface 115 performs communication among the base station 105, the first information acquisition device 107, and the second information acquisition device 109.

  The control center 103 is connected to the Internet line 104. The control center 103 can communicate with the mobile terminal 106 and the navigation system 5 of the vehicle 1 via the Internet line 104. Note that the function of the control center 103 may be realized by a cloud computer.

  A plurality of base stations 105 are provided for each predetermined distance along the road 201. As shown in FIG. 4, each base station 105 includes a control unit 117, a communication interface 119, and a transceiver 121. The control unit 117 is a known computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and controls each component of the base station 105. The communication interface 119 performs communication with the control center 103. The transceiver 121 transmits and receives information to and from the transceiver 3 of the vehicle 1 by wireless communication. The base station 105 is an embodiment of the danger information output unit.

  A plurality of first information acquisition devices 107 are provided for each predetermined distance along the road 201. As shown in FIG. 5, each first information acquisition device 107 includes a control unit 123, a communication interface 125, a camera 127, an infrared camera 129, and a radar 131. The control unit 123 is a known computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and controls each component of the first information acquisition apparatus 107. The communication interface 125 performs communication with the control center 103.

  The camera 127 images the road surface of the road 201. The infrared camera 129 captures an infrared image of the road surface of the road 201. The radar 131 outputs a millimeter wave radar wave toward the road 201 and receives a reflected wave reflected by the radar wave.

  The second information acquisition device 109 is provided in the vicinity of the tunnel 203 through which the road 201 passes. As shown in FIG. 6, the second information acquisition device 109 includes a control unit 133, a communication interface 135, a vibration sensor 137, a camera 139, a sound wave output machine 143, a sound wave sensor 145, an optical sensor 147, and a conductivity sensor 149. Prepare.

  The control unit 133 is a known computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and controls each component of the second information acquisition device 109. The communication interface 135 performs communication with the control center 103.

  The vibration sensor 137 is embedded in the ceiling or side wall of the tunnel 203 and detects the vibration of the tunnel 203. The vibration sensor 137 can detect any vibration that accompanies collapse or deformation of the tunnel 203 or is a precursor.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the camera 139 is attached to one end of a ceiling 203 </ b> A in the tunnel 203 and can photograph the inside of the tunnel 203. A plurality of bars 205 are attached to the ceiling 203A at regular intervals. The bar 205 is about the size of a toothpick, and the portion excluding the lower end 205A is made of a soft resin. A metallic reflector that easily reflects light is attached to the lower end 205A.

  If there is no abnormality such as collapse or deformation in the tunnel 203, the lower ends 205A of the plurality of bars 205 are regularly arranged (for example, aligned at equal intervals on a straight line) in the image captured by the camera 139.

  On the other hand, when a part or all of the rod 205 is displaced or the axial direction of the rod 205 is changed due to collapse, deformation, or the like of the tunnel 203, the lower ends 205A of the plurality of rods 205 in the image photographed by the camera 139. Are arranged irregularly. Therefore, whether or not the tunnel 203 has collapsed or deformed can be determined based on the arrangement state of the plurality of lower ends 205A in the image captured by the camera 139.

  The sound wave output machine 143 and the sound wave sensor 145 are both attached to the ceiling 203A of the tunnel 203 as shown in FIG. The sound wave output device 143 outputs an ultrasonic wave toward the ceiling 203A. The sound wave sensor 145 receives the reflected wave reflected by the ceiling 203A. If there is an abnormal part such as a crack or a cavity in the vicinity of the position where the sound wave output machine 143 applies ultrasonic waves, a reflected wave pattern peculiar to the abnormal part is detected by the sound wave sensor 145. Therefore, the existence of abnormality of the tunnel 203 can be inspected by the sound wave output device 143 and the sound wave sensor 145.

  The sound wave output machine 143 and the sound wave sensor 145 can be moved along the surface of the ceiling 203A while maintaining the mutual positional relationship constant by a slide mechanism (not shown). Can be inspected. Therefore, the sound wave output device 143 and the sound wave sensor 145 can detect a wide range of abnormalities in the tunnel 203.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the optical sensor 147 is provided at one end of the tunnel 203 and in the vicinity of the road surface. A laser emitting device 207 is provided near the opposite end of the tunnel 203, and a reflection mirror 209 is provided on the ceiling 203 A near the center of the tunnel 203.

  If there is no abnormality such as collapse or deformation in the tunnel 203, the laser light emitted from the laser emission device 207 is reflected by the reflection mirror 209 and detected by the optical sensor 147. On the other hand, if the position of any of the laser emitting device 207, the reflection mirror 209, and the optical sensor 147 is shifted or changed due to the collapse or deformation of the tunnel 203, the laser light does not pass through the optical sensor 147. , No longer detected. Therefore, whether or not the tunnel 203 is collapsed or deformed can be determined based on whether or not the optical sensor 147 can detect the laser beam. Note that the reflection mirror 209 may be provided at a plurality of locations, and the laser light sequentially reflected by the plurality of reflection mirrors 209 may be detected by the optical sensor 147.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the conductivity sensor 149 is embedded inside the ceiling 203 </ b> A in the tunnel 203 together with a pair of electrodes 211 and 213. The pair of electrodes 211 and 213 are separated from each other, and the conductivity sensor 149 is electrically connected to each of the pair of electrodes 211 and 213.

  By the way, the ceiling 203A and the side wall of the tunnel 203 are made of a material in which carbon fibers having conductivity are kneaded together with mortar and aggregate, and the electrodes 211 and 213 have a certain conductivity. The conductivity sensor 149 detects and outputs the conductivity between the electrodes 211 and 213.

  If a crack or a cavity occurs in the portion between the electrodes 211 and 213 in the ceiling 203A, the conductivity between the electrodes 211 and 213 changes. Therefore, cracks and cavities in the ceiling 203A can be detected based on the conductivity output by the conductivity sensor 149.

  Further, the conductivity sensor 149 may detect the conductivity of an aluminum foil stuck on the surface of a bolt driven into the tunnel 203. When the aluminum foil is torn due to the collapse of the tunnel 203 or the like, the conductivity changes. Therefore, the collapse or the like can be detected from the change in conductivity.

  Note that the second information acquisition device 109 may be provided in the vicinity of a bridge (including a bridge on a highway). In this case, the vibration sensor 137, the camera 139, the sound wave output device 143, the sound wave sensor 145, the optical sensor 147, and the conductivity sensor 149 are attached to the bridge, and the collapse, deformation, and vibration of the bridge are detected by these sensors. Can do.

3. Processes executed by the vehicle 1 and the information distribution system 101 (1) The first information acquisition device 107 and the second information acquisition device 109 detect a road-related danger. Detect road hazards as follows.

  Freezing of the road surface and snow cover: The road surface is photographed by the camera 127 or the infrared camera 129, and a pattern peculiar to freezing and snow cover of the road surface (for example, a white line in which a portion having higher brightness and reflectance than a normal road surface exists) Whether or not there is a vehicle that is partially covered, a vehicle that is estimated to be slipping during traveling, or a pedestrian that is slipping a foot) is determined by image recognition. If a specific pattern appears, detect the risk of freezing and snow on the road surface.

  Abnormal behavior car: Take a video on the road with the camera 127 or infrared camera 129, abnormal behavior (for example, protruding to the opposite lane, meandering, greatly exceeding the speed limit, on the road opposite to the original direction of travel) The presence or absence of a vehicle that is traveling in the direction (reverse running) is determined. Further, the radar 131 determines the presence or absence of a vehicle that performs an abnormal behavior. When there is a vehicle that performs abnormal behavior, the danger of the vehicle that performs abnormal behavior is detected.

  Objects existing on the road (for example, carcasses of animals): A moving image on the road is shot by the camera 127 or the infrared camera 129, and an abnormal behavior for avoiding an object on the road (for example, a predetermined point on the road) It is determined whether or not there is a vehicle that makes a detour, decelerates in front of a predetermined point, approaches one side of a lane in front of a predetermined point, etc. Further, the radar 131 determines the presence or absence of a vehicle that performs an abnormal behavior. When there is a vehicle that performs the abnormal behavior described above, the danger that an object exists on the road is detected.

  Also, set conditions regarding vehicles that perform abnormal behavior (for example, detour around a predetermined point on the road, decelerate in front of a predetermined point, stop by one side of a lane in front of a predetermined point, etc.) If the condition is satisfied, it is determined that an object exists on the road. If the condition is not satisfied, it can be determined that the object does not exist on the road. As the condition, for example, a condition that a vehicle that performs an abnormal behavior passes a fixed point on a road more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time. In addition, as another condition, a condition that a predetermined number or more of vehicles that perform abnormal behavior is continued.

By providing the above conditions, it is possible to suppress erroneous determination that an object is present on the road when no object is actually present on the road.
Illuminance shortage: An image on the road is taken by the camera 127, and the illuminance on the road is calculated from the exposure of the camera 127 at that time and the brightness of the taken image. When the calculated illuminance is less than a predetermined value, the danger of insufficient illuminance is detected.

  Cracking or collapsing road surface: The road surface is photographed by the camera 127 or the infrared camera 129, and it is determined by image recognition whether or not a pattern peculiar to cracking or collapsing road surface appears in the image. If a specific pattern appears, the risk of cracking or collapsing is detected.

  Faulty or damaged vehicle: An infrared camera 129 is used to photograph a vehicle traveling on the road or a vehicle stopped on the road. These vehicles have a function of emitting infrared rays to the outside if there is a failure or damage. If the infrared pattern appears in the image of the infrared camera 129, a danger caused by a faulty or damaged vehicle is detected.

  Vehicle using a mobile phone while the driver is traveling: The vehicle 127 is photographed using the camera 127 or the infrared camera 129. Then, it is determined whether or not the image of the driver using the mobile phone can be recognized by image recognition. If the image of the driver using the mobile phone can be recognized, the danger caused by the vehicle using the mobile phone while the driver is driving is detected.

  Further, if the radio wave of the mobile phone is detected from the traveling vehicle, the driver detects the danger caused by the vehicle using the mobile phone while traveling. In addition, the vehicle may have a function of detecting use of a mobile phone by a driver of the vehicle and outputting a specific signal to the outside at that time. In this case, if the specific signal is received, the driver detects a danger caused by the vehicle using the mobile phone while traveling.

  Vehicles in which the driver is in a state of sudden illness, etc .: The moving vehicle is photographed using the camera 127 or the infrared camera 129. The driver recognizes sudden illness, fainting, drowning, snoozing, etc. (for example, taking a posture that covers the steering wheel or a posture that leans greatly in the horizontal direction, or closes her eyes continuously for a predetermined time or more. It is determined whether or not the image of the driver can be recognized. If this image can be recognized, the driver detects the danger caused by the vehicle in a state of sudden illness, fainting, drowning, snoozing or the like.

  In addition, the vehicle may have a function of detecting a driver's biological information (such as brain waves, pulse waves, and electrocardiograms) and transmitting the detection result to the outside. In this case, if a detection result corresponding to sudden illness, fainting, drought, snoozing, etc. is received, the driver detects the danger caused by the vehicle in a state of sudden illness, fainting, drowning, snoozing, etc.

  Puddle existing on the road: If the road surface is photographed using the camera 127 or the infrared camera 129 and the puddle is recognized by image recognition, the danger caused by the puddle is detected. Also, if a puddle is recognized in an image obtained by photographing a road surface in the past, and the weather satisfies a predetermined condition (for example, a condition that a predetermined amount of rain has fallen within a predetermined period from that point), the image Detect the danger caused by a puddle at the position of the puddle inside.

Vehicle during automatic operation: The vehicle outputs a signal specific to the outside during automatic operation. If the peculiar signal is received, the danger by the vehicle during automatic driving is detected.
In addition, a state that reduces the safety of automatic driving together with a vehicle that is driving automatically (for example, a white line of a road used for control of automatic driving, a center line, etc. that cannot be identified by a camera or sensor due to snow, etc.) It may be detected.

  In this case, depending on whether or not the safety of the automatic driving is lowered, the level of danger by the vehicle during the automatic driving can be graded. For example, if a vehicle during automatic driving is detected and the safety of automatic driving is reduced, it is determined that the degree of danger due to the vehicle during automatic driving is high. On the other hand, even if a vehicle during automatic driving is detected, it is determined that the degree of danger due to the vehicle during automatic driving is low unless the safety of automatic driving is reduced.

  Pedestrian: Receives weak radio waves emitted by mobile phones and IC cards. For receiving weak radio waves, for example, a waveguide can be used. Further, the position of the radio wave transmission source is observed over time, and the moving speed of the transmission source is calculated. If the moving speed of the transmission source is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (for example, 10 km / h), it is determined that there is a pedestrian holding a mobile phone, an IC card, etc., and a danger caused by the pedestrian is detected.

Moreover, you may identify whether a mobile telephone is charging. If charging is in progress, the mobile phone is in the vehicle and is not held by the pedestrian, so no danger is detected by the pedestrian.
Vehicle driven by an elderly person: The moving vehicle is photographed using the camera 127 or the infrared camera 129. Then, it is determined by image recognition whether the driver is an elderly person. If the driver is an elderly person, the danger caused by the vehicle being driven by the elderly person is detected.

  Further, as described above, the second information acquisition device 109 uses the vibration sensor 137, the camera 139, the sound wave output machine 143, the sound wave sensor 145, the light sensor 147, and the conductivity sensor 149 to cause the tunnel 203 to collapse or deform. Abnormalities (a form of danger related to roads) can be detected.

The first information acquisition device 107 and the second information acquisition device 109 are the type of danger relating to the road detected as described above, the position (latitude, longitude) where the danger was detected, and the time when the danger was detected. Is stored as information (hereinafter referred to as road risk information), and is transmitted in response to a request from the control center 103 as described later.
(2) Process in which the vehicle 1 detects a danger related to the road The vehicle 1 detects a danger related to the road as described below at every predetermined time during traveling.

  Freezing of the road surface and snow accumulation: A road surface is photographed by the camera 15 or the infrared camera 17, and a pattern peculiar to freezing of the road surface and snow accumulation (for example, a white line with a portion having higher brightness and reflectance than a normal road surface) Whether or not there is a vehicle that is partially covered, a vehicle that is estimated to be slipping during traveling, or a pedestrian that is slipping a foot) is determined by image recognition. If a specific pattern appears, detect the risk of freezing and snow on the road surface. Note that the place where the camera 15 or the infrared camera 17 captures images may be in front of the vehicle 1 or directly under the vehicle 1.

  Further, when detecting the risk of freezing of the road surface and snow accumulation using the camera 15 or the infrared camera 17, it is possible to illuminate a place where there is a possibility of freezing and snow accumulation. As this light, a light having a wavelength and illuminance that makes the difference in appearance (color, brightness, reflectance, etc.) between the part with freezing and snowfall and the other part visible can be used. The light may be a headlight of the vehicle 1 or a dedicated light for danger detection.

Further, even when the slip detection system 9 detects a slip or the ABS 11 operates under the condition that the steering amount and the brake pressure are less than the predetermined values, the risk of freezing of the road surface and snow accumulation is detected.
Abnormal behavior car: A video on the road is photographed by the camera 15 or the infrared camera 17, and an abnormal behavior (for example, protruding on the opposite lane, meandering, greatly exceeding the speed limit, or on the road is opposite to the original traveling direction) The presence or absence of a vehicle that is traveling in the direction (reverse running) is determined. In addition, the radar 19 determines the presence or absence of a vehicle that behaves abnormally. When there is a vehicle that performs abnormal behavior, the danger of the vehicle that performs abnormal behavior is detected.

  Objects existing on the road (for example, carcasses of animals): A moving image on the road is shot by the camera 127 or the infrared camera 129, and an abnormal behavior for avoiding an object on the road (for example, a predetermined point on the road) It is determined whether or not there is a vehicle that makes a detour, decelerates in front of a predetermined point, approaches one side of a lane in front of a predetermined point, etc. In addition, the radar 19 determines the presence or absence of a vehicle that behaves abnormally. When there is a vehicle that performs the abnormal behavior described above, the danger that an object exists on the road is detected.

  Also, set conditions regarding vehicles that perform abnormal behavior (for example, detour around a predetermined point on the road, decelerate in front of a predetermined point, stop by one side of a lane in front of a predetermined point, etc.) If the condition is satisfied, it is determined that an object exists on the road. If the condition is not satisfied, it can be determined that the object does not exist on the road. As the condition, for example, a condition that a vehicle that performs an abnormal behavior passes a fixed point on a road more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time. In addition, as another condition, a condition that a predetermined number or more of vehicles that perform abnormal behavior is continued.

By providing the above conditions, it is possible to suppress erroneous determination that an object is present on the road when no object is actually present on the road.
Illuminance deficiency: An image on the road is taken by the camera 15, and the illuminance on the road is calculated from the exposure of the camera 15 at that time and the brightness of the taken image. When the calculated illuminance is less than a predetermined value, the danger of insufficient illuminance is detected.

  Cracks and collapse of road surface: The road surface is photographed by the camera 15 or the infrared camera 17, and it is determined by image recognition whether or not a pattern peculiar to the crack or collapse of the road surface appears in the image. If a specific pattern appears, the risk of cracking or collapsing is detected.

  Faulty or damaged vehicle: An infrared camera 17 photographs a vehicle traveling on the road or a vehicle stopped on the road. These vehicles have a function of emitting infrared rays to the outside if there is a failure or damage. If the infrared pattern appears in the image of the infrared camera 17, a danger caused by a faulty or damaged vehicle is detected.

  Vehicle using a mobile phone while the driver is traveling: The vehicle 15 is photographed using the camera 15 or the infrared camera 17. Then, it is determined whether or not the image of the driver using the mobile phone can be recognized by image recognition. If the image of the driver using the mobile phone can be recognized, the danger caused by the vehicle using the mobile phone while the driver is driving is detected.

  Further, if the radio wave of the mobile phone is detected from the traveling vehicle, the driver detects the danger caused by the vehicle using the mobile phone while traveling. In addition, the vehicle may have a function of detecting use of a mobile phone by a driver of the vehicle and outputting a specific signal to the outside at that time. In this case, if the specific signal is received, the driver detects a danger caused by the vehicle using the mobile phone while traveling.

  Vehicle in which driver is in a state of sudden illness, etc .: The moving vehicle is photographed using the camera 15 or the infrared camera 17. The driver recognizes sudden illness, fainting, drowning, snoozing, etc. (for example, taking a posture that covers the steering wheel or a posture that leans greatly in the horizontal direction, or closes her eyes continuously for a predetermined time or more. It is determined whether or not the image of the driver can be recognized. If this image can be recognized, the driver detects the danger caused by the vehicle in a state of sudden illness, fainting, drowning, snoozing or the like.

  In addition, the vehicle may have a function of detecting a driver's biological information (such as brain waves, pulse waves, and electrocardiograms) and transmitting the detection result to the outside. In this case, if a detection result corresponding to sudden illness, fainting, drought, snoozing, etc. is received, the driver detects the danger caused by the vehicle in a state of sudden illness, fainting, drowning, snoozing, etc.

  Puddle existing on the road: If the road surface is photographed using the camera 15 or the infrared camera 17 and the puddle is recognized by image recognition, the danger caused by the puddle is detected. Also, if a puddle is recognized in an image obtained by photographing a road surface in the past, and the weather satisfies a predetermined condition (for example, a condition that a predetermined amount of rain has fallen within a predetermined period from that point), the image Detect the danger caused by a puddle at the position of the puddle inside.

Vehicle during automatic operation: The vehicle outputs a signal specific to the outside during automatic operation. If the peculiar signal is received, the danger by the vehicle during automatic driving is detected.
In addition, a state that reduces the safety of automatic driving together with a vehicle that is driving automatically (for example, a white line of a road used for control of automatic driving, a center line, etc. that cannot be identified by a camera or sensor due to snow, etc.) It may be detected.

  In this case, depending on whether or not the safety of the automatic driving is lowered, the level of danger by the vehicle during the automatic driving can be graded. For example, if a vehicle during automatic driving is detected and the safety of automatic driving is reduced, it is determined that the degree of danger due to the vehicle during automatic driving is high. On the other hand, even if a vehicle during automatic driving is detected, it is determined that the degree of danger due to the vehicle during automatic driving is low unless the safety of automatic driving is reduced.

  Pedestrian: Receives weak radio waves emitted by mobile phones and IC cards. For receiving weak radio waves, for example, a waveguide can be used. Further, the position of the radio wave transmission source is observed over time, and the moving speed of the transmission source is calculated. If the moving speed of the transmission source is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (for example, 10 km / h), it is determined that there is a pedestrian holding a mobile phone, an IC card, etc., and a danger caused by the pedestrian is detected.

Moreover, you may identify whether a mobile telephone is charging. If charging is in progress, the mobile phone is in the vehicle and is not held by the pedestrian, so no danger is detected by the pedestrian.
Bicycle or two-wheeled vehicle that passes by the side of the vehicle 1 (left side or right side): The bicycle or two-wheeled vehicle includes a device that emits radio waves, infrared rays, visible light, and the like. These radio waves, infrared rays, visible light, and the like preferably have characteristics (wavelength, intensity pattern, etc.) peculiar to a bicycle or a two-wheeled vehicle. Moreover, it is preferable that those radio waves, infrared rays, visible light, and the like have directivity and are mainly emitted toward the vehicle 1 side. If the vehicle 1 detects the above-described radio waves, infrared rays, visible light, or the like in the lateral direction, the vehicle 1 detects a danger caused by a bicycle or a motorcycle passing through the side of the vehicle 1.

  Other vehicles that the old man is driving: The surrounding vehicle is photographed using the camera 15 or the infrared camera 17. Then, it is determined by image recognition whether the driver is an elderly person. If the driver is an elderly person, the danger caused by the vehicle being driven by the elderly person is detected.

The vehicle 1 sets information (risk information about the road) that is a set of the type of danger related to the road detected as described above, the position (latitude, longitude) at which the danger was detected, and the time at which the danger was detected. It is stored and transmitted in response to a request from the control center 103 as will be described later.
(3) Process in which the control center 103 accumulates road risk information The control center 103 accumulates road risk information by the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. This process is repeatedly executed every predetermined time.

  In step 1, the first information acquisition device 107, the second information acquisition device 109, and the vehicle 1 are requested to transmit danger information related to the road. This request is made to the first information acquisition device 107 and the second information acquisition device 109 via the wired communication line 110. For the vehicle 1, the request signal is transmitted from the transceiver 121 of the base station 105.

  When the first information acquisition device 107, the second information acquisition device 109, and the vehicle 1 receive an information transmission request from the control center 103, the road risk newly stored after the previous information transmission is stored. Information is transmitted to the control center 103. In the case of the first information acquisition device 107 and the second information acquisition device 109, risk information regarding roads is transmitted to the control center 103 via the wired communication line 110. In the case of the vehicle 1, the danger information regarding the road is first transmitted from the transceiver 3 of the vehicle 1 to the nearby base station 105 and then transferred to the control center 103.

  As described above, the road-related danger information transmitted from the first information acquisition apparatus 107, the second information acquisition apparatus 109, and the vehicle 1 includes the types of road-related dangers (eg, road surface freezing, snow accumulation, This includes the presence of abnormally behaving vehicles, objects on the road, lack of illumination, collapse or deformation of the tunnel, cracks or collapse of the road surface, the location where the danger exists (latitude, longitude), and the time when the danger was detected.

  In step 2, it is determined whether or not danger information related to a road has been newly received from the first information acquisition device 107, the second information acquisition device 109, and the vehicle 1. If received, the process proceeds to step 3, and if not received, the process is terminated.

  In step 3, the newly received risk information about the road is added, and the risk information database is updated. Here, the risk information database is a database of road risk information created in the storage device 113 (see FIG. 1) of the control center 103, and has the structure shown in FIG. In other words, each road risk information is assigned an identification number, and the type of danger, the position where the danger exists (latitude, longitude), and the time when the danger was detected are stored as a set.

Note that road risk information is automatically deleted after a predetermined time has elapsed after being stored in the danger information database.
(4) Process in which information distribution system 101 distributes risk information The control center 103 periodically transmits road risk information corresponding to each base station 105 to each base station 105. For example, to the base station 105 existing at the point A, risk information on the road detected within a certain range from the point A is periodically read out from the risk information database and transmitted. Each base station 105 always transmits road risk information transmitted from the control center 103. The transmitted information includes the type of danger related to the road, the position where the danger exists (latitude, longitude), and the time when the danger was detected.

  The base station 105 may be a transmission facility dedicated to road risk information or a transmission facility for VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System (registered trademark)) information. In the case of a VICS information transmission facility, the base station 105 transmits road risk information as one of the VICS information.

  In addition, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the vicinity of a certain base station 105, information on the danger related to roads (related to roads detected within a certain range from the base station 105) transmitted by the base station 105. Danger information) can be received using the transceiver 3. Therefore, the vehicle 1 can receive road risk information according to the position where the vehicle 1 exists.

(5) Processing executed by the traveling vehicle 1 (part 1)
A process that the traveling vehicle 1 repeatedly executes at predetermined time intervals will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step 11, it is determined whether or not the road-related danger information transmitted by the base station 105 has been received. If received, the process proceeds to step 12, and if not received, the process is terminated.

In step 12, the position information and traveling direction of the vehicle 1 at that time are acquired.
In step 13, whether or not both of the following conditions C1 and C2 are satisfied based on the danger position information included in the road danger information and the position information and traveling direction of the vehicle 1 acquired in step 12 above. Determine whether.

C1: The position of danger and the position of the vehicle 1 are within a certain distance.
C2: A danger exists in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1.
When both of the conditions C1 and C2 are satisfied, the process proceeds to step 14, and when neither is satisfied, the present process is terminated.

  Note that the process of step 13 may proceed to step 14 if one of the conditions C1 and C2 is satisfied, and may end this process if both are not satisfied. Further, the process of step 13 may proceed to step 14 if the condition C1 is satisfied, and end this process if the condition C1 is not satisfied. Moreover, the process of step 13 may advance to step 14 if the condition C2 is satisfied, and may end this process if the condition C2 is not satisfied.

  In step 14, risk avoidance processing for avoiding road-related danger is executed. This danger avoidance process is predetermined according to the type of danger relating to the road, and includes, for example, the following.

(I) When the type of road-related danger is freezing of the road surface Before reaching the frozen place, the brake is operated by the automatic brake system 23 and decelerated.

In addition, the standard for operating the ABS 11 is made looser than usual.
Moreover, the anti-slip agent injection system 21 is used.
In addition, the speaker 7 issues a sound alarm that warns of freezing.

In addition, the navigation system 5 displays a warning indicating the warning of freezing, and displays an alternative route that avoids the frozen location.
In addition, the frozen part is displayed on the windshield of the vehicle 1 using the HUD 13. That is, in the windshield, as viewed from the viewpoint of the driver of the vehicle 1, a color different from that of the other windshields is displayed in a portion that overlaps with the frozen portion.

(Ii) When the type of danger related to the road is snow: The same risk avoidance process as that for freezing is performed.
In addition, using the HUD 13, an image of things that should be visible on the road when there is no snow on the windshield of the vehicle 1 (for example, the road boundary line 301, the center line 303, the stop line 305, etc. shown in FIG. 14B) indicate. In this image, things such as the boundary line 301, the center line 303, and the stop line 305 are displayed at positions where they should be visible when it is assumed from the viewpoint of the driver that there is no snow. Therefore, actually, as shown in FIG. 14A, even in a situation where the front of the vehicle 1 is covered with snow and the above thing is not visible, the display of the HUD 13 causes the driver to feel as if it is shown in FIG. 14B. There is no snow, and the above things appear to appear.

  The image displayed on the HUD 13 can be created from an image of the same place (hereinafter referred to as an original image) taken when there is no snow. The original image may be an image taken by a camera at a position different from the driver's viewpoint. In this case, the image can be processed by a known method so that the image can be seen in the windshield direction from the viewpoint of the driver. The original image may be taken by the camera 15 of the vehicle 1 and stored in the vehicle 1, obtained from the infrastructure, or using an image published on a telecommunication line such as the Internet. Also good.

(Iii) When the type of danger related to the road is the collapse of the tunnel 203 Before reaching the tunnel 203, the brake is operated by the automatic brake system 23 and the vehicle 1 is stopped.

In addition, the speaker 7 issues an audio warning that warns of the collapse of the tunnel.
If the vehicle 1 has not yet reached the entrance of the tunnel 203, the navigation system 5 displays an alternative route that avoids the tunnel 203. On the other hand, if the vehicle 1 is already in the tunnel 203, the navigation system 5 displays an escape route and an emergency exit.

(Iv) The type of road-related danger is an abnormally behaving vehicle, a vehicle that is broken or damaged, a vehicle in which the driver is using a mobile phone, a vehicle in which the driver is in a state of sudden illness, or a vehicle in which an elderly person is driving In front of these vehicles, the brake is actuated by the automatic brake system 23 to decelerate. In addition, the speaker 7 issues a sound alarm regarding the presence of those vehicles. In addition, the distance between the vehicles is kept at a predetermined value or more. Moreover, the course of the vehicles 1 is changed by automatic steering, and those vehicles are avoided. The navigation system 5 displays an alternative route that avoids those vehicles. Also, when approaching those vehicles, it sounds a horn.

(V) When the type of danger related to the road is a puddle and an object existing on the road Before reaching the puddle or the location of the object, the brake is operated by the automatic brake system 23 to decelerate. In addition, the speaker 7 issues an audio alarm regarding the presence of a puddle or an object. In addition, the course of the vehicle 1 is changed by automatic steering to avoid water pools and objects.

(Vi) When the type of danger related to the road is a vehicle during automatic driving The brake is operated by the automatic brake system 23 and decelerated before the vehicle during automatic driving. In addition, the speaker 7 issues a sound alarm relating to the vehicle during automatic driving. In addition, the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle during automatic driving is kept at a predetermined value or more. In addition, the navigation system 5 displays an alternative route that avoids the vehicle that is driving automatically.

(Vii) When the type of danger related to the road is a pedestrian The brake is operated by the automatic brake system 23 and decelerated before the pedestrian. In addition, the speaker 7 issues a sound alarm regarding the presence of a pedestrian. Moreover, the course of the vehicle 1 is changed by automatic steering to avoid pedestrians. Also, when approaching a pedestrian, it sounds a horn.

(Viii) Other When the type of road-related danger is a short object on the road (for example, a dog, a cat, a fallen person, etc.), raise the vehicle height of the vehicle 1 and Suppress contact. In addition, when the type of danger related to the road is an object existing above the vehicle 1 (for example, a tunnel, a pedestrian bridge, a signboard, a bridge, a tree branch projecting in a horizontal direction, etc.), the vehicle height of the vehicle 1 is lowered. , Suppress contact with the object. The vehicle height of the vehicle 1 can be raised or lowered by a known mechanism.

(6) Processing executed by the traveling vehicle 1 (part 2)
A process that the traveling vehicle 1 repeatedly executes every predetermined time will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG.

  In step 31, it is determined whether or not the danger information regarding the road transmitted from the base station 105 is received within a predetermined time. If received, the process proceeds to step 32. If not received, the process proceeds to step 33.

  In step 32, information on the danger related to the road determined to have been received in step 31 is transmitted using the transceiver 3. It should be noted that other vehicles located around the vehicle 1 (for example, behind the vehicle 1) can receive the transmitted information and execute the risk avoidance process based on the information.

In step 33, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 1 has detected a danger related to the road within a predetermined time. If detected, the process proceeds to step 34, and if not detected, the process proceeds to step 35.
In step 34, information on the danger related to the road determined to have been detected in step 33 is transmitted using the transceiver 3. It should be noted that other vehicles located around the vehicle 1 (for example, behind the vehicle 1) can receive the transmitted information and execute the risk avoidance process based on the information.

In step 35, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 1 is executing a danger avoidance process. If the danger avoidance process is being executed, the process proceeds to step 36; otherwise, the process ends.
In step 36, the fact that the danger avoidance process is being executed, the type of danger related to the road, and the type of danger avoidance process are transmitted using the transceiver 3. Note that other vehicles located around the vehicle 1 (for example, behind the vehicle 1) receive information transmitted by the vehicle 1, and based on the information, a process for avoiding a collision with the vehicle 1 (for example, , Deceleration, stop, course change, etc.).

  Moreover, you may perform the transmission of the information in step 32, 34, 36 using visible light communication. In particular, when the road is curved and a mirror is installed in the vicinity of the curve, the visible light emitted by the vehicle 1 can be reflected by the mirror to reach another vehicle located on the other side of the curve. it can.

(7) Information distribution processing to the mobile terminal 106 executed by the control center 103 A user (may be a driver of the vehicle 1 or another person) travels via the Internet line 104. The route information can be transmitted to the control center 103. This travel route information includes information related to travel routes used in the past and information related to travel routes scheduled to be used in the future.

  The travel route information relating to the travel route used in the past includes the identification number of the user, the travel route (the route on the map data from the departure point to the arrival point), and the date and time when the travel route was used.

  The travel route information related to the travel route scheduled to be used in the future includes the user identification number, the travel route (the route on the map data from the departure point to the arrival point), and the date and time when the travel route is scheduled to be used. Is included.

  The travel route information may be transmitted by a mobile terminal (for example, a mobile phone (for example, a so-called smartphone), a mobile navigation system, a tablet terminal, a laptop computer, etc.) 106 owned by the user or by the navigation system 5 of the vehicle 1. You may go.

  Note that the mobile terminal 106 and the navigation system 5 have well-known functions such as a function of setting a travel route according to a user input and a function of connecting to the Internet line 104 to transmit / receive information.

  The control center 103 accumulates the travel route information transmitted by the user, and creates the travel route information database shown in FIG. The travel route information database is classified for each user, and the travel route of the user is stored in each user's category.

  Further, when the travel route information is related to a travel route used in the past (for example, A-1, A-2, B-1, C-1 to 4 in FIG. 15), the information is associated with each travel route. , The accumulated number of times the travel route has been used, and the date and time (including day of the week) used are stored. Further, when the travel route information relates to a travel route scheduled to be used in the future (for example, A-3 and B-2 in FIG. 15), the scheduled date and time to be used are stored in association with each travel route. Yes.

The travel route information database is updated each time the control center 103 receives new travel route information.
The control center 103 repeatedly executes the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 16 every predetermined time using the travel route information database.

  In step 21 of FIG. 16, the travel route information database and the danger information database are collated, and for each of the travel routes stored in the travel route information database, the risk related to the road stored in the risk information database on the travel route. Check whether or not exists.

  In step 22, it is determined whether or not there is a road-related danger on the travel route (hereinafter referred to as a danger-present travel route) among the travel routes stored in the travel route information database. If there is a dangerous traveling route, the process proceeds to step 24, and if not, this process is terminated.

In step 24, it is determined whether or not the danger presence travel route satisfies the following notification conditions C3, C4, and C5.
C3: The cumulative number of times of use of the dangerous travel route is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

C4: The day of the week when the dangerous driving route was used in the past coincides with the day of the week.
C5: The scheduled date on which the dangerous driving route is used is that date.
If any one of the notification conditions C3 to C5 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step 25. If none is satisfied, the present process is terminated.

  In step 25, an e-mail indicating that there is a road-related danger on the travel route is transmitted to the user corresponding to the dangerous travel route. In the e-mail, an alternative travel route that avoids the place where the danger is detected is displayed. The transmission destination of the e-mail may be the mobile terminal 106 owned by the user, or the navigation system 5 of the vehicle 1 on which the user gets.

  The user's e-mail address is stored in the travel route information database. The user can include an e-mail address in the travel route information transmitted to the control center 103.

4). Effects produced by the vehicle 1 and the information distribution system 101 (1) The vehicle 1 can execute a process of detecting a danger related to a road and avoiding the danger. As a result, the safety of the vehicle 1 is improved.

  (2) The information distribution system 101 can detect a risk related to a road and distribute the risk information to the vehicle 1. In particular, the information distribution system 101 detects a danger in a place far from the vehicle 1 that cannot be detected by the vehicle 1 and a kind of danger that is difficult to detect by the vehicle 1 (for example, collapse of the tunnel 203). Can be delivered to the vehicle 1. As a result, the safety of the vehicle 1 is improved.

  (3) When there is a danger on the travel route of the vehicle 1, the information distribution system 101 notifies the vehicle 1 to that effect, and transmits an alternative travel route that avoids the place where the danger is detected. As a result, the safety of the vehicle 1 is improved.

  (4) The vehicle 1 can transmit the risk information regarding the road detected by the vehicle 1 and the risk information regarding the road received from the information distribution system 101 to the surroundings of the vehicle 1. Other vehicles located around the vehicle 1 can receive the information and execute the danger avoidance process.

  (5) During the execution of the risk avoidance process, the vehicle 1 transmits to the periphery of the vehicle 1 the fact that the risk avoidance process is being executed, the type of danger related to the road, and the type of the risk avoidance process. Other vehicles located around the vehicle 1 receive the information and execute processing (for example, deceleration, stop, course change, etc.) to avoid collision with the vehicle 1 that is executing the danger avoidance processing. can do.

<Second Embodiment>
1. Configuration of Vehicle 1 The configuration of the vehicle 1 in the present embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 18 and 19. The vehicle 1 basically has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment. The vehicle 1 further includes a pair of infrared sensors 151 and 153. As shown in FIG. 19, the infrared sensors 151 and 153 are attached to positions on the front side of both sides of the vehicle 1. The infrared sensors 151 and 153 can detect infrared rays irradiated from the lateral direction of the vehicle 1.

  As shown in FIG. 19, a gate member 215 can be installed along the road 201. The gate member 215 irradiates the infrared beam 217 in a direction crossing the road 201. The height of the infrared beam 217 is the same as the height of the infrared sensors 151 and 153. When the vehicle 1 traveling on the road 201 reaches the gate member 215, the infrared sensors 151 and 153 detect the infrared beam 217.

  The gate member 215 may always irradiate the infrared beam 217, may irradiate the infrared beam 217 in a preset time zone, or may irradiate the infrared beam 217 in accordance with an instruction from the outside. Good.

2. Processing Performed by Vehicle 1 The vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment basically executes the same processing as in the first embodiment. Further, the vehicle 1 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 20 every predetermined time during traveling. In step 41 of FIG. 20, it is determined whether at least one of the infrared sensors 151 and 153 has detected an infrared ray. If infrared is detected, the process proceeds to step 42, and if not detected, the process is terminated. In step 42, a process for stopping the vehicle 1 is executed.

3. Effects produced by the vehicle 1 (1) The vehicle 1 can produce substantially the same effects as those of the first embodiment.
(2) The vehicle 1 can stop at the gate member 215. If the gate member 215 is installed in front of an area where the vehicle 1 should not invade (for example, a construction site, a disaster site, a traffic accident site, a school road, etc.), the vehicle 1 is prevented from entering the region. Can be suppressed.

4). Modification The process executed in step 42 may be, for example, a process of decelerating the vehicle 1 below a certain speed. Further, the process executed in step 42 may be a process for issuing a sound alarm by the speaker 7.

  Further, the wavelength, amplitude, and the like of the infrared beam 217 may be changed over time, and information may be transmitted to the vehicle 1 by the infrared beam 217. In this case, the vehicle 1 can execute processing according to the content of the information.

  Further, instead of the infrared sensors 151 and 153, a sensor that detects ultrasonic waves, radar waves, visible light, and the like may be attached to the vehicle 1. In this case, as the gate member 215, a member that emits ultrasonic waves, radar waves, visible light, or the like is used instead of the infrared beam 217.

<Third Embodiment>
1. Configuration of Vehicle 1 The vehicle 1 of the present embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment.

2. Processing Performed by Vehicle 1 The vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment basically executes the same processing as in the first embodiment. However, the vehicle 1 executes the process shown in FIG. 21 as the risk avoidance process of step 14 in FIG.

  In step 51 of FIG. 21, the situation around the vehicle 1 is acquired using the camera 15, the infrared camera 17, the radar 19, the navigation system 5, and the like. The surrounding conditions include the shape of the road 201 (for example, whether it is a straight line, a curve, a curve, what is its curvature, how wide is the road, etc.), the slope of the road 201 Direction, magnitude of inclination, etc.), presence of surrounding vehicles (vehicles traveling in the same direction as vehicle 1, oncoming vehicles, vehicles parked on the road, etc.), distance between surrounding vehicles and own vehicle 1 Etc.

  In step 52, based on the surrounding situation acquired in step 51, it is determined whether or not the degree of danger (see step 11 in FIG. 13) regarding the received road is high. For example, when the type of road-related danger is freezing or snow on the road surface, if the road 201 is curved, the road 201 is inclined, or there are vehicles around it, the degree of road-related danger is high. In other cases, it is judged that the degree of danger concerning the road is low. If the degree of danger related to the road is high, the process proceeds to step 53, and otherwise, the present process is terminated.

In step 53, the interior of the vehicle 1 is photographed using the in-vehicle camera 20, and the state of the interior of the vehicle 1 is acquired.
In step 54, it is determined whether or not there is a risk of danger in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 when the risk avoidance process is executed in accordance with the road-related danger based on the situation in the passenger compartment acquired in step 53.

  For example, the situation in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 acquired in step 53 is a situation where there are occupants who are standing up or there are occupants who are not fastening their seat belts. If the risk avoidance process is executed, it is determined that there is a risk of danger (passenger falls, etc.) in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1.

  On the other hand, if there is no occupant standing up or occupant whose seat belt is not fastened, it is determined that there is no risk of danger occurring in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 even if the danger avoidance process is executed. In addition, even if there are occupants who are standing up or occupants who have not fastened their seat belts, the type of danger avoidance processing is one that does not involve deceleration of the vehicle 1 or course change (for example, processing to sound a horn, etc.) It is determined that there is no risk of danger occurring in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 even if the danger avoidance process is executed.

  If there is no risk of danger occurring in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1, the routine proceeds to step 55, where danger avoidance processing is executed. On the other hand, if there is a risk of danger in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1, the present process is terminated without executing the danger avoidance process.

3. Effects produced by the vehicle 1 (1) The vehicle 1 can produce substantially the same effects as those of the first embodiment.
(2) The vehicle 1 determines the degree of danger related to the road based on the surrounding situation. Then, the danger avoidance process is executed on the condition that the degree of danger concerning the road is high. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the execution of the danger avoidance process that is less necessary.

(3) The vehicle 1 can suppress the danger in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 1 caused by the execution of the danger avoidance process.
4). Modification In the process shown in FIG. 21, if an affirmative determination is made in step 52, the process may proceed directly to step 55. In the process shown in FIG. 21, the processes of steps 51 and 52 may be omitted. Further, when an affirmative determination is made in step 54, a danger avoidance process that is gentler than usual (for example, the vehicle 1 is decelerated or the course is changed more gently than usual) may be executed.

<Fourth Embodiment>
1. Configuration of Vehicle 1 The configuration of the vehicle 1 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 22 and FIG. The vehicle 1 basically has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment. The vehicle 1 further includes a right pressure gauge 155 and a left pressure gauge 157. The right pressure gauge 155 and the left pressure gauge 157 are instruments that can measure the atmospheric pressure.

  As shown in FIG. 23, the right pressure gauge 155 is attached to the right side surface of the vehicle 1, and the left pressure gauge 157 is attached to the left side surface of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 also has a handle assist function (a function of assisting rotation of the handle to one of the left and right sides using a driving force such as a motor).

2. Processing Performed by Vehicle 1 The vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment basically executes the same processing as in the first embodiment. Further, the vehicle 1 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 24 every predetermined time during traveling. In step 61 of FIG. 24, the measured values of the right pressure gauge 155 and the left pressure gauge 157 are acquired.

  In step 62, a value obtained by subtracting the measurement value of the left pressure gauge 157 from the measurement value of the right pressure gauge 155 (hereinafter referred to as a difference Δ) is calculated, and whether the absolute value of the difference Δ is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. Judge whether or not. If the absolute value of the difference Δ is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 63, and if it is less than the threshold value, the process ends.

  The difference Δ reflects the direction and strength of the crosswind blowing on the vehicle 1. When a cross wind is blowing from the right side of the vehicle 1, the difference Δ becomes a positive value, and the absolute value of the difference Δ increases as the wind speed increases. Further, when a cross wind is blowing from the left side of the vehicle 1, the difference Δ becomes a negative value, and the absolute value of the difference Δ increases as the wind speed increases.

  In step 63, steering assist is performed. The direction of the steering wheel assist is right when the difference Δ is a positive value (when the crosswind is blowing from the right side), and when the difference Δ is a negative value (when the crosswind is blowing from the left side). Is to the left. Further, the steering assist driving force is increased as the absolute value of the difference Δ increases.

3. Effects produced by the vehicle 1 (1) The vehicle 1 can produce substantially the same effects as those of the first embodiment.
(2) The vehicle 1 performs steering assist in the right direction when crosswind is blowing from the right side, and performs steering assist in the left direction when crosswind is blowing from the left side. Therefore, even when the crosswind is strong, the straight traveling performance of the vehicle 1 is unlikely to decrease.

4). Modification The configuration for detecting the direction and speed of the cross wind may be other than the right pressure gauge 155 and the left pressure gauge 157. For example, a known anemometer capable of measuring the wind direction and wind speed of the cross wind may be attached to the vehicle 1.

In addition, the vehicle 1 may perform control to avoid a thing (for example, a seat or the like) that is swept away by the wind when a wind at a predetermined wind speed or higher is detected.
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment at all, and it cannot be overemphasized that it can implement with a various aspect in the range which does not deviate from this invention.

  For example, the second information acquisition device 109 is provided in the vicinity of a structure other than a tunnel (for example, a bridge, an elevated road, a dam, a dike, a slope along a road, etc.), and detects an abnormality of such a structure. It may be detected.

  The road danger information may be composed of one or two of a road danger type, a position (latitude and longitude) where the danger is detected, and a time when the danger is detected. .

  For example, the vehicle 1 can acquire a camera image captured by the preceding vehicle when the distance from the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value. The preceding vehicle transmits camera images taken there to the surroundings by wireless communication. In this case, the vehicle 1 can execute each process described above using the camera image acquired from the preceding vehicle, similarly to the camera image acquired by the host vehicle.

  Moreover, the vehicle 1 may be capable of setting one of an adventure mode and a safety mode by a driver's operation. The adventure mode is a mode in which the danger avoidance process is less likely to be executed than in the safety mode (the danger avoidance process is not executed unless the road danger level is high). For example, the driver can set the safety mode when an important object is mounted on the vehicle 1, and can set the adventure mode otherwise.

  The vehicle 1 may have a function of detecting a state (reverse running) in which the host vehicle is running in a direction opposite to the original running direction on a road or a service area. When reverse running is detected, processing is performed such as warning the driver of the vehicle 1, guiding to the opposite lane, and displaying other vehicles conspicuously (for example, blinking of headlights). be able to.

Moreover, you may select suitably and combine all or one part of the structure in the said 1st-4th embodiment.
Further, the vehicle 1 may be a railway vehicle. Railway vehicles include a type that travels on a rail, a magnetically levitated linear motor car, an iron-wheel linear motor car, a monorail, and the like.

  When the vehicle 1 is a railway vehicle, the information distribution system 101 determines the risk of the tracks (including rails and infrastructure for linear motor cars), tunnels, bridges, stations, railroad crossings, and their surroundings. The location information of the danger can be detected and transmitted to the railway vehicle. In addition, the railway vehicle itself can detect the above-mentioned danger. And the rail vehicle can perform the danger avoidance process according to the kind of danger and the position information of danger like the vehicle which drive | works on a road.

Claims (5)

A danger information acquisition unit for acquiring road position information on the road;
A vehicle location information acquisition unit for acquiring location information of the vehicle;
An ambient condition acquisition unit for acquiring the curvature of the road curve around the vehicle or the inclination of the road ;
A risk level determination unit that determines the level of the risk based on the curvature of the road curve around the vehicle or the road slope ;
When the risk position determination unit determines that the position information of the danger and the position information of the own vehicle are in a predetermined positional relationship and the degree of the danger is higher than a predetermined reference, a risk avoidance process is executed. A danger avoidance processing execution unit;
With
The danger related to the road is an abnormal behavior that is one of a behavior that protrudes to the oncoming lane, a meandering behavior, a behavior that exceeds the speed limit, and a behavior that travels on the road in a direction opposite to the original traveling direction. A vehicle characterized by being a vehicle that performs The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the danger avoidance process is a process of decelerating the host vehicle in front of the vehicle performing the abnormal behavior. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the danger avoidance process is a process of maintaining an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle performing the abnormal behavior and the own vehicle at a predetermined value or more. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the danger avoidance process is a process of changing a course of the own vehicle so as to avoid a vehicle performing the abnormal behavior. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the danger information acquisition unit acquires the danger position information from a danger information output unit provided on an infrastructure side of the road.

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