JP6721074B1 - Driving support device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving support device capable of appropriately supporting a passing between a own vehicle and another vehicle. An assisting unit of an ECU performs an assisting execution condition based on at least a width-direction relative amount L that is a distance in the vehicle width direction between an end of the own vehicle on the other vehicle side and an end of the other vehicle on the own vehicle side. It is determined whether or not is satisfied (steps S1, S5, S7). The support execution conditions differ depending on the shift range of the host vehicle (steps S3, S5, S7). The support unit establishes the support execution condition when the width-direction relative amount L is less than a predetermined width-direction relative amount threshold Lth. The width-direction relative amount threshold value Lth used when the shift range is the reverse range is set to be larger than the width-direction relative amount threshold value Lth used when the shift range is the forward range (steps S5 and S7). The width-direction relative amount threshold Lth is set to be larger as the inter-vehicle distance D that is the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle is larger. [Selection diagram] Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to a driving support device.

BACKGROUND ART As a conventional driving support device for supporting a passing of an oncoming vehicle, a device described in Patent Document 1 is known. In the device described in Patent Document 1, is it possible to pass the surrounding condition acquisition means for acquiring the surrounding condition of the own vehicle including the road width and the oncoming vehicle based on the surrounding condition of the own vehicle acquired by the surrounding condition acquisition means? Passing possibility determination means for determining whether or not, and guidance control means for performing guidance control for guiding the own vehicle to the set passable position by specifying a position behind the own vehicle where passing with the oncoming vehicle is possible as a passable position And are equipped with.

Then, in the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the guidance control unit starts the guidance control when it is determined by the passing possibility determination unit that the vehicle cannot pass the oncoming vehicle and a predetermined start condition is satisfied.

According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to appropriately perform control for guiding the host vehicle to a position where it can pass each other.

JP, 2008-30541, A

However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, even if the vehicle can pass the oncoming vehicle while the vehicle is moving backward, the guidance to the position where the vehicle can pass is continued and the vehicle moves forward. However, there was a problem that driving assistance could not be promptly provided due to the passing.

In addition, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when driving assistance is performed by moving forward when passing of the oncoming vehicle becomes possible while the vehicle is moving backward, the oncoming vehicle moves or the vehicle moves forward. As a result, hunting occurs in which the support execution condition is frequently switched between being satisfied and not being satisfied, and the operation of the driving support is frequently switched between start and end, so that there is a problem that the driving support cannot be appropriately performed. ..

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a driving support device capable of appropriately supporting the passing between a host vehicle and another vehicle. ..

The present invention detects the other vehicle located in the vicinity of the own vehicle and another vehicle detection unit, and notifies a situation around the own vehicle when a predetermined support execution condition is satisfied, and notifies a difference between the other vehicle and the other vehicle. A support unit for supporting, wherein the support unit has a positive value for the overlapping distance in the vehicle width direction between the other-vehicle-side end of the host vehicle and the own-vehicle-side end of the other vehicle. An overlapping amount shown, a separation amount showing a negative value for the distance to be separated, and a driving support device that determines whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied based on at least a relative amount in the width direction, wherein the support unit is When the own vehicle and the other vehicle overlap each other in the vehicle width direction, when the relative amount in the width direction is equal to or less than a predetermined overlapping amount upper limit threshold value which is a positive value, the own vehicle and the other vehicle extend in the vehicle width direction. When the widthwise relative amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined separation amount threshold value that is a negative value, the support execution condition is satisfied, and the support execution condition depends on the shift range of the host vehicle. Different, than the overlap amount upper limit threshold value or the separation amount threshold value used when the shift range is the forward range, the overlap amount upper limit threshold value or the separation amount threshold value used when the shift range is the reverse range is set to be larger. It is characterized by being.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately support the passing of the own vehicle and the other vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle including a driving support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a width-direction relative amount and an inter-vehicle distance calculated by the driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a positional relationship between the own vehicle and another vehicle in the case where the execution condition of the passing support is maintained in the driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a positional relationship between the own vehicle and another vehicle when the support execution condition is not maintained in the driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the own vehicle and another vehicle in the case where the execution condition of the passing support is satisfied during the backward movement of the vehicle in the driving assistance apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the widthwise relative amount threshold value when the vehicle is moving forward, which is used in the driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the widthwise relative amount threshold value when the vehicle moves backward, which is used in the driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the driving support operation executed in the driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

A driving assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention notifies another vehicle detection unit that detects another vehicle located around the own vehicle and a situation around the own vehicle when a predetermined assistance execution condition is satisfied. And a support unit that supports the passing of another vehicle, and the support unit is a width that is a distance in the vehicle width direction between the other vehicle side end of the own vehicle and the other vehicle side end of the other vehicle. A driving support device that determines whether or not a support execution condition is satisfied based on at least a direction relative amount, wherein the support execution condition is different according to a shift range of the host vehicle. Thereby, the driving assistance apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can appropriately assist the passing of the own vehicle and the other vehicle.

Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with a driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes a driving support device including an imaging device 2, a notification device 4, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 5. The imaging device 2 includes a front camera that captures an image of the vicinity of the vehicle 1 including other vehicles than the vehicle 1 as the own vehicle.

In the present embodiment, the imaging device 2 as a front camera is provided so as to photograph the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the imaging device 2 is provided so that an oncoming vehicle of the vehicle 1 can be imaged.

The imaging device 2 can acquire not only the detection of an oncoming vehicle but also information such as the vehicle width, the moving direction, and the speed of the oncoming vehicle. In addition, in order to acquire these pieces of information, any one or a combination of a monocular camera, a stereo camera, LIDAR (light detection and ranging), radar, or the like may be used as the imaging device 2.

Further, the imaging device 2 includes a side camera that captures an image of the periphery of the vehicle 1 that cannot be visually recognized from the driver's seat. Specifically, the imaging device 2 as a side camera captures an assistance image that assists the vehicle to pass the other vehicle.

The image pickup device 2 as a side camera is embedded in the door mirror on the side opposite to the driver's seat side of the vehicle 1, that is, on the passenger seat side so that at least the lens is exposed downward and forward. The image capturing device 2 captures an image of a peripheral road surface that partially includes the side of the vehicle 1 on the passenger seat side, for example, near the front fender of the left front wheel.

For example, in the case where the vehicle 1 travels past another vehicle on a narrow road, the other vehicle can be driven without hitting the vehicle 1 against obstacles on the passenger side such as a telephone pole, a telephone pole, a guardrail, a gutter, and a curb. Must be avoided. The imaging device 2 captures an image that allows the driver to visually recognize the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the obstacle on the passenger side.

In the present embodiment, the notification device 4 is configured to include a display device 6 that displays an image of the side of the vehicle 1 captured by the imaging device 2. For example, the display device 6 is configured by a display device of a navigation system that guides a route to a set destination.

The display device 6 may be configured by a display device other than the display device of the navigation system. That is, the display device 6 may be any device as long as it can be visually recognized by the driver sitting in the driver's seat, for example, a translucent light provided so as to be movable between the driver's seat and the windshield. It may be configured by a display panel having properties, a front mirror or a side mirror capable of displaying an image.

Further, the display device 6 does not have to display and project an image two-dimensionally, but may be configured by one that reproduces an image three-dimensionally such as a 3D hologram. Not limited to these, the notification content of the notification device 4 includes a warning/voice message to the driver, a camera image, a navigation image, a text message, and the like.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the vehicle 1 (own vehicle) is passing the other vehicle 25 (oncoming vehicle) on a narrow road. In this case, the display device 6 displays a support image including a side image on the passenger seat side of the vehicle 1 under the control of the ECU 5. This support image shows utility poles and gutters that the vehicle 1 should avoid contact with.

Hereinafter, the driving assistance operation of displaying an assistance image or the like when the vehicle 1 travels by passing will be referred to as passing assistance. This passing support is executed when a predetermined execution condition is satisfied. In the present embodiment, for example, when the other vehicle 25 exists in the area S in front of the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 has a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the own vehicle, the execution condition of the passing support is satisfied.

In FIG. 2, the other vehicle 25 exists in the area S in front of the vehicle 1, the other vehicle 25 has a predetermined positional relationship with the own vehicle, and the execution condition of the passing support is satisfied.

FIG. 3 shows a case where the vehicle 1 is passing the other vehicle 25 on a narrow road, and the execution condition of the passing support is maintained. In FIG. 3, the other vehicle 25 exists in the area S in front of the vehicle 1, the other vehicle 25 has a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the own vehicle, and the condition for executing the passing support is satisfied.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the vehicle 1 is passing the other vehicle 25 on a narrow road and the condition for executing the passing support is not maintained. The execution condition of the passing support includes that the parallelism between the side edge of the host vehicle and the road edge falls within a predetermined range.

The parallelism refers to the small angle θ between the line at the side edge of the vehicle and the line at the road edge. The smaller the angle θ, the greater the parallelism. The parallelism within the predetermined range means that the angle θ is within the predetermined angle range.

FIG. 5 shows a case where a predetermined forward condition is satisfied while the vehicle 1 is moving backward in a state where the vehicle 1 is passing the other vehicle 25 on a narrow road. The forward traveling condition is satisfied when there is no oncoming vehicle in the area S and the parallelism is within a predetermined range.

The ECU 5 is configured by a computer unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an input port, and an output port.

The ROM of the computer unit stores various constants, various maps, and the like, as well as a program for causing the computer unit to function as the ECU 5. That is, in the computer unit, when the CPU executes the program stored in the ROM, the computer unit functions as the ECU 5 in the present embodiment.

In addition to the imaging device 2, a vehicle information acquisition device 20 such as a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed is connected to the input port of the ECU 5. Various controlled objects including the notification device 4 are connected to the output port of the ECU 5. The vehicle information acquisition device 20 may acquire not only the vehicle speed but also the steered wheel steering angle, the state of the brake switch, the accelerator opening, the shift position, the state of the turn signal switch, and the like.

The ECU 5 controls various controlled objects based on information obtained from various sensors. For example, the ECU 5 has a function as the other vehicle detection unit 30 that detects the other vehicle 25 located around the vehicle 1. For example, the ECU 5 detects the image of the other vehicle 25 closest to the vehicle 1 by edge detection, pattern matching, or the like from the peripheral image (image corresponding to the area S) captured by the imaging device 2.

The ECU 5 has a function as a support unit 31 that informs an occupant of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 based on the information of the other vehicle 25 and assists the passing of the other vehicle 25 (see FIG. 2). The ECU 5 controls the notification device 4 to notify the occupant of the situation around the vehicle 1.

Specifically, the ECU 5 causes the display device 6 to display the image captured by the imaging device 2 based on the image of the other vehicle 25 detected from the peripheral image captured by the imaging device 2.

The ECU 5 determines whether or not the passing assistance is possible, at least according to the width-direction relative amount L that is a distance in the vehicle width direction between the other vehicle 25 side end of the vehicle 1 and the vehicle 1 side end of the other vehicle 25. , Informs the occupant of the situation around the vehicle 1.

Here, the width-direction relative amount L represents an overlapping amount when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 overlap each other in the vehicle width direction, and a separation amount when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated from each other in the vehicle width direction. Represents quantity. Whether or not to support the passing vehicle may be determined based on the road width. The road width is the width when the own vehicle passes, and is the remaining width obtained by subtracting the vehicle width of the oncoming vehicle from the width of the road.

The end of the vehicle 1 on the side of the other vehicle 25 refers to the end of the vehicle 1 that is located closest to the side of the other vehicle 25 in the vehicle width direction. The end of the other vehicle 25 on the vehicle 1 side refers to the end of the other vehicle 25 that is located closest to the vehicle 1 in the vehicle width direction.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 overlap each other in the vehicle width direction, the width direction relative amount L represents the amount of overlap, and in the present embodiment, is represented by a positive value. On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated from each other in the vehicle width direction, the widthwise relative amount L represents the amount of separation, and in the present embodiment, is represented by a negative value.

That is, in the present embodiment, when the widthwise relative amount L is positive, it represents the amount of overlap of the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 in the vehicle widthwise direction, and when it is negative, its absolute value is the vehicle. 1 represents the amount of separation between 1 and the other vehicle 25 in the vehicle width direction.

When the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle overlap each other in the vehicle width direction, the ECU 5 determines that the overlapping amount is less than or equal to a predetermined overlapping amount upper limit threshold, and when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated from each other in the vehicle width direction. On condition that the amount of separation is equal to or greater than a predetermined separation amount threshold value, the passing support is executed in a mode in which the notification device 4 is notified of the situation around the vehicle 1. The overlap amount threshold value and the separation amount threshold value are matching values that are experimentally determined in advance.

The ECU 5 acquires the peripheral image captured by the imaging device 2, and when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 overlap each other in the vehicle width direction, the overlap amount and the vehicle width W of the vehicle 1 (see FIG. 2) are determined from the peripheral image. When the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are distant from each other in the vehicle width direction, the overlapping rate R1 representing the rate of the vehicle width W of the surrounding image is calculated from the surrounding image. calculate.

As described above, the ECU 5 detects the image of the other vehicle 25 from the peripheral image taken by the imaging device 2. In the present embodiment, the ECU 5 uses the base of a rectangle (hereinafter, simply referred to as “other vehicle area”) surrounding the image of the other vehicle 25 as an axis in the peripheral image, and defines a region corresponding to the passage area of the vehicle 1 and this axis. With the intersection point with the image side of the other vehicle 25 as a reference point, the area side (left side in the figure) corresponding to the traffic area of the vehicle 1 is a positive area, and the symmetrical side (right side in the figure) is a negative area, and the overlapping rate R1 And the separation rate R2.

The traffic area of the vehicle 1 indicates the vehicle width of the own vehicle corresponding to the case where the vehicle 1 exists at each position in the vertical direction on the peripheral image, and the traffic area of the vehicle 1 becomes higher as it goes upward on the peripheral image. Get smaller.

In the peripheral image, the ECU 5 calculates the number of pixels from the reference point to the side of the other vehicle 25 region on the vehicle 1 side as the widthwise relative amount L in the peripheral image. The ECU 5 sets the number of pixels in the axial width of the area corresponding to the traffic area of the vehicle 1 in the peripheral image as the vehicle width W in the peripheral image.

The vehicle width W represents the vehicle width of the vehicle 1 shown in the peripheral image, assuming that the vehicle 1 is present at the same position in the vehicle front-rear direction as the other vehicle 25. The ECU 5 calculates the overlap rate R1 by L/W.

The ECU 5 calculates the separation rate R2 in the same manner as the overlapping rate R1. However, since the relative amount L in the width direction in the peripheral image becomes negative, the ECU 5 calculates the separation rate R2 by |L/W|.

The overlap ratio R1 and the separation ratio R2 can be uniquely treated as the width-direction relative ratio R, and the width-direction relative ratio R can be calculated by L/W. That is, when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 overlap each other in the vehicle width direction, the width-direction relative ratio R becomes positive, and when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated in the vehicle width direction, the width-direction relative ratio R. R becomes negative.

When the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 overlap each other in the vehicle width direction, the ECU 5 determines that the overlapping rate R1 is equal to or less than a predetermined overlapping rate upper limit value, and the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated from each other in the vehicle width direction. In this case, the occupant is notified of the situation around the vehicle 1 on condition that the separation rate R2 is equal to or less than the predetermined separation rate upper limit value.

That is, the ECU 5 has a condition that the width-direction relative rate R is equal to or less than the overlap rate upper limit value (hereinafter, also referred to as an upper limit value UL) and is equal to or more than the reciprocal number of the separation rate upper limit value (hereinafter, also referred to as a lower limit value DL). As a result, the occupant is notified of the situation around the vehicle 1.

The upper limit value UL is set to a value that is considered so that a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle 1 is not detected as another vehicle 25 that needs to pass each other. In the present embodiment, for example, the overlapping amount is half the vehicle width W of the vehicle 1, that is, the upper limit value UL is set to 50%.

The lower limit value DL is set to a value that takes into consideration a margin when traveling by passing with the other vehicle 25. In this embodiment, for example, the amount of separation is 1/4 of the vehicle width W of the vehicle 1, that is, the lower limit value DL is set to -25%.

As a notification condition for informing the occupant of the situation around the vehicle 1, the ECU 5 detects that the width direction relative ratio R is equal to or less than the upper limit value UL and equal to or more than the lower limit value DL, and is detected by the vehicle information acquisition device 20. The vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the predetermined vehicle speed Vth, and the inter-vehicle distance D between the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 is equal to or lower than the predetermined value Dth.

The predetermined vehicle speed Vth is set to 5 km/h in the present embodiment as an upper limit of a general speed when the vehicle travels past the other vehicle 25. The predetermined value Dth is set to, for example, 10 m in the present embodiment, as a general inter-vehicle distance when starting to pass the other vehicle 25.

The inter-vehicle distance D may be measured by the ECU 5 by configuring the image pickup device 2 with a stereo camera, and the ECU 5 can be measured by providing a distance measuring sensor such as a laser radar or a millimeter wave radar in the vehicle 1. You may do it.

The ECU 5 notifies the opposite right-turning vehicle and the left-turning preceding vehicle as other vehicles 25 that pass each other, and when the vehicle 1 makes a right turn or a left turn, the other vehicle 25 is detected to notify. In order to prevent the situation, the occupant is informed of the situation around the vehicle 1 when the condition for notifying the occupant around the vehicle 1 is satisfied for a predetermined time Tth or more. Here, the predetermined time Tth is set by experiment or adaptation, and may be set longer than the time when the notification condition is satisfied for the oncoming right-turning vehicle and the oncoming left-hand preceding vehicle.

In the present embodiment, the support unit 31 determines the support execution condition based on at least the width-direction relative amount L that is the distance in the vehicle width direction between the other vehicle side end of the own vehicle and the own vehicle side end of the other vehicle. It is determined whether or not is established. Further, the support execution condition differs depending on the shift range of the host vehicle.

The support unit 31 establishes the support execution condition when the width-direction relative amount L is less than a predetermined width-direction relative amount threshold Lth. Further, the width direction relative amount threshold value Lth used when the shift range is the reverse range is set to be larger than the width direction relative amount threshold value Lth used when the shift range is the forward range.

Further, the width-direction relative amount threshold Lth is set to be larger as the inter-vehicle distance D that is the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle is larger.

Further, the support unit 31 further determines whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied based on the parallelism between the side edge 1a of the own vehicle and the road edge 15. In addition, the support unit 31 determines whether the support execution condition is satisfied even when the shift range is the reverse range, and when the support execution condition is satisfied, notifies that the own vehicle can pass the other vehicle. To do.

FIG. 6 shows that the width-direction relative amount threshold value Lth is set to a different value according to the inter-vehicle distance D among the execution conditions of the passing support during forward movement. Further, FIG. 7 shows that, among the execution conditions of the passing support during backward movement, the width-direction relative amount threshold Lth is set to a different value according to the inter-vehicle distance D.

In FIG. 6, the width-direction relative amount threshold Lth is set to Lth(A) when D>20m, Lth(B) when 20m≧D>10m, and Lth(C) when 10m≧D. ing. Further, Lth(A)>Lth(B)>Lth(C). That is, the larger the inter-vehicle distance D, the larger the width-direction relative amount threshold value Lth is set.

In FIG. 7, the width-direction relative amount threshold Lth is Lth(A′) when D>20 m, Lth(B′) when 20 m≧D>10 m, and Lth(C′) when 10 m≧D. Each is set. Further, Lth(A′)>Lth(B′)>Lth(C′). That is, the larger the inter-vehicle distance D, the larger the width-direction relative amount threshold value Lth is set.

In this way, the width-direction relative amount threshold value Lth is different depending on the inter-vehicle distance D, so that the forward-direction assistance is likely to be established when the inter-vehicle distance D is large and the oncoming vehicle is highly likely to take avoidance action. By setting the relative amount threshold value Lth, it becomes difficult to establish the backward movement support that prompts the backward movement, so that it is possible to prevent frequent switching of the driving assistance mode, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary backward movement.

Further, the relationship of A<A′, B<B′, C<C′ is established, and the width-direction relative amount threshold value Lth is different between forward movement and backward movement. The width-direction relative amount threshold value Lth at the time of retreat is set to be larger than Lth.

Here, as the mode of the passing support, it is informed that attention is required for passing with an oncoming vehicle, the driver is informed to reduce the vehicle speed, and the own vehicle is required to approach the road edge 15. If the own vehicle is a right-hand drive, it may be notified that the vehicle 1 should be moved to the left end of the road, that the vehicle 1 needs to move backward, and the like.

Further, as the driving support operation, the side of the vehicle 1 is photographed and displayed, the sonar sensor arranged on the side of the vehicle 1 is activated to notify the distance to the road edge 15, and the vehicle 1 is set at the edge of the road. The steering assist may be performed so as to avoid contact with an obstacle when approaching the vehicle.

Further, as the mode of driving assistance when the vehicle 1 moves backward, it is necessary to recognize the road width behind the vehicle to notify whether or not the vehicle can be moved backward, and to notify the passing area when the vehicle 1 moves backward. It is also possible to include informing another vehicle traveling behind the vehicle that the vehicle is going backward by flashing a hazard lamp or the like.

The vehicle 1 may include a communication device (not shown). This communication device communicates the information for passing support output from the ECU 5 with an oncoming vehicle, a surrounding vehicle, road equipment, and the like. The vehicle 1 may notify each communication partner of the situation of the own vehicle, and may receive surrounding information from each communication partner and use the information for the passing support in the own vehicle.

Next, a specific example of the passing support will be described. When the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle do not require a steering operation to approach the road edge 15, or when there is sufficient margin to pass without slowing down, the ECU 5 determines that the driving assistance is not necessary and notifies Do not implement support actions such as.

The ECU 5 can pass if the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle move closer to the road edge 15, but determines that driving assistance is necessary when the road width does not have a sufficient margin, and issues an alerting operation for driving assistance. carry out. For example, the ECU 5 monitors, as the notification operation, voice guidance such as "please pass by carefully" and "please slow down and move to the left." To display.

When the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle cannot make a sufficient road width even if the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle approach the road edge 15, the ECU 5 determines that the vehicle cannot pass and provides a voice guidance or a display that recommends the driver to avoid the backward movement of the vehicle. To do.

When the host vehicle moves backward to a place where it can pass each other, the ECU 5 continuously detects the position and direction of the oncoming vehicle while the host vehicle is moving backward. The ECU 5 continues the process of determining whether or not there is a passing by comparing the width of the road being passed (hereinafter, referred to as road width) with the vehicle width W of the own vehicle even while the own vehicle is retreating. Then, if the ECU 5 becomes able to pass each other during the backward movement, the ECU 5 gives a voice guidance or the like for promoting the forward movement. In addition to the voice guidance, the ECU 5 may display a text message such as "You can move forward" or "You can pass each other" on the display device installed on the rear glass.

As described above, in this embodiment, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has passed each other when the host vehicle retreats. As a result, it becomes possible to assist the vehicle 1 in a mode in which the backward movement of the vehicle 1 is interrupted and the passing of the vehicle 1 is promoted.

The ECU 5 compares the road width with the vehicle width W, and determines whether the passing assistance is unnecessary (normal traveling is possible) or the passing assistance is necessary while the host vehicle is moving forward. When it is determined that the crossing assistance is required, the ECU 5 further determines whether the vehicle can move forward or backward by the avoidance operation. As described above, even when the host vehicle is moving backward, the ECU 5 continues to monitor and detect the situation in front, and determines whether the vehicle can move forward or continue moving backward.

The ECU 5 controls the operation of passing support based on various information. The ECU 5 continues the normal traveling when the execution condition (starting condition) of the passing support is not satisfied, and starts the passing support when the execution condition is satisfied.

When it is determined that the vehicle can be moved forward by avoidance operation, the ECU 5 provides voice guidance such as "Please drive carefully" and "Please slow down and move to the left." Passing support is implemented by displaying images of the front body and the surroundings of the tire on a monitor.

When it is determined that the vehicle 1 needs to move backward, the ECU 5 prompts the driver to avoid the vehicle by moving backward by voice guidance or display such as "Cannot move forward" or "Please move backward".

Then, when the shift position is switched from the forward range such as the D range or the L range to the reverse range such as the R range, the ECU 5 notifies the driver of the remaining distance or the route to the passable position by voice or display. Encourage progress.

After that, when the shift position is changed from the reverse range to the forward range, the ECU 5 informs the driver of "please pass by carefully" and "please slow down and move to the left", etc. I do. In addition, the ECU 5 provides the crossing support in a mode in which an image of the body in front of the left and the tire surroundings of the vehicle, which becomes a blind spot from the driver, is displayed on the monitor.

The ECU 5 completes the passing support when a predetermined passing support completion condition is satisfied due to the forward movement of the own vehicle or the oncoming vehicle.

Here, in the present embodiment, the condition of the road width (road width A) that determines that the vehicle needs to retreat during forward movement because it is impossible to pass the vehicle by forward movement and the condition that the vehicle passes backward when the vehicle passes backward The road width condition (road width B) is set to road width A<road width B. Here, the road width A and the road width B are the widths that the vehicle 1 can pass through, obtained by removing the width of the oncoming vehicle and the like from the width of the road that is passing.

By doing so, it is possible to prevent frequent switching between driving assistance performed during forward movement and driving assistance performed during backward movement.

Further, the condition of the road width (road width A), which is determined during the forward movement that the vehicle needs to retreat because it cannot pass each other due to the forward movement, is set according to the inter-vehicle distance D between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

For example, when D>20 m, the road width A is set to the vehicle width of the own vehicle +0.1 m, and when 20 m≧D>10 m, the road width A is set to the vehicle width of the own vehicle +0.2 m, and 10 m≧ When D, the road width A is set to the vehicle width of the own vehicle +0.3 m.

By doing so, in a situation where the inter-vehicle distance D is large and there is a high possibility that an oncoming vehicle will take avoidance action, switching to a support operation that prompts a backward movement is suppressed. Further, in a situation where the inter-vehicle distance D is small and the possibility that the oncoming vehicle takes the avoidance action is low, it is easy to switch to the assisting action for promoting the backward movement.

Further, in the present embodiment, the condition of the road width (road width B) that is determined during the backward movement that the passing due to the forward movement is possible is set according to the inter-vehicle distance D between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

For example, when D>20 m, the road width B is set to the vehicle width of the own vehicle +0.2 m, and when 20 m≧D>10 m, the road width B is set to the vehicle width of the own vehicle +0.3 m, and 10 m≧ When D, the road width B is set to the vehicle width of the own vehicle +0.4 m.

By doing so, in a situation where the inter-vehicle distance D is large and there is a high possibility that the oncoming vehicle will take avoidance action, it becomes easy to switch to the passing support by forward movement. Further, in a situation in which the inter-vehicle distance D is small and the possibility that the oncoming vehicle takes the avoidance action is low, the switching to the passing support by the forward movement is suppressed.

Here, when the host vehicle is moved backward, the driver directly looks back and visually checks the surroundings to confirm the safety of the rear, so that the frequency of the situation confirmation in front decreases. For this reason, the driver may continue to retreat without noticing that the oncoming vehicle is moving backwards and changes in conditions such as the road width have made it possible to pass the vehicle forward.

According to the present embodiment, the ECU 5 continues to monitor the situation in front of the host vehicle even while the host vehicle is moving backward, and determines whether to support the passing due to the forward movement or to support the passing due to the backward movement. It is possible to inform the driver of the fact that the passing by is enabled during the backward movement, and it is possible to prevent the unnecessary backward movement of the vehicle 1.

A drive assisting operation by the drive assisting apparatus of the present embodiment configured as above will be described with reference to FIG. The driving support operation described below is repeatedly executed while the ECU 5 is operating.

First, in step S1, the ECU 5 determines whether or not the passing support execution condition is satisfied. In this process, the ECU 5 determines that the passing support execution condition is satisfied when a predetermined passing execution condition is satisfied. Step S1 is repeated until it is determined that the passing support execution condition is satisfied.

When it is determined in step S1 that the passing support execution condition is satisfied, the ECU 5 proceeds to step S2 and executes the passing support.

Next, in step 3, the ECU 5 determines whether or not the vehicle traveling direction is the backward traveling direction. Here, when the shift range is the reverse range (R range), it is determined that the vehicle traveling direction is the reverse direction.

When it is determined that the vehicle traveling direction is the backward direction, the ECU 5 executes the process of step S4. When it is determined that the vehicle traveling direction is not the backward direction, the ECU 5 executes the process of step S7.

In step S4, the ECU 5 determines whether or not the oncoming vehicle has been lost. Here, “lost” means that the other vehicle detection unit 30 cannot detect an oncoming vehicle. When it is determined that the oncoming vehicle is not lost, the ECU 5 executes the process of step S5. When determining that the oncoming vehicle has been lost, the ECU 5 executes the process of step S7.

In step S5, the ECU 5 determines whether or not the forward movement condition is satisfied. The establishment of the forward condition means that the support execution condition is established and the parallelism condition between the host vehicle and the road edge 15 is established. The parallelism condition means that the parallelism between the side edge 1a of the vehicle and the road edge 15 is within a predetermined range. That is, the condition that the parallelism is satisfied means that the angle of the side edge 1a of the host vehicle with respect to the road edge 15 is sufficiently small and the side edge 1a of the host vehicle is substantially parallel to the road edge 15. Means

When it is determined that the forward condition is satisfied, the ECU 5 executes the process of step S6. When it is determined that the forward condition is not satisfied, the ECU 5 returns to the process of step S4.

In step S6, the ECU 5 carries out forward switching request processing. This processing includes an operation of informing the driver that the host vehicle can pass the oncoming vehicle and an operation of requesting the driver to switch the shift range from the reverse range (R range) to the forward range (D range). Consists of.

It is possible to prevent continuation of the non-passing state due to the oncoming vehicle traveling toward the own vehicle while the own vehicle is moving backward.

It is possible to prevent the distance between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle from increasing and the passing support condition not being satisfied.

It is possible to prevent frequent satisfaction of the start condition and end condition of the crossing support (so-called hunting).

By doing so, since the passing support is not ended when the vehicle is in the reverse drive state, the passing support to the driver can be continued.

In step S7, the ECU 5 determines whether or not the execution condition of the passing support is not satisfied. When the execution condition of the passing support is satisfied, the ECU 5 returns to the process of step S3. If the execution condition of the crossing support is not satisfied, the ECU 5 ends the current driving support operation (one operation in the flowchart of this figure).

As described above, in the driving support apparatus according to the present embodiment, the support unit 31 has the width direction that is the distance in the vehicle width direction between the other vehicle side end of the own vehicle and the own vehicle side end of the other vehicle. Whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied is determined based on at least the relative amount L. Further, the support execution condition differs depending on the shift range of the host vehicle.

According to this embodiment, since the support execution condition differs depending on the shift range, the support execution condition is frequently satisfied and not satisfied when the width-direction relative amount L is changed by the avoidance operation by the own vehicle or another vehicle. It can be suppressed to switch to. Therefore, driving assistance when the vehicle 1 moves backward can be appropriately implemented. As a result, it is possible to appropriately support the passing of the own vehicle and the other vehicle.

In addition, in the driving support apparatus according to the present embodiment, the support unit 31 establishes the support execution condition when the width-direction relative amount L is less than the predetermined width-direction relative amount threshold Lth. Further, the width direction relative amount threshold value Lth used when the shift range is the reverse range is set to be larger than the width direction relative amount threshold value Lth used when the shift range is the forward range.

According to the present embodiment, the width-direction relative amount threshold value Lth is made different according to the shift range. Therefore, when the host vehicle temporarily moves backward due to passing by the oncoming vehicle, the support execution condition for the inter-vehicle distance D is It can be avoided that it is temporarily not established. That is, it is possible to prohibit the driving support control from ending during the backward movement of the vehicle 1. As a result, it is possible to prevent the support execution condition from being frequently switched between being satisfied and not being satisfied, and it is possible to appropriately perform driving support when the vehicle 1 moves backward.

Further, in the driving assistance apparatus according to the present embodiment, the width-direction relative amount threshold Lth is set to be larger as the inter-vehicle distance D that is the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle is larger.

According to the present embodiment, the larger the inter-vehicle distance D between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, the higher the possibility that the oncoming vehicle will take the avoidance action. Therefore, in such a case, the condition in which the forward assistance is easily established is set. Since it is difficult to establish the reverse assistance, it is possible to prevent frequent switching of the driving assistance modes, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary backward movement.

Further, in the driving assistance apparatus according to the present embodiment, the assistance unit 31 further determines whether or not the assistance execution condition is satisfied, based on the parallelism between the side edge 1a of the vehicle and the road edge 15. Further, the driving support device determines whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied even when the shift range is the reverse range, and when the support execution condition is satisfied, notifies that the host vehicle can pass the other vehicle. To do.

According to the present embodiment, since the parallelism condition is added to the support execution condition when the vehicle 1 moves backward, the shift range is set to the reverse range (R range) to pass the oncoming vehicle and the host vehicle moves backward. It is possible to prevent the relative amount L in the width direction from changing while the support execution condition is frequently established and not established. Therefore, the condition for satisfying the support execution condition is maintained even during the backward movement of the vehicle 1, and the driving assistance during the backward movement can be appropriately performed.

While an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the scope of this invention. It is intended that all such modifications and equivalents be covered by the following claims.

1 vehicle (own vehicle)
20 vehicle information acquisition device 25 other vehicle 30 other vehicle detection unit 31 support unit D inter-vehicle distance L width-direction relative amount Lth width-direction relative amount threshold

Claims (2)

Another vehicle detection unit for detecting another vehicle located around the own vehicle,
And a support unit for notifying a situation around the own vehicle when a predetermined support execution condition is satisfied and supporting a passing of the other vehicle,
The support unit,
An overlapping amount that indicates a positive value for an overlapping distance in the vehicle width direction between the other vehicle side end of the own vehicle and the own vehicle side end of the other vehicle, and a separation distance that indicates a separation distance that is a negative value. And a driving assistance device that determines whether or not the assistance execution condition is met based on at least a relative amount in the width direction,
When the own vehicle and the other vehicle overlap each other in the vehicle width direction, the support unit, when the width-direction relative amount is a positive value or less, is equal to or less than a predetermined overlapping amount upper limit threshold, the own vehicle and the other vehicle. When and are separated in the vehicle width direction, when the width direction relative amount is equal to or more than a predetermined separation amount threshold value that is a negative value, the support execution condition is satisfied,
The support execution condition is different according to the shift range of the own vehicle, when the shift range is the reverse range, than the overlap amount upper limit threshold or the separation amount threshold used when the shift range is the forward range. The driving support device is characterized in that the overlap amount upper limit threshold value or the separation amount threshold value used for is set to a large value. The support unit is
Furthermore, it is determined whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied based on the parallelism between the side edge of the host vehicle and the road edge,
Even when the shift range is the reverse range, it is determined whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied, and when the support execution condition is satisfied, the fact that the host vehicle can pass the other vehicle is notified. The driving support device according to claim 1.

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