JP6973566B2 - Driving support device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a driving support device.

As a conventional driving support device that supports passing by an oncoming vehicle, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. In the case described in Patent Document 1, is it possible to pass the peripheral condition acquisition means for acquiring the peripheral condition of the own vehicle including the road width and the oncoming vehicle based on the peripheral condition of the own vehicle acquired by the peripheral condition acquisition means? Passing possibility determination means for determining whether or not to pass, and a guidance control means for designating a position behind the own vehicle that can pass by an oncoming vehicle as a passing possible position and guiding the own vehicle to a set passing possible position. And have.

Then, in the case described in Patent Document 1, when it is determined by the passing possibility determination means that the passing vehicle cannot pass each other and a predetermined start condition is satisfied, the guidance control by the guidance control means is started.

According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, control for guiding the own vehicle to a position where it can pass each other can be appropriately performed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-30541

However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, even if it becomes possible to pass by an oncoming vehicle while the own vehicle is reversing, the guidance to a position where the vehicle can pass is continued and the vehicle advances. There was a problem that it was not possible to promptly provide driving support for passing each other.

Further, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when driving support is provided by moving forward when it becomes possible to pass by an oncoming vehicle while the own vehicle is moving backward, the oncoming vehicle moves or the own vehicle moves forward. As a result, hunting that frequently switches between the establishment and non-establishment of the support execution condition occurs, and the operation of the driving support frequently switches between the start and the end, and there is a problem that the driving support cannot be provided properly. ..

The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a driving support device capable of appropriately supporting a passing between a own vehicle and another vehicle. ..

The present invention includes another vehicle detection unit that detects another vehicle facing in front of the own vehicle, and a support unit that supports the passing of the other vehicle, and the support unit is the one in which the own vehicle is passing. It is a driving support device that supports passing with the other vehicle based on at least the passable width obtained by subtracting the vehicle width of the other vehicle from the road width of the road, and the support unit has the passable width of the first. When it is less than the threshold value of 1, the retreat support for urging the retreat of the own vehicle is performed, and the passable width is larger than the first threshold value during the retreat of the own vehicle in response to the retreat support. When the threshold value is equal to or higher than the threshold value of, the vehicle is characterized in that it provides forward support for notifying that the vehicle can pass by the other vehicle due to the advance of the own vehicle.

As described above, according to the above-mentioned 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 provided with a driving support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a relative amount in the width direction 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 the positional relationship between the own vehicle and another vehicle when 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 the 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 when the execution condition of the passing support is satisfied while the vehicle is reversing in the driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a widthwise relative quantity 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 illustrating a widthwise relative quantity threshold value when the vehicle is reversing, which is used in the driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a driving support operation executed in the driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention notifies the other vehicle detection unit that detects another vehicle located in the vicinity of the own vehicle and the situation around the own vehicle when a predetermined support execution condition is satisfied. It is equipped with a support unit that supports passing by other vehicles, and the support department supports at least based on the passable width obtained by subtracting the vehicle width of the other vehicle from the road width of the road on which the own vehicle is passing. It is a driving support device that determines whether or not the execution condition is satisfied, and it is a support device for supporting the passing of another vehicle due to reverse movement when the own vehicle is moving forward. It is characterized in that the passable width is set larger so that the support execution condition for supporting the passing with other vehicles by moving forward is satisfied. Thereby, the driving support device according to the embodiment of the present invention can appropriately support the passing of the own vehicle and the other vehicle.

Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with the driving support device according to the 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 image pickup device 2, a notification device 4, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 5. The image pickup device 2 includes a front camera that photographs the periphery of the vehicle 1 including a vehicle other than the vehicle 1 as its own vehicle.

In this embodiment, the image pickup device 2 as a front camera is provided so as to capture the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the image pickup device 2 is provided so as to be able to take an image of an oncoming vehicle of the vehicle 1.

The image pickup device 2 can acquire not only the detection of the 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 such information, any one or a combination of a monocular camera, a stereo camera, LIDAR (light detection and ranging), a radar and the like may be used as the image pickup device 2.

Further, the image pickup 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 image pickup device 2 as a side camera captures a support image that supports traveling while passing by another vehicle.

The image pickup device 2 as a side camera is embedded in a 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 pickup device 2 photographs the surrounding road surface including a part of the side of the passenger seat side of the vehicle 1, for example, the vicinity of the front fender of the left front wheel.

For example, when the vehicle 1 passes by another vehicle on a narrow road, the other vehicle can be moved without hitting an obstacle on the passenger seat side such as a telephone pole, a utility pole, a guardrail, a gutter, and a curb. You need to avoid it. The image pickup 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 seat side.

In the present embodiment, the notification device 4 includes a display device 6 that displays an image of the side of the vehicle 1 taken by the image pickup device 2. For example, the display device 6 is composed of 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 anything as long as it can be visually recognized by the driver seated in the driver's seat. For example, the display device 6 is provided so as to be movable between the driver's seat and the windshield. It may be composed of a display panel having a property and a front mirror or a side mirror capable of displaying an image.

Further, the display device 6 may be configured not to display or project an image two-dimensionally, but to reproduce an image three-dimensionally, for example, 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 vehicle 1 (own vehicle) is traveling by passing another vehicle 25 (oncoming vehicle) on a narrow road. In this case, the display device 6 displays a support image including an image of 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 support operation of displaying a support image or the like when the vehicle 1 passes each other is referred to as a passing support. 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 region S in front of the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 has a predetermined positional relationship with the own vehicle, the execution condition of the passing support is satisfied.

In FIG. 2, another 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 execution condition of the passing support is satisfied.

FIG. 3 shows a case where the execution condition of the passing support is maintained in a state where the vehicle 1 is traveling by passing the other vehicle 25 on a narrow road. In FIG. 3, another 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 execution condition of the passing support is satisfied.

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

The parallelism means the small angle θ between the line at the side end of the own vehicle and the line at the end of the road. The smaller the angle θ, the greater the parallelism. When the parallelism is within a predetermined range, it means that the angle θ is within a predetermined angle range.

FIG. 5 shows a case where a predetermined forward condition is satisfied while the vehicle 1 is reversing in a state where the vehicle 1 is traveling by passing the other vehicle 25 on a narrow road. The forward 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 composed of 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 making the computer unit function as an ECU 5. That is, when the CPU executes the program stored in the ROM in the computer unit, the computer unit functions as the ECU 5 in this embodiment.

In addition to the image pickup device 2, a vehicle information acquisition device 20 such as a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed is connected to the input port of the ECU 5. Various control 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 steering wheel steering angle, the state of the brake switch, the accelerator opening degree, the shift position, the state of the winker switch, and the like.

The ECU 5 controls various control targets based on the information obtained from the various sensors. For example, the ECU 5 has a function as another vehicle detection unit 30 that detects another vehicle 25 located in the vicinity of the vehicle 1. For example, the ECU 5 detects an image of another vehicle 25 closest to the vehicle 1 by edge detection, pattern matching, or the like from a peripheral image (an image corresponding to the region S) taken by the image pickup device 2.

The ECU 5 has a function as a support unit 31 that notifies the occupants of the situation around the vehicle 1 based on the information of the other vehicle 25 and supports the passing with the other vehicle 25 (see FIG. 2). By controlling the notification device 4, the ECU 5 notifies the occupants of the situation around the vehicle 1.

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

The ECU 5 determines whether or not the passing support is possible according to at least the width direction relative amount L, which is the distance in the vehicle width direction between the end portion of the vehicle 1 on the other vehicle 25 side and the end portion of the other vehicle 25 on the vehicle 1 side. , Notify the occupants of the situation around the vehicle 1.

Here, the relative amount L in the width direction represents the amount of overlap when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 overlap in the vehicle width direction, and is separated when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated in the vehicle width direction. Represents a quantity. It should be noted that the propriety of passing support may be determined based on the road width. The road width is the width when the own vehicle passes, and means 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 other vehicle 25 side is the end of the vehicle 1 located closest to the other vehicle 25 in the vehicle width direction. The end of the other vehicle 25 on the vehicle 1 side means the end of the other vehicle 25 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 in the vehicle width direction, the width direction relative amount L represents the overlap amount, and is represented by a positive value in this embodiment. On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated from each other in the vehicle width direction, the relative amount L in the width direction represents the separation amount, and in this embodiment, it is represented by a negative value.

That is, in this embodiment, when the relative amount L in the width direction is positive, it represents the amount of overlap in the vehicle width direction between the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25, and when it is negative, its absolute value is the vehicle. It 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 in the vehicle width direction, the ECU 5 determines that the overlap amount is equal to or less than a predetermined overlap amount upper limit threshold value, and when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated from each other in the vehicle width direction. On condition that the separation amount is equal to or more than a predetermined separation amount threshold value, the passing support is executed in a mode of notifying the notification device 4 of the situation around the vehicle 1. The overlap amount threshold value and the separation amount threshold value are predetermined conforming values experimentally determined.

The ECU 5 acquires a peripheral image taken by the image pickup device 2, and when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 overlap in the vehicle width direction, the overlap amount and the vehicle width W of the vehicle 1 (see FIG. 2) are obtained from the peripheral image. The overlap ratio R1 representing the ratio of the vehicle 1 is calculated, and when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated in the vehicle width direction, the separation ratio R2 representing the ratio between the separation amount and the vehicle width W of the vehicle 1 is obtained from the peripheral image. calculate.

As described above, the ECU 5 detects the image of the other vehicle 25 from the peripheral image taken by the image pickup device 2. In the present embodiment, in the peripheral image, the ECU 5 has a base of a rectangle (hereinafter, simply referred to as “other vehicle area”) surrounding the image of the other vehicle 25 as an axis, and the area corresponding to this axis and the passage area of the vehicle 1 is used. The overlap ratio R1 is set to the intersection with the image side of the other vehicle 25 as a reference point, the area side corresponding to the passage area of the vehicle 1 (left side in the figure) as a positive area, and the symmetrical side (right side in the figure) as a negative area. And the separation rate R2 are calculated.

The traffic area of the vehicle 1 indicates the vehicle width of the own vehicle corresponding to the case where the vehicle 1 is present at each position in the vertical direction on the peripheral image, and the traffic area of the vehicle 1 becomes higher on the peripheral image. It gets smaller.

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 in the peripheral image as the widthwise relative quantity L in the peripheral image. In the peripheral image, the ECU 5 defines the number of pixels of the width on the axis of the region corresponding to the passage region of the vehicle 1 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 when it is assumed that the vehicle 1 exists at the same position as the other vehicle 25 in the vehicle front-rear direction. The ECU 5 calculates the overlap ratio R1 by L / W.

The ECU 5 calculates the separation rate R2 in the same manner as the overlap rate R1. However, since the relative amount L in the width direction in the peripheral image is negative, the ECU 5 calculates the separation ratio 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, the width direction relative ratio R becomes positive when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 overlap in the vehicle width direction, and the width direction relative ratio when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated in the vehicle width direction. R is negative.

In the ECU 5, when the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 overlap in the vehicle width direction, the overlap ratio R1 is equal to or less than a predetermined overlap ratio upper limit value, and the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 are separated 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 is conditioned that the relative ratio R in the width direction is equal to or less than the overlap rate upper limit value (hereinafter, also referred to as the upper limit value UL) and equal to or greater than the reciprocal of the separation rate upper limit value (hereinafter, also referred to as the lower limit value DL). As a result, the occupants are notified of the situation around the vehicle 1.

The upper limit value UL is set to a value considered so as not to detect the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle 1 as another vehicle 25 that needs to pass each other. In this embodiment, for example, the amount of overlap 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 in consideration of the margin when traveling by passing the other vehicle 25. In this embodiment, for example, the separation amount is 1/4 of the vehicle width W of the vehicle 1, that is, the lower limit DL is set to -25%.

The ECU 5 is detected by the vehicle information acquisition device 20 in addition to the width direction relative ratio R being equal to or less than the upper limit value UL and not more than the lower limit value DL as a notification condition for notifying the occupant of the situation around the vehicle 1. It includes that the vehicle speed is not less than the predetermined vehicle speed Vth and that the distance D between the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 25 is not more than the predetermined value Dth.

The predetermined vehicle speed Vth is set to 5 km / h in this embodiment as an upper limit of the general speed when traveling by passing the other vehicle 25. The predetermined value Dth is set to, for example, 10 m in this 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, or can be measured by the ECU 5 by providing a distance measuring sensor such as a laser radar or a millimeter wave radar in the vehicle 1. You may do so.

The ECU 5 is notified so that the oncoming right-turning vehicle and the preceding vehicle turning left are not detected as the other vehicle 25 traveling by passing each other, and the other vehicle 25 is detected when the vehicle 1 turns right or left. The situation around the vehicle 1 is notified to the occupants when the state in which the notification condition for notifying the occupants of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 is satisfied continues for a predetermined time Tth or more. Here, the predetermined time Tth is set by an experiment or conformity, and may be set to a time longer than the time when the notification condition is satisfied for the oncoming right-turning vehicle and the left-turning preceding vehicle.

In this embodiment, the support unit 31 supports the support execution condition based on at least the width direction relative amount L, which is the distance in the vehicle width direction between the end portion of the own vehicle on the other vehicle side and the end portion of the other vehicle on the own vehicle side. Judge whether or not is established. In addition, the support execution conditions differ depending on the shift range of the own vehicle.

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

Further, the larger the inter-vehicle distance D, which is the distance between the own vehicle and another vehicle, the larger the width direction relative amount threshold Lth is set.

Further, the support unit 31 further determines whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied based on the parallelism between the side end 1a of the own vehicle and the road end 15. Further, the support unit 31 determines whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied even when the shift range is the backward range, and when the support execution condition is satisfied, notifies that the own vehicle can pass by another vehicle. do.

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

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

In FIG. 7, the width-direction relative quantity 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 quantity threshold Lth is set.

In this way, since the width-direction relative amount threshold Lth differs depending on the inter-vehicle distance D, the width direction is such that forward support is easily established when the inter-vehicle distance D is large and there is a high possibility that the oncoming vehicle will take evasive action. By setting the relative amount threshold Lth, it becomes difficult to establish the retreat support that promotes retreat, so that it is possible to suppress frequent switching of the driving support mode and suppress unnecessary retreat.

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

Here, in the mode of passing support, it is notified that attention is required for passing with an oncoming vehicle, that the driver is notified to slow down the vehicle speed, and that the own vehicle needs to be brought to the road end 15. If the own vehicle has a right-hand drive, the vehicle 1 may be notified to move to the left end of the road, the vehicle 1 may be notified 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 end 15, and the vehicle 1 is displayed at the end of the road. It may include steering assist so as to avoid contact with an obstacle when approaching the vehicle.

Further, the mode of driving support when the vehicle 1 is reversing includes recognizing the road width behind the vehicle and notifying whether or not the vehicle can retreat, and notifying the area where the vehicle 1 can pass when reversing. It may include notifying other vehicles traveling behind the vehicle that the vehicle is retreating by blinking a hazard lamp or the like.

The vehicle 1 may be provided with a communication device (not shown). This communication device communicates the passing support information output from the ECU 5 with an oncoming vehicle, surrounding vehicles, 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 it for passing support in the own vehicle.

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

The ECU 5 determines that driving support is necessary if the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle move closer to the road end 15, but if the road width is not sufficient, the ECU 5 determines that driving support is necessary and performs a notification operation for driving support. implement. For example, the ECU 5 monitors voice guidance such as "Please pass carefully" and "Please slow down and move to the left" as a notification operation, and monitors the image around the left front of the vehicle, which is a blind spot from the driver. To display.

If the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle cannot secure a road width that can be passed even if the vehicle approaches the road end 15, the ECU 5 determines that the vehicle cannot pass and provides voice guidance or a display recommending the driver to avoid the vehicle by reversing. conduct.

When the own vehicle retreats to a place where it can pass each other, the ECU 5 constantly detects the position and direction of the oncoming vehicle while the own vehicle is reversing. The ECU 5 continues the process of determining whether or not the vehicle can pass each other by comparing the width of the passing road (hereinafter referred to as the road width) with the vehicle width W of the own vehicle even while the own vehicle is retreating. Then, when the ECU 5 is in a state where it is possible to pass each other during the retreat, the ECU 5 provides voice guidance or the like to urge the advance. The ECU 5 may display not only voice guidance but also text messages such as "you can move forward" and "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 can pass each other when the own vehicle is retracted. As a result, it has become possible to support a mode in which the reverse movement of the vehicle 1 is interrupted and the passing by the forward movement is promoted.

The ECU 5 compares the road width and the vehicle width W, and determines whether the passing support is unnecessary (normal traveling is possible) or the passing support is necessary while the own vehicle is moving forward. When it is determined that the passing support is necessary, the ECU 5 further determines whether the forward movement is possible or the backward movement is necessary by the avoidance operation. In this way, even if the own vehicle is moving backward, the ECU 5 continues to monitor and detect the situation in front of the vehicle, and determines whether the vehicle can move forward or move backward.

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

When it is determined that the ECU 5 can move forward by avoidance operation, voice guidance such as "Please pass carefully", "Please slow down and move to the left", and the left of the vehicle that becomes a blind spot from the driver. Passing support will be provided by displaying images of the front body and the surroundings of the tires on the monitor.

When the ECU 5 determines that the vehicle 1 needs to be retreated, the ECU 5 prompts the driver to avoid the retreat by voice guidance or display such as "Cannot move forward" or "Please retreat".

Then, when the shift position is switched from the forward range such as the D range or the L range to the backward range such as the R range, the ECU 5 notifies the driver by voice or display of the remaining distance or route to a place where they can pass each other. Encourage you to move forward.

After that, when the shift position is switched from the backward range to the forward range, the ECU 5 notifies the passengers such as "Please pass carefully" and "Please slow down and move to the left" to support the passing. I do. In addition, the ECU 5 provides passing support by displaying on the monitor an image of the left front body of the vehicle and the area around the tire, which is a blind spot from the driver.

When the predetermined passing support completion condition is satisfied by the forward movement of the own vehicle or the oncoming vehicle, the ECU 5 completes the passing support.

Here, in this embodiment, the condition of the road width (road width A) that determines that retreat is necessary because it is impossible to pass by advancing, and the condition of road width (road width A) that determines that passing by advancing is possible during retreat. The condition of the road width (road width B) is set to road width A <road width B. Here, the road width A and the road width B refer to the widths that the vehicle 1 can pass through, which is obtained by removing the width of the oncoming vehicle and the like from the width of the road being passed.

By doing so, it is possible to prevent frequent switching between the driving support provided during the forward movement and the driving support provided during the backward movement.

Further, the condition of the road width (road width A) for determining that the vehicle needs to retreat because it cannot pass each other due to the forward movement is set according to the distance D between the own 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 the oncoming vehicle takes an evasive action, switching to the support action for urging the reverse is suppressed. Further, in a situation where the inter-vehicle distance D is small and the possibility that the oncoming vehicle takes an evasive action is low, it becomes easy to switch to the support action for urging the vehicle to move backward.

Further, in the present embodiment, the condition of the road width (road width B) for determining that the vehicle can pass each other by moving forward is set according to the 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 evasive action, it becomes easy to switch to the passing support by moving forward. Further, in a situation where the inter-vehicle distance D is small and the possibility that the oncoming vehicle takes an evasive action is low, switching to the passing support due to forward movement is suppressed.

Here, when the own vehicle is retracted, the driver directly looks back or visually inspects the surroundings for safety confirmation in the rear, so that the frequency of checking the situation in front is reduced. As a result, the driver may continue to retreat without noticing that it has become possible to pass each other by advancing due to changes in conditions such as the movement of oncoming vehicles and the width of the road during retreat.

According to the present embodiment, the ECU 5 continues to monitor the situation in front of the vehicle even while the vehicle is reversing, and determines whether to support the passing by moving forward or to support the passing by moving backward. It is possible to notify the driver during retreat that the passing by the vehicle has become possible, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary retreat of the vehicle 1.

The driving support operation by the driving support device of the present embodiment configured as described 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 the predetermined passing execution condition is satisfied. Step S1 is repeated until it is determined that the passing support execution condition is satisfied.

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

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

If it is determined that the vehicle traveling direction is the backward direction, the ECU 5 executes the process of step S4. If 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. If it is determined that the oncoming vehicle has not been lost, the ECU 5 executes the process of step S5. If it is determined 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 condition is satisfied. The establishment of the forward condition means that the support execution condition is satisfied and the parallelism condition between the own vehicle and the road end 15 is satisfied. The parallelism condition means that the parallelism between the side end 1a of the own vehicle and the road end 15 is within a predetermined range. That is, the fact that the parallelism condition is satisfied means that the angle of the side end 1a of the own vehicle with respect to the road end 15 is sufficiently small, and the side end 1a of the own vehicle is close to parallel to the road end 15. Means.

If it is determined that the forward condition is satisfied, the ECU 5 executes the process of step S6. If 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 performs forward switching request processing. This process is an operation of notifying the driver that the own vehicle can pass an 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, etc.). Consists of.

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

It is possible to prevent the distance between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle from increasing and the passing support condition from being unsatisfied.

It is possible to prevent the establishment of the start condition and the establishment of the end condition of the passing support from being frequently repeated (so-called hunting).

By doing so, when the vehicle is in the reverse state, the passing support is not terminated, so that 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 passing 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 device according to the present embodiment, the support unit 31 is the width direction, which is the distance between the end portion of the own vehicle on the other vehicle side and the end portion of the other vehicle on the own vehicle side in the vehicle width direction. Whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied is determined based on at least the relative quantity L. In addition, the support execution conditions differ depending on the shift range of the own vehicle.

According to this embodiment, since the support execution conditions differ depending on the shift range, the support execution conditions are frequently satisfied or not satisfied when the widthwise relative quantity L changes due to the avoidance operation by the own vehicle or another vehicle. It is possible to suppress switching to. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately provide driving support when the vehicle 1 is reversing. As a result, it is possible to appropriately support the passing of the own vehicle and another vehicle.

Further, in the driving support device according to the present embodiment, the support unit 31 establishes the support execution condition when the width direction relative quantity L is less than the predetermined width direction relative quantity threshold value Lth. Further, the width direction relative amount threshold Lth used when the shift range is the backward range is set larger than the width direction relative amount threshold Lth used when the shift range is the forward range.

According to this embodiment, since the width direction relative amount threshold Lth is different according to the shift range, the support execution condition of the inter-vehicle distance D is set when the own vehicle temporarily retreats due to passing by the oncoming vehicle. It is possible to avoid being temporarily unsuccessful. That is, it is possible to prohibit the end of the driving support control while the vehicle 1 is moving backward. 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 provide driving support when the vehicle 1 is reversing.

Further, in the driving support device according to the present embodiment, the width direction relative amount threshold Lth is set larger as the inter-vehicle distance D, which is the distance between the own vehicle and another vehicle, is larger.

According to this embodiment, the larger the distance D between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, the higher the possibility that the oncoming vehicle will take evasive action. Since it becomes difficult to establish retreat support, it is possible to suppress frequent switching of the driving support mode, and it is possible to suppress unnecessary retreat.

Further, in the driving support device according to the present embodiment, the support unit 31 further determines whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied based on the parallelism between the side end 1a of the own vehicle and the road end 15. In addition, the driving support device determines whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied even when the shift range is the backward range, and when the support execution condition is satisfied, notifies that the own vehicle can pass by another vehicle. do.

According to this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 is reversing, the condition of parallelism is added to the support execution condition, so that the shift range is set to the retreat range (R range) because the vehicle passes by the oncoming vehicle, and the own vehicle retreats. It is possible to prevent the support execution condition from being frequently switched between being satisfied and not being satisfied because the relative quantity L in the width direction changes during the process. Therefore, the state in which the support execution condition is satisfied is maintained even while the vehicle 1 is reversing, and driving support at the time of retreat can be appropriately provided.

According to this embodiment, the support unit determines whether or not the support execution condition is satisfied based on at least the passable width obtained by subtracting the vehicle width of another vehicle from the road width of the road on which the own vehicle is passing. Here, the passable width is the above-mentioned "width that the vehicle 1 can pass through, which is obtained by removing the width of the oncoming vehicle from the width of the road being passed". Further, the threshold value of the passable width is the above-mentioned road width A and road width B. In this embodiment, the passable width is different from the passable width in which the support execution condition for supporting the passing of the own vehicle by the reverse movement with the other vehicle is satisfied when the own vehicle moves backward. The passable width is set larger so that the support execution conditions that support the passing of the vehicle are satisfied.

As a result, it is possible to prevent frequent switching between the driving support provided during the forward movement and the driving support provided during the backward movement.

According to this embodiment, the support unit changes so that the larger the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle, the larger the passable width in which the support execution condition is satisfied.

As a result, in a situation where the inter-vehicle distance D is large and there is a high possibility that the oncoming vehicle takes an evasive action, switching to the support action for urging the reverse is suppressed. Further, in a situation where the inter-vehicle distance D is small and the possibility that the oncoming vehicle takes an evasive action is low, it becomes easy to switch to the support action for urging the vehicle to move backward. Further, in a situation where the inter-vehicle distance D is large and there is a high possibility that an oncoming vehicle takes an evasive action, it becomes easy to switch to the passing support by moving forward. Further, in a situation where the inter-vehicle distance D is small and the possibility that the oncoming vehicle takes an evasive action is low, switching to the passing support due to forward movement is suppressed.

According to this embodiment, when the support execution condition is satisfied and the parallelism between the side end of the own vehicle and the road end is within a predetermined range while the own vehicle is moving backward, the support unit has a predetermined range. The operation of notifying the driver that the own vehicle can pass the other vehicle by moving forward and the operation of requesting the driver to switch the shift range from the reverse range to the forward range are executed.

As a result, when the vehicle 1 is reversing, the condition of parallelism is added to the support execution condition, so that the shift range is set to the retreat range (R range) because the vehicle passes by the oncoming vehicle, and the own vehicle is in the middle of retreating. , It is possible to prevent the support execution condition from being frequently switched between being satisfied and not being satisfied due to a change in the relative quantity L in the width direction. Therefore, the state in which the support execution condition is satisfied is maintained even while the vehicle 1 is reversing, and driving support at the time of retreat can be appropriately provided.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be included in 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 Relative amount in the width direction Lth Relative amount in the width direction Threshold

Claims (3)

Another vehicle detection unit that detects other vehicles facing in front of the own vehicle,
It is equipped with a support unit that supports passing with other vehicles.
The support department
It is a driving support device that supports passing with the other vehicle based on at least the passable width obtained by subtracting the vehicle width of the other vehicle from the road width of the road on which the own vehicle is passing.
The support department
When the passable width is less than the first threshold value, the retreat support for encouraging the retreat of the own vehicle is performed.
When the passable width becomes equal to or greater than a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value during the retreat of the own vehicle in response to the retreat support, the vehicle passes by the other vehicle due to the forward movement of the own vehicle. A driving support device characterized by providing forward support to notify that the vehicle has become possible. The operation according to claim 1, wherein the support unit changes the first threshold value and the second threshold value so that the larger the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle, the larger the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle. Support device. Another vehicle detection unit that detects other vehicles facing in front of the own vehicle,
It is equipped with a support unit that supports passing with other vehicles.
The support department
When it is determined that the own vehicle needs to retreat because it is impossible for the own vehicle to pass by the other vehicle, the retreat support for encouraging the retreat of the own vehicle is performed.
During the retreat of the own vehicle in response to the retreat support, the other vehicle does not exist in the area in front of the own vehicle, and the parallelism between the side end of the own vehicle and the road end is within a predetermined range. A driving support device characterized in that when it is inside, it provides forward support to notify that it has become possible to pass by the other vehicle due to the forward movement of the own vehicle.

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