JP7013639B2 - Lane maintenance support device and lane maintenance support method. - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lane keeping support device and a lane keeping support method that assist steering when a vehicle is traveling.

Conventionally, there has been known a technique for assisting steering so that a vehicle can easily travel along a reference lane when traveling on a road. In Patent Document 1, it is confirmed that the lane change has been implemented, not implemented and completed, and at least one of the reference guiding force before the lane change and the second guiding force after the lane change is weakened according to the confirmation result of the lane change. Technologies that change the situation are disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-314967

By the way, when the vehicle detects a lane marking such as a white line from a photographed image, the position of the lane marking detected in the past may be referred to. In this case, for example, if the arrow indicating the width reduction is erroneously recognized as a lane marking, the vehicle may not be able to correctly detect the lane marking after changing the traveling lane.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for improving the accuracy of detecting a lane marking after a vehicle changes a traveling lane.

In the first aspect of the present invention, a lane change detection unit that detects a lane lane in which a vehicle travels, a lane change detection unit that detects that the vehicle has started and ended a lane change, and the lane change When the detection unit detects the start of the lane change, the support stop unit that retracts the lane keeping support and the lane change detection unit detects the end of the lane change and then before the end of the lane change. A determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle is traveling inside the lane marking detected by the lane marking unit without using the lane marking information, and the determination unit detects after the lane change is completed. Provided is a lane keeping support device including a support starting unit for restarting the lane keeping support when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling inside the lane marking.

The lane change detection unit detects, for example, that the operation of the turn signal has started as the start of the lane change.

The lane change detection unit detects, for example, that the vehicle V has started the lane change based on the yaw rate.

The lane keeping support device is, for example, a storage unit that stores information on a lane marking that the lane marking detection unit has detected in the past, and a lane change detection unit that the lane change detection unit refers to when detecting the lane marking. Further provided with a lane marking information erasing unit for erasing the information of the lane marking detected in the past, triggered by the detection of the end of the lane marking.

In the second aspect of the present invention, there are a step of detecting a lane marking in which the vehicle travels, a step of detecting that the vehicle has started and ended the lane change, and a case of detecting the start of the lane change. In addition, the vehicle travels inside the lane marking that was detected without using the information of the lane marking that was detected before the end of the lane change after detecting the end of the lane change and the step of reducing the lane keeping support. It includes a step of determining whether or not the vehicle is operating, and a step of restarting the lane keeping support when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling inside the lane marking detected after the lane change is completed. Provide lane keeping support methods.

According to the present invention, there is an effect of improving the accuracy of detecting the lane marking after the vehicle changes the traveling lane.

It is a figure for demonstrating the outline of the lane keeping support device which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram of the lane keeping support device which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the flow of the signal processed by a lane keeping support device.

[Overview]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a lane keeping support device according to an embodiment. The lane keeping support device, for example, photographs a lane marking provided in the lane in which the vehicle V travels, and recognizes the captured image. As a result, when the vehicle V is located at a position deviated from the center of the lane, the lane keeping support device weakens the assisting force of the steering assist applied to the steering wheel. By doing so, the driver of the vehicle V feels a load when operating the steering wheel when the vehicle V is located at a position deviated from the center of the lane, so that it becomes easy to return the vehicle V to the center of the lane. Further, the lane keeping support device applies torque to the steering shaft in the direction of returning the vehicle V to the center of the traveling lane when the vehicle V is about to deviate from the traveling lane.

FIG. 1 depicts a vehicle V traveling on a road whose width decreases from a road having two lanes to a road having one lane. The vehicle V is traveling in the above-mentioned traveling lane while utilizing the lane keeping support. The driver of the vehicle V who confirms the arrow of the width reduction shown in the figure changes the traveling lane.

When the vehicle V changes the driving lane, for example, when the operation of the turn signal is started, the lane keeping support device degenerates the assisting force of the steering assistance, and the vehicle V finishes changing the driving lane. After that, lane keeping support will be resumed again. The "degeneration of the steering assist assist force" will be described later.

By the way, the arrow of reducing the width may be erroneously recognized as a lane marking when performing image recognition. The lane keeping support device mistakenly recognizes the width reduction arrow as a lane marking, extracts and stores the feature amount from the width reduction arrow, and detects the lane marking after the vehicle V changes the driving lane. If the information is used, the detection accuracy of the lane marking will drop.

As described above, since the lane keeping support device according to the embodiment recognizes the lane division line by image recognition, there is no guarantee that the recognition result is always correct. In particular, when the vehicle V changes lanes, the lane keeping support device tends to erroneously recognize the lane marking before and after the change of lane.

The lane keeping support device according to the embodiment erases the information of the lane markings detected in the past, and detects the lane markings again after the change of the traveling lane is completed. That is, the lane keeping support device detects the lane marking after the traveling lane change without using the information of the lane marking detected in the past. Then, the lane keeping support device restarts the lane keeping support after determining that the vehicle V is traveling inside the lane marking that was detected again after the lane change. By doing so, the accuracy of detecting the lane marking after the vehicle V changes the traveling lane is improved, and it becomes easy to restart the lane keeping support. Hereinafter, the lane keeping support device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[Construction of lane keeping support device]
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the lane keeping support device 1 according to the embodiment. The lane keeping support device 1 has a storage unit 2, a steering assist unit 3, a control unit 4, and a camera 5. The control unit 4 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and is connected by wire to a yaw rate sensor (not shown) and an operation unit of a direction indicator provided in the driver's seat. Further, the control unit 4 is connected to the steering assist unit 3 by wire or wirelessly, and for example, when the vehicle V is at a position deviated from the center of the lane, the control unit 4 is instructed to the steering assist unit 3 to provide an assist amount for steering assistance. Reduce. Further, the control unit 4 acquires a photographed image taken by the camera 5.

The storage unit 2 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a program executed by the control unit 4 is recorded and a RAM (Random Access Memory) in which data is temporarily recorded. In the RAM, a photographed image of the road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle V, a feature amount of the detected lane marking, and the like are recorded.

The steering assist unit 3 includes, for example, a motor and a variable displacement pump for pumping hydraulic oil. In the variable capacity pump, the opening / closing degree of the solenoid valve provided in the variable capacity pump is adjusted by the signal transmitted from the control unit 4, the amount of hydraulic oil to be transmitted is changed, and the torque applied to the steering shaft is controlled. .. The torque applied to the steering shaft of the motor is controlled by the signal transmitted from the control unit 4.

By executing the program recorded in the storage unit 2, the control unit 4 has a lane marking detection unit 6, a lane change detection unit 7, a support stop unit 8, a lane marking information erasing unit 9, a determination unit 10, and a support start unit. It also functions as 11.

The lane marking detection unit 6 detects the lane marking in the lane in which the vehicle travels. The lane marking detection unit 6 detects the lane marking by recognizing the captured image acquired from the camera 5 by a known method, for example. When the vehicle V is traveling in the same traveling lane, the lane marking detection unit 6 detects the lane marking from the captured image with reference to the image feature amount of the lane marking detected in the past.

The lane change detection unit 7 detects that the vehicle V has started and ended the lane change. For example, the lane change detection unit 7 acquires the yaw rate, that is, the inclination speed of the vehicle body from a yaw rate sensor (not shown), and detects that the vehicle V has started the lane change based on the yaw rate.

The lane change detection unit 7 is, for example, a reference yaw rate to be referred to when the vehicle V acquires a yaw rate value to the extent that the vehicle V is considered to change the driving lane, that is, to determine whether or not the vehicle V changes the driving lane. When the acquired yaw rate value exceeds the value, it is detected that the vehicle V has started to change the traveling lane. The lane change detection unit 7 detects that the vehicle V has started to change the traveling lane, for example, when a yaw rate of 5 deg / sec or more is acquired as a reference yaw rate value.

Alternatively, the lane change detection unit 7 may detect that the vehicle V has started to change the traveling lane based on the yaw angle obtained by integrating the yaw rate. Specifically, the lane change detection unit 7 determines that the vehicle V is in the driving lane when the integrated yaw angle exceeds the reference angle referred to for determining whether the vehicle V changes the driving lane. It may be detected that the change has started. For example, the lane change detection unit 7 may detect that the vehicle V has started to change the traveling lane when the yaw angle integrated with respect to the line in the center of the lane or the lane marking is 15 ° or more.

The lane change detection unit 7 detects that the vehicle V has completed the change of the traveling lane, for example, when the vehicle V acquires the yaw rate indicating the direction opposite to the time when the vehicle V starts the change of the traveling lane. Alternatively, the lane change detection unit 7 may detect that the vehicle V has completed the change of the traveling lane based on the yaw angle obtained by integrating the yaw rate. Specifically, the lane change detection unit 7 detects that the vehicle V has completed the change of the traveling lane, for example, when the inclination of the vehicle body is 5 ° or less with respect to the line in the center of the lane or the lane marking line. ..

For example, when the lane change detection unit 7 acquires a positive and negative yaw rate within a predetermined time considered to be required for the vehicle V to change the driving lane, the vehicle V changes the driving lane. It may be detected that the change has been completed. Here, the predetermined time is, for example, 10 seconds.

The lane change detection unit 7 may detect that the operation of the turn signal has started as the start of the lane change. The lane change detection unit 7 detects, for example, that the vehicle V has started to change the traveling lane when a signal is input to the turn signal. Further, the lane change detection unit 7 detects that the vehicle V has completed the change of the traveling lane, for example, when the signal is no longer input to the turn signal.

The lane change detection unit 7 may determine the start and end of the lane change when both the yaw rate value exceeding the reference yaw rate value and the operation of the turn signal are detected. For example, the lane change detection unit 7 has started to change the driving lane when the operation of the turn signal is started and the vehicle V acquires a yaw rate value to the extent that the vehicle V is considered to change the driving lane. Is detected. Further, when the lane change detection unit 7 acquires, for example, a yaw rate indicating the direction opposite to the time when the signal is no longer input to the direction indicator and the vehicle V starts changing the traveling lane, the vehicle V gets into the traveling lane. Detects that you have finished making changes to.

When the lane change detection unit 7 detects that the vehicle V has started to change the traveling lane, the lane change detection unit 7 notifies the support stop unit 8 of that fact. Further, when the lane change detection unit 7 detects that the vehicle V has completed the change of the traveling lane, the lane change detection unit 7 notifies the lane marking information erasing unit 9 of that fact. Further, when the lane change detection unit 7 detects that the vehicle V has completed the change of the traveling lane, the lane change detection unit 7 notifies the lane marking detection unit 6 of that fact.

The support stop unit 8 reduces the lane keeping support when the lane change detection unit 7 detects the start of the lane change. Here, the degeneracy of lane keeping support is synonymous with the above-mentioned "degeneration of steering assist assist force", and is given to the steering shaft in the direction of returning to the center of the driving lane when the vehicle V is about to deviate from the driving lane. It is to reduce the torque to be applied over time. The degeneracy of lane keeping support also includes the fact that no torque is applied to the steering shaft.

The lane marking information erasing unit 9 erases the lane marking information detected in the past by the lane marking detection unit 6 and stored in the storage unit 2 when the lane change detecting unit 7 detects the end of the lane change. .. The information of the division line erased by the division line information erasing unit 9 includes, for example, the image feature amount of the division line. The lane marking information erasing unit 9 erases the lane marking information, for example, after the support stop unit 8 sufficiently degenerates the lane keeping support. The lane marking information erasing unit 9 erases the lane marking information, for example, after the support stopping unit 8 completely stops the lane keeping support, that is, after no torque is applied to the steering shaft. By doing so, the lane marking detection unit 6 cannot suddenly detect the lane marking, and it is possible to prevent the lane keeping support from suddenly stopping. After erasing the lane marking information, the lane marking information erasing unit 9 notifies the lane marking detection unit 6 of the fact.

The lane marking detection unit 6 detects the lane marking again from the captured image taken in front of the vehicle V in the traveling direction, triggered by the notification from the lane marking information erasing unit 9 that the lane marking information has been erased. .. In addition, the lane marking detection unit 6 is not only notified by the lane marking information erasing unit 9 that the lane marking information has been erased, but further, the vehicle V has completed the lane marking change from the lane change detection unit 7. After being notified that the lane marking has been detected, the detection of the lane marking may be resumed.

After the lane change detection unit 7 detects the end of the lane change, the determination unit 10 determines the inside of the lane marking detected by the lane marking detection unit 6 without using the information of the lane marking detected before the end of the lane change. It is determined whether or not V is traveling. The determination unit 10 determines, for example, whether or not the vehicle V is traveling inside the division line based on a photographed image captured in front of the vehicle V in the traveling direction acquired from the camera 5 by a known method. ..

When the determination unit 10 determines that the vehicle V is traveling inside the lane marking detected after the lane change is completed, the support start unit 11 restarts the lane keeping support.

[Processing flow of lane keeping support device 1]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flow of signals processed by the lane keeping support device 1. First, the lane change detection unit 7 determines whether or not the vehicle V has started changing the lane in which the vehicle V travels (S31). When the vehicle V starts to change the lane in which the vehicle V travels (YES in S31), the lane change detection unit 7 notifies the support stop unit 8 to degenerate the lane keeping support (S32). If the change of the lane in which the vehicle V is traveling has not started (NO in S31), the process of S31 is performed again.

Subsequently, after the support stop unit 8 degenerates the lane keeping support, the lane marking information erasing unit 9 erases the lane marking information recorded in the storage unit 2 (S33). When the change of the lane in which the vehicle V travels is completed (YES in S34), the lane marking detection unit 6 again detects the lane marking from the captured image taken in front of the vehicle V in the traveling direction (S35). If the change of the lane in which the vehicle V is traveling has not been completed (NO in S34), the lane keeping support device 1 processes S34 again.

Subsequently, the determination unit 10 determines whether or not the vehicle V is traveling inside the division line detected again by the division line detection unit 6 (S36). When the vehicle V is traveling inside the lane marking (YES in S36), the support start unit 11 resumes the lane keeping support (S37), and the lane keeping support device 1 ends the process. If the vehicle V is not traveling inside the lane marking line (NO in S36), the process of S36 is performed again.

[Effects of lane keeping support device 1]
As described above, in the lane keeping support device 1 according to the embodiment, the lane marking unit 6 detects the lane marking again after the lane change is completed without using the information of the lane marking detected before the lane change is completed. When the determination unit 10 determines that the vehicle V is traveling inside the lane marking detected after the lane change is completed, the lane keeping support device 1 restarts the lane keeping support. By doing so, the lane keeping support device 1 improves the accuracy of detecting the lane marking after the vehicle V changes the traveling lane, and makes it easy to restart the lane keeping support. As a result, the lane keeping support device 1 has an effect that the steering assist becomes easy to function even after the vehicle V changes lanes, and the driving experience of the driver is improved.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that the form with such changes or improvements may be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

V ... Vehicle 1 ... Lane maintenance support device 2 ... Storage unit 3 ... Steering assistance unit 4 ... Control unit 5 ... Camera 6 ... Lane detection unit 7 ... Lane Change detection unit 8 ... Support stop unit 9 ... Lane information erasing unit 10 ... Judgment unit 11 ... Support start unit

Claims (4)

A lane marking detection unit that detects the lane markings in which the vehicle travels,
A storage unit that stores information on the lane markings detected in the past by the lane marking detection unit, which the lane marking detection unit refers to when detecting the lane marking, and a storage unit.
A lane change detection unit that detects that the vehicle has started and ended the lane change,
When the lane change detection unit detects the start of the lane change, the support stop unit for stopping the application of torque to the steering shaft of the vehicle, and the support stop unit.
It was detected in the past after the support stop unit stopped applying torque to the steering shaft of the vehicle and before the lane change detection unit detected that the vehicle had completed the lane change . A lane marking information erasing unit that erases the lane marking information from the storage unit,
After the lane change detection unit detects the end of the lane change, the vehicle moves inside the lane marking detected by the lane marking detection unit without using the information of the lane marking detected before the end of the lane change. A judgment unit that determines whether or not the vehicle is running,
When the determination unit determines that the vehicle is traveling inside the lane marking detected after the lane change is completed, the support start unit for restarting the lane keeping support and the support start unit.
A lane keeping support device equipped with. The lane change detection unit detects that the operation of the turn signal has started as the start of the lane change.
The lane keeping support device according to claim 1. The lane change detection unit detects that the vehicle has started a lane change based on the yaw rate.
The lane keeping support device according to claim 1 or 2. A step of detecting a lane marking in which a vehicle travels by referring to information on a previously detected lane marking stored in a storage unit, and
The step of detecting that the vehicle has started and ended the lane change, and
A step of stopping the application of torque to the steering shaft of the vehicle when the start of the lane change is detected, and
After stopping the application of torque to the steering shaft of the vehicle and before detecting that the vehicle has finished changing lanes, the information of the lane marking detected in the past is erased from the storage unit. Steps to do and
After detecting the end of the lane change, a step of determining whether or not the vehicle is traveling inside the detected lane marking without using the information of the lane marking detected before the end of the lane change.
A step of restarting lane keeping support when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling inside the lane marking detected after the lane change is completed.
Lane keeping assistance methods performed by the processor, including.

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