JP7841966B2 - Driving evaluation system - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a driving evaluation system.

Some driving evaluation systems aim to reduce traffic accidents by evaluating the driving performance of drivers operating commercial vehicles. These systems acquire information on the behavior of vehicles following the vehicle being evaluated in the same lane. If the rate of change in the behavior of the following vehicle per unit time exceeds a threshold, the system evaluates that the vehicle being evaluated is negatively impacting the following vehicle (for example, Patent Document 1).

Furthermore, related to the driving evaluation system are, for example, driver assistance devices. This driver assistance device, when detecting another vehicle within a detection frame allocated to distinguish between multiple driving lanes while the vehicle is changing lanes and moving in front of another vehicle, considers this a high-risk cutting maneuver. It then records this event and outputs a warning to assist the driver (for example, Patent Document 2).

By the way, the speed limit for large trucks on expressways is 80 km/h. Therefore, even if multiple large trucks are traveling in the same lane at the same speed limit, individual differences can cause speed differences, leading to a decrease in the distance between them and other vehicles. Possible causes of this speed difference include errors in the vehicle's speedometer display, unconscious speed changes on inclines, driving with ample margin below the speed limit, and differences in cruise control speed settings. When a large truck needs to overtake, it must move to the right lane, which has a different speed range. However, even when the overtaking lane is congested, many vehicles will aggressively cut in if even a small gap opens up.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-179335 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-28483

Drivers of vehicles following in the passing lane may feel that they have been aggressively cut off when a large truck changes lanes ahead. For example, if the following vehicle is a regular car, the speed difference between the truck and the regular car means that the truck's lane change can reduce the distance between them, potentially forcing the driver of the following vehicle to brake to maintain a safe distance. To prevent such aggressive cutting, it is desirable to evaluate the driving skills of drivers of commercial vehicles.

The present invention aims to provide a driving evaluation system that enables proper evaluation of drivers.

To achieve the above objective, the driving evaluation system according to the present invention comprises: a rear camera mounted on the vehicle and capturing images of the area behind the vehicle to acquire a rear image; a lane change detection unit for detecting lane changes of the vehicle; a behavior detection unit for detecting the behavior of a vehicle traveling in the destination lane, which is the lane to which the vehicle has changed lanes, based on the rear image corresponding to the time of the lane change of the vehicle, when a lane change of the vehicle is detected by the lane change detection unit; and a driving evaluation determination unit for determining the driving evaluation of the vehicle according to the behavior of the vehicle detected by the behavior detection unit. The behavior detection unit determines the driving evaluation of the vehicle based on the vehicle's speed and a plurality of rear images that are continuous in time series. The system is characterized by calculating a first distance from the front camera to the rear vehicle and a second distance from the axis passing through the center along the longitudinal direction of the self-vehicle to the rear vehicle, calculating an offset distance between the self-vehicle and the rear vehicle based on the calculated first and second distances, detecting the behavior of the rear vehicle based on the driving speed of the self-vehicle and the change in the offset distance, calculating the curvature of the lane based on the detection result by the lane change detection unit if the rear vehicle is in a position that overlaps with the axis, and correcting the distance of the rear vehicle from the axis based on the calculated curvature of the lane and the offset distance between the self-vehicle and the rear vehicle .

The driving evaluation system according to the present invention has the effect of enabling proper evaluation of drivers.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the operation evaluation system according to the embodiment. Figure 2 shows an example of the situation of a vehicle behind in response to the vehicle changing lanes in this embodiment. Figure 3 shows an example of the behavior of a vehicle behind in response to the vehicle changing lanes in this embodiment. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring the speed (speed change) of a vehicle behind in the embodiment. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the evaluation process of the operation evaluation system according to the embodiment. Figure 6 illustrates the detection of the behavior of a vehicle behind on a straight road using a rear view image according to the embodiment. Figure 7 illustrates the detection of the behavior of a vehicle behind on a right-hand curved road using a rear view image according to the embodiment. Figure 8 illustrates the detection of the behavior of a vehicle behind on a left-hand curved road using a rear view image according to the embodiment. Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a modified example of the embodiment of the operation evaluation system.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. That is, the components in the embodiments described below include those that are easily conceivable to those skilled in the art, or that are substantially the same, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[Embodiment]
The driving evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment, shown in Figure 1, is a system that is installed in a vehicle V, such as an automobile, and manages the operation of the vehicle V. The driving evaluation system 1 is introduced as equipment by operators such as freight transport businesses and passenger transport businesses. The driving evaluation system 1 operates according to an operation management program for vehicles. The driving evaluation system 1 of this embodiment has the function of recording the driving state of the vehicle V (hereinafter also referred to as the own vehicle V), detecting the behavior of a vehicle Y behind the own vehicle V, and performing a driving evaluation of the driver of the own vehicle V according to the presence or absence of such behavior.

Here, the vehicle V to which the driving evaluation system 1 is applied is a moving object that travels on a road surface, etc. For example, a truck transporting goods. In the following explanation, the vehicle V will be assumed to be a transport truck.

As shown in Figure 1, the driving evaluation system 1 consists of a front camera 2A, a rear camera 2B, and a main unit 3.

The front camera 2A and rear camera 2B each capture moving images and generate moving image data. The front camera 2A and rear camera 2B are installed at predetermined locations on the vehicle V and capture images of the area outside the vehicle V. The front camera 2A and rear camera 2B are positioned to capture at least the lane the vehicle V is traveling in, the lane boundary lines separating the lanes, and other adjacent lanes across the lane boundary lines. The front camera 2A and rear camera 2B generate color moving image data that allows for the identification of at least the color of lines on the road surface.

The front camera 2A is installed, for example, in front of the vehicle V, and captures the scenery in front of the vehicle. The subjects captured by the front camera 2A include vehicles preceding the vehicle V, oncoming vehicles and vehicles crossing the road, pedestrians and people crossing the road, signs and markings, etc.

The rear camera 2B is installed, for example, directly in front of the rear of the vehicle V, and captures the scenery behind the vehicle. This includes vehicles and pedestrians behind the vehicle V.

In this embodiment, the front camera 2A and the rear camera 2B have the same structure and function. The front camera 2A and the rear camera 2B are each electrically connected to the main unit 3 by wiring materials such as wires and cables routed to the vehicle V, and the moving images captured by each camera are output to the main unit 3 as moving image data.

The main unit 3 comprises a control unit 10 and a memory 11. The main unit 3 is, for example, a digital tachograph, drive recorder, or taxi meter that records the operating status of the vehicle V. While the vehicle V is in motion, the main unit 3 records various information related to the driving and operation of the vehicle V. In addition to the control unit 10 and memory 11, the main unit 3, as a digital tachograph, includes a speed interface, engine interface, GPS receiver, analog interface, external input interface, wide-area communication unit, card interface, switches, and display unit; however, these are not shown or described in detail.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the main unit 3 detects a lane change by its own vehicle V based on video data acquired from the front camera 2A. Figures 2 to 4 show a state where vehicle V changes lanes from the driving lane 101 (or first driving lane 101A) to the passing lane 102 (or second driving lane 101B) due to a decrease in the distance between vehicle V and the vehicle Xa in front. At this time, vehicle V will cut in between the vehicle Xb in front and the vehicle Y behind, which are traveling one after the other in the passing lane 102 (or second driving lane 101B). In response to the detected lane change of vehicle V, the main unit 3 detects the behavior of the vehicle Y behind vehicle V based on video data acquired from the rear camera 2B. Furthermore, the main unit 3 determines the driving evaluation of the driver of vehicle V based on the detected behavior of the vehicle Y behind vehicle V.

The control unit 10 controls the main unit 3. The control unit 10 is configured, for example, with an electronic circuit primarily consisting of a well-known microcomputer. Functionally, the control unit 10 includes a lane change detection unit 21, a behavior detection unit 22, and a driving evaluation and judgment unit 23.

Memory 11 consists of non-volatile memory, volatile memory, and a recording medium. The non-volatile memory stores processing programs and various data executed by the control unit 10. The volatile memory stores, for example, calculation results from the control unit 10. The recording medium records information acquired by the driving evaluation system 1. The recording medium is configured to be detachable from the main unit 3 via various interfaces. For example, various types of memory cards can be used as the recording medium. The recording medium stores motion image data captured by the front camera 2A and rear camera 2B, as well as driving data indicating the driver's driving operations (brake operation, turn signal operation, driving route, etc.).

The lane change detection unit 21 detects lane changes of the vehicle V. The lane change detection unit 21 extracts a forward image from the video data acquired by the forward camera 2A and detects lane changes of the vehicle V based on this forward image. The lane change detection unit 21 performs known image processing on the forward image to extract the colored lines (lane boundary lines 110) on the road. The lane change detection unit 21 can calculate the lane width W of the driving lane 101 (or first driving lane 101A) from the distances DL and DR from both ends of the vehicle V to the lane boundary lines 110, and the vehicle width WV (fixed value) of the vehicle V.

As shown in Figure 2, when the vehicle V is traveling on a two-lane road, the lane change detection unit 21 detects the driving lane 101 that the vehicle V is traveling in, and the passing lane 102 adjacent to the driving lane 101 across the lane boundary 110, based on the extracted multiple lane boundary lines 110. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, when the vehicle V is traveling on a three-lane road, the lane change detection unit 21 detects the first driving lane 101A that the vehicle V is traveling in, the second driving lane 101B adjacent to the first driving lane 101A across the first lane boundary line 110A, and the passing lane 102 adjacent to the second driving lane 101B across the second lane boundary line 110B, based on the extracted multiple lane boundary lines 110.

The lane change detection unit 21 detects a lane change by the vehicle V in response to the driver's operation of the turn signal and a lane change by the vehicle V from the driving lane 101 (or first driving lane 101A) to the passing lane 102 (or second driving lane 101B) based on a series of forward-facing images. For example, the lane change detection unit 21 detects a lane change by detecting a leftward movement of the lane boundary line 110, etc., in a series of forward-facing images during the turn signal, based on the turn signal ON signal generated in response to the turn signal operation. The lane change detection unit 21 also detects a lane change by detecting a decrease in the distance DR value during the turn signal, when it exceeds 0 and becomes a negative value.

The behavior detection unit 22 detects the behavior of the following vehicle Y traveling in the destination lane, which is the lane to which the vehicle V has changed, based on the rear image corresponding to the time of the vehicle V's lane change. Here, the following vehicle Y is a vehicle traveling behind the vehicle V, but not a vehicle traveling on the same driving lane 101 as the vehicle V, but a vehicle traveling in the passing lane 102 or second driving lane 101B adjacent to the driving lane 101. The behavior detection unit 22 extracts a rear image from the video data acquired by the rear camera 2B and detects the behavior of the following vehicle Y based on the rear image. The behavior of the following vehicle Y includes deceleration of the following vehicle Y and changing lanes from the destination lane to another lane in which the following vehicle Y is traveling. Here, the destination lane refers to the lane that the vehicle V will change into when changing lanes, such as the overtaking lane 102 (Figure 2) or the second driving lane 101B (Figures 3 and 4).

The behavior detection unit 22, upon detecting a lane change of its own vehicle V, calculates the speed change (deceleration) of the following vehicle Y. If the deceleration is greater than or equal to a threshold, it estimates that the following vehicle Y has applied sudden brakes and decelerated. Here, the threshold may be obtained, for example, by inputting the deceleration of the following vehicle caused by the lane change of its own vehicle V into a machine learning model. Based on the driving speed of its own vehicle V and a series of consecutive rear images (30A to 30C shown in Figures 6 to 8), the behavior detection unit 22 uses a distance conversion table calculated using the resolution and lens parameters of the rear camera 2B to calculate a first separation distance r from the rear camera 2B to the following vehicle Y, and a second separation distance s from the axis O passing through the center along the longitudinal direction of the own vehicle V to the following vehicle Y. The behavior detection unit 22 calculates the offset distance t between its own vehicle V and the following vehicle Y using the calculated first separation distance r and second separation distance s. The behavior detection unit 22 monitors the driving speed Vp of the vehicle V and changes in the offset distance t, and estimates the driving speed and deceleration of the following vehicle Y. The behavior detection unit 22 estimates the deceleration of the following vehicle Y from the time the vehicle V changes lanes until several seconds after the lane change is completed.

The behavior detection unit 22 detects a lane change of the following vehicle Y when a lane change of the own vehicle V is detected. During the lane change of the own vehicle V, the behavior detection unit 22 detects the lane change of the following vehicle Y using the change in distance DR, the change in the second separation distance s, and the lane width W. For example, the behavior detection unit 22 calculates the amount of lateral movement of the following vehicle Y per unit time, and if this amount of movement is greater than or equal to another threshold different from the above threshold, it estimates that the following vehicle Y made a sudden steering maneuver. Here, the other threshold may be obtained, for example, by inputting the amount of lateral movement of the following vehicle Y per unit time caused by the lane change of the own vehicle V into a machine learning model.

The driving evaluation determination unit 23 determines the driving evaluation of the driver of the vehicle V in accordance with the behavior of the following vehicle Y detected by the behavior detection unit 22. The driving evaluation determination unit 23 relatively lowers the driving evaluation of the driver of the vehicle V in accordance with the detected behavior of the following vehicle Y. For example, the driving evaluation determination unit 23 may be configured to divide the driver's evaluation into five levels and relatively lower it by minus 0.5 or minus 0.2 from a standard evaluation value of 5. The driving evaluation determination unit 23 may also set different values for the relative reduction (deduction value) depending on the degree of the behavior of the following vehicle Y detected by the behavior detection unit 22. For example, if the driving evaluation determination unit 23 estimates that the deceleration of the following vehicle Y was high in response to the lane change of the vehicle V, causing the following vehicle Y to brake suddenly, it may set a relatively higher deduction value than the normal deduction value. The driving evaluation determination unit 23 records the evaluation result in the memory 11. Furthermore, the driving evaluation and judgment unit 23 records, based on the evaluation results, at least a portion of the rear and front images, and corresponding moving images, corresponding to events where the vehicle V's lane change affected a vehicle behind it, in the memory 11.

Next, the driving evaluation process in the driving evaluation system 1 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 5. The driving evaluation system 1 is activated, for example, when the ACC power supply of the vehicle V is turned ON, and repeats the process described below until the said power supply is turned OFF.

In step S1, the control unit 10 determines whether the lane change detection unit 21 has detected a lane change by the vehicle V. If the result of this determination is that no lane change has been detected, the process in step S1 is repeated. On the other hand, if no lane change has been detected, the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, the control unit 10 detects the behavior of the rear vehicle Y using the behavior detection unit 22.

In step S3, the control unit 10 determines whether a specific behavior of the rear vehicle Y has been detected by the behavior detection unit 22. Specifically, the control unit 10 determines whether deceleration or lane change of the rear vehicle Y has been detected by the behavior detection unit 22. If no specific behavior is detected as a result of this determination, the process returns to step S1. On the other hand, if a specific behavior is detected, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, the control unit 10, using the driving evaluation and determination unit 23, performs a driving evaluation of the driver operating the vehicle V.

In step S5, the control unit 10 determines whether to terminate this process. If the process is not terminated, it returns to step S1. Alternatively, if the process is terminated, the control unit 10 determines, for example, whether the ACC power supply of the vehicle V has been turned OFF. If the power supply is turned OFF, the process is terminated.

The driving evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment, as described above, comprises a rear camera 2B mounted on the vehicle V that captures images of the area behind the vehicle V, and a main unit 3 that acquires the rear image captured by the rear camera 2B. The main unit 3 includes a lane change detection unit 21 that detects lane changes of the vehicle V, a behavior detection unit 22 that, when a lane change of the vehicle V is detected by the lane change detection unit 21, detects the behavior of a rear vehicle Y traveling in the destination lane (the lane to which the vehicle V has changed lanes) based on the corresponding rear image at the time of the lane change, and a driving evaluation determination unit 23 that determines the driving evaluation of the driver operating the vehicle V according to the behavior of the rear vehicle Y detected by the behavior detection unit 22.

With the above configuration, the driving evaluation system 1 can measure the impact that a lane change performed by the driver of vehicle V has on a vehicle Y traveling behind vehicle V, thereby enabling a proper evaluation of the driver. Furthermore, the driving evaluation system 1 does not notify the driver of the impact of their lane change on vehicle Y in real time, but rather records the evaluation results. Therefore, the driving evaluation system 1 allows, for example, a fleet manager responsible for managing driver operations to provide guidance on safe driving and traffic manners based on the recorded evaluation results. Additionally, the driving evaluation system 1 enables education for drivers to refrain from driving behaviors that could lead to aggressive driving by others.

Furthermore, the driving evaluation system 1's behavior detection unit 22 detects the behavior of the following vehicle Y, specifically a lane change from the intended lane to another lane or deceleration of the following vehicle Y. This allows, for example, the operations manager to provide safety guidance based on the recorded evaluation results, focusing on specific items.

Furthermore, the driving evaluation system 1, through its driving evaluation determination unit 23, relatively lowers the driving evaluation of the driver of its own vehicle V in accordance with the detected behavior of the following vehicle Y. This means that the impact on the following vehicle Y caused by the driver's lane change of its own vehicle V will lower the driving evaluation of its own vehicle V.

Furthermore, the driving evaluation system 1's lane change detection unit 21 acquires a forward-facing image captured by the forward-facing camera 2A and detects lane changes by the vehicle V based on this forward-facing image. This allows the driving evaluation system 1 to easily detect lane changes made by the driver of the vehicle V.

Furthermore, while the driving evaluation system 1 in the above embodiment has a driving evaluation determination unit 23 in the main unit device 3 on the vehicle V side, it is not limited to this. Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a modified driving evaluation system according to this embodiment. The driving evaluation system 1A according to this modified embodiment differs from the above driving evaluation system 1 in that, as shown in Figure 9, the driving evaluation device 4 provided outside the vehicle V has a driving evaluation determination unit 23.

The driving evaluation device 4 is, for example, a PC (Personal Computer) installed in a business office that manages vehicle V and its driver, and capable of exchanging data with the main unit 3. The driving evaluation device 4 can exchange data with the main unit 3 via a recording medium such as an SD card. Alternatively, the driving evaluation device 4 and the main unit 3 may exchange data via direct communication, such as via a USB cable, or via wireless communication such as Wi-Fi. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the driving evaluation device 4 may be a server 5 installed on a network NT, such as the so-called Internet, and capable of exchanging data with the main unit 3 via wireless communication, network NW, etc. In this case, the server 5 may have a driving evaluation judgment unit 23.

The driving evaluation device 4 has the driving evaluation determination unit 23 described above. The driving evaluation device 4 receives data from the main unit 3, including detection results from the lane change detection unit 21 and the behavior detection unit 22. The driving evaluation determination unit 23, upon receiving this data, performs a driving evaluation of the driver operating the vehicle V.

Furthermore, the modified driving evaluation system 1A described above has a main unit 3 on the vehicle V side that includes a lane change detection unit 21, a behavior detection unit 22, and a driving evaluation determination unit 23, but is not limited to this. In this case, the driving evaluation device 4 includes a lane change detection unit 21, a behavior detection unit 22, and a driving evaluation determination unit 23. The driving evaluation device 4 may receive motion image data and recorded data such as the vehicle V's driving speed from the main unit 3, and the driving evaluation determination unit 23, upon receiving the recorded data, may perform a driving evaluation of the driver operating the vehicle V.

In the above embodiment, the behavior detection unit 22 detects a rear vehicle Y on a straight road with two or more lanes, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, using the rear image 30A shown in Figure 6. In this case, the rear vehicle Y is located at a second separation distance s from the axis O in the rear image 30A, without overlapping with the axis O relative to the vehicle V, and to the left (towards the overtaking lane 102). Therefore, the behavior detection unit 22 can accurately determine, based on the rear image 30A, whether or not the rear vehicle Y is traveling in the overtaking lane 102.

On the other hand, if the following vehicle Y is traveling on a road with two or more lanes that is not straight, for example, the rear camera 2B can obtain rear images 30B and 30C as shown in Figures 7 and 8. In this case, in rear image 30B, the following vehicle Y is not located at a second separation distance s to the left (towards the overtaking lane 102) from axis O relative to vehicle V, and another following vehicle Ya traveling in the same second driving lane 101B as vehicle V is located there. On the other hand, in rear image 30C, the following vehicle Y is overlapping with axis O relative to vehicle V and is not located at a second separation distance s to the left (towards the overtaking lane 102) from axis O. Therefore, the behavior detection unit 22 may have difficulty accurately determining whether the following vehicle Y is traveling in the overtaking lane 102 based on the rear images 30B and 30C.

Therefore, the behavior detection unit 22 calculates the curvature of the lane based on the detection result from the lane change detection unit 21. Then, the behavior detection unit 22 corrects the position of the rear vehicle Y toward the left from the axis O based on the calculated curvature of the lane and the offset distance t between vehicle V and the rear vehicle Y. As a result, the behavior detection unit 22 can accurately determine whether or not the rear vehicle Y is traveling in the overtaking lane 102 based on the rear images 30B and 30C. Note that when the behavior detection unit 22 calculates the curvature of the lane, it calculates it assuming that the driving lane 101, the overtaking lane 102, etc., all have approximately the same curvature. In addition, the behavior detection unit 22 calculates the curvature of the lane based on the detection result from the lane change detection unit 21, but is not limited to this, for example, a gyro sensor mounted on vehicle V may calculate the curvature based on vehicle speed information, or an acceleration sensor capable of measuring lateral G may calculate the curvature based on vehicle speed information. Furthermore, the GPS installed in vehicle V may calculate the lane curvature using at least three past location data points in a time series.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lane change detection unit 21 extracts a forward image from the video data acquired by the front camera 2A and detects a lane change by the vehicle V based on the forward image. However, it is not limited to this. In this case, the lane change detection unit 21 may also extract a rear image from the video data acquired by the rear camera 2B and detect a lane change by the vehicle V based on the rear image.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the destination lane for vehicle V when changing lanes is the overtaking lane 102 and the second driving lane 101B, but it is not limited to this. For example, the lane in which vehicle V is traveling may be the second driving lane 101B (or the overtaking lane 102), and the destination lane may be the first driving lane 101A (or the driving lane 101). In this case, the rear vehicle Y detected by the behavior detection unit 22 will be a vehicle traveling in the first driving lane 101A (or the driving lane 101).

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the behavior detection unit 22 detects a lane change by the following vehicle Y. The destination lane may be either the lane to the right of the direction of travel or the lane to the left of the direction of travel relative to the lane in which the following vehicle Y is currently traveling.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the driving evaluation system 1,1A is configured such that, for example, the operations manager provides safe driving guidance to the driver based on the evaluation results recorded in the main unit 3, etc., but it is not limited to this. For example, the driving evaluation system 1 may accumulate and analyze data obtained from multiple vehicles V to extract routes where events that affect following vehicles due to lane changes by vehicle V are likely to occur. In this case, the operations manager can issue a warning to the driver of a vehicle traveling on a route where such an event is likely to occur.

Furthermore, the operations manager may, for example, analyze the evaluation results recorded in the main unit 3, etc., using analysis and evaluation software, and assign points to the driver based on the magnitude and frequency of the impact on the following vehicle Y.

Furthermore, while the driving evaluation system 1 does not, in reality, inform the driver of vehicle V of the impact of a lane change made by the driver of vehicle V on a vehicle Y traveling behind vehicle V, it is not limited to this. In this case, the driving evaluation system 1 may be configured such that the main unit 3 provides real-time warnings to the driver of vehicle V via alarm sounds or voice messages.

1 Driving evaluation system 2A Front camera 2B Rear camera 3 Main unit 4 Driving evaluation device 10 Control unit 21 Lane change detection unit 22 Behavior detection unit 23 Driving evaluation judgment units 30A, 30B, 30C Rear image 101 Driving lane 101A First driving lane 101B Second driving lane 102 Overtaking lane 110 Lane boundary line 110A First lane boundary line 110B Second lane boundary line V Vehicle Y Rear vehicle

Claims (3)

A rear camera mounted on the vehicle captures images of the area behind the vehicle to acquire a rear image,
The lane change detection unit detects the lane change of the vehicle,
When the lane change detection unit detects a lane change of the vehicle itself, the behavior detection unit detects the behavior of the vehicle traveling in the destination lane, which is the lane to which the vehicle itself has changed, based on the rear image corresponding to the time of the lane change of the vehicle itself.
The system includes a driving evaluation determination unit that determines the driving evaluation of the vehicle in question based on the behavior of the vehicle behind it as detected by the behavior detection unit ,
The behavior detection unit,
Based on the vehicle's speed and a series of sequential rearward images, a first distance from the rear camera to the rear vehicle and a second distance from the axis passing through the center of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction to the rear vehicle are calculated. Based on the calculated first and second distances, an offset distance between the vehicle and the rear vehicle is calculated. Based on the vehicle's speed and the change in the offset distance, the behavior of the rear vehicle is detected.
If the rear vehicle is positioned to overlap with the axle, the curvature of the lane is calculated based on the detection result by the lane change detection unit, and the distance of the rear vehicle from the axle is corrected based on the calculated curvature of the lane and the offset distance between the own vehicle and the rear vehicle.
A driving evaluation system characterized by the following: The behavior detection unit,
The following behavior of the following vehicle is detected: at least one of the following: a lane change from the lane the following vehicle is traveling in to another lane, or deceleration of the following vehicle.
The aforementioned operation evaluation and determination unit is:
Depending on the behavior of the detected vehicle behind, the driving evaluation of the own vehicle is relatively reduced.
The operation evaluation system according to claim 1. The vehicle is further equipped with a forward-facing camera that captures images of the area in front of the vehicle,
The lane change detection unit is,
The system acquires a forward-facing image captured by the forward-facing camera and detects a lane change of the vehicle based on the forward-facing image.
The operation evaluation system according to claim 1 or 2.