JPH0757182A - Safety device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To evade unnecessary safety securing operation by restricting the safety securing operation unless an obstacle is positioned on a going path that a going path estimating means estimates when the obstacle almost in a stop state is detected on a travel path that a travel path estimating means detects. CONSTITUTION:When the obstacle almost in the stop state is present on the travel path of this vehicle that the travel path estimating means 14 as a result of the calculation of, for example, the relative speed as a value larger than a set value, a restricting means 16 restricts the safety securing operation by, for example, inhibition, delay, basic preparation alteration, or selection unless the obstacle is on the going path of this vehicle that the going path estimating means 8 estimates. Consequently, when the driver judges that the obstacle almost in the stop state such as a parking vehicle or pedestrian by the travel path can be passed by, the unnecessary safety securing operation can be evaded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is mounted on an automobile for the purpose of collision prevention and the like, and detects and measures the distance between the own vehicle and an obstacle in front of the automobile to ensure safety operation for avoiding danger. The present invention relates to a vehicle safety device equipped with a safety means for performing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recent vehicles include, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-2.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 87180, by installing a radar device, the presence or absence of an obstacle such as a parked vehicle or a preceding vehicle existing in front of the vehicle is detected, and a safety ensuring operation for avoiding a danger is performed. There is something to do.

As shown in FIG. 8, this type of vehicle safety device sends out a pulsed laser beam at a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 81 and receives a reflected wave of a pulsed laser beam reflected by a reflector. Accordingly, it is detected whether or not there is an obstacle in the detection area S as a predetermined area within a predetermined angle in front of the own vehicle 81, and the distance between the own vehicle 81 and the front obstacle is detected. It has an obstacle detecting means for calculating the relative speed between the vehicle 81 and the obstacle ahead. Then, when an obstacle exists in the detection area S, if a relative speed between the own vehicle 81 and the obstacle may cause a danger or a dangerous state,
The safety means performs a safety ensuring operation such as issuing a warning to the driver and controlling the deceleration of the vehicle 81 in order to ensure safety for avoiding danger. In particular, the detection area S
Immediately in front of the host vehicle 81 in, there is a danger area A divided by the shortest danger judgment distance L1 determined according to the vehicle speed in consideration of the operation delay of the safety means, etc. When it is determined that the vehicle 81 is approaching, the deceleration process is immediately performed.

[0004]

However, in the above-described conventional vehicle safety device, the driver slips through an almost stopped obstacle such as a parked vehicle or a pedestrian present on a side road in the traveling road. Even if you decide that it is possible,
When it enters a dangerous area such as dangerous area A,
In order to avoid danger, there is a problem in that a safety ensuring operation such as issuing an alarm unnecessarily or controlling the deceleration of the vehicle 81 is performed unnecessarily.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to prevent an almost stopped obstacle such as a parked vehicle or a pedestrian on a side road in a traveling road. If the driver determines that it is possible to slip through,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle safety device capable of avoiding an unnecessary safety ensuring operation.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a vehicle safety device of the present invention includes an obstacle detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of an obstacle in a predetermined area in front of the vehicle, and an obstacle detecting means. In a vehicle safety device equipped with a safety means for performing a safety ensuring operation for avoiding a hazard based on the detection result of, a travel path estimating means for detecting a travel path on which the host vehicle travels, a steering angle of the host vehicle, and A traveling route estimating means for estimating a traveling route predicted to travel in the future from the traveling state such as a vehicle speed, and an obstacle almost stopped by the obstacle detecting means in the traveling route detected by the traveling route estimating means. When this obstacle is detected, if this obstacle is not located on the traveling path estimated by the traveling path estimating means, a regulating means for regulating the safety ensuring operation is provided.

[0007]

According to the above structure, when there is an obstacle in a substantially stopped state in the traveling road detected by the traveling road estimating means, for example, when the relative speed is calculated as a set value or more, If the obstacle is not located on the traveling path estimated by the traveling path estimating means, the regulating means regulates the safety ensuring operation by, for example, prohibiting, delaying, changing the reference value, or selecting.

Therefore, when there is an obstacle located on the upper side of the road on the traveling road, when the own vehicle tries to pass through the obstacle, the traveling road is changed by the steering handle or the like, so that the safety means is provided. It is possible to remove the object of the security operation. Therefore, it is possible to avoid this obstacle by avoiding unnecessary safety operations such as warning and braking.

As a result, unnecessary safety is ensured when the driver determines that the driver can pass through an almost stopped obstacle such as a parked vehicle or a pedestrian present on a side road in the traveling road. The action can be avoided.

Incidentally, the regulation here means delay of all securing operations,
In addition to prohibition, other examples include changing the reference value such as changing the setting of a dangerous inter-vehicle distance, or selecting a plurality of safety ensuring operations.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following will describe one embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIGS.

The vehicle safety device according to this embodiment includes a scanning radar device as an obstacle detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of an obstacle in a predetermined area in front of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the scan type radar device 4 is composed of a radar head unit 1, a signal processing section 2 and a computing section 3. The radar head unit 1 emits a pulsed laser beam as a radar wave from the transmitting section toward the front of the own vehicle, and emits a reflected wave reflected by an obstacle such as a preceding vehicle or a parked vehicle existing in front of the vehicle. It is configured to be received by the receiving unit. The radar head unit 1 is of a scanning type that scans the pulsed laser light emitted from its emission portion in the horizontal direction at a relatively wide angle. The signal from the radar head unit 1 is input to the calculation unit 3 through the signal processing unit 2, and in the calculation unit 3, the obstacles existing in the scanning range and the own vehicle are delayed due to the delay time from the emission point of the laser reception light. The distance between them, the relative speed, and the direction of the obstacle with respect to the own vehicle are calculated.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the safety device 10 includes a steering angle sensor 5, a vehicle speed sensor 6, and a yaw rate sensor 7. The steering angle sensor 5 detects a steering angle of the steering wheel (hereinafter, simply referred to as “steering angle”). The vehicle speed sensor 6 detects the vehicle speed of the own vehicle, and the yaw rate sensor 7
Is for detecting the yaw rate generated by the host vehicle.

The detection signals of the sensors 5 to 7 are all input to the traveling path estimating means 8. This traveling route estimating means 8
Is for estimating a traveling route predicted to travel in the future from the traveling state such as the steering angle of the own vehicle and the vehicle speed. The content of the estimation will be described later.

Further, the safety device 10 is provided with a traveling road detecting means 14. The traveling road detecting means 14 is C
It is composed of a CD (Charge Coupled Device) camera 11, an image processing unit 12, and a traveling road recognition unit 13, and recognizes and detects a traveling road in an image. The CCD camera 11 is fixedly provided on the front part of the vehicle body and projects a scene in front of the vehicle within a predetermined range. The scenery in front of the vehicle displayed by the CCD camera 11 is sent to the traveling road recognition unit 13 through the image processing unit 12. The travel route recognition unit 13 extracts the white lines on the left and right of the travel lane as the travel route of the road on which the vehicle travels from the scenery in front of the vehicle to recognize the travel region.

The obstacle information of the scanning type radar device 4, the traveling road estimation information of the traveling road estimating means 8 and the detection information of the traveling road detecting means 14 are inputted to the risk determining means 15.

The risk determining means 15 detects the degree of danger of obstacles detected by the scanning radar device 4 by the traveling road and traveling road detecting means 14 estimated by the traveling road estimating means 8.
It is determined based on the traveling road detected in step S6, and information such as distance and relative speed with a high degree of danger is output to the control unit 21 of the automatic braking device.

The control unit 21 of the automatic braking device determines the risk of collision between the obstacle and the vehicle, and controls the operation such as automatic deceleration, warning, or lamp lighting as a risk avoidance measure. It has become. Therefore, the risk determining means 15 and the control section 21 of the automatic braking device constitute a safety means.

The risk determination by the risk determining means 15 and the safety confirmation operation by the control unit 21 of the automatic braking device will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 2, in the laser radar detection area S, the braking area A extends up to the risk determination distance L1 in front of the vehicle 30. The risk determination distance L1 is the shortest inter-vehicle distance determined according to the vehicle speed in consideration of the operation delay of the safety means when the vehicle is decelerated.
In the laser radar detection area S, an area between the risk determination distance L1 and the risk determination target specific distance L2 is a warning area B in which a warning or a warning lamp is turned on. In the warning area B, the inter-vehicle distance L between the own vehicle 30 and the vehicle 37 is the warning start inter-vehicle distance L3 (L1 <L3 <L
When it becomes smaller than 2), an alarm is issued and a caution lamp is turned on in order to inform the driver that the danger judgment distance L1 is approaching. Further, when the inter-vehicle distance L becomes smaller than the risk determination distance L1, that is, when the braking area A is entered, the deceleration processing is performed. Note that the deceleration processing includes processing such as automatic braking, automatic downshifting and engine braking, or automatic accelerator off to stop output.

In the vehicle safety device 10 having the above-mentioned structure, for example, when there is a parked vehicle or a pedestrian on the road, the operation for avoiding this vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Also, description will be made below based on the flowchart of FIG. 4 and FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 2, the scanning type radar device 4 causes the vehicle 30 to travel on the straight road 32 while horizontally scanning the pulsed laser light at a predetermined angle with respect to the front of the vehicle 30. There is. At this time, in the laser radar detection area S that can be detected by the scanning radar device 4 in front of the vehicle 30, the risk determination unit 15 determines the risk of obstacles up to the risk determination target specific distance L2. It is a distance. The risk determination target specific distance L2 is normally about 120 m, but for example, in the case of a vehicle equipped with a reflector such as a reflector, it is a scan type up to about 150 m in front of the own vehicle 30. It can be confirmed by the radar device 4, and at this time, the risk determination target specific distance L2 is 150 m.

When the host vehicle 30 is running, as shown in the flow chart of FIG. 3, the travel road detecting means 14 performs image processing on the scenery input from the CCD camera 11.
The travel route is estimated (S1). That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the traveling road detecting unit 14 estimates the traveling road 32 between the central white line 34 and the side white line 35 drawn on the road 33, and determines the danger in the laser radar detection area S. The target area is limited to this traveling path 32.

Further, the own vehicle 30 is estimating the traveling route as shown in FIG. 3 (S2). This traveling route estimation is performed by the traveling route estimating means 8 according to the traveling route estimating routine shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the above-mentioned traveling path estimation routine reads the respective signals from the steering angle sensor 5, the vehicle speed sensor 6 and the yaw rate sensor 7 (S11), and then the steering steering angle Θ _H and the vehicle speed V. The traveling path of the vehicle 30 is predicted by the first prediction method based on ₀ . Specifically, the radius of curvature R1 of the traveling road and the sideslip angle β1 of the vehicle 30 are calculated by the following mathematical expression 1 (S12).

[0026]

[Equation 1]

Next, the traveling path of the vehicle 30 is predicted by the second prediction method based on the yaw rate γ and the vehicle speed V ₀ . Specifically, the radius of curvature R2 and the sideslip angle β2 of the vehicle 30 are calculated by the following mathematical formula 2 (S13).

[0028]

[Equation 2]

Thereafter, it is determined whether the absolute value of the steering angle Θ _H is smaller than the predetermined angle Θ _C (S1).
4). When this determination is YES, the traveling road predicted by the second prediction method is selected, the curvature radius R2 is set to the curvature radius R of the traveling road, and the sideslip angle β of the vehicle 30 is set.
The side slip angle β2 is set to (S16), and then the process returns.

On the other hand, when the determination in S14 is NO, that is, when the steering steering angle Θ _H is larger than the predetermined angle Θ _C , the absolute value of the curvature radius R1 of the traveling road predicted by the first prediction method and the first value are calculated. The magnitude of the curvature radius R2 of the traveling path predicted by the prediction method of No. 2 is compared (S1).
5). When the curvature radius R1 of the traveling road predicted by the first prediction method is smaller, the curvature radius R1 is set to the curvature radius R of the traveling road, and the sideslip angle β1 is set to the sideslip angle β of the vehicle 30. While setting (S17), second
When the curvature radius R2 of the traveling road predicted by the prediction method is smaller, the process proceeds to S16, the curvature radius R2 is set to the curvature radius R of the traveling road, and the sideslip angle β of the vehicle 30 is set. Set β2. That is, the radius of curvature R
The smaller one is selected as the traveling route.

By estimating the traveling route as described above, the traveling route 36 having a width of, for example, 2 m, which is wider than the vehicle width of the vehicle 30, is estimated as shown by the diagonal lines in FIG.

In this state, as shown in the flow chart of FIG. 3, the scanning type radar device 4 detects the vehicle 37 on the traveling road (S3). Where the vehicle 3
Whether or not 7 is stopped is determined by the scanning radar device 4 from the calculation result of the relative velocity. That is, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the horizontal axis of the vehicle speed V, taking the relative speed V _R of the vehicle 37 on the vertical axis, when the vehicle 37 is stopped, FIG. (A ) Is indicated by the line 38 of the relative velocity V _R = V, as indicated by the dashed line. Therefore, the scanning type radar device 4 uses this relative velocity V _R.
Is a line 39 that is slightly smaller than the vehicle speed V ((a) in the figure)
(Indicated by a solid line in FIG. 4), it is determined that the vehicle 37 is stopped. Therefore, it is determined that the vehicle 37 is stopped by calculating the relative speed V _R as the set value or more.

It should be noted that it is possible to use another method for determining whether the vehicle 37 is stopped. For example,
As shown in FIG. 5B, when the own vehicle speed V is smaller than the own vehicle speed V1, it is determined that the vehicle is stopped when the relative speed V _R = V, and the own vehicle speed V is In the case of the speed V1 or more, it is determined that the vehicle 37 is stopped when the relative speed V _R is larger than the line 40 which is slightly smaller than the own vehicle speed V (shown by the solid line in FIG. 7B). It is also possible.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the risk determining means 15 determines whether or not the vehicle 37 is on the traveling path 36 (S4). When the vehicle 37 is on the traveling path 36, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 37 has entered the alarm area B (S5), and if YES, an alarm is issued to the driver,
The caution lamp is turned on to call attention (S
6). If NO in S5, the process returns to S4.

After issuing the alarm in S6, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 37 has entered the braking area A (S7). And
When it is determined that the vehicle has entered the braking area A, automatic braking is performed (S8). If it is determined in S7 that the vehicle has not entered the braking area A, the process returns to S4.

On the other hand, when it is determined in S4 that the vehicle 37 is present in the traveling path 36, it is further determined whether or not the distance between the vehicle 37 and the traveling path 36 is less than a certain value (S).
9). The constant value in the distance between the vehicle 37 and the traveling path 36 varies depending on the vehicle speed V. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, the own vehicle speed V is 10 km / hr.
Up to a constant value of 0.5 m between the vehicle 37 and the traveling path 36, and when the vehicle speed V becomes 20 km / hr or more,
The distance between the vehicle 37 and the traveling path 36 is set to a constant value of 1.0 m.

Next, in S9 of FIG. 3, the regulating means 1
When it is determined by 6 that the distance between the vehicle 37 and the traveling path 36 is less than or equal to a certain value, an alarm is issued (S1
0), as shown in FIG. 7, when the distance between the vehicle 37 and the traveling path 36 is larger than a certain value, it is not dangerous and the routine directly returns. In this embodiment, the own vehicle 30
After passing through the vehicle 37, the vehicle returns to the travel path estimation priority. In addition, a traveling path 36 indicated by diagonal lines in FIG.
Is cut off up to the center white line 3, because the traveled road estimation area is range-cut within the traveling road so as not to catch vehicles and structures existing in the oncoming lane and the adjacent lane. is there.

Thus, the vehicle safety device 1 of this embodiment
0 is in the traveling path 32 detected by the traveling path estimating means 14,
For example, when the relative speed is calculated as a value equal to or higher than the set value, when there is an almost stopped obstacle, if the obstacle is not located on the traveling path 36 estimated by the traveling path estimating means 8, The regulation means 16 performs the safety ensuring operation,
For example, it is restricted by prohibition, delay, change of reference value, selection or the like.

Therefore, when there is an obstacle located on the upper side of the road on the traveling road 32, when the host vehicle 30 tries to pass through the obstacle, the traveling road is changed by steering or the like so that the safety means is provided. Since it can be excluded from the target of the safety ensuring operation by, it is possible to avoid the obstacle by avoiding the safety ensuring operation such as unnecessary alarm and braking. Therefore, the operability of the vehicle safety device 10 can be improved.

Here, the regulation means delay of all securing operations,
In addition to prohibition, other examples include changing the reference value such as changing the setting of a dangerous inter-vehicle distance, or selecting a plurality of safety ensuring operations.

[0041]

As described above, the vehicle safety device according to the present invention detects the traveling path of the vehicle based on the traveling path estimating means for detecting the traveling path of the vehicle and the traveling condition such as the steering angle and the vehicle speed of the vehicle. If the obstacle detecting means detects an almost stopped obstacle in the traveling road estimating means for estimating the traveling road predicted to travel in the future and the traveling road detected by the traveling road estimating means, this obstacle is detected. If the object is not located on the traveling path estimated by the traveling path estimating means, a regulation means for regulating the safety ensuring operation is provided.

As a result, when there is an almost stopped obstacle in the traveling road detected by the traveling road estimating means, if the obstacle is not located on the traveling road estimated by the traveling road estimating means, The regulation means regulates the safety ensuring operation.

Therefore, when it is determined that the driver can pass through an obstacle in a substantially stopped state such as a parked vehicle or a pedestrian on the upper side of the road,
It is possible to avoid an unnecessary safety ensuring operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle safety device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which a stopped vehicle exists in front of a vehicle equipped with the safety device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the safety device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of a traveling path estimation routine of the safety device.

FIG. 5 is a graph which gives a judgment as to whether or not the vehicle is stopped in the scanning radar device of the safety device. FIG. 5A is a graph showing a slight movement of the vehicle when the vehicle speed is low. However, (b) gives a stop determination even if the vehicle is moving a little when the vehicle speed is V1 or higher.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing a relationship between a vehicle speed and an interval.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which there is a gap between the traveling path and the vehicle when a stopped vehicle is present in front of the vehicle.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a conventional example and showing a state in which a vehicle equipped with a safety device travels while detecting the front side by a radar head unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Scanning Radar Device (Obstacle Detecting Means) 8 Traveling Road Estimating Means 10 Safety Device 14 Traveling Road Detecting Means 15 Danger Level Determining Means (Safety Means) 16 Restricting Means 21 Control Unit (Safety Means) 30 Own Vehicle 32 Driving Roads 36 Traveling route 37 Vehicle A Braking area B Warning area L1 Risk judgment distance L2 Risk judgment target specific distance S Laser radar detection area (predetermined area)

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Toshihiro Ishikawa No. 3 Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Mazda Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazuhiro Murashige No. 3 Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Hiroshima-ken Mazda Stock Company (72) Inventor Satoru Matsuoka 3-1, Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Mazda Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An obstacle detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of an obstacle in a predetermined area in front of the own vehicle, and a safety means for performing a safety ensuring operation for avoiding danger based on the detection result of the obstacle detecting means. In the vehicle safety device, a travel route estimating means for detecting the travel route on which the vehicle is traveling, and a traveling route for estimating the traveling route of the vehicle from the traveling state such as the steering angle and the vehicle speed of the vehicle. When an obstacle in a substantially stopped state is detected by the obstacle detecting means in the traveling road detected by the road estimating means and the traveling road estimating means,
If the obstacle is not located on the traveling path estimated by the traveling path estimating means, a vehicle safety device is provided with a regulating means for regulating a safety ensuring operation.