JPH08223566A - Surrounding state recognition device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To simply recognize a state around a vehicle without receiving a signal from an external vehicle velocity sensor or the like. CONSTITUTION: A vehicle stop decision section 4 of an image processing section 3 monitors a drive state by an image from a camera 2 and activates a surrounding state reception section 5 when stop of one's own vehicle is detected. The surrounding state recognition section detects whether or not other vehicle is in existence in front of the own vehicle based on the image from the camera and activates a notice device 6 when a vehicle in existence in front of its own vehicle starts from its stop state. When no vehicle is in existence in front of its own vehicle, a traffic signal is retrieved and the notice device 6 is activated when a red signal changes to a blue signal. Thus, a connector and a cable to receive an external signal are not required and the installation to a vehicle through compact configuration is facilitated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention grasps the surrounding conditions of a vehicle such as a notification of the start of a preceding vehicle at the time of a traffic jam or waiting for a signal at an intersection and a notification that the vehicle has changed to a green light, and notifies the driver of this. The present invention relates to a vehicle surrounding situation recognition device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional vehicle surrounding condition recognizing device of this type, there is, for example, a traffic light detecting device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-265400. This is to provide an image pickup means for picking up an image of the surroundings of a vehicle, to recognize a road area from the picked-up image, and to search in a search area having a preset positional relationship with respect to this road area to find traffic signs and Recognize traffic lights. Regarding the traffic light, the color of the traffic light is recognized while the vehicle is running, and an alarm is issued when the traffic light is red, or the green light is notified while the vehicle is stopped at an intersection. At this time, whether the vehicle is running or stopped is determined based on the signal from the vehicle speed sensor.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-120600 discloses a front vehicle start notification device. This is equipped with a distance measuring sensor that detects the distance to the vehicle ahead, and when the vehicle stops, which is determined by the signal from the total wiring system, the distance between the vehicles is stored in a microcomputer. A warning sound and a warning sound generation circuit generate an alarm sound according to the change in the inter-vehicle distance.

[0004]

However, in the conventional vehicle surrounding situation recognizing device as described above, a vehicle speed sensor or total wiring attached to the vehicle is used to determine whether the host vehicle is stopped or running. The signal from the system is referred to, and therefore, an external signal must be input to a device in which a camera for imaging or a distance sensor for detecting an inter-vehicle distance and a processing circuit are integrated. Therefore, there is a problem that not only a wiring cable and a connector for that purpose are required, but also labor for wiring and mounting is required. Therefore, in view of the above conventional problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle surrounding situation recognition device capable of easily recognizing a situation around a vehicle without inputting a signal from an external vehicle speed sensor. To do.

[0005]

Therefore, the present invention according to claim 1 is a vehicle surrounding condition recognition apparatus for notifying an occupant of a condition around a vehicle based on image information from a camera installed in the vehicle. Therefore, the own vehicle stop judging means for detecting the stop of the own vehicle based on the time change of the image signal from the camera, and the surrounding condition detecting means for processing the image signal from the camera to detect a predetermined vehicle surrounding condition. And an informing device for informing a predetermined surrounding situation detected by the surrounding situation detecting means, and the surrounding situation detecting means starts operation when the own vehicle stop determining means determines that the own vehicle is stopped. It is assumed that it is configured as follows.

The predetermined vehicle surrounding situation is the behavior of the preceding vehicle in front of the host vehicle, and when the surrounding situation detecting means detects that the preceding vehicle has changed from the stopped state to the start, The alarm device can be activated when the alarm device is activated, or when the ambient condition detection means recognizes that the red signal has changed to the green signal in the state of a traffic light. Alternatively, including both the behavior of the preceding vehicle and the state of the traffic light, when the preceding vehicle is present, it is detected that the preceding vehicle has changed from a stopped state to a start, and when the former vehicle is not present. When the traffic light recognizes that the traffic light has changed from a red traffic light to a green traffic light, each of the notification devices may be activated.

In addition to the first notifying means for indicating the change in the vehicle surroundings, the notifying device is provided with a second notifying means,
The ambient condition detecting means activates the second informing means when detecting or recognizing a change in the vehicle surroundings, and activates the second informing means to indicate that it is in the operable state. You may comprise so that a confirmation may be notified.

Further, the notifying device may be a monitor for displaying an image from the camera, and the ambient condition detecting means may display the image on the monitor for a certain period of time after the stop of the own vehicle is detected. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle surrounding situation recognizing device for notifying an occupant of a situation around the vehicle based on image information from a camera installed in the vehicle. A surroundings detecting means for processing and detecting a predetermined surroundings of the vehicle, an informing device for informing the predetermined surroundings detected by the surroundings detecting means, and a switch operated by an occupant of the vehicle. The status detecting means is configured to start operation when the switch is turned on.

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the own vehicle stoppage judging means monitors the running state of the own vehicle based on the image from the camera. When the stop of the own vehicle is detected based on the time change of the image signal, the surrounding condition detecting means is activated. The ambient condition detecting means processes the image signal from the camera and activates the alarm device to notify the driver when a predetermined vehicle ambient condition such as the start of the preceding vehicle or the change of the traffic signal is detected. Since only the hardware necessary for detecting the surrounding situation is used to determine whether the host vehicle is stopped, it is not necessary to input an external signal such as a vehicle speed sensor. Further, at this time, since the surrounding condition detection may be executed after the vehicle stop judgment is performed, it is not necessary to add a new image processing circuit or the like for parallel high-speed processing.

When there is a preceding vehicle, when it is detected that the preceding vehicle has changed from a stopped state to a start,
When the former is not present, when it is recognized that the traffic light has changed from a red traffic light to a green traffic light, and when each of the notification devices is activated, one notification device notifies the behavior of the front vehicle and the change in the status of the traffic light. You can Further, if a condition that is a prerequisite for operating the above-mentioned notification device, that is, for example, that the preceding vehicle is stopped or that the signal is red, is to be confirmed, the occupant can operate the system. You can know that you are in a state.

Furthermore, when an image from the camera is displayed on the monitor as a surrounding condition, the image is displayed on the monitor by keeping the display for a fixed time from the time when the stop of the own vehicle is detected. By doing so, the condition outside the vehicle at the intersection or the like can be easily confirmed, while the monitor display is prohibited during driving, so that the driver is not bothered.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, instead of operating the surrounding condition detecting means according to the judgment result of the own vehicle stop judging means, the occupant turns on the switch to start the operation of the surrounding condition detecting means. As a result, the device is operated only when the driver or the like expects the operation, so that no trouble is prevented because the start notification is not issued each time the vehicle is stopped.

[0014]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle surroundings recognition device 1 is mounted on a vehicle and includes a camera 2 whose main field of view is the traveling direction of the vehicle. Camera 2
The image processing unit 3 is connected to the image processing unit 3. The image processing unit 3 is connected to the notification device 6 including a buzzer or a chime.

The image processing section 3 comprises a vehicle stop determination section 4 and a surrounding situation recognition section 5. The vehicle stop determination unit 4 constantly monitors the traveling state based on the image signal from the camera 2 while the vehicle is in operation. The surrounding condition recognition unit 5 operates upon receipt of a vehicle stop signal from the vehicle stop determination unit 4 which detects that the vehicle has stopped traveling. The surrounding situation recognition unit 5 also has a front vehicle detection function and a signal recognition function using the image signal from the camera 2. That is, as a front vehicle detection function, the presence or absence of a vehicle ahead of the own vehicle and whether or not the vehicle is stopped are detected.

FIG. 2 shows an outline of the flow of the whole operation in this embodiment. First, in step S1, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle has stopped. This is executed by the vehicle stop determination unit 4 by image processing. Then, in step S2, the result of the vehicle stop determination is checked, and if the preceding vehicle is stopped, the surrounding situation recognition unit 5 detects the preceding vehicle in step S3. In step S4, the detection result is checked, and if a preceding vehicle exists, the stop or start state of the preceding vehicle is detected in step S5. Then, while the front vehicle is stopped, the process returns to step S5 through step S6 and is repeated until the movement of the front vehicle, that is, the start is detected. When the start of the preceding vehicle is detected, the process proceeds to step S7, and the notification device 6 is activated. On the other hand, if the presence of the preceding vehicle is not detected in the check in step S4, the process proceeds to step S8 and the signal recognition is performed. Step S
It is checked in 9 whether the detection signal is red, and if it is a red signal, the recognition of the state of the traffic light is continued in steps S10 and S11. Then, when the traffic light changes to a green light, the process proceeds to step S7, and the notification device 6 is operated. Upon receiving the notification from the notification device 6, the driver will also start the own vehicle. After this, step S1 again
Returning to, the above flow is repeated.

Next, the vehicle stop determination unit 4 in step S1.
The image processing in step 3 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, first, in step 101, an image captured by the camera 2 is captured every predetermined time, for example, every 0.1 seconds. Then, in step 102, the difference between consecutive image signals is calculated. The target region for which the time difference is obtained is selected from the lower part of the screen, that is, the region corresponding to the road surface in front of the vehicle. The time difference is obtained as an absolute value.

When the vehicle is running, the position of the white line on the road surface changes, and the brightness of the road surface also changes on the paved road. Therefore, each pixel where the light changes due to the time difference has a density corresponding to the change amount. It becomes an image that has. The density of a pixel whose light amount does not change is 0 (black). After this step 10
In 3, binarization processing is performed to highlight the portion where the change in light amount is large.

In step 104, the number of white pixels in the target area is counted, and then in step 105, it is checked whether the number of white pixels is 1 or more. When the vehicle is stopped, there is almost no change in the amount of light because the screen remains stationary. Therefore, in steps 104 and 105 described above, it is assumed that the number of white pixels, that is, the number of pixels having a change in light amount is counted, and it is determined that the vehicle is running if there is a white pixel, and that the vehicle is stopped if there is no white pixel. There is. Therefore, when the number of white pixels is 1 or more in the check in step 105, it is determined that the vehicle is running, the process returns to step 101, and the above flow is repeated. On the other hand, when there are no white pixels, the vehicle is stopped and the routine proceeds to step 106, where a vehicle stop signal is output.

FIG. 4 shows the flow of the preceding vehicle detection process in the surrounding situation recognition unit 5 corresponding to the above steps S3 to S4. First, in step 201, the image signal from the camera 2 is input, and in step 202, the horizontal edge in the image is detected. A well-known process such as the SOBEL operator is used to detect the horizontal edge. Next, in step 203, projection is performed in the y-axis (vertical) direction within a predetermined area in the center of the screen, and in step 204, the number Nt of points having projection values equal to or greater than a preset threshold value is counted.

Here, the area in which the front vehicle is reflected is almost at the center of the screen, and when the front vehicle is present, as shown in FIG. 5A, the bumper top and bottom of the vehicle, window frame, roof, etc. are displayed. Many corresponding horizontal edges occur. Then, as shown in (b), the y-axis projection value at the same position as these y-axis coordinates has a large value. Therefore, it can be determined that the preceding vehicle exists if there are many large values in the projection data. Therefore, first in step 205, it is checked whether or not the number Nt of points having the predetermined projection value is larger than the set value Nh.

When Nt is larger than Nh, it is determined that the preceding vehicle exists, and it is next determined whether or not the preceding vehicle is stopped. Here, first, in step 206, the y-axis projection data H (y, t-1) at the previous time (0.1 seconds before)
And the difference between the y-axis projection data H (y, t) at this time is obtained as an absolute value. The y-axis projection data H is one-dimensional array data, and the difference is also one-dimensional array data. Then, in step 207, the number of points in the one-dimensional array data that are equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value is counted.

Thereafter, in step 208, it is checked whether the count value is 0 or not. If the preceding vehicle is stopped, the y-axis projection data will match the previous time and this time, and the difference will be zero. Therefore, if the count value is 0, it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle and the vehicle is stopped. On the other hand, if the count value is not 0, it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle and the vehicle starts. If Nt is equal to or less than Nh in the check in step 205, it is determined that there is no preceding vehicle. After making these judgments, the routine returns again to step 201 and the above flow is repeated.

Since the y-axis projection data used to detect the stop of the preceding vehicle is a one-dimensional array as described above, processing such as difference calculation can be executed at high speed. Therefore, the stop detection processing is performed twice, for example. If you try to use the result
Extremely high accuracy can be obtained. In addition, in the above-described vehicle stop determination by the vehicle stop determination unit 4 and the preceding vehicle detection processing by the surrounding situation recognition unit 5, the image from the camera is sufficient in monochrome. In the case of a color image, a specific color such as red can be selected and used, or a luminance signal can be used. It is also possible to have the vehicle stop determination unit make a vehicle stop determination. That is, when it is determined in the preceding vehicle detection process that the preceding vehicle is stopped, it is equivalent to determining that the own vehicle is stopped. By using the preceding vehicle detection process as the own vehicle stop determination, the entire processing program can be simplified.

Next, FIG. 6 shows a flow of signal recognition processing in the surrounding situation recognition section 5 in the above-mentioned step S8. Here, it is assumed that the red signal is detected. First step 3
At 01, a color image signal is input from the camera. Then, in step 302, red pixels are extracted in a predetermined window on the screen and converted into a binary image to detect a red area. When the host vehicle is stopped waiting for a signal, the position of the traffic light on the image is set substantially in the upper left area of the screen, so the above window is set in the upper left area of the screen.

In step 303, the detected area is labeled, and in step 304, the circularity is obtained for each label. The circularity is expressed as the ratio of the square of the peripheral length to the area, or the ratio of the short piece and the long side of the circumscribed quadrilateral that can be more easily obtained. Next, in step 305, the circularity is compared with a preset reference circularity,
After extracting a circular region, it is checked whether or not there is a circular region while having an area equal to or larger than a certain value. If no circular area is found, it is determined that the red signal is not obtained.

On the other hand, if there is a circular area, the process proceeds to step 306, the center of gravity of the area or the center of the circumscribed quadrangle is determined as the position of the circular area, and a window of a predetermined size is set to the left of the position. Then, the window is searched for an area of pixels having a bright brightness. Here, if there is no bright area on the left side, the circular area is determined to be a "red traffic light". On the other hand, when there is a bright area on the left side, it is determined that "it is not a red light".

This is based on the fact that the traffic lights are arranged in the order of blue, yellow, and red from the left, and the blue and yellow areas are not clear when there is a red traffic light. This prevents erroneous detection such as a red neon sign being a red signal. After the judgment of "red light" or "not red light" is made as described above, the process returns to step 301.

Similar processing is applied when detecting a blue signal instead of a red signal. In this case, step 302
In step 306, the blue area is set as a detection target, and it is confirmed in step 306 that there is no bright area on the right side of the circular area. In the signal recognition in the surrounding situation recognition unit 5, first, recognition processing is performed as to whether or not the signal is a red signal, and after it is determined that the signal is a red signal, the processing is shifted to a recognition process for a blue signal.

The present embodiment is configured as described above, and the vehicle stop judgment unit 4 monitors the traveling state by the image from the camera 2,
It detects that the host vehicle has stopped and operates the surrounding condition recognition unit 5. The surrounding situation recognition unit 5 detects whether or not there is another vehicle in front of the stopped own vehicle, and when the preceding vehicle starts from the stopped state, the notifying device 6 is operated to notify the driver.
On the other hand, when there is no preceding vehicle, the traffic light is searched for, and when the traffic light changes from a red traffic light to a green traffic light, the notification device 6 is activated. As a result, the function of detecting the start of the front vehicle or recognizing the signal change is automatically selected according to the presence or absence of the front vehicle,
The situation of the surroundings of the vehicle is appropriately notified by only one notification device.

As described above, in the present embodiment, first, when recognizing the surrounding conditions while waiting for a signal at an intersection, the camera 2 and the image processing unit 3, which are the hardware necessary for recognizing the surrounding conditions, determine whether the own vehicle is stopped. Therefore, it is not necessary to input an external signal from other circuits, a vehicle speed sensor, etc., unlike the conventional case. As a result, there is no need for a connector for inputting an external signal or routing of cables connected thereto, and the camera 2 for image pickup and the image processing unit 3 can be made into a compact and integrated device, which can be mounted on a vehicle. It has great freedom in installation. At the same time, the labor of wiring is unnecessary, and the cost of the entire device can be reduced.

Since the notification of the start of the preceding vehicle and the change of the traffic signal by the notification device functions only when the host vehicle stops, the surrounding situation recognition for that purpose may be executed after the stop determination. . That is, since it is not necessary to perform the vehicle stop determination and the surrounding situation recognition at the same time, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to add a new image processing circuit or the like for parallel high-speed processing.

In the above embodiment, the red signal recognition and the blue signal recognition are independently performed. However, the detected red signal position and the detected blue signal position are compared with each other to establish a predetermined positional relationship. If you output the judgment of the green signal for the first time after confirming that there is in, there is no possibility of misrecognition even when various light sources are scattered in the background of the traffic light,
The accuracy of signal change notification is further improved.

Although a buzzer or a chime is used as the notification device 6 in the embodiment, it is also possible to appropriately select and use a notification by voice synthesis or a visual display such as an LED or a lamp. By combining these, it is possible to make the notification of the start of the front vehicle and the notification of the signal change different from each other.

Further, in the embodiment, the buzzer or chime of the alarm device 6 is set to sound only when the preceding vehicle starts or when the signal changes to green. In addition to this, after the stop of the own vehicle is detected. Detects the stop of the preceding vehicle,
Or when there is no preceding vehicle, when you recognize a red light,
An LED (or a buzzer or the like that can be identified from the previous buzzer or chime) may be turned on as a confirmation notification indicating that the vehicle is in an operating state in which notification is performed when the vehicle starts or changes to a green light. in this case,
It is possible to recognize that the device is operating normally, which gives the driver a sense of security.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment. The vehicle surrounding situation recognition device 11 displays the surrounding situation on a monitor when the vehicle is stopped. The camera 2 is installed at the front end of the vehicle 10 facing forward, and in front of the lens of the camera 2, a mirror 7 that guides a visual field image in the left-right direction in the optical axis direction of the camera is provided. A processing circuit 13 is attached to the camera 2,
Under the control of the processing circuit 13, the captured image of the camera 2 is sent to the monitor 16 installed in the vehicle compartment. The camera 2 and the processing circuit 13 are integrally unitized, and the unit 9 and the monitor 16 are connected by the image transmission cable 8.

The processing circuit 13 is provided with a vehicle stop judging section 14 for performing image processing on the image picked up by the camera 2 and detecting whether or not the own vehicle has stopped. The configuration of the vehicle stop determination unit 14 is the same as that of the vehicle stop determination unit 4 in the first embodiment. Stop judgment unit 1
Reference numeral 4 constantly monitors the traveling state based on the image signal from the camera 2 while the vehicle is in operation, and prohibits the monitor display during traveling. When the vehicle stop determination unit 14 detects that the vehicle has stopped, the processing circuit 1
3 is the camera 2 for a fixed time from the time when the stop is detected.
The monitor 16 displays the image taken in. After the lapse of the certain time, the vehicle stop determination unit 14 returns to the running state monitoring.

As a result, the exterior condition of the vehicle in the left-right direction of the vehicle imaged by the camera 2 through the mirror 7 is displayed on the monitor 16 for a certain period of time after the vehicle is stopped. can do. Since the monitor display is prohibited during driving, the driver is not annoyed. Further, since the camera 2 and the processing circuit 13 are integrated into the unit 9, only the image transmission cable 8 from the unit 9 to the monitor 16 and the power supply line are required to be installed, which facilitates installation.

Next, FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment. In this system, a switch operated by a driver or the like is used to recognize the starting condition of the front vehicle. That is, in the vehicle surrounding situation recognition device 21, the camera 2
The image processing unit 23 is connected to, and the notification device 26 is connected to the image processing unit 23. The image processing unit 23 includes a front vehicle detection unit 25 having the same function as the front vehicle detection process in the first embodiment. A switch 27 is further connected to the image processing unit 23. The alarm device 26 is a buzzer 26A.
And LED 26B.

As shown in FIG. 9, the camera 2,
The image processing unit 23, the notification device 26, and the switch 27 are configured in an integrated unit 29, and are installed on the instrument panel 10A in the driver's seat with the camera 2 facing the front of the vehicle. The camera 2 images the front through the windshield 10B. The switch 27 is a push switch and is arranged at the rear end of the unit 29 which is convenient for the driver to operate.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. In this device, the switch 27 is first operated to turn it on.
By doing so, the operation starts. That is, the driver turns on the switch 27 when he or she wants to operate the surrounding situation recognition device.
Let N. When the image processing unit 23 confirms that the switch 27 is turned on, the front vehicle detection unit 25 determines whether or not there is a front vehicle and whether or not the vehicle is stopped. Here, "There is a front car"
When it is determined that the vehicle is "stopped", first, for confirmation and notification, the LED 26B of the notification device is caused to emit light to notify the driver that the device is operating.

When it is detected that the preceding vehicle has started, the buzzer 26A of the alarm device is further activated. As a result, the driver can know the start of the preceding vehicle without confusion. On the other hand, when the determination when the switch 27 is turned on is “no vehicle in front” or when “running” is determined, the confirmation notification LED 26B is not turned on, and
The operation is ended without sounding the start-up notification buzzer 26A.

This embodiment is constructed as described above, and is provided with the switch 27 connected to the image processing unit 23, and the device is operated only when the driver expects the operation. Therefore, the start notification is given each time the vehicle is stopped. Without being carried out, it is possible to know the starting situation of the preceding vehicle only when necessary while preventing the annoyance. Further, since the LED 26B gives a confirmation notification during operation, the driver can confirm that the device is operating effectively and can wait for the start notification by the buzzer with peace of mind. Furthermore, since all the constituent elements other than the power source are integrated into a unit, it is easy to install and can be easily installed near the driver's seat.

FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention. This is designed so that signal recognition is performed by a switch operated by a driver or the like. That is, in the vehicle surrounding situation recognition device 31, the image processing unit 33 is provided in the camera 2.
Is connected, and the notification device 26 is connected to the image processing unit 33. The image processing unit 33 includes a signal recognition unit 35 having the same function as the signal recognition process in the first embodiment.
A switch 27 is further connected to the image processing unit 33. The notification device 26 includes a buzzer 26A and an LED 26B.

The camera 2, the image processing unit 33, the notification device 26 and the switch 27 are constructed as an integrated unit as in the previous embodiment, and the camera 2 is installed on the instrument panel of the driver's seat facing the front of the vehicle. The switch 27 is also arranged at the rear end of the unit.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. First, when the driver wants to operate the vehicle surroundings recognition device, the switch 27 is turned on to start the operation. When the image processing unit 33 confirms that the switch 27 is turned on, the signal recognition unit 35 detects that the camera 2
Search for red light in the image from. When a red signal is detected, the LED 26B of the notification device is caused to emit light for confirmation and the driver is informed that the device is operating, and the system waits until the signal turns blue.

When it is detected that the signal has turned blue, the image processing unit 33 further causes the buzzer 26A of the notification device to ring. On the other hand, if the red signal is not detected when the switch 27 is turned on, the confirmation notification LED 26B is not turned on, and the buzzer 26A is not sounded to end the operation.

Also in this embodiment, as in the previous embodiment, the switch 27 connected to the image processing unit 33 is provided,
Since the driver operates the device only when the driver expects the operation, it is possible to know the signal status only when necessary while preventing the annoyance from being notified of the signal change each time the vehicle is stopped. And when operating, the LED 26
Since the confirmation notification is given by B, there is an effect that the driver can confirm that the device is operating effectively and can wait for the notification of the signal change by the buzzer with confidence.

Next, as a fifth embodiment, an image processing unit combining the functions of both the recognition of the starting condition of the preceding vehicle and the signal recognition according to the third and fourth embodiments is provided. You can also That is, in this vehicle surrounding situation recognition device 41, as shown in FIG.
3 includes a front vehicle detection unit 25 and a signal recognition unit 35, and the image processing unit 43 includes a camera 2 and a switch 27.
Is connected. Further, the notifying devices 46 and 56 are connected to the front vehicle detection unit 25 and the signal recognition unit 35, respectively.

In this embodiment, when the switch 27 is turned on, the preceding vehicle detection unit 25 first detects the preceding vehicle, and when it is determined that the preceding vehicle exists and is stopped, the informing device 46. The confirmation notification LED 46B is turned on and the buzzer 46A notifies when the preceding vehicle starts.

On the other hand, when there is no preceding vehicle, the operation of the signal recognition section 35 is started to search for a red traffic light. When the red signal is detected, the confirmation notification LED 56B of the notification device 56 is turned on, and when it is detected that the signal has changed to the green signal, the buzzer 56A notifies. In cases other than the above,
Neither the LED lights nor the buzzer alerts.

In this embodiment as well, a switch connected to the image processing unit 43 is provided, and the device is operated only when the driver expects the operation. Therefore, the start notification and the signal change notification are performed each time the vehicle is stopped. Without being disturbed, it is possible to know the signal status only when necessary while preventing the annoyance.

In addition, in the third to fifth embodiments, each LED for confirmation notification is turned on when it is confirmed that the system is in the operating system. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and conversely the device is used. The light may be turned on when is not activated. In this case, the fact that the buzzer does not ring because the device does not work is positively transmitted to the driver, which leads to a sense of security for the driver. Furthermore, the confirmation notification is not limited to the LED, and a buzzer can be used for this. In this case, identification can be facilitated by differentiating the manner of ringing, pitch, etc. between confirmation and start notification or signal change notification.

[0054]

As described above, the present invention provides a vehicle surrounding condition recognizing device for informing an occupant of a vehicle surrounding condition based on image information from a camera, based on a time change of an image signal from the camera. Since the own vehicle stop determination means for detecting the stop of the vehicle is provided, and when the own vehicle stop determination means recognizes the stop of the own vehicle, the operation of the surrounding condition detection is started, so that the stop of the own vehicle is determined. Since it is not necessary to input an external signal such as a vehicle speed sensor, a wiring cable and a connector are not required, and labor for wiring and mounting is not required. Further, there is an effect that it is easy to unitize the entire device and the installability in the vehicle is good. Furthermore,
Since the surrounding condition detection is executed after the vehicle stop judgment is performed, there is no need to add a new image processing circuit or the like for parallel high-speed processing, and the configuration is inexpensive.

Further, instead of the own vehicle stop judging means, when the occupant turns on the switch to start the operation of the surrounding condition detecting means, the device is operated only when the driver or the like expects the operation. Since it is operated, the annoyance is not notified every time the vehicle is stopped, and the annoyance is prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of the flow of the entire operation in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of image processing in a vehicle stop determination unit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of front vehicle detection processing in a surrounding situation recognition unit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing horizontal edges in an image and y-axis projection values of the image.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of signal recognition processing in a surrounding situation recognition unit.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a layout of an example.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a fifth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 11, 21, 31, 41 Vehicle surrounding condition recognition device 2 Cameras 3, 23, 33, 43 Image processing unit 4, 14 Stop determination unit 5 Surrounding condition recognition unit 6 Notification device 7 Mirror 8 Image transmission cable 9, 29 Unit 10 Vehicle 10A Instrument panel 10B Windshield 13 Processing circuit 16 Monitor 25 Front vehicle detection unit 26, 46, 56 Notification device 26A, 46A, 56A Buzzer 26B, 46B, 56B LED 27 Switch 35 Signal recognition unit

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle surrounding condition recognition device for informing an occupant of a condition around a vehicle based on image information from a camera installed in the vehicle, the device being capable of identifying itself based on a temporal change of an image signal from the camera. Own vehicle stoppage judging means for detecting the stop of the vehicle, surrounding condition detecting means for processing the image signal from the camera to detect a predetermined vehicle surrounding condition, and predetermined surroundings detected by the surrounding condition detecting means A surrounding area detection means is configured to start an operation when the own vehicle stop determination means determines that the own vehicle is stopped. Vehicle surroundings recognition device. 2. A vehicle surrounding situation recognizing device for informing an occupant of a situation around a vehicle based on image information from a camera installed in the vehicle, wherein an image signal from the camera is processed to determine a predetermined condition. A surrounding condition detecting means for detecting a vehicle surrounding condition, an informing device for notifying a predetermined surrounding condition detected by the surrounding condition detecting means, and a switch operated by an occupant of the vehicle, the surrounding condition detecting means: A vehicle surrounding condition recognition device, which is configured to start operation when the switch is turned on. 3. The predetermined vehicle surrounding situation is a behavior of a preceding vehicle in front of the own vehicle, and when the surrounding situation detecting means detects that the preceding vehicle has changed from a stopped state to a start, The vehicle surrounding condition recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the notification device is activated. 4. The informing device is operated when the predetermined vehicle surroundings is a traffic light condition and the surroundings detecting means recognizes that the red signal has changed to a green signal. The vehicle surrounding situation recognition device according to claim 1. 5. The predetermined vehicle surrounding situation is the behavior of a preceding vehicle and the state of a traffic light in front of the own vehicle, and the surrounding situation detecting means stops the preceding vehicle when there is a preceding vehicle. The alarm device is activated when detecting a change from a state in which the vehicle is moving to a start state, or when recognizing that the traffic light has changed from a red traffic light to a green traffic light when the former is not present. 2. The vehicle surrounding situation recognition device according to 2. 6. The notification device comprises a second notification means in addition to a first notification means indicating a change in the vehicle surroundings,
When the surrounding condition detecting means is in a state of activating the first notifying means when detecting or recognizing a change in the vehicle surrounding condition, it activates the second notifying means to activate the state. 3. The device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the confirmation notification is made.
3. The vehicle surrounding situation recognition device according to 3, 4, or 5. 7. The monitor is a monitor for displaying an image from the camera, and the surrounding condition detecting means displays the image for a certain period of time from the time when the own vehicle stoppage judging means detects the stop of the own vehicle. The vehicle surrounding condition recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the device is displayed on a monitor.