JPH0858529A - Wiper controller of vehicle provided with outdoor monitoring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To ensure clear camera visibility even in the case of rain and prevent the external information in real time from being lost. CONSTITUTION: When a wiper 3 is operated in case of rain or the like and an image processor 40 is turned ON, whether or not the wiper 3 overlaps the camera visibility in camera timing of a CCD camera 1 is forecast from the position of the wiper 3 based on a signal from an angle sensor 6 and a camera synchronizing signal inputted from the image processor 40. When the forecast position overlaps the camera visibility, the speed of a wiper motor 5 is changed over to change the sweeping speed of the wiper 3 so that the shadow of the wiper 3 is not photographed. Thus, the external information which is clear without any loss can be taken in real time even in case of rain as well as in fine weather so that the external situation can be perceived accurately with satisfactory responsive property.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with an exterior monitoring device for obtaining exterior information by image processing, and a vehicle exterior monitoring system that secures a field of view by controlling the wiper wiping operation in rainy weather. The present invention relates to a wiper control device for a vehicle with a device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an exterior monitoring device has been developed in which an imaging means such as a camera is mounted on a vehicle, and an image captured by the imaging means is processed to recognize a situation outside the vehicle. The vehicle equipped with the vehicle exterior monitoring device recognizes an abnormality in the external environment and performs vehicle control or the like for warning the driver and avoiding danger.

In this case, it is necessary to secure the image pickup field of the image pickup means even in rainy weather so that a clear image which does not hinder the external environment can be obtained as in the case of fine weather. For example, as shown in FIG. When the image pickup means such as the camera 101 is installed in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 100, when it is raining, as shown in FIG. 8, the wiper 102 including the image pickup field of view of the camera 101 in the wiping range is operated to adhere to the windshield 103. Make it possible to capture clear images by wiping off raindrops.

In many cases, the image captured by the camera 101 is intermittently captured by an image processing apparatus (not shown) in order to retrieve information at every predetermined processing cycle. As shown in FIG. 9, the wiper 102 is operated. When wiper angle −
When the image capturing time range of the camera 101 is superimposed on the time line diagram, the image capturing area (hatched portion) of the camera 101 is obtained.

Therefore, if the wiper 102 is operated at random, the image pickup field of view of the camera 101 (shaded area) and the wiper operation curve partially overlap, and the wiper 102 blocks the image pickup field of view. The shadow of 102 is captured, necessary image information is lost, and the stability and reliability of situation recognition deteriorate.

Therefore, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-273114, when the wiper operating within the visual field of the image input means is operated,
Disclosed is a technique for recognizing the outside world based on the image in which the image of the wiper is canceled when the wiper is operated, the image extracting device for extracting an image in which the image of the wiper is canceled from the image input to the image input device. There is.

[0007]

However, as in the above-mentioned prior art, in the technique of recognizing the outside world by the image in which the wiper image is canceled, the wiper is detected from a plurality of images captured at a predetermined sampling interval. Either the image part not containing is extracted and combined, or the image is taken out when the wiper is located at the turning point and is not substantially within the visual field of the image input means. Since the object is recognized by the past still image having a predetermined time delay with respect to the current vehicle position, real-time external world information is lost.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a wiper control device for a vehicle with a vehicle outside monitoring device capable of ensuring a clear imaging field of view even in rainy weather and preventing loss of real-time external information. Is intended to provide.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a vehicle equipped with an exterior monitoring device that intermittently captures an object outside the vehicle and processes the captured image to obtain external environment information. What is claimed is: 1. A wiper control device for a vehicle with an exterior monitoring device, comprising a wiper for performing a wiping operation including an imaging field of view as a part of a wiping range, wherein the current wiping operation speed and position detection value of the wiper and the exterior monitoring device. The position of the wiper at the next image capturing timing of the image capturing unit is predicted based on the obtained image capturing timing of the image capturing unit, and the wiping operation speed of the wiper is changed when the predicted position overlaps the image capturing visual field. The wiping operation speed control means is provided.

[0010]

According to the present invention, when the wiper is operated when the outside monitoring device is operated to obtain the external information from the captured image, the current wiping operation speed and position detection value of the wiper and the image obtained from the outside monitoring device. The wiper position at the next image pickup timing is predicted based on the image pickup timing of the means, and when the predicted position overlaps the image pickup visual field, the wiping operation speed of the wiper is changed.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 6 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a wiper control system, FIGS. 2 to 4 are flowcharts of a wiper control routine, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an imaging timing detection routine, and FIG. 6 is a time chart showing the relationship between the wiper operation and the image pickup timing.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is an image pickup means mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile (not shown), for example, a CCD camera using a charge-coupled device (CCD). Two Cs attached
It is composed of CD cameras 1a and 1b.

The CCD cameras 1a and 1b (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the CCD camera 1 as a representative) are connected to an image processing device 40 to constitute a vehicle outside monitoring device. When an image pickup signal is output from the CCD camera 1 to the CCD camera 1 every predetermined processing cycle, an object outside the vehicle is picked up via the windshield 2, and the picked-up image is input to the image processing device 40 and processed.

In the image processing device 40, for example, a so-called stereo method, in which the distance to the object is calculated from the relative displacement of the positions of the same object on the left and right images by the principle of triangulation, or the edge or line is used. Minutes, special shapes, etc., some features are extracted, and the part where those features match is found to find the distance to the object outside the vehicle. Based on this distance information, the road shape and obstacles to the vehicle Etc. are recognized. The processing result is output to a controller of various actuators (not shown) or the like, and operations such as a warning to the driver and automatic collision avoidance of the vehicle body can be performed.

A windshield wiper 3 is mounted on the outer surface of the windshield 2 to wipe away raindrops and the like attached in the case of rain to secure the driver's visual field and the CCD camera 1a, 1b. ing. The wiper 3
Is composed of a pair of tandem type wipers 3a and 3b in which each wiper blade wipes in the same direction, and each wiper 3a and 3b is connected to a wiper motor unit 4 via a link mechanism (not shown).

The wiper motor unit 4 includes a wiper motor 5 in which a deceleration and swing mechanism (not shown) is connected,
An angle sensor 6 for detecting the swing angle is built in. The wiper motor 5 is, for example, a DC motor having a third brush in addition to the pair of brushes, one of the pair of brushes is a common brush, the other is a low speed brush, and the third brush is a high speed brush. By switching the connection of each brush, it is possible to switch the speed between two levels, high speed and low speed. The low speed brush terminal and the high speed brush terminal are respectively the relay contact of the low speed relay RY1 and the high speed brush terminal. It is connected to the battery power supply line extending from the battery 8 through the ignition switch 7 via the relay contact of the relay RY2 for use, and the common brush terminal is grounded.

On the other hand, reference numeral 10 is a wiper switch,
The wiper switch 10 is formed as, for example, a combination switch at a lever end portion extended from a handle post of a driver's seat. In the figure, an OF designating stop, low speed operation, and high speed operation of the wiper motor 5 is shown.
The internal connection state at each operation position of F, LO, and HI is schematically shown, and terminals showing connection at each operation position are AC.
It is shown by C, S1, S2 and S3.

The wiper switch 10 has a terminal ACC in an OFF operation position and a terminal A in an operation position of terminals S1 and LO.
CC and terminal S2, terminal ACC and terminal S at the operating position of HI
3 are internally connected to each other, the terminal ACC is connected to the battery power supply line, and the terminals S1, S2, S3 are respectively connected to the resistors R1, R2.
It is grounded via R3.

The voltages of the resistors R1, R2 and R3 corresponding to the operating state of the wiper switch 10 are input to the wiper controller 30 as the wiping speed control means to detect the operating position. The wiper controller 30 controls the relays RY1 and RY2.
Is controlled, and the speed of the wiper motor 5 is switched so that the wipers 3a and 3b are not included in the imaging field of view at the imaging timing of the CCD cameras 1a and 1b.

The wiper controller 30 has a CPU 3
1, ROM 32, RAM 33, backup RAM 3
4. The I / O interface 35 comprises a microcomputer or the like connected to each other via a bus line 36, and the input port of the I / O interface 35 is
An imaging synchronization signal from the image processing device 40 is input,
Further, the angle sensor 6 and the terminals S1, S2, S3 of the wiper switch 10 are connected. Also,
To the output port of the I / O interface 35, the relay coils of the relays RY1 and RY2 are connected via a drive circuit 37.

The ROM 32 stores a control program and fixed data for various controls.
Data and the like in the arithmetic processing in the CPU 31 are stored in the M33. Also, the backup RAM
A learned value of wiper speed, which will be described later, is stored in 34,
Backup power is supplied and data is retained even when the ignition switch 7 is turned off.

When the CPU 31 executes the control program stored in the ROM 32 and operates the wiper 3 to turn on the image processing device 40 in rainy weather or the like, the wiper 3a based on the signal from the angle sensor 6 is used. , 3b and the imaging synchronization signal input from the image processing device 40, the wipers 3a, 3b are detected by the CCD camera 1.
Whether or not it overlaps the imaging field of view at the imaging timings of a and 1b, and the speed of the wiper motor 5 is switched according to the prediction result to change the wiping operation speed of the wipers 3a and 3b.

Next, the operation of the wiper controller 30 will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS.

When the system is activated, the wiper controller 30 displays flags and I / O interface 35.
Is initialized to "0", the relays RY1 and RY2 are turned off, and the wiper control routine shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is started.

At this time, when the image processing device 40 is turned on, the image pickup synchronization signal is input to the wiper controller 30, and the wiper controller 30 starts the image pickup timing detection routine shown in FIG. 5 every time the image pickup synchronization signal is input. To be done.

First, in the image pickup timing detection routine,
In step S101, the input interval time T of the imaging synchronization signal is calculated, and in step S102, the latest input time t of the imaging synchronization signal.
R is set to 0 and the input interval time T calculated in step S101.
Store at a predetermined address of AM33 and exit the routine.

When the processing cycle in the image processing device 40 is always constant and the input interval time of the imaging synchronization signal is constant, only the latest input time t0 is stored, and the input interval time T is a constant ROM 32. It may be stored in.

On the other hand, the wiper control routine is a loop process that repeats the process from step S201 after the start, and in step S201, it is checked whether or not the image processing device 40 is turned on, and the image processing device 40 is checked. When is OFF, the process proceeds from step S201 to step S202 and thereafter to execute a manual mode process in which the wiper 3 is wiped according to the setting of the wiper switch 10 to perform a manual mode process, and the image processing device 40 is turned on. If so, the process proceeds from step S201 to step S212 and thereafter to predict whether or not the wiper 3 is within the imaging field of view of the CCD camera 1 with respect to the wiper speed (wiping operation speed) set by the operation of the wiper switch 10, When the image pickup field of view is entered, a predictive control mode process for changing the wiper speed is executed.

First, the normal manual mode processing will be described. In this process, in step S202, the speed change flag F set when the wiper speed is changed in the predictive control mode is cleared (F ← 0). This is because the image processing device 40 is open while the processing in the predictive control mode is being executed.
This is for canceling the control state in the predictive control mode when the mode is changed to F and the mode is changed to the manual mode.

Next, in step S203, the signals from the terminals S1, S2 and S3 of the wiper switch 10 are read to check whether or not the wiper switch 10 is turned on, and one of the terminals S2 and S3 is at the high level. In some cases, it is determined that the wiper switch 10 is ON, and the process proceeds to step S204 and thereafter, and the terminal S1 is at the high level or the terminals S2 and S3.
When both are low levels, it is determined that the wiper switch 10 is OFF, and the process proceeds to step S207 and the subsequent steps.

When the wiper switch 10 is ON and the process proceeds to step S204 and thereafter, it is checked in step S204 whether the driver sets the wiper switch 10 to the low speed or the high speed. When the low speed is set (only the terminal S2 is at the high level), step S2
05, I / O interface 35 low speed relay RY
Low speed relay R by setting the output port value for 1 to "1"
When Y1 is turned on, the output port value for the high speed relay RY2 is set to "0" and the high speed relay RY2 is turned off.
After returning to step S201 and returning to the step S201, when the high speed is set (only the terminal S3 is at high level), the low speed relay RY1 is turned off and the high speed relay RY is turned on in step S206.
2 is turned on and the process returns to step S201.

As a result, battery power is supplied to the low speed brush or the high speed brush of the wiper motor 5 according to the operation of the wiper switch 10, the wiper motor 5 rotates at a set speed, and the wiper motor 5 is rotated through a deceleration and link mechanism (not shown). 3 is swept.

On the other hand, when the wiper switch 10 is OFF in step S203, the process branches from step S203 to step S207, and the wiper motor 5 is in the stopped state, or the wiper 3 is turned off after the wiper switch 10 is turned off. Whether the wiper motor 5 is in operation while continuing to operate until it reaches the regular standby position, the low speed relay R
The determination is made from the output port values for Y1 and the high speed relay RY2.

As a result, when both the output port value for the low speed relay RY1 and the output port value for the high speed relay RY2 are both "0", and the wiper 3 is stopped at the standby position, the steps from step S207 to the above steps are performed.
Returning to S201, if either the output port value for the low speed relay RY1 or the output port value for the high speed relay RY2 is “1” and the wiper 3 is moving to the standby position, the process proceeds from step S207 to step S208. move on.

In step S208, in consideration of the case where the image processing device 40 is turned on before the wiper 3 reaches the standby position, it is checked whether or not the image processing device 40 is turned on, and it is turned on.
In the case of, the process jumps to step S233 of the prediction control mode described later, and when the image processing device 40 remains OFF, the process proceeds to the wiper stop process of step S209 and thereafter.

In step S209, the signal from the angle sensor 6 is read to detect the position of the wiper 3, and in step S210 it is checked whether or not the wiper 3 has reached the standby position. And
The loop of steps S209 and S210 is repeated until the wiper 3 reaches the standby position. When the wiper 3 reaches the standby position, the process proceeds to step S211, both the low speed relay RY1 and the high speed relay RY2 are turned off, and the process proceeds to the step S201. Return.

Next, the predictive control mode process when the image processing device 40 is turned on and the process proceeds from step S201 to step S212 and subsequent steps will be described.

In this process, in step S212, the signals from the terminals S1, S2 and S3 of the wiper switch 10 are read to check whether or not the wiper switch 10 is turned on.
When either of the terminals S2 and S3 is at the high level, the wiper switch 10 is judged to be ON and the process proceeds to step S213 and thereafter. When the terminal S1 is at the high level or both terminals S2 and S3 are at the low level, the wiper switch 10 is turned on. OF
When it is determined to be F, the process proceeds to step S232 and subsequent steps.

When the wiper switch 10 is turned on in the rain or the like and the process proceeds to step S213 and thereafter, step S213
Check to see if the speed change flag F has been cleared.
When F = 1, the process jumps to step S217, and when F = 0, it is checked in step S214 whether the wiper switch 10 is set to low speed or high speed.

When the low speed is set, the routine proceeds from step S214 to step S215, and the low speed relay RY1 is set.
Is turned on and the high speed relay RY2 is turned off, and the process proceeds to step S217.
The process proceeds from step S214 to step S216, and the low speed relay RY1 is turned off and the high speed relay RY2 is turned on, and the process proceeds to step S217.

In this case, the state of F = 1 is the case where the process of the predictive control mode is repeated and it is predicted that the wiper 3 will be within the field of view of the CCD camera, and the wiper speed has already been changed. In this state, steps S214 to S216
To jump to temporarily invalidate the wiper speed designation by the wiper switch 10. Further, when F = 0, the routine is the first time, when the manual mode is shifted to the predictive control mode, when the wiper 3 is predicted not to be within the imaging field of view of the CCD camera, and the wiper speed is not changed, Alternatively, it is a case where the wiper speed is returned to the original designated speed based on the prediction result, and in this state, the driver operates the wiper switch 10 to set the designated wiper speed.

Next, in step S217, the current position of the wiper 3 is obtained by reading the signal from the angle sensor 6, and in step S218, the data of the latest input time t0 and the input interval time T of the imaging synchronization signal is stored in the RAM 33. From the predetermined address, the next imaging timing is calculated from these data and the current time t1, and the position of the wiper 3 at this imaging timing is predicted from the current wiper speed.

In this case, as the wiper speed, the specification value for each vehicle type corresponding to low speed and high speed is stored in the ROM 32, and the wiper position at the next image pickup timing may be predicted by using this value. The prediction accuracy can be improved by calculating the actual speed from the change in the output value from the angle sensor 6 and the elapsed time each time the loop is repeated, and learning-correcting the specification value based on the calculated value. The learned value of the wiper speed is stored in the backup RAM 34.

Then, the process proceeds to step S219, and the step
Based on the prediction result in S218, it is determined whether or not the wiper 3 overlaps the imaging field of view of the CCD camera 1 at the next imaging timing. If the wiper 3 overlaps the imaging field of view of the CCD camera 1, the wiper speed is changed after step S220. If they do not overlap, the process branches to step S224 and the subsequent steps.

When the wiper 3 overlaps the image pickup field of view of the CCD camera 1, it is determined in step S220 whether the current wiper speed is low speed or high speed from the output port values for the low speed relay RY1 and the high speed relay RY2. To do. If the current wiper speed is low, the low speed relay RY1 is turned off and the high speed relay RY2 is turned on in step S221 to change the speed of the wiper motor 5 to high speed, and the current wiper speed is set to high speed. If
In step S222, the low speed relay RY1 is turned on, the high speed relay RY2 is turned off, and the speed of the wiper motor 5 is changed to a low speed.

For example, when the wiper 3 is operated at a low speed, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 6, as a result of the prediction near the point where the wiper 3 has passed the turning point, the wiper 3 picks up the image of the CCD camera 1 at the same wiper speed. If it is determined that the wiper 3 overlaps the visual field, the wiper speed is switched to a high speed, and as shown by the solid line, the wiper 3 can continue the wiping operation without overlapping the imaging visual field. As a result, when the image processing device 40 processes an image captured by the CCD camera 1, the shadow of the wiper 3 is not captured, and even in rainy weather, as in clear weather, it is as clear and has no omission. Information can be captured in real time, and the external environment can be recognized accurately and with good responsiveness.

Then, after changing the wiper speed in step S221 or step S222, in step S223,
Set the speed change flag F (F ← 1) and step S231
After waiting for a predetermined interval to pass, the process returns to step S201. This interval determines the prediction cycle, and for example, the loop is repeated for each set time, each set angle, or each input of the imaging synchronization signal.

On the other hand, in step S219, the wiper 3
When it is determined that it does not overlap with the imaging field of view of the CD camera 1 and the process branches to step S224 and thereafter, the speed change flag F is referred to in step S224, and it is determined whether or not the wiper speed has been changed. When the wiper speed is not changed at F = 0 and the wiper speed is the speed specified by the wiper switch 10 (when the routine is the first time, the mode is changed from the manual mode to the first time, the speed change is based on the prediction result). If the wiper speed has never been changed, or if the wiper speed once changed has been returned to the original), the process returns to step S201 through step S231 described above, F = 1, and the wiper speed is changed. If it is, it is determined in step S225 whether or not the changed wiper speed can be returned to the speed specified by the wiper switch 10.
Then, the position of the wiper 3 at the next image pickup timing when the wiper speed is returned to the original, the signal from the angle sensor 6,
The latest input time t0 of the imaging synchronization signal, the input interval time T,
Also, re-estimation is performed from the current time t1, and the process proceeds to step S226.

In step S226, as a result of the re-estimation, it is determined whether or not the wiper 3 overlaps the imaging field of view of the CCD camera 1, and when the wiper speed is restored, the wiper 3 causes the CCD camera 1 to return.
If it overlaps the imaging field of view of
After S231, the process returns to step S201, and if the wiper 3 does not overlap the imaging field of view of the CCD camera 1 even if the wiper speed is returned to the original value, the process proceeds to step S227.

In step S227, the current wiper speed is determined from the output port values for the low speed relay RY1 and the high speed relay RY2. If the current wiper speed is low, the low speed relay RY1 is turned off in step S228. Then, the high speed relay RY2 is turned on to restore the speed of the wiper motor 5 to the original high speed, the speed change flag F is cleared in step S230, the predetermined interval is awaited in step S231, and the process returns to step S201. If the current wiper speed is high, the low speed relay RY1 is turned on and the high speed relay R is turned on in step S229.
Y2 is turned off to return the speed of the wiper motor 5 to the original low speed, the speed change flag F is cleared in step S230, and a predetermined interval is awaited in step S231, and the process returns to step S201.

Thereafter, the loop is repeated and the image processing device 4
When the wiper switch 10 is turned off due to a change from rainy weather to sunny weather with 0 being ON, the process proceeds from step S201 through step S212 to step S232, where the wiper motor 5 is in a stopped state or the wiper switch 10 Is OF
It is determined from the output port values for the low-speed relay RY1 and the high-speed relay RY2 whether or not the wiper motor 5 is in the operating state while continuing the operation until the wiper 3 reaches the regular standby position after the F is applied.

When the wiper 3 is stopped at the standby position, the process returns from step S232 to step S201. When the wiper 3 is moving to the standby position, step S232 is performed.
From step S233, it is checked from the signal of the angle sensor 6 whether or not the position of the wiper 3 has passed the turning point and is moving on the return path. If the position of the wiper 3 has passed the turning point and is moving on the return path, step S234 is performed. Then, it is checked whether or not the position of the wiper 3 has passed the imaging field of view of the CCD camera 1.

As a result, when the position of the wiper 3 has not passed the turning point or has not passed the imaging field of view of the CCD camera 1, the process jumps from step S233 or step S234 to step S217 and thereafter. When the wiper 3 overlaps with the imaging field of view of the CCD camera 1, the wiper speed is changed so that the position of the wiper 3 is already CCD.
If the field of view of the camera 1 has passed, the process proceeds from step S234 to step S235 to clear the speed change flag F (F ← 0) and jump to step S209 and thereafter in the manual mode to perform the wiper stop processing. To do.

[0054]

As described above, according to the present invention, if the wiper is operated when the vehicle exterior monitoring device is operated to obtain the external information from the captured image, the current wiping operation speed and position detection value of the wiper. Based on the imaging timing of the imaging means obtained from the vehicle outside monitoring device, predict the position of the wiper at the next imaging timing, if the predicted position overlaps the imaging field of view, to change the wiper wiping speed, The wiper is imaged in a state where it overlaps with the imaging field of view, and image information is not lost. Even in rainy weather, clear external information without missing can be captured in real time, as in fine weather. Therefore, the external environment can be recognized accurately and with good responsiveness, and excellent effects such as controllability and reliability can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a wiper control system.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart (part 1) of a wiper control routine.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a wiper control routine (No. 2)

FIG. 4 is a flowchart (part 3) of a wiper control routine.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an imaging timing detection routine.

FIG. 6 is a time chart showing the relationship between wiper operation and image capturing timing.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a vehicle with an exterior monitoring device in which a camera is installed in a vehicle interior according to a conventional example.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between an imaging field of view and a wiper wiping range according to a conventional example.

FIG. 9 is a time chart showing the relationship between the operation of the wiper and the imaging timing when the wiper is randomly operated according to the conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 CCD camera (imaging means) 3 wiper 30 wiper controller (wiping operation speed control means) 40 image processing device (outside vehicle monitoring device)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle equipped with an exterior monitoring device that intermittently captures an object outside the vehicle and processes the captured image to obtain external environment information. A wiper control device for a vehicle equipped with an exterior monitoring device including a wiper for wiping, wherein a current wiping speed and a position detection value of the wiper, and an imaging timing of the imaging means obtained from the exterior monitoring device. Based on the, the position of the wiper at the next imaging timing of the imaging means is predicted, if the predicted position overlaps the imaging field of view, wiping operation speed control means for changing the wiping operation speed of the wiper (30) A wiper control device for a vehicle with an exterior monitoring device, comprising: