JPH09178505A - Drive assist system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent traffic accident, e.g. crush or rear-end collision, by integrating a car navigation system and a drive assist system thereby notifying the information of a route to be taken by a car previously at good timing. SOLUTION: An image processing section 2 processes an image data picked up by means of a CCD camera 1 and delivers image information, representative of the features on the periphery of a car, to a CPU 3 for detecting peripheral conditions. The CPU 3 collates the image information with a plurality of prestored pattern images based on an image identified at the image processing section 2 and delivers the collation results to a navigation CPU 4 along with the distance from current position. The CPU 4 is designated to regenerate the road map data of current position being measured from a CD-ROM 8 by a CD-ROM player. It is also connected with a display 9 and displays the road map around current position based on the map data received from the CD-ROM player and then indicates the current position of car thereon by means of a mark.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[0001]

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention accurately mounts information on the surroundings of a moving vehicle mounted on a vehicle or the like, effectively suggests necessary information to a driver, and causes collision, contact, etc. The present invention relates to a driving support device for preventing traffic accidents.

[0003]

[0002]

[0004]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a car navigation device has been known as a means for self-recognizing a traveling position of a vehicle while driving. The car navigation device reproduces, for example, a CD-ROM on which road map data is recorded, displays a running road map on the screen, and further uses GP using satellite radio waves.
S (Global Positioning System)
em), or the position of the vehicle that is sequentially positioned by the gyro sensor unit and the vehicle speed sensor that are simultaneously installed in the vehicle can be displayed in an overlapping manner on the road map on the screen.

[0005]

Further, since the road map data also records the data indicating the position of each branch point of the road such as an intersection, the target traveling route from the present location to the destination is set by selecting the branch point, The set target route can be overlaid and displayed on the displayed map. Therefore, the occupant moving in the automobile can confirm the traveling position and the traveling direction each time by looking at the display of the subject vehicle on the target traveling route displayed on the map.

[0006]

On the other hand, a driving support device which is mounted on a vehicle or the like to detect the inter-vehicle distance and the distance to an obstacle to the driver in advance and inform the user of peripheral information is also under study.

In such a support device, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, or the like is used to measure the distance to a surrounding vehicle or the like.

Since the ultrasonic sensor has a high distance resolution and is relatively inexpensive, it can accurately detect an object at a short distance of 5 to 6 m or less, and is therefore used as a back sonar or a corner sensor.

Although the infrared laser radar is a little expensive, the distance to the object is determined by the time it takes to emit the pulse of the infrared laser and bounce off the object, and the measurable distance is about 100 m at maximum. And is mainly used to detect the distance between the front of the vehicle and obstacles.

A millimeter wave radar is, for example, 59.5 GH.
The distance to the object is obtained from the time it takes to bounce back from the object by emitting a radio wave of z or 77 GHz, and the measurable distance is still around 100 m at maximum.
However, it is more advantageous than the infrared laser radar under adverse conditions such as rain and fog, but it is expensive.

These sensors are appropriately attached to the periphery of an automobile or the like to detect an inter-vehicle distance and a distance to an obstacle during traveling, and warn when a predetermined distance is approached.

[0012]

However, each of the car navigation system and the driving support system described above is controlled in an independent manner, and does not always present the optimum information for the user.

[0013]

For example, while the driver is traveling on a road with a large number of lanes, confirmation of the vehicle position on the screen of the car navigation system is delayed, for example, and the driver comes too close to a road junction such as an intersection to turn. , The driving support device may determine that the lane change is already in the prohibited area. In such a case, there is a problem in that the vehicle cannot enter the lane in which it should travel and it deviates from the target travel route.

[0014]

On the contrary, when the driving assistance device determines that the vehicle is within the predetermined distance detected by the sensor even though the car navigation system has a straight path and the vehicle does not intend to change the lane, the other lane is changed. Even if the vehicle is moving, it will be judged as an obstacle and a warning will be issued. Therefore, there is a problem that necessary information cannot be accurately transmitted.

[0015]

[0008]

[0016]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems. Conventionally, a car navigation device and a driving support device, which are each controlled as an independent system, are integrated to obtain optimum information. The main purpose is to provide a new driving support device that can be provided. Specifically, image information indicating the surrounding situation of the own vehicle obtained by a CCD camera and the like, and navigation device such as GPS are set. Based on the displayed current position of the host vehicle and the target travel route data, it informs the information on the route that the host vehicle should travel in advance in good timing, and effectively suggests the information currently required to the driver. By doing so, it is possible to provide a driving support device capable of performing driving support according to the situation and preventing a traffic accident such as a collision or a rear-end collision in advance.

[0017]

[0009]

[0018]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
A photographing means for photographing the surrounding situation of the own vehicle, a first detecting means for detecting the traveling lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle based on the image photographed by the photographing means, and a first detecting means for detecting the current position of the own vehicle. 2, detection means, a database that stores map information, a route information holding unit that holds route information regarding a position of a waypoint on a route along which the vehicle should travel and a bend set in association with the database, and detection The present position, the number of lanes and lanes of the detected own vehicle, the route information, and the notification information control means for selecting the notification timing of the notification information based on the map information, and the selected notification information. It is composed of a driving support device including a notifying means for notifying.

[0019]

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the driving support apparatus according to the first aspect, the notification information control means is responsive to the detected driving lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle and the detected current position. It is characterized in that whether or not it is necessary to change the lane of the own vehicle is determined from the route information.

[0020]

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the driving support apparatus according to the first aspect, the notification information control means further determines that the road branch point immediately before the target waypoint has been passed, It is characterized in that whether or not the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed is determined from the determination result, the detected lanes and the number of lanes of the own vehicle, and the route information corresponding to the detected current position.

[0021]

Further, in the invention according to claim 4, in the driving support device according to claim 2 or 3, when the notification information control means determines that it is necessary to change the lane of the own vehicle, further, at least while the vehicle is traveling. It is characterized in that the type of the boundary line located between the lane of the own vehicle and the lane of the entry destination is determined.

[0022]

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support apparatus according to the second, third or fourth aspect, a third vehicle for detecting another vehicle located around the own vehicle is detected based on an image captured by the image capturing means. When the notification information control means determines that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, the notification information control means further determines, based on the third detection means, whether or not another vehicle exists in the lane of the approach destination. Is determined.

[0023]

[0014]

[0024]

The present invention is constructed as described above.
According to the invention described above, images showing the surroundings of the own vehicle are collected by a photographing means such as a CCD camera, the traveling lane in which the own vehicle is located and the number of lanes of the road are detected, and further, by GPS or the like. The position of the host vehicle is detected. Further, route information relating to waypoints and bends on the target traveling route set corresponding to a database recording map information such as a CD-ROM is held in the RAM or the like, and the current information of the own vehicle is given by the notification information control means. The notification information and the notification timing of the notification information are controlled based on the position, the traveling lane, the number of lanes on the road, the route information, and the like. Since the selected notification information is notified by a notification means such as a display or a speaker,
Appropriate driving support associated with the route information becomes possible, and only the information necessary for traveling on the route can be accurately obtained.

[0025]

According to the second aspect of the invention, the notification information control means determines, from the detected driving lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle, and the route information according to the detected current position,
Since it is determined whether or not the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, the driver can change the lane in advance according to the set route and avoid the danger on the traveling route including the waypoint. Therefore, a traffic accident such as a collision or a rear-end collision can be prevented in advance.

[0026]

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the notification information control means further determines that the vehicle has passed a road junction just before the target waypoint, and the determination result is detected. Since it is determined whether or not the lane of the host vehicle needs to be changed based on the traveling lanes and the number of lanes of the host vehicle and the route information corresponding to the detected current position, the driver erroneously determines whether the lane of the previous intersection is changed. You will not be able to enter the lane for turning right.

[0027]

Further, according to the invention of claim 4, when the notification information control means determines that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, at least the lane of the own vehicle which is running,
Since the type of the boundary line located between the vehicle and the lane to which the vehicle is approaching is determined, the driver can accurately determine whether the traveling vehicle is in a lane changeable state.

[0028]

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the notification information control means further comprises a third detection means for detecting another vehicle located in the vicinity of the own vehicle based on the image taken by the image pickup means. When it is determined that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, it is further determined based on the third detecting means whether or not another vehicle is present in the lane to which the vehicle is approaching. Recognizing that the lane change is necessary for the own vehicle that is running to correctly advance the target travel route, and when changing the lane in advance to secure the lane to which the vehicle at the target waypoint should advance in advance, It is possible to confirm the dangerous state of the lane at the approach destination, avoid the danger of changing lanes, and prevent traffic accidents such as collisions and rear-end collisions.

[0029]

[0019]

[0030]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a driving support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the CCD camera 1, the image processing unit 2, and the peripheral condition detection CPU 3 constitute an image processing means. The CCD camera 1 is attached to, for example, the upper part of the inside of the windshield so as to take a picture of the surroundings of the vehicle. In addition, the image processing unit 2 removes noise from the images collected by the CCD camera 1, or uses a method such as binarization or edge detection using a predetermined threshold to obtain a characteristic image (from the collected images). For example, other vehicles, lanes, traffic lights, road junctions, etc.) are identified, and image information that characterizes the surroundings of the vehicle is output to the surrounding situation detection CPU 3.

[0031]

In the peripheral condition detection CPU 3, the image processing unit 2
On the basis of the identified characteristic image, it is collated with a plurality of pattern images stored in advance, and if it is determined that the pattern images match the pattern image stored in advance, the result and the distance from the current position are output to the navigation CPU 4.

In addition, the peripheral condition detection CPU 3 performs various arithmetic processes based on the number of lanes and / or the road width of the road on which the vehicle identified by the image processing unit 2 is located, and the traveling lane, the road width of the traveling lane, and the traveling lane. The total width of the road including the number of lanes, the number of traveling lanes, the type of road based on the number of traveling lanes, and the like are detected, and the result is output to the navigation CPU 4.

[0033]

The navigation CPU 4 is supplied with the outputs of the GPS receiver 5, the gyro sensor 6, the vehicle speed sensor 7 and the like as a means for measuring the traveling position of the own vehicle, and the road map data corresponding to the measured current position. CD-RO
CD-ROM not shown to play from M8
The player is instructed, and further connected to a display 9 which is a display means composed of a liquid crystal or the like, and based on the map data obtained from the CD-ROM player, the current position of the running car. Is displayed, and the current position of the vehicle is displayed as a mark on the road map on the display 9.

[0034]

In the present embodiment, the driving support device is
Although the position of the vehicle is measured by using the positioning by the GPS receiver 5 and the positioning by the autonomous navigation by the gyro sensor 6 and the vehicle speed sensor 7, the driving assistance device in the present invention is
It may be configured as a completely autonomous type without the PS receiver 5, or may be a GP without the gyro sensor 6 and the vehicle speed sensor 7.
The S receiver 5 alone may be used for positioning, or the navigation CPU 4 may be provided with a so-called map matching function and used in combination with these so that the traveling position of the own vehicle is appropriately corrected and displayed. Is also good.

[0035]

Since the CD-ROM 8 holds the branch point data indicating the positions corresponding to the respective branch points of the road included in the map data, the driver uses the route setting means 11 shown in FIG. 1 to set the target point. By appropriately selecting a waypoint corresponding to a road that goes up to, the target travel route can be set and stored in the RAM of the navigation CPU 4. The set target travel route is identifiably displayed on the road map displayed on the display 9.
Therefore, the driver can appropriately check the traveling position of the own vehicle while traveling on the target traveling route that is displayed in a distinguishable manner corresponding to the road map.

[0036]

Reference numeral 10 denotes a speaker, and the navigation CPU 4 appropriately selects a guidance pattern corresponding to each waypoint stored in the RAM of the navigation CPU 4 in accordance with the traveling condition of the vehicle, and the surrounding situation of the vehicle. The information corresponding to is output by voice.

[0037]

The driving support device according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above, and appropriately notifies the driver of the surrounding conditions along the preset target travel route to support the driving to the destination.

[0038]

Next, the driving support device in one embodiment of the present invention detects the surrounding condition of the running vehicle by the CCD camera 1, the image processing unit 2, and the surrounding condition detecting CPU 3, and further sets the route information. And in relation to the current position,
A specific process of notifying the driver of required information by the display 9 and the speaker 10 will be described in detail. Such processing is performed by the peripheral condition detection CPU 3 and the navigation CPU 4, and its operation flowchart is shown in FIG.

[0039]

First, in step S1, the image processing section 2 selects another vehicle, a road lane, or a road from the images around the vehicle captured by the CCD cameras 1 provided in front of and behind the vehicle. A pattern image is extracted by identifying a characteristic image such as a boundary line, and data is output to the peripheral situation detection CPU 3.

The peripheral condition detection CPU 3 collates a plurality of pattern images stored in advance based on the characteristic image identified by the image processing unit 2, and if it determines that they match the pattern images stored in advance, the result is judged as the result. , And the distance to the target are output to the navigation CPU 4.

[0041]

Next, in step S2, the navigation CPU 4 detects the front road lane including the traveling lane of the vehicle and the road boundary line from the pattern image supplied in step S1. Then, the process proceeds to step S3, where the current position on the map measured by GPS or the like and the RAM
Based on the waypoint information stored in (1), the distance between the selected waypoint to be passed and the current position of the vehicle is calculated. When the calculated distance exceeds the predetermined distance (for example, 500 m), the process proceeds to step S4, and the mark indicating the position of the vehicle is displayed on the road map on the display 9 in an overlapping manner.
When the own vehicle approaches the target waypoint and the calculated distance becomes equal to or less than the predetermined distance, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0042]

In step S5, the navigation C
The PU 4 determines the number of front lanes from the front road lane including the traveling lane of the own vehicle detected in the previous step S2 and the road boundary line. When the traveling road is one lane, the process proceeds to step S6, and when the road is a plurality of lanes, the process proceeds to step S9. In step S6, the navigation CPU 4 reconfirms the distance between the target waypoint and the current position of the vehicle, and it is recognized that the distance is sufficiently close (for example, 50 m).
Is determined. If not reached, the process proceeds to step S7, and the display 9 or speaker 10
The control is performed so as to provide driving support for the target waypoint. For example, the distance to the target waypoint and the direction are controlled to be further announced by voice.

[0043]

In step S6, when the distance between the target waypoint and the current position of the vehicle reaches a distance (for example, 50 m) which is considered to be sufficiently close, the process proceeds to step S8 and the display 9 is displayed. Alternatively, the speaker 10 is controlled to perform more detailed driving assistance for the target waypoint.

[0044]

In this case, for example, when the road branch point corresponding to the target waypoint is an intersection and it is necessary to make a right turn on the target traveling route, as shown in FIG. 3, a display screen is displayed. The right turn display 12 is displayed on the road and the display of the own vehicle mark 13 together with the character display of the target intersection name (for example, A intersection) not shown in the figure, or from the speaker 10 "At an intersection 50 m ahead. You need to make a right turn. Make sure you turn right while paying attention to the car and traffic lights. "Or, you will be notified to the driver by outputting a voice guidance such as" A crossing requiring a right turn is approaching within 50 m. " To control.

[0045]

On the other hand, when the navigation CPU 4 detects in step S5 that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a plurality of lanes, the process proceeds to step S9 to detect the traveling lane of the vehicle which is traveling. The detection of the traveling lane of the own vehicle is a pattern extracted by identifying a characteristic image such as another vehicle, road lane, or boundary line of the road from the image around the own vehicle captured by the CCD camera 1. Detected by the image. If the driving lane of the vehicle is confirmed, step S
Move to 10.

[0046]

In step S10, the navigation CPU 4 determines whether or not the vehicle has passed a road junction just before the road junction corresponding to the target waypoint. In this determination, for example, the distance between the current position of the vehicle and the target waypoint is calculated from positioning data such as GPS, and the intersection corresponding to the target waypoint (for example, A Intersection) is specified by comparing it to the calculated distance and the pattern image that characterizes the target intersection, and the road junction in front of the image is extracted to detect the relative position with the own vehicle. Done by A traffic light or the like can be used as the pattern image. In step S10, when the host vehicle has not yet passed the road branch point immediately before the road branch point corresponding to the target waypoint, the process proceeds to step S6, and the subsequent steps described above. (S7 or S8)
Execute

[0047]

In step S10, the vehicle is
If the road branch point just before the road branch point corresponding to the target waypoint is passed, the process proceeds to step S11,
It is determined whether or not the lane needs to be changed when the vehicle passes through the road branch point corresponding to the target waypoint. In particular,
For example, when the own vehicle is traveling in the outer lane of the one-sided three-lane road, that is, the leftmost lane, and when turning right at the target intersection, etc., the own vehicle is changed in advance so as to travel in the inner lane, It is necessary to make the right turn at the intersection safe and smooth, and it is judged that the lane change is necessary.

[0048]

Further, when the target traveling route is set to a route that makes a right turn at the target intersection, and the detected traveling lane of the own vehicle is the rightmost of the plural lanes or the lane dedicated to the right turn, Judge that lane change is unnecessary. On the other hand, if the target driving route is set to turn left at the target intersection, if the detected driving lane of the own vehicle is the leftmost of multiple lanes or the lane dedicated to left turn, the lane change is If the lane is not required and the lane is in another lane, it is determined that the lane needs to be changed. In addition, it is necessary to change the lane even when the vehicle turns right or left at an overpass.

[0049]

When it is determined in step S11 that the lane change is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S6, and the above-described respective steps (S7 or S8) are executed. If it is determined that the lane needs to be changed, the process proceeds to step S12, and from the pattern image of the CCD camera 1, to the side of the surrounding other vehicles, especially to the rear of the vehicle, and the direction of the blind spot of the driver. The other CPU located is detected, and then, in step S13, the navigation CPU 4 determines whether or not the situation around the own vehicle during traveling is a state in which the lane can be changed for the time being.

[0050]

In the present embodiment, as the situation determination in step S13, it is determined that the lane can be changed if all of the following three conditions are satisfied, and the lane cannot be changed otherwise. . The first condition is
The condition is that it is possible to change the lane between the lane currently being driven and the lane to which the vehicle is approaching. For example, as shown in FIG.
In the case where the boundary line 16 is provided with a lane display (solid line) indicating prohibition of lane change, the lane change is impossible.

[0051]

The second condition is that there is no vehicle running in parallel with the subject vehicle in the lane to which the vehicle approaches. This is, for example, the relative distance between another vehicle and the other vehicle traveling in the side and rear of the other vehicle, particularly the own vehicle, obtained by the CCD camera 1, and the traveling lane in which these other vehicles travel and the traveling lane of the own vehicle. Judgment is made based on the positional relationship of the lane to which the vehicle approaches.

[0052]

That is, for example, as shown in FIG.
When 9 runs side by side with the own vehicle in the traveling lane 20
When the relative distance between the other vehicle 19 and the own vehicle is within the predetermined distance (in FIG. 5, the case where the other vehicle 19 is within the predetermined distance is shown), the lane may be changed to the traveling lane 20 at the approach destination. Difficult and clearly judged to have a risk of collision or rear-end collision or contact. Here, the predetermined distance may be set as a range by a horizontal radius value starting from a predetermined center position of the own vehicle, or a CCD for photographing the side of the own vehicle.
The range may be set by the viewing angle of the camera by installing the camera.

[0053]

However, the other vehicle is not judged when it is traveling in the lane other than the traveling lane of the entry destination with respect to the traveling lane of the own vehicle. That is, for example, as shown in FIG.
However, even if the vehicle travels within a predetermined distance relative to the own vehicle, the traveling lane 22 in which the other vehicle 21 travels is the traveling lane 20 in which the own vehicle is about to enter the traveling lane of the own vehicle.
Since it is located on the opposite side, it is not judged as a dangerous vehicle for lane change for the time being.

[0054]

Further, the third condition is that the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and another vehicle traveling forward and backward in the lane of the approach destination is longer than the braking distance. Here, the braking distance refers to a braking distance with respect to the traveling speed of the own vehicle with respect to another vehicle traveling in the lane of the approach destination, and with respect to another vehicle traveling behind in the lane of the entry destination. Is the braking distance with respect to the traveling speed of another vehicle. The traveling speed of the other vehicle is obtained by adding the relative speeds of the own vehicle and the other vehicle behind it to the traveling speed of the own vehicle. The size of the image of the other vehicle captured by the mounted CCD camera 1 can be detected by the number of pixels, and can be determined by the change in the number of pixels per unit time.

[0055]

When all of the three conditions described above are satisfied, the navigation CPU 4 judges that the circumstance of the running vehicle can be changed for the time being,
Move to step S14. In step S14, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the right turn display 12 is displayed on the display screen together with the positions of the surrounding vehicles, and the speaker 10 is turned on.
Change the lane to the driver by outputting a voice guidance such as "You need to change lanes at the intersection A 200 meters ahead because you are turning right. Be careful of the cars in front and behind and change to the right lane beforehand." Control to announce instructions.

[0056]

On the other hand, if any of the three conditions is not satisfied in step S14, the navigation CPU 4 determines that the lane change is impossible, and proceeds to step S15.

For example, in step S15, if the first condition of the above-mentioned three conditions is not satisfied, that is, the boundary line between the lane currently being driven and the lane to which the vehicle is approaching is not a lane in which the lane can be changed. In this case, on the display screen, the relevant boundary line is switched and displayed by using a predetermined display pattern, color, or blinking to visually characterize it and distinguish it from other boundary lines, or the target intersection. From the speaker 10 according to the distance to the waypoint corresponding to (for example, A intersection), "You need to change lanes because you are turning right at the A intersection 200 m ahead, but you cannot change because it is a lane change prohibited road now. Please continue to drive until you can change lanes. "Or" You are already too close to the intersection to change lanes. You cannot turn right. " Please change the line route. You can go straight to the next intersection B and turn right. Be careful before changing the lane. ”And output a voice guidance to notify the driver .

[0058]

If the second and third conditions are not satisfied in step S15, that is, the boundary line between the currently traveling lane and the lane to which the vehicle is approaching, the lane can be changed. When the vehicles run side by side or the braking distance is not in a satisfactory state, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, another dangerous vehicle 19 which is within a predetermined distance of the own vehicle and does not satisfy the above-mentioned condition 19
Is switched on and displayed on the display screen by using a predetermined display pattern, a color, or blinking that represents an obstacle, to be visually characterized, and for the time being, can be distinguished from other vehicles 21 that are not dangerous for the time being, or can be targeted. Depending on the distance to the waypoint corresponding to the intersection (for example, A intersection), the speaker 10 says, "You need to change lanes because you are turning right at the A intersection 200 m ahead, but the car is approaching. It is controlled to output a voice guidance such as "Danger." To notify the driver.

[0059]

In the operation flow chart of the present embodiment, after each of the notification steps of steps S4, S7, S8, S14 and S15 is executed, the process proceeds to step S1 again, and appropriately and appropriately according to the situation around the vehicle. It is configured to provide various information.

In the operation of FIG. 2, it is also possible to select only the voice notification or the display display by the display selection SW connected to the device as shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with the driving skill of the driver. It is also possible to select the wide area road map and the intersection enlarged view on the display.

[0061]

Next, a specific method for detecting the road lane and the road boundary line ahead of the own vehicle in step S2 will be described in more detail based on the surrounding image taken in step S1 of FIG.

First, in step S1, the CCD camera 1 installed in front of the vehicle captures the front of the vehicle to obtain a front image. This front image is represented by the image coordinates of the CCD camera 1. The front image represented by these image coordinates is
The image processing unit 2 binarizes the image with a predetermined threshold, and further converts the image coordinates into road coordinates.

[0063]

FIG. 7 shows the vehicle front information represented by the image coordinates and road coordinates of the front image captured by the CCD camera 1, and FIG. 7A shows the vehicle front information represented by the image coordinates.
(B) is the front information of the own vehicle, which is represented by converting the image information of (a) into road coordinates. The coordinate axes x and y in FIG. 7A are C
Along the light-receiving surface of the CD camera 1, the reference axes in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle are respectively shown, and the coordinate axis X in FIG.
Z represents the reference axes in the left-right direction and the front-back direction of the vehicle with respect to the CCD camera 1.

The coordinate axes x and y in FIG. 7A are corrected by predetermined coefficients and converted into the coordinate axes X and Z in FIG. 7B, so that the road ahead taken by the CCD camera 1 is It is expressed as a plan view of the CCD camera 1 as viewed from above in the vertical direction.

[0065]

Next, the image processing unit 2 analyzes the direction, position, and shape of the object from the obtained image coordinates and road coordinates, compares them with the pattern image of the road lane stored in advance, and determines the road lane and the road boundary line. Extract only objects that are equal to.

In the extraction, the color of the lane (white or yellow) may be identified and extracted based on the color signal (RGB) levels of the pixels of the CCD camera 1 forming the object.

The detection of the surrounding vehicles in step S12 is also applied to the vehicle, and the relative distance from the own vehicle is also detected from the position of the pixel where the vehicle is located.

The driving support device according to the present embodiment operates as described above, accurately notifies the driver of the information necessary for driving in accordance with the surrounding conditions of the running vehicle, and assists the driving of the driver. I do.

[0069]

[0049]

[0070]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, C
An image showing the surroundings of the vehicle is collected by a photographing means such as a CD camera, the traveling lane in which the vehicle is located and the number of lanes of the road are detected, and the position of the vehicle is detected by GPS or the like. It Also, CD-ROM
The route information regarding the waypoints and bends on the target traveling route set corresponding to the database recording the map information such as is stored in the RAM or the like, and the notification information control means, the current position of the own vehicle, the traveling lane, The notification information and the notification timing of the notification information are controlled based on the number of lanes on the road, route information, and the like. The selected notification information is notified by, for example, a notification means such as a display or a speaker, so that appropriate driving support associated with the route information becomes possible, and only the information necessary for traveling on the route can be accurately obtained.

[0071]

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the notification information control means, based on the detected driving lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle and the route information according to the detected current position,
Since it is determined whether or not the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, the driver can change the lane in advance according to the set route and avoid the danger on the traveling route including the waypoint. Therefore, a traffic accident such as a collision or a rear-end collision can be prevented in advance.

[0072]

According to the third aspect of the invention, the notification information control means further determines that the vehicle has passed a road junction just before the target waypoint, and the determination result is detected. Since it is determined whether or not the lane of the host vehicle needs to be changed based on the traveling lanes and the number of lanes of the host vehicle and the route information corresponding to the detected current position, the driver erroneously determines whether the lane of the previous intersection is changed. You will not be able to enter the lane for turning right.

[0073]

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, when the notification information control means determines that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, at least the lane of the own vehicle that is running,
Since the type of the boundary line located between the vehicle and the lane to which the vehicle is approaching is determined, the driver can accurately determine whether the traveling vehicle is in a lane changeable state.

[0074]

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the notification information control means is further provided with a third detection means for detecting another vehicle located in the vicinity of the own vehicle based on the image photographed by the photographing means. When it is determined that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, it is further determined based on the third detecting means whether or not another vehicle is present in the lane to which the vehicle is approaching. Recognizing that the lane change is necessary for the own vehicle that is running to correctly advance the target travel route, and when changing the lane in advance to secure the lane to which the vehicle at the target waypoint should advance in advance, It is possible to confirm the dangerous state of the lane at the approach destination, avoid the danger of changing lanes, and prevent traffic accidents such as collisions and rear-end collisions.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a driving support device in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart in which the driving support device in one embodiment of the present invention performs a driver support process according to the surrounding situation of the vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display screen of a display of the driving support device in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display screen of a display of the driving assistance device in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of the driving support device in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display screen of a display of the driving support device in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a CC of a driving support device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
This is the vehicle front information in which the front image captured by the D camera is represented by image coordinates and road coordinates.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-CCD camera 2--Image processing unit 3--Surrounding condition detection CPU 4--Navigation CPU 5--GPS receiver 6- Gyro sensor 7-Vehicle speed sensor 8-CD-ROM 9-Display 10-Speaker 11-Route setting means 12-Right turn display 13-・ ・ ・ Self-vehicle mark 14 ・ ・ ・ Self-vehicle traveling lane 15 ・ ・ ・ ・ Driving lane 16 ・ ・ ・ ・ Boundary line 17 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Self-vehicle traveling lane 19 ・ ・ ・ Other vehicles 20 ・ ・ ・ ・ Driving lane 21 ・ ・ ・ ・ Other vehicle 22 ・ ・ ・ ・ Driving lane

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] December 16, 1996

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Detailed description of the invention

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention accurately mounts information on the surroundings of a moving vehicle mounted on a vehicle or the like, effectively suggests necessary information to a driver, and causes collision, contact, etc. The present invention relates to a driving support device for preventing traffic accidents.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a car navigation device has been known as a means for self-recognizing a traveling position of a vehicle while driving. The car navigation device reproduces, for example, a CD-ROM on which road map data is recorded, displays a running road map on the screen, and further uses GP using satellite radio waves.
S (Global Positioning System)
em), or the position of the vehicle that is sequentially positioned by the gyro sensor unit and the vehicle speed sensor that are simultaneously installed in the vehicle can be displayed in an overlapping manner on the road map on the screen.

Further, since the road map data also records the data indicating the position of each branch point of the road such as an intersection, the target traveling route from the present location to the destination is set by selecting the branch point, The set target route can be overlaid and displayed on the displayed map. Therefore, the occupant moving in the automobile can confirm the traveling position and the traveling direction each time by looking at the display of the subject vehicle on the target traveling route displayed on the map.

On the other hand, a driving support device which is mounted on a vehicle or the like to detect the inter-vehicle distance and the distance to an obstacle to the driver in advance and inform the user of peripheral information is also under study. In such a support device, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, or the like is used to measure the distance to the surrounding vehicle or the like. Since the ultrasonic sensor has a high distance resolution and is relatively inexpensive, it can accurately detect an object at a short distance of 5 to 6 m or less, and is therefore used as a backsona or a corner sensor. Further, although the infrared laser radar is a little expensive, the distance to the object is obtained by emitting the pulse of the infrared laser and the time it takes for the object to bounce off, and the measurable distance is around 100 m at maximum. It is mainly used to detect the distance between the front of the vehicle and obstacles. The millimeter wave radar is, for example, 59.5G.
The distance to the object is obtained by the time until the object bounces from the object by emitting a radio wave of Hz or 77 GHz, and the measurable distance is still around 100 m at the maximum.
However, it is more advantageous than the infrared laser radar under adverse conditions such as rain and fog, but it is expensive. These sensors are appropriately attached to the periphery of an automobile or the like to detect an inter-vehicle distance and a distance to an obstacle during traveling, and warn when a predetermined distance is approached.

However, each of the car navigation system and the driving support system described above is controlled in an independent manner, and does not always present the optimum information for the user.

For example, while the driver is traveling on a road with a large number of lanes, confirmation of the vehicle position on the screen of the car navigation system is delayed, for example, and the driver comes too close to a road junction such as an intersection to turn. , The driving support device may determine that the lane change is already in the prohibited area. In such a case, there is a problem in that the vehicle cannot enter the lane in which it should travel and it deviates from the target travel route.

On the contrary, when the driving assistance device determines that the vehicle is within the predetermined distance detected by the sensor even though the car navigation system has a straight path and the vehicle does not intend to change the lane, the other lane is changed. Even if the vehicle is moving, it will be judged as an obstacle and a warning will be issued. Therefore, there is a problem that necessary information cannot be accurately transmitted.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems. Conventionally, a car navigation device and a driving support device, which are each controlled as an independent system, are integrated to obtain optimum information. The main purpose is to provide a new driving support device that can be provided. Specifically, image information indicating the surrounding situation of the own vehicle obtained by a CCD camera and the like, and navigation device such as GPS are set. Based on the displayed current position of the host vehicle and the target travel route data, it informs the information on the route that the host vehicle should travel in advance in good timing, and effectively suggests the information currently required to the driver. By doing so, it is possible to provide a driving support device capable of performing driving support according to the situation and preventing a traffic accident such as a collision or a rear-end collision in advance.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
A photographing means for photographing the surrounding situation of the own vehicle, a first detecting means for detecting the traveling lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle based on the image photographed by the photographing means, and a first detecting means for detecting the current position of the own vehicle. 2 detection means, a database that stores map information, and a route information holding unit that holds route information regarding the position of a waypoint and a bend on the route that the vehicle should travel on, which is set in correspondence with the database. , The detected current position, the detected lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle, the route information, and the notification information control means for selecting the notification timing of the notification information based on the map information, selected The driving assist device is provided with a notifying means for notifying the notification information.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the driving support apparatus according to the first aspect, the notification information control means is responsive to the detected driving lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle and the detected current position. It is characterized in that whether or not it is necessary to change the lane of the own vehicle is determined from the route information.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the driving support apparatus according to the first aspect, the notification information control means further determines that the road branch point immediately before the target waypoint has been passed, It is characterized in that whether or not the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed is determined from the determination result, the detected lanes and the number of lanes of the own vehicle, and the route information corresponding to the detected current position.

Further, in the invention according to claim 4, in the driving support device according to claim 2 or 3, when the notification information control means determines that it is necessary to change the lane of the own vehicle, further, at least while the vehicle is traveling. It is characterized in that the type of the boundary line located between the lane of the own vehicle and the lane of the entry destination is determined.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support apparatus according to the second, third or fourth aspect, a third vehicle for detecting another vehicle located around the own vehicle is detected based on an image captured by the image capturing means. When the notification information control means determines that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, the notification information control means further determines, based on the third detection means, whether or not another vehicle exists in the lane of the approach destination. It is a special feature to judge.

[0014]

The present invention is constructed as described above.
According to the invention described above, images showing the surroundings of the own vehicle are collected by a photographing means such as a CCD camera, the traveling lane in which the own vehicle is located and the number of lanes of the road are detected, and further, by GPS or the like. The position of the host vehicle is detected. Further, route information relating to waypoints and bends on the target traveling route set corresponding to a database recording map information such as a CD-ROM is held in the RAM or the like, and the current information of the own vehicle is given by the notification information control means. The notification information and the notification timing of the notification information are controlled based on the position, the traveling lane, the number of lanes on the road, the route information, and the like. Since the selected notification information is notified by a notification means such as a display or a speaker,
Appropriate driving support associated with the route information becomes possible, and only the information necessary for traveling on the route can be accurately obtained.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the notification information control means determines, from the detected driving lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle, and the route information according to the detected current position,
Since it is determined whether or not the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, the driver can change the lane in advance according to the set route and avoid the danger on the traveling route including the waypoint. Therefore, a traffic accident such as a collision or a rear-end collision can be prevented in advance.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the notification information control means further determines that the vehicle has passed a road junction just before the target waypoint, and the determination result is detected. Since it is determined whether or not the lane of the host vehicle needs to be changed based on the traveling lanes and the number of lanes of the host vehicle and the route information corresponding to the detected current position, the driver erroneously determines whether the lane of the previous intersection is changed. You will not be able to enter the lane for turning right.

Further, according to the invention of claim 4, when the notification information control means determines that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, at least the lane of the own vehicle which is running,
Since the type of the boundary line located between the vehicle and the lane to which the vehicle is approaching is determined, the driver can accurately determine whether the traveling vehicle is in a lane changeable state.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the notification information control means further comprises a third detection means for detecting another vehicle located in the vicinity of the own vehicle based on the image taken by the image pickup means. When it is determined that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, it is further determined based on the third detecting means whether or not another vehicle is present in the lane to which the vehicle is approaching. Recognizing that the lane change is necessary for the own vehicle that is running to correctly advance the target travel route, and when changing the lane in advance to secure the lane to which the vehicle at the target waypoint should advance in advance, It is possible to confirm the dangerous state of the lane at the approach destination, avoid the danger of changing lanes, and prevent traffic accidents such as collisions and rear-end collisions.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a driving support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the CCD camera 1, the image processing unit 2, and the peripheral condition detection CPU 3 constitute an image processing means. The CCD camera 1 is attached to, for example, the upper part of the inside of the windshield so as to take a picture of the surroundings of the vehicle. In addition, the image processing unit 2 removes noise from the images collected by the CCD camera 1, or uses a method such as binarization or edge detection using a predetermined threshold to obtain a characteristic image (from the collected images). For example, other vehicles, lanes, traffic lights, road junctions, etc.) are identified, and image information that characterizes the surroundings of the vehicle is output to the surrounding situation detection CPU 3.

In the peripheral condition detection CPU 3, the image processing unit 2
On the basis of the identified characteristic image, it is collated with a plurality of pattern images stored in advance, and if it is determined that the pattern images match the pattern image stored in advance, the result and the distance from the current position are output to the navigation CPU 4. In addition, the peripheral condition detection CPU 3 performs various arithmetic processes based on the number of lanes and / or the road width of the road on which the vehicle identified by the image processing unit 2 is located, and the running lane, the road width of the running lane, and the road including the running lane. , The number of driving lanes, the type of road based on the number of driving lanes, and the like are output to the navigation CPU 4.

The navigation CPU 4 is supplied with the outputs of the GPS receiver 5, the gyro sensor 6, the vehicle speed sensor 7 and the like as a means for measuring the traveling position of the own vehicle, and the road map data corresponding to the measured current position. CD-RO
CD-ROM not shown to play from M8
The player is instructed, and further connected to a display 9 which is a display means composed of a liquid crystal or the like, and based on the map data obtained from the CD-ROM player, the current position of the running car. Is displayed, and the current position of the vehicle is displayed as a mark on the road map on the display 9.

In the present embodiment, the driving support device is
Although the position of the vehicle is measured by using the positioning by the GPS receiver 5 and the positioning by the autonomous navigation by the gyro sensor 6 and the vehicle speed sensor 7, the driving assistance device in the present invention is
It may be configured as a completely autonomous type without the PS receiver 5, or may be a GP without the gyro sensor 6 and the vehicle speed sensor 7.
The S receiver 5 alone may be used for positioning, or the navigation CPU 4 may be provided with a so-called map matching function and used in combination with these so that the traveling position of the own vehicle is appropriately corrected and displayed. Is also good.

Since the CD-ROM 8 holds the branch point data indicating the positions corresponding to the respective branch points of the road included in the map data, the driver uses the route setting means 11 shown in FIG. 1 to set the target point. By appropriately selecting a waypoint corresponding to a road that goes up to, the target travel route can be set and stored in the RAM of the navigation CPU 4. The set target travel route is identifiably displayed on the road map displayed on the display 9.
Therefore, the driver can appropriately check the traveling position of the own vehicle while traveling on the target traveling route that is displayed in a distinguishable manner corresponding to the road map.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a speaker, and the navigation CPU 4 appropriately selects a guidance pattern corresponding to each waypoint stored in the RAM of the navigation CPU 4 in accordance with the traveling condition of the vehicle, and the surrounding situation of the vehicle. The information corresponding to is output by voice.

The driving support device according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above, and appropriately notifies the driver of the surrounding conditions along the preset target travel route to support the driving to the destination.

Next, the driving support device in one embodiment of the present invention detects the surrounding condition of the running vehicle by the CCD camera 1, the image processing unit 2, and the surrounding condition detecting CPU 3, and further sets the route information. And in relation to the current position,
A specific process of notifying the driver of required information by the display 9 and the speaker 10 will be described in detail. Such processing is performed by the peripheral condition detection CPU 3 and the navigation CPU 4, and its operation flowchart is shown in FIG.

First, in step S1, the image processing section 2 selects another vehicle, a road lane, or a road from the images around the vehicle captured by the CCD cameras 1 provided in front of and behind the vehicle. A pattern image is extracted by identifying a characteristic image such as a boundary line, and data is output to the peripheral situation detection CPU 3. The peripheral condition detection CPU 3 collates a plurality of pattern images stored in advance based on the characteristic image identified by the image processing unit 2, and when it determines that the pattern images match the pattern images stored in advance, the result and the target And the distance are output to the navigation CPU 4.

Next, in step S2, the navigation CPU 4 detects the front road lane including the traveling lane of the vehicle and the road boundary line from the pattern image supplied in step S1. Then, the process proceeds to step S3, where the current position on the map measured by GPS or the like and the RAM
Based on the waypoint information stored in (1), the distance between the selected waypoint to be passed and the current position of the vehicle is calculated. When the calculated distance exceeds the predetermined distance (for example, 500 m), the process proceeds to step S4, and the mark indicating the position of the vehicle is displayed on the road map on the display 9 in an overlapping manner.
When the own vehicle approaches the target waypoint and the calculated distance becomes equal to or less than the predetermined distance, the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, the navigation C
The PU 4 determines the number of front lanes from the front road lane including the traveling lane of the own vehicle detected in the previous step S2 and the road boundary line. When the traveling road is one lane, the process proceeds to step S6, and when the road is a plurality of lanes, the process proceeds to step S9. In step S6, the navigation CPU 4 reconfirms the distance between the target waypoint and the current position of the vehicle, and it is recognized that the distance is sufficiently close (for example, 50 m).
Is determined. If not reached, the process proceeds to step S7, and the display 9 or speaker 10
The control is performed so as to provide driving support for the target waypoint. For example, the distance to the target waypoint and the direction are controlled to be further announced by voice.

In step S6, when the distance between the target waypoint and the current position of the vehicle reaches a distance (for example, 50 m) which is considered to be sufficiently close, the process proceeds to step S8 and the display 9 is displayed. Alternatively, the speaker 10 is controlled to perform more detailed driving assistance for the target waypoint.

In this case, for example, when the road branch point corresponding to the target waypoint is an intersection and it is necessary to make a right turn on the target traveling route, as shown in FIG. 3, a display screen is displayed. The right turn display 12 is displayed on the road and the display of the own vehicle mark 13 together with the character display of the target intersection name (for example, A intersection) not shown in the figure, or from the speaker 10 "At an intersection 50 m ahead. You need to make a right turn. Make sure you turn right while paying attention to the car and traffic lights. "Or, you will be notified to the driver by outputting a voice guidance such as" A crossing requiring a right turn is approaching within 50 m. " To control.

On the other hand, when the navigation CPU 4 detects in step S5 that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a plurality of lanes, the process proceeds to step S9 to detect the traveling lane of the vehicle which is traveling. The detection of the traveling lane of the own vehicle is a pattern extracted by identifying a characteristic image such as another vehicle, road lane, or boundary line of the road from the image around the own vehicle captured by the CCD camera 1. Detected by the image. If the driving lane of the vehicle is confirmed, step S
Move to 10.

In step S10, the navigation CPU 4 determines whether or not the vehicle has passed a road junction just before the road junction corresponding to the target longitude point. In this determination, for example, the distance between the current position of the vehicle and the target waypoint is calculated from positioning data such as GPS, and the intersection corresponding to the target waypoint (for example, A Intersection) is specified by comparing it to the calculated distance and the pattern image that characterizes the target intersection, and the road junction in front of the image is extracted to detect the relative position with the own vehicle. Done by A traffic light or the like can be used as the pattern image. In step S10, when the host vehicle has not yet passed the road branch point immediately before the road branch point corresponding to the target waypoint, the process proceeds to step S6, and the subsequent steps described above. (S7 or S8)
Execute

In step S10, the vehicle is
If the road branch point just before the road branch point corresponding to the target waypoint is passed, the process proceeds to step S11,
It is determined whether or not the lane needs to be changed when the vehicle passes through the road branch point corresponding to the target waypoint. In particular,
For example, when the own vehicle is traveling in the outer lane of the one-sided three-lane road, that is, the leftmost lane, and when turning right at the target intersection, etc., the own vehicle is changed in advance so as to travel in the inner lane, It is necessary to make the right turn at the intersection safe and smooth, and it is judged that the lane change is necessary.

Further, when the target traveling route is set to a route that makes a right turn at the target intersection, and the detected traveling lane of the own vehicle is the rightmost of the plural lanes or the lane dedicated to the right turn, Judge that lane change is unnecessary. On the other hand, if the target driving route is set to turn left at the target intersection, if the detected driving lane of the own vehicle is the leftmost of multiple lanes or the lane dedicated to left turn, the lane change is If the lane is not required and the lane is another lane, it is determined that the lane needs to be changed. In addition, it is necessary to change the lane even when the vehicle turns right or left at an overpass.

When it is determined in step S11 that the lane change is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S6, and the above-described respective steps (S7 or S8) are executed. If it is determined that the lane needs to be changed, the process proceeds to step S12, and from the pattern image of the CCD camera 1, to the side of the surrounding other vehicles, especially to the rear of the vehicle, and the direction of the blind spot of the driver. The other CPU located is detected, and then, in step S13, the navigation CPU 4 determines whether or not the situation around the own vehicle during traveling is a state in which the lane can be changed for the time being.

In the present embodiment, as the situation determination in step S13, it is determined that the lane can be changed if all of the following three conditions are satisfied, and the lane cannot be changed otherwise. . The first condition is
The condition is that it is possible to change the lane between the lane currently being driven and the lane to which the vehicle is approaching. For example, as shown in FIG.
In the case where the boundary line 16 is provided with a lane display (solid line) indicating prohibition of lane change, the lane change is impossible.

The second condition is that there is no vehicle running in parallel with the subject vehicle in the lane to which the vehicle approaches. This is, for example, the relative distance between another vehicle and the other vehicle traveling in the side and rear of the other vehicle, particularly the own vehicle, obtained by the CCD camera 1, and the traveling lane in which these other vehicles travel and the traveling lane of the own vehicle. Judgment is made based on the positional relationship of the lane to which the vehicle approaches.

That is, for example, as shown in FIG.
When 9 runs side by side with the own vehicle in the traveling lane 20
When the relative distance between the other vehicle 19 and the own vehicle is within the predetermined distance (in FIG. 5, the case where the other vehicle 19 is within the predetermined distance is shown), the lane may be changed to the traveling lane 20 at the approach destination. Difficult and clearly judged to have a risk of collision or rear-end collision or contact. Here, the predetermined distance may be set as a range by a horizontal radius value starting from a predetermined center position of the own vehicle, or a CCD for photographing the side of the own vehicle.
The range may be set by the viewing angle of the camera by installing the camera.

However, the other vehicle is not judged when it is driving in the lane other than the traveling lane of the entry destination with respect to the traveling lane of the own vehicle. That is, for example, as shown in FIG.
However, even if the vehicle travels within a predetermined distance relative to the own vehicle, the traveling lane 22 in which the other vehicle 21 travels is the traveling lane 20 in which the own vehicle is about to enter the traveling lane of the own vehicle.
Since it is located on the opposite side, it is not judged as a dangerous vehicle for lane change for the time being.

Further, the third condition is that the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and another vehicle traveling forward and backward in the lane of the approach destination is longer than the braking distance. Here, the braking distance refers to a braking distance with respect to the traveling speed of the own vehicle with respect to another vehicle traveling in the lane of the approach destination, and with respect to another vehicle traveling behind in the lane of the entry destination. Is the braking distance with respect to the traveling speed of another vehicle. The traveling speed of the other vehicle is obtained by adding the relative speeds of the own vehicle and the other vehicle behind it to the traveling speed of the own vehicle. The size of the image of the other vehicle captured by the mounted CCD camera 1 can be detected by the number of pixels, and can be determined by the change in the number of pixels per unit time.

When all of the three conditions described above are satisfied, the navigation CPU 4 judges that the circumstance of the running vehicle can be changed for the time being,
Move to step S14. In step S14, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the right turn display 12 is displayed on the display screen together with the positions of the surrounding vehicles, and the speaker 10 is turned on.
Change the lane to the driver by outputting a voice guidance such as "You need to change lanes at the intersection A 200 meters ahead because you are turning right. Be careful of the cars in front and behind and change to the right lane beforehand." Control to announce instructions.

On the other hand, if any of the three conditions is not satisfied in step S14, the navigation CPU 4 determines that the lane change is impossible, and proceeds to step S15. For example, in step S15, if the first condition of the above-mentioned three conditions is not satisfied, that is, if the boundary line between the currently traveling lane and the lane to which the vehicle is approaching is not a lane in which the lane can be changed, On the display screen, the corresponding boundary line is switched and displayed by using a predetermined display pattern, color, or blinking to visually characterize the boundary line and distinguish it from other boundary lines, or to display a target intersection (for example, A Depending on the distance to the waypoint corresponding to
It is necessary to change lanes because you turn right at the intersection A ahead, but it is not possible to change lanes now.
Keep driving until you can change lanes. "
Or, "You're too close to the intersection to change lanes. You can't turn right. Change your target route. You can go straight to the next B intersection and turn right. Be careful of changing lanes by then Please output the voice guidance such as "Please tell me."

If the second and third conditions are not satisfied in step S15, that is, the boundary line between the currently traveling lane and the lane to which the vehicle is approaching, the lane can be changed. When the vehicles run side by side or the braking distance is not in a satisfactory state, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, another dangerous vehicle 19 which is within a predetermined distance of the own vehicle and does not satisfy the above-mentioned condition 19
Is switched on and displayed on the display screen by using a predetermined display pattern, a color, or blinking that represents an obstacle, to be visually characterized, and for the time being, can be distinguished from other vehicles 21 that are not dangerous for the time being, or can be targeted. Depending on the distance to the waypoint corresponding to the intersection (for example, A intersection), the speaker 10 says, "You need to change lanes because you are turning right at the A intersection 200 m ahead, but the car is approaching. It is controlled to output a voice guidance such as "Danger." To notify the driver.

In the operation flow chart of the present embodiment, after each of the notification steps of steps S4, S7, S8, S14 and S15 is executed, the process proceeds to step S1 again, and appropriately and appropriately according to the situation around the vehicle. It is configured to provide various information. In addition, the operation of FIG.
In accordance with the driver's driving skill, for example, a voice notification or display display alone can be selected by a display selection switch connected to the device as shown in FIG.
It is also possible to select a wide area road map and an enlarged intersection map on the display.

Next, a specific method for detecting the road lane and the road boundary line ahead of the own vehicle in step S2 will be described in more detail based on the surrounding image taken in step S1 of FIG. First, in step S1,
The CCD camera 1 installed in front of the vehicle captures the front of the vehicle and obtains an image of the front. This front image is represented by the image coordinates of the CCD camera 1. The front image represented by the image coordinates is binarized by a predetermined threshold value in the image processing unit 2, and is further converted from the image coordinates to the road coordinates.

FIG. 7 shows the vehicle front information represented by the image coordinates and road coordinates of the front image captured by the CCD camera 1, and FIG. 7A shows the vehicle front information represented by the image coordinates.
(B) is the front information of the own vehicle, which is represented by converting the image information of (a) into road coordinates. The coordinate axes x and y in FIG. 7A are C
Along the light-receiving surface of the CD camera 1, the reference axes in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle are respectively shown, and the coordinate axis X in FIG.
Z represents the reference axes in the left-right direction and the front-back direction of the vehicle with respect to the CCD camera 1. The coordinate axes x and y in FIG. 7A are corrected by predetermined coefficients, respectively, and the coordinate axes in FIG.
Since it is converted into the coordinate axes X and Z of, the front road photographed by the CCD camera 1 is expressed as a plan view seen from above the CCD camera 1 in the vertical direction.

Next, the image processing unit 2 analyzes the direction, position, and shape of the object from the obtained image coordinates and road coordinates, compares them with the pattern image of the road lane stored in advance, and determines the road lane and the road boundary line. Extract only objects that are equal to. In the extraction, the color of the lane (white or yellow) may be identified and extracted based on the color signal (RGB) levels of the pixels of the CCD camera 1 forming the object. The detection of the surrounding vehicles in step S12 is also applied to the vehicle, and the relative distance from the own vehicle is also detected from the position of the pixel where the vehicle is located. The driving support device according to the present embodiment operates as described above, and accurately notifies the driver of information necessary for traveling in accordance with the surrounding conditions of the traveling vehicle to assist the driver in driving.

[0049]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, C
An image showing the surroundings of the vehicle is collected by a photographing means such as a CD camera, the traveling lane in which the vehicle is located and the number of lanes of the road are detected, and the position of the vehicle is detected by GPS or the like. It Also, CD-ROM
The route information regarding the waypoints and bends on the target traveling route set corresponding to the database recording the map information such as is stored in the RAM or the like, and the notification information control means, the current position of the own vehicle, the traveling lane, The notification information and the notification timing of the notification information are controlled based on the number of lanes on the road, route information, and the like. The selected notification information is notified by, for example, a notification means such as a display or a speaker, so that appropriate driving support associated with the route information becomes possible, and only the information necessary for traveling on the route can be accurately obtained.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the notification information control means, based on the detected driving lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle and the route information according to the detected current position,
Since it is determined whether or not the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, the driver can change the lane in advance according to the set route and avoid the danger on the traveling route including the waypoint. Therefore, a traffic accident such as a collision or a rear-end collision can be prevented in advance.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the notification information control means further determines that the vehicle has passed a road junction just before the target waypoint, and the determination result is detected. Since it is determined whether or not the lane of the host vehicle needs to be changed based on the traveling lanes and the number of lanes of the host vehicle and the route information corresponding to the detected current position, the driver erroneously determines whether the lane of the previous intersection is changed. You will not be able to enter the lane for turning right.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, when the notification information control means determines that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, at least the lane of the own vehicle that is running,
Since the type of the boundary line located between the approaching heavy line is determined, the driver can accurately determine whether or not the traveling vehicle is in a lane changeable state.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the notification information control means is further provided with a third detection means for detecting another vehicle located in the vicinity of the own vehicle based on the image photographed by the photographing means. When it is determined that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, it is further determined based on the third detecting means whether or not another vehicle is present in the lane to which the vehicle is approaching. Recognizing that the lane change is necessary for the own vehicle that is running to correctly advance the target travel route, and when changing the lane in advance to secure the lane to which the vehicle at the target waypoint should advance in advance, It is possible to confirm the dangerous state of the lane at the approach destination, avoid the danger of changing lanes, and prevent traffic accidents such as collisions and rear-end collisions.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G08G 1/0969 G08G 1/16 C 1/16 G09B 29/00 A G09B 29/00 G06F 15/62 380 (72) Inventor Yoshiaki Matsumoto 25 Nishimachi, Yamada, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture 1 Pioneer Co., Ltd., Kawagoe Factory (72) Inventor Hiroshi Sato 25 Nishimachi, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture 1 Kawagoe Factory, Pioneer Co., Ltd. ( 72) Inventor Masaki Kurihara 25-1 Nishimachi, Yamada, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture Pioneer Co., Ltd. Kawagoe Factory

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A photographing means for photographing the surrounding condition of the own vehicle; a first detecting means for detecting a traveling lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle based on an image photographed by the photographing means; Second detection means for detecting the current position of the vehicle, a database that stores map information, and route information relating to the position of a waypoint on the route along which the host vehicle should travel and bends set in correspondence with the database A route information holding unit that holds the detected current position, the detected lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle, the held route information, and the map information, based on the notification information and the notification. A driving assistance device comprising: a notification information control unit that selects a notification timing of information; and a notification unit that notifies the selected notification information. 2. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the notification information control unit is configured to detect the traveling lane and the number of lanes of the own vehicle, and the route information according to the detected current position, It is characterized by determining whether or not the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed. 3. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the notification information control unit further determines that a road branch point just before a target waypoint has been passed, and the determination result and the detection result. From the traveled lanes and the number of lanes of the own vehicle, and the route information according to the detected current position,
It is characterized by determining whether or not the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed. 4. The driving support device according to claim 2, wherein, when the notification information control unit determines that it is necessary to change the lane of the own vehicle, at least the lane of the own vehicle that is running, It is characterized in that the type of the boundary line located between the lane and the approach destination is determined. 5. The driving support device according to claim 2, 3 or 4, further comprising a third detection means for detecting another vehicle located around the own vehicle based on an image taken by the imaging means. When the notification information control unit determines that the lane of the own vehicle needs to be changed, the notification information control unit further determines whether or not another vehicle exists in the lane of the approach destination based on the third detection unit. It is characterized by