JPH09318740A - Obstacle recognizing apparatus for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an obstacle recognizing apparatus which enables accurate selection of a truly necessary target alone when selecting a new target. SOLUTION: A one-dimensional distance data for expressing an obstacle as point set is received (101) to recognize a set of proximity points allowing integration as segment (line) (103). Where there is a segment not corresponding to the obstacle stored as target Bi previously recognized (112:YES), a target Bk is generated anew within a range in which the total of the targets is within a specified value with respect to the segment (114). In the generation of the new target Bk, a processing is executed to preferentially exclude segments Sj separated across the width of a vehicle. This enables sure selection of anything truly posing an obstacle for own vehicle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention uses radar means for sweeping and irradiating a transmission wave around a vehicle to detect a reflected wave.
The present invention relates to a vehicle obstacle recognition device that recognizes obstacles around a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, over a predetermined angle around a vehicle,
For example, an obstacle recognizing device for a vehicle which recognizes an obstacle around the vehicle by sweeping and irradiating a transmission wave such as a light wave or a millimeter wave and detecting a reflected wave thereof has been considered. This type of device is applied to, for example, a device that detects an obstacle such as a preceding vehicle and issues an alarm, or a device that controls the vehicle speed so as to maintain a predetermined inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle. Those that recognize obstacles such as.

Further, in this type of device, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
In JP-A-318652, when an obstacle is recognized as a segment and there is a segment which does not correspond to the obstacle previously recognized and stored as a target, the total number of targets for the segment is within a predetermined value. A new target is created within a range, and it has been proposed to select the new target in order from the one closest to the vehicle.
This simplifies the process of determining whether the recognized obstacle is the same as the previously recognized obstacle.

[0004]

However, in the invention described in the above-mentioned prior art, since the new targets are simply selected in order from those which are close to the vehicle, there are the following problems. . That is, since the existing position of the new target with respect to the vehicle is not considered at all, even if the target is separated in the vehicle width direction and does not become an obstacle for the vehicle, if it is close to the vehicle, it will be in front of the vehicle. In some cases, it may be selected in preference to other targets that are located.

Therefore, the present invention has been made for the purpose of providing an obstacle recognizing device for a vehicle capable of surely selecting only a truly necessary target in selecting a new target.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the technical means according to claim 1 is adopted. According to this technical means, when the radar means sweeps and radiates the transmitted wave over a predetermined angle around the vehicle and detects the reflected wave, the point recognition means recognizes the obstacle as a point based on the detection result. Subsequently, the unifying means unifies the points recognized by the point recognizing means that are close to each other, and the line segment recognizing means has the integrated point set only in the width direction of the vehicle. Recognize as a line segment. When the line segment recognizing unit recognizes the line segment in excess of a predetermined number, the line segment eliminator includes a line segment excluding unit that preferentially excludes the line segment separated in the vehicle width direction when selecting the line segment.

As a result, it is possible to reliably extract the line segment that is truly necessary, that is, the line segment that is likely to cause an obstacle to the host vehicle. Furthermore, there is a certain upper limit to the number of obstacles such as preceding vehicles that appear in the sweep range of the radar means. When an obstacle is recognized beyond the upper limit, an unnecessary roadside object is detected in most cases. Therefore, if the predetermined number is set to be somewhat larger than the upper limit, it is possible to favorably prevent a situation such as overlooking an obstacle that requires recognition.

By adopting the technical means according to claim 2, the line segment recognized by the line segment recognizing means by the position estimating means and the identity determining means is the same as the line segment recognized in the past. It is determined whether or not. Further, when the line segment recognizing means recognizes more than a predetermined number of line segments, among the new line segments determined not to be the same as the line segments recognized in the past by the identity determining means, the width direction of the vehicle. A line segment excluding unit that preferentially excludes the line segments separated from each other from the target of position estimation and identity determination from the next time onward.

As a result, the number of obstacles which are determined to be the same as the line segment recognized in the past by the identity determining means and which are continuously tracked are limited to within the predetermined number. Therefore, the process of determining whether or not the recognized obstacle is the same as the previously recognized obstacle is simplified, and the processing speed in obstacle recognition can be improved. Further, since the line segment excluding means preferentially excludes line segments that are separated in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to reliably select only the target that is truly necessary when selecting a new line segment. Further, since the obstacle is recognized by the line segment, the required parameters can be reduced.

By adopting the technical means described in claim 3, the line segment excluding means recognizes the new line segments in order from the one separated in the vehicle width direction by the line segment recognizing means. Only the number obtained by subtracting the above-mentioned predetermined number from the number of minutes is excluded. That is, new line segments are excluded in order from those separated in the width direction of the vehicle, and the above-mentioned predetermined number is added together with the line segments that have been continuously recognized from the past. Therefore, an obstacle near the vehicle, which has a great influence on the safety of the vehicle, can be recognized better. Therefore, it is possible to secure the safety of the vehicle even if the predetermined number is set to be smaller, and the process of determining whether or not the recognized obstacle is the same as the one recognized in the past is further improved. It is simplified and the processing speed in obstacle recognition can be further improved.

Further, by adopting the technical means according to claim 4, since the line segment recognizing means does not recognize a point set having a length of a predetermined value or more in the front-back direction of the vehicle as a line segment, for example, a guard rail Such a long roadside object in the front-rear direction of the vehicle can be ignored. Therefore, the processing is further simplified, and the processing speed in obstacle recognition can be further improved.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration in which the present invention is applied to a vehicle control device 1. The vehicle control device 1 of the present embodiment detects a preceding vehicle by the scanning range finder 3 as radar means, and generates a warning sound when the preceding vehicle enters a predetermined warning range in front of the own vehicle. Either or both of the prevention control and the tracking traveling control for controlling the vehicle speed so as to keep the inter-vehicle distance at a predetermined value are executed according to the setting of a mode switch (not shown).

As shown in the figure, the detection signal of the scanning rangefinder 3 is input to the electronic control circuit 5. Based on the input detection signal, the electronic control circuit 5 recognizes the preceding vehicle as described later, and outputs a drive signal to the distance indicator 7 to display the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle. When rear-end collision prevention control is selected and the preceding vehicle is within the warning range,
The electronic control circuit 5 outputs a drive signal to the alarm sound generator 9 to generate an alarm sound. Further, an alarm volume setting device 11 and an alarm sensitivity setting device 13 are connected to the electronic control circuit 5, and the volume of the alarm sound and the alarm sensitivity can be set.

Further, the electronic control circuit 5 controls the vehicle speed at the time of selecting the tracking control by automatically controlling the throttle driver 15 for driving the throttle valve, the brake driver 17 for driving the brake, and the automatic transmission. The drive signal is also output to the shift controller 19. The electronic control circuit 5 also includes a vehicle speed sensor 21 that outputs a signal corresponding to the vehicle speed, a brake switch 23 that outputs a signal corresponding to the operating state of the brake, and a throttle opening that outputs a signal corresponding to the opening of the throttle valve. It is connected to the frequency sensor 25 and receives data necessary for the above various controls. Further, the electronic control circuit 5 is connected to a power supply switch 27 that supplies power from a power supply circuit (not shown) in conjunction with the operation of a key switch, and a sensor abnormality indicator 29 that notifies the abnormality of each of the sensors 21 to 25. The drive signal is also output to.

Next, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the scanning range finder 3. The scanning range finder 3 is configured as follows with the transmission / reception section 31 and the calculation section 33 as main parts. As shown in FIG. 2, the transmitter / receiver 31 emits a pulsed laser beam H through a scan mirror 35 and a light emitting lens 37, and a semiconductor laser diode (hereinafter simply referred to as a laser diode) 39 and an obstacle (not shown). A light receiving element 43 that receives the laser beam H reflected by the object through the light receiving lens 41 and outputs a voltage corresponding to the intensity thereof is provided.

The laser diode 39 is connected to the arithmetic unit 33 via a drive circuit 45, and emits (emits) a laser beam H in response to a drive signal from the arithmetic unit 33. Further, a mirror 47 is provided on the scan mirror 35 so as to be swingable about a vertical axis, and a drive signal from the arithmetic unit 33 is supplied to the motor drive unit 4.
When input through 9, the mirror 47 swings by the driving force of a motor (not shown). Then, the laser light H is swept toward the front of the vehicle over a predetermined angle.

On the other hand, the output voltage of the light receiving element 43 is input to the variable gain amplifier 53 after being amplified to a predetermined level via the preamplifier 51. The variable gain amplifier 53 is a D / A
The operation unit 33 is connected to the operation unit 33 via the converter 55.
The input voltage is amplified according to the gain instructed by and output to the comparator 57. Comparator 57
Compares the output voltage V of the variable gain amplifier 53 with a predetermined voltage V0, and when V> V0, inputs a predetermined light receiving signal to the time measuring circuit 61.

The drive signal output from the arithmetic unit 33 to the drive circuit 45 is also input to the time measuring circuit 61, the input time difference between the drive signal and the light receiving signal is measured, and the value is input to the arithmetic unit 33. To do. Then, the calculation unit 33 calculates the distance and direction to the obstacle based on this input time difference and the swing angle of the mirror 47 at that time. The output voltage V of the variable gain amplifier 53 is also input to the peak hold circuit 63, and the peak hold circuit 63 inputs the maximum value of the output voltage V to the calculation unit 33.

After calculating the distance and the direction to the obstacle in this way, the arithmetic unit 33 inputs the calculation result (hereinafter referred to as one-dimensional distance data) to the electronic control circuit 5. Then, the electronic control circuit 5 recognizes the obstacle as follows. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a main routine of obstacle recognition processing executed by the electronic control circuit 5. In addition,
The electronic control circuit 5 executes this processing every 0.2 seconds.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the process is started, first, at step 101, the one-dimensional distance data is received from the arithmetic unit 33, and the data is subjected to a predetermined conversion to determine the position of the obstacle as a rectangular coordinate. Recognize above. Here, since the laser diode 39 emits light each time the mirror 47 swings by a predetermined angle, the irradiation direction of the laser light H also has a predetermined angle (for example, 0.5).
°) discontinuously set. Therefore, the obstacle recognized at this time is recognized as a discontinuous point, as illustrated by points P1 to P6 in FIG.

In the following step 103, step 101
Among the points recognized in step 1, adjacent points are integrated and recognized as a line segment having only the length in the width direction of the vehicle.
Here, “proximity” may be defined by various conditions, but in the present embodiment, the interval in the X-axis direction, that is, the width direction of the vehicle is equal to or less than the irradiation interval of the laser light H, and the Y-axis direction, That is, the case where the distance in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is less than 3.0 m is set. In the example of FIG. 4A, for example, the point P1
, P2 in the X-axis direction is less than the irradiation interval, and the Y-axis interval ΔY12 is smaller than 3.0 m. Therefore, points P1 and P2 can be integrated. On the other hand, the distance ΔY34 between the points P3 and P4 in the Y-axis direction is 3.0.
The points P3 and P4 cannot be integrated because they are larger than m. In this embodiment, eight line segments are stored in the RAM (not shown) of the electronic control circuit 5.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the points (P1 to P3, and P4 to P) at which such integration is possible are performed.
The width W1, W from the leftmost end to the rightmost end of the set 6)
Recognize as segments (line segments) S1 and S2 having 2. Each point has a width corresponding to the irradiation interval of the laser light H. At this time, the segment S1,
The position of S2 in the Y-axis direction is set at each point P1 to P3 or P4.
Set by averaging Y coordinates of P6. In the electronic control circuit 5, each of the segments S1 and S2 has its center coordinate (X
1, Y1), (X2, Y2), and parameters of widths W1 and W2 are defined to perform various calculations to be described later. If a set of points that can be integrated exists for 6 m or more in the Y-axis direction, all the data of each point is discarded without recognizing the set of points as a segment. Also,
When there are nine or more line segments, the one with the largest absolute value of the X coordinate of the center position is deleted in order to make eight.

In the following step 105, 1 is substituted for the variable i and the process proceeds to step 107. In step 107, it is determined whether or not the target Bi exists. Target Bi
(I is a natural number) is a model of an obstacle created for a set of segments by the process described later. Since the target Bi has not been created at the time of starting, a negative determination is made and the process proceeds to step 111.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step 107 that the target Bi exists (YES), the process proceeds to step 121, and the segment corresponding to the target Bi is detected.
Here, the segment corresponding to the target Bi is defined as follows. As illustrated in FIG. 5, first, the target Bi
Is assumed to have moved from the position Bi (n-1) at the time of the previous processing at the relative speed (VX, VY) at the time of the previous processing, the estimated position Bi at which the current target Bi will be present.
(N) is calculated. Subsequently, an estimated movement range BB having a width of a predetermined amount ΔX, ΔY in the X-axis and Y-axis directions is set around the estimated position Bi (n). Then, the segment SSa that covers the estimated movement range BB as little as possible corresponds to the target Bi, and the segment SSb that does not cover at all as little as it does. The predetermined amounts ΔX and ΔY are set as follows.・ When the target Bi is in an undecided state (Fi = 0): ΔX = 2.5 m, ΔY = 5.0 m ・ When the target Bi is in the recognized state (Fi = 1) and less than 6 cycles after appearance: Δ X = 2.0 m, ΔY = 4.0 m ・ When the target Bi is in the recognition state (Fi = 1) and appears for 6 cycles or more, and when the target B i is the extrapolation state (Fi = 2) : ΔX = 1.5 m, ΔY = 3.0 m Here, the undecided state is a newly appearing target, and the relative speed is not calculated, and the recognition state is the stop due to the relative speed. It is a state that distinguishes between moving objects and moving objects, and the extrapolation state is the state where there is no corresponding segment in moving objects (the current position is estimated from the position before being lost and the relative speed, and it is supplementing for a certain period of time) ), And changes each state according to the degree of recognition of the target.

At this time, there may be a case where a plurality of segments that fall within the estimated movement range BB are detected. At this time, one segment is selected as follows and that segment is made the corresponding segment. FIG. 6 (A)
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a method of selecting a corresponding segment from N segments SS that are in the estimated movement range BB. First, N segments SS are numbered SS1, SS2, ..., SSN sequentially from the leftmost one. Then, from that, SS1, SS1 + INT (N + 1/4),
Select five segments: SSINT (N + 1/2), SSN-INT (N + 1/4), SSN. Here, the subscript INT (N + 1
/ 4) and the like mean INT {(N + 1) / 4} and the like, and INT is an integer part of a numerical value in parentheses (integer).
It is an operation symbol representing r). For example, if N = 10, INT (11/4) = INT (2.75) = 2 INT (11/2) = INT (5.5) = 5, and SS1, SS3, SS5, SS8, SS10 Select. Next, the five selected segments SS1 to S
Based on SN, six candidates K1 to K6 as shown in FIG. 6A are created. That is, the candidate K1 is composed of only the segment SS1 and the candidate K2 is composed of the segment SS1 +.
INT (N + 1/4) to SSN-INT (N + 1/4), candidate K3 is only segment SSN, and candidate K4 is segment SS1 to SSIN
At T (N + 1/2), candidate K5 is segment SSINT (N + 1/2) ~ S
At SN, the candidate K6 is composed of all of the segments SS1 to SSN.

Then, the segment S of each candidate K1 to K6
S is integrated in the same manner as in the merge processing described above, and its center coordinates and width are compared with the center coordinates and width of the estimated position Bi (n) of the target Bi described above, and their deviations ΔX, ΔY, Δ are compared. W is evaluated by the following evaluation function A. αΔX + βΔY + γΔW Here, the coefficients α, β, and γ can be set variously according to the characteristics of the scanning range finder 3 and the like, but in this embodiment, α = β = γ = 1. . Then, a candidate (one of K1 to K6) that minimizes the value of this evaluation function is selected, and its center coordinates and width are set as the center coordinates and width of the corresponding segment. For example, when the candidate K4 is selected in FIG. 6A, the segment SSS is set as the corresponding segment. Further, after selecting the corresponding segment SSS, it is assumed that all other segments SS that have been in the estimated movement range BB are not supported. With this method, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the line segment (segment) recognized in step 103 and the line segment (segment) recognized in the past are the same.

The number of corresponding segments is 2 or more and 4
In the following cases, six candidates can be similarly created by allowing the five segments SS1 to SSN to overlap. For example, when N = 3, INT {(N +
1) / 4} = 1, INT {(N + 1) / 2} = 2, and the above five segments are SS1, SS2, S
S2, SS2, SS3 can be selected. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, the candidate K2 is only the segment SS2, and the candidate K4 is the segments SS1 and SS2.
Then, the candidate K5 is composed of the segments SS2 and SS3, respectively.

In the following step 123, the updating process of the target Bi described below is executed according to the presence or absence of the corresponding segment, etc., and the variable i is incremented in step 125, and then the process proceeds to step 107. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a target data update routine for updating the target Bi. When the processing is started, first in step 201, it is judged whether or not the corresponding segment is detected in the previous step 121. If it is detected (YES), it is determined that the target Bi is in the recognized state, and the state flag Fi is set to 1 in step 203. In subsequent steps 205 and 207, the pear counter Cni that counts the number of times that the segment corresponding to the target Bi does not exist is reset, and the ant counter Cai that counts the number of times that the corresponding segment exists is incremented. Further, in the following step 209, the data of the target Bi is updated using the data of the corresponding segment, and then the process returns to the main routine.

The data update of the target Bi will be described in more detail. As described above, the corresponding segment has center coordinate and width data. This data (Xs,
Ys) and Ws, the new center coordinates and width of the target Bi are also (Xs, Ys) and Ws, like the corresponding segment. In addition, the new relative speed (V
x, VY) is represented by the following equation. That is, the updating process is performed by setting the corresponding segment as the one corresponding to the same obstacle as the target Bi.

[0030]

[Equation 1]

However, (Xk, Yk) is the oldest of the past center coordinate data of the target Bi (as described above, the data stored in the target Bi is the maximum four times before), dt is the elapsed time from the measurement of the central coordinate data. When there is no segment corresponding to the target Bi (step 201: NO), the process proceeds to step 211, and it is determined whether or not the state flag Fi of the target Bi is set to 2 and represents the extrapolation state. To do. Since Fi = 0 or 1 when the process first moves to this step, a negative determination is made and the process moves to step 213. Here, it is determined whether or not the value of the ant counter Cai is 6 or more, and if Cai <6 (NO), the process proceeds to step 215 to erase all the data regarding the target Bi and return to the main routine. To do. That is, while the segment corresponding to the target Bi is detected, the processing of steps 201 to 209 is repeated and the ant counter Cai also gradually increases (step 207), but when the target Bi is lost within 6 cycles ( Step 213: Y
ES) deletes the data regarding the target Bi. By this processing, the data of the target Bi detected temporarily can be erased, and the unnecessary data of the roadside object can be removed to more accurately recognize the obstacle (target Bi).

If Cai ≧ 6 (YES) is determined in step 213, that is, if the target Bi is lost after being tracked for 6 cycles or more, the process proceeds to step 221 and the target B is detected.
The state flag Fi is set to 2 because i is the extrapolation state. In the following step 225, the pear counter Cni is incremented. Further, in the following step 227,
It is determined whether the pear counter Cni has reached 5 or more. If Cni <5, a negative decision is made and the routine proceeds to step 229 where the data of the target Bi is updated with the calculated value and the routine returns to the main routine. That is, the relative velocity (VX,
VY), and the width W is unchanged, the target B
The center coordinates (X, Y) of i are calculated.

In this way, when the target Bi is lost after being tracked for 6 cycles or more, the target Bi is extrapolated (Fi = 2).
Then, the data of the subsequent target Bi is updated with the calculated value (step 229). Also, at this time, step 22
The process directly shifts from 1 to step 225, and the pear counter Cn
i is gradually incremented. When Cni ≧ 5, that is, when the target Bi is lost for five cycles or more in succession, the process proceeds to step 215 described above and the data regarding the target Bi is erased. Through the above processing, even if the obstacle (target Bi) whose presence is confirmed by tracing for 6 cycles or more is temporarily lost, if it is found again (step 201:
YES) You can continue to track as the same obstacle. As described above, in the present embodiment, for the target Bi that has been recognized continuously for a predetermined period or more, even if the target Bi is once lost, the data update with the calculated value is continued for a predetermined period. Therefore, even if the reflected light from the obstacle is temporarily undetected due to some influence, the obstacle can be satisfactorily tracked. Further, when the obstacle is continuously lost for a predetermined period of time or more, the obstacle is treated as having disappeared, erroneous detection can be satisfactorily prevented, and the load on the electronic control circuit 5 can be reduced. Therefore, the processing speed and accuracy of obstacle recognition can be further improved.

Returning to FIG. 3, this step 107, 12
When the data of all the targets Bi (i = 1, 2, ...) Is updated by the loop composed of 1,123,125, the target Bi corresponding to the variable i incremented in step 125 finally exists. Disappear. Then, step 10
A negative determination is made in step 7, and the process proceeds to step 111. Here, returning to the description of the main routine, following the processing of step 107, in step 111, 1 is assigned to the segment variable j, and the routine proceeds to step 112.

In this step 112, the segment Sj
It is determined whether (j = 1, 2 ...) Is present and the target Bi (i = 1, 2 ...) corresponding to the segment Sj is also present. Then, in step 112, the target Bi having the segment Sj and corresponding to the segment Sj is
If it is determined that there is not, the process proceeds to step 113. Since the target Bi is not created at step 107 at the time of starting, a negative determination is made and the process proceeds to step 113.

Next, in step 113, the segment S
It is determined whether or not j satisfies the new target condition described below. The first condition is that the number of targets Bi recognized in step 107 is less than a predetermined number (for example, four in the present embodiment), and the second condition is recognized in step 107. Even if the number of target objects Bi is a predetermined number, the target object Bi must be in an undetermined state or extrapolated state as described above. The first and second conditions When either one of the above is satisfied, it is determined that the new target condition is satisfied, and the process proceeds to step 114. Here, the purpose of the first condition is that, when the number of recognized targets Bi is less than a predetermined number and the unused targets Bi exist,
This is because the segment Sj is registered in this unused target Bi. The purpose of the second condition is to replace the target Bi with the segment Sj when there is an undetermined state or an extrapolated state among the recognized targets Bi. At the time of starting, in step 107, the target Bi
Is not created, the first condition is met if the segment Sj exists, and the routine proceeds to step 114.

Here, the predetermined number (4 in this embodiment)
Is set as follows. There is usually an upper limit to the number of obstacles such as preceding vehicles that appear within the above-described predetermined angle at which the laser beam H is swept and irradiated. When an obstacle is recognized beyond the upper limit, unnecessary roadside objects are detected in most cases. Therefore, if the predetermined value is set to be somewhat larger than the upper limit thereof, the above-mentioned rear-end collision prevention control and tracking traveling control are executed only by monitoring obstacles recognized as the target Bi within the predetermined number. You can do it.

Next, in step 114, step 11
In step 3, the segment Sj satisfying the new target is sequentially created as a new target Bk (K: any of 1 to 4), and the segment variable j is incremented in step 115. It is determined whether or not the above-described steps 112 to 115 have been executed for each segment Sj, and if so, the process proceeds to step 117, and if not, the process returns to step 112, and steps 112 to 112 The processing of 115 is repeated.

The details of the processing in step 114 will be described below. First, the creation of the new target Bk at the time of starting will be described. Since the target Bi does not exist at the time of starting, when the segment S1 exists, S
Create 1 as a new target B1. Next Step 116
When the segment S2 is present by the return process by S.sub.2, S2 is created as a new target B2. By repeating this process, when the number of existing segments is four or less, the corresponding new targets (B1 to B4) are generated.
) Is created. In addition, each target is in an undecided state. Further, a case where there are five or more segments will be described. For segment S5, this segment S5
Of the evaluation function value F (X, Y) (described later in detail) of at least one of the four newly created target objects B1 to B4 is less than the evaluation function value F (X, Y). It is judged whether or not it is lower than the four new targets B1 to B4.
Among them, the one that maximizes the evaluation function value F (X, Y), for example, B3 is deleted, and the segment S5 is created as a new target B3. That is, the new target Bk (k: 1 to 4) is replaced using the evaluation function value F (X, Y). The new target B3 thus created is also in an undecided state. On the other hand, if the segment S5 does not fall below the evaluation function values F (X, Y) of the new targets B1 to B4, the segment S5 is not adopted as the new target. After that, this process is repeated up to the maximum of segment S8, and as a result, the predetermined number (4)
The new targets B1 to B4 will be registered.

Here, the evaluation function value F (X, Y) indicates an index of whether or not the target Bi is a truly necessary target Bi, that is, the target Bi that is an obstacle to the own vehicle. It is calculated by the following equation 2. This evaluation function value F (X, Y)
Is likely to be an obstacle to your vehicle,
The evaluation function value F (X, Y) becomes small, and the evaluation function value F (X, Y) becomes large when the possibility of an obstacle is low.

[0041]

[Equation 2]

However, the X coordinate is the distance (m) in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle, the Y coordinate is the distance (m) in the traveling direction of the host vehicle,
(X, Y) indicates the center coordinates of the target Bi. Further, in order to prevent the divergence of the evaluation function F (X, Y), Y <1
At 0, Y = 10 is substituted. This formula 2 is 2
A dimension map is shown in FIG. As is clear from this figure, the evaluation function value F (X, Y) given by the above equation 1 can be obtained even if the distance from the host vehicle is equal.
It is specified that the evaluation function value F (X, Y) increases as the distance from the vehicle in the vehicle width direction increases (the possibility of becoming an obstacle is low). It should be noted that the formula 2 is not limited to this and can be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Next, step 114 when the target Bi is already recognized by executing the main routine.
Creation of the new target Bk will be described using the following example. Two recognized targets and one extrapolated target
In the case where there are one, an unused target, and two segments Sj having no corresponding target, first, a new target Bk is created for the first segment Sj having no corresponding target.
As a result, the total sum of the targets reaches the predetermined number (4).
The new target Bk is in an undecided state. Subsequently, in the second segment Sj having no corresponding target Bi, the evaluation function value F (X, Y) of this segment Sj is the new target Bk.
It is determined whether or not it falls below at least one evaluation function value F (X, Y) of the (undetermined state target) or the extrapolated state target, and if it falls below, a new target Bk or extrapolation is performed. Among the targets in the state, the one that maximizes the evaluation function value F (X, Y) is deleted, and the second segment Sj is replaced with the new target B.
Create as k. In addition, this created new target Bk
Is also undecided. On the other hand, if it does not fall below the evaluation function value F (X, Y), the second segment Sj is not adopted as a new target. Thereafter, this process is repeated until there is no segment Sj without the corresponding target Bi.

Here, each new target Bk has the following data. That is, the central coordinates (X, Y), the width W, the relative velocities VX and VY in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the data of the past four times of the central coordinates (X, Y), and the state flag Fk. Then, at the time of creating the new target Bk, the above respective data are set as follows. As the center coordinates (X, Y) and the width W, the center coordinates and the width of the segment are used as they are. In addition, VX = 0, VY = -1 / 2 times the vehicle speed, data for the past four times is set to empty, and Fj = 0 is set. The state flag Fk is a flag indicating whether the state of the new target Bk is an undecided state, a recognized state, or an extrapolated state, and Fk in each state.
= 0, 1, or 2 (definition of each state is omitted because it has already been described).

Next, in step 117, two targets Bm and Bn which meet the following merge condition are converted into one target Bm.
Then, the processing is ended once. That is, the merge conditions are the following five conditions. . The target Bm on the merging side is in the recognition state (Fm = 1), and has been recognized for 6 cycles or more after the appearance. . The target Bn on the side to be merged is in the recognized state (Fn = 1). . The length from the leftmost end to the rightmost end of the two targets Bm and Bn, that is, the width Wm after merging is 3.0 m or less as described later. . The difference in the Y-axis direction of the center coordinates is within 3.0 m. Relative speed VY difference is 3.0km
Within / h. In addition, this condition is that two reflectors (rear reflectors) provided on one vehicle are connected to individual targets Bm,
When recognized as Bn, it is a suitable condition for combining the targets Bm and Bn together later. When this condition is satisfied, the width of the segment of each of the targets Bm and Bn from the leftmost end to the rightmost end and the Y coordinate of the center is the two targets B.
Assuming a segment having an average value in which the Y coordinates of m and Bn are weighted by the widths Wm and Wn, the width and center coordinates are newly set to the width Wm and center coordinates (Xm, Ym) of the target Bm.
And Further, the relative speed, the data of the past four times, and the state flag Fm are the target B on the merging side.
The one of m is used as it is. Further, all the data of the target Bn on the side to be merged is deleted. By this processing, one target Bm can be created for one preceding vehicle.

The vehicle control device 1 of the present embodiment described above
Then, the effects listed below can be obtained. In this embodiment,
It is possible to favorably determine whether or not the obstacle recognized as a segment is the same as the target Bi recognized in the past. Therefore, the relative speed (VX, VY) of the obstacle corresponding to the target Bi with respect to the own vehicle can be accurately calculated. Therefore, for example, the following processing makes it possible to accurately determine whether the obstacle is moving or stopped. That is, the target Bi is -V
Y> own vehicle speed x 0.7 or VY + own vehicle speed ≤ 10 km
When the condition of / h is satisfied, it is determined that the obstacle recognized by the target Bi is in a stopped state. Further, the target Bi once judged to be in a stopped state is -VY <vehicle speed x 0.5 and VY + vehicle speed> 20.
When the condition of km / h 2 is satisfied, the judgment that the obstacle recognized by the target Bi is moving is changed. By such processing, it is possible to favorably prevent various erroneous detections such as detecting a stationary object as a traveling vehicle.

In this embodiment, the obstacle is recognized as a segment (line segment) having only the width. For this reason, the parameters necessary to grasp an obstacle are small, such as the center coordinate and the width, and the estimation of the position where the obstacle should be recognized next and the control of the vehicle for the obstacle are simplified. can do. In the present embodiment, when a set of points that can be integrated exists for 6 m or more in the vehicle front-rear direction (Y-axis direction), the data of each point is acquired without recognizing the set of points as a segment. Discard all. Therefore, for example, a roadside object that is long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, such as a guardrail, can be ignored. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the processing by the loop including steps 107, 121, 123, and 125, reduce the load on the electronic control circuit 5, and improve the processing speed and accuracy in obstacle recognition satisfactorily.

In the present embodiment, the number of the targets Bi is limited to the predetermined value or less, so that the step 1
The processing by the loop consisting of 07, 121, 123, and 125 can be simplified to reduce the load on the electronic control circuit 5, and the processing speed and accuracy in obstacle recognition can be further improved. Moreover, when the segment without the corresponding target Bi is recognized, the target Bj is created in order from the line segments separated from each other in the width direction of the vehicle for each segment (step 114). Can be reliably selected and can be recognized better. Therefore, the safety of the vehicle can be ensured even if the predetermined value is set smaller, and the processing by the loop can be further simplified. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the processing speed and accuracy in obstacle recognition.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, even if there are a plurality of segments SS determined to correspond to the target Bi, the identities of the respective segments SS1 to SSN can be compared. Since the segment SS or the candidate K determined to have high identity is regarded as the same as the target Bi recognized in the past, the processing is continued, so that the target Bi
The tracking of the obstacle corresponding to can be favorably continued. Also, in determining this identity, segment SS
Alternatively, since the identities are compared based on the center coordinates and the width of the candidate K, the identities can be more accurately compared with the case of comparing the identities with the target Bi based on only the center coordinates. it can. Therefore, it is possible to continue tracking the obstacle corresponding to the target Bi more accurately. In the above embodiment, step 101 is a point recognizing unit, step 103 is a process of integrating adjacent points to an integrating unit, and step 103 is a process of recognizing an integrated point as a line segment. The process of setting the estimated moving range BB in step 121 is performed by the position recognizing device in the recognition device, and the process of detecting the segment SS or the candidate K corresponding to the target object Bi in step 121 is performed by the identity determining device.
The process of selecting the corresponding segment SS or the candidate K by the evaluation function A of 1 is performed by the identity comparing means in step 11
The process of preferentially excluding the segment Sj separated in the vehicle width direction of No. 4 is the process corresponding to the line segment deleting means. Various other methods can be considered as a method of setting the estimated range BB and a method of comparing the identities of the segments. Furthermore, the scanning range finder 3 of the present embodiment
In the above, the laser beam H is swept and radiated to detect an obstacle. However, radar means for radiating various transmission waves such as millimeter waves can be applied to the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a scanning range finder of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a main routine of obstacle recognition processing of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a segmentation method in the obstacle recognition processing.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a definition of a corresponding segment in the obstacle recognition processing.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of selecting a corresponding segment in the obstacle recognition processing.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a target data update routine of the obstacle recognition processing.

FIG. 8 shows an evaluation function F (X,
Explanatory drawing showing Y).

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vehicle Control Device 3 Scanning Range Finder 5 Electronic Control Circuit 21 Vehicle Speed Sensor

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A radar means for sweeping and radiating a transmitted wave over a predetermined angle around a vehicle to detect a reflected wave, and recognition for recognizing an obstacle around the vehicle based on a detection result of the reflected wave by the radar means. In the vehicle obstacle recognizing device including means, the recognizing means recognizes an obstacle as a point on the basis of the detection result of the reflected wave, and the point recognizing means recognizes the obstacle. An unifying means for unifying adjacent ones, and a line segment recognizing means for recognizing the point set integrated by the unifying means as a line segment having only the length in the width direction of the vehicle, When the line segment recognition means recognizes more than a predetermined number of line segments, the vehicle segment is provided with a line segment exclusion means for preferentially excluding the line segments separated in the vehicle width direction. Object recognition device. 2. The obstacle recognizing device for a vehicle according to claim 1, further estimating a position of a line segment to be recognized by the line segment recognizing means according to a position of a line segment recognized in the past. The position estimation means compares the position of the line segment estimated by the position estimation means with the position of the line segment recognized by the line segment recognition means, and the line segment recognized by the line segment recognition means is compared with the past. An identity determining unit that determines whether or not the line segment is the same as the recognized line segment, and when the line segment excluding unit recognizes the line segment beyond the predetermined number, the same Among the new line segments that are not determined to be the same as the line segments recognized in the past by the sex determination means, the line segments separated in the vehicle width direction are given priority for position estimation and identity determination from the next time onward. An obstacle recognition device for a vehicle, characterized by being excluded from the above. 3. The vehicle obstacle recognizing device according to claim 2, wherein when the line segment recognizing means recognizes a line segment exceeding the predetermined number, the line segment excluding means defines the new line segment. The vehicle obstacle recognizing device is characterized in that the number of line segments recognized by the line segment recognizing means is subtracted from the number of line segments recognized in the vehicle width direction, the number being subtracted from the predetermined number. . 4. The obstacle recognizing device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the line segment recognizing means is less than a predetermined value in the front-rear direction of the vehicle in the integrated point set. An obstacle recognition device for a vehicle, wherein a set having a length is recognized as a line segment having only a length in a width direction of the vehicle.