KR20190055898A - The lane change assistant system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lane change assistant system which reflects a situation mode of a vehicle. According to the present invention, an electronic device installed on the vehicle calculates risk factors (RF) in real time by using a current vehicle speed (v), distance (d) from a vehicle placed on a rear side of the lane to be measured by a sensor, and a lane change safety distance (d1(v)) in the vehicle speed which is pre-determined through a speed and safety distance table. The calculation allows a constant from among a plurality of situation mode values (S) to be multiplied. In addition, the present invention includes a step of matching the RF value of a result of the calculation and a plurality of set levels to discriminately execute a driver alarm within the vehicle in accordance with the level. The present invention aims to provide a method to quantitatively calculate various risk factors (RF), which may occur when a driver changes to another lane on a side, in real time while driving the vehicle and to discriminately express the RF for each ranking.

Description

The lane change assist system

The present invention relates to a system for assisting a driver in driving, and more particularly, to a system for assisting a driver in changing a lane while driving.

Generally, car accidents occur in square areas that are out of sight of the driver. Various techniques have been known to prevent such risks. Among them, the Blind Spot Warning (BSW) system installs a sensor in the vehicle to detect nearby vehicles in a rectangular area, alarms the driver, and assists in changing lanes.

Patent Document 1 proposes a system for warning a side vehicle when changing lanes. When the driver operates the direction selection switch to try to change lanes, it is determined whether there is a vehicle approaching within a predetermined distance to the side by interlocking with the switch, and the driver is informed. If the vehicle speed is high, Thereby preventing contact accidents.

Patent Document 2 discloses a device that generates a warning sound when the on / off operation of the direction of the vehicle in the left and right direction and the operation of the steering wheel of the vehicle are determined and the distance between the vehicle and the left / right rear vehicle is within the set reference distance The

As described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a technique for warning a danger when changing lanes while driving is already well known. It may not be necessary to improve the prior art if the driver does not make the lane changing behavior because of the warning sound. However, even with such a warning, if the driver is supposed to do a lane change (in fact, this situation is very frequent), the conventional warning system alone is insufficient. There are subjective factors such as the fact that there are drivers who are good at driving, the fact that there are drivers who are not good at driving, and various circumstances including road conditions, weather, etc., . Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are silent about these various variables.

Furthermore, when the BSW system warns the driver of a hazard, the driver should have a lane change behavior, the most important concern is the degree of risk, and how accurate the speed should be to avoid the risk. However, the prior art was only at a level of warning about the presence or absence of danger.

Patent Document 1: Korean Utility Model Publication No. 1998-063856

Patent Document 2: Korean Utility Model Publication No. 1999-0021232

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present inventors have long studied and studied in order to overcome the problems and limitations of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of quantitatively calculating various risk factors that may occur at the time of changing a side lane in real time during driving and differentially expressing the risk factors for each ranking. In the risk element concept of the present invention, not only object variables such as presence / distance / speed of other vehicles, subjective variables reflecting the driver's condition, and objective variables considering road environment or weather are comprehensively calculated.

On the other hand, other unspecified purposes of the present invention will be further considered within the scope of the following detailed description and easily deduced from the effects thereof.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a lane change assistant method that reflects a situation mode of a vehicle,

An electronic device installed in a vehicle,

The distance d between the current vehicle speed v and the vehicle positioned behind the target lane of change measured by the sensor and the lane change safety distance d1 in the vehicle speed that is a value predetermined through the speed and the safe distance table (S) when the risk factor (RF) is calculated in real time by using the RF value (v)), and then the RF value of the operation result is matched with the set plurality of levels, And differentiating the driver alarm in the vehicle according to the level.

In the lane change assistant method reflecting the situation mode of the vehicle according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the situation mode value is set to a constant value of any one of a plurality of operation level modes and a plurality of travel environment modes.

Further, in the lane change assist method reflecting the mode of the vehicle according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the RF value may be calculated by the following equation.

More than one-third of all car accidents are reported to occur in lane changes and interruptions. The present invention is an improvement of the limitations and problems of the conventional lane change assist system, and can more effectively provide the lane change assist by reflecting the situation mode including factors such as the driver's various operation levels and the road driving environment. Further, the risk element value reflecting the situation mode is distinguished by a plurality of levels, and the possibility of the occurrence of an accident can be further reduced by alerting the risk element according to the level.

On the other hand, even if the effects are not explicitly mentioned here, the effect described in the following specification, which is expected by the technical features of the present invention, and its potential effects are treated as described in the specification of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a conceptual illustration of the principles of the present invention. FIG.
2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic electronic configuration of a lane change assistance system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 shows an experimental graph for calculating the lane-changing safety distance according to various vehicle speeds.
4 is a diagram schematically showing a process of a lane change assistant method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
* The accompanying drawings illustrate examples of the present invention in order to facilitate understanding of the technical idea of the present invention, and thus the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may obscure the subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 1 schematically illustrates the basic principle of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, it can be considered when the vehicle 10, which is driving the A lane at the v speed, changes the lane to the side B lane. At this time, it is assumed that the distance is d (m) and there is a vehicle 20 on the side after the vehicle is running. At this time, the system of the present invention is implemented so that the driver can be alerted and guided accurately and safely.

2 schematically shows an electronic configuration of the lane change assist system of the present invention.

The sensor 130 senses the presence and distance of the side rear vehicle and transmits the data to the ECU 100. Various known sensors can be used.

The vehicle information input unit 120 collects state information of the vehicle in operation and transmits the collected state information to the ECU 100. The state information of such a vehicle may include a traveling speed, a traveling direction, a state mode setting described later, and the like.

The direction indicator 140 indicates lane change and may instruct the ECU 100 to operate the lane change assistance system.

The ECU 100 of the vehicle operates the lane change assist system at the time of lane change using the information about the side rear vehicle and the state information of the vehicle. Preferably, a risk factor (RF) module 110, which is a software module for executing the lane change assist system of the present invention, is installed in advance in the ECU 100 of the vehicle.

The alarm unit 150 alerts the driver who tries to change the lane according to the RF value calculated by the RF module 110 of the ECU 100 by means of a speaker, a seat vibration and / or an alarm display.

The RF module 110 calculates the risk factors in real time. This requires an RF reference value. The RF reference value of the present invention is preferably a lane change Safe Distance value. This is predetermined by speed and distance. The RF reference value is previously stored in the vehicle as data of the RF module 110, measured through experiments as an experiential value.

3 graphically shows the average value of other lane change safety distances to the vehicle speed (km / h). It represents the average safe distance value per speed collected through the case that it is judged as safe during actual driving. The collected data are discretized and can be designated as reference RF (= 0) after first performing the linear operation as shown in the figure through curve fitting. Then, according to the speed of the actual vehicle, the distance from this curve to the bottom is determined and calculated. The top area of the curve is assumed to be safe since more inter-vehicle distance is secured to perform the lane change according to the speed.

The RF module 110 calculates the RF value of the vehicle that is attempting to change lanes in real time.

(식1)

(Equation 1)

v: current vehicle speed

d: Distance from the vehicle behind the target lane to be changed

d1 (v): lane change safety distance (set value) at current vehicle speed (v)

S: Status mode value

.

In the principle of the present invention, it is particularly important to calculate the situation mode value S to determine the risk factor. That is, the singular point of the present invention is that the risk element value is calculated by multiplying the relation between the previously set lane-changing safety distance and the distance between the vehicle located behind the actual side and the S value,

The S value may be defined as a constant value preset by the element 1 and / or the element 2. In some embodiments of the present invention, the driver can select from a plurality of preset constant values. In another embodiment of the present invention, the ECU can be automatically selected using a plurality of preset constant values, such as the state information of the vehicle obtained in real time, the sensed value of the sensors, information on the recorded driving pattern or driving experience have. Element 1 and Element 2 may be defined as follows.

(1) Element 1: Subjective element. Consider driver's condition and driving ability. It applies safe driving (novice driving), normal driving, and dynamic driving. Multiple operation level modes.

(2) Element 2: Objective element. It reflects road conditions and environment during driving. Apply environmental factors such as bad road, normal, rain / snow. Multiple driving environment modes.

The present invention can assume several embodiments in which a plurality of S values are preset and selected. That is, in implementing the lane-changing assist system of the present invention, it is possible to design such that at least one of the elements 1 and 2 is reflected.

≪ Example 1 >

As described in Table 1, only the element 1, which is a subjective element, can be reflected. This is to view the S as a constant value of a plurality of operation level modes.

Safe driving 1.5 usually One Dynamic 0.8

Preferably, a user interface for selecting any one of the above three selection elements may be installed in the vehicle. For example, if the driver selects " dynamic ", then 0.8 is multiplied in Equation 1, thus the level of the RF value is lowered. Conversely, if you select "safe operation", then 1.5 is multiplied by Equation 1, thus raising the level of the RF value. Normally, "Normal" is set to the default.

≪ Example 2 >

Only element 2, which is an objective element, can be reflected. Table 2 shows. This means that the S is regarded as a plurality of traveling environment mode constant values.

Rain / snow 1.5 Attention (bad road) 1.3 usually One

Preferably, a user interface for selecting any one of the above three selection elements may be installed in the vehicle. For example, if the driver selects " rain / snow ", then it is multiplied by 1.5 in equation 1, thus raising the level of the RF value. Conversely, if you select "Normal", then 1 is multiplied by Equation 1. Normally, "normal" is set as the default.

In another preferred embodiment, the ECU of the vehicle can be automatically selected using the state information and the sensing value of the vehicle, which are obtained in real time.

≪ Example 3 >

In the present embodiment, the element 1 and the element 2 can be reflected in combination as shown in Table 3 below. That is, this embodiment reflects a plurality of operation level modes and a plurality of travel environment modes.

Very careful 1.5 usually 1.3 Proficient 0.8

The following table shows the meaning of matching a plurality of levels by using the RF value calculated by substituting the above S value into Equation 1 above. The figures below are experimental values and can be changed.

RF Level RF Value State Alarm Level 1 ~ -0.2 Safe Green Level 2 0.2 to 0.4 Neutral Yellow Level 3 0.4 ~ Dangerous Red

Basically, if the calculated RF value is less than -0.2, the ECU can return the lane changeable signal and alarm, and if it is 0.4 or more, the lane changeable signal can be alarmed. The ECU can also store a few seconds of RF if the RF value is in the range of -0.2 to 0.4 and analyze the increase / decrease trend of these RF values to return a lane changeable signal when the RF value is reduced below zero have. This is because it does not attempt to change the lane immediately after turning on the lane change signal.

Here, the boundary values (-0.2 and 0.4 in the above table) dividing safety and insecurity are arbitrarily determined, and therefore, it can be adjusted by various experimental values considering the performance of the vehicle.

On the other hand, various known means such as a method of outputting a physical signal such as vibration or sound, a method of displaying on a display device installed in a vehicle, and the like can be used. Most preferably, the present invention differentiates alarms according to the risk level by visualizing the alarms differently or in physical form.

4 schematically shows the overall process of the lane change assistant method reflecting the mode of the vehicle according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment of FIG. 4 assumes an embodiment in which the situation mode value is preset and the driver operates directly.

First, the driver attempts to change the lane by operating the direction indicator during driving (S100).

Then, the sensor senses the environment of the driving lane and the environment of the target lane, that is, the distance between the side rear vehicle (S110)

Next, it is determined whether the distance between the vehicle in which the ECU is driving and the vehicle in the destination lane is outside the set minimum reference distance (S120). In the drawing, 10 m is shown, but this can be changed to an exemplary set value forever. If the distance between the vehicle being driven and the vehicle in the destination lane is within the minimum reference distance in step S120, the process moves to step S190 and a red alarm is issued.

If the lane change is attempted outside the minimum danger distance, the RF module of the ECU calculates the RF value by the above-described Equation 1 (S130).

Next, the RF value is matched to a plurality of levels, and the levels are alarmed differently from each other. If it corresponds to the level 1, the process proceeds from step S140 to step S180 to display the green light. If it corresponds to level 2, the process proceeds from step S150 to step S160 to display yellow light. If it is level 3, you can display the red light as in step S190.

In step S160, it is determined whether or not the RF value of the vehicle being driven is decreasing within the set time interval at step S160, and an alarm at level 1 of S180 may be issued according to the result.

When the lane change is completed in step S180, the direction indicator is turned off and the process is terminated (S200).

The lane change assist method reflecting the situation mode of the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention as described above is a software module implemented in the form of a program command that can be executed by the ECU as described above, Let's sing once.

The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the description and the expression of the embodiments explicitly described in the foregoing. It is again to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the modifications or substitutions that are obvious to those skilled in the art.

Claims (3)

An electronic device installed in a vehicle,
The distance d between the current vehicle speed v and the vehicle positioned behind the target lane of change measured by the sensor and the lane change safety distance d1 in the vehicle speed that is a value predetermined through the speed and the safe distance table (S) when the risk factor (RF) is calculated in real time by using the RF value (v)), and then the RF value of the operation result is matched with the set plurality of levels, And performing differently the driver alarm in the vehicle depending on the level of the vehicle. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the state mode value is set to a constant value of any one of a plurality of operation level modes and a plurality of traveling environment modes. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the RF value is calculated by the following equation.

Images