JP2009187424A - Perimeter monitoring device and perimeter monitoring method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a "perimeter monitoring device and perimeter monitoring method" capable of urging a driver to pay attention by making the driver become aware that his/her own vehicle currently travels within a blind spot area of another vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The perimeter monitoring device includes a position detecting part 11 for detecting a relative position of the own vehicle to the other vehicle existing around the own vehicle, a target region detecting part 12 for detecting a warning generation target region including a blind spot to a driver of another vehicle, an existence determining part 13 for determining whether own vehicle exists within the warning generation target region, and a warning generating 14 for generating a warning when the own vehicle is determined to exist within the warning generation target region, detects a warning generation target region which is not a blind spot of the own vehicle due to a viewpoint of his/her own vehicle but includes a blind spot of the other vehicle due to a viewpoint of the other vehicle in the own vehicle, uses the target region to determine the necessity to generate warning, and thereby enables warning to be generated when the own vehicle under traveling comes into the blind spot of the other vehicle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a periphery monitoring device and a periphery monitoring method, and more particularly to a technique for monitoring the presence of other vehicles traveling around a vehicle and notifying a user.

Conventionally, as a technique for detecting the situation around the host vehicle and notifying the user, the driver's blind spot area generated at the left and right side positions of the host vehicle is photographed with a camera and present in the blind spot area based on the photographed image. There is known a technique for detecting an other vehicle to notify the driver of the presence of the other vehicle. In addition, the present applicant appropriately sets the area to be monitored (camera shooting area) to the area that actually becomes the blind spot of the driver according to the position and posture of the driver, the presence or absence of a passenger, etc. Has applied for a patent (Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-31119 The technology described in Patent Document 1 monitors whether or not there is another vehicle in the blind spot area of the own vehicle based on the viewpoint viewed from the own vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the own vehicle viewpoint). And when another vehicle exists in the blind spot area, the vehicle is notified. Therefore, when the presence of another vehicle in the blind spot area is notified, the driver of the own vehicle can change the lane while paying attention to the presence of the other vehicle.

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, although the driver can call the driver's attention about the existence of another vehicle that enters the blind spot area of the host vehicle when the host vehicle tries to change lanes, It is impossible to make the driver aware that another vehicle may suddenly change lanes when the vehicle is in the area.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and makes the driver aware that the vehicle is traveling in the blind spot area of another vehicle, and urges the driver to pay attention to traveling. The purpose is to be able to.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention detects a warning generation target area including a blind spot of another vehicle based on the viewpoint of the driver of the other vehicle, and determines whether or not the own vehicle exists in that area. And a warning is generated when it is detected that at least a part of the vehicle is present in the area.

  According to the present invention configured as described above, the warning generation target area including not the blind spot of the own vehicle from the viewpoint of the own vehicle but the blind spot of the other vehicle based on the viewpoint viewed from the other vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the other vehicle viewpoint). It is detected by the own vehicle, and the necessity of occurrence of warning is determined using the target area. Thus, when the traveling vehicle enters the blind spot of another vehicle, this is detected and a warning is issued. As a result, it is possible to make the driver aware that the own vehicle is traveling in the blind spot area of the other vehicle and to prompt the driver to pay attention to traveling.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the periphery monitoring device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the periphery monitoring device 10 of the present embodiment is configured to include a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The presence determination unit 13 and the warning generation unit 14 are provided.

  The position detection unit 11 monitors whether or not there is another vehicle around the own vehicle by using a signal output from a sensor such as the radar 1 installed at a predetermined location of the own vehicle. When the presence of the other vehicle is confirmed, the relative position of the own vehicle with respect to the other vehicle is detected. In the present embodiment, for example, a plurality of radars 1 are installed on the front and left and right sides of the own vehicle so that the presence of other vehicles traveling at least obliquely ahead of the own vehicle can be monitored.

  The radar 1 can confirm the existence of another vehicle by emitting a radio wave and receiving the reflected wave. Also, based on the direction of the reflected wave captured and the time difference between when the radio wave is emitted and when the reflected wave is received, the distance and direction from the vehicle to the other vehicle (this distance and direction are relative to the vehicle). (Corresponding to the relative position of the other vehicle) can be measured accurately. The position detection unit 11 specifies the relative position of the host vehicle with respect to the other vehicle based on the relative position of the other vehicle captured by the radar 1.

  The target area detection unit 12 detects a warning generation target area including a blind spot for a driver of another vehicle. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a warning generation target area. In FIG. 2, 200 indicates another vehicle. Moreover, the area | region containing dot-shaped hatching shows the blind spot of other vehicles, and has shown that it is not a blind spot other than that. Of the areas that are not blind spots, the area between the dotted lines is an area that can be viewed with a side mirror.

  In the present embodiment, the warning generation target area is a B pillar provided in the vehicle of the other vehicle 200 (which refers to a pillar separating the window on the side of the vehicle from the front rear part, that is, a pillar between the front door and the rear door). The region is a blind spot as viewed from the driver of the other vehicle 200. In FIG. 2, the hatched area corresponds to this warning generation target area.

  The warning generation target area is not limited to the example of FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a first region 301 that becomes a blind spot by the B pillar, a second region 302 that becomes a blind spot by the C pillar (a pillar between the rear door glass and the rear glass), and the first region 301 and the first region 301 The region specified by the third region 303 sandwiched between the two regions 302 may be used. The third region 303 is not a region that becomes a blind spot due to the pillar, but is a region that the driver can visually observe through the rear window on the vehicle side surface. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the third region 303 is relatively narrow even if it can be visually observed, and is a region that is difficult for the driver to see visually. .

  Further, the area specified by the first area 301 and the third area 303 shown in FIG. That is, even if the vehicle is present in the second area 302 that becomes a blind spot due to the C pillar, the host vehicle is not yet very close to the other vehicle, so the second area 302 may be removed from the warning target area. good.

  The target area detection unit 12 includes a target area information storage unit 12a, a vehicle type specification unit 12b, and a region specification unit 12c as a configuration for detecting the above-described warning generation target region. The target area information storage unit 12a is a recording medium that stores area information representing a warning generation target area that is different for each vehicle type. Since the shape and position of the pillars are different for each vehicle type, the blind spots from the viewpoint of other vehicles naturally differ for each vehicle type. Therefore, the target area information storage unit 12a stores area information indicating the location of the warning target area for each vehicle type.

  The vehicle type identification unit 12b identifies the vehicle type of the other vehicle in the image by performing image recognition processing using image data around the host vehicle photographed by the camera 2. In the present embodiment, for example, a plurality of cameras 2 are installed on the front and left and right sides of the own vehicle so that at least the periphery of the vehicle obliquely ahead of the own vehicle can be photographed. For this reason, if there is another vehicle obliquely forward in the vicinity of the own vehicle, an image including the other vehicle is taken by the camera 2. The vehicle type identification unit 12b identifies the vehicle type of another vehicle existing around the host vehicle by performing image recognition processing using the image data output from the camera 2. In addition, as a method for identifying the model of another vehicle by image recognition processing, a known method such as a pattern matching or a feature point matching using comparison image data prepared for each model can be applied. It is.

  The area specifying unit 12c refers to the target area information storage unit 12a based on the vehicle type specified by the vehicle type specifying unit 12b, and reads out the area information corresponding to the vehicle type specified by the vehicle type specifying unit 12b to generate a warning. Identify the area.

  The presence determination unit 13 generates a warning based on the position of the host vehicle detected by the position detection unit 11 (the relative position of the host vehicle viewed from the other vehicle) and the warning generation target region detected by the target region detection unit 12. It is determined whether or not the own vehicle exists in the target area. When the presence determination unit 13 determines that the vehicle is present in the warning generation target area, the warning generation unit 14 issues a voice warning through the speaker 3, for example.

  Here, the warning generation unit 14 may issue a warning only when the entire vehicle is present in the warning generation target area, but at least a part of the own vehicle exists in the warning generation target area. It is preferable to issue a warning when doing so. More specifically, it is preferable to issue a warning when it is determined that at least the front end of the vehicle is in the warning target area. According to this, as shown in FIG. 4, even if a part of the host vehicle 100 exists in the warning generation target area, if the front end is outside the warning generation target area, the warning generation unit 14 Do not generate warnings. That is, the fact that the front end of the own vehicle 100 is outside the warning generation target area means that the front portion of the own vehicle exists at a relatively easy-to-see position from the driver seat of the other vehicle 200. There is no need to issue a warning.

  The warning is not limited to the form of warning sound output to the speaker 3. For example, it may be an announcement voice output to the speaker 3 or a message output to a display device (not shown). Further, not only a message but also image information indicating the positional relationship between the position of the vehicle detected by the position detection unit 11 and the warning target area detected by the target area detection unit 12 is output to the display device. Also good. However, in view of the fact that the vehicle receiving the warning is also running, the warning by the warning sound or the announcement voice is preferable, and it is preferable that the voice output is also accompanied when the image output is performed.

  Next, the operation of the periphery monitoring device 10 according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the periphery monitoring device 10 according to the present embodiment. The operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 is continuously executed while the power supply of the periphery monitoring device 10 is on.

  In FIG. 5, the position detection unit 11 monitors whether or not there is another vehicle obliquely forward around the host vehicle based on the signal output from the radar 1 (step S <b> 1). Here, when it is detected that another vehicle exists diagonally forward of the own vehicle, the position detection unit 11 further detects the relative position of the own vehicle with respect to the other vehicle (step S2). Further, the target area detection unit 12 specifies the vehicle type of the other vehicle by performing image recognition processing using the image data output from the camera 2 (step S3). Then, the target area detection unit 12 specifies the warning generation target area corresponding to the specified vehicle type by reading it from the target area information storage unit 12a (step S4).

  Next, the presence determination unit 13 is based on the relative position of the own vehicle detected by the position detection unit 11 in step S2 and the warning generation target region detected by the target region detection unit 12 in steps S3 and S4. It is determined whether or not the front end of the host vehicle exists within the warning target area (step S5). Here, when it is determined by the presence determination unit 13 that the front end of the host vehicle exists in the warning generation target region, the warning generation unit 14 generates a warning (step S6).

  On the other hand, if the presence determination unit 13 determines that the front end of the host vehicle is outside the warning target area, the process returns to step S1. In addition, after the warning generation unit 14 generates a warning in step S6, the process returns to step S1. The host vehicle and the other vehicle are both running, and the relative positional relationship between the two vehicles changes every moment. Therefore, by repeatedly performing the processing of steps S1 to S6, a warning can be appropriately generated according to the relative positional relationship between the own vehicle and the other vehicle that changes every moment.

  As described above in detail, in the present embodiment, the warning generation target area including the blind spot of the other vehicle from the other vehicle viewpoint is detected, and it is monitored whether or not the own vehicle exists in the warning generation target area. A warning is generated when it is detected that at least a part of the vehicle is present in the warning target area. As a result, if the traveling vehicle is in the blind spot of another vehicle, this is detected and a warning is issued, so that the vehicle is traveling within the blind spot area of the other vehicle. The driver can be made conscious and the driver can be alerted to travel.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the vehicle type of another vehicle is detected, and the warning generation target area corresponding to the vehicle type is specified. The present invention can be applied to the case where a uniform warning generation target area is set regardless of the vehicle type. It can be set appropriately.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the position detection unit 11 monitors other vehicles around the own vehicle based on the signal output from the radar 1 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the image data output from the camera 2 may be subjected to image recognition processing, and other vehicles around the own vehicle may be monitored depending on whether or not the vehicle is reflected in the image.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which generate | occur | produces the warning to that effect when the own vehicle has entered into the warning generation | occurrence | production object area | region, it is not limited to this. For example, it is determined whether or not the own vehicle is in the warning generation target area and the own vehicle is approaching another vehicle. A warning may be generated when it is determined that this condition is satisfied.

  In the above embodiment, a warning is always generated if the vehicle is in the warning generation target area. However, the warning may be generated only when the speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed. . For example, the warning target area may be detected only when the speed of the host vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed. In this way, it is possible to prevent a useless warning from being generated when the vehicle is parked while waiting for a signal or when the vehicle is parked in the parking lot.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which generate | occur | produces a warning to the own vehicle when the own vehicle was contained in the warning generation | occurrence | production object area | region, it is not limited to this. For example, if both the host vehicle and the other vehicle are equipped with on-vehicle devices for inter-vehicle communication, a warning request is transmitted from the own vehicle to the other vehicle via inter-vehicle communication, and a warning is issued to the other vehicle. Anyway. In this case, a warning may be generated only for the other vehicle, or a warning may be generated for both the own vehicle and the other vehicle.

  In addition, each of the above-described embodiments is merely an example of implementation in carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the periphery monitoring apparatus by this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the alert generation object area | region by this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the alert generation object area | region by this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the condition which generate | occur | produces a warning in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of the periphery monitoring apparatus by this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Radar 2 Camera 3 Speaker 10 Perimeter monitoring apparatus 11 Position detection part 12 Target area detection part 12a Target area information storage part 12b Vehicle type specific part 12c Area specific part 13 Existence determination part 14 Warning generation part

Claims (5)

A position detection unit that detects a relative position of the vehicle with respect to other vehicles existing around the vehicle;
A target area detector for detecting a warning target area including a blind spot for a driver of the other vehicle;
Based on the relative position of the own vehicle detected by the position detection unit and the warning generation target region detected by the target region detection unit, whether or not the own vehicle exists in the warning generation target region is determined. A presence determination unit for determining;
A periphery monitoring device, comprising: a warning generation unit that issues a warning when it is determined by the presence determination unit that at least a part of the vehicle is present in the warning generation target area. The target area detection unit is a target area information storage unit that stores area information representing a warning generation target area that is different for each vehicle type;
A vehicle type identification unit that identifies the vehicle type of the other vehicle existing around the vehicle;
An area for identifying the warning generation target area by referring to the target area information storage section based on the vehicle type specified by the vehicle type specifying section and reading out the area information corresponding to the vehicle type specified by the vehicle type specifying section The periphery monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising a specific unit. The warning target area is an area that becomes a blind spot by the B pillar,
The periphery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the warning generation unit issues a warning when the presence determination unit determines that at least a front end of the host vehicle is present in the warning generation target region. . The warning generation target region is a region specified by a first region that becomes a blind spot by a B pillar, a second region that becomes a blind spot by a C pillar, and a third region sandwiched between the first region and the second region. And
The periphery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the warning generation unit issues a warning when the presence determination unit determines that at least a front end of the host vehicle is present in the warning generation target region. . A first step of detecting a relative position of the vehicle with respect to other vehicles existing around the vehicle;
A second step of detecting a warning target area including a blind spot for a driver of the other vehicle;
Whether the vehicle exists in the warning generation target area based on the relative position of the host vehicle detected in the first step and the warning generation target area detected in the second step. A third step of determining
And a fourth step of issuing a warning when it is determined in the third step that at least a part of the host vehicle is present in the warning generation target area.

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