Driving assistance device

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a driving assistance device that gives a warning for a dangerous driving behavior in the surrounding, and enables a driver to drive at ease and safely. To solve the above problem, the driving assistance device 11 of the present invention has a warning sound control section 207 that automatically outputs a warning sound using a horn 12a of a vehicle 1 in a case where it is determined that a warning sound operation will not be performed using a horn operation button 931 within a delay allowance time T1, and automatically outputs a warning sound using the horn 12a of the vehicle 1 in a case where it is determined that a driver will perform a warning sound operation using the horn operation button 931 within the delay allowance time T1, and a warning sound operation is not performed using the horn operation button 931 before the delay allowance time T1 elapses.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a driving assistance device. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, there has been a focus on improving traffic safety to make cities and human settlements more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. From the perspective of vehicles, improving traffic safety involves, for example, seeking to enhance the driving environment in line with driver behavior to ensure traffic safety.

[0003] Previously, a technology has been proposed to detect obstacles around a vehicle and avoid collisions between the vehicle and the obstacles (for example, see Patent Document 1). Additionally, a technology has been proposed to display an anthropomorphic agent in the vehicle to improve the driving environment (for example, see Patent Document 2).

[0004] [Previous Technical Documents]

[0005] (Patent Documents)

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-294897

[0007] Patent document 2 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-259446 Summary of the Invention

[0008] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0009] When encountering a dangerous situation while driving, a driver will sound the horn to warn surrounding vehicles and pedestrians. However, if a driver is not used to sounding the horn, they may not be able to do so immediately. In such situations, the driver may be unable to drive safely and confidently because they anticipate a dangerous situation.

[0010] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a driving assistance device that alerts the driver to dangerous driving behaviors in the surrounding environment, so that the driver can drive with peace of mind and safety.

[0011] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0012] One aspect of the driving assistance device disclosed herein (e.g., driving assistance device 11 described later) includes: a surrounding information acquisition unit (e.g., surrounding information acquisition unit 40 described later) for acquiring surrounding information of a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 1 described later); an external hazard recognition unit (e.g., external hazard recognition unit 201 described later) for extracting obstacles approaching in the direction of travel of the vehicle based on the surrounding information; a hazard determination unit (e.g., hazard determination unit 202 described later) for determining the likelihood of the obstacle colliding with the vehicle based on the relative driving state of the obstacle and the vehicle extracted by the external hazard recognition unit; a grace period calculation unit (e.g., grace period calculation unit 203 described later) for calculating a delay grace period based on the relative driving state of the obstacle and the vehicle extracted by the external hazard recognition unit; an operation recognition unit (e.g., operation recognition unit 204 described later) for recognizing an alarm sound operation for the driver of the vehicle to output an alarm sound of the vehicle; and a history retention unit (e.g., history retention unit 208 described later) for storing... The alarm sound operation identified by the aforementioned operation recognition unit and the determination result of the aforementioned danger determination unit are stored as the usage history of the aforementioned alarm sound operation; the behavior habit estimation unit (e.g., behavior habit estimation unit 205 described later) estimates the aforementioned driver's behavior habits based on the aforementioned alarm sound operation usage history; the behavior management unit (e.g., behavior management unit 206 described later) determines whether the aforementioned driver will perform the aforementioned alarm sound operation within the aforementioned delay grace period based on the aforementioned driver's aforementioned behavior habits when the aforementioned danger determination unit determines that the aforementioned obstacle is likely to collide with the aforementioned vehicle; and the alarm sound control unit (e.g., alarm sound control unit 207 described later) automatically outputs the aforementioned vehicle alarm sound when it is determined that the aforementioned driver will not perform the aforementioned alarm sound operation within the aforementioned delay grace period, and automatically outputs the aforementioned vehicle alarm sound when it is determined that the aforementioned driver will perform the aforementioned alarm sound operation within the aforementioned delay grace period, and has not performed the aforementioned alarm sound operation before the aforementioned delay grace period has elapsed.

[0013] Furthermore, if the aforementioned danger determination unit determines that the possibility of the aforementioned obstacle colliding with the aforementioned vehicle is low, when the aforementioned operation recognition unit recognizes the aforementioned alarm sound operation, the aforementioned alarm sound control unit does not output the aforementioned alarm sound to the outside of the aforementioned vehicle, but outputs the aforementioned alarm sound to the inside of the aforementioned vehicle.

[0014] In addition, the aforementioned behavior habit estimation unit learns the delay time from when the aforementioned danger assessment unit makes a judgment until the aforementioned driver performs the aforementioned alarm operation based on the usage history of the aforementioned alarm operation, thereby estimating the aforementioned driver's behavior habits.

[0015] In addition, there is a driver identification unit (e.g., the driver monitoring camera 50 described later) that identifies the driver of the aforementioned vehicle, and the aforementioned history retention unit stores the aforementioned usage history of the aforementioned alarm sound operation for each of the aforementioned drivers identified by the aforementioned driver identification unit.

[0016] (The effect of the invention)

[0017] According to the present invention, a driving assistance device can be provided to alert the driver to dangerous driving behaviors in the surrounding environment, so that the driver can drive with peace of mind and safety. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the vehicle according to this embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the driving assistance device of the vehicle according to this embodiment.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the driving assistance device in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the driving assistance device of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 1 The outline of vehicle 1 is shown by combining a plan view and a side view. Vehicle 1 is, for example, a sedan-type four-wheeled passenger vehicle.

[0023] Vehicle 1 is equipped with a control device 2. The control device 2 includes multiple Electronic Control Units (ECUs) (steering ECU 21 to stop control ECU 29) that can be communicated via an in-vehicle network. Each ECU functions as a computer, which includes a processor (such as a CPU), storage devices such as semiconductor memory, and interfaces for external devices. The storage devices store programs executed by the processor and data used for processing by the processor. Each ECU may also have multiple processors, storage devices, and interfaces.

[0024] The functions of each steering ECU 21 to stop control ECU 29 will be explained below. Furthermore, the number of ECUs and their respective functions can be appropriately designed, and the ECUs shown in this embodiment can be further refined or integrated.

[0025] The steering ECU 21 controls the electric power steering system 3. The electric power steering system 3 includes a mechanism that steers the front wheels according to the driver's driving operation (steering operation) on the steering wheel 31. Additionally, the electric power steering system 3 includes an electric motor for assisting steering operations or applying the driving force required for automatic steering of the front wheels, and a sensor for detecting the steering angle. When the vehicle 1 is in automatic driving mode, the steering ECU 21 responds to instructions from the automatic driving ECU 20 to automatically control the electric power steering system 3, thereby controlling the direction of travel of the vehicle 1.

[0026] Driving assistance ECUs 22 and 23 control and process the detection results from cameras 41, LIDAR 42, and millimeter-wave radar 43, which detect the vehicle's surroundings. Camera 41 captures images of the front, sides, and rear of vehicle 1. In this embodiment, two cameras 41 are installed at the front of vehicle 1, and one camera 41 is installed at each of the sides and rear. By analyzing the images captured by the cameras 41, driving assistance ECUs 22 and 23 can extract target outlines and lane markings (white lines, etc.) on the road.

[0027] LIDAR 42 is a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system used to detect targets around vehicle 1 and measure the distance to the targets. In this embodiment, five LIDARs 42 are provided: one at each corner of the front of vehicle 1, one at the center of the rear, and one on each side of the rear.

[0028] Millimeter-wave radar 43 detects targets around vehicle 1 and measures the distance to the targets. In this embodiment, five millimeter-wave radars 43 are provided: one at the center of the front of vehicle 1, one at each of the front corners, and one at each of the rear corners.

[0029] The driving assistance ECU 22 controls and processes the information from the detection results of one camera 41 and each LIDAR 42 at the front of the vehicle 1. The driving assistance ECU 23 controls and processes the information from the detection results of another camera 41 and each millimeter-wave radar 43 at the front of the vehicle 1. By having two ECUs for detecting the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1, the reliability of the detection results can be improved. In addition, by having different types of detection units such as camera 41, LIDAR 42, and millimeter-wave radar 43, the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 can be analyzed from multiple perspectives.

[0030] The position recognition ECU 24 controls the gyroscope sensor 5, GPS sensor 24b, and communication device 24c, and processes the information from the detection or communication results. The gyroscope sensor 5 detects the rotational motion of the vehicle 1. The position recognition ECU 24 can determine the forward path of the vehicle 1 based on the detection results from the gyroscope sensor 5 and wheel speed, etc.

[0031] GPS sensor 24b detects the current location of vehicle 1. Communication device 24c wirelessly communicates with a server that provides map information, traffic information, etc., to obtain this information. Location recognition ECU 24 can access a database 24a of map information built in a storage device, and location recognition ECU 24 can search for routes from the current location to the destination, etc.

[0032] The communication control ECU 25 includes a communication device 25a for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The communication device 25a wirelessly communicates with another vehicle in the vicinity, thereby exchanging information between the vehicles.

[0033] The drive control ECU 26 controls the power unit 6. The power unit 6 is a mechanism that outputs driving force to rotate the drive wheels of the vehicle 1, and includes, for example, an engine and a transmission. The drive control ECU 26 controls the engine output, for example, in response to a driver's driving operation (accelerator operation or acceleration operation) detected by an operation detection sensor 7D located on the accelerator pedal 7A. Furthermore, the drive control ECU 26 switches the transmission gears based on information such as vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 7C. When the vehicle 1 is in automatic driving mode, the drive control ECU 26 automatically controls the power unit 6 in response to instructions from the automatic driving ECU 20, thereby controlling the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle 1.

[0034] The vehicle external notification control ECU 27 controls the turn indicators (turn signals) 8a, headlights 8b, and taillights 8c. Figure 1 In this example, the turn indicator 8a is located at the front, door mirrors, and rear of vehicle 1. The headlight 8b is located at the front of vehicle 1, and the taillight 8c is located at the front of vehicle 1. The vehicle exterior notification control ECU 27 also controls the audio device 12 that emits sounds to the outside of the vehicle. The audio device 12 includes, for example, a horn 12a for outputting alarm sounds (see below). Figure 2 ).

[0035] The vehicle's internal notification control ECU 28 controls the input / output device 9. The input / output device 9 outputs information to the driver and accepts information input from the driver. The input / output device 9 includes a voice output device 91, a display device 92, and an input device 93.

[0036] The voice output device 91 notifies the driver of information via voice. The voice output device 91 includes a speaker 911 (described later) for outputting voice within the vehicle 1. Figure 2 ).

[0037] The display device 92 notifies the driver of information by displaying images. The display device 92 is positioned, for example, in front of the driver's seat, forming an instrument panel, etc. Furthermore, while voice and display are listed here, vibration and light can also be used to notify information. Additionally, the input / output device 9 can combine multiple of voice, display, vibration, or light for notification. Furthermore, depending on the level of the information to be notified (e.g., urgency), the input / output device 9 can use different combinations or different notification methods.

[0038] The input device 93 is located in a position operable by the driver and is a switch group for instructing the vehicle 1, but may also include a voice input device.

[0039] The stop control ECU 29 controls the braking device 10 and the parking brake (not shown). The braking device 10 is, for example, a disc brake, which is installed on each wheel of the vehicle 1 and slows down or stops the vehicle 1 by applying resistance to the rotation of the wheels.

[0040] The stop control ECU 29 controls the operation of the braking device 10, for example, in response to a driver's driving operation (braking operation) detected by the operation detection sensor 7E located on the brake pedal 7B. The braking device 10 and the parking brake can also be operated to maintain the vehicle 1 in a stopped state. Additionally, when the transmission of the power unit 6 is equipped with a parking lock mechanism, this parking lock mechanism can also be operated to maintain the vehicle 1 in a stopped state.

[0041] Vehicle 1 also has a driver monitoring camera 50, which captures and identifies the driver of vehicle 1. Here, the driver monitoring camera 50 consists of a camera, lens, etc., and its type is not particularly limited.

[0042] The following describes the processing of the driving assistance device 11 of the vehicle 1 in this embodiment.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the driving assistance device 11 in the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the driving assistance device 11 includes a control device 2, a horn 12a, a surrounding information acquisition unit 40, a driver monitoring camera 50, a speaker 911, and a horn operation button 931.

[0044] The control device 2 includes an external hazard recognition unit 201, a hazard determination unit 202, a grace period calculation unit 203, an operation recognition unit 204, a behavior habit estimation unit 205, a behavior management unit 206, an alarm sound control unit 207, and a history storage unit 208. The surrounding information acquisition unit 40 includes the aforementioned camera 41, LIDAR 42, and millimeter-wave radar 43.

[0045] The surrounding information acquisition unit 40 acquires surrounding information of the vehicle 1. For example, the surrounding information acquisition unit 40 acquires surrounding information of the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle 1. The surrounding information is, for example, images of the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle 1 acquired by the camera 41. Alternatively, the surrounding information may also be data of the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle 1 acquired by, for example, LIDAR 42 or millimeter-wave radar 43.

[0046] The external hazard recognition unit 201 extracts obstacles approaching in the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 based on the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding information acquisition unit 40. Specifically, the external hazard recognition unit 201 analyzes the surrounding information and extracts obstacles approaching in the direction of travel of the vehicle 1.

[0047] The hazard assessment unit 202 determines the likelihood of an obstacle colliding with the vehicle 1 based on the relative driving state of the obstacle and the vehicle 1 extracted by the external hazard identification unit 201. For example, if the vehicle 1 is driving towards the extracted obstacle, or if the vehicle 1 is driving near the extracted obstacle, the hazard assessment unit 202 determines the likelihood of an obstacle colliding with the vehicle 1 based on the relative distance and relative speed between the extracted obstacle and the vehicle 1.

[0048] Then, if the relative distance and relative speed between the extracted obstacle and vehicle 1 meet certain conditions, the hazard assessment unit 202 determines that the probability of the obstacle colliding with vehicle 1 is relatively high. On the other hand, if the relative distance and relative speed between the extracted obstacle and vehicle 1 do not meet certain conditions, the hazard assessment unit 202 determines that the probability of the obstacle colliding with vehicle 1 is relatively low.

[0049] When the hazard determination unit 202 determines that there is a high probability that the obstacle will collide with the vehicle 1, the grace time calculation unit 203 calculates a delay grace time T1, which represents the time before the obstacle collides with the vehicle 1, based on the relative driving state of the obstacle and the vehicle 1 extracted by the external hazard identification unit 201.

[0050] For example, when vehicle 1 is traveling toward the extracted obstacle, or when vehicle 1 is traveling near the extracted obstacle, the grace time calculation unit 203 calculates the delay grace time T1 based on the relative distance and relative speed between the extracted obstacle and vehicle 1.

[0051] The operation recognition unit 204 recognizes alarm sound operations performed by the driver of vehicle 1 to output an alarm sound for vehicle 1. Specifically, the operation recognition unit 204 recognizes alarm sound operations performed by the driver of vehicle 1 using the horn operation button 931.

[0052] The behavior habit estimation unit 205 estimates the driver's behavior habits based on the usage history of the alarm sound operation of the horn operation button 931 stored in the history retention unit 208. Here, the driver's behavior habits include the delay time from when the hazard assessment unit 202 makes a judgment until the driver uses the horn operation button 931 to sound the alarm, the timing of operating the horn operation button 931, and the frequency of operating the horn operation button 931.

[0053] Specifically, the behavior habit estimation unit 205 estimates the driver's behavior habits based on the usage history of the alarm sound operation, learning the delay time from when the danger assessment unit 202 makes a judgment until the driver performs the alarm sound operation.

[0054] For example, the behavior habit estimation unit 205 refers to the usage history stored in the history retention unit 208, and calculates the average delay time from when the danger assessment unit 202 makes a judgment until the driver makes the alarm operation, based on the alarm sound operation and the judgment result of the danger assessment unit 202 included in the usage history, and learns the calculated average delay time. Furthermore, in the above example, the behavior habit estimation unit 205 calculates and learns the average delay time, but it is not limited to this; it can also calculate and learn the maximum value, minimum value, standard deviation, etc., of the delay time.

[0055] If the danger assessment unit 202 determines that there is a high probability of an obstacle colliding with vehicle 1, the behavior management unit 206 determines, based on the driver's behavioral habits, whether the driver will sound the alarm within the grace period T1.

[0056] Specifically, if the driver's behavioral habits learned by the behavior habit estimation unit 205 are the average of the delay times, and the average delay time is above a fixed threshold, the behavior management unit 206 determines that the driver will not activate the alarm sound within the delay grace period T1. Conversely, if the average delay time is below a certain threshold, the behavior management unit 206 determines that the driver will activate the alarm sound within the delay grace period T1.

[0057] The alarm sound control unit 207 controls the output of the alarm sound of vehicle 1. Specifically, if it is determined that the driver will not operate the alarm sound using the horn operation button 931 within the delay grace period T1, the alarm sound control unit 207 automatically outputs the alarm sound using the horn 12a of vehicle 1.

[0058] In addition, if the alarm sound control unit 207 determines that the driver will use the horn operation button 931 to operate the alarm sound within the delay grace period T1, and does not use the horn operation button 931 to operate the alarm sound before the delay grace period T1 has elapsed, the alarm sound control unit 207 will automatically output an alarm sound using the vehicle 1 horn 12a.

[0059] The history storage unit 208 stores the alarm sound operation identified by the operation recognition unit 204 and the judgment result of the danger judgment unit 202 as the usage history of the alarm sound operation. Furthermore, the history storage unit 208 can also store the delay grace time T1 calculated by the grace time calculation unit 203 together with the alarm sound operation and the judgment result.

[0060] Furthermore, if the danger determination unit 202 determines that the possibility of the obstacle colliding with the vehicle 1 is small, when the operation recognition unit 204 recognizes the alarm sound operation performed by the horn operation button 931, the alarm sound control unit 207 does not output the alarm sound to the outside of the vehicle 1 using the horn 12a, but instead outputs the alarm sound to the inside of the vehicle 1 using the speaker 911.

[0061] Therefore, when the probability of a collision between the vehicle 1 and an obstacle is low, the driver assistance device 11 does not output an alarm sound to the outside of the vehicle 1, but only outputs an alarm sound to the inside of the vehicle 1. Thus, the driver of the vehicle 1 can perceive as if an alarm sound has been output using the horn 12a without disturbing the outside of the vehicle 1. Here, the alarm sound output from the speaker 911 is preferably the same as or similar to the alarm sound output from the horn 12a.

[0062] In addition, the history storage unit 208 stores the usage history of alarm sound operations for each driver identified by the driver monitoring camera 50. Specifically, the control device 20 uses facial recognition technology or the like to identify the driver identified by the driver monitoring camera 50, and stores the usage history of alarm sound operations for each identified driver.

[0063] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the driving assistance device 11 in this embodiment.

[0064] In step S1, the surrounding information acquisition unit 40 acquires the surrounding information of vehicle 1.

[0065] In step S2, the external hazard identification unit 201 extracts obstacles approaching in the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 based on surrounding information.

[0066] In step S3, the hazard determination unit 202 determines the likelihood of an obstacle colliding with vehicle 1 based on the relative driving state of the obstacle and vehicle 1 extracted by the external hazard identification unit 201. If the likelihood of an obstacle colliding with vehicle 1 is high (Yes), the process proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the likelihood of an obstacle colliding with vehicle 1 is low (No), the process proceeds to step S10.

[0067] In step S4, the grace time calculation unit 203 calculates a delay grace time T1 representing the time from when the obstacle collides with the vehicle 1, based on the relative driving state of the obstacle and the vehicle 1 extracted in step S2.

[0068] In step S5, the behavior habit estimation unit 205 estimates the driver's behavior habits based on the usage history of alarm sound operations performed using the horn operation button 931 stored in the history retention unit 208.

[0069] In step S6, the behavior management unit 206 determines, based on the driver's behavioral habits estimated in step S5, whether the driver will activate the alarm sound using the horn operation button 931 within the grace period T1. If it is determined that the driver will activate the alarm sound within the grace period T1 (yes), the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if it is determined that the driver will not activate the alarm sound within the grace period T1 (no), the process proceeds to step S9.

[0070] In step S7, the alarm sound control unit 207 determines whether an alarm sound operation is performed using the horn operation button 931 within the delay grace period T1, and outputs an alarm sound from the horn 12a. If an alarm sound is output (yes), the process ends. On the other hand, if no alarm sound is output (no), the process proceeds to step S8.

[0071] In step S8, the alarm sound control unit 207 determines whether the delay grace period T1 has elapsed. If the delay grace period T1 has elapsed (yes), the process proceeds to step S9. On the other hand, if the delay grace period T1 has not elapsed (no), the process returns to step S7.

[0072] In step S9, the alarm sound control unit 207 automatically outputs an alarm sound using the horn 12a of the vehicle 1, and then the process ends.

[0073] In step S10, the alarm sound control unit 207 determines whether the operation recognition unit 204 has recognized that an alarm sound operation was performed using the horn operation button 931. If an alarm sound operation was recognized using the horn operation button 931 (Yes), the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if no alarm sound operation was recognized using the horn operation button 931 (No), the process then ends.

[0074] In step S11, the alarm sound control unit 207 does not output an alarm sound to the outside of the vehicle 1 using the horn 12a, but instead outputs an alarm sound to the inside of the vehicle 1 using the loudspeaker 911.

[0075] According to this embodiment, for example, the following effects are achieved.

[0076] The driving assistance device 11 has an alarm sound control unit 207. The alarm sound control unit 207 automatically outputs an alarm sound using the vehicle 1 horn 12a when it is determined that the driver will not use the horn operation button 931 to operate the alarm sound within the delay grace period T1. When it is determined that the driver will use the horn operation button 931 to operate within the delay grace period T1, and does not use the horn operation button 931 to operate before the delay grace period T1 has elapsed, the alarm sound is automatically output using the vehicle 1 horn 12a.

[0077] Therefore, the driver assistance device 11 uses an audible alarm to alert the driver to dangerous driving behaviors caused by surrounding obstacles (such as other vehicles), allowing the driver to drive with peace of mind and safety. Furthermore, since the driver assistance device 11 automatically outputs an audible alarm, the driver does not need to remove their hands from the steering wheel to use the alarm for alertness. Thus, the driver assistance device 11 can alert both the drivers of other vehicles that have issued the alarm and the driver of vehicle 1 to drive safely.

[0078] Furthermore, if the danger determination unit 202 determines that the possibility of an obstacle colliding with the vehicle 1 is low, when the operation recognition unit 204 recognizes that the alarm sound operation is performed using the horn operation button 931, the alarm sound control unit 207 does not output the alarm sound to the outside of the vehicle 1 using the horn 12a, but instead outputs the alarm sound to the inside of the vehicle 1 using the speaker 911.

[0079] Therefore, when the probability of the vehicle 1 colliding with an obstacle is low, the driver assistance device 11 does not output an alarm sound to the outside of the vehicle 1, but only outputs an alarm sound to the inside of the vehicle 1. Thus, if the driver is in a state of mental discomfort while driving, he can eliminate the state of mental discomfort by operating the horn operation button 931 and using the speaker 911 to output an alarm sound to the inside of the vehicle 1.

[0080] Furthermore, the behavior habit estimation unit 205 estimates the driver's behavior habits based on the usage history of the alarm sound operation using the horn operation button 931, learning the delay time from when the danger assessment unit 202 makes a judgment until the driver operates the alarm sound using the horn operation button 931. Thus, the driver assistance device 11 can estimate the driver's behavior habits based on the alarm sound operation.

[0081] In addition, the driver assistance device 11 also includes a driver monitoring camera 50 that identifies the driver of the vehicle 1, and a history storage unit 208 stores the usage history of the horn operation button 931 for each driver identified by the driver monitoring camera 50. Therefore, even if different drivers are driving the vehicle 1, the driver assistance device 11 can determine the alarm operation based on the appropriate usage history for each driver.

[0082] The above description illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, but the invention is not limited thereto. Appropriate modifications to the details can be made within the scope of the invention's intent.

[0083] Figure Labels

[0084] 1 vehicle

[0085] 2 Control device

[0086] 11 Driving assistance devices

[0087] 12a loudspeaker

[0088] 40 Surrounding Information Acquisition Department

[0089] 50 driver monitoring cameras (driver recognition unit)

[0090] 201 Vehicle Exterior Hazard Identification Department

[0091] 202 Hazard Assessment Department

[0092] 203 Grace Period Calculation Department

[0093] 204 Operation Identification Department

[0094] 205 Behavioral Habits Estimation Department

[0095] 206 Behavior Management Department

[0096] 207 Alarm Sound Control Department

[0097] 208 Historical Preservation Department

[0098] 911 speaker

[0099] 931 Speaker Operation Button

Claims

1. A driving assistance device, comprising: The surrounding information acquisition department acquires information about the vehicle's surroundings. The vehicle exterior hazard detection unit, based on the aforementioned surrounding information, identifies obstacles approaching in the vehicle's direction of travel; The hazard assessment unit determines the likelihood of the obstacle colliding with the vehicle based on the relative driving state of the obstacle and the vehicle extracted by the aforementioned external hazard identification unit. The grace time calculation unit calculates the delay grace time based on the relative driving state of the aforementioned obstacle and the aforementioned vehicle extracted by the aforementioned external hazard identification unit. The operation recognition unit recognizes the alarm sound operation of the driver of the aforementioned vehicle, which outputs the alarm sound of the aforementioned vehicle. The history retention unit stores the alarm sound operation identified by the operation recognition unit and the judgment result of the danger determination unit as the usage history of the alarm sound operation. The behavior habit estimation unit estimates the aforementioned driver's behavior habits based on the usage history of the aforementioned alarm sound operation; The Behavior Management Department, when the aforementioned Risk Assessment Department determines that the likelihood of the aforementioned obstacle colliding with the aforementioned vehicle is high, and based on the aforementioned driver's aforementioned behavioral habits, determines whether the aforementioned driver will activate the aforementioned alarm sound within the aforementioned grace period; and, The alarm sound control unit automatically outputs the vehicle's alarm sound if it determines that the driver will not perform the aforementioned alarm sound operation within the aforementioned grace period; and automatically outputs the vehicle's alarm sound if it determines that the driver will perform the aforementioned alarm sound operation within the aforementioned grace period, and has not performed the aforementioned alarm sound operation before the aforementioned grace period has elapsed. In cases where the aforementioned danger determination unit determines that the probability of the aforementioned obstacle colliding with the aforementioned vehicle is low, when the aforementioned operation recognition unit recognizes the aforementioned alarm sound operation, the aforementioned alarm sound control unit does not output the aforementioned alarm sound to the outside of the aforementioned vehicle, but outputs the aforementioned alarm sound to the inside of the aforementioned vehicle.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned behavior habit estimation unit learns the delay time from when the aforementioned danger assessment unit makes a judgment until the aforementioned driver performs the aforementioned alarm operation based on the usage history of the aforementioned alarm operation, thereby estimating the aforementioned driver's behavior habits.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein, It also has a driver identification unit to identify the aforementioned driver of the aforementioned vehicle. The aforementioned history retention unit stores the aforementioned usage history of the aforementioned alarm sound operation for each of the aforementioned drivers identified by the aforementioned driver identification unit.

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