Vulnerable road user warning method and vulnerable road user warning device

Abstract

The application provides a vulnerable road user early warning method and a vulnerable road user early warning device. The method provides early warning to passengers in a vehicle by displaying a vulnerable road user area in the vehicle. Specifically, relevant data of a vulnerable road user is received from a road side unit. The relevant data is relevant information of the vulnerable road user detected by the road side unit. According to the relevant data of the vulnerable road user, a vulnerable road user area corresponding to each vulnerable road user is set. Any two vulnerable road user areas with a coincidence degree satisfying a predetermined condition are merged with each other to form a new vulnerable road user area. The vulnerable road user areas remaining after the merging process are displayed in the vehicle as early warning areas. Thus, the display interface is simple, which is conducive to correct judgment by passengers in the vehicle, and system resource waste is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vulnerable road user warning method and a vulnerable road user warning device that provides warnings to occupants by displaying the vulnerable road user area in a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, for traffic safety, a technology has been developed to provide early warnings to vehicle occupants by displaying the area of ​​vulnerable road users within the vehicle.

[0003] In this technology, the roadside unit (RSU) detects roadside traffic participants (including motor vehicles, as well as vulnerable traffic participants such as pedestrians, bicycles, and electric bicycles) through radar, cameras, etc., generates and sends out a roadside unit message (RSM) containing the identifier (ID), type, location, speed, orientation, size, etc. of the detected traffic participants.

[0004] When the onboard unit (OBU) receives a roadside unit message from the roadside unit, it extracts data related to vulnerable road users from the message to determine whether there are any vulnerable road users at risk of collision with the vehicle. If a vulnerable road user is identified as being at risk, the OBU displays the area of ​​that vulnerable road user as a warning on the vehicle's display device.

[0005] In the same area, multiple roadside units are sometimes set up. Even if these roadside units detect the same vulnerable road user, the labels they assign to that user are often different. When the vehicle's onboard unit receives messages from these roadside units, it may issue multiple warnings to the same vulnerable road user based on multiple different labels.

[0006] Furthermore, even the same roadside unit may assign different warnings to the same vulnerable road user at different times. In such cases, the onboard unit may also issue multiple warnings to the same vulnerable road user.

[0007] When the vehicle's onboard unit reports multiple warnings to the same vulnerable road user, see [reference needed]. Figure 5 This could result in the vehicle's display showing too many vulnerable road user areas (circled areas in the diagram), affecting the vehicle occupants' ability to make accurate judgments.

[0008] Moreover, the repeated display of vulnerable traffic participant areas can lead to the needless waste of system resources (computing power, memory, etc.) and may even affect the execution of other functions. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention is proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a method and device for warning vulnerable road users that not only makes the display interface simple and conducive to vehicle occupants making correct judgments, but also avoids the waste of system resources.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a vulnerable traffic participant warning method, which provides warnings to vehicle occupants by displaying vulnerable traffic participant area ranges in the vehicle. The method includes: a receiving step, receiving relevant data about vulnerable traffic participants from a roadside unit, wherein the relevant data is information about the vulnerable traffic participants detected by the roadside unit; a setting step, setting vulnerable traffic participant areas corresponding to each vulnerable traffic participant based on the relevant data; a merging step, merging any two vulnerable traffic participant areas that meet a predetermined overlap condition to form a new vulnerable traffic participant area; and a display step, displaying the vulnerable traffic participant area retained after the merging step as a warning area in the vehicle.

[0011] According to the present invention, through a merging step, any two vulnerable traffic participant areas that meet the specified overlap conditions are merged to form a new vulnerable traffic participant area. The final displayed area is the merged vulnerable traffic participant area, thus reducing the number of displayed vulnerable traffic participant areas. This results in a simpler display interface, preventing vehicle occupants from being distracted by unnecessary information and facilitating accurate judgment. Furthermore, from another perspective, the repeated display of vulnerable traffic participant areas is effectively suppressed, avoiding unnecessary waste of system resources.

[0012] Preferably, the relevant data of the vulnerable traffic participant includes at least the coordinate value, length value, and width value of the vulnerable traffic participant, and the vulnerable traffic participant area is a circular area from a top-down perspective with the coordinate value as the center and the length value as the radius.

[0013] By designating the vulnerable traffic participant area as a circle, system computing power can be saved.

[0014] Specifically, on the one hand, for a circle, the distance (radius) from the center to any point on the outer contour (arc) is equal, unlike non-circular shapes such as rectangles and triangles, which will change due to the different positions of the point. Therefore, the overlap of two vulnerable traffic participant areas can be calculated more simply, thus saving computing power.

[0015] On the other hand, vulnerable road users' travel routes are rarely straight, but often curved, and sometimes they may even turn around. If the vulnerable road user area is set to a shape other than a circle, such as a rectangle, the angle of the vulnerable road user area must be adjusted in real time according to the orientation of the vulnerable road user, requiring corresponding calculations. In contrast, if the vulnerable road user area is set to a circle, the calculation of adjusting the angle of the vulnerable road user area can be eliminated, thus saving computational resources.

[0016] Here, the overlap of vulnerable traffic participant areas can be measured using various methods. As an example, overlap can be calculated using area. Preferably, the overlap is the ratio of the overlapping area of ​​any two vulnerable traffic participant areas to the area of ​​one of those areas. More preferably, the overlap is the ratio of the overlapping area of ​​any two vulnerable traffic participant areas to the area of ​​the smaller of those areas.

[0017] In this way, since the overlap of the areas of two vulnerable traffic participants is calculated based on area, a more accurate overlap can be obtained. This is conducive to fully realizing the above-mentioned effects.

[0018] When the overlap is calculated by area as described above, preferably, if the overlap is 0.5 or higher, the overlap is determined to meet the specified conditions.

[0019] By setting the lower limit of the overlap of vulnerable traffic participant areas to be merged to 0.5, it is possible to prevent two vulnerable traffic participant areas with a small overlap from being merged, and to prevent the displayed vulnerable traffic participant areas from losing their warning significance due to unlimited expansion.

[0020] When the overlap is calculated by area as described above, preferably, when the overlap is 0.5 to 0.9, the newly formed vulnerable traffic participant area is a circular area that encompasses the two vulnerable traffic participant areas.

[0021] Here, the so-called circular area encompassing the two vulnerable traffic participant areas means that the outer contours of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas are completely within the containment (intercalated, contained) of the circular area, and do not include any parts protruding outside the circular area.

[0022] In this way, the newly formed vulnerable traffic participant zone completely covers the two vulnerable traffic participant zones, thus enabling high-safety-level early warning and effectively preventing accidents.

[0023] In this case, preferably, the center of the new vulnerable traffic participant area is the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas, and the radius of the new vulnerable traffic participant area is the sum of the radius of the larger of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas and half the length of the connecting line.

[0024] In this way, the new vulnerable traffic participant zone is internally connected to one of the two vulnerable traffic participant zones, thus enabling the effective prevention of accidents while implementing a high-safety-factor warning, and preventing the new vulnerable traffic participant zone from becoming too large and weakening the warning effect.

[0025] When using area to calculate the overlap as described above, preferably, when the overlap is greater than 0.9, only the larger of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas is retained as the new vulnerable traffic participant area.

[0026] In cases where the overlap based on area is greater than 0.9, in two vulnerable traffic participant areas, the smaller one falls completely or almost completely within the coverage of the larger one.

[0027] In this way, by eliminating the smaller one and retaining only the larger one as the new vulnerable traffic participant area, it is possible to save computing power by eliminating the computation of calculating the vulnerable traffic participant area while generating a substantially effective new vulnerable traffic participant area.

[0028] In cases where the overlap is calculated using area as described above, preferably, in the merging step, the overlap is calculated only if the distance between the centers of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas is less than the sum of the radii of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas.

[0029] Calculating area overlap is algorithmically complex and requires significant system resources. If area overlap is calculated indiscriminately for all vulnerable traffic participant areas, it may result in meaningless calculations for completely non-overlapping vulnerable traffic participant areas.

[0030] By using the center-to-center distance for initial screening, the overlap can be calculated only for areas with overlapping vulnerable traffic participants, thus avoiding invalid calculations and saving computing power.

[0031] As another way to measure the overlap of vulnerable traffic participant areas, alternatively, in the merging step, the overlap is determined based on the relationship between the center distance and the respective radii of any two vulnerable traffic participant areas to determine whether the overlap meets the specified conditions.

[0032] In this way, compared with using area to calculate the overlap, the overlap can be calculated through simpler operations, with lower computational load and higher processing efficiency.

[0033] In this case, preferably, if the radius of one of the vulnerable traffic participant zones is set as R A Let R be the radius of another vulnerable traffic participant area whose radius is smaller than that of the vulnerable traffic participant area. B Let the distance between the centers of these two vulnerable traffic participant areas be D. Then: when 0.55 < (R A +R B -D) / 2R B In this case, it is determined that the degree of overlap meets the specified conditions.

[0034] By setting the lower limit of the overlap of vulnerable traffic participant areas to be merged to 0.55, it is possible to prevent two vulnerable traffic participant areas with a small overlap from being merged, and to prevent the displayed vulnerable traffic participant areas from losing their warning significance due to unlimited expansion.

[0035] Additionally, preferably, when 0.55 < (R) A +R B -D) / 2R B When the value is less than 0.99, the newly formed vulnerable traffic participant area is a circular area that encompasses the two vulnerable traffic participant areas.

[0036] Here, the so-called circular area encompassing the two vulnerable traffic participant areas means that the outer contours of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas are completely within the containment (intercalated, contained) of the circular area, and do not include any parts protruding outside the circular area.

[0037] In this way, the newly formed vulnerable traffic participant zone completely covers the two vulnerable traffic participant zones, thus enabling high-safety-level early warning and effectively preventing accidents.

[0038] In this case, preferably, the center of the new vulnerable traffic participant area is the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas, and the radius of the new vulnerable traffic participant area is the sum of the radius of the larger of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas and half the length of the connecting line.

[0039] In this way, the new vulnerable traffic participant zone is internally connected to one of the two vulnerable traffic participant zones, thus enabling the effective prevention of accidents while implementing a high-safety-factor warning, and preventing the new vulnerable traffic participant zone from becoming too large and weakening the warning effect.

[0040] Additionally, preferably, in (R)A +R B -D) / 2R B In the case of ≥0.99, only the larger of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas is retained as the new vulnerable traffic participant area.

[0041] When the overlap based on the center-to-center distance is greater than 0.99, in the two vulnerable traffic participant areas, the smaller one falls completely or almost completely within the coverage of the larger one.

[0042] In this way, by eliminating the smaller one and retaining only the larger one as the new vulnerable traffic participant area, it is possible to save computing power by eliminating the computation of calculating the vulnerable traffic participant area while generating a substantially effective new vulnerable traffic participant area.

[0043] Additionally, preferably, prior to the setting step, a screening step is included to filter vulnerable traffic participants who are at risk of collision with a vehicle from the relevant data of the vulnerable traffic participants received through the receiving step, and in the setting step, the vulnerable traffic participant area is set only for the vulnerable traffic participants who are at risk of collision with a vehicle.

[0044] Vulnerable road users detected by roadside units may not all be at risk of collision with vehicles, so it is clearly unnecessary to display them all to vehicle occupants.

[0045] For this reason, before setting the steps, a screening process is used to exclude vulnerable road users who pose no risk of collision with the vehicle. Subsequent processing is only applied to vulnerable road users who are at risk of collision. This avoids meaningless calculations and displays, helps vehicle occupants make correct judgments, and prevents waste of system resources.

[0046] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a vulnerable road user warning device, which provides warnings to vehicle occupants by displaying the vulnerable road user area range in the vehicle. The device includes: a receiving unit that receives relevant data about vulnerable road users from a roadside unit, the relevant data being information about vulnerable road users detected by the roadside unit; a setting unit that sets vulnerable road user areas corresponding to each vulnerable road user based on the relevant data; a merging unit that merges any two vulnerable road user areas that meet a predetermined overlap condition to form a new vulnerable road user area; and a display unit that displays the vulnerable road user area retained after processing by the merging unit as a warning area in the vehicle.

[0047] According to the present invention, the merging unit merges any two vulnerable traffic participant areas that meet the specified overlap conditions to form a new vulnerable traffic participant area. The final displayed area is the merged vulnerable traffic participant area, thus reducing the number of displayed vulnerable traffic participant areas. This results in a simpler display interface, preventing vehicle occupants from being distracted by unnecessary information and facilitating accurate judgment. Furthermore, from another perspective, the repeated display of vulnerable traffic participant areas is effectively suppressed, avoiding unnecessary waste of system resources. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the early warning method for vulnerable traffic participants in the first embodiment.

[0049] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a vulnerable traffic participant area in the first implementation.

[0050] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the merging step in the vulnerable traffic participant early warning method of the first embodiment.

[0051] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the merging method of vulnerable traffic participant areas in the first implementation method.

[0052] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram showing the vulnerable traffic participant area displayed in the vehicle, calculated using existing vulnerable traffic participant early warning methods.

[0053] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the vulnerable traffic participant area displayed in the vehicle, calculated by the vulnerable traffic participant warning method of the first embodiment.

[0054] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a variation of the first embodiment of a vulnerable traffic participant warning method.

[0055] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the vulnerable traffic participant warning method of the second embodiment.

[0056] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the merging step in the vulnerable traffic participant early warning method of the second embodiment.

[0057] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating the merging method of vulnerable traffic participant areas in the second implementation method.

[0058] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a variation of the second embodiment of a method for warning vulnerable traffic participants.

[0059] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the vulnerable traffic participant warning method of the third implementation method.

[0060] Figure 13 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the vulnerable traffic participant warning device according to the fourth embodiment.

[0061] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating early warning methods for other vulnerable road users.

[0062] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0063] HV vehicles

[0064] OBU vehicle unit

[0065] RSU, RSU1, RSU2 roadside units

[0066] P, P A P B P A+B Vulnerable traffic participant areas

[0067] 1. Early warning device for vulnerable road users

[0068] 11 Receiving Department

[0069] 12. Setting Department

[0070] 13 Merging Department

[0071] 14 Display Section

[0072] 2. Vehicle display device Detailed Implementation

[0073] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Note that the following embodiments are provided for the purpose of understanding the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0074] In addition, in the following description, the same reference numerals will be used for the same constituent elements, and the description of the constituent elements will be simplified or omitted as appropriate.

[0075] <1> First Implementation Method

[0076] [1-1] Technical Solution

[0077] based on Figures 1-6 This describes the early warning method for vulnerable traffic participants in the first implementation method.

[0078] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the vulnerable traffic participant warning method of the first embodiment.

[0079] like Figure 1 As shown, the vulnerable road user warning method of this embodiment is a method for providing warnings to vehicle occupants by displaying the vulnerable road user area in the vehicle, including a receiving step S1, a setting step S2, a merging step S3, and a display step S4.

[0080] In receiving step S1, see Figure 6 The On-Board Unit (OBU) mounted on the vehicle (HV) receives roadside unit messages from the Roadside Unit (RSU) via wireless communication.

[0081] The roadside unit message is a message detected by the roadside unit (RSU) through radar, cameras, and other means. It includes information about motor vehicles such as cars and motorcycles, as well as information about vulnerable road users such as pedestrians (pedestrians walking on foot, disabled people traveling in wheelchairs, etc.), bicycles, and electric bicycles.

[0082] The vehicle information includes information such as the type, location, speed, orientation, and size of the detected vehicle, which indicates the nature of the vehicle itself, as well as the identification mark (ID) assigned to the vehicle by the roadside unit (RSU) for identifying the vehicle.

[0083] Similarly, vulnerable traffic participant information includes information indicating the nature of the detected vulnerable traffic participant, such as its type, location, speed, orientation, and size, as well as information such as the identifier (ID) assigned by the roadside unit (RSU) to identify the vulnerable traffic participant.

[0084] Here, "position" refers to the coordinates of the motor vehicle / vulnerable road user. "Size" refers to the length and width of the motor vehicle / vulnerable road user.

[0085] That is, in this step, the Onboard Unit (OBU) receives a Roadside Unit message from the Roadside Unit (RSU) containing relevant data related to vulnerable road users detected by the Roadside Unit.

[0086] In the next setup step S2, the on-board unit (OBU) sets up vulnerable traffic participant areas P for each vulnerable traffic participant based on the relevant data of vulnerable traffic participants.

[0087] Here, the so-called vulnerable traffic participant area P refers to the area that includes (encloses) the corresponding vulnerable traffic participants from an overhead perspective.

[0088] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a vulnerable traffic participant area in the first implementation. Figure 2 In the example shown, the vulnerable road user detected was a pedestrian.

[0089] like Figure 2 As shown in (A), the data on vulnerable traffic participants received by the on-board unit (OBU) from the roadside unit (RSU) includes coordinate values ​​O representing the location of the vulnerable traffic participant, as well as length values ​​a and width values ​​b representing the size of the vulnerable traffic participant.

[0090] like Figure 2 As shown in (B), in setting step S2, the vehicle-mounted unit OBU sets a circular area from a top-down perspective with the coordinate value O of the vulnerable traffic participant as the center and the length value a of the vulnerable traffic participant as the radius, based on the relevant data of the vulnerable traffic participant received from the roadside unit RSU, and sets this circular area as the vulnerable traffic participant area P.

[0091] In the next merging step S3, the on-board unit (OBU) performs overlap calculation for each vulnerable traffic participant area P. For any two vulnerable traffic participant areas P that meet the specified overlap conditions, the OBU merges them to form a new vulnerable traffic participant area P to replace the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P.

[0092] Note that, regarding the vulnerable traffic participant area P processed in merging step S3: it includes the vulnerable traffic participant area P corresponding to the vulnerable traffic participant just detected by the roadside unit RSU; if the vulnerable traffic participant area P has already been displayed in the vehicle before the vulnerable traffic participant was detected by the roadside unit RSU, it also includes the displayed vulnerable traffic participant area P; if there is an intermediate vulnerable traffic participant area P that has been merged once or several times but has not yet been displayed because the processing of all vulnerable traffic participant areas P set by setting step S2 has not been completed, it also includes the intermediate vulnerable traffic participant area P.

[0093] Figure 3 An example of the processing of the merging step S3 of the first embodiment is shown.

[0094] like Figure 3 As shown, firstly, in step S31, the on-board unit (OBU) calculates the area of ​​each of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P to be processed, as well as the area of ​​the overlapping area, and calculates the degree of overlap between the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P by dividing the area of ​​the overlapping area by the area of ​​one of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P, for example, the area of ​​the smaller vulnerable traffic participant area P.

[0095] Then, in step S32, the on-board unit (OBU) determines whether the overlap ratio calculated in step S31 is greater than 0.5 (whether the overlap ratio meets the specified conditions).

[0096] If the condition in step S32 is "yes" (the overlap meets the specified conditions), it is determined that the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P need to be merged. At this point, the process proceeds to step S33, which determines how to merge the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P.

[0097] Specifically, in step S33, the on-board unit (OBU) further determines whether the overlap of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P calculated in step S31 is below 0.9.

[0098] If the determination in step S33 is "yes", proceed to step S34, where the on-board unit (OBU) expands and merges the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P.

[0099] Figure 4 (A) is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the expansion and merging process of vulnerable traffic participant areas in the first embodiment. The left diagram shows two vulnerable traffic participant areas P to be merged. A P B The right figure shows the vulnerable traffic participant area P generated after the expansion and merging process. A+B .

[0100] like Figure 4 As shown in the left figure of (A), suppose there are two vulnerable traffic participant regions P to be merged. A P B In the middle, the larger vulnerable traffic participant area P A The center of the circle is O A Radius R A A smaller area for vulnerable traffic participants, P B The center of the circle is O B Radius R B And two vulnerable traffic participant areas P A P B The length D of the line connecting the centers of the circles.

[0101] So, if Figure 4 As shown in the right figure of (A), in the expanded merging process of step S34, the on-board unit (OBU) generates data based on the two vulnerable traffic participant regions P. A P B The midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the circles is the center O. A+B Area P, for vulnerable traffic participants A radius R A The sum of half the length D of the connecting line (R) A +D / 2) is the radius R A+B Circular vulnerable traffic participant area P A+BThis is to replace the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P A P B .

[0102] Thus, with an overlap ratio of 0.5 to 0.9, regions P representing two vulnerable traffic participants are generated. A P B New vulnerable transport participant area P A+B .

[0103] If the result in step S33 is "no", proceed to step S35, where the on-board unit (OBU) absorbs and merges the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P.

[0104] Figure 4 (B) is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the absorption and merging process of vulnerable traffic participant areas in the first embodiment. The left diagram shows two vulnerable traffic participant areas P to be merged. A P B The right figure shows the vulnerable traffic participant area P remaining after the absorption and merger process. A .

[0105] like Figure 4 As shown in the left figure of (B), suppose there are two vulnerable traffic participant regions P to be merged. A P B In the middle, the larger vulnerable traffic participant area P A The center of the circle is O A Radius R A A smaller area for vulnerable traffic participants, P B The center of the circle is O B Radius R B .

[0106] So, if Figure 4 As shown in the right figure of (B), in the absorption and merging process of step S35, the on-board unit (OBU) will merge the vulnerable traffic participant area P B Remove and retain the vulnerable traffic participant area P A As a vulnerable traffic participant area resulting from the merger of the two.

[0107] Thus, when the overlap is greater than 0.9, in the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P A P B In the middle, only the larger side is retained as a new area for vulnerable traffic participants.

[0108] Furthermore, if the determination in step S32 is "No" (overlap does not meet the specified conditions), it is determined that it is not necessary to merge the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P. In this case, as... Figure 4As shown in (C), areas P for these two vulnerable traffic participants are preserved. A P B .

[0109] Repeat the above merging step S3 until all vulnerable traffic participant areas P set in step S2 have been processed. After processing all vulnerable traffic participant areas P set in step S2 is complete, proceed to the display step S4.

[0110] In the display step S4, the vulnerable traffic participant area P, which is retained after the merging step S3, is displayed as a warning area on the vehicle's display device.

[0111] [1-2] Technical Effects

[0112] The vulnerable traffic participant warning method according to this embodiment not only makes the display interface simple and conducive to vehicle occupants making correct judgments, but also avoids the waste of system resources.

[0113] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, in existing vulnerable road user warning methods, when the On-Board Unit (OBU) processes vulnerable road user information received from roadside unit (RSU1, RSU2, ...) messages, even for the same vulnerable road user, it may set multiple independent vulnerable road user regions P based on different identifiers (IDs) assigned by RSU1, RSU2, ... and display them all on the vehicle's display device. This can result in displaying too many vulnerable road user regions on the vehicle's display device, affecting the occupants' ability to make accurate judgments. Furthermore, the repeated display of vulnerable road user regions leads to unnecessary waste of system resources and may even affect the execution of other functions.

[0114] In contrast, in this embodiment, through the merging step S3, any two vulnerable traffic participant areas P that meet the specified overlap conditions are merged to form a new vulnerable traffic participant area P, and the final displayed area is the merged vulnerable traffic participant area P. Therefore, as Figure 6 As shown, this can reduce the number of vulnerable traffic participant zones P.

[0115] This results in a simpler display interface, preventing vehicle occupants from being overwhelmed by unnecessary information and facilitating accurate judgment. Furthermore, from another perspective, the repeated display of vulnerable road user zones is effectively suppressed, avoiding unnecessary waste of system resources.

[0116] <2> Variations of the first embodiment

[0117] [2-1] Technical Solution

[0118] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a variation of the first embodiment of a vulnerable traffic participant early warning method. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the difference between this variant and the first embodiment is that a filtering step S5 is included between the receiving step S1 and the setting step S2.

[0119] In the screening step S5, the on-board unit (OBU) mounted on the vehicle HV determines whether there is a risk of collision between the vulnerable traffic participant P and the vehicle HV based on the vehicle HV's position, speed, and direction, as well as the position, speed, and orientation of the vulnerable traffic participant P contained in the roadside unit message received from the roadside unit (RSU) in the receiving step S1.

[0120] In the screening step S5, if the on-board unit (OBU) determines that there is no risk of collision between the vulnerable traffic participant P and the vehicle HV, it will remove the vulnerable traffic participant P.

[0121] On the other hand, in the screening step S5, if the on-board unit (OBU) determines that there is a risk of collision between the vulnerable traffic participant P and the vehicle HV, it causes the vulnerable traffic participant P to enter the processing of the setting step S2, the merging step S3 and the display step S4.

[0122] Everything else is the same as in the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0123] [2-2] Technical Effects

[0124] According to this variation, it can also achieve the effect of "not only making the display interface simple and conducive to vehicle occupants making correct judgments, but also avoiding the waste of system resources".

[0125] In particular, since only data related to vulnerable traffic participants at risk of collision with vehicles are processed in the setting step S2, merging step S3, and display step S4, meaningless calculations and displays can be avoided, which is more conducive to the above-mentioned effects.

[0126] <3> Second Implementation Method

[0127] [3-1] Technical Solution

[0128] based on Figures 8-10 This describes the early warning method for vulnerable traffic participants in the second implementation method.

[0129] The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment lies in the merging step S3′. Therefore, the following mainly describes the merging step S3′, while other parts are described in a simplified manner.

[0130] Figure 8This is a flowchart illustrating the vulnerable traffic participant warning method of the second embodiment.

[0131] like Figure 8 As shown, the vulnerable traffic participant warning method of this embodiment is a method for providing warnings to vehicle occupants by displaying the vulnerable traffic participant area in the vehicle, including a receiving step S1, a setting step S2, a merging step S3', and a display step S4.

[0132] In receiving step S1, the on-board unit (OBU) mounted on the vehicle (HV) receives roadside unit messages from the roadside unit (RSU) via wireless communication. The roadside unit messages contain relevant data related to vulnerable road users detected by the roadside unit (RSU).

[0133] Next, in setting step S2, the on-board unit (OBU) sets up vulnerable traffic participant areas P for each vulnerable traffic participant based on relevant data of vulnerable traffic participants.

[0134] Next, in the merging step S3′, the on-board unit (OBU) performs overlap calculation processing for each vulnerable traffic participant area P. For any two vulnerable traffic participant areas P that meet the specified overlap conditions, the OBU merges them to form a new vulnerable traffic participant area P to replace the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P.

[0135] Note that, regarding the vulnerable traffic participant area P processed in the merging step S3′: it includes the vulnerable traffic participant area P corresponding to the vulnerable traffic participant just detected by the roadside unit RSU; if the vulnerable traffic participant area P has already been displayed in the vehicle before the vulnerable traffic participant was detected by the roadside unit RSU, it also includes the displayed vulnerable traffic participant area P; if there is an intermediate vulnerable traffic participant area P that has been merged once or several times but has not yet been displayed because the processing of all vulnerable traffic participant areas P set by the setting step S2 has not been completed, it also includes the intermediate vulnerable traffic participant area P.

[0136] Figure 9 An example of the processing of the merging step S3′ of the second embodiment is shown.

[0137] like Figure 9 As shown, firstly, in step S31′, the on-board unit (OBU) calculates the overlap of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P to be processed based on their respective radii and the distance between their centers.

[0138] Specifically, if the radius of the larger vulnerable traffic participant area is set as R ASet the radius of the smaller vulnerable traffic participant zone to R. B If the center-to-center distance between the two vulnerable traffic participant areas is set as D, then the degree of overlap is (R A +R B -D) / 2R B .

[0139] Then, in step S32', the on-board unit (OBU) determines whether the overlap ratio calculated in step S31' is greater than 0.55 (whether the overlap ratio meets the specified conditions).

[0140] If the determination in step S32′ is "yes" (the overlap meets the specified conditions), it is determined that the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P need to be merged. At this time, proceed to step S33′ to determine how to merge the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P.

[0141] Specifically, in step S33′, the on-board unit (OBU) further determines whether the overlap of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P calculated in step S31′ is less than 0.99.

[0142] If the determination in step S33′ is “yes”, proceed to step S34′, where the on-board unit (OBU) expands and merges the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P.

[0143] Figure 10 (A) is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the expansion and merging process of vulnerable traffic participant areas in the second embodiment. The left diagram shows two vulnerable traffic participant areas P to be merged. A P B The right figure shows the vulnerable traffic participant area P generated after the expansion and merging process. A+B .

[0144] like Figure 10 As shown in the left figure of (A), suppose there are two vulnerable traffic participant regions P to be merged. A P B In the middle, the larger vulnerable traffic participant area P A The center of the circle is O A Radius R A A smaller area for vulnerable traffic participants, P B The center of the circle is O B Radius R B And two vulnerable traffic participant areas P A P B The length D of the line connecting the centers of the circles.

[0145] So, if Figure 10As shown in the right figure of (A), in the expanded merging process of step S34′, the on-board unit (OBU) generates data based on the two vulnerable traffic participant regions P. A P B The midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the circles is the center O. A+B Area P, for vulnerable traffic participants A radius R A The sum of half the length D of the connecting line (R) A +D / 2) is the radius R A+B Circular vulnerable traffic participant area P A+B This is to replace the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P A P B .

[0146] Thus, when the overlap is greater than 0.55 and less than 0.99, regions P representing two vulnerable traffic participants are generated. A P B New vulnerable transport participant area P A+B .

[0147] If the result in step S33′ is “no”, proceed to step S35′, where the on-board unit (OBU) absorbs and merges the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P.

[0148] Figure 10 (B) is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the absorption and merging process of vulnerable traffic participant areas in the second embodiment. The left diagram shows two vulnerable traffic participant areas P to be merged. A P B The right figure shows the vulnerable traffic participant area P remaining after the absorption and merger process. A .

[0149] like Figure 10 As shown in the left figure of (B), suppose there are two vulnerable traffic participant regions P to be merged. A P B In the middle, the larger vulnerable traffic participant area P A The center of the circle is O A Radius R A A smaller area for vulnerable traffic participants, P B The center of the circle is O B Radius R B .

[0150] So, if Figure 10 As shown in the right figure of (B), in the absorption and merging process of step S35, the on-board unit (OBU) will merge the vulnerable traffic participant area P B Remove and retain the vulnerable traffic participant area P AAs a vulnerable traffic participant area resulting from the merger of the two.

[0151] Thus, when the overlap is greater than 0.99, in the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P A P B In the middle, only the larger side is retained as a new area for vulnerable traffic participants.

[0152] Furthermore, if the determination in step S32′ is "No" (overlap does not meet the specified conditions), it is determined that it is not necessary to merge the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P. In this case, as... Figure 10 As shown in (C), areas P for these two vulnerable traffic participants are preserved. A P B .

[0153] Repeat the above merging step S3′ until all vulnerable traffic participant areas P set in step S2 have been processed. After processing all vulnerable traffic participant areas P set in step S2 has been completed, proceed to the display step S4.

[0154] In display step S4, the vulnerable traffic participant area P, which is retained after the merging step S3′, is displayed as a warning area on the vehicle's display device.

[0155] [3-2] Technical Effects

[0156] The vulnerable traffic participant warning method according to this embodiment not only makes the display interface simple and conducive to vehicle occupants making correct judgments, but also avoids the waste of system resources.

[0157] That is, in this embodiment, through the merging step S3′, any two vulnerable traffic participant areas P that meet the specified overlap conditions are merged to form a new vulnerable traffic participant area P, and the final displayed area is the merged vulnerable traffic participant area P. Therefore, see Figure 6 This can reduce the number of vulnerable traffic participant zones P that are displayed.

[0158] This results in a simpler display interface, preventing vehicle occupants from being overwhelmed by unnecessary information and facilitating accurate judgment. Furthermore, from another perspective, the repeated display of vulnerable road user zones is effectively suppressed, avoiding unnecessary waste of system resources.

[0159] Moreover, compared to calculating overlap using area, this method can calculate overlap with simpler operations, resulting in lower computational load and higher processing efficiency.

[0160] <4> Variations of the second embodiment

[0161] [4-1] Technical Solution

[0162] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a variation of the second embodiment of a vulnerable traffic participant early warning method. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the difference between this variant and the second embodiment is that a filtering step S5 is included between the receiving step S1 and the setting step S2.

[0163] In the screening step S5, the on-board unit (OBU) mounted on the vehicle HV determines whether there is a risk of collision between the vulnerable traffic participant P and the vehicle HV based on the vehicle HV's position, speed, and direction, as well as the position, speed, and orientation of the vulnerable traffic participant P contained in the roadside unit message received from the roadside unit (RSU) in the receiving step S1.

[0164] In the screening step S5, if the on-board unit (OBU) determines that there is no risk of collision between the vulnerable traffic participant P and the vehicle HV, it will remove the vulnerable traffic participant P.

[0165] On the other hand, in the screening step S5, if the on-board unit (OBU) determines that there is a risk of collision between the vulnerable traffic participant P and the vehicle HV, it causes the vulnerable traffic participant P to enter the processing of the setting step S2, the merging step S3′ and the display step S4.

[0166] Everything else is the same as in the second embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0167] [4-2] Technical Effects

[0168] According to this variation, it can also achieve the effect of "not only making the display interface simple and conducive to vehicle occupants making correct judgments, but also avoiding the waste of system resources".

[0169] In particular, since only data related to vulnerable traffic participants at risk of collision with vehicles are processed in the setting step S2, merging step S3′ and display step S4, meaningless calculations and displays can be avoided, which is more conducive to the above-mentioned effects.

[0170] <5> Third Implementation Method

[0171] [5-1] Technical Solution

[0172] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the merging step in the vulnerable traffic participant early warning method of the third embodiment. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment / variant of the first embodiment is that: step S30 is included before step S31.

[0173] In step S30, the on-board unit (OBU) makes a preliminary judgment on whether there is an overlapping area between the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P based on the relationship between the center distance between the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P and the sum of the radii of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P.

[0174] Specifically, if the distance between the centers of two vulnerable traffic participant areas P is less than the sum of the radii of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P, it is determined that there is an overlapping area between the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P, and the process proceeds to step S31 to calculate the degree of overlap.

[0175] On the other hand, if the distance between the centers of two vulnerable traffic participant areas P is not less than the sum of the radii of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P, it is determined that there is no overlapping area between the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P, and the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P are retained.

[0176] In step S31, the degree of overlap between two vulnerable traffic participant areas P that were initially determined to overlap in step S30 is calculated based on the overlapping area.

[0177] Other aspects are the same as those in the first embodiment / variant of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0178] [5-2] Technical Effects

[0179] According to this variation, it can also achieve the effect of "not only making the display interface simple and conducive to vehicle occupants making correct judgments, but also avoiding the waste of system resources".

[0180] In particular, since the overlap is calculated only when the distance between the centers of two vulnerable traffic participant areas is less than the sum of the radii of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas, the overlap is calculated only for vulnerable traffic participant areas that overlap, thus avoiding invalid calculations.

[0181] <6> Fourth Implementation Method

[0182] [6-1] Technical Solution

[0183] The vulnerable road user warning device of the fourth embodiment can be mounted on a vehicle as an in-vehicle unit and provides warnings to vehicle occupants by displaying the vulnerable road user area on the vehicle's display device. It has functional modules corresponding to the steps in the above embodiments / modifications.

[0184] For example, Figure 13 An example of the functional configuration of the vulnerable traffic participant warning device of the fourth embodiment is shown. Figure 13 The vulnerable traffic participant warning device 1 shown includes a receiving unit 11, a setting unit 12, a merging unit 13, and a display unit 14.

[0185] The receiving unit 11 has a function corresponding to the above-mentioned "receiving step S1" and receives roadside unit messages from the roadside unit RSU via wireless communication. The roadside unit messages contain relevant data related to vulnerable traffic participants detected by the roadside unit RSU.

[0186] The setting unit 12 has a function corresponding to the above-mentioned "setting step S2" and sets a vulnerable traffic participant area P for each vulnerable traffic participant based on relevant data of vulnerable traffic participants.

[0187] The merging unit 13 has a function corresponding to the above-mentioned "merging step S3" or "merging step S3'", performs overlap calculation processing for each vulnerable traffic participant area P, and merges any two vulnerable traffic participant areas P that meet the specified overlap conditions to form a new vulnerable traffic participant area P to replace the two vulnerable traffic participant areas P.

[0188] The display unit 14 has a function corresponding to the above-mentioned "display step S4". It can be connected to the vehicle's display device 2 and can autonomously display or instruct the vehicle's display device 2 to display the vulnerable traffic participant area P that has been retained after the processing of the merging unit 13 as a warning area.

[0189] In addition, although not shown in the figure, the vulnerable road user warning device 1 may also be equipped with a screening unit, which has the function corresponding to the above-mentioned "screening step S5", and removes vulnerable road users who are not at risk of collision with the vehicle, so that the setting unit 12, merging unit 13 and display unit 14 only process the data of vulnerable road users who are at risk of collision with the vehicle.

[0190] [6-2] Technical Effects

[0191] According to this embodiment, the same effect as the above-described embodiments / modifications can be achieved.

[0192] <7> other

[0193] The various embodiments / modifications of the present invention have been described above. However, these embodiments / modifications are provided for ease of understanding of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments / modifications. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications to these embodiments / modifications under the guidance of the technical concept of the present invention, which are illustrated below.

[0194] (1) In the above embodiments / variations, the vulnerable traffic participant area P is a circular area from a top view with the coordinate value O of the vulnerable traffic participant as the center and the length value a of the vulnerable traffic participant as the radius, but it is not limited to this.

[0195] For example, the center of the vulnerable traffic participant area P may not be the coordinate value O of the vulnerable traffic participant, but a position slightly off from its coordinate value O.

[0196] For example, the radius of the vulnerable traffic participant area P may not be the length value a of the vulnerable traffic participant area, or it may be slightly larger or smaller than the length value a of the vulnerable traffic participant area P.

[0197] For example, the shape of the vulnerable traffic participant area P can also be any shape other than a circle, such as a rectangle, trapezoid, triangle, ellipse, etc.

[0198] In short, the vulnerable traffic participant zone P only needs to be able to include vulnerable traffic participants when viewed from above.

[0199] (2) In the above embodiments / variations, when the overlap degree is 0.5 to 0.9 in merging step S3 / when the overlap degree is greater than 0.55 and less than 0.99 in merging step S3′, the newly generated vulnerable traffic participant area P A+B With vulnerable traffic participants in area P A P B The midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the circles is the center O. A+B And in the vulnerable traffic participant area P A radius R A The sum of half the length D of the connecting line (R) A +D / 2) is the radius, but it is not limited to this.

[0200] For example, the new vulnerable traffic participant area P A+B The center of the circle may not be the vulnerable traffic participant area P. A P B It is not the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the circles, but a position deviating from that midpoint.

[0201] For example, the new vulnerable traffic participant area P A+B The radius may not be the vulnerable traffic participant area P. A radius R A The sum of half the length D of the line connecting the centers of the two circles (R) A +D / 2), can also be compared with (R) A +D / 2) slightly larger or slightly smaller.

[0202] In summary, the new vulnerable traffic participant area P A+B As long as the vulnerable traffic participant area P can be located from an overhead perspective. A P B Simply wrap it inside.

[0203] (3) The first embodiment / variant of the first embodiment / third embodiment described above can be combined with the second embodiment / variant of the second embodiment described above.

[0204] For example, the first implementation method can be combined with the second implementation method described above.

[0205] Specifically, such as Figure 14 As shown, step S6 can be inserted between setting step S2 and merging step S3 / merging step S3′, in which the on-board unit (OBU) determines whether there is a vulnerable traffic participant area that is being displayed as a warning area.

[0206] If the determination in step S6 is "yes", proceed to the merging step S3. In the merging step S3, the merging process is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0207] If the result in step S6 is "No", proceed to the merging step S3'. In merging step S3', the merging process is performed in the same manner as in the second embodiment.

[0208] Everything else is the same as in the first / second implementation.

[0209] Of course, the combination methods listed here are just one example, and can be implemented in any other possible way, as long as they do not cause technical contradictions.

Claims

1. A method for early warning of vulnerable road users, which provides early warning to occupants of a vehicle by displaying the area of ​​vulnerable road users within the vehicle, characterized in that, Include: The receiving step involves receiving relevant data about vulnerable traffic participants from a roadside unit, wherein the relevant data is information about the vulnerable traffic participants detected by the roadside unit. The steps involve setting up vulnerable traffic participant zones corresponding to each vulnerable traffic participant based on the relevant data of the vulnerable traffic participants. The merging step involves merging any two vulnerable traffic participant areas that meet the specified overlap conditions to form a new vulnerable traffic participant area. as well as The display step involves showing the vulnerable traffic participant area, which is retained after the merging step, as a warning area in the vehicle. The relevant data for the vulnerable traffic participant includes at least the coordinates, length, and width values ​​of the vulnerable traffic participant. The vulnerable traffic participant area is a circular area viewed from above, with the coordinates as the center and the length as the radius. The overlap ratio is the ratio of the overlapping area of ​​any two vulnerable traffic participant areas to the area of ​​one of the vulnerable traffic participant areas.

2. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 1, characterized in that, The overlap ratio is the ratio of the overlapping area of ​​any two vulnerable traffic participant areas to the area of ​​the smaller vulnerable traffic participant area among the two vulnerable traffic participant areas.

3. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the overlap is greater than or equal to 0.5, it is determined that the overlap meets the specified conditions.

4. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the overlap is between 0.5 and 0.9, the newly formed vulnerable traffic participant area is a circular area that encompasses the two vulnerable traffic participant areas.

5. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 4, characterized in that, The center of the new vulnerable traffic participant zone is the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the two vulnerable traffic participant zones. The radius of the new vulnerable traffic participant zone is the sum of the radius of the larger of the two vulnerable traffic participant zones and half the length of the connecting line.

6. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 3, characterized in that, If the overlap is greater than 0.9, only the larger of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas will be retained as the new vulnerable traffic participant area.

7. The method for early warning of vulnerable road users according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, In the merging step, the overlap is calculated only if the distance between the centers of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas is less than the sum of the radii of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas.

8. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the merging step, the degree of overlap is determined based on the relationship between the center distance and the respective radii of any two vulnerable traffic participant areas to determine whether the specified conditions are met.

9. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 8, characterized in that, If the radius of a vulnerable traffic participant area is set as R A Let R be the radius of another vulnerable traffic participant area whose radius is smaller than that of the vulnerable traffic participant area. B If the distance between the centers of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas is set as D, then: In 0.55 < (R A +R B -D) / 2R B In this case, it is determined that the degree of overlap meets the specified conditions.

10. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 9, characterized in that, In 0.55 < (R A +R B -D) / 2R B When the value is less than 0.99, the newly formed vulnerable traffic participant area is a circular area that encompasses the two vulnerable traffic participant areas.

11. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 10, characterized in that, The center of the new vulnerable traffic participant zone is the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the two vulnerable traffic participant zones. The radius of the new vulnerable traffic participant zone is the sum of the radius of the larger of the two vulnerable traffic participant zones and half the length of the connecting line.

12. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 9, characterized in that, In (R) A +R B -D) / 2R B In the case of ≥0.99, only the larger of the two vulnerable traffic participant areas is retained as the new vulnerable traffic participant area.

13. The early warning method for vulnerable road users according to claim 1, characterized in that, Prior to the setting step, there is a screening step that filters vulnerable road users who are at risk of collision with a vehicle from the relevant data of the vulnerable road users received through the receiving step. In the setting step, the vulnerable traffic participant zone is set only for vulnerable traffic participants who are at risk of colliding with the vehicle.

14. A vulnerable road user warning device, which provides warning to occupants of a vehicle by displaying the area of ​​vulnerable road users in the vehicle, characterized in that, Include: The receiving unit receives relevant data of vulnerable traffic participants from the roadside unit, wherein the relevant data is information about vulnerable traffic participants detected by the roadside unit; The setting unit sets up vulnerable traffic participant zones corresponding to each vulnerable traffic participant based on the relevant data of the vulnerable traffic participants. The merging section merges any two vulnerable traffic participant areas that meet the specified overlap conditions to form a new vulnerable traffic participant area. as well as The display unit shows the vulnerable traffic participant area, which is retained after the merging unit's processing, as a warning area in the vehicle. The relevant data for the vulnerable traffic participant includes at least the coordinates, length, and width values ​​of the vulnerable traffic participant. The vulnerable traffic participant area is a circular area viewed from above, with the coordinates as the center and the length as the radius. The overlap ratio is the ratio of the overlapping area of ​​any two vulnerable traffic participant areas to the area of ​​one of the vulnerable traffic participant areas.

Images