Vehicle inspection method and vehicle inspection system

Abstract

In a vehicle inspection method for a vehicle provided with a controller for automatically controlling the vehicle speed on the basis of a forward monitoring image, wheels of the vehicle are supported by a vehicle support device (S1), and a vehicle speed signal of the vehicle supported by the vehicle support device is acquired (S2). A virtual image of an environment that can be observed forward from a vehicle is generated in a manner such that the virtual image is synchronized with a vehicle speed signal (S3), and the virtual image is displayed such that the virtual image is captured by a camera that is mounted on the vehicle and generates a forward monitoring image (S4).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle inspection method and a vehicle inspection system. Background Art

[0002] There are known driving assistance devices that automatically control at least one of the steering angle and the vehicle speed of the vehicle to assist the driving of the vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 below describes a vehicle driving assistance device that detects obstacles based on images captured by a camera and automatically applies brakes.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-196276 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] Conventionally, when the repair of the driving assistance device as described above is completed, it is confirmed that there is no fault location and the system is normal, but it is not confirmed whether the repaired driving assistance device can exert its original performance.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to confirm whether the repaired driving assistance device that automatically controls at least the vehicle speed to assist vehicle driving can exhibit its original performance when repair of the driving assistance device is completed.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle inspection method for a vehicle including a controller that automatically controls the vehicle speed based on a forward monitoring image is provided. In the vehicle inspection method, a wheel of the vehicle is supported by a vehicle support device, a vehicle speed signal of the vehicle supported by the vehicle support device is acquired, a virtual image of an environment observable forward from the vehicle is generated in synchronization with the vehicle speed signal, and the virtual image is displayed so that a camera mounted on the vehicle and generating a forward monitoring image captures the virtual image.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, when repair of a driving assistance device that automatically controls at least the vehicle speed to assist vehicle driving is completed, it is possible to confirm whether the repaired driving assistance device can exhibit its original performance.

[0013] The objects and advantages of the present invention are embodied and achieved by using the elements and combinations thereof indicated in the claims.Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are to be construed as merely illustrative and explanatory rather than restrictive of the present invention as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of a vehicle inspection system according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image display device installed in a camera.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of an example of a vehicle inspection method according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] (structure)

[0018] Figure 1 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of a vehicle inspection system according to an embodiment. The vehicle inspection system 1 is a system for inspecting a driving assistance device 11 of an inspection target vehicle 10 .

[0019] The driving assistance device 11 includes a camera 12 and a controller 13. The controller 13 is an electronic control unit for assisting the driving of the vehicle 10 to be inspected. The controller 13 performs driving assistance control for automatically controlling at least the speed of the vehicle 10 to be inspected based on a forward looking image generated by the camera 12 capturing the environment in front of the vehicle 10 to be inspected and various vehicle information obtained from the vehicle 10 to be inspected by the vehicle sensor 14.

[0020] The controller 13 includes an electronic circuit having peripheral components such as a processor 13a and a storage device 13b. The processor 13a may be, for example, a CPU or an MPU.

[0021] The storage device 13b may include a semiconductor storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, etc. The storage device 13b may include a register, a cache memory, a ROM used as a main storage device, a RAM, and other memories.

[0022] The functions of the controller 13 described below are realized by, for example, the processor 13 a executing a computer program stored in the storage device 13 b .

[0023] The vehicle sensor 14 includes, for example: a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the vehicle speed of the inspected vehicle 10, a wheel speed sensor for detecting the rotation speed of the wheels of the inspected vehicle 10, a three-axis acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration and deceleration of the three-axis directions of the inspected vehicle 10, a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel, a wheel steering angle sensor for detecting the wheel steering angle of the steering wheel, a yaw rate sensor for detecting the yaw rate of the inspected vehicle 10, an accelerator pedal sensor for detecting the accelerator pedal opening of the inspected vehicle 10, and a brake sensor for detecting the braking operation amount of the occupant.

[0024] The driving assistance control of the controller 13 may include, for example, automatic braking control that responds to an obstacle in front of the inspected vehicle 10 and operates the braking device 15 to automatically decelerate or stop the inspected vehicle 10 .

[0025] In addition, for example, the driving assistance control of the controller 13 may include a constant speed travel control for controlling the driving force source 16 and the brake device 15 for generating the driving force of the inspection vehicle 10 to make the inspection vehicle 10 travel at a constant speed.

[0026] In addition, for example, the driving assistance control of the controller 13 may include inter-vehicle distance control for controlling the driving force source 16 and the braking device 15 to maintain the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle under inspection 10 and the preceding vehicle at a target inter-vehicle distance according to the vehicle speed.

[0027] Furthermore, the driving assistance control of the controller 13 may also include: automatically controlling the steering angle of the vehicle 10 to assist the vehicle driving. For example, it may also include: controlling the steering angle of the vehicle 10 to prevent the vehicle 10 from deviating from the driving lane.

[0028] In the following description, the driving assistance functions of the driving assistance device 11 that performs automatic braking control, constant speed driving control, vehicle distance control, and lane departure prevention control are sometimes expressed as "automatic braking function", "constant speed driving function", "vehicle distance control function", and "lane departure prevention function", respectively.

[0029] The vehicle inspection system 1 includes at least a vehicle support device 20 , an image generation device 30 , and an image display device 40 .

[0030] The vehicle support device 20 may be, for example, a car drum test bench or a free roller. The vehicle support device 20 includes rollers 21a and 21b that support the front wheel 17F of the vehicle 10 to be inspected, and rollers 21c and 21d that support the rear wheel 17R. The rollers 21a to 21d are rotatably supported by bearings at the base of the vehicle support device 20. The directions of the rotation axes of the rollers 21a to 21d are parallel to the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 10 to be inspected when the vehicle 10 to be inspected is placed on the vehicle support device 20.

[0031] The vehicle support device 20 includes a vehicle speed sensor 22 for detecting the vehicle speed of the inspected vehicle 10. The vehicle speed sensor 22 detects the vehicle speed of the inspected vehicle 10 based on the rotation speed of the rollers 21a to 21d that support the driving wheels of the inspected vehicle 10. The vehicle speed sensor 22 generates vehicle speed information indicating the vehicle speed of the inspected vehicle 10 and outputs it to the image generation device 30.

[0032] In addition, since the wheels 17F and 17R are supported by the rotatable rollers 21a to 21d, the actual front-rear position of the vehicle body of the inspected vehicle 10 does not change even if the drive wheels of the inspected vehicle 10 rotate. Therefore, the vehicle speed information output by the vehicle speed sensor 22 does not represent the actual vehicle speed of the inspected vehicle 10, but simulates the vehicle speed information calculated based on the wheel speed of the inspected vehicle 10.

[0033] The expression "vehicle speed information of the inspected vehicle 10" in this specification does not refer to the actual vehicle speed information of the inspected vehicle 10, but is used to simulate the vehicle speed information calculated based on the wheel speed of the inspected vehicle 10, or the vehicle speed information calculated based on the wheel speed of the inspected vehicle 10, or information equivalent thereto.

[0034] In addition, the vehicle speed information of the inspected vehicle 10 may be obtained from the controller 13 of the driving assistance device 11. For example, the controller 13 may output the vehicle speed information detected by the vehicle speed sensor of the vehicle sensor 14 to the image generation device 30 as the vehicle speed information of the inspected vehicle 10. In addition, for example, the controller 13 may output the target vehicle speed information set as the vehicle speed target of the inspected vehicle 10 in the automatic braking control, the constant speed driving control, and the inter-vehicle distance control to the image generation device 30. In the case where the vehicle speed information of the inspected vehicle 10 is obtained from the controller 13, the vehicle speed sensor 22 may be omitted.

[0035] The image generation device 30 is an electronic control unit that generates a virtual image (ie, a simulated image) of the environment that can be observed forward from the inspection vehicle 10. In the following description, the virtual image generated by the image generation device 30 is simply referred to as a "virtual image."

[0036] The image generation device 30 includes an electronic circuit having peripheral components such as a processor 31 and a storage device 32. The processor 31 may be, for example, a CPU or an MPU.

[0037] The storage device 32 may include a semiconductor storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, etc. The storage device 32 may include a register, a cache memory, a ROM used as a main storage device, a RAM, and other memories.

[0038] The functions of the video generation device 30 described below are realized by, for example, the processor 31 executing a computer program stored in the storage device 32 .

[0039] The image generation device 30 generates a virtual image in a manner that changes the viewpoint of the virtual image in synchronization with the speed of the inspected vehicle 10 based on the vehicle speed information of the inspected vehicle 10 acquired from the vehicle speed sensor 22 or the controller 13. That is, when the speed of the inspected vehicle 10 indicated by the vehicle speed information is greater than 0, the virtual image is generated in a manner that makes the movement amount of the inspected vehicle 10 corresponding to the vehicle speed equal to the movement amount of the viewpoint of the virtual image.

[0040] For example, the image generation device 30 may generate a computer graphics (CG) image as a virtual image. In the following description, a virtual image generated as a CG image may be referred to as a "CG virtual image".

[0041] When generating a CG virtual image, the image generating device 30 configures objects (such as obstacles such as other vehicles or people, traffic lights, traffic signs, road surface displays (such as lane boundaries or stop lines, road markings, buildings)) in a virtual space, and calculates the position of the inspected vehicle 10 in the virtual space based on the speed information of the inspected vehicle 10. In the following description, objects virtually configured in a CG virtual image are referred to as "virtual objects", and the position of the virtual objects or the inspected vehicle 10 in the virtual space is referred to as "virtual positions". When a moving object is configured as a virtual object, the image generating device 30 calculates the virtual position of the virtual object as time passes.

[0042] The image generation device 30 calculates the relative positional relationship between the virtual position of the inspection vehicle 10 and the virtual position of the virtual object, and generates a CG virtual image of the environment observable forward from the inspection vehicle 10 based on the calculated relative positional relationship.

[0043] For example, the image generating device 30 can generate a CG virtual image according to a predetermined test method. For example, the image generating device 30 can generate a CG virtual image of an obstacle (such as another vehicle or a person, etc.) that appears in front of the inspected vehicle 10 according to a script specified in the predetermined test method. The predetermined test method can be, for example, a test method specified in the New Car Assessment Programme (NACP). It can be the following method: when the inspected vehicle 10 is driven within a prescribed vehicle speed range relative to the test speed of the script and the accelerator pedal opening is detected to be constant, an obstacle is made to appear.

[0044] In addition, for example, the image generation device 30 may generate a virtual image whose viewpoint changes in synchronization with the vehicle speed of the inspection vehicle 10 based on an actual image obtained by capturing an actual environment.

[0045] In this case, for example, the image generation device 30 reads the actual image and position information recording the shooting location of the actual image, the moving speed of the image capturing device, etc. For example, the image generation device 30 may read the recording information of a drive recorder.

[0046] The recorded information of the driving recorder includes information recording the following contents: the front monitoring image captured by a camera mounted on a moving vehicle (such as the inspected vehicle 10 or other vehicles), the vehicle speed at each time point when the front monitoring image is captured, and the position of the vehicle measured by a positioning device such as GPS.

[0047] The image generating device 30 may be one that controls the reproduction speed of the actual image based on the speed information of the inspected vehicle 10 obtained from the speed sensor 22 or the controller 13 and the recorded information of the driving recorder, thereby generating a virtual image in which the viewpoint position changes synchronously with the speed of the inspected vehicle 10.

[0048] The image display device 40 displays the virtual image generated by the image generation device 30. The image display device 40 may also include, for example, a screen disposed in front of the inspected vehicle 10 and a projection device that projects the virtual image onto the screen. In addition, the image display device 40 may also be a display monitor device that is disposed in front of the inspected vehicle 10 and displays the virtual image.

[0049] At this time, it is preferred that the relative positional relationship between the screen or display monitor device and the vehicle support device 20 in the vertical direction and the vehicle width direction of the inspected vehicle 10 be aligned so that the vanishing point of the virtual image displayed on the screen or display monitor device is located on the optical axis of the camera 12.

[0050] In addition, it is preferred that the relative positional relationship between the screen or display monitor device and the vehicle support device 20 in the front-to-rear direction is aligned so that when the virtual image displayed on the screen or display monitor device is captured by the camera 12, the viewing angle of the local image of the range captured by the camera 12 in the virtual image is equal to the viewing angle of the camera 12 itself.

[0051] For example, it is preferred to align the relative positional relationship in the front-to-back direction so that when the viewing angle and aspect ratio of the virtual image are equal to those of the camera 12 , the four corners of the virtual image coincide with the four corners of the capture range of the camera 12 .

[0052] When aligning the screen or display monitor device with the vehicle support device 20, for example, the camera 12 may capture a virtual image displayed on the screen or display monitor device, and the alignment may be performed based on a still image or a moving image output from the camera 12 to satisfy the above-mentioned relative position relationship conditions in each direction.

[0053] In addition, the height of the camera 12 from the road surface, the shooting angle relative to the direction of travel, and the shooting range of each vehicle type can be stored in a database in advance, and information corresponding to the vehicle type of the inspected vehicle 10 can be obtained from the database to automatically adjust the height, angle, and front-to-back position of the screen or display monitor device so that the viewpoint of the virtual image has the same relative position relationship as the viewpoint of the inspected vehicle 10 when shooting on the road.

[0054] The image display device 40 may also include an image display device that can be mounted on the camera 12 . Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the image display device installed in the camera 12.

[0055] Figure 2 The image display device 40 includes: a display element 41 for displaying a virtual image and an optical system 42 for imaging a virtual image VI of the display image of the display element 41 in front of the objective lens L0 of the camera 12, and is detachably mounted to the camera 12 via a fixing member not shown.

[0056] By installing the image display device 40 itself to the camera 12, even if the inspection is carried out with the headlights 18 of the inspected vehicle 10 turned on, it is possible to prevent the camera 12 from being unable to capture a virtual image or the forward monitoring image generated by the virtual image captured by the camera 12 from being degraded due to the light from the headlights 18 being reflected toward the image display surface of the image display device 40.

[0057] In addition, the same virtual image can also be displayed on both the image display device 40 that can be installed on the camera 12 and the display monitor device for the operator, so that when the virtual image is displayed on the image display device 40 that can be installed on the camera 12, the operator (inspector, checker) who inspects the inspected vehicle 10 can visually view the same virtual image in real time.

[0058] (Vehicle Inspection Method)

[0059] A vehicle inspection method using the above-described vehicle inspection system 1 will be described. Figure 3 This is a flowchart of an example of a vehicle inspection method when inspecting the automatic braking function.

[0060] In step S1, the vehicle 10 to be inspected is placed on a vehicle drum test bench or a free roller, i.e., a vehicle support device 20, and the vehicle 10 to be inspected is driven while the wheels 17F and 17R are supported by the rollers 21a to 21d. At this time, since the wheels 17F and 17R are supported by the rollers 21a to 21d that can rotate freely, only the driving wheels of the vehicle 10 to be inspected rotate, and the actual front-rear position of the vehicle 10 to be inspected does not change. In this specification, the expression "driving the vehicle 10 to be inspected" is used to mean driving the driving wheels of the vehicle 10 to be inspected on the vehicle support device 20.

[0061] In step S2 , the image generation device 30 obtains the vehicle speed information of the inspected vehicle 10 from the vehicle speed sensor 22 or the controller 13 .

[0062] In step S3, the image generation device 30 generates a virtual image of the environment that can be observed from the inspected vehicle 10 to the front. In the case of checking the automatic braking function, the image generation device 30 can, for example, generate a photographic image of an obstacle (such as another vehicle or a person) that suddenly appears in front of the inspected vehicle 10. The image generation device 30 changes the viewpoint of the virtual image synchronously with the speed of the inspected vehicle 10 based on the speed information of the inspected vehicle 10. That is, when the speed of the inspected vehicle 10 is higher than 0, a virtual image is generated in which the obstacle approaches the viewpoint of the virtual image as time passes.

[0063] In step S4 , the image display device 40 (for example, a display monitor device disposed in front of the inspected vehicle 10 ) displays the virtual image generated by the image generating device 30 .

[0064] In step S5, the camera 12 captures the virtual image displayed by the image display device 40 and generates a forward monitoring image. The controller 13 recognizes the image of the obstacle in the forward monitoring image (i.e., the image of the obstacle in the virtual image) by performing image recognition processing on the forward monitoring image. For example, the controller 13 can recognize the image of the obstacle by an existing method such as pattern matching.

[0065] The controller 13 responds to the identified obstacle and performs automatic braking control. That is, the brake device 15 of the inspected vehicle 10 is operated, and the speed of the inspected vehicle 10 traveling on the vehicle support device 20 is reduced and stopped by the braking force. The obstacle in the virtual image approaches the viewpoint of the virtual image as time passes, in synchronization with the speed of the inspected vehicle 10 reduced by the braking force.

[0066] Then, it is checked whether the vehicle 10 to be inspected can stop at a position ahead of the obstacle in the virtual image.

[0067] For example, when the image generation device 30 generates a CG virtual image, it is checked whether the inspected vehicle 10 can stop at a position close to the obstacle in the virtual space. For example, an operator (inspector, checker) who inspects the inspected vehicle 10 can judge or confirm whether it can stop at a position closer to the obstacle. The operator can check whether the inspected vehicle 10 can stop at a position close to the obstacle by visually viewing the CG virtual image displayed on the image display device 40.

[0068] Furthermore, the vehicle inspection system 1 may include a diagnosis device 50 that diagnoses the inspection result of the driving assistance device 11 .

[0069] The diagnostic device 50 is an electronic control unit that diagnoses the inspection result of the driving assistance device 11 by the vehicle inspection system 1. The diagnostic device 50 includes an electronic circuit having peripheral components such as a processor 51 and a storage device 52. The processor 51 may be, for example, a CPU or an MPU.

[0070] The storage device 52 may include a semiconductor storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, etc. The storage device 52 may include a register, a cache memory, a ROM used as a main storage device, a RAM, and other memories.

[0071] The functions of the diagnostic device 50 described below are realized by, for example, the processor 51 executing a computer program stored in the storage device 52 .

[0072] The diagnostic device 50 obtains the vehicle speed information of the inspected vehicle 10 from the vehicle speed sensor 22 or the controller 13, and receives the virtual positions of the obstacle and the inspected vehicle 10 in the virtual space from the image generation device 30. The diagnostic device 50 checks whether the inspected vehicle 10 can stop at a position close to the obstacle in the virtual space. For example, it checks whether the inspected vehicle 10 can stop before the relative position relationship between the virtual position of the obstacle and the virtual position of the inspected vehicle 10 becomes the position relationship where the obstacle contacts the inspected vehicle 10 (whether the vehicle speed signal indicates 0). In the case where the vehicle speed signal of the inspected vehicle 10 indicates 0 before the relative position relationship between the virtual position of the obstacle and the virtual position of the inspected vehicle 10 becomes the position relationship where the obstacle contacts the inspected vehicle 10, it is determined that the inspected vehicle 10 stops without contacting the obstacle. In addition, when a delay occurs during the period from the appearance of the obstacle to the recognition of the obstacle by the controller 13, or during the period from the operation of the brake device 15 to the deceleration of the inspected vehicle 10, the inspected vehicle 10 is closer to the obstacle than when no delay occurs. In addition, when the braking force generated by the brake device 15 is small, the distance traveled by the inspected vehicle 10 before stopping becomes longer, and it is closer to the obstacle. Moreover, when the relative positional relationship between the virtual position of the obstacle and the virtual position of the inspected vehicle 10 becomes a positional relationship in which the obstacle and the inspected vehicle 10 are in contact, it is determined that the inspected vehicle 10 has not stopped in front of the obstacle. That is, it is determined that the obstacle in the virtual image is in contact with the inspected vehicle 10.

[0073] When it is determined that the obstacle represented by the virtual image has come into contact with the inspected vehicle 10 , the image generation device 30 generates an animation indicating the contact or an image including a warning display, and the image display device 40 displays the image generated by the image generation device 30 .

[0074] In addition, for example, in a case where an actual image obtained by a driving recorder of a scene in which a vehicle contacts an obstacle or stops just before contacting the obstacle can be utilized, a virtual image based on such an actual image can be displayed by the image display device 40 to check whether the inspected vehicle 10 can stop at a position closer to the obstacle.

[0075] In this case, for example, by confirming whether the speed information of the inspected vehicle 10 is 0 and the virtual image is stationary before the scene displayed by the image display device 40 becomes a scene where the vehicle contacts an obstacle or stops just before contact, it is possible to check whether the inspected vehicle 10 can stop at a position before approaching the obstacle.

[0076] Hereinafter, an example in which a driving assist function other than the automatic braking function is checked will be described.

[0077] When checking the constant speed driving function, in step S3, a virtual image of the environment visible forward from the vehicle traveling on the road is generated. The image generation device 30 may generate a CG virtual image or may generate a virtual image based on an actual image captured by a driving recorder during driving.

[0078] In step S5 , the speed information of the inspected vehicle 10 is obtained to check whether the speed information of the inspected vehicle 10 is below the speed limit indicated by the speed limit sign in the virtual image, or below the upper speed limit pre-set for the inspected vehicle 10 .

[0079] When checking the inter-vehicle distance control function, in step S3 , a CG virtual image of the environment that can be observed forward from the vehicle following the preceding vehicle traveling on the road is generated.

[0080] In step S5 , it is checked whether the inter-vehicle distance between the inspected vehicle 10 and the preceding vehicle is appropriate. For example, the diagnostic device 50 may check whether the inter-vehicle distance between the inspected vehicle 10 and the preceding vehicle in the virtual space is a target inter-vehicle distance set according to the vehicle speed of the inspected vehicle 10 .

[0081] Alternatively, an operator (inspector, checker) who inspects the inspected vehicle 10 may visually check the CG virtual image to determine whether the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle is appropriate.

[0082] When checking the lane departure prevention function, in step S3, a virtual image of the environment that can be observed forward from the vehicle traveling on a road with a curvature greater than 0 is generated. The image generation device 30 may generate a CG virtual image, or may generate a virtual image based on an actual image captured by a drive recorder during driving.

[0083] In step S5, a steering angle command signal of the steering angle of the vehicle 10 is obtained from the controller 13. In addition, the steering actuator of the vehicle 10 is disabled in advance so that the steering wheels of the vehicle 10 are not actually turned on the automobile drum test bench or free roller.

[0084] Based on the steering angle command signal acquired from the controller 13, it is checked whether the steering wheel is being steered in a direction to prevent the inspected vehicle 10 from deviating from the lane.

[0085] Furthermore, when the lane departure prevention function is checked using a CG virtual image, the image generation device 30 may generate a CG virtual image that simulates the turning of the vehicle 10 to be checked.

[0086] In this case, the image generating device 30 obtains the steering angle command signal of the inspected vehicle 10 from the controller 13, calculates the yaw angle of the body of the inspected vehicle 10 in the virtual space based on the vehicle speed information of the inspected vehicle 10 and the steering angle command signal, and generates a CG virtual image of the environment that can be observed from the front of the vehicle based on the calculated yaw angle.

[0087] In addition to the above-mentioned driving assistance functions, the automatic high beam function of the inspected vehicle 10 may also be checked. The automatic high beam function is a function that detects the light of the headlights of the oncoming vehicle and automatically switches the high beam and low beam of the headlights 18 of the inspected vehicle 10 through an illumination sensor installed at any position of the vehicle body (e.g., a rearview mirror).

[0088] When checking the automatic high beam function, for example, a virtual image of passing an oncoming vehicle at night is displayed to check whether the headlight 18 switches to low beam when there is an oncoming vehicle and switches to high beam when there is no oncoming vehicle. At this time, the headlight 18 can be covered in advance to prevent the light of the headlight 18 from reflecting to the image display surface of the display monitor device or screen of the image display device 40.

[0089] In addition, the adaptive lighting function of the inspected vehicle 10 may be checked. The adaptive lighting function detects other vehicles or pedestrians in front of the inspected vehicle 10 from the front monitoring image of the camera 12 and automatically deviates the optical axis of the headlight 18 of the inspected vehicle 10 from the other vehicles or pedestrians.

[0090] When checking the automatic high beam function, a virtual image of another vehicle or pedestrian is displayed in front of the vehicle 10 to check whether the direction of the headlight 18 of the vehicle 10 is automatically controlled so that the optical axis of the headlight 18 deviates from the other vehicle or pedestrian. At this time, in order to prevent the camera 12 from being unable to capture the virtual image due to the light of the headlight 18 or the forward monitoring image generated by the camera 12 capturing the virtual image is deteriorated, the virtual image is displayed by referring to the image. Figure 2 The described image display device (ie, the image display device that can be installed in the camera 12 ) presents a virtual image on the camera 12 .

[0091] (Effects of Embodiments)

[0092] (1) A vehicle inspection system 1 inspects an inspected vehicle 10 having a controller 13 that automatically controls the vehicle speed based on a forward monitoring image. The vehicle inspection system 1 includes: a vehicle support device 20 that supports the wheels of the inspected vehicle 10; an image generation device 30 that acquires a vehicle speed signal of the inspected vehicle 10 supported by the vehicle support device 20 and generates a virtual image of an environment observable forward from the inspected vehicle 10 in synchronization with the vehicle speed signal; and an image display device 40 that displays the virtual image so that the camera 12 that is mounted on the inspected vehicle 10 and generates a forward monitoring image captures the virtual image.

[0093] The vehicle support device 20 may be, for example, a vehicle drum test stand or a free roller.

[0094] Thus, when the repair of the driving assistance device 11 that assists the driving of the inspected vehicle 10 by at least automatically controlling the vehicle speed is completed, it is possible to confirm whether the repaired driving assistance device 11 can exhibit its original performance.

[0095] For example, at least one of the automatic braking function, the constant speed driving function, the inter-vehicle distance control function, the lane departure prevention function, the automatic high beam function, and the adaptive lighting function implemented by the controller 13 of the inspected vehicle 10 may be checked.

[0096] (2) The vehicle inspection system 1 may acquire a vehicle speed signal from the vehicle support device 20 or the inspected vehicle 10 .

[0097] Thereby, a virtual image synchronized with the vehicle speed signal of the inspected vehicle 10 can be generated.

[0098] (3) When checking the automatic braking function, when the vehicle speed is higher than 0, an image of an obstacle in front of the inspected vehicle 10 approaching the inspected vehicle 10 is generated as a virtual image to determine whether the inspected vehicle 10 has stopped in front of the obstacle.

[0099] This makes it possible to check whether the automatic braking function of the inspected vehicle 10 can exert its original performance.

[0100] (4) The image generation device 30 may generate a virtual image according to a predetermined test method.

[0101] Thereby, the inspection can be performed according to a predetermined test method.

[0102] (5) Alternatively, a steering command signal of a steering angle of the vehicle 10 may be acquired from the controller 13, the yaw angle of the vehicle 10 may be calculated based on the steering command signal and the vehicle speed signal, and a virtual image corresponding to the calculated yaw angle may be generated.

[0103] This makes it possible to check the driving assistance device 11 that automatically controls the steering angle based on the forward monitoring image.

[0104] (6) The image display device 40 may display the virtual image on a display monitor device disposed in front of the inspected vehicle 10 , or may project the virtual image on a screen disposed in front of the inspected vehicle 10 .

[0105] Thus, the driving assistance device 11 that assists the driving of the vehicle 10 to be inspected can be inspected based on the forward monitoring image generated by capturing the virtual image.

[0106] (7) Alternatively, an image display device 40 having a display element and an optical system for forming a virtual image of an image displayed by the display element in front of the objective lens of the camera 12 may be attached to the camera 12 , and a virtual image may be displayed by the image display device 40 .

[0107] Thus, the camera 12 of the inspected vehicle 10 can generate a front monitoring image obtained by shooting a virtual image. In addition, even if the inspection is carried out with the headlights 18 of the inspected vehicle 10 turned on, it is possible to prevent the camera 12 from failing to shoot a virtual image or the front monitoring image generated by the camera 12 shooting a virtual image from being degraded.

[0108] All examples and conditional terms recorded herein are intended for educational purposes to help readers understand the present invention and the concepts provided by the inventors to advance the technology, and should be interpreted as not limited to the above examples and conditions specifically recorded and the structures of the examples representing the advantages and disadvantages of the present invention in this specification. Although the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and modifications can be applied thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0109] Description of Reference Numerals

[0110] 1: vehicle inspection system; 10: inspected vehicle; 11: driving assistance device; 12: camera; 13: controller; 13a, 31, 51: processor; 13b, 32, 52: storage device; 14: vehicle sensor; 15: braking device; 16: driving force source; 17F: front wheel; 17R: rear wheel; 18: headlight; 20: vehicle support device; 21a~21d: roller; 22: vehicle speed sensor; 30: image generating device; 40: image display device; 41: display element, 42: optical system; 50: diagnostic device; L0: objective lens.

Claims

1. A vehicle inspection method for a vehicle having a controller for automatically controlling the vehicle speed based on a forward monitoring image, wherein: The wheels of the vehicle are supported by a vehicle support device, acquiring a vehicle speed signal of the vehicle supported by the vehicle support device, generating a virtual image of an environment observable from the front of the vehicle in a manner that is synchronized with the vehicle speed signal, and The virtual image is displayed so that a camera mounted on the vehicle and generating the forward monitoring image captures the virtual image.

2. The vehicle inspection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle support device is a vehicle drum test bench or a free roller.

3. The vehicle inspection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle speed signal is acquired from the vehicle support device or the vehicle.

4. The vehicle inspection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of an automatic braking function, a constant speed driving function, a vehicle distance control function, a lane departure prevention function, an automatic high beam function, and an adaptive lighting function implemented by the controller of the vehicle is checked.

5. The vehicle inspection method according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the automatic braking function check, when the vehicle speed is higher than 0, an image of an obstacle in front of the vehicle approaching the vehicle is generated as the virtual image, and it is determined whether the vehicle has stopped in front of the obstacle.

6. The vehicle inspection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The virtual image is generated according to a predetermined test method.

7. The vehicle inspection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Acquire a steering angle command signal of a steering angle of the vehicle from the controller, The yaw angle of the vehicle is calculated based on the steering angle command signal and the vehicle speed signal, and the virtual image is generated according to the calculated yaw angle.

8. The vehicle inspection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The virtual image is displayed on a display monitor device arranged in front of the vehicle, or the virtual image is projected on a screen arranged in front of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle inspection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: A display device having a display element and an optical system for forming a virtual image of an image displayed by the display element in front of an objective lens of the camera is mounted on the camera. The virtual image is displayed through the display device.

10. A vehicle inspection system, comprising: a vehicle support device that supports the wheels of the vehicle; an image generating device that acquires a vehicle speed signal of the vehicle supported by the vehicle supporting device and generates a virtual image of an environment observable forward from the vehicle in synchronization with the vehicle speed signal; and An image display device displays the virtual image so that a camera mounted on the vehicle and generating the forward monitoring image captures the virtual image.

Images