Road surface drawing system

Abstract

Pedestrian conditions can be grasped with good visibility. A road surface rendering system includes: a camera that photographs a front space of a vehicle; a controller that detects a pedestrian present in the front space on the basis of image data obtained by the camera, detects a white line of a road ahead of the vehicle, and performs control for irradiating the road with light on the basis of each detection result; and a lamp unit that is controlled by the controller to irradiate light to the road, the controller controlling the lamp unit so that a first bright line is irradiated at a position corresponding to the position of the pedestrian on the road when the pedestrian is present and the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is equal to or less than a threshold value, and the first bright line is irradiated at a position corresponding to the position of the pedestrian on the road when the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is equal to or less than a threshold value. The first bright line is a linear light that is irradiated so as to overlap with the white line along the direction of extension of the white line provided at the end of the lane on which the vehicle travels or of the opposite lane on the road.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a road surface profiling system. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-143510 (Patent Document 1) describes a warning illumination device that irradiates light onto the road surface to indicate the direction of a person estimated to be dangerous and the distance from the vehicle to the person, thereby warning both the driver and the person regardless of the color of the person's clothing. As the light irradiated onto the road surface, there is described light irradiated in a T-shaped, Y-shaped, arrow-shaped, etc. extending toward the person (road surface depiction).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-143510 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] As in the prior art described in Patent Document 1, when illuminating a complex text depiction such as a T-letter, if the text depiction is at an angle or is large in size, it is difficult to narrow down the area that the driver of the vehicle should focus on, and therefore it is difficult to identify the exact position of the pedestrian. In addition, as the vehicle approaches the pedestrian, the complex text depiction such as the T-letter also moves together, but since only the angle of the text depiction changes, it is difficult for the driver to recognize the distance from the pedestrian. One of the purposes of the specific method involved in the present disclosure is to provide a road surface depiction system that allows the driver of the vehicle to visually recognize the condition of the pedestrian.

[0008] Means for solving problems

[0009] A road surface depiction system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: (a) a camera that captures a space in front of a vehicle; (b) a controller that detects pedestrians in the space in front of the vehicle based on image data obtained by the camera, and detects white lines on the road in front of the vehicle, and performs control for irradiating light onto the road based on the detection results; and (c) a light unit that is controlled by the controller to irradiate light onto the road, (d) when the pedestrian exists and the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is below a threshold, the controller controls the light unit to irradiate a first bright line at a position on the road corresponding to the position of the pedestrian, and (e) the first bright line is a linear light that extends along the direction of the white line set at the end of the vehicle's driving lane or the opposite lane on the road and is irradiated overlapping with the white line.

[0010] According to the above configuration, a road surface depiction system is provided that can grasp the situation (accurate position, sense of distance) of a pedestrian with good visibility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the structure of a road surface depiction system according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 (A) is a diagram schematically showing an example of installation of each lamp unit. Figure 2 (B) is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a lamp unit.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing a configuration example of a computer system.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the road surface depiction system.

[0015] Figure 5 (A)~ Figure 5 (C) is a diagram for explaining the drawing method of bright lines.

[0016] Figure 6 (A)~ Figure 6 (C) is a diagram for explaining the drawing method of bright lines.

[0017] Figure 7 (A)~ Figure 7 (C) is a diagram for explaining the drawing method of bright lines.

[0018] Figure 8 (A)~ Figure 8 (C) is a diagram for explaining the drawing method of bright lines.

[0019] Fig. 9 (A)~ Fig. 9 (B) is a diagram for explaining the drawing method of bright lines.

[0020] Fig.10 (A)~ Fig.10 (C) is a diagram for explaining the drawing method of bright lines.

[0021] Fig.11 (A)~ Fig.11 (C) is a diagram for explaining the drawing method of bright lines.

[0022] Fig.12 (A)~ Fig.12 (C) is a diagram for explaining the drawing method of bright lines.

[0023] Fig.13 This is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the road surface depiction system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a road surface depiction system according to an embodiment. The road surface depiction system 1 of this embodiment is configured to include a controller 10, a camera 11, a raindrop sensor 12, a vehicle speed sensor 13, and a pair of light units 30L and 30R. The road surface depiction system 1 is mounted on the front of a vehicle and depicts a bright line (linear light) on the road surface in front of the vehicle according to the condition of a pedestrian in front of the vehicle. Pedestrians include not only people walking but also people riding bicycles.

[0025] The controller 10 controls the light irradiation of each headlamp unit 30L, 30R. The controller 10 can be configured using, for example, a computer system including a processor (CPU: Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage device such as a flash memory, an input / output interface, etc. The controller 10 of the present embodiment is in a state where a predetermined function can be exerted by the processor reading and executing a program pre-stored in the storage device (or ROM).

[0026] The camera 11 captures the space in front of the vehicle and generates image data. Based on the image data, the image processing unit 20 of the controller 10 detects the position of pedestrians and other conditions. In addition, the function of the image processing unit 20 may also be provided on the camera 11 side.

[0027] The raindrop sensor 12 detects the amount of rainfall in the location where the vehicle is present, and outputs a signal (or data) indicating a change corresponding to the amount of rainfall. As the raindrop sensor 12, various known sensors can be used. For example, a sensor as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-29807 can be used, which is disposed on the inner side of the front windshield of the vehicle and detects raindrops attached to the outer surface of the glass by an optical method.

[0028] The vehicle speed sensor 13 detects the vehicle speed of the host vehicle and outputs a vehicle speed signal (vehicle speed pulse). If a vehicle speed sensor is already provided in the host vehicle for other purposes, the sensor may be used as the vehicle speed sensor 13 .

[0029] The vehicle position data 14 is generated by a position detection unit (not shown) such as a car navigation system or a GPS sensor provided in the vehicle, and is input to the vehicle position detection unit 21 of the controller 10 .

[0030] A pair of lamp units 30L and 30R are mounted at predetermined left and right positions in front of the vehicle and operate according to control signals provided from the controller 10 to irradiate linear light to a desired position in front of the vehicle. Each lamp unit 30L and 30R includes a driver 31 and an LED array 32 driven by the driver 31.

[0031] The controller 10 is configured to include an image processing unit 20, a vehicle position detection unit 21, a weather detection unit 22, a relative position calculation unit 23, a relative distance calculation unit 24, a critical line calculation unit 25, and a road surface drawing control unit 26 as functional blocks implemented by executing programs.

[0032] The image processing unit 20 performs image recognition processing on the image data generated by the camera 11 to detect the position of pedestrians, the position of the preceding vehicle (the preceding vehicle or the oncoming vehicle), the conditions ahead of the vehicle, such as white lines on the road.

[0033] The vehicle position detection unit 21 detects the position of the vehicle based on the vehicle position data 14. In order to know the position of the vehicle, the vehicle position data 14 may also include a car navigation system, and it is also possible to calculate whether the vehicle position is located on a street, or on a road with a straight line of more than 100 meters, or on a road with only a straight line of less than 100 meters based on the map information of the car navigation. The definition of the road mentioned in the present disclosure is set as a road with a good field of vision that the driver can visually recognize, so it goes without saying that a straight road also includes a curved road if it can be seen. In other words, the road also includes a crossroads and an S-shaped road that can be seen ahead.

[0034] The weather detection unit 22 detects weather conditions, specifically, rainfall, based on the output of the raindrop sensor 13. When the rainfall exceeds a predetermined value, the weather detection unit 22 outputs this fact to the road surface drawing control unit 26.

[0035] The relative position calculation unit 23 detects the position and shape of a white line existing in front of the host vehicle based on the image recognition result of the image processing unit 20 .

[0036] The relative distance calculation unit 24 calculates the relative distance between the pedestrian and the host vehicle based on the current position detected by the host vehicle position detection based on the host vehicle position data and the image recognition result of the image processing unit 20 .

[0037] When there is no white line on the road surface, the critical line calculation unit 25 calculates a critical line which is a virtual line that can replace the white line based on the image recognition result of the image processing unit 20 .

[0038] The road surface drawing control unit 26 generates a control signal for drawing a bright line on the road surface based on the position and shape of the white line calculated by the relative position calculation unit 23, the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle calculated by the relative distance calculation unit 24, the critical line calculated by the critical line calculation unit 25, the weather conditions detected by the weather detection unit 22, etc., and outputs the control signal to each lamp unit 30L, 30R.

[0039] Figure 2 (A) is a diagram schematically showing an example of installation of each lamp unit. Each lamp unit 30L, 30R is arranged at a predetermined position on the left and right sides of the front part of the vehicle 50. In the example shown in the figure, the lamp units 30L, 30R are arranged adjacent to lamp units 40L, 40R for emitting high beam and low beam, respectively.

[0040] Figure 2 (B) is a diagram schematically showing a structural example of a lamp unit. The lamp unit 30L (30R) of the illustrated example is configured to include: an LED array 32 having a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) arranged in two directions; and a lens 33 for projecting light emitted from the LED array 32. The LED array 32 is configured in such a way that its center substantially coincides with the focal point of the lens 33. By individually controlling the lighting state of each LED of the LED array 32 by the driver 31, a bright line can be irradiated to a desired position on the road surface. The area depicted by the irradiated road surface refers to an area in the front-to-back direction that includes at least both the high beam area and the low beam area (it can also be within 100m or more than 100m from the vicinity of the vehicle), an area in the left-to-right direction that includes at least the driving lane (including the white line on the side of the driving lane and the central white line), and an area in the opposite lane (including the white line on the side of the opposite lane). In the embodiment, it is an area that is 100m in front of the vehicle in the front-to-back direction and includes both the driving lane and the opposite lane in the left-to-right direction.

[0041] In addition, the structure of the lamp unit 30L and the like is not limited thereto, and various known structures can be adopted. For example, a lamp unit having a structure in which a light source bulb is combined with a reflector and a shielding plate can be used. In addition, a lamp unit having a light source and a liquid crystal element and the like and capable of individually controlling the light transmittance state of each pixel of the liquid crystal element can be used. In addition, the following lamp unit can be used, which has a light emitting element such as a laser diode and a scanning element such as a mirror device for scanning the light emitted from the light emitting element, and the timing of lighting and extinguishing the light emitting element and the scanning timing of the scanning element can be controlled.

[0042] Figure 32 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a computer system. The controller 10 described above can be constructed using, for example, a computer system such as the one shown in the figure. The CPU (central processing unit) 201 performs information processing by reading and executing a program 207 stored in a storage device 204. The ROM (read-only memory) 202 stores basic control programs required for the operation of the CPU 201, etc. The RAM (temporary memory) 203 temporarily stores data required for information processing by the CPU 201. The storage device 204 is a large-capacity storage device for storing data, and is composed of a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, etc. The communication device 205 performs processing related to data communication with other external devices. The input / output unit 206 is an interface for realizing connection with an external device, and in this embodiment, it is used for connection between the camera 11, the raindrop sensor 12, the vehicle speed sensor 13, and each light unit 30L, 30R. The CPU 201 and the like are connected to each other through a bus so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0043] Figure 4 1 is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the road surface drawing system. In addition, the order of each process may be alternating as long as there is no mismatch in the control result, and other processes not described may be added, and these methods are not excluded. First, as a basic drawing method, in Figure 5 (A)~ Figure 5 (C) and Figure 6 (A)~ Figure 6 As shown in (C) of the example of the road ahead as viewed from the vehicle, the operation sequence of the road surface drawing system 1 is explained with reference to the following drawing method: a short bright line (first bright line) 113 whose drawing position changes according to the position of the pedestrian 100 is drawn overlapping with the white line 111, and the bright spot 113 is made to flash for drawing when the position of the pedestrian 100 enters the inner side (road side) of the white line 111.

[0044] When the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 13 is more than 10 km / h (step S10: yes), and the image processing unit 20 detects a pedestrian in front of the vehicle based on the image data obtained by the camera 11 (step S11: yes), the relative distance calculation unit 24 calculates the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle based on the current position detected by the vehicle position detection and the image processing result (step S12). In addition, the relative position calculation unit 23 detects the position and shape of the white lines 110, 111, and 112 existing in front of the vehicle based on the image recognition result of the image processing unit 20 (step S13). The calculated relative distance, position, and shape data are temporarily stored in the memory.

[0045] When the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is greater than a prescribed threshold value (100m as an example) (step S14: No), the road surface drawing of the bright line is not performed, and the process returns to step S10. In the embodiment, it is assumed that monitoring starts in the high beam area, so the prescribed threshold value is set to 100m, but in the case of the street, sometimes the road with good visibility is short, so there is no road 100m ahead. In this case, it can also be assumed that monitoring starts near the low beam area, and the prescribed threshold value is set to between 30m and 50m (40m as an example). If it is known in advance from map information such as a car navigation system that the position of the vehicle is on the street or in a road section with good visibility of less than 100m, the prescribed threshold value can also be automatically changed.

[0046] When the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is below the threshold value (step S14: yes), and the position of the pedestrian is outside the white line (step S15: yes), the road surface drawing control unit 26 generates a control signal to draw a bright line of a predetermined length on the white line corresponding to the position of the pedestrian, and outputs the control signal to each lamp unit 30L, 30R (step S16). The bright line (short bright line) 113 mentioned here is composed of linear light that is roughly parallel to the white line 111, that is, roughly parallel to the extension direction of the road. The width of the bright line (short bright line) 113 is preferably set to the same degree as the white line 111 at each drawn position or slightly wider than the width of the white line 111. This is because, when the white line 111 becomes the same or similar color as the drawn bright line 113 due to degradation, dirt, etc., and the brightness of the bright line (short bright line) 113 is insufficient, if it is wider than the width of the white line 111, the driver of the vehicle or the pedestrian can easily visually recognize the portion of the drawn bright line 113 that extends beyond the white line 111. In addition, the length of the bright line (short bright line) 113 is a sufficient length required to visually recognize the position of the pedestrian (a length wider than the width of a person, 0.5m or more and within 2m), for example, preferably about the height of a person or the length of an open hand, about 1.5m. In the case of a drawing position at a distance of 100m, it is sometimes difficult for the driver of the vehicle to visually recognize the bright line size with a width that is the same as the width of the white line or slightly wider and a length of 1.5m, so the width and length can be changed to, for example, 1.5 times to 2 times to improve visual recognition. If the relative distance becomes shorter (e.g., less than 50 m), the width and length may be shortened and restored to the specified width and length (the width and length may be adjusted gradually or in steps). When the relative distance calculation unit 24 detects that the relative distance is far, the road surface drawing control unit 26 generates a control signal for drawing the width and length of the adjusted bright line (short bright line) 113, and outputs the control signal to each lamp unit 30L, 30R.

[0047] For example, Figure 5 As shown in (A), when the position of the pedestrian 100 is relatively far from the vehicle, the bright line 113 is drawn so as to overlap with the portion of the white line 111 corresponding to the position of the pedestrian 100. Figure 5 (B) Figure 5 As shown in (C), when the position of the pedestrian 100 is relatively close to the position of the host vehicle, a bright line (short bright line) 113 is drawn in a manner overlapping with the portion of the white line 111 corresponding to the position of each pedestrian 100 according to the amount of proximity. Thus, by illuminating the short bright line, the driver can intuitively recognize the position of the pedestrian, and the short bright line is overlapped on the white line for illumination, so that the short bright line can be seen to be illuminated on the continuous white line, so the driver can recognize the relative distance between the host vehicle and the pedestrian, that is, the accurate position of the pedestrian.

[0048] When the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is below the threshold value (step S14: Yes), and the position of the pedestrian is inside the white line, that is, inside the road (step S15: No), the road surface depiction control unit 26 generates a control signal to flash a bright line (short bright line) of a predetermined length on the white line corresponding to the position of the pedestrian, and outputs the control signal to each lamp unit 30L, 30R (step S17). Thus, due to the change in the light emission mode of the bright line, the driver can intuitively recognize that the condition of the pedestrian (in this case, whether there is intrusion into the road) has changed, so the driver can drive while paying attention to the pedestrian.

[0049] For example, Figure 6 As shown in (A), when the position of the pedestrian 100 is relatively far from the vehicle, the bright line 113 is drawn in a flashing manner so as to overlap with the portion of the white line 111 corresponding to the position of the pedestrian 100. Figure 5 (B) Figure 5 As shown in (C), when the position of the pedestrian 100 is relatively close to the position of the host vehicle, the bright line 113 is drawn in a flashing manner so as to overlap with a portion of the white line 111 corresponding to the position of each pedestrian 100 according to the amount of proximity.

[0050] Then, the process returns to step S10. By repeating the process after step S10, the drawing position of the bright line 113 is changed to follow the change of the relative position of the pedestrian 100. In addition, when the position of the pedestrian moves from outside the white line to inside the white line, the bright line 113 is switched to flashing. For example, if the position of the pedestrian 100 is outside the white line away from the vehicle at a certain moment, and the position of the pedestrian 100 is inside the white line at the next moment, the bright line 113 is switched to flashing. Figure 5 The drawing method (continuous irradiation) shown in (A) is Figure 6In addition, if the position of the pedestrian 100, which is far from the vehicle and outside the white line at a certain moment, is relatively close to the vehicle at the next moment, and the position of the pedestrian 100 is within the white line at the next moment, the depiction method is as follows: Figure 5 The drawing method shown in (A) (continuous irradiation), Figure 5 The drawing method shown in (B) (continuous irradiation), Figure 6 Thus, since the short bright lines overlap and illuminate the white lines, it appears that the short bright lines are moving along the continuous white lines while approaching (and moving in one direction), so the driver can intuitively recognize the distance from the pedestrians.

[0051] On the other hand, when the vehicle speed is less than 10 km / h (step S10: No), or when the vehicle speed is more than 10 km / h but there are no pedestrians (step S11: No), the irradiation of the bright line by the road surface depiction control unit 26 is terminated (step S18). In addition, when the irradiation of the bright line is not originally performed, this state is maintained. In the embodiment, step S10 is set to "the speed of the vehicle is more than 10 km / h", but the speed is an example. If the vehicle is in a driving state, step S10 is "Yes". In extreme cases, step S10 can also be set to "Yes" when the ignition switch is turned on before driving.

[0052] Figure 7 (A)~ Figure 7 (C) and Figure 8 (A)~ Figure 8 (C) is a diagram for explaining an example of a bright line drawing method. Each diagram shows the road ahead as viewed from the vehicle. Similar to the case where a pedestrian is near the white line on the lane where the vehicle is traveling, the bright line can also be illuminated according to the above-mentioned sequence of actions for the case where a pedestrian is near the white line on the opposite lane.

[0053] For example, Figure 7 As shown in (A), when the position of the pedestrian 100 is relatively far from the vehicle, the bright line (first bright line) 114 is illuminated in a manner overlapping with the portion of the white line 112 on the opposite lane side corresponding to the position of the pedestrian 100. Figure 7 (B) Figure 7 As shown in (C), when the position of the pedestrian 100 is relatively close to the position of the vehicle, the bright line 114 is illuminated in a manner overlapping with a portion of the white line 112 on the opposite lane side corresponding to the position of each pedestrian 100 according to the amount of proximity.

[0054] In addition, for example Figure 8As shown in (A), when the position of the pedestrian 100 is relatively far from the vehicle and exists within the white line (i.e., in the opposite lane), the bright line 114 is flashed so as to overlap with a portion of the white line 112 on the opposite lane side corresponding to the position of the pedestrian 100. Figure 8 (B) Figure 8 As shown in (C), when the position of the pedestrian 100 is relatively close to the position of the vehicle, the bright line 114 is flashed in a manner overlapping with a portion of the white line 112 on the opposite lane side corresponding to the position of each pedestrian 100 according to the amount of proximity.

[0055] Furthermore, the irradiation position of the bright line 114 changes as the relative position of the pedestrian 100 changes. In addition, when the position of the pedestrian moves from outside the white line to inside the white line, the bright line 114 is switched to flashing. For example, if the position of the pedestrian 100 is outside the white line away from the vehicle at a certain moment, and the position of the pedestrian 100 is inside the white line at the next moment, the bright line 114 is switched to flashing. Figure 7 The drawing method (continuous irradiation) shown in (A) is Figure 8 In addition, if the position of the pedestrian 100, which is far from the vehicle and outside the white line at a certain moment, is relatively close to the vehicle at the next moment, and the position of the pedestrian 100 is within the white line at the next moment, the depiction method is changed as follows: Figure 7 The drawing method shown in (A) (continuous irradiation), Figure 7 The drawing method shown in (B) (continuous irradiation), Figure 8 The drawing method (flickering illumination) shown in (B) changes.

[0056] Fig. 9 (A)~ Fig. 9 (B) is a diagram for explaining an example of a bright line drawing method. In each of the above-mentioned drawing methods, a relatively short bright line 113 or a bright line 114 is drawn according to the position of the pedestrian 100, but it is also possible to draw a bright line 113 or a bright line 114 in a short manner. Fig. 9 As illustrated in (A), when the relative distance between the pedestrian 100 and the host vehicle is greater than a certain distance, a long bright line (second bright line) 113a extending from the host vehicle position to the pedestrian 100 position is drawn overlapping with the white line 111.

[0057] As an example, when the relative distance between the pedestrian 100 and the vehicle is greater than 100 m, a relatively long bright line 113a can be illuminated, and when the relative distance is less than 100 m, a relatively short bright line 113a can be illuminated in the same manner as described above (see FIG. Figure 5 (B), etc.). In this case, if Fig.13 As shown, the above is changed as follows Figure 4The processing after step S14 in the flowchart shown. That is, after step S13, it is identified in step S14 whether the relative distance to the pedestrian is more than 100m. If the position of the pedestrian in step S15 is outside the white line, a relatively long bright line 113a is irradiated in step S31. After that, if the relative distance is within 100m in step S14 and the pedestrian is outside the white line in step S33, a short bright line 113 is irradiated in step S34. In addition, the relatively long bright line is different from the short bright line only in the length in the front-to-back direction, as long as it is longer than the short bright line. As an example, it can be more than three times the length between 9m and 100m.

[0058] In addition, if Fig. 9 As shown in (B), when the pedestrian 100 intrudes into the inner side of the white line 111, the long bright line 113a can be illuminated in a flashing manner. In this case, when the relative distance between the pedestrian 100 and the vehicle is less than 100m, the relatively short bright line 113 (see FIG. 1 ) is also illuminated in the same manner as the above-mentioned drawing method. Figure 5 (B) etc.) by flashing. Fig.13 As shown, the above is changed as follows Figure 4 That is, after step S13, in step S14, it is identified whether the threshold value related to the relative distance of the pedestrian is greater than 100m, and if the position of the pedestrian in step S31 is not outside the white line (i.e., inside the white line or inside the road), then in step S32, a relatively long bright line 113a is illuminated in a flashing manner, and then, if the relative distance in step S14 is not greater than 100m (i.e., less than 100m) and the pedestrian is not outside the white line (i.e., inside the white line or inside the road) in step S33, then in step S35, a short bright line 113 is illuminated in a flashing manner.

[0059] Fig.10 (A)~ Fig.10 (C) is a diagram for explaining an example of a bright line drawing method. In each of the above-mentioned drawing methods, it is assumed that there are white lines on both sides of the vehicle's traveling direction. However, in the case where there are no white lines or the white lines cannot be detected due to weather conditions, the bright line drawing method may be used as follows: Fig.10 As shown in (A), a long bright line 113b equivalent to a white line can also be drawn. Specifically, based on the white line 110 in the center of the road surface detected by the image processing unit 20 and the end contours 121 and 122 on both sides of the road surface, the critical line calculation unit 25 calculates the critical imaginary line that is considered to be safe for the vehicle and the pedestrian 110 to pass, that is, the critical line. The critical line is an imaginary line extending in the extension direction of the road and can be obtained based on the width or shape of the road.

[0060] For example, the distance between the white line 110 and the end contour 121, that is, the road width, can be detected, and a critical line can be set at a position away from the end contour 121 based on the road width. And, a long bright line 113b can be drawn along the critical line obtained. The long bright line 113b can be used as a line to replace the white line. In this embodiment, its length is set to 100m from the position of the vehicle where the high beam reaches, but it can also be set to within 100m, or it can be set to 40m of the range reached by the low beam. In the case where the straight-line distance is short, it can also be further shortened according to the distance.

[0061] like Fig.10 As shown in (A), when the pedestrian 100 is present at a first relative distance (for example, 100 m) or less, a long bright line 113b is drawn instead of a white line. This drawing allows the driver to intuitively visually recognize that there is a pedestrian in the distance.

[0062] In addition, if Fig.10 As shown in (B), when the relative distance between the pedestrian 100 and the vehicle becomes shorter (the second relative distance, 40m as an example), the relatively short bright line 113c corresponding to the position of the pedestrian 100 can be illuminated overlapping with the relatively long bright line 113b. The short bright line 113c appears to be illuminated on the long bright line 113b, so the driver can recognize the exact position of the pedestrian. At this time, it is preferred that the illumination of the short bright line 113c is higher than the illumination of the long bright line 113b, or that it is illuminated in a different tone from the long bright line 113b. This is because the visual recognizability of the short bright line 113c can be further improved. In addition, even if the illumination of the long bright line 113b and the short bright line 113c is the same, the illumination of the part of the bright line 113c becomes higher, so it can be visually recognized. And, as Fig.10 As shown in (C), when the position of the pedestrian 100 enters the bright line 113b replacing the white line, the short bright line 113c is flashed to illuminate. Through this flashing, the driver can intuitively recognize that the pedestrian's condition has changed and the pedestrian has intruded into the road, and can drive while paying attention to the pedestrian's actions.

[0063] Fig.11 (A)~ Fig.11 (B) is a diagram for explaining an example of a drawing method of bright lines. When it rains in the place where the vehicle is traveling, the visual recognition of the bright lines irradiated on the road surface may be reduced, so it is preferable to implement the same drawing method as the above-mentioned case where there are no white lines. The weather detection unit 22 detects the occurrence of rainy days based on the output of the raindrop sensor 12. For example, when the amount of rain exceeding a specified value is detected, the weather detection unit 22 outputs this to the road surface drawing control unit 26.

[0064] Specifically, if Fig.11As illustrated in (A), when a pedestrian 100 is present at a first relative distance or less (for example, 100 m) and outside the white line, it is possible to illuminate a short bright line 113c corresponding to the position of the pedestrian 110 on the basis of illuminating a long bright line 113b overlapping with the white line 111. In a road condition where the central white line 110 is difficult to see due to rain, even if the short bright line 114a is illuminated overlapping with the central white line 110, the driver can only see the short bright line 114a, so the relative position of the short bright line 114a becomes unclear, and it is difficult for the driver to accurately identify the position of the pedestrian. In the present embodiment, the long bright line 113a is illuminated instead of the central white line 110 that is difficult to see, so that the short bright line 114a appears to be glowing on the long bright line 113a, so the relative position of the short bright line 114a becomes clear, and the driver can identify the exact position of the pedestrian. And, as Fig.11 As shown in (B), when the position of the pedestrian 100 enters the long bright line 113b (in the lane 111), the short bright line 113c is flashed for illumination. If the short bright line 114a is switched to flashing, the driver can intuitively recognize that the pedestrian's condition has changed and the pedestrian has intruded into the road, and can drive while paying attention to the pedestrian's actions. At this time, it is preferred that the illumination of the short bright line 113c is higher than that of the long bright line 113b, or that the short bright line 113c is illuminated in a different color tone from the long bright line 113b. In this way, the visual recognition of the short bright line 113c can be further improved.

[0065] Fig.12 (A)~ Fig.12 (C) is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of drawing bright lines. When there are multiple pedestrians, short bright lines can be illuminated corresponding to the positions of the pedestrians. Specifically, Fig.12 As shown in (A), when a plurality of pedestrians 100a and 100b are respectively outside the white line 111, short bright lines 113d and 113e corresponding to the positions of the pedestrians 100a and 100b are illuminated. Thus, the driver can recognize the accurate positions of the plurality of pedestrians.

[0066] In addition, if Fig.12 As shown in (B) of FIG. 1 , when a pedestrian 100a enters the inner side of the white line 111, the bright line 113d corresponding to the pedestrian 100a is illuminated by flashing. Fig.12As shown in (C), when another pedestrian 100b enters the inner side of the white line 111, the bright line 113e corresponding to the pedestrian 100b is flashed for illumination. Although not shown in the figure, when each pedestrian 100a, 100b enters the inner side of the white line 111, each bright line 113d, 113e is flashed for illumination. As a result, the short bright lines 114b, 114c that emit light on the central white line 100 become multiple, so that the driver can recognize that multiple pedestrians are outside the white line on the opposite lane side in front (sidewalk, etc.). In addition, when a part of the short bright lines 114b or the bright lines 114c are switched to flashing, the driver can intuitively recognize that a pedestrian has intruded into the road. Therefore, it is only necessary to focus on the pedestrian corresponding to the flashing short bright line from among all the multiple pedestrians to drive, so it is also easy to deal with driving when pedestrians approach the vehicle.

[0067] Although detailed description is omitted, any of the depiction methods can be similarly implemented when the pedestrian 100 is present on the opposite lane side.

[0068] According to the above-mentioned embodiment, a road surface depiction system can be obtained in which the driver can clearly identify the relative position of the short bright lines by overlapping and illuminating the short bright lines on the central white line or the long bright line, so that the condition of the pedestrian (correct position, sense of distance, whether or not the pedestrian has intruded into the road) can be grasped with good visual recognition. Specifically, the presence of pedestrians and their accurate positions are conveyed to the driver by the straight bright lines along the white lines beside the road. Therefore, compared with the case of illuminating complex lights such as T-shaped lights, the scope that the driver should pay attention to is further narrowed, and the position of the pedestrian can be easily and clearly known. In addition, by further narrowing the scope that the driver should pay attention to, the driver's line of sight movement is also reduced. This is particularly significant when the pedestrian is far away. As a result, the condition of the pedestrian can be grasped with good visual recognition.

[0069] In addition, in this embodiment, the drawing method of the bright line is switched from continuous illumination to flashing illumination according to the position of the pedestrian relative to the white line (inside the white line / outside the white line), so it is easier to grasp the change in the condition of the pedestrian. In addition, the drawing method of the bright line is switched even in bad weather or when there is no white line (including when it cannot be detected), so it is easier to grasp the change in the condition of the pedestrian. In addition, since the bright line is drawn under the feet of the pedestrian, it is also easy to realize the attention of the pedestrian who is facing downward to operate a smartphone.

[0070] In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the contents of the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0071] The present disclosure has the following additional features.

[0072] (Note 1)

[0073] A road surface depiction system, wherein the road surface depiction system comprises:

[0074] a camera that captures the space in front of the vehicle;

[0075] a controller that detects pedestrians present in the front space based on the image data obtained by the camera and detects white lines of a road ahead of the vehicle, and performs control for irradiating light onto the road based on the respective detection results;

[0076] a lamp unit, which is controlled by the controller to irradiate light toward the road,

[0077] The controller controls the light unit to illuminate a first bright line at a position on the road corresponding to the position of the pedestrian when the pedestrian is present and the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is less than a threshold value.

[0078] The first bright line is a linear light that is irradiated along the extending direction of the white line provided at the end of the driving lane or the oncoming lane of the vehicle on the road so as to overlap the white line.

[0079] (Note 2)

[0080] The road surface depiction system according to Supplement 1, wherein:

[0081] The controller controls the light unit so that the first bright line is continuously illuminated when the pedestrian is located outside the road than the white line, and the first bright line is flashed when the pedestrian is located inside the road than the white line.

[0082] (Note 3)

[0083] The road surface depiction system according to Supplement 1 or 2, wherein:

[0084] The controller controls the light unit so that, when the pedestrian is present in the front space and the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is greater than the threshold, a second bright line is irradiated overlapping the white line, the second bright line being a linear light longer than the first bright line.

[0085] (Note 4)

[0086] The road surface depiction system according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein:

[0087] The controller controls the light unit so that the second bright line is continuously illuminated when the pedestrian is located outside the road than the white line, and the second bright line is illuminated in a blinking manner when the pedestrian is located inside the road than the white line.

[0088] (Note 5)

[0089] The road surface depiction system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein:

[0090] The irradiation position of the first bright line changes as the position of the pedestrian moves.

[0091] (Note 6)

[0092] The road surface depiction system according to Supplement 3 or 4, wherein:

[0093] The road surface depiction system also includes a raindrop sensor.

[0094] When the controller detects that it is raining in the space ahead based on the output of the raindrop sensor, the controller controls the light unit so that the second bright line continues to be irradiated and the first bright line is irradiated overlapping with the second bright line even if the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is below the threshold.

[0095] (Note 7)

[0096] The road surface depiction system according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein:

[0097] The first bright line is illuminated with a higher illumination than the second bright line, and / or the first bright line is illuminated with a different color tone from the second bright line.

[0098] (Note 8)

[0099] The road surface depiction system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 3 to 7, wherein:

[0100] When the white line cannot be detected, the controller calculates a critical line based on the width or shape of the road, wherein the critical line is an imaginary line extending along the extension direction of the road and is arranged at the end side of the vehicle's driving lane or the opposite lane, and controls the light unit to illuminate the second bright line along the critical line regardless of the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle, and illuminate the first bright line overlapping with the second bright line.

[0101] (Note 9)

[0102] The road surface depiction system according to Supplementary Note 8, wherein:

[0103] The first bright line is illuminated with a higher illumination than the second bright line, and / or the first bright line is illuminated with a different color tone from the second bright line.

[0104] (Note 10)

[0105] The road surface depiction system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 9, wherein:

[0106] When there are a plurality of pedestrians, the controller controls the light unit so that the first bright line is illuminated at positions corresponding to the positions of the pedestrians on the road regardless of the relative distance between the pedestrians and the vehicle.

[0107] (Note 11)

[0108] The road surface depiction system according to claim 10, wherein:

[0109] When at least one of the pedestrians corresponding to the plurality of first bright lines is located inside the road relative to the white line, the light unit is controlled to flash and illuminate the first bright line corresponding to the pedestrian located inside the road.

[0110] Description of Reference Numerals

[0111] 1: Road surface depiction system; 10: Controller; 11: Camera; 12: Raindrop sensor; 13: Vehicle speed sensor; 14: Vehicle position data; 20: Image processing unit; 21: Vehicle position detection unit; 22: Weather detection unit; 23: Relative position calculation unit; 24: Relative distance calculation unit; 25: Critical line calculation unit; 26: Road surface depiction control unit; 30L, 30R: Light unit; 31: Driver; 32: LED array; 100: Pedestrian; 110, 111, 112: White line; 113, 114: Bright line

Claims

1. A road surface depiction system, wherein: The road surface depiction system comprises: a camera that captures the space in front of the vehicle; a controller that detects pedestrians existing in the front space based on the image data obtained by the camera, detects white lines of a road ahead of the vehicle, and performs control for irradiating light to the road based on the results of the respective detections; a lamp unit, which is controlled by the controller to irradiate light toward the road, The controller controls the light unit to illuminate a first bright line at a position on the road corresponding to the position of the pedestrian when the pedestrian is present and the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is less than a threshold value. The first bright line is a linear light that is irradiated along the extending direction of the white line provided at the end of the driving lane or the oncoming lane of the vehicle on the road so as to overlap the white line.

2. The road surface depiction system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller controls the light unit so that the first bright line is continuously illuminated when the pedestrian is located outside the road than the white line, and the first bright line is flashed when the pedestrian is located inside the road than the white line.

3. The road surface depiction system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller controls the light unit so that, when the pedestrian is present in the front space and the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is greater than the threshold, a second bright line is irradiated overlapping the white line, the second bright line being a linear light longer than the first bright line.

4. The road surface depiction system according to claim 3, wherein: The controller controls the light unit so that the second bright line is continuously illuminated when the pedestrian is located outside the road than the white line, and the second bright line is illuminated in a blinking manner when the pedestrian is located inside the road than the white line.

5. The road surface depiction system according to claim 1, wherein: The irradiation position of the first bright line changes as the position of the pedestrian moves.

6. The road surface depiction system according to claim 3, wherein: The road surface depiction system also includes a raindrop sensor. When the controller detects that it is raining in the space ahead based on the output of the raindrop sensor, the controller controls the light unit so that the second bright line continues to be irradiated and the first bright line is irradiated overlapping with the second bright line even if the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is below the threshold.

7. The road surface depiction system according to claim 6, wherein: The first bright line is illuminated with a higher illumination than the second bright line, and / or the first bright line is illuminated with a different color tone from the second bright line.

8. The road surface depiction system according to claim 3, wherein: When the white line cannot be detected, the controller calculates a critical line based on the width or shape of the road, wherein the critical line is an imaginary line extending along the extension direction of the road and is arranged at the end side of the vehicle's driving lane or the opposite lane, and the controller controls the light unit to illuminate the second bright line along the critical line regardless of the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle, and illuminate the first bright line overlapping with the second bright line.

9. The road surface depiction system according to claim 8, wherein: The first bright line is illuminated with a higher illumination than the second bright line, and / or the first bright line is illuminated with a different color tone from the second bright line.

10. The road surface depiction system according to claim 1, wherein: When there are a plurality of pedestrians, the controller controls the light unit so that the first bright line is illuminated at positions corresponding to the positions of the pedestrians on the road regardless of the relative distance between the pedestrians and the vehicle.

11. The road surface depiction system according to claim 10, wherein: When at least one of the pedestrians corresponding to the plurality of first bright lines is located inside the road relative to the white line, the light unit is controlled to flash and illuminate the first bright line corresponding to the pedestrian located inside the road.

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