Travel support device and saddle-type vehicle

Abstract

To suppress an excessive notification.SOLUTION: A travel support device (10) comprises: a detection range element setting unit (22B) that sets a plurality of detection range elements (PA to PE) arrayed in a width direction in a rear side direction of an own vehicle 1; an object detection unit (23) that detects whether or not an object exists at each of width positions corresponding to each of the detection range elements (PA to PE); and a notification unit (12) that notifies the presence of the object when the object is determined to be a notification target based on a detection result of the object detection unit (23).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device and a saddle-ride type vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, systems for four-wheeled vehicles have become known that detect other vehicles present on the rear side, which is prone to becoming a blind spot, and warn the driver of the vehicle. Similar blind spot monitoring systems are also being considered for saddle-type vehicles such as motorcycles (for example, Patent Document 1). The technology described in Patent Document 1 identifies the relative position of a vehicle in an adjacent lane based on the inclination of the motorcycle, and notifies the user that a vehicle is in the user's blind spot when the user is changing lanes, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2017-522681 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, a relatively small vehicle such as a motorcycle can take various driving positions in the width direction even within the same lane, compared to a large vehicle. In conventional blind spot monitoring systems, when a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, moves to the left or right in the same lane, the driver of the vehicle is alerted to the presence of a vehicle behind traveling in the same lane, which can result in excessive alerts. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to suppress excessive notifications. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A driving assistance device is provided that includes a detection range element setting unit that sets a plurality of detection range elements lined up in a width direction on the rear side of a vehicle, an object detection unit that detects whether or not an object is present at each width position corresponding to each of the detection range elements, and a notification unit that notifies the presence of the object when the object is determined to be an object to be notified based on the detection result of the object detection unit. The present invention also provides a saddle-type vehicle including the driving assistance device and an operation unit that accepts an operation intended to change lanes, wherein the detection range element setting unit sets the detection range element when the operation unit is operated. Effect of the Invention

[0006] Excessive notifications can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a driving support device according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a peripheral configuration. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detection area and detection points. [Diagram 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating detection areas and detection points when the vehicle is traveling at different positions; [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating detection areas and detection points when the vehicle is traveling at different positions; [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the driving support device when a turn signal is operated. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the processing of steps SP2 to SP4 in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the processing of steps SP2 to SP4 in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the processing of steps SP2 to SP4 in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the processing of steps SP2 to SP4 in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a block diagram showing a driving support device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a peripheral configuration. The driving support device 10 is a device mounted on a vehicle 1, and is one of the devices that detects objects corresponding to other vehicles present around the vehicle 1 and notifies the detection results. The other vehicles to be detected are vehicles present in positions that are likely to become blind spots while driving. That is, the driving support device 10 is a device having a BSI (Blind Spot Information) function that notifies the driver (rider) of the vehicle 1 of the presence of another vehicle that is in a position that is likely to become a blind spot while driving. Therefore, the driving support device 10 can also be called a driving support device, a blind spot monitoring device, an in-vehicle device, etc.

[0009] In this embodiment, the vehicle 1 is a motorcycle, and the other vehicle to be detected is any vehicle including a four-wheeled vehicle or a motorcycle. However, the vehicle 1 does not have to be limited to a motorcycle, and may be a saddle-ride type vehicle including vehicles other than motorcycles, or a small vehicle including vehicles other than saddle-ride type vehicles. The present invention is preferably applied to a vehicle that may take various driving positions in the width direction within the same lane. Therefore, the vehicle 1 can be widely applied to vehicles that may run on road surfaces that are wide compared to the vehicle width. The vehicle 1 may also be applied to vehicles other than small vehicles, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes, as components related to the driving assistance device 10, a surrounding information acquisition unit 2 that acquires surrounding information of the vehicle 1, an on-board sensor 3 that acquires information about the vehicle 1, and an operation unit 4 that is operated by the driver of the vehicle 1. In the following description, the vehicle 1 equipped with the driving assistance device 10 will be referred to as "host vehicle 1" where appropriate.

[0011] The surrounding information acquisition unit 2 includes a sensor device that acquires information capable of detecting other vehicles present around the vehicle 1. Objects that the sensor device can detect include at least other vehicles. The range that the sensor device can detect includes at least the left, right, and rear of the vehicle 1. The sensor device is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, at least one of a radar, a Lidar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a camera. In this embodiment, based on the detection result of the sensor device, in addition to the presence of other vehicles, the position of the other vehicles relative to the vehicle 1 can be identified.

[0012] The process of detecting the presence of other vehicles from the detection results of the sensor devices and the process of detecting the positions of other vehicles may be performed on the side of the surrounding information acquisition unit 2 or on the side of the driving support device 10. In addition, with respect to each process, a wide range of known processes can be applied, except for the process related to the detection points described later.

[0013] The on-board sensor 3 includes a sensor that detects information related to the traveling of the vehicle 1, and is equipped with a sensor that detects, for example, the vehicle speed, the engine RPM (corresponding to the power unit RPM), etc. By using the information from the vehicle speed sensor, it is possible to determine whether the vehicle 1 is traveling or stopped, whether it is in operation (for example, the ignition is on), etc. The operation unit 4 includes a turn signal operation unit 4A for operating a turn signal that functions as a direction indicator provided on the vehicle 1. In general, before changing lanes, the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the turn signal operation unit 4A to activate the turn signal on the side corresponding to the lane change destination, and after changing lanes, operates the turn signal operation unit 4A to stop activation of the turn signal.

[0014] For example, a push-cancel type turn signal switch is used for the turn signal operation unit 4A, but other types of turn signal switches may be used. Note that the turn signal operation unit 4A is an example of an operation unit to which an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle 1 is input, and an operation intended to end lane changing is input, and is not limited to the configuration of this embodiment.

[0015] The driving support device 10 includes an information processing unit 11 that processes various types of information, and a notification unit 12 that performs notification processing for the driver of the vehicle 1. The information processing unit 11 includes a calculation unit 11A and a storage unit 11B. The calculation unit 11A is configured with a CPU or a microcomputer, and functions as a vehicle state detection unit 21, a detection range setting unit 22, and an object detection unit 23 by executing a control program stored in the storage unit 11B. The information processing unit 11 may be configured as a System-on-a-chip (SoC) that integrates the calculation unit 11A and the storage unit 11B. The vehicle state detection unit 21, the detection range setting unit 22, and the object detection unit 23 are not limited to being realized by software, and may be realized by hardware.

[0016] The vehicle state detection unit 21 performs processing to detect the state of the vehicle 1 from the detection results of the in-vehicle sensor 3. For example, the vehicle state detection unit 21 can identify whether the vehicle 1 is moving or stopped from information such as the vehicle speed, and can identify whether the vehicle 1 is in operation (ignition on state) based on the operation of the ignition switch. The vehicle state detection unit 21 also has an operation detection unit 21A that detects the operation of the turn signal operation unit 4A. The operation detection unit 21A detects at least the operation of the turn signal operation unit 4A, and is thereby capable of detecting an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle 1 and an operation intended to end the lane change, via the operation of the turn signal.

[0017] The detection range setting unit 22 performs processing for setting a detection range for objects corresponding to other vehicles around the host vehicle 1. The detection range setting unit 22 includes a detection area setting unit 22A that sets a detection area, and a detection point setting unit 22B that sets a plurality of detection points. The detection area is information indicating a detection range of other vehicles located in and around a blind spot where it is desirable to alert the driver, based on the vehicle 1. The detection points are set at intervals in the width direction of the road surface, and are information indicating width positions within the detection area. Information for setting the detection area and the detection points may be information previously stored in the storage unit 11B or information described in the control program. Note that the detection points are an example of a "detection range element" in the present invention, and the detection point setting unit 22B is an example of a "detection range element setting unit" in the present invention.

[0018] The object detection unit 23 performs a process of detecting the presence of an object consisting of another vehicle and the position of the object based on the detection area and detection points set by the detection range setting unit 22. For example, the object detection unit 23 can identify the presence of another vehicle in the detection area and the position consisting of the distance and direction to the other vehicle from reflected waves or the like detected by the sensor device of the surrounding information acquisition unit 2, or identify the presence of another vehicle in the detection area and the position consisting of the distance and direction to the other vehicle by performing image recognition on image data acquired by the sensor device. The process related to the detection points will be described later.

[0019] 2 to 4 are diagrams each showing a schematic diagram of a detection area and detection points. 2 shows from above a situation in which vehicle 1 is traveling in the center of a three-lane road 100. The lanes of road 100 are indicated as a first lane S1, a second lane S2, and a third lane S3, and white lane boundary lines L2, L3 are provided between lanes S1 to S3, respectively, and outer lines L1, L4 are provided at the ends of lanes S1, S3 at both ends, respectively. When the turn signal operation unit 4A is not operated corresponding to an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle 1, the detection area setting unit 22A sets a first detection area H1 on the rear side of the vehicle 1 as a detection area, as shown in Fig. 2. When the turn signal operation unit 4A is operated corresponding to an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle 1, the detection area setting unit 22A sets a second detection area H2 on the rear side of the vehicle 1.

[0020] The first detection area H1 is set to a range of other vehicles within and around the blind spot where it is desirable to alert the driver of the host vehicle 1 when the host vehicle 1 does not change lanes. The second detection area H2 is set within the blind spot and the range of other vehicles around the blind spot where it is desirable to alert the driver of the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 changes lanes, and is set at least on one side, left or right, corresponding to the lane change destination. The second detection area H2 is set to an area at least longer backward than the first detection area H1.

[0021] The detection areas H1 and H2 shown in FIG. 2 are merely examples, but in this embodiment, the first detection area H1 is set to a range in which other vehicles traveling on the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 and in the vicinity behind it can be detected. The second detection area H2 is set to a range in which it is possible to detect another vehicle traveling behind the vehicle 1 in the lane to which the vehicle is to change course. A detection area adopted in a device having a known BSI function can be appropriately applied to each of the detection areas H1 and H2.

[0022] The detection point setting unit 22B sets a plurality of detection points PA, PB, PC, PD, and PE spaced apart in the width direction of the road surface on the rear lateral sides of the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, five detection points PA to PE are set. The detection point PA is a detection point located on the outermost side in the width direction at the right rear of the vehicle 1, and is information indicating a width position closer to the outer side in the width direction within the right second detection area H2. Detection point PB is a detection point located on the right rear of vehicle 1, more inward in the width direction than detection point PA, and is information indicating a width position closer to the inner side in the width direction within right-side second detection area H2.

[0023] The detection point PC is a detection point located behind the center of the left and right of the vehicle 1, and is information indicating a width position corresponding to a position between the left and right rear sides. Detection point PD is a detection point located on the left rear of vehicle 1, widthwise inward of detection point PE, and is information indicating a widthwise position closer to the widthwise inner side of left second detection area H2. The detection point PE is a detection point located on the outermost side in the width direction at the left rear of the vehicle 1, and is information indicating a width position closer to the outer side in the width direction within the left second detection area H2.

[0024] Each of the detection points PA to PE is a fixed position relative to the host vehicle 1. The detection points PA to PE in this embodiment are set at positions that satisfy the following conditions. When vehicle 1 is traveling in the left-right center of lane S2, as shown in Fig. 2, detection point PA is located in the area of ​​the first lane S1 adjacent to the right, and detection point PB is located in the same lane S2 as vehicle 1. Detection point PC is located on the vehicle width center LC. Detection points PE and PD are located at left-right symmetrical positions to detection points PA and PB with respect to vehicle width center LC of vehicle 1.

[0025] 3, when vehicle 1 is traveling on the left side of lane S2, detection point PA is located in the area of ​​the adjacent first lane S1 on the right side, and detection points PB and PC are located in the same lane S2 as vehicle 1. Furthermore, detection points PC and PE are located in the adjacent lane S3 on the left side. 4, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on the right side of the lane S2, the detection points PA and PB are located in the area of ​​the first lane S1 adjacent to the right side, and the detection point PD is located in the same lane S2 as the vehicle 1. Moreover, the detection point PE is located in the adjacent lane S3 on the left side.

[0026] Returning to FIG. 1, the notification unit 12 is a device that notifies the driver of the vehicle 1 of the presence of another vehicle, which is an object to be notified, based on the output result of the object detection unit 23. The notification unit 12 includes at least one of a display device and an audio output device provided in the vehicle 1, and notifies the presence of the other vehicle by at least one of display and audio. For example, the display device of the notification unit 12 is provided in a meter unit provided in the vehicle 1, and notifies the presence of the other vehicle by turning on a predetermined indicator. Also, for example, the audio output device of the notification unit 12 is provided in a meter unit or the like of the vehicle 1, and notifies the presence of the other vehicle by outputting a predetermined warning sound. Note that the notification unit 12 is not limited to a display device and an audio output device, and may be configured to transmit information to a device carried by the driver by communication, and notify the driver from the device. Known notification devices can be widely applied to the notification unit 12.

[0027] Next, the operation of the driving support device 10 when the turn signal is operated will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving support device 10 when a turn signal is operated. The operation shown in Fig. 5 is repeatedly executed when, for example, the operation detection unit 21A detects a turn signal operation corresponding to an operation intended to change lanes of the host vehicle 1 under a situation in which the vehicle state detection unit 21 detects that the ignition is turned on or the engine is started (power unit is started), etc. of the vehicle 1.

[0028] First, when the operation detection unit 21A detects an operation of a turn signal corresponding to an operation intended to change lanes of the host vehicle 1, the driving support device 10 executes a process of setting a detection range by the detection range setting unit 22 (step SP1). In step SP1, when a turn signal operation corresponding to an operation intending to change lanes to the right is detected, the detection range setting unit 22 sets a right detection area H2 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) and detection points PA, PB, and PC (see FIGS. 2 to 4). On the other hand, when a turn signal operation corresponding to an operation intending to change lanes to the left is detected, the detection range setting unit 22 sets a left detection area H2 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) and detection points PE, PD, and PC (see FIGS. 2 to 4). In the following description, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the detection points PA to PE, they will simply be referred to as "detection point P."

[0029] Next, the driving support device 10 detects whether or not an object corresponding to another vehicle is present at each of the set detection points P by the object detection unit 23 (step SP2). In this case, the object detection unit 23 detects whether or not an object is present at each width position corresponding to each of the set detection points P. Next, the object detection unit 23 judges whether or not the detection result satisfies a predetermined judgment condition DJ (step SP3). The judgment condition DJ will be described later.

[0030] When the judgment condition DJ is satisfied, the driving support device 10 executes a process of notifying the driver of the vehicle 1 of the presence of another vehicle, which is an object to be notified, by the notification unit 12 (step SP4), and then proceeds to the process of step SP5. On the other hand, when the judgment condition DJ is not satisfied, the driving support device 10 does not execute the notification process, and proceeds to the process of step SP5.

[0031] In the process of step SP5, the driving support device 10 determines whether or not the operation detection unit 21A has detected a turn signal operation corresponding to an operation intended to end the lane change of the vehicle 1, and if not detected (step SP5: NO), the driving support device 10 proceeds to the process of step SP2. As a result, the processes of steps SP2 to SP5 are repeated until an operation intended to end the lane change is performed. On the other hand, if a turn signal operation corresponding to an operation intended to end the lane change is detected (step SP5: YES), the driving support device 10 ends the operation shown in FIG.

[0032] The processes in steps SP2 to SP4 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Fig. 6 shows a case where the vehicle 1 is traveling in the center of the second lane S2 and changes lanes to the first lane S1, which corresponds to the right lane. The left side of Fig. 6 illustrates a first situation ST1 in which another vehicle Va is present in the first lane S1, which is the lane change destination. The right side of Fig. 6 illustrates a second situation ST2 in which another vehicle Va is present in the same second lane S2 as the vehicle 1. The other vehicle Va is a four-wheeled vehicle.

[0033] The other vehicle Va in the first situation ST1 is a rear vehicle traveling at a position corresponding to the rear side of the host vehicle 1, and is a vehicle for which it is desirable to notify the driver of the host vehicle 1 of the presence of the other vehicle Va when changing lanes. On the other hand, the other vehicle Va in the second situation ST2 is a rear vehicle (or a trailing vehicle) traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle 1, and it is preferable to avoid notifying the driver of the host vehicle 1 of the presence of the other vehicle Va when changing lanes.

[0034] In the case of the first situation ST1, as shown in Fig. 6, the object detection unit 23 detects that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at a width position corresponding to the detection point PA on the outer side in the width direction (corresponding to "detection point PA: object present" in Fig. 6), and that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is not present at a width position corresponding to the detection point PB on the inner side in the width direction (corresponding to "detection point PB: no object" in Fig. 6). In addition, the object detection unit 23 detects that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is not present at a width position corresponding to the detection point PC directly behind the vehicle 1 (corresponding to "detection point PC: no object" in Fig. 6).

[0035] The judgment condition DJ describes the condition for regarding a detected object as an object to be notified. Specifically, the judgment condition DJ describes, as the conditions for determining that an object is an object to be notified, the presence of an object at a width position corresponding to the widthwise outermost detection point PA on the right side ("detection point PA: object present"), and the presence of an object at a width position corresponding to the widthwise outermost detection point PE on the left side ("detection point PE: object present"). In the case of the first situation ST1, the judgment condition DJ is satisfied, so that it is possible to appropriately notify the driver of the host vehicle 1 of the presence of the other vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle ahead of the host vehicle 1 and is about to change lanes.

[0036] In the case of the second situation ST2, as shown in Fig. 6, the object detection unit 23 detects that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is not present at a width position corresponding to detection point PA on the outer side in the width direction (corresponding to "detection point PA: no object" in Fig. 6), and that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at a width position corresponding to detection point PB on the inner side in the width direction (corresponding to "detection point PB: object present" in Fig. 6). In addition, the object detection unit 23 detects that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at a width position corresponding to detection point PC directly behind the vehicle 1 ("detection point PC: object present" in Fig. 6). In the case of the second situation ST2, the judgment condition DJ is not satisfied, so it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver of the host vehicle 1 is notified of the presence of the other vehicle Va that is not traveling in the lane ahead.

[0037] In addition, similar results to those of this embodiment can be obtained even if a process is applied that selects whether or not to execute a process to notify the driver of the vehicle 1 of the presence of another vehicle Va depending on whether or not an object is present in the detection area H2. In other words, in the first situation ST1, the driver of the vehicle 1 can be appropriately notified of the presence of another vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle at the lane change destination, and in the second situation ST2, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver of the vehicle 1 is not notified of the presence of another vehicle Va that is not traveling at the lane change destination.

[0038] Fig. 7 shows a case where the vehicle 1 is traveling on the left side of the second lane S2 and then changes lanes to the first lane S1, which corresponds to the right lane. The left side of Fig. 7 illustrates a third situation ST3 in which another vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle, is present in the first lane S1, which is the lane to which the vehicle 1 will change lanes. The right side of Fig. 7 illustrates a fourth situation ST4 in which another vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle, is present in the same second lane S2 as the vehicle 1.

[0039] In the third situation ST3, as shown in FIG. 7, the object detection unit 23 detects that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at the width position corresponding to detection point PA ("Detection point PA: object present" in FIG. 7), and that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is not present at the width positions corresponding to detection points PB and PC ("Detection point PB: no object", "Detection point PC: no object" in FIG. 7). In the case of the third situation ST3, the judgment condition DJ is satisfied, so it is possible to appropriately notify the driver of the host vehicle 1 of the presence of the other vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle ahead of the host vehicle 1 and is about to change lanes. Even if a process is applied that selects whether or not to execute a process to notify the driver of the vehicle 1 of the presence of another vehicle Va depending on whether or not an object is present in the detection area H2, the driver of the vehicle 1 can be appropriately notified of the presence of another vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle about to change lanes, as in the present embodiment.

[0040] In the fourth situation ST4, as shown in FIG. 7, the object detection unit 23 detects that no object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at the width position corresponding to detection point PA (corresponding to "detection point PB: no object" in FIG. 6), and that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at the width position corresponding to detection points PB, PC (corresponding to "detection point PB: object present" and "detection point PC: object present" in FIG. 7). In the case of the fourth situation ST4, the judgment condition DJ is not satisfied, so it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver of the host vehicle 1 is notified of the presence of the other vehicle Va that is not traveling in the lane change destination.

[0041] In the fourth situation ST4, another vehicle Va traveling in the same second lane S2 as the vehicle 1 is present in the second detection area H2 at the lane change destination. Therefore, if a process for selecting whether or not to execute a process for notifying the driver of the vehicle 1 of the presence of the other vehicle Va is applied depending on whether or not an object is present in the detection area H2, a situation will occur in which the presence of the other vehicle Va traveling in the same second lane S2 as the vehicle 1 is notified to the driver of the vehicle 1, resulting in excessive notification. In contrast, in the present embodiment, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the presence of another vehicle Va traveling in the same second lane S2 as the vehicle 1 is notified, and therefore excessive notifications can be suppressed.

[0042] Fig. 8 shows a case where the vehicle 1 is traveling on the right side of the second lane S2 and changes lanes to the first lane S1, which corresponds to the right lane. The left side of Fig. 8 illustrates a fifth situation ST5 in which another vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle, is present in the first lane S1, which is the lane change destination. The right side of Fig. 8 illustrates a sixth situation ST6 in which another vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle, is present in the same second lane S2 as the vehicle 1.

[0043] In the case of the fifth situation ST5, as shown in FIG. 8, the object detection unit 23 detects that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at the width position corresponding to detection point PA (corresponding to "detection point PA: object present" in FIG. 8), and that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is not present at the width positions corresponding to detection points PB, PC ("detection point PB: no object" and "detection point PC: no object" in FIG. 8). In the case of the fifth situation ST5, the judgment condition DJ is satisfied, so that it is possible to appropriately notify the driver of the host vehicle 1 of the presence of the other vehicle Va ahead of the lane change. Even if a process is applied that selects whether or not to execute a process to notify the driver of the vehicle 1 of the presence of another vehicle Va depending on whether or not an object is present in the detection area H2, the driver of the vehicle 1 can be appropriately notified of the presence of another vehicle Va ahead of the lane change, as in the present embodiment.

[0044] In the sixth situation ST6, as shown in FIG. 8, the object detection unit 23 detects that no object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at the width position corresponding to detection points PA and PB (corresponding to "detection point PA: no object" and "detection point PB: no object" in FIG. 8), and that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at the width position corresponding to detection point PC (corresponding to "detection point PC: object present" in FIG. 8). In the case of the sixth situation ST6, the judgment condition DJ is not satisfied, so it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver of the host vehicle 1 is notified of the presence of the other vehicle Va that is not traveling in the lane change destination. Even if a process is applied that selects whether or not to execute a process to notify the driver of the vehicle 1 of the presence of another vehicle Va depending on whether or not an object is present in the detection area H2, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver of the vehicle 1 is notified of the presence of another vehicle Va that is not traveling in the lane change direction, as in the present embodiment.

[0045] FIG. 9 shows a seventh situation ST7 in which the other vehicle Va is a motorcycle. As shown in FIG. 9, when multiple motorcycles consisting of vehicle 1 and another vehicle Va are traveling with a space between them, the motorcycles may travel with a shift to the left or right, in other words, they may travel in a staggered formation. The seventh situation ST7 can also be said to be a situation in which, in contrast to the fourth situation ST4, the other vehicle Va has been replaced by a motorcycle.

[0046] In the seventh situation ST7, as shown in FIG. 9, the object detection unit 23 detects that no object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at the width position corresponding to detection point PA ("Detection point PB: no object" in FIG. 9), that an object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at the width position corresponding to detection point PB ("Detection point PB: object present" in FIG. 9), and that no object consisting of another vehicle Va is present at the width position corresponding to detection point PC ("Detection point PC: no object" in FIG. 9). In the case of the seventh situation ST7, the judgment condition DJ is not satisfied, so it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver of the host vehicle 1 is notified of the following motorcycle traveling in the same second lane S2 as the host vehicle 1 in a staggered arrangement. In other words, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver of the host vehicle 1 is notified of the presence of another vehicle Va that is not traveling in the lane change destination.

[0047] In the seventh situation ST7, as in the fourth situation ST4, another vehicle Va consisting of a motorcycle traveling in the same second lane S2 as the vehicle 1 is present in the second detection area H2 at the lane change destination. Therefore, if a process for selecting whether or not to execute a process for notifying the driver of the host vehicle 1 of the presence of the other vehicle Va is applied depending on whether or not an object is present in the detection area H2, a situation will arise in which the following motorcycle traveling in the same second lane S2 as the host vehicle 1 in a staggered arrangement is notified to the driver of the host vehicle 1, resulting in excessive notification. In contrast, in this embodiment, the staggered arrangement makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the presence of another vehicle Va consisting of a motorcycle traveling in the same second lane S2 as the host vehicle 1 is notified, thereby reducing excessive notifications.

[0048] 6 to 9 show a case where the vehicle 1 changes lanes to the first lane S1 corresponding to the right lane, but a case where the vehicle 1 changes lanes to the third lane S3 corresponding to the left lane is a situation symmetrical to that shown in Fig. 6 to 9. The object detection unit 23 detects whether or not an object exists for each width position corresponding to the detection point PE on the outer side in the width direction, the detection point PD on the inner side in the width direction, and the detection point PC, and notifies the presence of another vehicle when a judgment condition DJ is satisfied based on the detection result. Therefore, even in situations symmetrical to those shown in Figures 6 to 9 above, the driver of vehicle 1 can be appropriately notified of the presence of another vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle in the lane change destination, and a situation in which the driver of vehicle 1 is not notified of the presence of another vehicle Va that is not traveling in the lane change destination can be avoided.

[0049] In this embodiment, an example has been given of a case in which a detected object is regarded as an object to be notified when the judgment condition DJ is satisfied, but this is not limited to this. For each width position corresponding to each of the detection points PA to PE, information describing whether or not a detected object is regarded as an object to be notified can be stored for each combination of detection results of whether or not an object is present, and based on this information, processing to notify is performed when the detected object is regarded as an object to be notified, and processing to notify is not performed when the detected object is not regarded as an object to be notified. Specifically, in addition to combinations in which the detected object is regarded as an object to be notified, the information may also describe combinations in which the detected object is not regarded as an object to be notified (combinations in which no notification is to be made as shown in Figures 6 to 9), and based on this information it may be possible to select whether or not to notify.

[0050] As described above, the driving support device 10 of this embodiment includes the detection point setting unit 22B that sets a plurality of detection points P aligned in the width direction on the rear side of the vehicle 1, the object detection unit 23 that detects whether an object exists or not for each width position corresponding to each of the detection points P, and the notification unit 12 that notifies the presence of the object when the object is determined to be an object to be notified based on the detection result of the object detection unit 23. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the presence of a rear vehicle traveling in the same lane is notified in the vehicle 1 that can take various traveling positions in the width direction within the same lane, and to suppress excessive notifications.

[0051] Furthermore, the object detection unit 23 detects whether or not an object exists for each width position corresponding to each detection point P, and when these detection results satisfy the judgment condition DJ that functions as a predetermined condition, it judges the object as an object to be notified, so that it is possible to judge whether or not the object is an object to be notified by simple processing. Furthermore, by appropriately setting the judgment condition DJ as described above, it is possible to appropriately notify the driver of the host vehicle 1 of the presence of the other vehicle Va that is a rear vehicle in the lane change destination, and to avoid a situation in which the driver of the host vehicle 1 is notified of the presence of the other vehicle Va that is not traveling in the lane change destination.

[0052] In this case, when an object is present at a width position corresponding to the widthwise outermost detection points PA, PE among the multiple detection points P, the object detection unit 23 determines that the object is an object to be notified, and therefore can appropriately notify the driver of the vehicle 1 of the presence of another vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle in the adjacent lane.

[0053] Furthermore, when an object is not present at the width position corresponding to the widthwise outermost detection points PA, PE among the multiple detection points P, and an object is present at the width position corresponding to the widthwise innermost detection points PB, PD, the object detection unit 23 determines that the object is not an object to be notified, thereby appropriately avoiding a situation in which the driver of the vehicle 1 is not notified of the presence of another vehicle Va that is not traveling in an adjacent lane.

[0054] Furthermore, the detection point setting unit 22B sets a detection point PC that functions as a rear detection point behind the center of the left and right of the vehicle 1, and when an object is present at a width position corresponding to the detection point PC, the object detection unit 23 determines that the object is not an object to be notified, so that it is possible to appropriately avoid a situation in which the presence of another vehicle Va that is not traveling in an adjacent lane is notified to the driver of the vehicle 1. The rear detection point is an example of a "rear detection range element" of the present invention.

[0055] In addition, the detection point setting unit 22B sets a detection point P when an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle 1 is performed, so that when changing lanes, the driver of the vehicle 1 can be appropriately notified of the presence of another vehicle Va, which is a rear vehicle at the lane change destination, and a situation in which the presence of a rear vehicle traveling in the same lane is notified can be avoided, thereby suppressing excessive notifications.

[0056] In addition, when an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle 1 is performed, the object detection unit 23 may be configured to detect whether or not an object is present at each width position corresponding to each of the detection points P set by the detection point setting unit 22B.For example, when an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle 1 is performed, the object detection unit 23 may be configured to switch whether or not to detect at an already set detection point P. In addition, the notification unit 12 may be configured to notify of the presence of an object based on the detection result of the object detection unit 23 when an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle 1 is performed, and may be configured to switch whether or not to notify of the presence of an object based on the detection result of the object detection unit 23 when an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle 1 is performed, for example. In either case, when changing lanes, it is possible to appropriately notify the driver of the vehicle 1 of the presence of another vehicle Va behind the vehicle ahead of the lane change, and to avoid notifying the driver of the presence of a vehicle behind traveling in the same lane, making it easier to suppress excessive notifications.

[0057] Furthermore, among the multiple detection points P, the widthwise outermost detection points PA, PE are located in other lanes (e.g., first lane S1, third lane S3) adjacent to the widthwise outer side of the lane (e.g., second lane S2) when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a position in the left-right center of the lane (e.g., second lane S2) or at a position shifted to the left or right from the left-right center within the lane (e.g., second lane S2), and the widthwise innermost detection points PB, PD are located within the lane (e.g., second lane S2) when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a position in the left-right center of the lane (e.g., second lane S2) or at a position shifted to the left or right from the left-right center within the lane (e.g., second lane S2). As a result, even if the host vehicle 1 travels in various travel positions in the width direction within the same lane (e.g., the second lane S2), other vehicles Va traveling behind in adjacent lanes (e.g., the first lane S1, the third lane S3), and other vehicles Va traveling behind in the same lane as the host vehicle 1 (including motorcycles traveling in a staggered arrangement relative to the host vehicle 1) can be identified with high accuracy, thereby effectively suppressing excessive alerts.

[0058] Furthermore, since the vehicle 1 is a saddle-type vehicle such as a motorcycle, it is possible to provide a driving assistance device 10 that can avoid a situation in which a saddle-type vehicle that can travel in various travel positions in the width direction within the same lane is notified of the presence of a rear vehicle traveling in the same lane, thereby suppressing excessive notifications.

[0059] In addition, the vehicle 1, which is a saddle-type vehicle, is equipped with a driving assistance device 10 and an operation unit 4 that accepts operations intended to change lanes, and the detection point setting unit 22B of the driving assistance device 10 sets the detection point P when the operation unit 4 is operated, so that a saddle-type vehicle can be provided that can appropriately notify the driver of the vehicle 1 of the presence of another vehicle Va, which is the rear vehicle ahead of the lane change, when changing lanes, and also avoid a situation in which the presence of a rear vehicle traveling in the same lane is notified, thereby suppressing excessive notification.

[0060] The above embodiment shows one aspect of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the configuration of details, etc. may be appropriately changed. For example, in the above embodiment, the case where both the detection area H2 and the detection points PA to PE are set has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the setting of the detection area H2 may be omitted. In short, the present invention is configured to set a plurality of detection points PA to PE spaced apart in the width direction, detect whether or not an object exists at each width position corresponding to each of the detection points PA to PE, and notify the presence of the object when the object is determined to be an object to be notified based on these detection results.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the case where five detection points PA to PE are set as an example of the detection range elements of the present invention has been described, but the number, positions, and shapes of the detection range elements may be appropriately changed within a range that can suppress excessive reporting. The detection range elements are not limited to information indicating a point, and may be information specifying a range wider than a point, for example, a linear area extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, or a circular or elliptical area. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which the plurality of detection range elements are spaced apart from one another, and the plurality of detection range elements may be adjacent to one another. The position of the detection range element can also be varied depending on the speed (vehicle speed) of the host vehicle. For example, when the vehicle speed is relatively high, the detection range element may be set at a position relatively far from the host vehicle, and when the vehicle speed is relatively low, the detection range element may be set at a position relatively close to the host vehicle. Note that the position of the detection range element is preferably determined taking into consideration the time for the host vehicle to come into contact with another vehicle, which is calculated from the vehicle speed and distance, and the time required for a person to react (for example, the time required to avoid contact).

[0062] [Configuration supported by the above embodiment] The above embodiment supports the following configurations.

[0063] (Configuration 1) A driving assistance device comprising: a detection range element setting unit that sets a plurality of detection range elements arranged in a width direction on the rear side of a vehicle; an object detection unit that detects whether an object is present or not for each width position corresponding to each of the detection range elements; and an alarm unit that alerts the presence of the object when the object is determined to be an object to be notified based on the detection result of the object detection unit. According to this configuration, even when various driving positions can be taken in the width direction within the same lane, excessive notifications can be suppressed.

[0064] (Configuration 2) The driving assistance device according to Configuration 1, wherein the object detection unit detects whether or not an object is present at each width position corresponding to each of the detection range elements, and determines that the object is an object to be notified if the detection results satisfy predetermined conditions. According to this configuration, it is possible to determine whether an object is an object to be notified by simple processing.

[0065] (Configuration 3) The driving assistance device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the object detection unit determines that the object is an object to be notified when the object is present at a width position corresponding to a widthwise outermost detection range element among the plurality of detection range elements. According to this configuration, the driver of the host vehicle can be appropriately notified of the presence of another vehicle behind in an adjacent lane.

[0066] (Configuration 4) A driving assistance device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the object detection unit determines that the object is not an object to be notified when the object is not present at a width position corresponding to a widthwise outermost detection range element among the plurality of detection range elements, and the object is present at a width position corresponding to a widthwise innermost detection range element. According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately avoid a situation in which the driver of the own vehicle is not notified of the presence of another vehicle that is not traveling in an adjacent lane.

[0067] (Configuration 5) A driving assistance device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the detection range element setting unit sets a rear detection range element behind the center of the left and right of the vehicle, and the object detection unit determines that the object is not an object to be notified when the object is present at a width position corresponding to the rear detection range element. According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately avoid a situation in which the driver of the host vehicle 1 is notified of the presence of another vehicle that is not traveling in an adjacent lane.

[0068] (Configuration 6) The driving assistance device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the detection range element setting unit sets the detection range elements when an operation intended to change lanes of the host vehicle is performed. According to this configuration, when changing lanes, the driver of the vehicle can be appropriately notified of the presence of another vehicle Va behind the vehicle at the lane change destination, and the situation in which the presence of a rear vehicle traveling in the same lane is notified can be avoided, thereby suppressing excessive notifications.

[0069] (Configuration 7) A driving assistance device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the object detection unit detects whether or not an object is present at each width position corresponding to each of the detection range elements set by the detection range element setting unit when an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle is performed. With this configuration, when changing lanes, it is possible to appropriately notify the driver of the vehicle of the presence of another vehicle behind the vehicle that is about to change lanes, and it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver is not notified of the presence of a vehicle behind that is traveling in the same lane, making it easier to suppress excessive notifications.

[0070] (Configuration 8) A driving assistance device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the notification unit (12) notifies of the presence of an object based on the detection result of the object detection unit (23) when an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle (1) is performed. With this configuration, when changing lanes, it is possible to appropriately notify the driver of the vehicle of the presence of another vehicle behind the vehicle that is about to change lanes, and it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver is not notified of the presence of a vehicle behind that is traveling in the same lane, making it easier to suppress excessive notifications.

[0071] (Configuration 9) A driving assistance device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein among the multiple detection range elements, a detection range element that is outermost in the width direction is located in another lane adjacent to the lane on the outer side in the width direction when the host vehicle is traveling at a position in the left-right center of the lane or a position shifted left or right from the left-right center within the lane, and a detection range element that is innermost in the width direction is located within the lane when the host vehicle is traveling at a position in the left-right center of the lane or a position shifted left or right from the left-right center within the lane. With this configuration, even if the vehicle is traveling in various driving positions in the width direction within the same lane, other vehicles behind the vehicle traveling in adjacent lanes, as well as other vehicles traveling in the same lane as the vehicle, can be identified with high accuracy, and excessive alerts can be effectively suppressed.

[0072] (Configuration 10) The driving support device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the host vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle. With this configuration, a driving assistance device can be provided that can prevent a saddle-type vehicle, which can travel in various driving positions in the width direction within the same lane, from being notified of the presence of a rear vehicle traveling in the same lane, and can suppress excessive notifications.

[0073] (Configuration 11) A saddle-type vehicle comprising a driving assistance device according to any one of configurations 1 to 10 and an operation unit that accepts an operation intended to change lanes, wherein the detection range element setting unit sets the detection range element when the operation unit is operated. With this configuration, a saddle-type vehicle can be provided that can appropriately notify the driver of the vehicle of the presence of another vehicle behind the vehicle when changing lanes, while avoiding the situation of notifying the driver of the presence of a vehicle behind traveling in the same lane, thereby suppressing excessive notification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 vehicle (saddle type vehicle) 2 Surrounding information acquisition unit 3. Vehicle sensors 4 Control section 4A Turn signal operation unit 10. Driving support device 11 Information Processing Section 11A calculation section 11B Storage section 12. Notification Department 21 Vehicle condition detection unit 21A Operation detector 22 Detection range setting section 22A Detection area setting section 22B Detection point setting section (detection range element setting section) 23 Object detection unit 100 roads H1, H2 detection area PA,PB,PD,PE Detection points (detection range elements) PC detection point (rear detection point (rear range element)) Lanes S1~S3 DJ judgment conditions

Claims

1. a detection range element setting unit (22B) that sets a plurality of detection range elements arranged in a width direction on a rear side of the host vehicle (1); an object detection unit (23) that detects whether or not an object is present at each width position corresponding to each of the detection range elements; a notification unit (12) that notifies the presence of the object when the object is determined to be an object to be notified based on a detection result of the object detection unit (23); A driving assistance device comprising:

2. The object detection unit (23) detects whether or not an object is present at each width position corresponding to each of the detection range elements, and when these detection results satisfy a predetermined condition, determines that the object is an object to be notified. The driving support device according to claim 1 .

3. The object detection unit (23) determines that the object is an object to be notified when the object is present at a width position corresponding to the outermost detection range element in the width direction among the plurality of detection range elements. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The object detection unit (23) determines that the object is not an object to be notified when the object is not present at a width position corresponding to the detection range element on the outermost side in the width direction among the plurality of detection range elements, and the object is present at a width position corresponding to the detection range element on the innermost side in the width direction. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. the detection range element setting unit (22B) sets a rear detection range element behind the left-right center of the host vehicle (1); The object detection unit (23) determines that the object is not an object to be notified when the object is present at a width position corresponding to the rear detection range element. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The detection range element setting unit (22B) sets the detection range elements when an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle (1) is performed. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. When an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle (1) is performed, the object detection unit (23) detects whether or not an object is present at each width position corresponding to each of the detection range elements set by the detection range element setting unit (22B). The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The notification unit (12) notifies the presence of the object based on the detection result of the object detection unit (23) when an operation intended to change lanes of the vehicle (1) is performed. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. Among the plurality of detection range elements, the outermost detection range element in the width direction is located in another lane adjacent to the lane on the outer side in the width direction when the host vehicle (1) travels in a position at the left-right center of the lane or a position shifted to the left or right from the left-right center within the lane, The innermost detection range element in the width direction is located within the lane when the vehicle (1) is traveling at a position in the left-right center of the lane or a position shifted to the left or right from the left-right center within the lane. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The vehicle (1) is a saddle-ride type vehicle. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.

11. A driving assistance device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, An operation unit (4A) that receives an operation intended to change lanes, The detection range element setting unit (22B) sets the detection range elements when the operation unit (4A) is operated. Saddle type vehicle.

Images