Apparatus for detecting vehicle tilt

Abstract

To detect vehicle tilt occurring during the parking even without obstacles around the vehicle parked in a flat part.SOLUTION: An apparatus for detecting vehicle tilt is configured to: hold, in a reference parking state of a vehicle 10, reference tilt position information, which is information on a position where a part of the vehicle exists, in an image in a shooting range of a side-face camera 13; acquire, when the vehicle 10 is tilted forward or backward due to a change in which a load is added to or reduced from the vehicle 10 during the parking of the vehicle 10, displaced tilt position information which is information on the position where the part of the vehicle 10 exists in the shooting range of the side-face camera 13; and calculate the change in tilt angle θ before and after the vehicle is parked, from a displacement x.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation for detecting the inclination of a vehicle and appropriately correcting the recognition of the surroundings of the vehicle from an image. [Background technology]

[0002] It is common practice to install cameras on all four sides of a vehicle to enable the driver to grasp the surrounding situation. The Around View Monitor (AVM, registered trademark) function converts the images captured by the cameras on all four sides and displays them on the vehicle's display as if looking down on the vehicle from directly above. This function is used particularly when parking to grasp the distance to adjacent vehicles and the position relative to a parking space. In addition to the AVM function, many other assist display functions have been proposed that utilize images from cameras in all four directions, including the front, rear, and left and right door mirrors, to avoid accidents such as collisions and wheel run-off.

[0003] However, because the cameras used for these functions need to minimize blind spots, they often use monocular wide-angle cameras. As a result, the images obtained are significantly distorted in the peripheral areas, so they must be corrected to match the display position within the field of view when displaying them or calculating position and distance. An example of this correction is shown in Figure 4. If a line indicating equidistance from the vehicle is displayed on the screen, it will be significantly distorted, as shown in this figure. This distortion varies depending on the camera's characteristics and the vehicle's installation position, so correction is generally performed using functions or tables predetermined for each vehicle. However, there are cases where accurate processing cannot be achieved using this correction alone due to various circumstances.

[0004] Patent Document 1 proposes a solution for cases where the road is inclined or the camera mounting angle has changed. Using images captured by a forward-facing camera, the distance to the boundary between a flat road and a slope and to an obstacle is corrected based on the slope angle (Patent Document 1

[0016] , etc.).

[0005] Patent Document 2 proposes changing threshold information for obstacle determination according to road surface inclination angle information θ in order to address the problem that the distance to an obstacle measured by a distance sensor in a parking assistance device may be erroneously detected if the vehicle or obstacle is inclined (Patent Document 2

[0020] , etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-92820 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6242284 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the technologies in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the problem that tilt cannot be detected and the image cannot be corrected if there are no obstacles or buildings in the surrounding area. For example, even if the grid showing the actual equidistance is the solid line in Figure 5, it may happen that the vehicle tilts and the grid position shifts to the dashed line position.

[0008] In particular, in a flat parking lot such as that found in a large shopping mall, if a vehicle tilts forward or backward due to a heavy object being loaded just before the vehicle starts moving, the system is unable to detect the degree of tilt of the vehicle itself, and the displayed image and the distance measurement to the surrounding area after the vehicle starts moving are inaccurate, resulting in the vehicle continuing to move.The same problem could also occur if the number of passengers increases or decreases.

[0009] Therefore, the object of this invention is to detect the tilt of a vehicle that occurs while parked on a flat surface, even if there are no obstacles around it, and to apply the detected information to the vehicle's display function and distance measurement function, thereby contributing to safe driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] This invention is A vehicle tilt detection device for detecting the tilt of a vehicle having a side camera provided on at least one of the left and right sides, In a reference stopping state in which the vehicle is stopped at a predetermined reference tilt position with respect to a road surface, reference tilt position information is stored, which is information about a position of a part of the vehicle in an image captured by the side camera; While the vehicle is parked, in an inclined parked state in which the vehicle is inclined forward or backward with respect to the reference inclination position, displaced inclination position information is acquired, which is information on a position of a part of the vehicle in an image captured by the side camera; The above-mentioned problem is solved by a first solution, which is a vehicle inclination detection device characterized by including a control unit that calculates a change in the inclination angle of the vehicle based on a comparison between the reference inclination position information and the displaced inclination position information.

[0011] In addition to the first solving means, the vehicle tilt detection device according to the present invention has the following features: the vehicle portion includes at least one wheel; The control unit In the reference stopped state of the vehicle, reference wheel position information is stored, which is the reference tilt position information of at least one wheel on the side where the side camera is located in the image captured by the side camera; acquiring displaced wheel position information, which is the displaced tilt position information of the wheel in the tilted stopped state, by an image recognition means; A displacement of the displacement wheel position information from the reference wheel position information in the image of the shooting range; Using the camera height of the side camera from the road surface, A second solution may be adopted, which calculates the tilt angle of the vehicle.

[0012] Furthermore, the vehicle inclination detection device according to the present invention has, in addition to the first or second solving means, a side light for illuminating an area captured by the side camera; During a predetermined operation or under specific conditions, the side light is illuminated and an image is taken with the side camera to obtain the displacement and tilt position information. A third solution can be adopted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The vehicle tilt detection device of the present invention uses a part of the vehicle that is located in an image as a reference, making it possible to calculate changes in the vehicle's tilt angle without relying on obstacles or road markings. Reference tilt position information when the vehicle transitions from stopped to parked, representing the situation before the weight on the vehicle changes during parking, is stored as a predetermined reference tilt position. This information is compared with displaced tilt position information after the weight on the vehicle changes during parking, allowing the change in tilt angle before and after parking, with the reference tilt position information set to 0 degrees, to be calculated. By continuously accumulating this change in tilt angle, it is possible to continually calculate changes in tilt angle from the default state, such as the shipping state or the maintenance-completed state, and to continuously correct images and distance measurements with accurate values.

[0014] In particular, by photographing the wheels, which are fixed to the road surface while parked but whose relative position to the vehicle body shifts slightly due to the effects of the rear suspension, as part of the vehicle, rather than the part of the vehicle whose relative position to the side camera does not change, and obtaining the displacement, the tilt angle can be calculated with high calculation accuracy.When comparing a vehicle body whose tilt angle changes and shifts slightly due to an increase or decrease in load and wheels that remain fixed to the road surface, the vehicle body that tilts together with the side camera appears to remain in its standard state on the screen, while the wheels appear to have moved to displaced wheel position information, which is a relative position that has changed from the reference wheel position information in the reference parked state, the tilt angle can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0015] Furthermore, if the vehicle has side lights that illuminate a portion of the vehicle used as a reference, the lights can be turned on by the driver's operation or automatically if the brightness obtained by the light sensor is insufficient. This means that even in places with insufficient brightness, such as at night or in an indoor parking lot, the side camera can properly photograph a portion of the vehicle, obtain displacement and tilt position information, and calculate the tilt angle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle in a reference stopped state before parking, in which the inclination angle is calculated by the vehicle inclination detection device according to the present invention. [Figure 1B] 1 is a side view of a vehicle in a tilted parked state after a load change occurs while the vehicle is parked, and the tilt angle is calculated using the vehicle tilt detection device according to the present invention; [Figure 2A] An example of an image captured by a side camera in the reference stopped state of FIG. 1A [Figure 2B] An example of an image captured by a side camera in the tilted parked state of FIG. 1B [Figure 2C] Enlarged view of the area enclosed by the dashed double dots in Figure 2B [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle tilt detection device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] An example of equidistance line distortion caused by side camera distortion. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of the relative position when the camera image is shifted due to tilt DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The vehicle inclination detection device according to the present invention will be described below, starting with its principle. FIG. 1A shows a side view of a vehicle 10 whose inclination angle is calculated by the vehicle inclination detection device according to the present invention. The state in which the vehicle 10 is parked at a predetermined reference inclination position on a flat, even road surface H is referred to as the reference parked state. The predetermined reference inclination position is not an absolute reference, but rather a reference position for comparison with the state before the load on the vehicle 10 changes before and after parking, with the state after the load changes. This state is defined as 0 degrees, and the inclination angle becomes positive or negative depending on the change in load during parking. While either the front or rear tilt direction can be defined as positive, a consistent definition is required for the purpose of integrating the inclination angle, as described below.

[0018] A body 11 of a vehicle 10 is provided with side mirrors 12 on the left and right, and a side camera 13 is attached below the side mirrors 12. The attachment position of the side camera 13 is not limited to below the side mirrors 12. However, when using the AVM function, it is essential to attach the camera below to capture images of the road side (below), and when using the camera also as a camera for the AVM function, it is preferable to attach the camera below the side mirror 12.

[0019] It is preferable that the side camera 13 has a wide-angle lens with a wide angle of view. Specifically, it is desirable that the angle of view be 60 degrees or more, and preferably 80 degrees or more. Using a wide-angle lens allows it to be used in conjunction with other functions, including the AVM function described above, and it is not necessary to install a separate camera just for the vehicle inclination detection device of this invention, and images from existing cameras can be used. However, regardless of the angle of view, a portion of the reference vehicle 10 must be included in the captured image.

[0020] During the manufacturing or maintenance stage of the vehicle 10, images are captured from the side camera 13 when the vehicle 10 is not tilted on a level road surface H, or equivalent images are acquired in advance as designed, and recorded as standard information so that it is possible to determine the position of certain parts of the vehicle 10 within the imaging range of the side camera 13 in a standard state without a driver or additional load. This standard state serves as a reference when the vehicle's control unit corrects images and calculates distances. It is desirable for the vehicle's shipping state or re-maintenance state after vehicle inspection to be this standard state. It is preferable for this standard information to be recorded so that it cannot be overwritten.

[0021] Furthermore, the vehicle 10 is captured by the side camera 13 in a reference parked state where the vehicle is parked on a horizontal road surface H. The position representing the inclination angle of the parked vehicle is defined as the reference inclination position. In the image captured by the side camera 13, the aforementioned part of the vehicle 10, including the driver, passengers, and other additional loads, is recorded as reference inclination position information so that it is possible to determine where within the capture range of the side camera 13 at that time. The part of the vehicle 10 in this reference inclination position information is set to 0 degrees, and the change in the inclination angle relative to this is calculated. Note that capturing an image every time the vehicle stops would result in repeated captures that are not related to changes in the inclination angle, which is wasteful. Therefore, it is advisable to capture an image and record the reference inclination position information only when the vehicle transitions from a parked state to parking. An example of the timing of transitioning from a parked state to parking is when the shift lever is shifted from D or R to P.

[0022] Furthermore, images are captured from the side camera 13 when the vehicle is parked in an inclined parked state, tilted forward or backward relative to the reference inclination position. The location of a portion of the vehicle 10 in this changed state is acquired as displaced inclination position information. In reality, whether the inclination angle and location have changed can only be determined by capturing images and grasping the location. Therefore, when the ignition is switched from off to on, the vehicle is assumed to have transitioned to an inclined parked state, and images are acquired of the portion of the vehicle 10. Also, when the ignition is on and the shift lever is in P while parked, the vehicle is then shifted to D and the vehicle starts moving, and an image of the portion of the vehicle 10 is assumed to have transitioned to an inclined parked state. If there is no change from the reference inclination position information to the displaced inclination position information, the change in the inclination angle is calculated as 0. If there is a change from the reference inclination position, the change in the inclination angle can be calculated as a specific numerical value from the change in the displaced inclination position information relative to the reference inclination position information.

[0023] As a specific example, the front wheel 14 of the vehicle 10 is used as a part of the vehicle 10. The front wheel 14 is close to the side mirror 12 and can easily be included in the angle of view of the side camera 13 installed on the side mirror 12, and is therefore a suitable part to use as a reference in the present invention. Here, the shortest distance (camera altitude) between the side camera 13 and the road surface H located directly below it in the vertical direction is defined as Z, and the distance from directly below the side camera 13 (point P) to the ground contact position of the front wheel 14 is defined as L. Let us assume that point P is captured in the center of the angle of view of the side camera 13.

[0024] As an example, FIG. 1B shows a side view of a situation in which a heavy load 20 is placed on the rear of vehicle 10 while vehicle 10 is parked in the standard parked state shown in FIG. 1A, causing vehicle 10 to tilt backward from the state shown in FIG. 1A and enter an inclined parked state. At this time, front wheels 14 and rear wheels 15 on road surface H remain fixed relative to road surface H, but vehicle body 11, which can move somewhat relative to the shafts of front wheels 14 and rear wheels 15 via suspension or the like, tilts. This is also the case when vehicle 10 tilts forward, the opposite of the example shown in the figure. Note that the tilt is exaggerated in the figure for ease of understanding.

[0025] In this tilted parked state, the front of the vehicle body 11 rises and the rear sinks, causing the area captured by the side camera 13 to tilt slightly toward the front wheels 14. As a result, the center of the angle of view captured by the side camera 13 moves from point P, which is the reference tilt position information, to point P', which is the displaced tilt position information slightly closer to the front wheels 14. Strictly speaking, the longitudinal position of the side camera 13 itself also shifts, but since this is negligibly small, we will not consider this displacement here. Meanwhile, the position of the front wheels 14 remains unchanged. As a result, the distance between the center of the angle of view and the front wheels 14 becomes length L' (= La), which is shorter by the displacement a than the length L in the standard state. The tilt θ corresponding to this displacement a is equal to the tilt angle when the vehicle 10 changes from the reference parked state shown in FIG. 1A to the tilted parked state shown in FIG. 1B. Therefore, the tilt θ can be calculated.

[0026] The method for determining the tilt θ will be explained using Figures 2A to 2C. Figure 2A shows an example of an image captured by the side camera 13 when the vehicle is transitioning from a stopped state to parking, i.e., in a standard stopped state. The front wheels 14 and rear wheels 15 are captured on the side of the vehicle body 11. The front wheels 14 are closer to the center of the field of view than the rear wheels 15, and are therefore relatively less distorted. Figure 2B shows an example of an image captured by the side camera 13 when the vehicle is moving from a parked state to a tilted stopped state. Note that the dashed line indicates the position where the front wheels 14 should be in the standard state, and does not represent the actual image. Figure 2C shows an enlarged view of the area enclosed by the two-dot dashed line in Figure 2B. In the image, the displayed position of the front wheels 14 is shifted by x. This displacement x can be counted in pixel units in the image. The displacement a can be approximated as a = A × x, where A is a constant determined by the number of pixels, field of view, and vehicle characteristics of the side camera 13.

[0027] Once the displacement a is determined, the tilt θ can be mathematically calculated using the following formula (1). This tilt θ is the tilt angle θ of the vehicle 10 itself in the displaced tilt position information that has changed based on the reference tilt position information. θ=tan -1 (a / Z)·····(1)

[0028] By performing the above procedure using the vehicle inclination detection device of the vehicle 10, the inclination angle θ caused in the vehicle 10 by the load carried when parking can be obtained with high accuracy and without the need for surrounding obstacles, etc.

[0029] The vehicle 10 continues to count the change in this inclination angle θ, and by grasping the integrated value from the standard state obtained by integrating positive and negative changes, it is possible to calculate at any time the change in the inclination angle from the default in the shipping state or the state after maintenance. If the integrated value of the inclination angle from the standard state is used to correct the image for which a standard is set by default and to correct the processing of distance measurements, corrections can be made when calculating the distance to surrounding objects, enabling more accurate automatic driving control, automatic braking control, driving assistance, image display, etc.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a vehicle inclination detection device 21 according to the present invention. The vehicle inclination detection device 21 is mounted on a vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 may be an engine-driven vehicle or an electric vehicle. If the vehicle is an electric vehicle, it may be a hybrid vehicle having an engine. If the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, it may be a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) that is not only charged by power generated by the engine but also has an external charging system that allows power to be charged from an external source or an external power supply that allows power to be supplied to the outside. In other words, the type of automobile of the vehicle 10 is basically not important.

[0031] The vehicle tilt detection device 21 has a control unit 22 that performs calculations and the like. The control unit 22 executes stored programs to realize functions and implements each means described below as functions using dedicated circuits. There is no particular need to provide a separate control unit 22 just for the present invention; it is preferable for ease of implementation if the control unit 22 is implemented as an additional function by installing and executing a program that realizes the present invention in an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) mounted on the vehicle 10 for driving control and the like.

[0032] In addition, the side camera 13 used in the vehicle inclination detection device 21 of the present invention does not need to be a dedicated camera for inclination detection only, but may be a camera attached to any of the four sides for AVM function or distance measurement.

[0033] The control unit 22 has a memory unit 25 that stores programs and data. The vehicle inclination detection device 21 stores, in this memory unit 25, standard position information, which is information on the position of a specific part of the vehicle 10 in a standard state within the shooting range of the side camera 13, for which the position is measured to determine the inclination θ according to the design and capabilities of the vehicle 10 and the side camera 13. This standard position information is a reference value for the vehicle 10, so it is recommended that it be recorded at the time of shipping the vehicle 10 and used for calculations.

[0034] It is also preferable that the memory unit 25 stores the camera altitude Z, which is the distance between the side camera 13 and the road surface. The control unit 22 can read out the information on the camera altitude Z and the standard wheel position information 31 as needed and use them in calculations.

[0035] Furthermore, the memory unit 25 at least temporarily stores the reference tilt position information and the displaced tilt position information. "At least temporarily" means that the information must be stored until the change in the tilt angle θ before and after parking is calculated. This information may also be stored as a log. It is also preferable to continuously record the calculated value of the tilt angle θ and continuously store the integrated value, including plus and minus values from the standard state, calculated by the control unit 22, and instantly read out this integrated value, which is the tilt angle from the standard state, for calculating corrections for the image and distance.

[0036] Here, an embodiment is taken as an example in which standard wheel position information 31, which is the position of the front wheel 14 in the image in a standard state, is held as the standard position information. Also, reference wheel position information 32, which is the position of the front wheel 14 in a standard tilt state, is held as the reference tilt position information, and displaced wheel position information 33, which is the position of the front wheel 14 in a tilted stopping state, is held as the displaced tilt position information. Here, an embodiment is taken as an example in which the position of the front wheel 14 in the image shown in the example of FIG. 2A is held as reference wheel position information 32. These position information are not positions in real space but positions on pixels in the image captured by the side camera 13.

[0037] The control unit 22 executes the reference image capturing means 44, which captures an image from the side camera 13 when the vehicle 10 transitions from a stopped state to a parked state. The control unit 22 also executes the displacement image capturing means 45, which captures an image from the side camera 13 when the vehicle 10 departs from a parked state. In reality, the vehicle 10 does not always tilt. The vehicle tilts forward or backward when a vehicle is loaded or boarded, which adds weight to the vehicle body 11 while parked, or when a vehicle is unloaded or unloaded, which reduces the load. However, separately determining whether a vehicle has been loaded or unloaded requires an additional mechanism, and the calculated tilt angle θ may be negligibly small. Since such determinations cannot be made without capturing an image and determining the tilt angle θ, the control unit 22 automatically executes the reference image capturing means 44 when the vehicle transitions from a stopped state to a parked state, and the displacement image capturing means 45, which captures an image when the vehicle departs from a parked state, regardless of the actual degree of tilt. Then, the following steps may be executed consecutively.

[0038] The reference image capturing means 44 and the displacement image capturing means 45 capture an image that includes within its capturing range at least a portion of the side of the vehicle body 11, including the front wheels 14. Examples of determining whether the vehicle is starting from a parked position include determining that the vehicle is starting when the ignition is switched from off to on, or determining that the shift lever is shifted from P. When determining based on the shift lever, the determination may be limited to when the shift lever is in P for a period long enough to load or unload luggage or passengers, or appropriate conditions may be set for the timing of starting to execute the displacement image capturing means 45. This is because the purpose of the vehicle inclination detection device according to the present invention is to detect a change in the load caused by loading or unloading luggage or passengers, resulting in a change in the inclination angle.

[0039] The control unit 22 executes an image recognition means 46 that identifies the front wheel 14 from the images captured by the reference image capturing means 44 and the displacement image capturing means 45 using the side camera 13 and determines its position. The positions of the front wheel 14 determined in each image are set as reference wheel position information 32 and displacement wheel position information 33. A general method may be used for this image recognition. The position here does not need to be a distance in real space, but may be a position on a pixel of the image. The location recognized as the front wheel 14 is not particularly limited as long as it can be recognized in the image. The tire on the outer periphery of the wheel is large and easy to recognize in the image, but it may also be recognized by the wheel if it can be recognized, or a marker may be attached to the side of the wheel to enable identification.

[0040] The control unit 22 executes a position change detection means 47 that calculates a displacement x in the image using reference wheel position information 32, which is the position of the front wheel 14 obtained by the image recognition means 46, and displaced wheel position information 33. Using the reference wheel position information 32 as a reference, the control unit 22 calculates a change in the displaced wheel position information 33 relative to the reference wheel position information 32. Note that the position change detection means 47 may be implemented as a calculation program integrated with the tilt calculation means 48 described below.

[0041] The control unit 22 executes the tilt calculation means 48 that calculates the tilt angle θ of the vehicle 10. The tilt angle θ is calculated using the displacement x and the camera altitude Z of the side camera 13. The calculation procedure is the same as in the above embodiment.

[0042] The vehicle 10 preferably has side lights 18 that illuminate the image capture range of the side camera 13. In environments with insufficient light, such as at night or in an indoor parking lot, if the side camera 13 is a camera that uses visible light, it may not be able to capture a sufficiently clear image, making it impossible to calculate the displacement x. Even in such cases, if the side lights 18 can illuminate the image capture range of the side camera 13 and illuminate the locations corresponding to the standard position information, reference tilt position information, and displaced tilt position information, the tilt angle θ can be calculated as usual. The driver may issue an instruction to turn on the side lights 18 through a user interface, such as a touch panel or button, of the vehicle 10, based on their own judgment when they determine that the surroundings are dark. Alternatively, the side lights 18 may be automatically turned on under certain conditions. For example, a separate light sensor (not shown) may be installed, and the side lights 18 may be automatically turned on when the vehicle leaves a parking space if the amount of light detected by the light sensor is below a certain threshold. Alternatively, the side lights 18 may be automatically turned on when the vehicle leaves a parking space if it is nighttime using a means for acquiring the current time.

[0043] The side lights 18 do not have to be lights dedicated to the present invention, but may be lights that operate by utilizing guide lights (welcome lights) on the exterior of the vehicle for the driver when parking.

[0044] The integrated value (integrated inclination angle 39) obtained by integrating the inclination angle θ calculated by the vehicle inclination detection device according to the present invention from the standard state can be suitably used as correction data for other calculations performed by the control unit 22 in other functions used by the vehicle 10. When making corrections when determining the distance to nearby obstacles or when measuring the speed of oncoming vehicles, by calculating the inclination of the vehicle 10 itself by the integrated value of the inclination angle from the shipping state, various functions such as obstacle avoidance and warnings, display of the distance to the surrounding area, and automatic braking can be calculated more accurately regardless of the inclination of the vehicle body 11, contributing to safe driving. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10 vehicles 11 Body 12 Side mirror 13 Side camera 14 Front wheels 15 rear wheel 18 Side Light 20 Luggage 21 Vehicle tilt detection device 22 Control Unit 25 Memory section 31 Standard wheel position information 32 Reference wheel position information 33 Displacement wheel position information 39 Accumulative tilt angle 44 Reference image capturing means 45 Displacement image capturing means 46 Image Recognition Methods 47 Position change detection means 48 Tilt calculation method H road surface x displacement Z Camera Altitude

Claims

1. A vehicle tilt detection device for detecting the tilt of a vehicle having a side camera provided on at least one of the left and right sides, In a reference stopping state in which the vehicle is stopped at a predetermined reference tilt position with respect to a road surface, reference tilt position information is stored, which is information about a position of a part of the vehicle in an image captured by the side camera; While the vehicle is parked, in an inclined parked state in which the vehicle is inclined forward or backward with respect to the reference inclination position, displaced inclination position information is acquired, which is information on a position of a part of the vehicle in an image captured by the side camera; A vehicle inclination detection device comprising: a control unit that calculates a change in the inclination angle of the vehicle based on a comparison between the reference inclination position information and the displaced inclination position information.

2. the vehicle portion includes at least one wheel; The control unit In the reference stopped state of the vehicle, reference wheel position information is stored, which is the reference tilt position information of at least one wheel on the side where the side camera is located in the image captured by the side camera; acquiring displaced wheel position information, which is the displaced tilt position information of the wheel in the tilted stopped state, by an image recognition means; A displacement of the displacement wheel position information from the reference wheel position information in the image of the shooting range; Using the camera height of the side camera from the road surface, The vehicle inclination detection device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a vehicle tilt angle detector configured to calculate an inclination angle of the vehicle.

3. a side light for illuminating an area captured by the side camera; During a predetermined operation or under specific conditions, the side light is illuminated and an image is taken with the side camera to obtain the displacement and tilt position information.

3. The vehicle tilt detection device according to claim 1 or 2.

Images