Driving support device

Abstract

To improve a technique for notifying a driver of information of a peripheral environment of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A driving support device 20 of a vehicle 2 includes a photographing section 200, a communication section 201, a projection section 202, and a control section 203. The control section 203 performs: receiving dead corner information related to an inner part of a dead corner of the photographing section 200 formed by an obstacle 60 from a dead corner photographing device 30 via the communication section 201 when the obstacle 60 in front of the vehicle 2 is detected from a video of the photographing section 200; and allowing the projection section 202 to project an attention image 80 on a road when it is determined that an object 70 exists in the inner part of the dead corner based on the dead corner information. The attention image 80 includes an object attention image 801 indicating the information of the object 70.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving assistance device. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known technologies for informing the driver of information about the vehicle's surrounding environment. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that uses the windshield or the like as a screen to display a warning image corresponding to the type of collision risk superimposed on the actual scenery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2020-95380 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is room for improvement in technology that provides drivers with information about the vehicle's surroundings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: A driving assistance device for a vehicle, comprising: an imaging unit, a communication unit, a projection unit, and a control unit; The control unit when an obstacle ahead of the vehicle is detected from the image of the photographing unit, blind spot information relating to the inside of a blind spot of the photographing unit formed by the obstacle is received from the blind spot photographing device via the communication unit; If it is determined based on the blind spot information that an object exists within the blind spot, a warning image is projected onto the road by the projection unit, and the warning image includes an object warning image that shows information about the object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, techniques for informing a driver of a vehicle's surrounding environment are improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a projection mode of a warning image projected by a driving assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of a driving assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another projection mode of the warning image projected by the driving assistance device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the following, the term "vehicle" includes any vehicle such as an automobile, a bus, a truck, a motorcycle, or a bicycle.

[0009] (Outline of the embodiment) An overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The system 1 includes a driving assistance device 20, a blind spot image capture device 30, and an information processing device 40. The driving assistance device 20, the blind spot image capture device 30, and the information processing device 40 are communicably connected to a network 50 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network. The system 1 may include two or more blind spot image capture devices 30.

[0010] The driving assistance device 20 is mounted on the vehicle 2. The driving assistance device 20 includes an image capturing unit 200 capable of capturing an image of the area ahead of the vehicle 2, and a projection unit 202 for projecting a warning image 80 onto the road. The image capturing unit 200 is, for example, a camera. The projection unit 202 is, for example, a headlight of the vehicle 2.

[0011] The blind spot image capture device 30 includes a camera for capturing images of the inside of the blind spot and is positioned so as to capture the image of the inside of the blind spot. The blind spot image capture device 30 may be a roadside device installed near a road, for example, at an intersection, a crosswalk, an exit from a building or parking lot, or near a sharp curve. The blind spot image capture device 30 may be a mobile terminal outside the vehicle 2 or a separate vehicle.

[0012] The information processing device 40 is one or more computers such as a server. In the system 1 according to this embodiment, the driving assistance device 20 and the blind spot image capturing device 30 transmit or receive information via the information processing device 40.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a projection mode of an attention image 80 projected by a driving assistance device 20 according to an embodiment. The driving assistance device 20 is mounted on a vehicle 2. In FIG. 2, another vehicle parked on the side of the road is an obstacle 60. The obstacle 60 forms a blind spot of the camera provided in the driving assistance device 20 of the vehicle 2. Therefore, the camera of the driving assistance device 20 cannot capture images within the blind spot. A pedestrian present on the sidewalk within the blind spot is an object 70. A blind spot camera 30 is installed on the sidewalk opposite the sidewalk where the object 70 is located. The blind spot camera 30 is positioned so that the object 70 can be detected. A projection unit 202 of the driving assistance device 20 projects an attention image 80 onto the road. In FIG. 2, the attention image 80 is a pedestrian icon.

[0014] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be provided later. A driving assistance device for a vehicle includes an imaging unit, a communication unit, a projection unit, and a control unit. When an obstacle ahead of the vehicle is detected from an image captured by the imaging unit, the control unit receives blind spot information relating to the inside of the blind spot of the imaging unit formed by the obstacle from the blind spot imaging device via the communication unit. When it is determined that an object exists within the blind spot based on the blind spot information, the control unit projects an attention image onto the road using the projection unit. The attention image includes an object attention image that shows information about the object.

[0015] According to this embodiment, the warning image is projected onto the road, making it easier for the driver to grasp the distance to an object hidden in the blind spot. Furthermore, a typical road is flat and often has a single color, such as gray. On the other hand, typical obstacles, such as vehicles, buildings, and trees, are three-dimensional objects with many irregularities and often have multiple colors. Therefore, if a warning image is displayed superimposed on an obstacle, it becomes difficult for the driver to understand the content of the warning image. Therefore, the road is more suitable as a screen for projecting a warning image than an obstacle.

[0016] As described above, this embodiment improves the technology for notifying the driver of caution information.

[0017] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0018] (Configuration of driving assistance device 20) The driving assistance device 20 includes an imaging unit 200, a communication unit 201, a projection unit 202, a control unit 203, and a storage unit 204. The driving assistance device 20 is mounted on the vehicle 2.

[0019] The photographing unit 200 includes one or more cameras that can photograph the area ahead of the vehicle 2. The photographing unit 200 may include, for example, one or more 90-degree cameras, one or more 180-degree cameras, or one 360-degree camera.

[0020] The communication unit 201 includes at least one communication interface connected to the network 50. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G, a V2X communication standard such as DSRC or cellular V2X, or a wireless LAN communication standard such as IEEE802.11. "4G" is an abbreviation for 4th generation. "5G" is an abbreviation for 5th generation. "DSRC" is an abbreviation for dedicated short range communications. "V2X" is an abbreviation for vehicle-to-everything. "IEEE" is an abbreviation for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

[0021] The projection unit 202 is a headlight including multiple LEDs and is also called an adaptive LED unit. The projection unit 202 can project a warning image 80 onto the road by selectively turning on or off each LED. The projection unit 202 may also be a headlight including multiple micromirrors. This headlight can project the warning image 80 onto the road by controlling the multiple micromirrors using digital light processing.

[0022] The control unit 203 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 203 controls the operation of the driving assistance device 20.

[0023] The storage unit 204 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 204 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 204 stores any information used in the operation of the driving assistance device 20. For example, the storage unit 204 may store a system program, an application program, embedded software, information about the vehicle 2, and the like.

[0024] (Configuration of blind spot imaging device 30) The blind spot image capturing device 30 includes an image capturing unit 300 , a communication unit 301 , a control unit 302 , and a storage unit 303 .

[0025] The photographing unit 300 includes one or more cameras for photographing the object 70. The photographing unit 300 may include, for example, one or more 90-degree cameras, one or more 180-degree cameras, or one 360-degree camera.

[0026] The communication unit 301 includes at least one communication interface that connects to the network 50. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G, a V2X communication standard such as DSRC or cellular V2X, or a wireless LAN communication standard such as IEEE802.11.

[0027] The control unit 302 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 302 controls the operation of the blind spot image capture device 30.

[0028] The storage unit 303 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 303 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 303 stores any information used in the operation of the blind spot imaging device 30. For example, the storage unit 303 may store a system program, an application program, embedded software, and the like.

[0029] (Configuration of information processing device 40) The information processing device 40 includes a communication unit 400 , a control unit 401 , and a storage unit 402 .

[0030] The communication unit 400 includes at least one communication interface that connects to the network 50. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G, a V2X communication standard such as DSRC or cellular V2X, or a wireless LAN communication standard such as IEEE802.11.

[0031] The control unit 401 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 401 controls the operation of the information processing device 40.

[0032] The storage unit 402 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 402 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 402 stores any information used in the operation of the information processing device 40. For example, the storage unit 402 may store system programs, application programs, embedded software, map information, etc. The information stored in the storage unit 402 may be updatable with information received from the network 50 via the communication unit 400, for example.

[0033] (Operation flow of the driving support device 20) The operation of the driving assistance device 20 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0034] S100 : The control unit 203 of the driving assistance device 20 detects an obstacle 60 ahead of the vehicle 2 from the image captured by the image capturing unit 200 .

[0035] The control unit 203 detects the obstacle 60 by any object recognition process. The obstacle 60 is one or more objects that can form a blind spot of the image capturing unit 200 of the driving assistance device 20, and includes a vehicle, a building, a tree, a terrain, etc.

[0036] S101: The control unit 203 receives blind spot information relating to the inside of a blind spot formed by an obstacle 60 from the blind spot image capture device 30 via the communication unit 201.

[0037] Specifically, the control unit 203 of the driving assistance device 20 transmits a request to acquire blind spot information regarding the inside of the blind spot to the information processing device 40. The control unit 401 of the information processing device 40 transmits a request to capture an image of the inside of the blind spot to the blind spot image capture device 30, which is located in a position where it can capture an image of the inside of the blind spot. In response to the image capture request, the control unit 302 of the blind spot image capture device 30 captures an image of the inside of the blind spot using the image capture unit 300, and transmits the captured image of the inside of the blind spot to the information processing device 40. The control unit 401 of the information processing device 40 acquires blind spot information from the captured image of the inside of the blind spot by any object recognition processing. The control unit 401 transmits the blind spot information to the driving assistance device 20.

[0038] The blind spot information includes information indicating the presence or absence of an object 70 in the blind spot, as well as information indicating the characteristics of the object 70, for example, the type or location of the object 70. Types of objects 70 include pedestrians and vehicles. When two or more objects 70 are present, the blind spot information may include information indicating the characteristics of each object 70.

[0039] S102: The control unit 203 of the driving assistance device 20 determines whether or not the object 70 is present in the blind spot based on the blind spot information. If it is determined that the object 70 is present (S102-YES), the process proceeds to S103. If it is determined that the object 70 is not present (S102-NO), the process ends.

[0040] S103: The control unit 203 projects the warning image 80 onto the road using the projection unit 202. Then, the process ends.

[0041] The attention image 80 includes an object attention image 801 for urging the driver of the vehicle 2 to pay attention to the object 70. The object attention image 801 may change over time. By changing the object attention image 801 over time, it becomes possible to attract the driver's sufficient attention. The object attention image 801 may move or move over time, may have a color or shape that changes over time, or may flash.

[0042] The object attention image 801 may include an object icon indicating the type of object 70, such as an icon of a pedestrian, car, bus, truck, motorcycle, or bicycle. The object icon may change over time. In FIG. 2 , the object icon is a pedestrian icon. The object attention image 801 may include a graphic, such as an arrow, indicating the direction of movement of the object 70. The object attention image 801 may include a message urging the driver of the vehicle 2 to pay attention to the object 70, such as a message like "Watch out for pedestrians jumping out!", "Watch out for pedestrians jumping out from the left!", or "A pedestrian is approaching from a blind spot!". When multiple objects 70 are hidden in a blind spot formed by a single obstacle, or when multiple objects 70 are hidden in respective blind spots formed by multiple obstacles, the object attention image 801 may include a respective object icon indicating the type of each object 70. The object icon may be stored in the memory unit 204 of the driving assistance device 20 or may be selected based on blind spot information, particularly information indicating the characteristics of the object 70 in the blind spot.

[0043] For ease of viewing, the projection unit 202 may display the warning image 80 in shadow when the road environment is bright, and may display the warning image 80 in light when the road environment is dark.

[0044] The object attention image 801 may be projected near the object 70. The object attention image 801 may be projected at a position corresponding to the distance between the vehicle 2 and the object 70 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 2. For example, the greater the distance between the vehicle 2 and the object 70 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 2, the farther the object attention image 801 may be projected from the vehicle 2. This makes it easier to grasp the distance to each of the objects 70 when each of the objects 70 is present in a plurality of blind spots formed by a plurality of obstacles 60.

[0045] If it is determined in S102 that no object 70 is present in the blind spot (S102-NO), the control unit 203 of the driving assistance device 20 may project, onto the road, an image indicating that no object 70 is present in the blind spot, using the projection unit 202. This image may be a diagram expressing safety, or a message such as "safety." Then, the process ends.

[0046] As described above, according to this embodiment, the warning image is projected onto the road, making it easier for the driver to grasp the distance to an object hidden in the blind spot. Furthermore, a typical road is flat and often has a single color, such as gray. On the other hand, typical obstacles, such as vehicles, buildings, and trees, are three-dimensional objects with many irregularities and often have multiple colors. Therefore, if a warning image is displayed superimposed on an obstacle, it becomes difficult for the driver to understand the content of the warning image. Therefore, the road is more suitable as a screen for projecting a warning image than an obstacle.

[0047] As described above, this embodiment improves the technology for notifying the driver of caution information.

[0048] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or process can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies. Furthermore, multiple components or processes can be combined or divided into one.

[0049] In this embodiment, the driving assistance device 20 and the blind spot image capture device 30 transmit or receive information via the information processing device 40, and cause the information processing device 40 to perform object recognition processing on the image in the blind spot. The driving assistance device 20 and the blind spot image capture device 30 may transmit or receive information without going through the information processing device 40. The object recognition processing on the image in the blind spot may be performed by the control unit 302 of the blind spot image capture device 30 or the control unit 203 of the driving assistance device 20.

[0050] The attention image 80 may further include a vehicle attention image 802 to draw the subject's attention to the vehicle 2 .

[0051] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another projection mode of the warning image 80 projected by the driving assistance device 20. In FIG. 4, a vehicle warning image 802 is projected onto the road together with an object warning image 801. The vehicle warning image 802 is projected at a position visible from the object 70. In FIG. 4, the vehicle warning image 802 is projected in an orientation that makes it easy to see from the object 70. The vehicle warning image 802 may change over time. For example, the vehicle warning image 802 may move or move over time, have a color or shape that changes over time, or may flash. The vehicle warning image 802 may be a vehicle icon indicating the type of vehicle 2, such as an icon of a car, bus, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, etc. The vehicle icon may change over time. The vehicle warning image 802 may include a graphic such as an arrow indicating the direction of movement of the vehicle 2. The vehicle warning image 802 may include a message urging the target 70 to pay attention to the vehicle 2, such as messages such as "Watch out for vehicles jumping out!", "Watch out for vehicles jumping out from the right!", or "A vehicle is approaching from a blind spot!". The vehicle warning image 802 may be stored in the storage unit 204 of the driving assistance device 20, for example.

[0052] The warning image projected onto the road can be seen not only by the driver but also by the object, so a single projection unit can be used as a device to warn both the vehicle driver and the object, eliminating the need for a dedicated device to warn only the object. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1 System 2 vehicles 20 Driving assistance devices 200 Photography Department 201 Communications Department 202 Projection section 203 Control Unit 204 Storage section 30 Blind Spot Camera 300 Filming Department 301 Communications Department 302 Control Unit 303 Storage section 40 Information processing equipment 400 Communications Department 401 Control Unit 402 Storage section 50 Network 60 Obstacles 70 subjects 80 caution images 801 Target Attention Images 802 Vehicle Caution Image

Claims

1. A driving assistance device for a vehicle, comprising: an imaging unit, a communication unit, a projection unit, and a control unit; The control unit when an obstacle ahead of the vehicle is detected from the image of the photographing unit, blind spot information relating to the inside of a blind spot of the photographing unit formed by the obstacle is received from the blind spot photographing device via the communication unit; When it is determined based on the blind spot information that an object exists within the blind spot, a warning image is projected onto the road by the projection unit; A driving assistance device, wherein the attention image includes an object attention image that indicates information about the object.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the object attention image is projected at a position corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and the object in a traveling direction of the vehicle.

3. 2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the object attention image includes an object icon indicating a type of the object, and the object icon changes over time.

4. 2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the attention image further includes a vehicle attention image showing information related to the vehicle, and the vehicle attention image is projected at a position visible from the target.

5. 5. The driving assistance device according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle attention image includes a vehicle icon indicating a type of the vehicle, and the vehicle icon changes over time.

Images