Safety driving assistance devices and safety driving assistance methods

Abstract

This invention provides a safety driving assistance device that can notify a cyclist if they are about to ride in the wrong direction, thereby preventing them from doing so. [Solution] The safe driving assistance device 10 is attached to a bicycle 1 and includes an imaging unit 11 that takes images of the area around the bicycle 1, a determination unit 101 that determines, based on the images taken by the imaging unit 11, whether there is a sign that the bicycle 1 is going the wrong way by traveling on the right side of the road, and a notification unit 12 that, when it is determined that there is a sign, outputs a notification to the driver of the bicycle 1 to prevent going the wrong way.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a safe driving assistance device and a safe driving assistance method.

Background Art

[0002] Among the vehicles passing on the road, there are vehicles for which a driver does not need to obtain a license. For example, bicycles, electric kick scooters, and senior cars are known. Although the drivers of such vehicles are also obliged to comply with laws and regulations such as the Road Traffic Law, there are many drivers who do not have sufficient knowledge of the laws and regulations and drive in violation unintentionally.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a drive recorder for a bicycle. By mounting such a drive recorder on the above-mentioned bicycles, electric kick scooters, senior cars, etc., it is possible to record acts that constitute traffic violations.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the drive recorder for a bicycle disclosed in Patent Document 1 can record traffic violations but cannot prevent them.

[0006] In particular, so-called reverse driving on the right side of the road is one of the acts that have been penalized in recent years because it is dangerous, and a technology for preventing reverse driving is needed.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a safe driving assistance device capable of giving a notice to prevent a driver from reverse driving when it is likely to occur on a bicycle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a safety driving assistance device that is attached to a bicycle and comprises an imaging unit that captures images of the area around the bicycle, a determination unit that determines, based on the images captured by the imaging unit, whether there is an indication that the bicycle is going against the flow of traffic on the right side of the road, and a notification unit that, when an indication is determined to exist, outputs a notification to the cyclist to prevent going against the flow of traffic.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a safe driving assistance method comprising: an imaging step of imaging the area around a bicycle; a determination step of determining, based on the images captured in the imaging step, that there is an indication that the bicycle is going against the flow of traffic, traveling on the right side of the road; and a notification step of outputting a notification to the cyclist to prevent going against the flow of traffic when the determination step determines that there is an indication. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a safety driving assistance device that can notify a cyclist when they are about to ride in the wrong direction, thereby preventing them from riding in the wrong direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a bicycle equipped with a safety driving assistance device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the safe driving assistance device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a modified example of the system configuration of the safety driving assistance device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the safety driving assistance device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of a bicycle equipped with a safety driving assistance device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the safe driving assistance device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the safety driving assistance device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of a bicycle equipped with a safety driving assistance device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the safety driving assistance device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the safety driving assistance device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of a bicycle equipped with a safety driving assistance device according to the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The following describes the safety driving assistance devices 10, 20, and 30 according to this embodiment with reference to the drawings. In the following description, "driving against traffic" refers to the state in which the bicycle 1 is traveling on the right side of the road, and excludes the state in which the bicycle is traveling on the right side of the sidewalk on a road with separate pedestrian and vehicle access.

[0013] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a bicycle 1 equipped with safety driving assistance devices 10, 20, and 30 according to the following embodiment.

[0014] [bicycle] Bicycle 1 comprises two wheels 2a and 2b, a frame 3, a saddle 4, a crank 5, pedals 6, a handlebar 7, and a safety driving assistance device 10.

[0015] The wheel 2a is a front wheel disposed on the front side of the bicycle 1, and the wheel 2b is a rear wheel disposed on the rear side of the bicycle 1. The frame 3 is connected to the two wheels 2a and 2b so that the wheels 2a and 2b can rotate, and prevents relative movement between the two wheels 2a and 2b. The saddle 4 is a seat on which the driver of the bicycle 1 sits during driving. The crank 5 is rotatably supported near the center of the front and rear wheels 2a and 2b at the lower part of the frame 3, and rotates by the rotational force input from the pedal 6 described later.

[0016] The pedal 6 is a member that the driver steps on with the sole of the foot when driving the bicycle 1. The force with which the driver steps on the pedal 6 rotates the crank 5, and drives the rear wheel 2b to rotate via an endless chain or belt (not shown) wound around the crank 5. The handlebar 7 is provided integrally with the frame 3 at the upper front part of the bicycle 1, and changes the steering angle of the front wheel 2a by rotating around the rotation axis 8.

[0017] <First Embodiment> [Safe Driving Assistance Device] (System Configuration) The safe driving assistance device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the safe driving assistance device 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0018] The safe driving assistance device 10 includes a front camera 11 as an imaging unit, a control unit 100, and a speaker 12 as a notification unit.

[0019] The front camera 11 is attached in a direction capable of imaging the front of the bicycle 1. The front camera 11 always images the front of the bicycle 1 and supplies the captured video to the control unit 100. The front camera 11 may be a camera capable of imaging in a 360-degree direction as long as it can image the front of the bicycle 1.

[0020] The control unit 100 can be implemented, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), working memory, and a non-volatile storage device that stores a control program. Alternatively, the control unit 100 may be implemented using a user-programmable integrated circuit, such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or a microcomputer.

[0021] The control unit 100 controls the entire safe driving assistance device 10 by executing a control application program (not shown) stored in a memory (not shown), and also functions as a determination unit 101.

[0022] The determination unit 101 determines, based on the video footage supplied from the front camera 11, that there is an indication that the bicycle 1 is going the wrong way by traveling on the right side of the road.

[0023] The determination unit 101 includes a vehicle position determination unit 102 and a rightward movement determination unit 103.

[0024] The vehicle position determination unit 102 determines that the bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road based on the video feed supplied from the front camera 11. Specifically, the vehicle position determination unit 102 processes the video feed supplied from the front camera 11 and detects one or more white lines extending from bottom to top in the video feed. If the vehicle position determination unit 102 detects multiple white lines, it determines that the bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road if it can determine that the bicycle 1 is traveling along the right or left side of the leftmost white line. More specifically, the vehicle position determination unit 102 determines that the bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road if the leftmost white line and the direction of travel of the bicycle 1 are approximately parallel and within a certain distance. This certain distance is, for example, 1 meter. Note that the method for determining whether the bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road based on the video feed supplied from the front camera 11 is not limited to this.

[0025] The rightward movement determination unit 103 determines whether or not there is an indication of going in the wrong direction. Specifically, the rightward movement determination unit 103 determines that there is an indication of going in the wrong direction if the direction of travel of the bicycle 1, which is traveling on the left side of the road, changes from a straight direction that is nearly parallel to the road to a direction that moves towards the right side of the road by steering the handlebars 7. Furthermore, the rightward movement determination unit 103 determines that there is an indication of going in the wrong direction if the bicycle 1 does not return to its original state of traveling on the left side of the road within a predetermined rightward movement determination time after the direction of travel has changed to the right side of the road.

[0026] For example, the rightward movement determination unit 103 monitors the video feed from the front camera 11 to determine whether the bicycle 1 is traveling along the white line on the road, for example, on the right side of the white line or on the left side of the white line. When the lateral distance between the bicycle 1 and the white line exceeds a predetermined value, the unit determines that the direction of travel of the bicycle 1 has changed from going straight to going to the right side of the road. The rightward movement determination unit 103 may also determine that there is an indication of going against traffic when the lateral distance between the bicycle 1 and the white line exceeds a predetermined value. Alternatively, the rightward movement determination unit 103 may determine, based on the video feed from the front camera 11, that the direction of travel of the bicycle 1 has changed from going straight to going to the right side of the road when the direction of travel of the bicycle 1 is at an angle of a certain magnitude or more in the negative direction, with the direction of the white line as the axis. The monitoring of the situation by the rightward movement determination unit 103 may be performed continuously for each frame of the front camera 11, or at regular intervals, for example, every second.

[0027] Subsequently, the rightward movement determination unit 103 may determine whether the distance between bicycle 1 and the white line falls below a predetermined value within a predetermined time. If the distance between bicycle 1 and the white line does not fall below a predetermined value within a predetermined time, it is determined that there is an indication that bicycle 1 is traveling on the right side of the road, i.e., going against the flow of traffic. If the distance between bicycle 1 and the white line falls below a predetermined value within a predetermined time, it is determined that there is no indication that bicycle 1 is going against the flow of traffic, assuming that the change from going straight to the right is temporary, for example, to avoid an obstacle.

[0028] The predetermined right-side detection time is set to be longer than the average time it takes for bicycle 1 to change direction from straight ahead to the right in order to avoid an obstacle ahead, and then return to traveling on the left side of the road. For example, the right-side detection time is 5 seconds. This prevents the driver from feeling bothered by being notified each time an obstacle is avoided.

[0029] The method for determining whether or not there are signs of driving in the wrong direction is not limited to the method described above.

[0030] If the rightward movement detection unit 103 detects signs of wrong-way riding, it outputs a voice message to the cyclist 1 via the speaker 12 to prevent wrong-way riding. The voice message may say, for example, "Riding on the right is dangerous, please return to the left side." In addition to the voice message, flashing lights or vibrations may also be added. In the example in Figure 2, the speaker 12 is used to notify the cyclist to prevent wrong-way riding, but this method is not limited to this. The message can also be conveyed through a display on the display unit or by flashing lights.

[0031] The rightward movement determination unit 103 also determines whether or not the bicycle is riding dangerously. Specifically, the rightward movement determination unit 103 counts the number of times the direction of travel of the bicycle 1 changes from straight ahead to the left or right within a predetermined time, and if that number exceeds a predetermined number, it notifies the driver via the speaker 12 that the bicycle is riding dangerously. Regarding changes to the left, the unit constantly monitors the situation, for example, whether the bicycle is passing to the right or left of the white line, and when the distance between the bicycle 1 and the white line in the left or right direction exceeds a predetermined value, it can determine that the direction of travel of the bicycle 1 has changed from straight ahead to the left.

[0032] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a modified system configuration of the safety driving assistance device 10 according to the first embodiment. This modified configuration will be described later.

[0033] (Example of operation) Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the determination unit 101 of the safe driving assistance device 10. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a bicycle 1 equipped with the safe driving assistance device 10 in motion. Note that the flowchart shown in Figure 4 is executed repeatedly at predetermined intervals, for example, every 10 ms.

[0034] In step S11, the vehicle position determination unit 102 of the determination unit 101 determines, based on the white lines on the image supplied from the front camera 11, that the direction of travel of bicycle 1 is straight and that bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side, and proceeds to step S12. If it is determined that bicycle 1 is not traveling on the left side, the process ends.

[0035] In Figure 5, the vehicle position determination unit 102 can detect two white lines extending from bottom to top in the video feed from the front camera 11, and can detect that bicycle 1 is traveling along the right side of the leftmost white line 51 in the direction of travel. Therefore, it determines that bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side, and the process proceeds to step S12.

[0036] If the right movement determination unit 103 determines in step S12 that the direction of travel of bicycle 1 has changed from going straight to going to the right side of the road, it determines that there is an indication of going in the wrong direction and proceeds to step S13. At this time, the right movement determination unit 103 increments the number of times the direction of travel has changed from going straight to going left or right. If the right movement determination unit 103 determines that the direction of travel of bicycle 1 has changed from going straight to going to the right side of the road and then returned to traveling on the left side of the road, it may increment the number of times the direction of travel has changed from going straight to going left or right and then determine that there is no indication of going in the wrong direction and proceed to step S13.

[0037] In the example shown in Figure 5, the distance between the white line 51 on the left side of the road and the bicycle 1, which is traveling on the left side of the road, has become greater than a predetermined value. Therefore, it is determined that the direction of travel has changed from going straight to going towards the right side of the road. This indicates an indication of going against traffic, and the process proceeds to step S13. Alternatively, in the example shown in Figure 5, if the direction of the white line 51 is used as the axis, the direction of travel of the bicycle 1 is at an angle greater than a certain degree in the negative direction. Therefore, it may also be determined that the direction of travel of the bicycle 1 has changed from going straight to going towards the right side of the road.

[0038] In step S13, the right movement determination unit 103 outputs a voice notification to the driver of bicycle 1 via speaker 12 to prevent going the wrong way.

[0039] In step S14, if the rightward movement determination unit 103 determines that the number of times the direction of travel of the bicycle 1 has changed from straight ahead to left or right within a predetermined time is greater than a predetermined number, in step S15, it notifies the driver via the speaker 12 that this is dangerous driving. When voice output is given in step S15, since this is a situation of dangerous driving that is more dangerous than driving against traffic, a voice output with a higher level of warning is given than in step S13. For example, the volume can be increased, or the content of the language expression used in the voice notification can be changed to an expression with a higher level of warning.

[0040] If the number of times the direction of travel of bicycle 1 changes from straight ahead to left or right within the specified time is less than the specified number, i.e., if no dangerous driving is occurring, the process is terminated.

[0041] With the above control, as shown in Figure 5, if bicycle 1, which is traveling on the left side, changes course to the right, it is determined that there is an indication of going the wrong way and a warning is sent to the driver.

[0042] This prevents drivers from driving against traffic by allowing them to return to a straight path on the left side of the road after noticing the notification and continue driving on the left.

[0043] <Second Embodiment> [Safety driving assistance devices] (System Configuration) Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the safety driving assistance device 20 according to the second embodiment.

[0044] The safe driving assistance device 20 comprises a GNSS receiver 21, a front camera 22, a rear camera 23, a control unit 200, and a speaker 24. In this embodiment, The GNSS receiver 21 receives radio waves from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and transmits a signal corresponding to the received radio waves to the position acquisition unit 201. The signal corresponding to the received radio waves is, for example, the time signal transmitted by each satellite.

[0045] The front camera 22 is mounted on the handlebars 7, for example, in a orientation that allows it to capture images of the area in front of the bicycle 1. The front camera 22 constantly captures images of the area in front of the bicycle 1 and transmits the captured images to the determination unit 203.

[0046] The rear camera 23 is integrated with the safety driving assistance device 20 and captures the driver's face, which is located on the opposite side from the front camera 22. The rear camera 23 constantly captures the driver's head, more specifically the driver's face, and transmits the captured image to the gaze acquisition unit 202.

[0047] The control unit 200 functions as a position acquisition unit 201, a gaze acquisition unit 202, and a determination unit 203.

[0048] The position acquisition unit 201 acquires the current position information of the bicycle 1 based on the signal transmitted from the GNSS receiver unit 21. Specifically, the position acquisition unit 201 pinpoints the location of the safety driving assistance device 20 by triangulation using the difference in the time between when each satellite transmitted its signal.

[0049] The gaze acquisition unit 202 determines the direction of the driver's gaze and head based on the video received from the rear camera 23. Specifically, the gaze acquisition unit 202 processes the received video to detect the driver's head from its position and shape within the video, and sets a reference point as the area on the surface of the head where undulations or shadows occur. Subsequently, the gaze acquisition unit 202 determines the direction of the head in accordance with the movement of the reference point, or, if the reference point is the viewpoint, determines the direction of the gaze.

[0050] The determination unit 203 includes a vehicle position determination unit 204, an intersection determination unit 205, a trajectory prediction unit 206, and a rightward movement determination unit 207.

[0051] The vehicle position determination unit 204, similar to the vehicle position determination unit 102 in Figure 2, analyzes the video received from the front camera 22 using image processing and other methods to determine that the bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road. Alternatively, the vehicle position determination unit 204 can determine that the bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road based on the video received from the front camera 22. Specifically, the vehicle position determination unit 204 applies image processing to the video received from the front camera 22 to detect objects along the road, such as white lines, curbs, and walls, throughout the video. It then identifies the entire road from the detected data and determines that the bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road based on the positional relationship between the detected objects and the bicycle 1.

[0052] The intersection determination unit 205 determines that bicycle 1 is entering the intersection from the left side of the road, based on the position information received from the position acquisition unit 201 and the video footage acquired from the front camera 22. Specifically, the intersection determination unit 205 performs image processing on the received video footage and, for example, if it detects that the white line of the road captured in the video footage is interrupted just before the intersection, and the position on the road that can be grasped in real time by the received position information is approaching the point where the white line is interrupted, it determines that bicycle 1 is entering the intersection from the left side of the road. The method for determining that bicycle 1 is entering the intersection from the left side of the road is not limited to this method. For example, the intersection determination unit 205 may determine that bicycle 1 is entering the intersection based only on the video footage acquired from the front camera 22. In this case, the safe driving assistance device 20 does not need to include the GNSS receiver 21 and the position acquisition unit 201. Alternatively, the intersection determination unit 205 may determine that bicycle 1 is entering the intersection based only on the position information received from the position acquisition unit 201.

[0053] The trajectory prediction unit 206 predicts the trajectory of bicycle 1 as it passes through the intersection. Specifically, the trajectory prediction unit 206 predicts the trajectory 62 of bicycle 1 based on the difference and whether or not it intersects with a reference line 61, which is the diagonal road that bicycle 1 will always cross when turning left, out of the two diagonal roads passing through the center of the intersection, and bicycle 1, which is turning right at the intersection (Figure 8). Note that the starting and ending points of the diagonal roads vary depending on the road, but are set at the edge of the road or the corner of the curb. The method for predicting the trajectory of bicycle 1 when turning right is not limited to this method.

[0054] Furthermore, the trajectory prediction unit 206 predicts the trajectory of the bicycle 1 by inferring the driver's intentions based on the direction of the driver's gaze and the direction of their head, which are acquired by the gaze acquisition unit 202. The trajectory prediction unit 206 predicts the trajectory 62 within a range of about 20m from when the bicycle 1 enters an intersection until it exits it, and it is sufficient if it can predict the trajectory a few seconds ahead. If the trajectory prediction unit 206 does not use the direction of the driver's gaze or the direction of their head to predict the trajectory, the safety driving assistance device 20 does not need to be equipped with the gaze acquisition unit 202 and the rear camera 23.

[0055] The right-movement determination unit 207 determines, based on the predicted travel trajectory 62, that there is an indication that the bicycle 1 will travel against traffic on the road after passing through the intersection. Specifically, the right-movement determination unit 207 determines that there is an indication of travel against traffic if the travel trajectory of the bicycle 1 predicted by the trajectory prediction unit 206 is such that the bicycle enters the intersection by making a tighter turn inward and travels on the right side of the road after turning right. On the other hand, the right-movement determination unit 207 determines that there is no indication of travel against traffic if the bicycle enters the intersection by making a wider turn outward and travels on the left side, or if the bicycle 1 crosses the reference line 61. The method for determining whether there is an indication that the bicycle 1 will travel against traffic on the road after turning right, based on the predicted travel trajectory 62, is not limited to this method. Up to this point, the right movement determination unit 207 has only described the case where bicycle 1 turns right at an intersection, but it is not limited to this case. Even when bicycle 1 turns left at an intersection or goes straight, it can determine whether there are any signs of bicycle 1 going the wrong way on the road after passing through the intersection, based on the predicted travel trajectory 62.

[0056] When the right movement detection unit 207 detects signs of wrong-way travel, it outputs a voice message to the driver of bicycle 1 via speaker 24 to prevent wrong-way travel. The voice message may say, for example, "After turning right, you will be going the wrong way, so please move to the left side."

[0057] (Example of operation) Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the determination unit 203 of the safety driving assistance device 20. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of a bicycle 1 equipped with the safety driving assistance device 20 in motion. Note that the flowchart shown in Figure 7 is executed repeatedly at predetermined intervals, for example, every 10 ms.

[0058] In step S21, the position acquisition unit 201 acquires the current position information of the bicycle 1 based on the signal transmitted from the GNSS receiver unit 21.

[0059] In step S22, the vehicle position determination unit 204 determines whether bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road. If it determines that bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road, the process proceeds to step S23. If it determines that bicycle 1 is not traveling on the left side of the road, the process ends.

[0060] In Figure 8, the vehicle position determination unit 204 detects four L-shaped white lines 63 across the entire road, determines that the bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side based on the positional relationship between these white lines 63 and the bicycle 1, and proceeds to step S23.

[0061] In step S23, the intersection determination unit 205 determines whether bicycle 1 entered the intersection from the left side of the road. If it determines that bicycle 1 entered the intersection, the process proceeds to step S24. If it does not determine that bicycle 1 entered the intersection, the process ends.

[0062] In Figure 8, the intersection determination unit 205 determines that the white line of the road captured in the image from the front camera 22 is interrupted just before the intersection, and the position on the road determined from the received position information is approaching the point where the white line is interrupted. Therefore, it determines that the bicycle 1 has entered the intersection and proceeds to step S24.

[0063] In step S24, the trajectory prediction unit 206 predicts the trajectory 62 of the bicycle 1 at the intersection.

[0064] In Figure 8, the trajectory prediction unit 206 predicts the trajectory 62 of bicycle 1 based on factors such as the degree of deviation between bicycle 1 and the reference line 61 during a right turn, and whether or not bicycle 1 is crossing the reference line 61.

[0065] In step S25, the right movement determination unit 207 determines whether bicycle 1 enters the road to the right after passing the intersection. If it determines that bicycle 1 has entered to the right, the process proceeds to step S26. If it is determined that bicycle 1 has entered to the right, the process ends.

[0066] In Figure 8, the right movement determination unit 207 determines that the predicted trajectory 62 of the bicycle 1 will make a tighter turn inward at the intersection, and will enter the right side of the road after passing through the intersection, that is, after turning right, and proceeds to step S26.

[0067] Roads have various characteristics such as width, presence or absence of traffic lights, presence or absence of pedestrian crossings, and presence or absence of pedestrian overpasses. By capturing these characteristics with the front camera 22 and determining the size of the road, the right movement determination unit 207 can more accurately determine whether the bicycle 1 will enter the road on the right side after turning right.

[0068] Although legally required to make a two-stage right turn on any road, in reality, as shown in Figure 8, many cyclists make a one-stage right turn. In this embodiment, even if the cyclist makes a legally incorrect right turn, it is possible to prevent them from going the wrong way down the road ahead, thus contributing to safer driving.

[0069] In step S26, the safety driving assistance device 20 outputs a voice notification to the driver of bicycle 1 via speaker 24 to prevent riding in the wrong direction.

[0070] Through the above control, as shown in Figure 8, when bicycle 1, which is traveling on the left side of the road, turns right at an intersection, the system predicts the trajectory 62 of bicycle 1 and determines that there is a possibility that bicycle 1 may be traveling in the wrong direction on the road after turning right. In this case, the safety driving assistance device 20 determines that there is an indication of traveling in the wrong direction and notifies the driver of a warning.

[0071] This prevents the cyclist from riding against traffic, as the driver who notices the notification can then move cyclist 1 back to the left side of the road ahead before completing the right turn and continue riding on the left side of the road.

[0072] <Third Embodiment> [Safety driving assistance devices] (System Configuration) Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the safety driving assistance device 30 according to the third embodiment.

[0073] The safe driving assistance device 30 comprises a GNSS receiver 31, a front camera 32, a control unit 300, and a speaker 33.

[0074] The GNSS receiver 31 receives radio waves from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and transmits a signal corresponding to the received radio waves to the position acquisition unit 301.

[0075] The front camera 32 is mounted in a orientation that allows it to capture images of the area in front of the bicycle 1. The front camera 32 constantly captures images of the area in front of the bicycle 1 and transmits the captured images to the determination unit 302.

[0076] The control unit 300 functions as a position acquisition unit 301 and a determination unit 302.

[0077] The position acquisition unit 301 acquires the current position information of the bicycle 1 based on the signal transmitted from the GNSS receiver unit 31.

[0078] The determination unit 302 includes a speed determination unit 303, a vehicle position determination unit 304, and a rightward movement determination unit 305.

[0079] The speed determination unit 303 calculates the speed of the bicycle 1 based on the current position of the bicycle 1 received from the position acquisition unit 301 and the video footage received from the front camera 32. Specifically, it calculates the speed of the bicycle 1 based on at least one of the speed at which the current position received from the position acquisition unit 301 changes and the speed of movement of moving objects captured in the video footage received from the front camera 32 after image processing.

[0080] The vehicle position determination unit 304 analyzes the video received from the front camera 32 using image processing and other methods to determine that the bicycle 1 is stopped on the right side of the road and moving in the wrong direction. Specifically, the vehicle position determination unit 102 applies image processing to the received video and detects one or more white lines extending from bottom to top in the video. If multiple white lines are detected, and it can be determined that the bicycle 1 is to the right or left of the rightmost white line, then it is determined that the bicycle 1 is on the right side of the road and moving in the wrong direction. Moving in the wrong direction is the direction in which the bicycle 1 is moving in the direction of the arrow in Figure 11.

[0081] The rightward movement determination unit 305 determines whether there is an indication that bicycle 1 will travel in the wrong direction, based on the position of bicycle 1 on the road determined by the vehicle position determination unit 304 and the speed of bicycle 1 calculated by the speed determination unit 303. Specifically, the rightward movement determination unit 305 determines whether there is an indication that bicycle 1 will travel in the wrong direction if the speed of bicycle 1 calculated by the speed determination unit 303 is zero and the orientation of bicycle 1, based on the image received from the front camera 32, is in the direction of right-hand traffic on the road.

[0082] When the rightward movement detection unit 305 detects signs of wrong-way movement, it outputs a voice notification to the driver of bicycle 1 via speaker 33 to prevent wrong-way movement. The voice message may say, for example, "If you continue moving, you will be going the wrong way, so please stop."

[0083] (Example of operation) Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the safety driving assistance device 30 according to the third embodiment. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of a bicycle 1 equipped with the safety driving assistance device 30 according to the third embodiment. The flowchart shown in Figure 10 is executed repeatedly at predetermined intervals, for example, every 10 ms.

[0084] In step S31, the speed determination unit 303 determines whether bicycle 1 is stationary. If it determines that bicycle 1 is stationary, the process proceeds to step S32. If it determines that bicycle 1 is not stationary, the process ends.

[0085] In Figure 11, the speed determination unit 303 determines that the movement speed of the black line 71 shown in the video received from the front camera 32 is zero, and that the bicycle 1 is stationary, and proceeds to step S32.

[0086] In step S32, the vehicle position determination unit 304 determines whether bicycle 1 is facing the direction of right-hand traffic, i.e., the wrong direction. If it determines that bicycle 1 is facing the wrong direction, the process proceeds to step S33. If it determines that bicycle 1 is not facing the wrong direction, the process ends.

[0087] In Figure 11, the vehicle position determination unit 304 determines that bicycle 1 is located to the left of the rightmost white line, and therefore determines that bicycle 1 is on the right side of the road and is traveling in the wrong direction, and proceeds to step S33.

[0088] In step S33, the speed determination unit 303 determines whether bicycle 1 has started moving. If it determines that bicycle 1 has started moving, it proceeds to step S34. If it determines that bicycle 1 has not started moving, it terminates the process.

[0089] In Figure 11, the speed determination unit 303 determines that the movement speed of the black line 71 in the video received from the front camera 32 has started to increase, and that the bicycle 1 has started moving, and proceeds to step S34.

[0090] The threshold for the speed determination unit 303 to determine the start of riding is an extremely low speed, such as when the bicycle 1 is first pedaled, or for example, 1-2 km / h. At this speed, both feet are not yet on the pedals 6, reverse riding has not yet begun, but there are signs of reverse riding.

[0091] In step S34, the safety driving assistance device 30 outputs a voice notification to the driver of bicycle 1 via speaker 33 to prevent riding in the wrong direction.

[0092] Due to the above control, if bicycle 1 is originally positioned on the right side of the road and stopped in the direction of right-hand traffic, and the driver starts pedaling to begin moving, it will be going in the wrong direction. Therefore, the safety driving assistance device 30 notifies the driver of a warning in advance when bicycle 1 starts moving.

[0093] This prevents the cyclist from riding against traffic by allowing the driver to immediately stop pedaling bicycle 1 upon noticing the notification.

[0094] [Differentiation] In the above embodiment, the safety driving assistance devices 10, 20, and 30 are mounted on the handlebars 7 individually, but if the bicycle 1 is equipped with a bicycle drive recorder, they may be built into the bicycle drive recorder.

[0095] In the above embodiment, bicycle 1 was used as an example to explain how preventing bicycle 1 from going the wrong way on the road promotes safe riding of bicycle 1. However, this technology is not limited to bicycle 1 and can be applied to other vehicles as well. In particular, applying it to electric kick scooters and mobility scooters, which, like bicycle 1, do not require a license but are frequently seen going the wrong way, can achieve the same effect as with bicycle 1.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the safety driving assistance devices 10, 20, and 30 are illustrated on the premise that they can be used simply by being attached to the handlebars 7 of the bicycle 1. However, the orientation and tilt of the front cameras 11, 22, and 32 may be initialized when they are first used after being attached to the handlebars 7. Performing the initial settings when the bicycle 1 is in an upright position can improve the accuracy of image processing.

[0097] In the above embodiments, the content of the voice messages from speakers 12, 24, and 33 was, for example, "Please return to the left side as driving on the right side is dangerous" in the first embodiment. However, the content of the voice messages can be anything as long as it prevents driving against traffic and encourages lawful driving on the left side.

[0098] Furthermore, the volume should be loud enough for the driver to hear even when other vehicles such as cars are driving nearby, and this should be determined in advance through experiments or other means. Alternatively, the volume of speakers 12, 24, and 33 may be automatically adjusted to match the ambient noise level. Alternatively, the bicycle 1 may be equipped with a speed sensor to detect its speed, and the volume of speakers 12, 24, and 33 may be increased as the speed increases, making them speed-sensitive speakers.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the speakers 12, 24, and 33 that output audio to the driver were described as being part of the configuration of the safety driving assistance devices 10, 20, and 30. However, as illustrated in Figure 3, which shows a modified version of the first embodiment, another terminal device 40, such as a speaker mounted on a wearable device, smartphone, or tablet terminal, may be used as speaker 41 to output audio. The same applies to the second and third embodiments. If speaker 41 is separate from the safety driving assistance devices 10, 20, and 30, it is sufficient that the safety driving assistance devices 10, 20, and 30 and each terminal are connected wirelessly or by wire automatically or manually when the driver starts riding the bicycle 1.

[0100] In the first embodiment described above, when dangerous driving is determined in step S14, a notification with a higher warning level than usual is issued in step S15. However, the degree of danger may be determined in steps according to the degree of danger in step S14. In this case, it is preferable that the warning level of the notification increases in steps as the degree of danger increases.

[0101] In the second embodiment described above, the rear camera 23 is provided integrally with the safety driving assistance device 20, but it may also be provided separately from the safety driving assistance device 20.

[0102] In the second embodiment described above, the trajectory prediction unit 206 predicts the trajectory 62 of the bicycle 1 based on the difference between the reference line 61 and the bicycle 1 turning right at the intersection. In addition, the tilt of the bicycle 1 may be constantly calculated using the front camera 22, and the angle of the right turn may be calculated based on the magnitude of the tilt to predict the trajectory 62. Alternatively, the bicycle 1 may be equipped with a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle of the handlebars 7, and the trajectory 62 may be predicted by calculating the left-right ratio of the steering angle value over a predetermined time, with the straight-ahead position of the handlebars 7 being set to zero. These controls allow for more accurate calculation of the trajectory 62 of the bicycle 1.

[0103] [Supplementary explanation of the embodiment] The embodiments described above are all preferred examples of the present invention. The numerical values, components, arrangement positions of components, and connection configurations shown in the embodiments above are examples only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the figures are not necessarily strictly illustrative.

[0104] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments only represent a part of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

[0105] The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. When the series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up the software are installed from a program storage medium on a computer that is built into dedicated hardware, or on a general-purpose computer that can perform various functions by installing various programs.

[0106] The programs executed by the computer may be programs that are processed chronologically in the order described herein, or they may be programs that are processed in parallel or at necessary times, such as when a call is made.

[0107] [Note] The contents described in some of the embodiments above can be understood, for example, as follows:

[0108] (1) Prevention of driving in the wrong direction The safety driving assistance devices 10, 20, and 30 that can be attached to bicycle 1 are: Front cameras 11, 22, and 32 that capture images around bicycle 1, Based on the images captured by the front cameras 11, 22, and 32, the determination units 101, 203, and 302 determine whether there is an indication that bicycle 1 is traveling against traffic on the right side of the road. When a warning sign is detected, speakers 12, 24, and 33 output a notification to the driver of bicycle 1 to prevent riding against traffic. It is equipped with.

[0109] This allows for a notification to be issued as soon as signs of bicycle 1 going the wrong way are detected, before the bicycle 1 actually goes the wrong way. This prevents bicycle 1 from going the wrong way in advance and helps the driver to drive safely.

[0110] (2) Move to the right The determination unit 101 is Based on the image captured by the front camera 11, the vehicle position determination unit 102 determines that the bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road, When bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road, if bicycle 1 changes direction from going straight to the right side of the road and does not return to going straight within a predetermined right-side determination time, the right-side movement determination unit 103 determines that there is an indication of going in the wrong direction. It may have.

[0111] This allows the system to prevent wrong-way riding by detecting signs of wrong-way riding and issuing a warning if, for any reason, the cyclist changes direction to the right while traveling on the left side of the road, which is the correct position. On the other hand, if the cyclist changes direction to the right temporarily to avoid an obstacle ahead, for example, a wrong-way riding warning will not be issued in such cases, thus preventing the cyclist from being repeatedly and annoyingly bombarded with unnecessary notifications.

[0112] (3) When turning right The safety driving assistance device 20 is, The system further includes a GNSS receiver 21 that acquires the position information of bicycle 1 by receiving radio waves from a satellite positioning system. The determination unit 203 is, Based on the image captured by the front camera 22, the vehicle position determination unit 204 determines that the bicycle 1 is traveling on the left side of the road, An intersection determination unit 205 that determines whether bicycle 1 is entering an intersection based on location information, A trajectory prediction unit 206 predicts the trajectory 62 of bicycle 1 based on the difference between a reference line 61, which is the diagonal road that bicycle 1 will always cross when turning left, and bicycle 1, which is turning right at the intersection, among the two diagonal roads passing through the center of the intersection. A right movement determination unit 207 determines, based on the predicted travel trajectory 62, that there is an indication that bicycle 1 will travel in the wrong direction on the road after making a right turn, It may have.

[0113] This allows us to predict the trajectory 62 of bicycle 1 when it turns right at an intersection while traveling on the left side of the road, based on the deviation from the reference line 61. This makes it possible to determine in advance whether bicycle 1 will travel against traffic or on the left side of the road after turning right. Therefore, the driver can be notified in advance if they will be traveling against traffic after turning right, which would be a dangerous driving situation, thus allowing them to avoid the dangers of traveling against traffic.

[0114] (4) Starting from the right side The safety driving assistance device 30 is, The system further includes a GNSS receiver 31 that acquires the position information of bicycle 1 by receiving radio waves from a satellite positioning system. The determination unit 302 is, A speed determination unit 303 determines that the bicycle 1 is stationary based on location information and at least one of the images captured by the front camera 32, Based on the image captured by the front camera 32, the vehicle position determination unit 304 determines that the direction of the bicycle 1, which is determined to be stationary, matches the direction of travel in the wrong direction, A right movement determination unit 305 determines that there is an indication of going in the wrong direction based on the fact that bicycle 1, which was stopped on the road in the wrong direction, has started moving, It may have.

[0115] This means that if bicycle 1 is parked on the right side of the road and facing the wrong direction, starting from that position will inevitably result in going the wrong way. Therefore, by issuing a notification at the moment of starting, it is possible to prevent going the wrong way. Thus, even if the bicycle is going the wrong way from the moment it starts moving, rather than just while moving, it is possible to more reliably prevent going the wrong way.

[0116] (5) Method Claims Methods to assist in safe riding of bicycle 1 are: An imaging step to image the area around bicycle 1, The imaging step includes a determination step that determines, based on the image captured, whether there is any indication that bicycle 1 is traveling against traffic on the right side of the road, and When the determination step determines that there is a warning sign, the notification step outputs an audio notification to the driver of bicycle 1 to prevent riding in the wrong direction, It is equipped with.

[0117] This allows for a notification to be issued as soon as signs of bicycle 1 going the wrong way are detected, before the bicycle 1 actually goes the wrong way. This prevents bicycle 1 from going the wrong way in advance and helps the driver to drive safely. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0118] 1 Bicycle 10, 20, 30 Safety Driving Assistance Devices 11, 22, 32 Front camera (imaging unit) 12, 24, 33, 41 Speaker (Notification Unit) 62 Driving trajectory 101, 203, 302 Judgment section 102, 204, 304 Vehicle position determination unit 103, 207, 305 Right movement determination section 201, 301 Position acquisition part 205 Intersection Determination Unit 206 Trajectory Prediction Unit 303 Speed ​​judgment section

Claims

1. A safety driving assistance device that can be attached to a bicycle, An imaging unit that images the area around the aforementioned bicycle, A determination unit determines, based on the image captured by the imaging unit, that there is an indication that the bicycle is traveling in the wrong direction, on the right side of the road. When the aforementioned signs are detected, a notification unit outputs a notification to the cyclist to prevent the cyclist from riding in the wrong direction. A safety driving assistance device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. A safe driving assistance device according to claim 1, The determination unit, A vehicle position determination unit determines, based on the image captured by the imaging unit, that the bicycle is traveling on the left side of the road. When the bicycle is traveling on the left side of the road, and the direction of travel of the bicycle changes from going straight to going to the right side of the road, the right movement determination unit determines that there is an indication of going in the wrong direction, Having, A safety driving assistance device characterized by the following features.

3. A safe driving assistance device according to claim 1, The system further includes a position acquisition unit that acquires the location information of the bicycle by receiving radio waves from a satellite positioning system. The determination unit, A vehicle position determination unit determines, based on the image captured by the imaging unit, that the bicycle is traveling on the left side of the road. An intersection determination unit that determines whether the bicycle enters the intersection from the left side of the road based on at least one of the location information or the image captured by the imaging unit, A trajectory prediction unit that predicts the trajectory of the bicycle when it passes through the aforementioned intersection, A right movement determination unit determines, based on the predicted trajectory, that there is an indication that the bicycle will travel in the wrong direction on the road after passing the intersection, Having, A safety driving assistance device characterized by the following features.

4. A safe driving assistance device according to claim 1, The system further includes a position acquisition unit that acquires the location information of the bicycle by receiving radio waves from a satellite positioning system. The determination unit, A speed determination unit that determines whether the bicycle is stationary based on at least one of the location information and the video captured by the imaging unit, A self-position determination unit determines, based on the image captured by the imaging unit, that the direction of the bicycle, which is determined to be stationary, matches the direction of the reverse movement. The right movement determination unit determines that there is an indication of going in the wrong direction based on the fact that the bicycle, which was stopped on the road, started moving in the direction of going in the wrong direction, Having, A safety driving assistance device characterized by the following features.

5. A method to assist in safe cycling, The imaging step involves imaging the area around the aforementioned bicycle, The imaging step includes a determination step that determines, based on the image captured, that there is an indication that the bicycle is traveling in the wrong direction, on the right side of the road. When the determination step determines that the aforementioned signs exist, a notification step is performed to output a notification to the cyclist to prevent riding in the wrong direction, A safe driving assistance method characterized by comprising the following features.

Images