Driving support system and program

Abstract

Ensure vehicles operate correctly on one-way roads. [Solution] The ECU 10 includes a one-way sign determination unit 12 that determines whether a one-way sign is provided on the road the vehicle is traveling on based on an image captured by a camera 21; a storage processing unit 13 that stores sign information related to the one-way sign in a memory 16 capable of retaining data even after the vehicle power is turned off, when the one-way sign determination unit 12 determines that a one-way sign is provided and the vehicle is turned off within a predetermined distance from the determination of the one-way sign; and a notification unit 14 that notifies the driver that the vehicle is traveling on a one-way road based on the sign information stored by the storage processing unit 13 when the vehicle restarts after being powered on.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The disclosure in this specification relates to a driving support device and a program for assisting the driving of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] There is a one-way road with one-way traffic regulations as the road on which the vehicle travels, and it is desirable to prevent the vehicle from running in the opposite direction or the like on that one-way road. On the other hand, in order to suppress overlooking of road signs by the driver, when the vehicle travels on the road, a technology for recognizing road signs based on a captured image in front of the vehicle by a camera is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For example, when a vehicle travels on a one-way road, a scene is assumed in which the vehicle enters and parks in a parking space on the side of the road in the middle of the one-way road, and then the vehicle returns to the one-way road with restart. In this case, when the vehicle returns to the one-way road, if the driver cannot confirm the one-way sign, there is a concern that the vehicle may run in violation of the one-way regulation.

[0005] This disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a driving support device and a program that can appropriately drive a vehicle on a one-way road.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The driving support device of this disclosure is This applies to vehicles equipped with a camera that photographs the area in front of the direction of travel. A one-way sign determination unit determines, based on the image captured by the aforementioned camera, whether a one-way sign is provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. When the one-way sign determination unit determines that a one-way sign is provided, and the vehicle is turned off within a predetermined distance from the determination of the one-way sign, the storage processing unit stores the sign information relating to the one-way sign in a memory that can retain data even after the vehicle is turned off. The system includes a notification unit that, when the vehicle restarts after being powered on, notifies the driver that it is traveling on a one-way road based on the sign information stored by the memory processing unit.

[0007] With the above configuration, when the vehicle restarts, the sign information indicates that it was traveling on a one-way street before the vehicle was last powered off, and the driver is notified that it is traveling on a one-way street. This allows the driver to be alerted even if a one-way sign cannot be seen at the vehicle's restart position, thus preventing the vehicle from driving in violation of one-way traffic regulations. As a result, the vehicle can be driven appropriately on one-way streets. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating the overview of the vehicle's driving assistance system. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating a driving scenario where a vehicle is traveling on a one-way street. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating a driving scenario where a vehicle is traveling on a one-way street. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the process for vehicles returning to a one-way street. [Figure 5] A time chart to specifically explain the process for vehicles returning to a one-way street. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating the process when a vehicle returns to a one-way road in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (First Embodiment) The following describes embodiments of the driving assistance device described herein with reference to the drawings. In these embodiments, a driving assistance system is constructed to provide driving assistance for vehicles such as passenger cars, trucks, and buses.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the driving support system according to this embodiment includes an ECU 10 (Electronic Control Unit) as a vehicle control device, a camera 21, a navigation device 22, and a notification device 23.

[0011] Camera 21 is an in-vehicle camera consisting of a well-known CCD camera or the like. Camera 21 is mounted, for example, near the top of the windshield inside the vehicle, and is capable of capturing a predetermined shooting range in front of the vehicle. Camera 21 may also be provided on the left and right sides or the rear of the vehicle. Camera 21 continuously takes pictures at a predetermined time interval (predetermined period) and transmits the captured images to the ECU 10 at the predetermined period. Camera 21 may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera.

[0012] The navigation device 22 has map information stored in a storage medium and acquires vehicle position information, which is information about the vehicle's current location, using a vehicle position sensor. Vehicle position information is information that can be received from satellite positioning systems using artificial satellites, such as GPS (Global Positioning System) or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and is acquired by the vehicle position sensor. The map information includes information about roads that the vehicle can travel on.

[0013] The notification device 23 is, for example, a display device installed in a position visible to the driver inside the vehicle, or a speaker that provides voice guidance. The notification device 23 allows the vehicle to notify the driver of various information.

[0014] The ECU10 is an electronic control unit equipped with a well-known microcomputer consisting of a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. The microcomputer provides various arithmetic functions. The functions provided by the microcomputer can be provided by software recorded in a physical memory device and the computer that executes it, by software only, by hardware only, or by a combination thereof. The microcomputer executes programs stored in a non-transitory tangible storage medium, which is its own storage medium. The programs may include, for example, object recognition processing to recognize objects around the vehicle, and programs related to collision avoidance or damage mitigation in the event of a collision with objects around the vehicle. The storage medium is, for example, non-volatile memory. The programs stored in the storage medium can be updated, for example, via a network such as the Internet.

[0015] The ECU 10 recognizes road signs on the road and, based on the recognized road signs, issues notifications to the driver via the notification device 23. Specifically, the ECU 10 recognizes various signs such as speed limits, no overtaking, stop signs, and no entry signs based on images captured by the camera 21, and notifies the driver of the recognition results via a display, voice, etc.

[0016] Incidentally, when a vehicle is traveling on a one-way road, there is a concern that when the vehicle resumes moving after once stopping, the vehicle may erroneously travel in violation of the one-way regulation. Specifically, in FIG. 2, consider a scene where, as shown by route A1, vehicle CA travels in the forward direction on one-way road RA, enters the parking space PA on the side of the road in the middle of one-way road RA, and parks in parking space PA. In this case, after vehicle CA once stops within parking space PA and then resumes moving, if the driver cannot confirm the one-way sign at the position where vehicle CA resumes moving, there is a concern that, as shown by route A2, vehicle CA may travel in the reverse direction in violation of the one-way regulation.

[0017] Therefore, in this embodiment, the following countermeasures are taken. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when vehicle CA travels on one-way road RA, ECU 10 recognizes one-way sign S (round number 1 in the figure), and then stores and holds the sign information regarding one-way sign S when vehicle CA stops (round number 2 in the figure). Further, when vehicle CA resumes moving, based on the sign information, it notifies the driver that it is traveling on a one-way road (round number 3 in the figure).

[0018] The configuration regarding the notification of sign information in ECU 10 will be described. In FIG. 1, ECU 10 includes an image acquisition unit 11, a one-way sign determination unit 12, a storage processing unit 13, and a notification unit 14. Image acquisition unit 11 acquires a captured image captured by camera 21.

[0019] Based on the captured image of camera 21, one-way sign determination unit 12 determines whether a one-way sign is provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. At this time, the pattern of the one-way sign may be stored in advance, and when the pattern of the one-way sign is confirmed in the captured image, it may be determined that a one-way sign is provided. When one-way sign determination unit 12 determines that a one-way sign is provided, it stores the sign information regarding the one-way sign in first memory 15. First memory 15 is a temporary storage area such as a RAM, that is, a storage area capable of storing data at least while the vehicle's ignition is on.

[0020] When the memory processing unit 13 determines that a one-way sign is provided by the one-way sign determination unit 12 and, within a section of a predetermined distance from the determination of the one-way sign, the vehicle enters a power-off state, the memory processing unit 13 stores sign information regarding the one-way sign in a second memory 16 capable of retaining data even after the vehicle power is turned off. The predetermined distance is, for example, 50 m. The second memory 16 is a non-volatile storage medium such as an EEPROM or a power-backed-up RAM area.

[0021] When the vehicle resumes driving after the power is turned on, the notification unit 14 notifies the driver, based on the sign information in the second memory 16 stored by the memory processing unit 13, that the vehicle is driving on a one-way road. Specifically, the driver is notified by means such as voice or display. At this time, it is preferable that the information on the direction of one-way traffic is also notified. For example, when the vehicle returns from a parking space to a one-way road, it is preferable that it is notified whether the direction of one-way traffic is the direction of a right turn or a left turn of the vehicle.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the process when the vehicle returns to a one-way road. This process is repeatedly executed by the ECU 10 at a predetermined period under the condition that the ignition (IG) switch, which is the vehicle power switch, is on. In the vehicle, when the IG switch is switched from the on state to the off state (when the IG is off), control for delaying the power-off of the ECU 10 for a predetermined period of about several seconds is performed. For example, main relay control for temporarily delaying the cutoff of the main relay provided between the in-vehicle battery and the ECU 10 is performed.

[0023] In FIG. 4, in step S101, it is determined whether the IG switch has just been turned on. When the IG switch has not just been turned on, in step S102, it is determined whether the IG switch has been switched from the on state to the off state. When both steps S101 and S102 are negative, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0024] In step S103, the captured image from camera 21 is acquired. In step S104, based on the image from camera 21, it is determined whether or not a one-way sign is installed on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. If it is determined that a one-way sign is installed, the process proceeds to step S105, where sign information indicating that a one-way sign was installed is temporarily stored in the first memory 15, which is a temporary storage area.

[0025] Subsequently, in step S106, after it has been determined that a one-way sign is present, it is determined whether or not the one-way restriction has been lifted on the road the vehicle is traveling on (lifting determination unit). For example, after it has been determined that a one-way sign is present, if the vehicle passes through an intersection, if the vehicle turns right or left, or if a sign lifting the one-way restriction is confirmed, it is determined that the one-way restriction has been lifted. If step S106 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0026] In step S107, the sign information in the first memory 15, i.e., the determination history of one-way signs, is erased (information erasure unit).

[0027] If it is determined that the IG switch has been switched from the ON state to the OFF state, the process proceeds from step S102 to step S111. In step S111, it is determined whether or not sign information is stored in the first memory 15. If sign information is stored, the process proceeds to step S112, where it is determined whether or not the vehicle's travel distance from the vehicle's position where the one-way sign was recognized is less than a predetermined distance threshold TH. If the vehicle's travel distance is less than the distance threshold TH, the process proceeds to step S113, where the sign information is stored in the second memory 16, which is a non-volatile memory. As a result, the sign information from the first memory 15 is transferred to the second memory 16. The sign information stored in the second memory 16 is retained even after the IG is turned off. If either step S111 or S112 is denied, step S113 is skipped and this process ends.

[0028] Furthermore, if it is determined that the IG switch has just been turned on, the process proceeds from step S101 to step S121. In step S121, it is determined whether or not sign information is stored in the second memory 16. If sign information is stored, the process proceeds to step S122. In step S122, a one-way warning is issued to the driver. That is, the notification device 23 notifies the driver that the vehicle will be traveling on a one-way road (the vehicle will be returning to a one-way road) when the vehicle resumes driving. After that, in step S123, the sign information in the second memory 16 is erased.

[0029] Figure 5 is a time chart that provides a more detailed explanation of the process shown in Figure 4.

[0030] In Figure 5, with the vehicle's IG switch on and the vehicle traveling on the road, a one-way sign is recognized at timing t1 based on the image captured by camera 21, and the visual information of the one-way sign is temporarily stored in the first memory 15.

[0031] Subsequently, at timing t2, the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off. At this time, if the vehicle's mileage since the one-way sign was recognized at timing t1 is less than the distance threshold TH, the sign information related to the one-way sign is stored in the non-volatile second memory 16. As a result, the sign information for the one-way road is stored in the second memory 16 after the ignition is turned off (hatched area in the diagram).

[0032] Subsequently, at timing t3, the vehicle's ignition switch is turned on again, and the vehicle restarts. At this time, the notification device 23 notifies the driver that the vehicle is returning to the one-way road. At timing t4, the sign information stored in the second memory 16 is erased.

[0033] According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

[0034] When the vehicle restarts, the system uses sign information to determine if it was traveling on a one-way street before the vehicle was last powered off, and notifies the driver that it is traveling on a one-way street. This allows the driver to be alerted even if a one-way sign is not visible at the vehicle's restart location, thus preventing the vehicle from driving in violation of one-way traffic regulations. As a result, vehicles can be driven appropriately on one-way streets.

[0035] After a one-way sign is recognized and the sign information is temporarily stored in the first memory 15, if the one-way restriction is lifted on the road the vehicle is traveling on, the sign information (one-way sign determination history) in the first memory 15 is erased. This prevents unnecessary notifications of one-way roads from being issued even when the one-way restriction has been lifted.

[0036] (Second Embodiment) A second embodiment is described below, which modifies some of the configurations of the first embodiment described above. In this embodiment, when a vehicle enters a parking space on the side of a one-way street from a one-way street and stops, entry information regarding the entry into the parking space is stored, and when the vehicle restarts, a notification is sent to the driver based on the entry information.

[0037] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the process when a vehicle returns to a one-way street. This process is performed in place of the process shown in Figure 4. In Figure 6, steps that are the same as in Figure 4 are given the same step numbers and their explanations are omitted. Note that steps S106 and S107 from Figure 4 are omitted in Figure 6, but it is possible to perform these steps as well.

[0038] In Figure 6, under normal driving conditions with the ignition on (steps S101 and S102 are NO), step S201 determines whether the vehicle has entered a parking space next to a one-way street from a one-way street and stopped. It is preferable that the determination that the vehicle has entered a parking space from a one-way street is based on map information or the like. Step S201 is preferably executed on the condition that, in steps S104 and S105, it is determined based on the image captured by the camera 21 that a one-way sign is installed on the road the vehicle is traveling on, and that sign information related to the one-way sign is temporarily stored in the first memory 15. If it is determined that the vehicle has stopped in the parking space, the process proceeds to step S202.

[0039] In step S202, entry information regarding the vehicle's entry into the parking space is temporarily stored in the first memory 15. Specifically, the entry information stored is the entry position of the vehicle when it enters the parking space. For example, in Figure 3, the position indicated by P1 is stored as the entry position. In this case, map information may be used to store the position where the vehicle leaves a one-way street as the entry position.

[0040] Subsequently, if it is determined that the IG switch has been switched from the ON state to the OFF state, and if it is determined that the sign information is stored in the first memory 15 and the distance traveled since the recognition of the one-way sign is less than the distance threshold TH (if steps S111 and S112 are YES), the process proceeds to step S113A. In step S113A, the sign information and entry information temporarily stored in the first memory 15 are stored in the second memory 16, which is a non-volatile memory.

[0041] Subsequently, if it is determined that the IG switch has just been turned on, and if it is determined that sign information is stored in the second memory 16 (if step S121 is YES), the process proceeds to step S203. In step S203, it is determined whether the return position when the vehicle returns from the parking space to the one-way road after the vehicle has restarted coincides with the entry position. This determination is made based on the entry information stored in the second memory 16. In this case, if the entry position when the vehicle enters the parking space and the return position when the vehicle returns from the parking space to the one-way road coincide, it means that the vehicle has returned to the one-way road. In a broad sense, whether the entry position and the return position coincide can be determined by whether both the entry position and the return position pass through the boundary between the one-way road and the parking space when the one-way road and the parking space are adjacent to each other.

[0042] If it is determined that the entry position and the return position match (i.e., the vehicle returns from the parking space to the one-way road), step S203 is affirmed and the process proceeds to the subsequent step S122. If it is determined that the entry position and the return position do not match, step S203 is skipped and this process ends.

[0043] In steps S122 and S123, as previously described, the system notifies the vehicle that it will return to a one-way street (warning of the one-way street) and erases the data in the second memory 16. According to step S203, etc., the system determines that the vehicle will return to a one-way street, and only then is the driver notified that they are driving on a one-way street.

[0044] When a vehicle enters a parking space on the side of a one-way street from another one-way street and stops, the vehicle's direction may change due to turning or other factors. Therefore, there is a possibility that the driver may travel in the wrong direction when returning to the one-way street. In this configuration, entry information regarding entry into the parking space is stored in the second memory 16, and when the vehicle restarts, a notification is sent to the driver based on the entry information stored in the second memory 16. This helps to prevent drivers from traveling in the wrong direction when returning to the one-way street.

[0045] When a vehicle enters a parking space from a one-way street, if the parking space is adjacent to multiple roads, it is not guaranteed that the vehicle will return to the original one-way street. Considering this, the system now notifies the driver that they are driving on a one-way street only if, after the vehicle restarts, it is determined that the entry point into the parking space and the return point to the one-way street coincide. This prevents unnecessary notifications of driving on a one-way street.

[0046] (Modified version of the second embodiment) In the above configuration of this embodiment, the system stores the entry position of the vehicle when it enters the parking space as entry information, but this configuration may be changed as follows. For example, the system may store parking space information in memory, indicating whether the parking space is on the left or right side of the one-way road when the vehicle enters the parking space from the one-way road, as entry information.

[0047] When a vehicle enters a parking space from a one-way street, the direction of the vehicle's turn will differ depending on whether it enters the parking space on the left or right side of the one-way street. For example, if a vehicle enters a parking space on the right side of a one-way street, it is conceivable that the vehicle will turn right to enter the parking space and then turn right again to return to the one-way street (see Figure 3). Conversely, if a vehicle enters a parking space on the left side of a one-way street, it is conceivable that the vehicle will turn left to enter the parking space and then turn left again to return to the one-way street. However, in both cases, it is assumed that the vehicle is traveling forward.

[0048] In step S202 of Figure 6, as entry information, parking space information indicating whether the parking space is on the left or right side of the one-way road when the vehicle enters the parking space from the one-way road, in other words, information on the direction the vehicle will turn when entering the parking space from the one-way road, is temporarily stored in the first memory 15. Then, in step S122, as notification information to the driver, the direction the vehicle will turn when returning from the parking space to the one-way road is notified. At this time, the driver is notified whether to turn right or left via a display or voice message.

[0049] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment may be modified as follows, for example.

[0050] • In the above embodiment, a scenario in which a vehicle enters a parking space in the middle of a one-way street was illustrated, but the present invention can be applied to other scenarios as well. For example, when a vehicle is traveling on a one-way street and temporarily parks in a space on the shoulder of the one-way street, the system may, similar to the above, notify the driver that the vehicle is traveling on a one-way street based on sign information when the vehicle restarts.

[0051] The ECU10 can also be configured to vibrate the steering wheel as a means of notifying the driver.

[0052] The control devices and methods described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control devices and methods described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control devices and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 10...ECU, 12...One-way sign determination unit, 13...Memory processing unit, 14...Notification unit, 21...Camera.

Claims

1. This applies to a vehicle equipped with a camera (21) that takes pictures of the area in front of the direction of travel. A one-way sign determination unit (12) determines, based on the image captured by the camera, whether a one-way sign is provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. When the one-way sign determination unit determines that a one-way sign is provided, and the vehicle is turned off within a predetermined distance from the determination of the one-way sign, the storage processing unit (13) stores the sign information relating to the one-way sign in a memory (16) that can retain data even after the vehicle is turned off. When the vehicle restarts after being powered on, a notification unit (14) notifies the driver that it is traveling on a one-way road based on the sign information stored by the memory processing unit, A driving support device (10) equipped with the following:

2. After the one-way sign determination unit determines that the one-way sign is installed, the vehicle is further equipped with a release determination unit that determines whether or not the one-way restriction has been lifted on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. When the release determination unit determines that the one-way restriction has been lifted, the information deletion unit deletes the determination history of the one-way sign. A driving support device according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The memory processing unit stores in the memory information regarding the vehicle's entry into the parking space when the vehicle enters and stops in a parking space on the side of the one-way road from the one-way road. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notification unit, when the vehicle restarts after being powered on, executes a notification to the driver based on the entry information stored by the memory processing unit.

4. The memory processing unit stores in the memory the entry position when the vehicle enters the parking space from the one-way road, as entry information. The driving support device according to claim 3, wherein the notification unit notifies the driver that the vehicle is driving on the one-way road, provided that the return position when the vehicle returns to the one-way road from the parking space after the vehicle has restarted coincides with the entry position.

5. The memory processing unit stores in the memory, as entry information, parking space information indicating whether the parking space is on the left or right side of the one-way road when the vehicle enters the parking space from the one-way road. The driving support device according to claim 3, wherein the notification unit notifies the driver, based on the parking space information, whether the vehicle will return to the one-way road by turning right or left when returning from the parking space to the one-way road after the vehicle has restarted.

6. This applies to a vehicle equipped with a camera (21) that takes pictures of the area in front of the direction of travel. On the computer, A one-way sign determination process that determines whether a one-way sign is installed on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, based on the image captured by the aforementioned camera, If the one-way sign determination process determines that a one-way sign is provided, and the vehicle is turned off within a predetermined distance from the determination of the one-way sign, a storage process is performed to store the sign information relating to the one-way sign in a memory (16) that can retain data even after the vehicle is turned off. When the vehicle restarts after being powered on, a notification process is performed to notify the driver that it is traveling on a one-way road, based on the sign information stored by the memory process. A program that executes the command.

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