Driving assistance systems

Abstract

Reduce the risk of accidents [Solution] The driver assistance device 20 assists in driving the vehicle VH1. Based on information acquired from one or more sensors mounted on the vehicle VH1, the driver assistance device 20 detects an intersection ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle VH, detects the presence or absence of other vehicles approaching the intersection from a direction different from the direction of travel, and if other vehicles are detected, notifies the other vehicles of the approach of vehicle VH1, determines whether the user of the other vehicle has noticed the notification based on the information about the other vehicles, and includes a control unit that determines whether to issue a warning to the driver of vehicle VH1 based on the result of the determination.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of projecting the range in which a bicycle 1 or a motor vehicle 2 moves onto a road surface as an output for making a driver of the bicycle 1 and a driver of the motor vehicle 2 recognize the risk of collision.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] If a vehicle driver enters an intersection without noticing the output projected onto the road surface, the risk of accidents such as collisions increases.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to reduce the risk of accidents.

[0006] A driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a driving assistance device that assists in driving a vehicle, when an intersection ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle is detected based on information acquired from one or more sensors mounted on the vehicle, it detects the presence or absence of other vehicles approaching the intersection from a direction different from the traveling direction, and when the other vehicle is detected, it notifies the approaching of the vehicle to the other vehicle, and includes a control unit that determines whether the user of the other vehicle has noticed the notification based on information about the other vehicle, and determines whether to alert the driver of the vehicle based on the result of the determination.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to this disclosure, the risk of accidents is reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the driver assistance device according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the figures.

[0010] In each figure, identical or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of identical or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] Referring to Figure 1, the configuration of the system 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0012] System 10 comprises vehicle VH1 and at least one other vehicle VH2. Vehicle VH1 is equipped with a driver assistance device 20. The other vehicle VH2 is equipped with a terminal device 30.

[0013] The driver assistance device 20 and the terminal device 30 can communicate with each other via a network 40 such as the Internet. Alternatively, the driver assistance device 20 and the terminal device 30 may communicate directly with each other via vehicle-to-vehicle communication between vehicle VH1 and other vehicle VH2, without using the network 40.

[0014] The driver assistance device 20 is, for example, a car navigation system, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, or a PC. "PC" is an abbreviation for personal computer.

[0015] Vehicle VH1 may be any type of automobile, such as a gasoline car, diesel car, EV, HV, PHV, or FCV. "EV" is an abbreviation for electric vehicle. "HV" is an abbreviation for hybrid vehicle. "PHV" is an abbreviation for plug-in hybrid vehicle. "FCV" is an abbreviation for fuel cell vehicle. In this embodiment, vehicle VH1 is driven by driver U1, but the driving may be automated to any level. Vehicle VH1 is equipped with sensors such as cameras.

[0016] Other vehicle VH2 is, for example, a bicycle, a moped, or a motorcycle. Other vehicle VH2 is driven by user Y. Other vehicle VH2 is not limited to these examples and may include various vehicles that user Y can ride. Other vehicle VH2 may also include four-wheeled vehicles such as automobiles.

[0017] The terminal device 30 is, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet.

[0018] The outline of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1.

[0019] At intersections, vehicles such as bicycles may proceed without stopping even if they are supposed to stop at a stop sign. This can result in head-on collisions between cars and bicycles. Generally, vehicles traveling on non-priority roads are required to yield to vehicles on priority roads. However, even if an accident occurs when a bicycle on a non-priority road ignores a stop sign and proceeds, the car traveling on the priority road may also be found to be at fault. Here, "priority road" refers to the road with the highest priority at intersections without traffic lights, and "non-priority road" refers to a road where vehicles must not obstruct the progress of vehicles on the priority road.

[0020] From the perspective of preventing accidents at such intersections, it is conceivable to notify users such as cyclists traveling on non-priority roads of the approach of a vehicle. However, depending on the driving situation of the bicycle, there was a risk that the user might enter the intersection without noticing the notification.

[0021] Therefore, in the present embodiment, a driving support device 20 that supports the driving of the vehicle VH1 detects an intersection ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle VH1 based on information acquired from one or more sensors mounted on the vehicle VH1. When an intersection is detected, the driving support device 20 detects the presence or absence of another vehicle VH2 approaching the intersection from a direction different from the traveling direction of the vehicle VH1. The other vehicle VH2 is, for example, a bicycle. When the driving support device 20 detects the other vehicle VH2, it notifies the other vehicle VH2 of the approach of the vehicle VH1. The driving support device 20 determines whether the user Y of the other vehicle VH2 has noticed the notification based on information regarding the other vehicle VH2, and determines whether to alert the driver U1 of the vehicle VH1 based on the result of the determination.

[0022] According to the present embodiment, when the user Y of the other vehicle VH2 has not noticed the notification informing of the approach of the vehicle VH1, the driver U1 of the vehicle VH1 is alerted. Specifically, even if the vehicle VH1 is traveling on a priority road, the driver U1 of the vehicle VH1 is alerted to stop temporarily or drive at a very low speed. Therefore, even if the user Y of the other vehicle VH2 enters the intersection without noticing the notification, the risk of an accident such as a collision is reduced.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, the configurations of the driving support device 20 and the terminal device 30 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0024] The driving support device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, and an output unit 25. The terminal device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, an input unit 34, and an output unit 35. Since the driving support device 20 and the terminal device 30 have common components, they will be described together.

[0025] The control units 21 and 31 include at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof, and perform predetermined processing.

[0026] The storage units 22 and 32 include at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or at least two combinations thereof. The storage unit 22 stores data related to the operation of the driver assistance device 20, and the storage unit 32 stores data related to the operation of the terminal device 30.

[0027] The communication units 23 and 33 each include at least one communication interface. The communication unit 23 transmits and receives data related to the operation of the driver assistance device 20, and the communication unit 33 transmits and receives data related to the operation of the terminal device 30. The communication units 23 and 33 each include at least one communication module capable of performing short-range wireless communication and broadcasting. This communication module is, for example, a communication module compatible with short-range wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi® or Bluetooth®. This communication module may also be a communication module compatible with communication methods such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0028] Each input unit 24, 34 includes at least one input interface, such as a camera or LiDAR. "LiDAR" is an abbreviation for light detection and ranging. Input unit 24 accepts operations to input data used for the operation of the driver assistance device 20, and input unit 34 accepts operations to input data used for the operation of the terminal device 30. Instead of being provided in the driver assistance device 20 (or terminal device 30), the input units 24 (34) may be connected to the driver assistance device 20 (or terminal device 30) as external input devices. For example, input unit 24 (34) may be a sensor such as a camera mounted on vehicle VH1 (or another vehicle VH2), and the sensor may be connected to the driver assistance device 20 (or terminal device 30).

[0029] Output units 25 and 35 include at least one output interface. In this embodiment, output units 25 and 35 are displays or speakers. Output unit 25 outputs data obtained by the operation of the driver assistance device 20, and output unit 35 outputs data obtained by the operation of the terminal device 30. Instead of being provided in the driver assistance device 20 (or terminal device 30), output units 25 (35) may be connected to the driver assistance device 20 (or terminal device 30) as external output devices.

[0030] The functions of the driver assistance device 20 or terminal device 30 are realized by executing the program according to this embodiment on the processor acting as the control unit 21 or control unit 31. In other words, the functions of the driver assistance device 20 or terminal device 30 are realized by software.

[0031] Referring to Figure 2, the operation of the driver assistance device 20 according to this embodiment will be described. This operation corresponds to the driver assistance method according to this embodiment.

[0032] In S1, the control unit 21 of the driver assistance device 20 detects an intersection P located in front of the vehicle VH1 in the direction of travel. The intersection P is detected by, for example, the following procedure: Image data of the area in front of the vehicle VH1 in the direction of travel, acquired from a camera or the like installed as a sensor on the vehicle VH1, is input to the input unit 24. The control unit 21 acquires the image data input to the input unit 24, extracts the features of the intersection from the image data using a predetermined algorithm, and determines whether or not there is an intersection. The control unit 21 may also acquire the position information of the vehicle VH1 and detect the position of the intersection by comparing the acquired position information with map data. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may use LiDAR as the input unit 24 to 3D map the environment around the vehicle VH1 and detect the intersection in combination with image processing technology.

[0033] In S2, the control unit 21 of the driver assistance device 20 detects the presence or absence of another vehicle VH2 approaching intersection P from a direction different from the direction of travel of vehicle VH1. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication can be used to detect the other vehicle VH2. Based on the position, direction, and speed information included in the transmission information of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between vehicle VH1 and the other vehicle VH2, the control unit 21 determines whether the other vehicle VH2 is approaching vehicle VH1. Instead of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the control unit 21 may also detect the other vehicle VH2 using a communication device (vehicle-to-infrastructure communication) and sensors installed on the roadside. If another vehicle VH2 is detected in S2, the process in S3 is performed. If no other vehicle VH2 is detected in S2, the process ends.

[0034] In S3, the control unit 21 of the driver assistance device 20 notifies the other vehicle VH2 of the approach of vehicle VH1. The control unit 21 transmits an approach warning W to the terminal device 30 of the other vehicle VH2 via the communication unit 23. The control unit 31 of the terminal device 30 of the other vehicle VH2 receives the approach warning W transmitted from the driver assistance device 20 via the communication unit 33 and outputs the approach warning W to the output unit 35. For example, the control unit 21 displays a warning message on the display which acts as the output unit 35. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may emit an audio alert from the speaker which acts as the output unit 35. This notifies the user Y of the other vehicle VH2 of the approach of vehicle VH1.

[0035] In S4, the control unit 21 of the driver assistance device 20 determines whether user Y of the other vehicle VH2 is aware of the notification made in S3. The control unit 21 makes this determination based on information about the other vehicle VH2. Information about the other vehicle VH2 can be obtained, for example, by the following procedure. After the terminal device 30 of the other vehicle VH2 outputs a proximity warning W, it transmits information to the driver assistance device 20 indicating whether user Y has seen the notification on the screen, using face recognition or gaze recognition by a camera attached to the display, which serves as the output unit 35. Alternatively, when user Y receives the proximity warning W, they press the touchscreen, which serves as the input unit 34 of the terminal device 30. When the terminal device 30 receives the operation of user Y pressing the touchscreen, it may generate a confirmation signal and transmit it to the driver assistance device 20. Alternatively, the control unit 21 of the driver assistance device 20 may acquire the speed of the other vehicle VH2 as information about the other vehicle VH2, and determine that the user has noticed the notification if the speed is below a threshold or if the other vehicle VH2 is decelerating. If it is determined in S4 that user Y has noticed the notification, the process ends. If it is determined in S4 that user Y has not noticed the notification, the process in S5 is performed.

[0036] In S5, the control unit 21 of the driver assistance device 20 issues a warning to the driver U1 of vehicle VH1. Specifically, the control unit 21 notifies the driver to stop or slow down, along with information about the approach of another vehicle VH2. For example, the control unit 21 generates a message M, "Caution! A bicycle is approaching. Stop or slow down," and displays it on the display, which acts as the output unit 25. Message M may also be output as voice. Furthermore, if no deceleration operation of vehicle VH1 is observed after issuing a warning, such as when no brake operation is detected, the control unit 21 may take control such as applying the automatic brakes to vehicle VH1.

[0037] The control unit 21 of the driver assistance device 20 may further issue a warning based on the image analysis results of intersection P, etc. For example, the control unit 21 may determine whether intersection P is a signalized intersection based on the image analysis results of intersection P, etc., and if it is a signalized intersection, it may decide not to issue a warning. This is because, at a signalized intersection, the traffic lights have already given appropriate instructions to the driver U1, so redundant warnings from the driver assistance device 20 are unnecessary. The control unit 21 may also determine whether there is a stop line at intersection P based on the image analysis results of intersection P, etc. If there is a stop line, the control unit 21 may issue a warning instructing the driver to stop, and after confirming that vehicle VH1 has stopped, it may also notify the driver of the approach of another vehicle VH2.

[0038] Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the driver assistance device 20 may change the content of the warning depending on the position of the other vehicle VH2. For example, the control unit 21 may acquire position information indicating the position of the other vehicle VH2, and if the other vehicle VH2 is still far from the intersection P (for example, if the estimated time T to reach the intersection P is more than 3 seconds), it may not issue a notification to stop or slow down, but only notify the driver of the approach of the other vehicle VH2.

[0039] According to this embodiment, if the user Y of another vehicle VH2 is unaware of the notification that vehicle VH1 is approaching, the driver U1 of vehicle VH1 will be alerted. Therefore, the risk of an accident is reduced.

[0040] In this embodiment, the terminal device 30 has been described as being mounted on another vehicle VH2, but the terminal device 30 may also be held by a pedestrian. In this case, assistance can be provided to the pedestrian, and the risk of accidents between the pedestrian and the vehicle VH1 can be reduced.

[0041] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, multiple blocks described in the block diagram may be combined, or a single block may be divided. Instead of executing multiple steps described in the flowchart in chronological order as described, they may be executed in parallel or in a different order, depending on the processing capacity of the device performing each step, or as necessary. Other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 10 Systems 20 Driving support systems 21 Control Unit 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 24 Input section 25 Output section 30 Terminal devices 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section 33 Communications Department 34 Input section 35 Output section 40 Networks VH1 Vehicle VH2 Other vehicles

Claims

[Claim 1] A driver assistance device that assists in the operation of a vehicle, Based on information obtained from one or more sensors mounted on the vehicle, when an intersection ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle is detected, the presence or absence of other vehicles approaching the intersection from a direction different from the direction of travel is detected, and when such other vehicles are detected, the approach of the vehicle is notified to the other vehicles. A driving assistance device comprising a control unit that determines, based on information about the other vehicle, whether the user of the other vehicle is aware of the notification, and determines, based on the result of the determination, whether to issue a warning to the driver of the vehicle.

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