Vehicle control device

Abstract

To prevent a lane deviation prevention function from working excessively, for example, when a driver intentionally deviates from a lane.SOLUTION: A vehicle controller includes a white line detector for detecting a vehicle compartment line, a roadside object detector for detecting a roadside object, and an information outputting unit for outputting driving support information for preventing a vehicle from deviating from a lane based on the positions of the vehicle compartment line and the roadside object. The vehicle controller outputs the driving support information based on the position of the roadside object when the vehicle compartment line and roadside object are detected and there is a high possibility of contact between the vehicle and the roadside object, outputs the driving support information based on the position of the vehicle compartment line when there is a high possibility that the vehicle will deviate from the lane when the vehicle compartment line is detected and no roadside object is detected, and outputs the driving support information based on the position of the roadside object when the vehicle compartment line is not detected and a roadside object is detected and there is a high possibility of contact between the vehicle and the roadside object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle control device capable of preventing the lane departure prevention function from operating excessively when the driver intentionally deviates from the lane or the like.

Background Art

[0002] For example, for the purpose of preventing a vehicle from deviating from the lane on which the vehicle is traveling, vehicle demarcation lines laid on the right and left sides of the lane are detected using, for example, a CCD camera or the like, and driving support information is notified to the driver based on the detected vehicle demarcation lines. Driving support information is information notified to the driver for the purpose of preventing the vehicle from deviating from the lane on which the vehicle is traveling. Also, a vehicle demarcation line is a line laid on the right and left sides of the lane, and may simply be referred to as a "white line".

[0003] However, when roadside objects such as curbs, guardrails, and / or concrete sidewalls, which are assumed to cause significant damage if the vehicle comes into contact with them, are arranged outside the vehicle demarcation line, it may be preferable to notify the driver of the driving support information so that the vehicle travels inside the lane rather than based on the detected vehicle demarcation line.

[0004] Therefore, a driving support device is known that includes means for detecting a vehicle demarcation line, means for detecting roadside objects laid on the right and left sides of the lane on which the vehicle is traveling, means for estimating the position of a virtual demarcation line, and means for outputting driving support information based on the position of the virtual demarcation line (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The virtual demarcation line is a virtual vehicle demarcation line estimated based on the detected vehicle demarcation line and roadside objects, and a position inside the lane rather than the detected vehicle demarcation line is estimated as the position of the virtual demarcation line. According to the driving support device, it is said that driving support information based on a virtual demarcation line set inside the lane rather than the actually detected vehicle demarcation line can be notified to the driver, and thus appropriate driving support information can be output.

[0005] However, when a driving support information notification and / or a function such as steering control (hereinafter, may be referred to as "lane departure prevention function") for the purpose of preventing a vehicle from deviating from the driving lane is executed based on the virtual lane lines as described above, it may cause annoyance and / or discomfort to the driver. For example, in a situation where there is no obstacle between the roadside object and the vehicle and there is a sufficient distance between the roadside object and the vehicle, the risk of the vehicle deviating from the lane is not high. Nevertheless, when the lane departure prevention function based on the virtual lane line set inside the lane rather than the actually detected vehicle lane line is executed, it will cause annoyance and / or discomfort to the driver. Moreover, when the driver intentionally deviates the vehicle from the lane to avoid an obstacle such as an adjacent vehicle and the lane departure prevention function based on the virtual lane line is executed, it will cause significant annoyance and / or discomfort to the driver.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] As described above, in this technical field, there is a need for a vehicle control device that can prevent the lane departure prevention function from overreacting when the driver intentionally deviates from the lane.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] As a result of intensive research, the inventor has found that when the vehicle lane line is detected and the roadside object is detected, and there is a high possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle will come into contact, the above problems can be solved by outputting driving support information based on the position of the roadside object rather than the position of the vehicle lane line.

[0009] Specifically, the vehicle control device according to the present invention (hereinafter may be referred to as "the device of the present invention") is a vehicle control device including a white line detection unit, a roadside object detection unit, and an information output unit. The white line detection unit detects vehicle demarcation lines laid on the right and left sides of the lane in which the vehicle travels. The roadside object detection unit detects roadside objects laid along the vehicle demarcation lines. The information output unit outputs driving support information based on the position of the vehicle demarcation line detected by the white line detection unit and the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit. The driving support information is information for preventing the vehicle from deviating from the lane.

[0010] Furthermore, the information output unit included in the device of the present invention is configured to selectively use the conditions and the targets that are the basis for outputting driving support information according to the states of the vehicle, the vehicle demarcation line, and the roadside object. Specifically, the information output unit is configured to output driving support information based on a predetermined target when a predetermined condition is satisfied in each of the first to third states listed below.

[0011] The first state is a state in which the vehicle demarcation line is detected by the white line detection unit and the roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit. In such a first state, when the possibility of contact, which is the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact, is equal to or greater than a first threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value, the information output unit outputs driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit.

[0012] The second state is a state in which the vehicle demarcation line is detected by the white line detection unit and the roadside object is not detected by the roadside object detection unit. In such a second state, when the possibility of deviation, which is the possibility that the vehicle deviates from the lane, is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value, the information output unit outputs driving support information based on the position of the vehicle demarcation line detected by the white line detection unit.

[0013] The third state is a state in which a vehicle lane marking is not detected by the white line detection unit and a roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit. In such a third state, when the possibility of contact, which is the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle may come into contact, is equal to or greater than a third threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value, the information output unit outputs driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] As described above, in the device of the present invention, in a state where a roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit, even if a vehicle lane marking is detected by the white line detection unit, the information output unit is configured to output driving support information based on the position of the roadside object rather than the position of the vehicle lane marking. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of causing annoyance and / or a sense of discomfort to the driver by executing a lane departure prevention function based on a virtual lane marking set inside the lane rather than the actually detected vehicle lane marking, as in the case of the driving support device according to the prior art described above (hereinafter, may be referred to as the "conventional device").

[0015] Other objects, other features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the description of the embodiments and examples of the present invention described with reference to the following drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] "First Embodiment" Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter may be referred to as the "first device") will be described in detail. The first device is a device mounted on a vehicle and outputs driving support information to a driver. First, with reference to FIG. 1, an example of the configuration of the first device mounted on the vehicle will be described.

[0018] <Configuration> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the first device. As shown in FIG. 1, a driving support ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 1 (corresponding to the first device) according to the first embodiment of the present invention is communicably connected to an input device 2 and an output device 3 as peripheral devices.

[0019] The input device 2 is a functional unit that includes an imaging device such as a CDD camera and transmits image information to the driving support ECU 1. As will be described later in the embodiments of the present invention, in addition to the imaging device, the input device 2 may include a navigation system, a steering torque detection sensor, a turn signal detection switch, and the like. Information acquired from these is output from the input device 2 to the driving support ECU 1, and in the driving support ECU 1, detection of vehicle lane lines, roadside objects, etc. is performed based on the information.

[0020] Note that the driving support ECU 1 may detect vehicle lane lines, roadside objects, etc. by methods other than those described above. For example, the driving support ECU 1 may detect roadside objects, etc. using a radar device provided in the input device 2. Also, the imaging device provided in the input device 2 is not limited to a CDD camera, and may be a camera that employs a method different from that of a CCD camera, such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera, for example.

[0021] A vehicle lane marking is an object marker laid on the right and left sides of the lanes on which vehicles travel to demarcate the lanes. In addition to white lines drawn continuously in a linear shape, vehicle lane markings also include, for example, white or yellow broken lines that are intermittently arranged at a predetermined interval and connected to each other adjacent to each other to form a linear shape, Botts dots (dots with a diameter of about 10 cm), and cat's eyes (reflectors). Roadside objects are objects laid along the vehicle lane markings and include, for example, guardrails, sidewalls, median strips, curbstones, street trees, etc.

[0022] The output device 3 includes output devices such as a display and a speaker, and notifies the driver of driving support information by means of images, characters, sounds, etc. according to instructions from the driving support ECU 1. For example, when it is determined by the driving support ECU 1 that there is a high possibility that the vehicle will deviate to the right from the lane it is traveling in, based on the instructions from the driving support ECU 1, an alarm screen indicating that the vehicle will deviate to the right from the lane it is traveling in is displayed on the display, or a warning sound and / or voice guidance, etc. is output from the speaker.

[0023] In addition to the above, the output device 3 may be provided with a steering control device including a steering control ECU. The steering control ECU is an ECU that executes steering control, and here, according to instructions from the driving support ECU 1, a predetermined torque set in advance is applied to the steering wheel. For example, when it is determined by the driving support ECU 1 that there is a high possibility that the vehicle will deviate to the right from the lane it is traveling in, based on the instructions from the driving support ECU 1, the steering control device applies a torque to prompt steering to the left to the steering wheel.

[0024] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the driving support ECU 1 corresponding to the first device is a vehicle control device including a white line detection unit 11, a roadside object detection unit 12, and an information output unit 13. The white line detection unit 11 detects vehicle demarcation lines laid on the right and left sides of the lane in which the vehicle travels. More specifically, the white line detection unit 11 detects vehicle demarcation lines laid on the right and left sides of the lane in which the vehicle travels based on information acquired by an input device 2 such as a CCD camera. The roadside object detection unit 12 detects roadside objects laid along the vehicle demarcation lines. More specifically, the roadside object detection unit 12 detects roadside objects laid along the vehicle demarcation lines based on information acquired by an input device 2 such as a CCD camera. The information output unit 13 outputs driving support information based on the position of the vehicle demarcation lines detected by the white line detection unit 11 and the position of the roadside objects detected by the roadside object detection unit 12.

[0025] The driving support information is information for preventing the vehicle from deviating from the lane. Based on this information, for example, an alarm screen, a warning sound, and / or voice guidance are notified to the driver by an output device as the output device 3, or a predetermined torque is applied to the steering wheel by a steering control device.

[0026] Note that the driving support ECU 1 causes a microcomputer disposed at an appropriate position of the driving support ECU 1 to execute a control program stored in advance in a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like disposed at an appropriate position of the driving support ECU 1. Thereby, the driving support ECU 1 causes the microcomputer to function as the white line detection unit 11, the roadside object detection unit 12, and the information output unit 13.

[0027] <Operation> Next, the operation of the first device will be described below. In the driving support ECU 1 corresponding to the first device, the information output unit 13 is configured to appropriately use the conditions and bases for outputting driving support information according to the states of the vehicle, the vehicle lane marking, and the roadside object. Specifically, the information output unit 13 is configured to output driving support information based on a predetermined object when a predetermined condition is satisfied in each of the first to third states listed below.

[0028] The first state is a state in which the vehicle lane marking is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and the roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12. In such a first state, when the possibility of contact, which is the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact, is equal to or greater than a first threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value, the information output unit 13 outputs driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit 12.

[0029] The second state is a state in which the vehicle lane marking is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and the roadside object is not detected by the roadside object detection unit 12. In such a second state, when the possibility of deviation, which is the possibility that the vehicle deviates from the lane, is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value, the information output unit 13 outputs driving support information based on the position of the vehicle lane marking detected by the white line detection unit 11.

[0030] The third state is a state in which the vehicle lane marking is not detected by the white line detection unit 11 and the roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12. In such a third state, when the possibility of contact, which is the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact, is equal to or greater than a third threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value, the information output unit 13 outputs driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit 12.

[0031] Note that both the above-described first threshold value and third threshold value are comparison targets for the possibility of contact in the determination of "whether to output driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit 12". These two threshold values may be the same value or different values.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving support ECU 1. First, in step S11, the driving support ECU 1 determines whether or not a first state is satisfied based on the information acquired from the input device 2. More specifically, it is determined whether or not the vehicle lane marking is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and a roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12.

[0033] When it is determined in step S11 that the "first state is satisfied", in the next step S12, the driving support ECU 1 calculates a contact possibility Pc that the roadside object and the vehicle may come into contact. At this time, the contact possibility Pc is calculated based on, for example, information about the roadside object (for example, the position, shape, size, and material of the roadside object) and information about the vehicle (for example, the position, shape, size, speed, and traveling direction of the vehicle).

[0034] Next, in step S13, the driving support ECU 1 determines whether or not the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact is high and the need to avoid contact between the two is high. More specifically, it is determined whether or not the contact possibility Pc calculated in step S12 is equal to or greater than a first threshold Th1 that is a predetermined threshold value.

[0035] When it is determined in step S13 that "the contact possibility Pc is equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1", the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact is high, and the need to avoid contact between the two is high. Therefore, in the next step S14, the information output unit 13 outputs driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit 12 instead of the driving support information based on the vehicle lane marking detected by the white line detection unit 11, and based on the driving support information, the lane departure prevention function is executed by the output device 3. As a result, the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact is reduced.

[0036] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S13 that "the contact possibility Pc is less than the first threshold Th1", the possibility of contact between the roadside object and the vehicle is low, and the necessity of avoiding the contact between the two is low. Therefore, the next step S14 is skipped.

[0037] As described above, in the first state (the state in which the vehicle lane line is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and the roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12), the driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit 12 instead of the position of the vehicle lane line detected by the white line detection unit 11 is output from the information output unit 13 to the output device 3. Thereby, in the first state, the possibility of contact between the roadside object and the vehicle is reduced, and the lane departure prevention function based on the virtual lane line set inside the lane rather than the actually detected vehicle lane line like the conventional driving support device (conventional device) related to the prior art described above is executed, and the annoyance and / or discomfort and the like are reduced. The possibility of making the driver feel is reduced.

[0038] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S11 that "the first state is not established", in the next step S21, the driving support ECU 1 determines whether or not the second state is established based on the information acquired from the input device 2. More specifically, it is determined whether or not the vehicle lane line is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and the roadside object is not detected by the roadside object detection unit 12.

[0039] When it is determined in step S21 that "the second state is established", in the next step S22, the driving support ECU 1 calculates the deviation possibility Pd which is the possibility of the vehicle deviating from the lane. At this time, the deviation possibility Pd is calculated based on, for example, information about the vehicle lane line (for example, the position and shape of the vehicle lane line) and information about the vehicle (for example, the position, shape, size, speed, and traveling direction of the vehicle).

[0040] Next, in step S23, the driving support ECU 1 determines whether there is a high possibility that the vehicle will deviate from the lane. More specifically, it is determined whether the deviation possibility Pd calculated in step S22 is equal to or greater than a second threshold value Th2 which is a predetermined threshold value.

[0041] If it is determined in step S23 that "the deviation possibility Pd is equal to or greater than the second threshold value Th2", then in the next step S24, the information output unit 13 outputs driving support information based on the vehicle lane line detected by the white line detection unit 11, and based on the driving support information, the output device 3 executes a lane departure prevention function.

[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S23 that "the deviation possibility Pd is less than the second threshold value Th2", then there is a low possibility that the vehicle will deviate from the lane. Therefore, the next step S24 is skipped.

[0043] As described above, in the second state (a state in which the vehicle lane line is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and no roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12), the driving support information based on the position of the vehicle lane line detected by the white line detection unit 11 is output from the information output unit 13 to the output device 3. Thereby, in the second state, a lane departure prevention function similar to that of the conventional device is executed, and the possibility that the vehicle will deviate from the lane is reduced.

[0044] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S21 that "the second state is not established", then in the next step S31, the driving support ECU 1 determines whether a third state is established based on the information acquired from the input device 2. More specifically, it is determined whether the vehicle is in a state in which the vehicle lane line is not detected by the white line detection unit 11 and a roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12.

[0045] When it is determined in step S31 above that "the third state is established", in the next step S32, the driving support ECU 1 calculates a possibility of contact Pc that the roadside object and the vehicle may come into contact. At this time, the possibility of contact Pc is calculated based on, for example, information about the roadside object (such as the position, shape, size, and material of the roadside object) and information about the vehicle (such as the position, shape, size, speed, and traveling direction of the vehicle).

[0046] Next, in step S33, the driving support ECU 1 determines whether the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact is high and whether it is necessary to avoid the contact between the two. More specifically, it is determined whether the possibility of contact Pc calculated in step S32 above is equal to or greater than a third threshold Th3 that is a predetermined threshold. As described above, the third threshold Th3 may be the same value as the first threshold Th1 or may be a different value.

[0047] When it is determined in step S33 above that "the possibility of contact Pc is equal to or greater than the third threshold Th3", the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact is high, and it is necessary to avoid the contact between the two. Therefore, in the next step S34, the information output unit 13 outputs driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit 12, and based on the driving support information, the output device 3 executes a lane departure prevention function. As a result, the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact is reduced.

[0048] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S33 above that "the possibility of contact Pc is less than the third threshold Th3", the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact is low, and it is not necessary to avoid the contact between the two. Therefore, the next step S34 is skipped.

[0049] As described above, in the third state (a state where the vehicle lane marking is not detected by the white line detection unit 11 and a roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12), driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit 12 is output from the information output unit 13 to the output device 3. Thereby, in the third state, a lane departure prevention function similar to that of the conventional device is executed, and the possibility of contact between the roadside object and the vehicle is reduced.

[0050] <Effect> As described above, according to the first device, in the first state (a state where the vehicle lane marking is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and a roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12), driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit 12 is output from the information output unit 13 to the output device 3, instead of the position of the vehicle lane marking detected by the white line detection unit 11. Thereby, in the first state, the possibility of contact between the roadside object and the vehicle is reduced, and a lane departure prevention function based on a virtual lane marking set inside the lane rather than the actually detected vehicle lane marking, such as the driving support device (conventional device) according to the prior art described above, is executed, reducing the possibility of annoying and / or giving the driver a sense of discomfort.

[0051] 《Second Embodiment》 Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a vehicle control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, may be referred to as the "second device") will be described in detail. As described above, according to the first device, in the first state (a state where the vehicle lane marking is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and a roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12), driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit 12 is output from the information output unit 13 to the output device 3, instead of the position of the vehicle lane marking detected by the white line detection unit 11.

[0052] However, when there is an obstacle between the vehicle lane marking that demarcates the driving lane and the roadside object, if driving assistance is performed based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit, there is a possibility that the vehicle will come into contact with the obstacle. Also, when there is a sufficient distance between the roadside object and the vehicle, for example, there is a possibility that another object such as another vehicle will pass between the roadside object and the vehicle. Therefore, in such a case, if driving assistance is performed based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit, there is a possibility that the vehicle will come into contact with an object (hereinafter may be referred to as a "passing object") passing between the roadside object and the vehicle. Therefore, in the above cases, even when the first state is established, driving assistance information based on the position of the vehicle lane marking detected by the white line detection unit should be provided to the output device.

[0053] <Configuration> Therefore, in the second device, even if the first state is established, when there is an obstacle between the vehicle lane marking and the roadside object and when there is a sufficient distance between the roadside object and the vehicle, the information output unit is configured to output driving assistance information based on the position of the vehicle lane marking detected by the white line detection unit, similar to the case when the second state described above is established.

[0054] More specifically, the second device is the first device described above, and in the first state and in the fourth state, when the possibility of deviation, which is the possibility that the vehicle may deviate from the lane, is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value, the information output unit is configured to output driving assistance information based on the position of the vehicle lane marking detected by the white line detection unit. It is a vehicle control device.

[0055] The fourth state is a state in which there is an obstacle, which is an object that can impede the progress of the vehicle, between the vehicle lane marking and the roadside object, or the distance between the roadside object and the vehicle is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value. That is, in the fourth state, if driving assistance is performed based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit, there is a possibility that the vehicle will come into contact with the above-described obstacle and / or passing object.

[0056] Therefore, according to the second device, even when the first state is established and the fourth state is established, the driving support information is output from the information output unit 13 to the output device 3 according to the height of the possibility (departure possibility Pd) that the vehicle deviates from the lane.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving support ECU 1 corresponding to the second device. The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 3 is the same as the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 2 except that steps S41 and S42 are added between step S11 and step S12. Therefore, in the following description, the flow of processing before and after steps S41 and S42 will be mainly described in detail.

[0058] Also in the second device, similar to the first device described above, first, in step S11, based on the information acquired from the input device 2 by the driving support ECU 1, it is determined whether or not the vehicle lane line is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and the roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12.

[0059] When it is determined in step S11 that "the first state is established", in the first device described above, in the next step S12, the contact possibility Pc, which is the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact, is calculated by the driving support ECU 1. However, in the second device, when it is determined in step S11 that "the first state is established", in the next step S41, it is determined whether or not the space between the vehicle lane line (white line) and the roadside object is a free space. In other words, in step S41, it is determined whether or not there is no obstacle between the vehicle lane line and the roadside object.

[0060] If it is determined in step S41 above that "the space between the vehicle lane marking (white line) and the roadside object is not a free space", there is some obstacle between the vehicle lane marking and the roadside object. In this case, if driving assistance is performed based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit, the vehicle may come into contact with the obstacle. Therefore, in this case, it is desirable to perform driving assistance based on the vehicle lane marking detected by the white line detection unit 11. Thus, the process proceeds to step S22 described above, and the driving assistance ECU 1 calculates the possibility of deviation Pd, which is the possibility that the vehicle may deviate from the lane. Then, if it is determined in the next step S23 that "the possibility of deviation Pd is equal to or greater than the second threshold Th2", in the next step S24, the information output unit 13 outputs driving assistance information based on the vehicle lane marking detected by the white line detection unit 11, and based on the driving assistance information, the output device 3 executes the lane departure prevention function.

[0061] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S41 above that "the space between the vehicle lane marking (white line) and the roadside object is a free space", then in the next step S42, it is determined whether the distance between the roadside object and the vehicle is sufficiently narrow with respect to the passing object. In other words, in step S42, it is determined whether the distance D between the roadside object and the vehicle is less than the fourth threshold Th4, which is a predetermined threshold.

[0062] If it is determined in step S42 that "the distance D between the roadside object and the vehicle is not less than a fourth threshold value Th4 which is a predetermined threshold value", there is a sufficient space between the roadside object and the vehicle. In this case, for example, another object such as another vehicle may pass between the roadside object and the vehicle. Therefore, if driving support is performed based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit in such a case, the vehicle may come into contact with an object passing between the roadside object and the vehicle (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "passing object"). Therefore, also in this case, the process proceeds to step S22 described above, and the driving support ECU1 calculates a deviation possibility Pd which is the possibility that the vehicle deviates from the lane. Then, if it is determined in the next step S23 that "the deviation possibility Pd is not less than a second threshold value Th2", in the next step S24, the information output unit 13 outputs driving support information based on the vehicle lane line detected by the white line detection unit 11, and based on the driving support information, the output device 3 executes a lane departure prevention function.

[0063] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S42 that "the distance D between the roadside object and the vehicle is less than a fourth threshold value Th4 which is a predetermined threshold value", there is no sufficient space between the roadside object and the vehicle. In this case, since it is unlikely that a passing object will pass between the roadside object and the vehicle, it is possible to perform driving support based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit. Therefore, in this case, the process proceeds to the next step S12, and the driving support ECU1 calculates a contact possibility Pc which is the possibility that the roadside object and the vehicle come into contact with each other. Then, if it is determined in the next step S13 that "the contact possibility Pc is not less than a first threshold value Th1", in the next step S14, the information output unit 13 outputs driving support information based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit 12 instead of the driving support information based on the vehicle lane line detected by the white line detection unit 11, and based on the driving support information, the output device 3 executes a lane departure prevention function.

[0064] <Effect> As described above, in the second device, even when the first state (a state in which a vehicle lane line is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and a roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12) is established, if the fourth state (a state in which there is an obstacle that can obstruct the progress of the vehicle between the vehicle lane line and the roadside object or the distance between the roadside object and the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the fourth threshold value) is established, driving support information based on the position of the vehicle lane line detected by the white line detection unit is provided to the output device. Therefore, according to the second device, when the fourth state is established, driving support based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit is performed, and the possibility that the vehicle contacts a passing object (an object passing between the roadside object and the vehicle) can be reduced.

Embodiment

[0065] A vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, may be referred to as an "embodiment device") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the embodiment device. As shown in FIG. 4, the driving support ECU 1 (corresponding to the embodiment device) according to the present embodiment is communicably connected to an input device 2 and an output device 3 as peripheral devices.

[0066] The input device 2 includes a CDD camera 21, a navigation system 22, a steering torque detection sensor (hereinafter, abbreviated as a "steering sensor") 23, and a turn signal detection switch (hereinafter, abbreviated as a "turn signal SW") 24.

[0067] The CDD camera 21 is equipped with a CDD (Charge Coupled Device) and generates image information of the front and sides of the vehicle, etc. The navigation system 22 is equipped with map information, detects the vehicle position which is the position of the vehicle on the map using GPS (Global Positioning System), etc., and displays the vehicle position on the map on the display. The steering sensor 23 detects the steering torque generated as a result of being steered by the driver via the steering wheel. The turn signal SW 24 detects the result of the blinking instruction operation of the turn signal lamp operated by the driver via the turn signal lever.

[0068] The information acquired from these devices constituting the input device 2 is output from the input device 2 to the driving support ECU 1. In the driving support ECU 1, detection of vehicle lane lines, roadside objects, etc. is performed based on the information. Since the vehicle lane lines and roadside objects have already been described in the description of the vehicle control device (first device) according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the description here is omitted.

[0069] The output device 3 includes a display 31, a speaker 32, and a steering control device 33. The display 31 includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) etc. disposed in front of the driver's seat, etc., and displays images, characters, etc. (warning screen) in a visible manner to the driver according to an instruction from the driving support ECU 1. The speaker 32 is disposed on the side of the driver's seat, etc., and outputs voice guidance and / or sound, etc. to the driver according to an instruction from the driving support ECU 1. The steering control device 33 includes a steering control ECU (not shown) for controlling steering, and applies a predetermined torque set in advance to the steering wheel according to an instruction from the driving support ECU 1.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 4, the driving support ECU 1 corresponding to the example device is a vehicle control device including a white line detection unit 11, a roadside object detection unit 12, and an information output unit 13. The white line detection unit 11 detects vehicle demarcation lines laid on the right and left sides of the lane on which the vehicle travels based on the image information acquired from the CCD camera 21 included in the input device 2. The roadside object detection unit 12 detects roadside objects laid along the vehicle demarcation lines based on the image information acquired from the CCD camera 21. The information output unit 13 outputs driving support information based on the positions of the vehicle demarcation lines detected by the white line detection unit 11 and the positions of the roadside objects detected by the roadside object detection unit 12.

[0071] As described above, the driving support information is information for preventing the vehicle from deviating from the lane. Based on this information, an alarm screen, a warning sound, and / or voice guidance are notified to the driver by the output device as the output device 3, or a predetermined torque is applied to the steering wheel by the steering control device.

[0072] The operation of the example device is the same as that described with reference to the flowcharts illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 in the description of the operations of the first device and the second device, and thus the description here is omitted.

[0073] According to the example device, similar to the above-described first device, in the first state (a state in which the vehicle demarcation lines are detected by the white line detection unit 11 and the roadside objects are detected by the roadside object detection unit 12), driving support information based on the positions of the roadside objects detected by the roadside object detection unit 12 instead of the positions of the vehicle demarcation lines detected by the white line detection unit 11 is output from the information output unit 13 to the output device 3. Thereby, in the first state, the possibility of contact between the roadside object and the vehicle is reduced, and the lane departure prevention function based on the virtual demarcation line set inside the lane rather than the actually detected vehicle demarcation line like the conventional driving support device (conventional device) according to the prior art is executed, reducing the possibility of annoying the driver with annoyance and / or discomfort.

[0074] Also, similar to the second device described above, in the example device as well, even when the first state (a state in which the vehicle lane line is detected by the white line detection unit 11 and the roadside object is detected by the roadside object detection unit 12) is established, if the fourth state (a state in which there is an obstacle that can obstruct the progress of the vehicle between the vehicle lane line and the roadside object or the distance between the roadside object and the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the fourth threshold value) is established, driving support information based on the position of the vehicle lane line detected by the white line detection unit is provided to the output device. Therefore, according to the example device, when the fourth state is established, driving support based on the position of the roadside object detected by the roadside object detection unit is performed, and the possibility that the vehicle contacts a passing object (an object passing between the roadside object and the vehicle) can be reduced.

[0075] As described above, for the purpose of explaining the present invention, several embodiments and examples having specific configurations have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these exemplary embodiments and examples, and it goes without saying that appropriate modifications can be made within the scope of the matters described in the claims and the specification.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0076] 1… Driving support ECU 11… White line detection unit 12… Roadside object detection unit 13… Information output unit 2… Input device 21… CCD camera 22… Navigation system 23… Steering sensor 24… Turn signal SW 3… Output device 31… Display 32… Speaker 33… Steering control device

Claims

【Claim 1】 A white line detection unit that detects vehicle lane lines laid on the right and left sides of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling; A roadside object detection unit that detects roadside objects laid along the vehicle lane lines; An information output unit that outputs driving support information, which is information for preventing the vehicle from deviating from the lane based on the position of the vehicle lane lines detected by the white line detection unit and the position of the roadside objects detected by the roadside object detection unit; A vehicle control device comprising: The information output unit: In a first state where the vehicle lane lines are detected by the white line detection unit and the roadside objects are detected by the roadside object detection unit, when the possibility of contact, which is the possibility of contact between the roadside object and the vehicle, is equal to or greater than a first threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value, outputs the driving support information based on the position of the roadside objects detected by the roadside object detection unit; In a second state where the vehicle lane lines are detected by the white line detection unit and the roadside objects are not detected by the roadside object detection unit, when the possibility of deviation, which is the possibility of the vehicle deviating from the lane, is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value, outputs the driving support information based on the position of the vehicle lane lines detected by the white line detection unit; In a third state where the vehicle lane lines are not detected by the white line detection unit and the roadside objects are detected by the roadside object detection unit, when the possibility of contact, which is the possibility of contact between the roadside object and the vehicle, is equal to or greater than a third threshold value that is a predetermined threshold value, outputs the driving support information based on the position of the roadside objects detected by the roadside object detection unit. It is configured as follows. A vehicle control device.

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