Driving assistance devices

Abstract

To provide a drive assistance device which can properly guide expansion or contraction of a driver's a view field.SOLUTION: A drive assistance device includes: an environment recognition unit 100 for recognizing an environment around a vehicle 1; traveling state recognition units 310, 320, 330 for recognizing a traveling state of the vehicle; a gaze region setting unit 200 for setting a gaze region which should be closely observed by a driver of the vehicle on the basis of outputs of the environment recognition unit and the traveling state recognition unit; and an image display device 210 which displays a gaze region index indicating the gaze region in a superimposing manner within a range of a view field in which the driver can see ahead of the vehicle. The gaze region index is configured such that an interval between a plurality of indices 510, 520 aligned in a vehicle width direction is changed according to change in the size of the gaze region in the vehicle width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device that presents information about driving operations to a driver of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] As a technology relating to driving assistance devices for vehicles such as automobiles, for example, Patent Document 1 describes an information presentation device that predicts contact between a vehicle and a surrounding object based on position-related information of the surrounding object and vehicle information such as vehicle speed and steering direction, in order to enable warning displays that are less bothersome, and when there is a possibility of contact, estimates an avoidance route to avoid contact with the surrounding object based on the position-related information and vehicle information, and displays this on an information display unit. Patent Document 2 describes a traffic information display system for vehicles that displays traffic information such as accident information in a manner that is easily recognizable to the driver. The system acquires accident information of a vehicle ahead that should be notified as traffic information ahead of the vehicle to prompt the driver to change course or stop the vehicle via an on-board communication device, superimposes the accident information of the vehicle ahead and the external scenery of the vehicle on the display unit, and displays the accident information of the vehicle ahead in three dimensions in a manner that emphasizes the superimposed accident information of the vehicle ahead that is displayed on the display unit the faster the vehicle is approaching the vehicle ahead. Patent Document 3 describes a vehicle driving guidance device that displays a route image corresponding to the planned driving route of the vehicle on a monitor, and the route image is displayed on the monitor in a display format corresponding to the driving force and braking force of the vehicle. It also describes that a driving situation identification image is set based on the gradient or curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-163501 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-224553 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. WO2015 / 029181 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Thanks to various driving assistance devices and control devices for braking / driving force of each wheel, suspension, etc., driving a car has become easy to do faithfully according to the driver's intentions without requiring particularly advanced skills. However, this is based on the assumption that, for example, when driving on a curved road, the driver is able to perform a series of basic driving operations, such as visually checking the area around the vehicle, controlling speed by operating the brakes, setting a steering angle by operating the steering wheel, controlling speed by operating the accelerator, and returning the steering angle by operating the steering wheel. However, for drivers with poor driving skills, there is a concern that they may focus on a specific object when they should have a wide field of vision, such as when approaching a curve and trying to determine the curvature, or conversely, they may widen their field of vision too much when they should be focusing on a specific area, causing their attention to become distracted. In such cases, there is a concern that the driver may misperceive the environment around the vehicle, leading to inappropriate driving behavior. In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a driving assistance device that can appropriately guide a driver to expand or narrow his / her field of view. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a driving assistance device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an environment recognition unit that recognizes an environment around a vehicle, a driving state recognition unit that recognizes a driving state of the vehicle, a gaze area setting unit that sets a gaze area that a driver of the vehicle should gaze at based on outputs from the environment recognition unit and the driving state recognition unit, and an image display device that displays a gaze area indicator that indicates the gaze area in a superimposed manner within a field of view in which the driver can see ahead of the vehicle. a steering operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver will perform a steering operation; A driving assistance device comprising: The size in the width direction of the vehicle, or The intervals between the plurality of indicators arranged in the vehicle width direction are changed in accordance with the change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction. the image display device changes a display mode of the gaze area indicator to indicate at least one of a steering direction and a steering operation amount of the steering operation in accordance with a prediction of a situation in which the steering operation will be performed;It is characterized by: According to this, The size of the gaze area indicator in the vehicle width direction, or By changing the spacing between the multiple indicators in accordance with the change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to guide the driver to widen or narrow their field of view, thereby assisting the driver in making appropriate situational judgments. This makes it possible to guide the driver's field of vision and guide the driver on the driving operations that should be performed in the future, preventing the driver from misjudging the situation or performing inappropriate driving operations that could put the vehicle into an unstable or dangerous state.

[0006] A driving assistance device according to another aspect of the present invention includes an environment recognition unit that recognizes an environment around a vehicle, a driving state recognition unit that recognizes a driving state of the vehicle, a gaze area setting unit that sets a gaze area that a driver of the vehicle should gaze at based on outputs of the environment recognition unit and the driving state recognition unit, and an image display device that displays a gaze area indicator that indicates the gaze area in a superimposed manner within a field of view in which the driver can see ahead of the vehicle. a deceleration operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver will perform a deceleration operation; The driving assistance device includes: a vehicle width direction; , or the spacing between multiple indicators arranged in the vehicle width direction is changed in accordance with a change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction. the image display device changes a display mode of the gaze area indicator to indicate at least one of a braking force and a braking distance in the deceleration operation in accordance with a prediction of a situation in which the deceleration operation will be performed; and It is characterized by: According to this, the size of the gaze area index in the vehicle width direction , or the interval between multiple indices By changing the field of view in accordance with the change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to guide the driver to widen or narrow the field of view, thereby assisting the driver in making appropriate judgments about the situation. This makes it possible to guide the driver's field of vision and guide the driver on the driving operations that should be performed in the future, preventing the driver from misjudging the situation or performing inappropriate driving operations that could put the vehicle into an unstable or dangerous state.

[0007] A driving assistance device according to another aspect of the present invention comprises an environment recognition unit that recognizes the environment around a vehicle, a driving state recognition unit that recognizes the driving state of the vehicle, a gaze area setting unit that sets a gaze area that a driver of the vehicle should gaze at based on the outputs of the environment recognition unit and the driving state recognition unit, an image display device that displays a gaze area indicator indicating the gaze area in a superimposed manner within the field of view in which the driver can see ahead of the vehicle, and an acceleration operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver will perform an acceleration operation, wherein the gaze area indicator changes its size in the vehicle width direction or the spacing between multiple indicators arranged in the vehicle width direction in accordance with a change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction, and the image display device changes the display mode of the gaze area indicator to represent at least one of the acceleration and acceleration direction of the acceleration operation in accordance with the prediction of a situation in which the acceleration operation will be performed. According to this, by changing the size of the gaze area indicator in the vehicle width direction or the spacing between multiple indicators in accordance with the change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to guide the driver to widen or narrow their field of view, thereby assisting the driver in making appropriate situational judgments. According to this, This will guide the driver's field of vision and also guide the driver on future driving operations, preventing the vehicle from falling into an unstable or dangerous state due to the driver misjudging the situation or performing inappropriate driving operations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a driving assistance device that can appropriately guide the driver to expand or narrow the field of view. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a vehicle having a first embodiment of a driving assistance device to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a driving line when a vehicle passes through a curved road. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a field of view recognized by a driver when the vehicle enters the curve shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of a head-up display in the driving assistance device of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display image on a head-up display in a second embodiment of a driving assistance device to which the present invention is applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of a driving assistance device to which the present invention is applied will be described. The driving assistance device according to the embodiment is mounted on a four-wheeled vehicle such as a passenger car, and has a function of guiding an occupant (typically the driver) to a field of view to which the occupant should focus. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a vehicle having a driving assistance device according to a first embodiment.

[0011] The vehicle 1 includes an environment recognition unit 100, a driving assistance control unit 200, an electric power steering (EPS) control unit 310, a power unit control unit 320, a brake control unit 330, and the like. Each of these units can be configured as a microcomputer having, for example, an information processing unit such as a CPU, a storage unit such as a RAM or a ROM, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. Furthermore, each unit can communicate with each other either directly or via an in-vehicle LAN such as a CAN communication system.

[0012] The environment recognition unit 100 recognizes the environment around the vehicle based on the outputs of various sensors and the like. The environment around the vehicle to be recognized includes, for example, information about the lane shape of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, the relative positions and relative speeds of various obstacles relative to the vehicle. The environment recognition sensor 100 is connected to a visible light camera 110, a millimeter wave radar device 120, a laser scanner device 130, a high precision map database 140, a positioning device 150, and the like. The environment recognition unit 100 functions as the environment recognition section of the present invention.

[0013] The visible light camera device 110 is an imaging device that captures images of the surroundings (front, rear, sides, etc.) of the vehicle using a visible light camera such as a stereo camera or a single camera. The visible light camera device 110 has the function of performing image processing on the captured image to detect the presence or absence of an object around the vehicle, the relative position and speed of the object relative to the vehicle, the shape of the lane, and the like. The millimeter wave radar device 120 is a radar device that uses radio waves in a frequency band of, for example, 30 to 300 GHz, and has the function of detecting the presence or absence of an object and the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle. The laser scanner device 130 has the function of scanning the periphery of the vehicle by emitting, for example, pulsed near-infrared laser light, and detecting the presence or absence of an object, the relative position of the object to the vehicle, the shape of the object, etc., based on the presence or absence of reflected light and the time difference until the reflected light returns.

[0014] The high precision map database 140 stores data relating to high precision three-dimensional map data (HD map) within the range in which the vehicle 1 is expected to travel. This data is three-dimensional data including information on latitude, longitude, and altitude, for example, of lanes, road shoulder edges, lane markings (so-called white lines), etc., with a resolution of, for example, centimeters. The positioning device 150 includes a receiver for a quasi-zenith satellite system such as GPS, a road-to-vehicle communication device, a gyro sensor for autonomous navigation, and the like, and detects the current position of the vehicle 1.

[0015] The driving assistance control unit 200 performs driving assistance control such as guiding the driver's field of view and guiding driving operations based on the environment around the vehicle recognized by the environment recognition unit 100 and the driving state of the vehicle 1 recognized based on the output of each unit and sensor described below.

[0016] A head-up display 210 is connected to the driving assistance control unit 200. The head-up display 210 is an image display device that displays images such as figures and characters superimposed on the field of view that the driver views ahead of the vehicle through a windshield (not shown). The head-up display 210 is provided, for example, on an upper portion of an instrument panel provided at the front of the vehicle interior. The head-up display 210 projects an image that is focused at a point at infinity, for example, onto the windshield.

[0017] The driving assistance control unit 200 includes a driving scenario generation unit 201, a gaze area setting unit 202, a steering operation prediction unit 203, a deceleration operation prediction unit 204, an acceleration operation prediction unit 205, an image generation unit 206, and the like. The driving scenario generation unit 201 generates a driving scenario consisting of information on the driving line that the vehicle 1 will travel in the future and the vehicle speed, behavior, etc. at each point on the driving line, based on the environment ahead of the vehicle provided by the environment recognition unit 100 and the current driving state of the vehicle 1 (vehicle speed, acceleration, behavior, etc.). The driving assistance control unit 200 has a function of guiding the driver in driving operations for actually driving the vehicle 1 in accordance with the driving scenario.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a driving line when a vehicle passes through a curved road. FIG. 2 shows an example of a right curve when driving on the left side of the road. When the vehicle 1 is driven by a driver with relatively high driving skills, the vehicle 1 often follows a driving line known as out-in-out in order to suppress the curvature of the turning trajectory of the vehicle. In this case, at a position P1 immediately before entering the curve, the vehicle is positioned to the left (outside) of the lane in preparation for the right curve.

[0019] Thereafter, the vehicle 1 starts turning by braking as necessary to slow down and steering to the right by the driver. At position P2 immediately after starting the turn, the vehicle V1 is in a state where it has a yaw angle θ with respect to the direction of travel in the lane, so that the front of the vehicle body faces the clipping point CP (the point where the driving line is furthest to the inside (inner side of the turn)).

[0020] As the vehicle 1 continues traveling and reaches clipping point position P3, the vehicle 1's driving line becomes closest to the inside of the lane. Around this time, the driver operates the accelerator (accelerates) while decreasing the steering angle, and the vehicle 1 begins to transition to a posture in which it is ready to exit the curve. At the exit start position P4, the vehicle 1 accelerates while decreasing the steering angle, and the in-lane lateral position gradually shifts to the outside. Thereafter, at an exit end position P5 after exiting the curve, the steering angle becomes substantially zero, and the vehicle 1 continues to accelerate up to a predetermined speed. At this time, the lateral position within the lane is along the outside of the curved road.

[0021] When the driving scenario generation unit 201 detects a situation in which the driver needs to perform some driving operation, such as when a curved road approaches ahead of the vehicle 1, it generates a driving scenario including such a series of driving actions.

[0022] The gaze area setting unit 202 sets a gaze area in front of the vehicle 1, which is an area that the driver should gaze at. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a field of view that a driver visually recognizes when the vehicle enters the curve shown in FIG. When the vehicle 1 is at a position P1 immediately before entering the curve in Figure 2, it is preferable for the driver to have a wide field of vision, from the entrance to the curve to at least as far ahead as is visible, in order to understand the curvature of the curve. Then, when entering a curved road (for example, position P2 immediately after starting to turn in Figure 2), it is preferable to grasp the curvature of the curved road, then narrow your field of view to focus on the front side (the exit side of the curved road), and focus on checking the road surface conditions along the driving line of your vehicle and whether or not there is an oncoming vehicle OV. Then, after passing the clipping point CP, when accelerating while shifting the driving line to the outside toward the exit of the curved road, it is preferable to guide the line of sight to the area passing through during acceleration.

[0023] When the vehicle 1 passes through a curved road, the fixation area setting unit 202 successively changes the fixation area in accordance with the transition of the traveling location of the vehicle 1 from when it enters to when it exits, as described above. In addition, the gaze area setting unit 202 sets the gaze area to include, for example, if there are features in the terrain ahead of the vehicle 1 that require attention (such as a tunnel entrance, for example), or if there are traffic lights, signs, etc.

[0024] The steering operation prediction unit 203 predicts the steering operation that the driver will perform in the future based on the driving scenario generated by the driving scenario generation unit 201. The steering operation prediction unit 203 predicts, for example, a time-series change in the steering angle from entering a curved road to exiting the curved road. Such a time-series change in the steering angle can be calculated using, for example, the shape of the lane ahead of the host vehicle provided by the environment recognition unit 100 and a vehicle motion model.

[0025] The braking operation prediction unit 204 predicts a braking operation (deceleration operation) that the driver will perform in the future, based on the driving scenario generated by the driving scenario generation unit 201. The braking operation prediction unit 204 predicts, for example, a time-series change in braking force (or brake pedal force) from entering a curved road to exiting the curved road. The braking operation prediction unit 204 estimates the braking start position (or braking start time) based on the target vehicle speed when entering a curved road in the driving scenario (for example, when steering starts) and the current vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 so that deceleration to the target vehicle speed is possible when braking is performed with a predetermined braking force (deceleration). In addition, when the environment recognition unit 100 recognizes that the approach point to the curved road is a downward slope, the braking operation prediction unit 204 determines that the deceleration situation is severe and corrects the braking start position to be farther away from the curved road.

[0026] The acceleration operation prediction unit 205 predicts an acceleration operation (accelerator operation) that the driver will perform in the future, based on the driving scenario generated by the driving scenario generation unit 201. The acceleration operation prediction unit 205 predicts, for example, a time-series change in the driving force (or accelerator operation amount) from entering a curved road to exiting the curved road. The acceleration operation prediction unit 205 predicts that when the vehicle 1 passes, for example, a clipping point CP on a curved road, the steering angle returns to its original position, and an acceleration operation is performed without causing any disturbance in the behavior of the vehicle 1, the acceleration operation of the vehicle 1 will be started so that the acceleration of the vehicle 1 reaches a predetermined value, and then the vehicle will transition to constant speed driving after reaching a predetermined vehicle speed.

[0027] The image generation unit 206 generates image data to be displayed on the head-up display 210 based on the outputs of the gaze area setting unit 202, the steering operation prediction unit 203, the braking operation prediction unit 204, and the acceleration operation prediction unit 205. Specific aspects of the image displayed on the head-up display 210 will be described in detail later.

[0028] The electric power steering control unit 310 controls a steering device (not shown) that steers the steered wheels (typically the front wheels) of the vehicle 1 to provide an assist force according to the steering operation of the driver D, or a steering force during automatic steering. The electric power steering control unit 310 is connected to a steering angle sensor 311, a torque sensor 312, a motor 313, and the like.

[0029] The steering angle sensor 311 is a sensor (steering angle detection unit) that detects the steering angle of the steering device. The torque sensor 312 is a sensor that detects the torque applied to a steering shaft to which a steering wheel (not shown) that the driver D steers is connected. The electric power steering control unit 310 generates an assist force in accordance with the torque detected by the torque sensor 312 . The motor 313 is an electric actuator that applies an assist force and a steering force to the steering device and generates a rack thrust. The output of the motor 313 is controlled by the electric power steering control unit 310 . The outputs of the steering angle sensor 311 and the torque sensor 312 are transmitted to the driving assistance control unit 200 and used to generate a driving scenario.

[0030] The power unit control unit 320 controls the power source for running the vehicle 1 and its accessories in an integrated manner. As a power source for running, for example, an internal combustion engine (ICE), an electric motor, an engine-electric motor hybrid system, or the like can be used. The power unit control unit 320 sets the required torque based on, for example, the amount of operation of an accelerator pedal (not shown), and controls the driving power source so that the actual torque generated by the driving power source matches the required torque. Information relating to the accelerator pedal operation amount and the torque required from the driving power source is transmitted to the driving assistance control unit 200 and used to generate a driving scenario.

[0031] The brake control unit 330 controls the braking force of the brake devices provided on the front, rear, left and right wheels of the vehicle individually (for each wheel). The braking device may be configured to include, for example, a hydraulic disc brake. The brake control unit 330 is connected to a hydraulic control unit 331, a vehicle speed sensor 332, an acceleration sensor 333, a yaw rate sensor 334, and the like.

[0032] The hydraulic control unit 331 is a hydraulic pressure control device that individually adjusts the brake fluid pressure in the wheel cylinders (not shown) of the respective wheels. The hydraulic control unit 331 includes an electric pump that pressurizes the brake fluid, and a pressure increase valve, a pressure reduction valve, a pressure maintenance valve, and the like that control the brake fluid pressure in each wheel cylinder.

[0033] The hydraulic control unit 331 is connected to a master cylinder, wheel cylinders, etc. (not shown) via brake fluid piping. The master cylinder pressurizes brake fluid in response to the operation of a brake pedal (not shown) by the driver to perform a braking operation. The brake fluid pressure generated by the master cylinder is transmitted to the wheel cylinders via a hydraulic control unit 331. The hydraulic control unit 331 has a function of increasing or decreasing the brake fluid pressure in each wheel cylinder by overriding the brake fluid pressure generated by the master cylinder. The wheel cylinder is provided on each wheel and presses a brake pad against a disc rotor, for example, to generate a friction force (braking force) according to the brake fluid pressure.

[0034] The vehicle speed sensor 332 is provided on a hub portion that rotatably supports each wheel, and is a sensor that generates a vehicle speed signal corresponding to the rotation speed of each wheel. The acceleration sensor 333 is a sensor (acceleration / deceleration detection unit) that detects acceleration acting on the vehicle body in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction (vehicle width direction). The yaw rate sensor 334 is a sensor that detects the yaw rate, which is the angular velocity of rotation (spin) around the vertical axis of the vehicle body. Information regarding brake fluid pressure (correlated with braking force) and outputs of the vehicle speed sensor 332, acceleration sensor 333, and yaw rate sensor 334 are transmitted to the driving assistance control unit 200 and used to generate a driving scenario.

[0035] Hereinafter, specific aspects of the image displayed on the head-up display 210 in the driving assistance device of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of a head-up display in the driving assistance device of the first embodiment. 4(a) to 4(e) show an example of a state when traveling on the curved road shown in FIG. 2, for example.

[0036] The display image 500 has a right gaze area index 510 and a left gaze area index 520 . The right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 are triangular figures that protrude upward from the bottom edge of the display area in the display image 500 and have narrower upper edges. The right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 are arranged spaced apart in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction). The interval between the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 indicates the gaze area set by the gaze area setting unit 202 .

[0037] FIG. 4(a) shows a state where a curved road is approaching and the driver is guided to widen his field of vision to help him judge the curvature of the curved road. The right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 are spaced farther apart to encourage the driver to widen his or her field of vision. The left end of the right gaze area index 510 and the right end of the left gaze area index 520 are both arranged parallel to each other along the vertical direction of the display image 500 . The heights of the upper ends of the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 are the same.

[0038] FIG. 4(b) shows a state in which a curved road is approaching and the driver is prompted to brake in accordance with the prediction result of the braking operation prediction unit 204. The display colors of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 are changed from normal to a color that is reminiscent of braking (for example, red that is reminiscent of a brake light). In addition, the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 are inclined (inclined inward) so that their upper ends approach each other. This inclination makes the driver feel a sense of blockage, and psychologically, they intuitively feel the need to apply the brakes. The width W1 of the lower end of the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 indicates the magnitude of the required braking force (brake pressing force). The lengths of the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 indicate the length of the expected braking distance.

[0039] FIG. 4(c) shows a state in which braking when entering a curved road is completed and the driver is prompted to perform a steering operation to provide a rightward steering angle in accordance with the prediction result of the steering operation prediction unit 203. The display colors of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 return to their normal display colors. The upper end of the right gaze area indicator 510 is lower than the upper end of the left gaze area indicator 520, thereby prompting the driver to turn the steering wheel to the right (clockwise). The height difference H1 between the upper end of the right gaze area index 510 and the upper end of the left gaze area index 520 indicates the magnitude of the required steering angle.

[0040] FIG. 4(d) shows a state in which the driver's gaze is guided toward the exit of a curved road. The right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 are spaced apart from each other in a state where the direct field of view of the curved road exit is included in the space between them, and the distance between them becomes narrower than in the state shown in FIG. 4(a), guiding the driver to narrow their field of view. This makes it possible to prompt the driver to pay close attention to the exit of the curved road.

[0041] FIG. 4(e) shows a state in which the driver is prompted to perform an acceleration operation in accordance with the prediction result of the acceleration operation prediction unit 205 when exiting a curved road. The display colors of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 are different from those during normal operation and braking, and are changed to a color that is linked to accelerator operation (for example, green that is reminiscent of a green traffic light). In addition, the upper ends of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 are inclined (inclined outward) in a direction away from each other. This inclination gives the driver the impression that the road ahead of the vehicle is open, and psychologically, the driver intuitively feels the desire to operate the accelerator. The width W2 of the lower end of at least one of the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 indicates an appropriate acceleration (amount of accelerator operation). In addition, in the example shown in Figure 4(e), the left gaze area index 520 is tilted to the left, and the upper end of the right gaze area index 510 is lower than the upper end of the left gaze area index 520, indicating that the vehicle is accelerating and moving in the leftward direction, and that a steering angle to the right is still required.

[0042] In addition, if the driver does not perform the braking, steering, or acceleration operations appropriately in accordance with the above-mentioned display image 500, the driving assistance unit 210 may issue commands to the brake control unit 330, the electric power steering control unit 310, and the power unit control unit 320, and intervene in driving assistance control or automatic driving control to automatically perform braking, steering, and acceleration in accordance with the driving scenario.

[0043] According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) By changing the distance between the right gaze area index 510 and the left gaze area index 520 in accordance with the change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to guide the driver to widen or narrow their field of view, thereby assisting the driver in making appropriate situational judgments. (2) The display color and inclination of the right-side gaze area indicator 510 and the left-side gaze area indicator 520 are changed to prompt the driver to brake, and the width W1 of the lower end of the right-side gaze area indicator 510 and the left-side gaze area indicator 520 is used to indicate the required braking force (brake pressure), thereby allowing the driver to perform appropriate braking. (3) The heights of the upper ends of the right gaze area indicator 510 and the left gaze area indicator 520 are made different to encourage the driver to steer, and the height difference H indicates the required steering angle (amount of steering operation), allowing the driver to perform appropriate steering operation. (4) The display color and inclination of the right-side gaze area index 510 and the left-side gaze area index 520 are changed to prompt the driver to accelerate (accelerate), and the width W2 of the lower end of the right-side gaze area index 510 and the left-side gaze area index 520 is used to indicate the required acceleration force (amount of accelerator operation), thereby allowing the driver to perform an appropriate acceleration operation. Also, the inclination of the right-side gaze area index 510 and the left-side gaze area index 520 can indicate the direction in which the vehicle will accelerate.

[0044] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of a driving assistance device to which the present invention is applied will be described. In the second embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted, and the differences will be mainly described. In the second embodiment, as will be described below, the specific form of the image displayed on the head-up display 210 differs from that in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of a head-up display in the driving assistance device of the second embodiment. 5(a) to 5(e) show an example of a state when traveling on the curved road shown in FIG.

[0045] The display image 600 has a gaze area indicator 610 . The gaze area indicator 610 is, for example, an elliptical figure having a major axis extending in the left-right direction under normal circumstances. The inside of the gaze area indicator 610 indicates the gaze area set by the gaze area setting unit 202.

[0046] FIG. 5(a) shows a state where a curved road is approaching and the driver is guided to widen his field of vision to help him judge the curvature of the curved road. The gaze area indicator 610 encourages the driver to widen his or her field of vision by increasing the width W11. Furthermore, the height H11 of the gaze area indicator 610 indicates the distance at which the driver should gaze (the farther from the host vehicle, the larger H11).

[0047] FIG. 5(b) shows a state in which a curved road is approaching and the driver is prompted to brake in accordance with the prediction result of the braking operation prediction unit 204. The display color of the gaze area indicator 610 is changed from the normal color to a color that is reminiscent of a brake operation (for example, red that is reminiscent of a brake light). The gaze area index 610 has a reduced width W12 and an increased height H12 compared to the state shown in FIG. 5(a). Here, the width W12 indicates the magnitude of the required braking force (brake pedal force), and the height H12 indicates the length of the expected braking distance.

[0048] FIG. 5(c) shows a state in which braking when entering a curved road is completed and the driver is prompted to perform a steering operation to provide a rightward steering angle in accordance with the prediction result of the steering operation prediction unit 203. The display color of the gaze area indicator 610 returns to the normal display color. The gaze area indicator 610 is tilted (rotated) so that the right end is lower than the left end, thereby prompting the driver to turn the steering wheel to the right (clockwise). The tilt angle of the gaze area indicator 610 indicates the magnitude of the required steering angle.

[0049] FIG. 5(d) shows a state in which the driver's gaze is guided toward the exit side of a curved road. When the direct field of view of the curved road exit portion is included inside the gaze area indicator 610, the width W13 becomes narrower than in the state shown in FIG. 5(a), guiding the driver to narrow the field of view. This makes it possible to prompt the driver to pay close attention to the exit of the curved road.

[0050] FIG. 5(e) shows a state in which the driver is prompted to perform an acceleration operation in accordance with the prediction result of the acceleration operation prediction unit 205 when exiting a curved road. The display color of the gaze area indicator 610 is different from that of the normal state and when braking, and is changed to a color that is linked to accelerator operation (for example, green that is reminiscent of a green traffic light). The upper end of the gaze area indicator 610 protrudes diagonally upward to the left. The width W14 of the lower part of the gaze area indicator 610 indicates an appropriate acceleration (amount of accelerator operation). In the example shown in FIG. 5(e), the upper end of the gaze area indicator 610 protrudes diagonally upward to the left, indicating that the vehicle is accelerating and moving leftward.

[0051] According to the second embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) By changing the width of the gaze area indicator 610 in accordance with the change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to guide the driver to widen or narrow their field of view, thereby assisting the driver in making appropriate situational judgments. (2) The display color and shape of the gaze area indicator 610 are changed to prompt the driver to brake, and the width W12 of the gaze area indicator 610 is used to indicate the required braking force (brake pressure), thereby enabling the driver to perform appropriate braking. (3) The tilt (rotation) of the gaze area indicator 610 prompts the driver to perform a steering operation, and the tilt angle indicates the required steering angle (amount of steering operation), thereby allowing the driver to perform an appropriate steering operation. (4) The display color and shape of the gaze area indicator 610 are changed to prompt the driver to accelerate (accelerate), and the width W14 of the lower part of the gaze area indicator 610 is used to indicate the required acceleration force (amount of accelerator operation), thereby allowing the driver to perform an appropriate acceleration operation. In addition, the protruding direction of the upper part of the gaze area indicator 610 can indicate the direction in which the vehicle will accelerate.

[0052] (Variation) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible, and these are also within the technical scope of the present invention. (1) The configurations of the driving assistance device and the vehicle, and the specific aspects of the images displayed by the driving assistance device are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be modified as appropriate. For example, the configuration and connections of each unit and sensor are not limited to those in the embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. (2) The specific form of the image displayed on the head-up display in the embodiment is an example, and the shape, color, arrangement, configuration, etc. of the indicators can be changed as appropriate. In addition to these indicators, other information such as vehicle speed may also be displayed simultaneously. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1 vehicle 100 Environmental recognition unit 110 Visible light camera device 120 Millimeter wave radar device 130 Laser scanner device 140 High-precision map database 150 Positioning device 200 Driving assistance unit 201 Driving scenario generation unit 202 gaze area setting unit 203 steering operation prediction unit 204 Deceleration operation prediction unit 205 Acceleration operation prediction unit 206 Image generation unit 210 Head-up display 310 Electric Power Steering Control Unit 311 Steering angle sensor 312 Torque sensor 313 Motor 320 Power unit control unit 330 Brake Control Unit 331 Hydraulic Control Unit 332 Vehicle speed sensor 333 Acceleration sensor 334 Yaw rate sensor 500 Display image (first embodiment) 510 Right gaze area index 520 Left gaze area index 600 Display image (second embodiment) 610 Gaze area index

Claims

1. an environment recognition unit that recognizes the environment around the vehicle; a running state recognition unit that recognizes the running state of the vehicle; a gaze area setting unit that sets a gaze area that a driver of the vehicle should gaze at based on outputs of the environment recognition unit and the running state recognition unit; an image display device that displays a gaze area indicator indicating the gaze area in a superimposed manner within a field of view in which the driver can see ahead of the vehicle; a steering operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver will perform a steering operation; A driving assistance device comprising: The gaze area indicator changes a size in the vehicle width direction or an interval between a plurality of indicators arranged in the vehicle width direction in accordance with a change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction; the image display device changes a display mode of the gaze area indicator to indicate at least one of a steering direction and a steering operation amount of the steering operation in accordance with a prediction of a situation in which the steering operation will be performed; and A driving assistance device characterized by the above.

2. an environment recognition unit that recognizes the environment around the vehicle; a running state recognition unit that recognizes the running state of the vehicle; a gaze area setting unit that sets a gaze area that a driver of the vehicle should gaze at based on outputs of the environment recognition unit and the running state recognition unit; an image display device that displays a gaze area indicator indicating the gaze area in a superimposed manner within a field of view in which the driver can see ahead of the vehicle; a deceleration operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver will perform a deceleration operation; A driving assistance device comprising: The gaze area indicator changes a size in the vehicle width direction or an interval between a plurality of indicators arranged in the vehicle width direction in accordance with a change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction; the image display device changes a display mode of the gaze area indicator to indicate at least one of a braking force and a braking distance in the deceleration operation in accordance with a prediction of a situation in which the deceleration operation will be performed; and A driving assistance device characterized by the above.

3. an environment recognition unit that recognizes the environment around the vehicle; a running state recognition unit that recognizes the running state of the vehicle; a gaze area setting unit that sets a gaze area that a driver of the vehicle should gaze at based on outputs of the environment recognition unit and the running state recognition unit; an image display device that displays a gaze area indicator indicating the gaze area in a superimposed manner within a field of view in which the driver can see ahead of the vehicle; an acceleration operation prediction unit that predicts a situation in which the driver will perform an acceleration operation; A driving assistance device comprising: The gaze area indicator changes a size in the vehicle width direction or an interval between a plurality of indicators arranged in the vehicle width direction in accordance with a change in the width of the gaze area in the vehicle width direction; the image display device changes a display mode of the gaze area indicator to indicate at least one of an acceleration and an acceleration direction of the acceleration operation in accordance with a prediction of a situation in which the acceleration operation will be performed; A driving assistance device characterized by the above.

Images