vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle capable of executing control that reduces a sense of discomfort to be given to a driver who drives the vehicle, even for a route on which the vehicle travels for the first time.SOLUTION: A vehicle includes: a storage 120 configured to store past ones of steering wheel steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information in association with past front image information; an obtainer 110 configured to obtain current ones of steering wheel steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information in association with current front image information; an extractor 130 configured to extract, from the stored information, one that completely or nearly corresponds to road information obtained from the current front image information, of the past ones of steering wheel steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information; a comparator 140 configured to compare the obtained current ones of the steering wheel steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information, with the extracted past ones of the steering wheel steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information, so as to detect a difference value; and a controller 150 configured to execute, when the difference value exceeds a predetermined value, a notification that the difference value exceeds the predetermined value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, for example, at deceleration-required points where vehicle deceleration is necessary, such as intersections, driving support technologies have been known that learn the vehicle operations by the driver so far and start braking control and the like at positions according to the driver's preferences.

[0003] As this type of technology, for example, map information storage means for storing map information of deceleration-required points, a vehicle position detection unit for detecting the position of the vehicle, a deceleration and other operation detection unit for detecting operations such as deceleration of the vehicle, and a deceleration and other operation position learning unit for learning the position where deceleration and other operations are performed, which is a position before the deceleration-required point, are provided. The deceleration and other operation position learning unit discloses a technology for learning deceleration and other operations in association with the separation distance from the deceleration-required point of the position where deceleration and other operations are performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Also, as a similar technology, there is a driving support device 1 that performs driving support based on driving data while the driver is performing driving operations to drive the vehicle. The driving support device 1 includes a storage unit that stores the vehicle speed at each position on the driving route using the vehicle speed acquired when the driver is performing acceleration and deceleration operations to drive the vehicle, and a travel control unit that performs travel control based on the vehicle speed at each position stored in this storage unit and the current position of the vehicle. The travel control unit discloses a technology for ending travel control when the vehicle speed becomes less than a threshold value during deceleration by travel control (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

[0006] However, the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 both learn the driver's vehicle operation on routes that have been previously driven and perform driving assistance control on the same route based on the learned results. However, they have the problem that the driving control does not function on routes that are being driven for the first time.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a vehicle that performs control that does not cause any discomfort to the driver, even when driving a route for the first time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Embodiment 1; One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a vehicle comprising: a storage unit that stores past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information linked to forward image information; an acquisition unit that acquires current steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, vehicle speed information, and forward image information; an extraction unit that extracts past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information that matches or is similar to road information obtained from the current forward image information from the information stored in the storage unit; a comparison unit that compares the acquired current steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information with the extracted past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information and detects a difference value; and a control unit that notifies the vehicle if the detected difference value exceeds a predetermined value.

[0009] Embodiment 2; One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a vehicle comprising a driving control unit that controls the driving state, wherein the control unit instructs the driving control unit to perform driving control if the difference value exceeds a predetermined value even after notification.

[0010] Embodiment 3; One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a vehicle characterized in that the operation information of the accelerator or brake includes the operation timing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, there is an effect that control can be performed without causing any discomfort to the driver, even on routes that are being driven for the first time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure illustrates a portion of the database stored in the storage unit of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows the shape of an intersection as an example of a road shape in a database stored in the storage unit of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure illustrates the timing of notification execution in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates the timing at which the driving control process intervenes in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows the processing of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] <Embodiment> Vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

[0014] <Vehicle 1 configuration> As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 110, a storage unit 120, an extraction unit 130, a comparison unit 140, a control unit 150, a notification unit 160, a travel control unit 170, a steering angle sensor 181, an acceleration sensor 182, a vehicle speed sensor 183, and an imaging device 184.

[0015] The acquisition unit 110 acquires current steering operation information, accelerator or brake operation information, vehicle speed information, and front image information. Specifically, the steering operation information is acquired from the sensor output of the steering angle sensor 181, the accelerator or brake operation information is acquired from the sensor output of the acceleration sensor 182, the vehicle speed information is acquired from the sensor output of the vehicle speed sensor 183, and the front image information is acquired from the video output of the imaging device 184. Note that it is preferable that the accelerator or brake operation information includes the operation timing. Here, the steering angle sensor 181 is a sensor that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel. For example, it is attached to the steering shaft and outputs a signal corresponding to the steering direction, neutral position, and steering angle. The acceleration sensor 182 is a type of inertial sensor that detects the magnitude of the acceleration of the vehicle. There are types such as a resistance wire strain gauge, semiconductor gauge, piezoelectric element, capacitance, differential transformer type, etc., and any type may be used for the type. In the present embodiment, the operation information of the accelerator or brake, which is one of the behaviors, is obtained from the sensor output of the acceleration sensor 182 and will be described as an example. The vehicle speed sensor 183 is a sensor that detects the traveling speed of the vehicle. For example, it detects the rotational speed of the output shaft. Note that the vehicle speed sensor 183 may be a vehicle speed pulse sensor or the like. The imaging device 184 includes a monocular camera or a stereo camera and acquires an image in front of the vehicle. Note that the image includes a still image or a moving image. The current steering operation information, accelerator or brake operation information, vehicle speed information, forward image information, etc. obtained in the acquisition unit 110 are output to the extraction unit 130 or the comparison unit 140.

[0016] The storage unit 120 stores the past steering operation information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information in association with the forward image information in the form of a database. For example, FIG. 2 shows a cut-out part of the database. "A" in "road shape" is a general intersection as shown in FIG. 3, "B" is an intersection where the driving road slopes downward to the lower left with respect to the vehicle's traveling direction, and "C" is an intersection where the driving road slopes upward to the upper left with respect to the vehicle's traveling direction. Although not shown in the figure, "D" has the same road shape as "A", "E" has the same road shape as "B", and "F" has the same road shape as "C", which are intersections where the road slopes upward until the intersection. "G" (not shown) has the same road shape as "A", "H" has the same road shape as "B", and "I" has the same road shape as "C", which are intersections where the road slopes downward until the intersection. And at point P in front of the intersection with these road shapes, it shows how the steering angle, accelerator operation, brake operation, and vehicle speed were in the past. Specifically, the steering angle, accelerator operation, and brake operation are classified into five levels according to the degree of operation. Since the location of point P in FIG. 3 is the location before entering the intersection, neither the steering angle nor the accelerator operation is present, that is, it is "0". On the other hand, point P in Figure 3 is a deceleration point before entering the intersection. Therefore, in road shape "A", the degree of braking is "3", and the vehicle speed at that time is 20 km / h. In road shape "B", a sudden steering maneuver is required at the intersection, so the degree of braking is "4", which is stronger than in road shape "A", and the vehicle speed at that time is 15 km / h. In road shape "C", a gentle steering maneuver is required at the intersection, so the degree of braking is "2", which is stronger than in road shape "A", and the vehicle speed at that time is 25 km / h. Furthermore, in road shape "D," the road slopes uphill to the intersection, so the braking force is weaker than in road shape "A" (rated "2"), and the vehicle speed at that time is 25 km / h. In road shape "E," a sudden steering maneuver is required at the intersection, so the braking force is weaker than in road shape "B" (rated "3"), and the vehicle speed at that time is 20 km / h. In road shape "F," a gentle steering maneuver is required at the intersection, so the braking force is weaker than in road shape "C" (rated "2"), and the vehicle speed at that time is 30 km / h. Furthermore, in road shape "G," the road slopes downhill to the intersection, so the braking force is stronger than in road shape "A" (rated "4"), and the vehicle speed at that time is 15 km / h. In road shape "H," a sudden steering maneuver is required at the intersection, so the braking force is stronger than in road shape "B" (rated "5"), and the vehicle speed at that time is 10 km / h. In road shape "I," a gentle steering maneuver is required at the intersection, so the braking force is stronger than in road shape "C" (rated "3"), and the vehicle speed at that time is 20 km / h. Furthermore, the information in the memory unit 120 is updated as the acquisition unit 110 acquires current steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, vehicle speed information, and forward image information. However, duplicate information may be deleted to make effective use of the memory capacity.

[0017] The extraction unit 130 extracts past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information from the information stored in the storage unit 120 that match or are similar to the road information obtained from the current forward image information. The information extracted by the extraction unit 130 is output to the comparison unit 140, which will be described later.

[0018] The comparison unit 140 compares the current steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information acquired by the acquisition unit 110 with the past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information extracted by the extraction unit 130, and detects the difference value. The difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 is output to the control unit 150, which will be described later.

[0019] The control unit 150 controls the operation of the entire vehicle 1 according to a control program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like (not shown). In this embodiment, the control unit 150, in particular, causes the notification unit 160 (described later) to notify the user if the difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 exceeds a predetermined value. Here, "predetermined value" can refer to values ​​verified from the perspective of safe vehicle operation, etc. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the control unit 150, when the vehicle speed of vehicle 1 at position P is Y km / h, which is faster than the vehicle speed X km / h in similar past cases, and the difference value (YX) km / h exceeds a predetermined value, causes the notification unit 160 to notify the user of this fact. Furthermore, if the difference value exceeds a predetermined value even after notification, the control unit 150 instructs the driving control unit 170, which will be described later, to perform driving control. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the control unit 150 instructs the driving control unit 170 to perform driving control if, despite the notification unit 160 notifying that the difference value (YX) km / h at position P exceeds a predetermined value, the situation does not change even when the vehicle reaches position Q.

[0020] The notification unit 160 is a speaker, display, or vibrator installed in a seat, etc., and in response to a control signal from the control unit 150, it notifies the driver that the difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 has exceeded a predetermined value, using voice, text, graphic display, or vibration.

[0021] The driving control unit 170 performs driving support control based on the control signal from the control unit 150. Specifically, the driving control unit 170 performs intervention control in response to control values ​​related to steering, accelerator or brake operation, and vehicle speed included in the control signals from the control unit 150.

[0022] <Processing of Vehicle 1> The processing of vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be explained using Figure 6.

[0023] As shown in Figure 6, the acquisition unit 110 acquires current steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, vehicle speed information, and forward image information (step S110). The information collected by the acquisition unit 110 is output to the extraction unit 130 or the comparison unit 140.

[0024] The extraction unit 130 extracts past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information from the information stored in the storage unit 120 that match or are similar to the road information obtained from the current forward image information (step S120). The information extracted by the extraction unit 130 is output to the comparison unit 140.

[0025] The comparison unit 140 compares the current steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information acquired by the acquisition unit 110 with the past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information extracted by the extraction unit 130, and detects the difference value (step S130). The difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 is output to the control unit 150.

[0026] The control unit 150 determines whether the difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 is greater than a predetermined value (step S140). If the control unit 150 determines that the difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 is less than the predetermined value (NO in step S140), it terminates the process.

[0027] On the other hand, if the control unit 150 determines that the difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 is greater than a predetermined value (YES in step S140), it causes the notification unit 160 to notify the user of this fact (step S150).

[0028] After notification by the notification unit 160, the control unit 150, after a predetermined time has elapsed, determines again whether the difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 is greater than a predetermined value (step S160). If the control unit 150 determines that the difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 is less than the predetermined value ("NO" in step S160), it terminates the process.

[0029] On the other hand, if the control unit 150 determines that the difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 is greater than a predetermined value ("YES" in step S160), it instructs the driving control unit 170 to perform driving control.

[0030] The driving control unit 170 executes the driving control process based on the instructions from the control unit 150 (step S170), and the control unit 150 terminates the process.

[0031] <Effects and Actions> As described above, in the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, the extraction unit 130 extracts past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information from the information stored in the storage unit 120 that match or are similar to the road information obtained from the current forward image information acquired by the acquisition unit 110. The comparison unit 140 compares the current steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information acquired by the acquisition unit 110 with the past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information extracted by the extraction unit 130 and detects the difference value. Then, if the difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit 150 has the notification unit 160 notify the system accordingly. In other words, the extraction unit 130 uses road information as a key to extract past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information linked to road information from the information stored in the storage unit 120 that match or are similar to the road information obtained from the current forward image information acquired by the acquisition unit 110. This allows us to obtain information to verify whether current driving practices on matching or similar roads are appropriate compared to previous driving practices. Furthermore, the comparison unit 140 compares the current steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information acquired by the acquisition unit 110 with the past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information extracted by the extraction unit 130, and detects the difference value. This allows the unit to obtain quantified data for verifying whether the current driving operation on a matching or similar road is appropriate compared to past driving operations. Furthermore, if the difference value detected by the comparison unit 140 exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit 150 determines that the current driving operation on the matching or similar road deviates from the previous driving operation, and notifies the system of this fact via the notification unit 160. Therefore, even on routes being driven for the first time, the system can perform controls that do not cause any discomfort to the driver.

[0032] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment includes a driving control unit 170 that controls the driving state, and the control unit 150 instructs the driving control unit 170 to perform driving control if the difference value exceeds a predetermined value even after notification. In other words, if the discrepancy between the current driving operation on a matching or similar road and the previous driving operation is not resolved even with the notification from the notification unit 160, the control unit 150 will determine that this could not only cause discomfort to the driver but also have a significant impact on the safe operation of vehicle 1, and will activate the driving control to prevent danger without causing discomfort to the driver. Therefore, even on routes being driven for the first time, the system can perform controls that do not cause any discomfort to the driver.

[0033] Furthermore, in the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, the operation information for the accelerator or brake includes the operation timing. In other words, information about accelerator or brake operation includes not only whether or not the accelerator or brake was operated, the degree of operation, and the timing of the operation. This allows us to understand the degree of acceleration or braking at each given moment, enabling a more detailed comparison by capturing the difference between current and past operations over time on matching or similar roads. Even if the discrepancy between current and past operations cannot be resolved, the driving control system can be activated at the appropriate time. Therefore, even on routes being driven for the first time, the system can perform controls that do not cause any discomfort to the driver.

[0034] <Example 1> In this embodiment, the memory unit 120 is shown to store past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information linked to forward image information. However, it is preferable that the forward image information includes not only the road shape but also information on surrounding features. Generally, the road conditions that drivers perceive can appear different depending on whether there are many buildings near an intersection or no buildings at all. In an intersection with good visibility and no buildings, drivers may speed up or brake later than usual. Therefore, using information including not only the road shape but also surrounding features as a key, the extraction unit 130 extracts past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information that match or are similar to this information from the information stored in the storage unit 120. This enables control that does not cause any discomfort to the driver, even on routes being driven for the first time.

[0035] <Modification 2> In this embodiment, the memory unit 120 is shown to store past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information linked to forward image information. However, it is preferable that the forward image information includes not only the road shape but also information on the brightness of the road surroundings, especially at night. In general, for example, differences in brightness near intersections can cause drivers to perceive road conditions differently, and if driving control is implemented without taking brightness near intersections into account, it is conceivable that this could cause unnecessary fear in the driver. Therefore, using information including not only the road shape but also the brightness of the surrounding area as a key, the extraction unit 130 extracts past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information that match or are similar to this information from the information stored in the storage unit 120. This enables control that does not cause any discomfort to the driver, even on routes being driven for the first time.

[0036] <Variation 3> In this embodiment, the memory unit 120 is shown to store past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information linked to forward image information. However, it is preferable that the forward image information includes not only road shape but also weather information. Generally, the road conditions that a driver perceives may appear different in sunny and rainy conditions, and if driving control is performed without taking weather information into account, it is conceivable that this could cause unnecessary fear in the driver. Therefore, using information including not only road shape but also weather information as a key, the extraction unit 130 extracts past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information that match or are similar to this information from the information stored in the storage unit 120. This enables control that does not cause any discomfort to the driver, even on routes being driven for the first time.

[0037] Furthermore, the processing of the control unit 150, the driving control unit 170, etc., can be recorded on a recording medium readable by a computer system, and the program recorded on this recording medium can be read and executed by the control unit 150, the driving control unit 170, etc., thereby realizing the vehicles 1 and 1A of the present invention. The computer system referred to here includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices.

[0038] Furthermore, "computer system" includes the homepage provisioning environment (or display environment) if the WWW (World Wide Web) system is being used. The above program may also be transmitted from the computer system in which the program is stored to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. Here, "transmission medium" for transmitting the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line.

[0039] Furthermore, the above program may be intended to implement some of the functions described above. It may also be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can implement the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system.

[0040] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1; Vehicle 110;Acquisition Department 120;Memory part 130;Extraction part 140; Comparison Section 150; Control Unit 160; Hochi Department 170; Driving control unit 181; Steering angle sensor 182; Accelerometer 183; Vehicle speed sensor 184; Imaging device

Claims

1. A memory unit that stores past steering input information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information linked to forward image information, An acquisition unit that acquires current steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, vehicle speed information, and forward image information. An extraction unit extracts past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information from the information stored in the storage unit that match or are similar to the road information obtained from the current forward image information. A comparison unit compares the acquired current steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information with the extracted past steering information, accelerator or brake operation information, and vehicle speed information, and detects the difference value. A control unit that notifies when the detected difference value exceeds a predetermined value, A vehicle characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. It is equipped with a driving control unit that controls the driving state, The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit instructs the driving control unit to perform driving control if the difference value exceeds a predetermined value even after notification.

3. The vehicle according to either claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operation information of the accelerator or brake includes the operation timing.

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