JP2006153560A - Driving support information display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a travel supporting information display system capable of effectively supporting the travel of vehicles at continuous corners. <P>SOLUTION: A travel supporting information system for displaying information for supporting travel through continuous corners in which two or more corners continue is provided with both a means for detecting the approach of the vehicle to continuous corners on the basis of current position information of the vehicle and given map information and a display output means for outputting one graphic display 70 indicating the directions and degrees of curves of the first and second corners, which constitutes the continuous corners in which the second corner starts when the first one ends, onto a display 14 in such a mode that a user can grasp the dimensions of the first and second corners at a glance in the case that the approach of the vehicle to the continuous corners has been detected. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support information display device that displays information for driving support in a continuous corner in which two or more corners are continuous.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for obtaining information such as a curve direction (curve), a radius of curvature, a length, and a gradient angle of a map data (corner) and displaying and outputting such information in a visually easy-to-understand manner is known (for example, , See Patent Document 1).
JP-A-9-189565

  By the way, the above-mentioned prior art outputs a graphic display of a single corner, and is not sufficient as a vehicle running support in a continuous corner because no special consideration is given to a continuous corner in which a corner is continuous. There is one side. For example, if the first corner is slow and the second corner that is steep immediately continues, if the driver only knows the shape of the first corner, the driver cannot decelerate to a sufficient speed before the second corner, Alternatively, even if the vehicle can be decelerated, there may be a case where rapid deceleration is necessary.

  The present invention has been made in view of such inconveniences, and an object thereof is to provide a travel support information display device that enables effective vehicle travel support in a continuous corner.

In order to solve the above-described problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a travel support information display device that displays information for travel support in a continuous corner in which two or more corners are continuous.
Means for detecting the proximity of the vehicle to a continuous corner forward in the direction of travel based on the current position information of the vehicle and the given map information;
When the proximity of the vehicle to the continuous corner is detected, the first and second are controlled in such a manner that the user can grasp at a glance the state of at least the first corner and the subsequent second corner constituting the continuous corner. There is provided a driving support information display device comprising display output means for outputting one graphic display representing a corner bending direction and a bending degree on a display.

  In this aspect, in the case of the vehicle control device that displays information for driving support in a continuous corner in which three or more corners are continuous, the display output means detects the proximity of the vehicle to the first corner of the continuous corner In this case, the first graphic display indicating the bending direction and the bending degree of the first and second corners is output on the display, and after the vehicle enters the first corner, the first graphic display is replaced with the first graphic display. A second graphic display representing the bending direction and the bending degree of the second corner of the continuous corner and the third corner following the second corner may be output.

  The display output means may adjust the output timing of the graphic display in accordance with the running state of the vehicle. The traveling state of the vehicle may be a traveling speed of the vehicle. The display output means may output the graphic display at a vehicle position a predetermined distance before the corner start point. The display output means may output the graphic display when a predicted required time required for the vehicle to reach a corner start point becomes smaller than a predetermined time. The display output means may output the second graphic display at a vehicle position before a straight section between the first corner and the second corner.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the driving assistance information display apparatus which can perform the effective vehicle driving assistance in a continuous corner can be obtained.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle control apparatus according to the present invention. The vehicle control device of this embodiment includes an integrated manager 10. The integrated manager 10 is configured as a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like that are connected to each other via a bus (not shown) as in a normal ECU (electronic control unit).

  As described in detail below, the integrated manager 10 grasps a corner approaching forward in the vehicle traveling direction based on corner information (described later) stored in the map database 20 so that the corner can be safely passed. The control device performs integrated control by issuing various control instructions to various devices to be controlled as necessary.

  The devices to be controlled include not only devices that control the movement of the vehicle such as brakes, engines and transmissions, but also devices that can function as alarm devices such as the display 14 and audio. Therefore, the control instruction transmitted from the integrated manager 10 to these devices to be controlled includes an acceleration / deceleration instruction for the motion control apparatus and an alarm output instruction for prompting acceleration / deceleration for the alarm apparatus.

  In addition to the control device described above, various electronic components in the vehicle (various sensors such as vehicle speed sensors and various ECUs) are connected to the integrated manager 10 via an appropriate bus such as a CAN (controller area network). The In particular, a navigation ECU 20 that realizes the main functions of the navigation device is connected to the integrated manager 10 of the present embodiment. The navigation ECU 20 is composed of a microcomputer and includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I / O, and the like.

  The navigation ECU 20 includes a map database 22 that holds map data on a recording medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, a display device 24 such as a liquid crystal display that outputs a map display or route guidance display as a video, and a touch panel that serves as a user interface. The operation input unit 26 and the like are connected.

  The navigation ECU 20 includes own vehicle position detection means 28. The own vehicle position detection means 28 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a beacon receiver, an FM multiplex receiver, and various sensors such as a vehicle speed sensor and a gyro sensor. The own vehicle position detection means 28 receives a GPS signal output from a GPS satellite via a GPS antenna by a GPS receiver. The own vehicle position detection means 28 converts the GPS signal into a signal of a predetermined format and supplies it to the navigation ECU 20. The navigation ECU 20 calculates the current vehicle position and vehicle direction based on GPS signals and signals supplied from various sensors.

  The map database 22 stores map data. In the map data, as usual, the coordinate information of each node corresponding to the junction / branch point of the intersection / highway, link information connecting adjacent nodes, road width information corresponding to each link In addition, road types such as national roads, prefectural roads, and highways corresponding to each link, traffic regulation information of each link, traffic regulation information between each link, and the like are included.

  As described in detail below, the integrated manager 10 of this embodiment is characterized by an information display mode for driving support in a continuous corner in which two or more corners are continuous.

FIG. 2 shows a typical continuous corner. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the corners constituting the continuous corner includes a clothoid curve (relaxation curve) -shaped clothoid section X _C , a constant curvature section X _F , and an outlet-side clothoid section X _C. Become. Note that straight section X _S is connected to the clothoid segment X _C of the clothoid segment X _C and outlet sides of the inlet side shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the first corner in the foreground among the three corners is the slowest corner, and the subsequent second corner is a steeper corner than the first corner, and the subsequent corner. It is assumed that the final third corner is a steeper corner than the second corner. That is, assuming that the radius of curvature Ri of the i-th corner, R1>R2> R3.

  When the proximity of the vehicle to the continuous corner is detected, the integration manager 10 is configured so that the user can grasp at a glance the state of at least the first corner and the subsequent second corner constituting the continuous corner. One graphic display representing the bending direction and the bending degree of the first and second corners is output on the display 14. The display 14 is an appropriate display device such as a liquid crystal display, and may be shared with the display device 24 of the navigation device.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a graphic display displayed on the display 14. As shown in FIG. 3, the graphic display 70 is composed of a combination of two corner graphics 72. Each corner figure 72 is a figure showing the bending direction and the degree of bending of each corner, and has a shape corresponding to the radius of curvature of the corresponding corner as shown in FIG. A plurality of corner graphics 72 may be prepared, but preferably the number of types is limited so that each can be easily identified at a glance. That is, the number of corner figures 72 is prepared in such a number as to express the difference in curvature radius roughly divided.

  FIG. 4 shows three types of corner graphics 72 for a corner turning leftward. Specifically, it includes a corner figure 72a simulating a gentle corner with a large curvature radius, a corner figure 72b simulating a middle corner with a medium curvature radius, and a corner figure 72c simulating a sharp corner with a small curvature radius. . Therefore, the example shown in FIG. 3 is a graphic display 70 corresponding to the first and second corners in the continuous corner shown in FIG. 2, and the curvature follows the gentle right corner (first corner) having a large radius of curvature. This is a graphic display 70 in the case where there is a left corner (second corner) having a medium radius.

  Such a corner graphic 72 may be generated in advance for each continuous corner based on corner information to be described later. May be stored. Alternatively, the corner graphic 72 may be generated in real time based on the corner information. In this case, for example, the drawing IC draws and generates the corner graphic 72 based on the corner information in response to a command from the integration manager 10. In brief, the corner graphic 72 corresponding to the radius of curvature of each corner of the continuous corner is selected, and the graphic display 70 is generated by connecting the two consecutive corner graphics 72. The generated / output graphic display 70 may change its overall direction according to a change in the vehicle direction (vehicle direction) that occurs during cornering, and a change in the remaining corner length that occurs as the vehicle moves. May be reflected. The display timing of the graphic display 70 on the display 14 will be described later.

Curve information, as shown in FIG. 5, the start and end points of each clothoid segment X _C (coordinate values), the start point and end point of each fixed curvature segment X _F, the curvature radius R of the fixed curvature segment X _F [ m], the rotation angle θ [rad], including the section length L _F [m] or a kind of segment length L _C [m] and the fixed curvature segment X _F of the clothoid segment X _C. Such corner information is generated for each corner for a plurality of corners and stored in the map database 22. The map data of a general navigation device does not include these corner information. Typically, a corner is managed as a set of point information. For such map data, the above corner information (curvature radius R, section length L _F , L _C, etc.) is calculated and generated in advance from these point information, and these are stored in the map database 22 as corner information. Also good.

  Alternatively, the corner information may be derived using detailed measured data instead of or in addition to the map data of a general navigation device, or obtained when the corner is actually traveled. It may be derived inversely based on the obtained lateral acceleration data (sensor output). Specifically, in the former case, curvature information may be derived from various available construction drawings, or from aerial photographs, shape point sequences are scored on the center line of the road, and the corresponding dot data is analyzed. Thus, curvature information may be derived.

  In the case of a configuration in which the corner information is added / updated later in the map database 22, the map database 22 may be configured by a writable recording medium such as a hard disk.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing main processes of the navigation ECU 20 and the integrated manager 10 according to this embodiment.

  First, as step 100, the navigation ECU 20 detects a continuous corner ahead in the traveling direction based on the current position of the vehicle and the map data. At this time, the continuous corner may be a case where two or more corners exist within a predetermined reference distance, for example. In the following description, a continuous corner shown in FIG. 2 is assumed.

  In subsequent step 110, the navigation ECU 20 retrieves corner information related to the detected continuous corner from the map database 22, and transmits the extracted corner information to the integrated manager 10.

  When corner information is supplied from the navigation ECU 20 in this way, as described in detail below, in step 200 and thereafter, the integrated manager 10 performs the above-described graphic operation at an appropriate timing according to the current position of the vehicle with respect to the continuous corner. Display control of the display 70 is executed.

  Hereinafter, as a premise, the integrated manager 10 is supplied with the own vehicle position information detected by the own vehicle position detecting means 28 of the navigation ECU 20 and the own vehicle speed information from the vehicle speed sensor every predetermined period. Always calculate and grasp the latest vehicle position and vehicle speed.

First, in step 200, the integrated manager 10 outputs a graphic display 70 (hereinafter referred to as “first graphic display 70”) representing the first and second corners of the continuous corner on the display 14. At this time, the integrated manager 10 may output the first graphic display 70 at a vehicle position that is a predetermined distance L [m] ahead of the start point of the first corner based on the own vehicle position information and the corner information. . Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the term "corner", as shown in FIG. 2, is defined as "the fixed curvature segment X _F and the front and rear of the clothoid segment X _C consisting section", the entire clothoid segment X _C It is defined as including. Therefore, the predetermined distance L [m] in front of the vehicle position than the starting point of the first corner, the predetermined distance L [m] in front of the vehicle position than the starting point of the clothoid segment X _C of the inlet side of the first corner means.

  In subsequent step 210, the integrated manager 10 monitors the change in the vehicle position at the continuous corner based on the vehicle position information. During this time, the first graphic display 70 may change the overall direction according to the change in the vehicle direction (the direction of the vehicle) that occurs during cornering, and may indicate the remaining corner length that occurs as the vehicle moves. Changes may be reflected.

In the following step 220, when the vehicle enters the first corner, the integrated manager 10 simulates the second corner of the continuous corner and the third corner subsequent thereto instead of the first graphic display 70 at a predetermined timing. A graphic display 70 (hereinafter referred to as “second graphic display 70”) is output on the display 14. The second graphic display 70 is output at the latest before the deceleration section (straight line section X _S ) before the second corner.

  The first graphic display 70 does not necessarily need to disappear simultaneously with the output of the second graphic display 70 (that is, the second graphic display 70 does not need to be displayed interchangeably). It may be hidden before. In this example, the second graphic display 70 as shown in FIG. 7 corresponding to the second and third corners in the continuous corner shown in FIG. 2 is output.

  Similarly, the same processing is repeated for further corners (third corner, fourth corner,...). Therefore, in a continuous corner composed of a large number of corners, the graphic display 70 is sequentially switched as the vehicle moves. Accordingly, the driver can always determine the current driving mode while considering at least one corner ahead.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, when approaching a continuous corner, the graphic display 70 is output in a manner in which the shapes of the first corner and the second corner can be grasped before entering the continuous corner. Can adjust the speed in front of the first corner in anticipation of the bending condition and the bending direction of the previous corner (second corner). Therefore, even if the first corner is slow and the second sharp corner continues, the driver looks at the graphic display 70 and decelerates from the front of the first corner in preparation for the second sharp corner. Since the necessity can be grasped, the voluntary and appropriate deceleration by the driver is effectively promoted. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide vehicle driving support that can effectively contribute to safe driving at a continuous corner.

In step 220, the integrated manager 10 may determine the output timing of the second graphic display 70 according to the vehicle speed. For example, when the vehicle speed is below 40 km / h, after the first corner entry, at the point past the end point of the fixed curvature segment X _F, and outputs a second graphics display 70. If the vehicle speed is 40~80km / h, after the first corner entry, an earlier stage, i.e., at the point past the start point of the fixed curvature segment X _F of the first corner, and outputs the second graphics display 70. When the vehicle speed exceeds 80 km / h, the second graphic display 70 is output immediately after entering the first corner at an even earlier stage. Thus, it is more effective to advance the output timing of the second graphic display 70 as the vehicle speed increases.

Alternatively, the integrated manager 10 may determine the output timing of the second graphic display 70 according to the predicted corner passage time t1 calculated based on the vehicle speed and the section length of the first corner. For example, integration manager 10, when the first corner entry, time passes the predetermined point in the first corner (for example, the end point of the fixed curvature segment X _F) based on the segment length of the vehicle speed and the first corner when the t1 The second graphic display 70 is output when the predicted passage time t1 has elapsed from the time of entering the first corner. In this case, the predicted passage time t1 may be appropriately corrected so as to match the sensitivity of the driver. For example, the integrated manager 10 constructs a driver model 12 (see FIG. 1) by collecting and learning driving modes of each user during normal driving, and makes predictions according to each user based on the driver model 12. The passage time t (or a predetermined point in the first corner related thereto) may be determined.

  Alternatively, the integrated manager 10 may output the second graphic display 70 at a vehicle position that is a predetermined distance L2 [m] before the start point of the second corner, based on the own vehicle position information and the corner information. The predetermined distance L2 may also be varied according to the vehicle speed, or may be varied to adapt to the driver's sensitivity based on the driver model 12 as described above.

  Alternatively, the integrated manager 10 displays the second graphic display when the predicted time until reaching the starting point of the second corner is less than the predetermined time α [second] based on the vehicle position information, the vehicle speed information, and the corner information. 70 is output. In this case, the second graphic display 70 is output α [second] before the time at which the start point of the second corner is predicted to be reached when the current vehicle speed is maintained. Similarly to the above, α may be varied based on the driver model 12 so as to adapt to the sensitivity of the driver.

  The output timing of the second graphic display 70 as described above is also applied to the output timing of the graphic display 70 for further corners (third corner, fourth corner,...) And the output timing of the first graphic display 70. Is possible.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Can be added.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, two corners are represented in the graphic display 70, but three or more corners may be represented as long as necessary visibility is ensured. In this case, the driver can grasp at least two corners from the current position based on the graphic display 70 representing three or more corners.

In the above description, the corner is defined as "the fixed curvature segment X _F and the front and rear of the clothoid segment X _C consisting section", the corner of the "fixed curvature segment X _F and the front and rear of the clothoid segment X _C one It may be defined as “section consisting of parts”.

  In the above-described embodiment, the navigation ECU 20 and the integrated manager 10 are configured by separate hardware, but it is naturally possible to implement the configuration by a single hardware.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle control device according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing of a continuous corner. It is a figure which shows an example of the graphic display 70 displayed on the display. It is a figure which shows an example of the corner figure 72 which comprises the figure display. It is explanatory drawing of corner information. It is a flowchart which shows the main processes of navigation ECU20 and the integrated manager 10 by a present Example. It is a figure which shows an example of the 2nd graphical display 70 relevant to the continuous corner of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10 Integrated manager 12 Driver model 20 Navigation ECU
22 Map database 24 Display device 26 Operation input unit 28 Vehicle position detection means 70 Graphic display

Claims (7)

A driving support information display device for displaying information for driving support in a continuous corner in which two or more corners are continuous,
Means for detecting the proximity of the vehicle to a continuous corner forward in the direction of travel based on the current position information of the vehicle and the given map information;
When the proximity of the vehicle to the continuous corner is detected, the first and second are controlled in such a manner that the user can grasp at a glance the state of at least the first corner and the subsequent second corner constituting the continuous corner. A driving support information display device comprising: display output means for outputting on a display a graphic display representing a bending direction and a bending degree of a corner. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device displays information for driving support in a continuous corner in which three or more corners are continuous.
When the proximity of the vehicle to the first corner of the continuous corner is detected, the display output means outputs a first graphic display representing the bending direction and the bending degree of the first and second corners on the display. Then, after the vehicle enters the first corner, instead of the first graphic display, a second graphic display showing the bending direction and the bending degree of the second corner of the continuous corner and the third corner following the second corner. A driving support information display device for outputting.   The driving support information display device according to claim 1, wherein the display output unit adjusts an output timing of the graphic display according to a driving state of the vehicle.   The travel support information display device according to claim 3, wherein the travel state of the vehicle is a travel speed of the vehicle.   The driving support information display device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display output means outputs the graphic display at a vehicle position that is a predetermined distance before a corner start point.   3. The driving support information display according to claim 1, wherein the display output means outputs the graphic display when a predicted time required for the vehicle to reach a corner start point becomes smaller than a predetermined time. apparatus.   The driving support information display device according to claim 2, wherein the display output means outputs the second graphic display at a vehicle position before a straight section between the first corner and the second corner.

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