JP2008293439A - Driving assistance device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drive support device capable of preventing a deterioration in the reliability of the device by performing suitable processing when the communication fault occurs. <P>SOLUTION: The drive support device having a communication part 2 communicating with other vehicle 21 and capable of supporting the drive of its own vehicle on the basis of information acquired by the communication part 2 reports a state that the nearest intersection is an intersection 31 in which priority of intersecting roads is not set to the other vehicle (S16), and when the own vehicle stops just before the intersection 31, reports the provision of information of the other vehicle 21 by communication (S18). Consequently, even when the information of the other vehicle 21 cannot be provided in advance due to a communication fault, driver's reliability on the drive support device 1 can be prevented from being reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support apparatus that performs driving support by communicating with another mobile body.

Conventionally, as a device that performs driving support by communicating with other mobile objects, for example, as described in JP-A-2006-227690, information on other vehicles acquired by communication, position information of the own vehicle, and road information Based on the above, what determines the possibility of a collision when entering an intersection is known.
JP 2006-227690 A

  However, in the above-described device, if communication with another vehicle is poor and information about the other vehicle cannot be acquired appropriately, the driver of the own vehicle may be distrusted with the driving support device. . For example, when the information on the other vehicle cannot be acquired properly, the device cannot notify the driver of the own vehicle of the correct information on the other vehicle. For this reason, if information on other vehicles is not notified and there is a passing by other vehicles at an intersection or the like, the driver is distrusted that the device may not be operating normally. Further, when it is clearly determined that communication is impossible, a countermeasure such as installing a relay infrastructure may be considered, but it is difficult to install a relay infrastructure at all intersections because of cost.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an operation support apparatus that can prevent the deterioration of the reliability of the apparatus by performing an appropriate process when communication is poor is provided. The purpose is to provide.

  That is, the driving support apparatus according to the present invention includes a communication unit that communicates with another mobile body, and in the driving support apparatus that supports driving of the vehicle based on information acquired by the communication unit, Intersection information acquisition means for acquiring information on an intersection, and notification means for notifying the driver of the vehicle when the nearest intersection is an intersection having a predetermined characteristic, the communication means, Communication is performed when the host vehicle stops before the nearest intersection after the notification by the notification means.

  According to this invention, it is a case where the communication state in the communication means is poor by notifying the intersection information by the notification means, and performing communication when the own vehicle stops before the nearest intersection after the notification. In addition, intersection information can be provided in advance, and when the host vehicle stops before the intersection, communication can be performed to provide information on other moving bodies such as other vehicles. For this reason, driving assistance can be performed while preventing the driver's confidence in the driving assistance apparatus from being lowered by providing information on other moving bodies when the intersection stops.

  Further, in the driving support device according to the present invention, the notification means notifies the driver of the own vehicle when the nearest intersection is an intersection for which priority is not set for any intersection. It is preferable to do.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent impairing the reliability of the apparatus by performing an appropriate process when there is a communication failure.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a driving support apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  The driving support device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a communication unit 2 that is mounted on a vehicle and communicates with other vehicles. Based on information acquired by the communication unit 2, a warning is given and a warning is given. Alternatively, it is a device that performs driving support such as intervening in braking control and forcibly braking.

  The communication unit 2 is a communication unit that performs inter-vehicle communication with other vehicles. For example, a communication unit that can wirelessly communicate with other vehicles by a CSMA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access) method or the like is used. The communication unit 2 includes an antenna that transmits and receives radio signals, a transmission unit, and a reception unit (not shown).

  The driving support device 1 includes a vehicle speed detection unit 3 and a navigation system 4. The vehicle speed detection unit 3 functions as vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed of the host vehicle. For example, a wheel speed sensor is used.

  The navigation system 4 functions as a position detection unit that detects the position of the vehicle on which the driving support device 1 is mounted, and functions as an intersection information acquisition unit that detects the position of the nearest intersection from the position of the vehicle and the type of the intersection. For example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) built-in and a map database is used.

  The navigation system 4 can recognize the vehicle position on the map data based on the GPS detection signal. Moreover, the navigation system 4 can detect the nearest intersection from the own vehicle with reference to the map data, and can detect whether the intersection is an intersection for which priority is not set for each intersection. it can. The navigation system 4 inputs the position data signal to the ECU 10 at a predetermined time period. At that time, the ECU 10 records vehicle position data, intersection position and type data.

  The driving support device 1 includes a driving support output unit 5. The driving assistance output unit 5 performs driving assistance when it is determined that driving assistance is necessary. For example, when the nearest intersection is an intersection for which priority is not set, the driving assistance output unit 5 notifies the driver. It functions as notifying means, notifying means for notifying a driver of a driving instruction, or braking control means for forcibly intervening in vehicle braking.

  Specifically, as the notification means, a speaker, a buzzer or the like that performs notification through the driver's hearing is used. Moreover, as a notification means, you may use the liquid crystal display, lamp, the monitor of the navigation system 4, etc. which alert | report through a driver | operator's vision. Further, as the notification means, a notification operation may be performed through a driver's sense of touch such as vibration of a steering wheel or a driving seat.

  As the braking control means of the driving support output unit 5, for example, an ECU that performs brake control is used. By outputting a braking instruction signal from the ECU 10 to the brake control ECU, vehicle braking can be forcibly performed.

  The ECU 10 controls the entire apparatus, and is configured mainly by a computer including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, for example. The ECU 10 is connected to the communication unit 2, inputs information received by the communication unit 2, and outputs information on the host vehicle to the communication unit 2. In that case, ECU10 functions as a communication control means. Further, the ECU 10 functions as a driving support unit that determines whether or not driving support is required and executes driving support when it is determined that driving support is required.

  Next, operation | movement of the driving assistance apparatus 1 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving support apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The control process in FIG. 2 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the ECU 10, for example. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of driving assistance when the vehicle is traveling in front of an intersection without priority setting.

  First, as shown in S10 of FIG. 2, an intersection data for which priority is not set is acquired. That is, information on the nearest intersection of the host vehicle is acquired based on the map data of the navigation system 4, and it is determined whether or not the intersection is an intersection for which priority is not set for the intersection.

  Then, the process proceeds to S12, and when the nearest intersection of the own vehicle is an intersection for which priority is not set, distance data from the own vehicle to the intersection is acquired based on the map data of the navigation system 4, and the vehicle speed is detected. Based on the signal detected by the unit 3, vehicle speed data of the own vehicle is acquired.

  And it transfers to S14 and the determination process of an information provision start point is performed. This process is a process for determining a point at which information provision is started to the driver of the own vehicle for an intersection for which priority is not set. For example, a point at a predetermined distance before the intersection is determined as the information start point. And it transfers to S16 and a driver | operator is notified that there exists an intersection with no priority setting in a travel destination. For example, it is notified through the driving support output unit 5 such as voice, panel display, liquid crystal display, etc. that the previous intersection is an intersection without priority setting. At that time, not only the existence of an intersection, but also attention to driving may be urged.

  And it transfers to S18 and it is notified that the driving assistance service by communication will be performed when it stops before an intersection. This notification is a notification that is known to provide a driving support service that provides information on other vehicles through inter-vehicle communication when the host vehicle is stopped before an intersection without priority setting. By being notified, the driver of the own vehicle can prevent the driver from feeling distrusted in the operation of the driving support device 1 even when the information of the other vehicle is not provided near the intersection.

  Further, the notification process in S18 may be omitted. For example, if the driver knows the operation of the driving support device 1 and there is an intersection for which priority is not set, the driver is provided with information on other vehicles only when the vehicle stops before the intersection. Is well-known, the notification process in S18 is unnecessary, and this notification process may be omitted.

  And it transfers to S20 and it is judged whether the own vehicle reached | attained the information provision start point. For example, it is determined whether or not the own vehicle has reached the information provision start point with reference to the map data of the navigation system 4. If it is determined in S20 that the vehicle has not reached the information provision start point, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is on the target route to the information provision start point (S22). If it is determined in S22 that the host vehicle is not on the target route to the information provision start point, the series of control processes is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S22 that the vehicle is on the target route to the information provision start point, the process returns to S20.

  If it is determined in S20 that the vehicle has reached the information provision start point, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has stopped (S24). For example, based on the detection signal of the vehicle speed detection unit 3, it is determined whether or not the own vehicle has stopped. Here, the stop includes not only the case where the vehicle speed of the own vehicle becomes zero, but also the case where the vehicle speed of the own vehicle becomes equal to or lower than the vehicle speed that can be regarded as stopped.

  If it is determined in S24 that the host vehicle is not stopped, the control process is terminated without providing information on other vehicles through inter-vehicle communication. On the other hand, if it is determined in S24 that the vehicle has stopped, inter-vehicle communication is executed (S26). That is, since there is almost no communication failure at the intersection, inter-vehicle communication is possible. For this reason, the information of the own vehicle is transmitted by the communication unit 2, and the information of the other vehicle is received. And a driving assistance process is performed according to the information of other vehicles. For example, when another vehicle is approaching an intersection, depending on the situation, driving attention is issued, a stop instruction is notified, or forced braking is executed by intervening in braking control.

  Then, the process proceeds to S28, and when the end condition of the driving support system is satisfied, the driving support service at this intersection is ended (S30), and the series of control processes is ended.

  As described above, according to the driving support device according to the present embodiment, the notification unit 2 notifies the intersection information, and after the notification, the communication is performed when the vehicle stops before the nearest intersection. Even if the communication status in the unit 2 is poor, intersection information can be provided in advance, and communication is provided when other vehicles such as other vehicles are communicated when the vehicle stops before the intersection. can do. For this reason, driving assistance can be performed while preventing the driver's confidence in the driving assistance apparatus from being lowered by providing information on other moving bodies when the intersection stops.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the host vehicle 20 is heading for an intersection 31 for which priority is not set for any of the two roads, there is an intersection 31 for which priority is not set in advance before the intersection 31. Be notified. Thereby, the driver of the own vehicle 20 is careful about the traveling of the intersection 31. At that time, there may be a case where there is a communication shield 40 such as a building near the intersection 31 and vehicle-to-vehicle communication by the communication unit 2 is poor or impossible. In this case, the information of the other vehicle 21 cannot be notified to the driver of the host vehicle 20, but the driver is notified that there is an intersection 31 for which priority is not set in advance. It is possible to prevent distrust in the operation of 1.

  Further, when the driving support device 1 stops before the intersection 31, when notifying that the driving support by communication is performed, even if communication information cannot be obtained at a point away from the intersection 31, the driving is performed. It is possible to further reduce a person's distrust in the operation of the driving support device 1.

  Moreover, according to the driving assistance device 1 according to the present embodiment, since it is not necessary to detect whether there is a communication shielding object that hinders communication near the intersection, the cost for detecting the communication shielding object is high. Therefore, appropriate driving assistance can be performed at low cost. Also, there is no need to install a relay infrastructure.

  In addition, embodiment mentioned above demonstrated an example of the driving assistance apparatus which concerns on this invention, and the driving assistance apparatus which concerns on this invention is not limited to what was described in this embodiment. The driving assistance apparatus according to the present invention may be a modification of the driving assistance apparatus according to the embodiment or application to other things so as not to change the gist described in each claim.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the navigation system 4 is used as a means for acquiring the position information of the own vehicle has been described. However, the map data is acquired by communication from the infrastructure to acquire the position information of the own vehicle. Also good. In the above-described embodiment, the running state such as the stop state of the own vehicle is performed based on the vehicle speed information, but may be performed based on the operation information of the driver such as the blinker and the brake.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a driving support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the driving assistance apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the driving assistance in the intersection vicinity in the driving assistance apparatus of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Driving assistance apparatus, 2 ... Communication part, 3 ... Vehicle speed detection part, 4 ... Navigation system, 5 ... Driving assistance output part, 10 ... ECU.

Claims (2)

In a driving support device that has communication means for communicating with other mobile objects and supports driving of the vehicle based on information acquired by the communication means,
An intersection information acquisition means for acquiring information on the nearest intersection of the host vehicle;
Notification means for notifying the driver of the own vehicle when the nearest intersection is an intersection having a predetermined characteristic,
The communication means performs communication when the host vehicle stops before the nearest intersection after notification by the notification means;
A driving support device characterized by the above.   The said notification means notifies that to the driver of the own vehicle, when the said nearest intersection is an intersection which has not set the priority with respect to any intersection. The driving assistance apparatus as described.

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