JP2012088756A - Travel supporting device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique in which warning or assistance is given so as to make a vehicle to travel within a travel road and increase a use opportunity of a travel supporting device to effectively use the travel supporting device in the case where an arousal level of a driver or a level of a driving operation is low even if the reliability of a travel road recognition result is low.SOLUTION: A travel supporting device gives warning or assistance to make a vehicle to travel within a travel road in the case where the vehicle is deviated from a set travel road. The device loosens the limitation of warning or assistance in the case where at least an arousal level of a driver or a level of a driving operation is low even under the condition that warning or assistance is of determined be limited based on the reliability of a travel road recognition result.

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support device and a driving support method.

  A technology for providing safe driving and reducing driving load by selecting an optimal support method according to the recognition status of the driving lane regardless of whether it is a road dedicated to automobile or a general road is disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1). According to the technique of Patent Document 1, the support method is selected from the recognition status of the driving lane regardless of whether it is a highway or a general road. Therefore, reliability can be improved without erroneous control in a tunnel, at night, or in bad weather. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately support safe driving in a wide range of situations.

JP 2005-149023 A JP 2002-002427 A

  By the way, when the warning or assistance is performed so that the vehicle travels in the road only by the reliability of the set road recognition result, such as the recognition status of the driving lane disclosed in Patent Document 1, the road recognition is performed. If the result is unreliable, the warning or assistance is uniformly restricted. If the warning or assistance is restricted in this way, the use opportunity of the driving support device mounted on the vehicle is reduced, and the driving support device cannot be used. Also, if the driver's arousal level or the level of driving operation is low, it may be difficult for the driver to operate the vehicle, so warning or assistance should be provided to drive the vehicle on the road. However, if the reliability of the track recognition result is low as described above, warning or assistance is limited.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a warning or assistance to drive the vehicle on the road if the driver's arousal level or driving operation is low even if the reliability of the road recognition result is low. The object is to provide a technique for increasing the use opportunity of the device and utilizing the driving support device.

In the present invention, the following configuration is adopted. That is, the present invention
A travel support device that warns or assists a vehicle to travel within the runway when the vehicle deviates from the set runway,
Based on the reliability of the recognition result of the runway, even if it is a condition to determine that the warning or assistance is limited, if at least one of the driver's arousal level and the driving operation level is low, the warning Or it is a driving | running | working assistance apparatus characterized by loosening the restriction | limiting of assistance.

  According to the present invention, even if the reliability of the recognition result of the road is low, if the driver's arousal level or the degree of driving operation is low, the warning or auxiliary restriction is relaxed so that the vehicle is driven on the road. Alternatively, assistance can be provided to increase the use opportunity of the driving support device, and the driving support device can be utilized.

Here, the driver's arousal level is an index that can be determined that the driver is not awakened as the driver's arousal level is low. For example, the driver's face image is captured with a driver camera. It is determined that the degree of wakefulness is low) or the degree of wakefulness is low when looking aside. The degree of driving operation is the degree of torque input by the driver to the steering wheel (change in the amount of operation (steering)), or the degree of operating torque of the brake pedal and accelerator pedal operated by the driver (operation amount). Change).

  When the driver's arousal level and the driving operation level are low, the warning or assistance level is larger than when the driver's awakening level and driving operation level are low. Good.

  According to the present invention, a warning that causes the vehicle to travel on the road is likely because it is more likely that the driver is more difficult to operate the vehicle among the driver's arousal level and the degree of driving operation. Alternatively, the degree of assistance can be increased so that the vehicle continues to run on the road as much as possible.

  The road is set as a curve, but when there is a high possibility that the vehicle is traveling on a straight road, the warning or the warning or the driving operation may be performed even if at least one of the driver's arousal level and the driving operation level is low. Limit assistance.

  According to the present invention, the road is set as a curve, but the actual vehicle is traveling on a straight road, and therefore, when the driver's arousal level or driving operation level is low, an extra warning or assistance is provided. Can be avoided.

The present invention also provides
A travel support device that warns or assists a vehicle to travel within the runway when the vehicle deviates from the set runway,
The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the warning or assistance level is changed according to a degree of bending of the road and a reliability of a recognition result of the road.

  According to the present invention, for example, the greater the degree of bend of the set runway and the lower the reliability of the recognition result of the runway, the less the degree of warning or assistance, and the extra warning or assistance. It can be avoided.

The present invention also provides
A driving support method for providing warning or assistance so that a vehicle runs on the road when the vehicle deviates from the set road,
Based on the reliability of the recognition result of the runway, even if it is a condition to determine that the warning or assistance is limited, if at least one of the driver's arousal level and the driving operation level is low, the warning Or it is the driving | running | working assistance method characterized by loosening the restriction | limiting of assistance.

  Also according to the present invention, if the driver's arousal level or driving operation level is low even if the reliability of the recognition result of the road is low, the warning or auxiliary restriction is relaxed so that the vehicle runs on the road. Alternatively, assistance can be provided to increase the use opportunity of the driving support device, and the driving support device can be utilized.

The present invention also provides
A driving support method for providing warning or assistance so that a vehicle runs on the road when the vehicle deviates from the set road,
In the driving support method, the degree of warning or assistance is changed according to the degree of bending of the road and the reliability of the recognition result of the road.

Also according to the present invention, for example, the greater the degree of the set runway bend and the lower the reliability of the recognition result of the runway, the lower the degree of warning or assistance and the extra warning or assistance. It can be avoided.

  According to the present invention, even if the reliability of the recognition result of the road is low, if the driver's arousal level or the degree of driving operation is low, a warning or assistance is given so that the vehicle runs on the road, and the driving support device The use opportunity can be increased and the driving support device can be utilized.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the driving assistance device which concerns on Example 1 of this invention according to a function. It is a figure which shows the map which calculates the driver | operator's alertness based on Example 1 from a closed eye rate. It is a figure which shows the map which calculates the reliability of the recognition result of the runway which concerns on Example 1 from the number of detection edge points. It is a figure which shows the case where the runway is set as the curve, but the vehicle is drive | working the straight road. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a common support determination control routine according to the first embodiment.

  Specific examples of the present invention will be described below. Here, a driving support device that recognizes a lane or a non-running area, sets a vehicle travel path, and performs a driving support process for avoiding deviation from the set travel path will be described. The driving support process here is executed earlier than the collision damage reduction process that is executed when the vehicle stops urgently or when a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle is unavoidable. Moreover, the structure demonstrated in the following example shows one embodiment of this invention, and does not limit the structure of this invention.

<Example 1>
(Drive assist device)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the driving support apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention according to function. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle is equipped with an electronic control unit (ECU) 1 for driving assistance.

  The ECU 1 is an electronic control unit that includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, backup RAM, I / O interface, and the like. The ECU 1 includes a radar device 2, an external camera 3, a driver camera 4, a yaw rate sensor 5, a wheel speed sensor 6, a brake sensor 7, an accelerator sensor 8, a winker switch 9, a steering angle sensor 10, a steering torque sensor 11, and the like. Various sensors are electrically connected, and the output signals of these sensors are input to the ECU 1.

  The radar device 2 is attached to the front portion of the vehicle, transmits millimeter waves to the front of the vehicle, and receives reflected waves reflected by obstacles outside the vehicle, so that information on the relative position of the obstacles to the vehicle (for example, (Coordinate information) is output. The vehicle exterior camera 3 is disposed at a position where the front of the vehicle can be viewed in the vehicle interior and outputs an image of the front of the vehicle. The driver camera 4 is disposed at a position where the driver can be seen in the field of view in the passenger compartment, and outputs an image of the driver. The yaw rate sensor 5 is attached to the vehicle body and outputs an electrical signal correlated with the yaw rate of the vehicle. The wheel speed sensor 6 is a sensor that is attached to a vehicle wheel and outputs an electrical signal correlated with the traveling speed of the vehicle.

The brake sensor 7 is attached to a brake pedal in the passenger compartment, and outputs an electrical signal correlated with the operation torque (depression force) of the brake pedal. The accelerator sensor 8 is attached to an accelerator pedal in the passenger compartment, and outputs an electrical signal correlated with the operating torque (depression force) of the accelerator pedal. The winker switch 9 is attached to a winker lever in the passenger compartment, and outputs an electrical signal correlated with the direction indicated by the winker (direction indicator) when the winker lever is operated. The steering angle sensor 10 is attached to a steering rod connected to the steering wheel in the vehicle interior, and outputs an electrical signal that correlates with the rotation angle from the neutral position of the steering wheel. The steering torque sensor 11 is attached to the steering rod and outputs an electrical signal correlated with torque (steering torque) input to the steering wheel.

  Various devices such as a buzzer 12, a display device 13, an electric power steering (EPS) 14 and an electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 are connected to the ECU 1, and these various devices are electrically controlled by the ECU 1. It has become.

  The buzzer 12 is a device that is attached to the vehicle interior and outputs a warning sound or the like. The display device 13 is a device that is attached to the vehicle interior and displays various messages and warning lights. The electric power steering (EPS) 14 is a device that assists the operation of the steering wheel by using the torque generated by the electric motor. The electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 is a device that electrically adjusts the operating hydraulic pressure (brake hydraulic pressure) of a friction brake provided on each wheel.

  The ECU 1 has the following functions in order to control various devices using the output signals of the various sensors described above. That is, the ECU 1 includes an obstacle information processing unit 100, a lane information processing unit 101, a consciousness decrease determination unit 102, a driver intention determination unit 103, an integrated recognition processing unit 104, a common support determination unit 105, an alarm determination unit 106, and a control determination. A unit 107 and a control amount calculation unit 108.

  The obstacle information processing unit 100 approximately obtains a regression line capable of avoiding a plurality of travel impossible areas based on the coordinate information of the travel impossible areas such as a plurality of obstacles output from the radar device 2, Information including the coordinate information of the regression line and the yaw angle of the vehicle with respect to the regression line is generated. Further, when the radar apparatus 2 detects a non-travelable area such as a single obstacle, it also generates coordinate information of the non-travelable area and information on the yaw angle of the vehicle with respect to the non-travelable area. The obstacle information processing unit 100 may generate information related to the untravelable area based on the image captured by the vehicle camera 3. The non-running area includes obstacles such as side walls, curbs, pedestrians, bicycles, other vehicles, and areas having a height difference from the vehicle running plane such as side grooves and steps. The non-travelable area includes an area where the vehicle is not desired to travel and an area where the vehicle is not desired to travel, in addition to an area where the vehicle cannot travel.

  The lane information processing unit 101 generates information related to the lane and information related to the attitude of the vehicle with respect to the lane based on the image captured by the external camera 3. The information regarding the lane is information regarding the road marking indicating the lane boundary and information regarding the width of the lane defined by the road marking. Road markings indicating lane boundaries are white lines, yellow lines, dotted lines etc. on the road surface, median strips such as road fences, illuminants, etc., partitions between lanes, asphalt and gravel boundaries, etc. Boundary. Information on the attitude of the vehicle with respect to the lane includes information on the distance between the road marking indicating the lane boundary and the vehicle, information on the offset amount of the vehicle position with respect to the center of the lane, information on the yaw angle in the vehicle traveling direction with respect to the road marking indicating the lane boundary It is. When the vehicle is equipped with a navigation system, the lane information processing unit 101 may generate lane information from map information and GPS information that the navigation system has.

Based on the image captured by the driver camera 4, the consciousness decrease determination unit 102 determines a driver's consciousness decrease level (awakening level). The consciousness decrease determination unit 102 calculates the eye closure rate from the image captured by the driver camera 4 from the driver's eye closing time and the eye closing frequency, and determines the degree of driver consciousness decrease according to the eye closing rate (wakefulness level). Judgment). Note that the arousal level is an index that allows the driver to determine that the driver is not awake. Further, the consciousness lowering determination unit 102 calculates the time when the driver's face direction and line-of-sight direction deviate from the vehicle traveling direction from the image captured by the driver camera 4, and the calculated time is an upper limit value. It may be determined that the driver is looking aside when the threshold is exceeded, and in this case, it may also be determined that the arousal level is low. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a map for calculating the driver's arousal level. The closed eye rate per unit time is calculated from the image captured by the driver camera 4 using the driver's closed eye time and closed eye frequency, and this closed eye rate is taken into the map of FIG. 2 to determine the arousal level. In the map of FIG. 2, the arousal level is divided into three levels D1, D2, and D3 (D1 is the most awake and D3 is the least awake).

  The driver intention determination unit 103 changes the operation amount of the brake pedal based on the output signals of the wheel speed sensor 6, the brake sensor 7, the accelerator sensor 8, the winker switch 9, the steering angle sensor 10, and the steering torque sensor 11. It is determined whether or not the change in the operation amount of the accelerator pedal or the change in the operation (steering) amount of the steering wheel is due to the driver's intention.

  Based on the information generated by the obstacle information processing unit 100 and the information generated by the lane information processing unit 101, the integrated recognition processing unit 104 sets a travel path on which the vehicle can travel, and Find the yaw angle and the amount of vehicle offset relative to the center of the track. Note that on a road with a narrow lane, the driver may be forced to deviate from the lane. On the other hand, for a road with a narrow lane width, the integrated recognition processing unit 104 performs the road marking based on the information on the road marking indicating the lane boundary and the information on the non-travelable area existing around the lane. It is possible to set a runway that deviates from. That is, the integrated recognition processing unit 104 sets a temporary runway that deviates from the road marking from the road marking indicating the lane boundary, and sets a normal runway that deviates from the road sign from the temporary runway and the non-travelable area. You may make it do. In addition, when the integrated recognition processing unit 104 receives information related to a single travel impossible area from the obstacle information processing unit 100, the integrated recognition processing unit 104 sets the travel path by extending the length of the travel impossible area in parallel with the road. You may do it. In other words, the integrated recognition processing unit 104 may set the traveling path by regarding the untravelable area detected as a point on the coordinate as a line on the coordinate. The amount of extension (line length) at that time is when the output signal (vehicle speed) of the wheel speed sensor 6 is high or when the yaw angle of the vehicle with respect to the line is large, when the vehicle speed is low, or when the yaw angle with respect to the line is small. It may be made longer. Further, the reliability LR of the recognition result is given to the runway set by the integrated recognition processing unit 104. The reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane is the lane boundary based on the information generated by the obstacle information processing unit 100 and the accuracy (presence of existence) of the non-traveling area and the information generated by the lane information processing unit 101. This is a numerical representation of the accuracy (certainty) of the road that is set by combining the accuracy (presence of existence) of the road marking indicating, and the higher the better. For example, a map as shown in FIG. 3 is used as a specific method for calculating the reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane by the integrated recognition processing unit 104. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a map for calculating the reliability LR of the recognition result of the runway. The accuracy (presence of existence) of the untravelable area based on the information generated by the obstacle information processing unit 100 and the accuracy (certainty of existence) of the road marking indicating the lane boundary based on the information generated by the lane information processing unit 101 Are proportional to the number of detected edges at the time of each detection. That is, the accuracy of the untravelable area and the accuracy of the road marking indicating the lane boundary are higher as the number of detected edge points is larger. For this reason, the reliability LR of the recognition result of the road can be calculated by taking the detected edge number of the road marking indicating the non-running area and the lane boundary used when setting the road into the map of FIG. .

The common support determination unit 105 executes driving support processing based on the information generated by the integrated recognition processing unit 104, the determination result of the consciousness decrease determination unit 102, and the determination result of the driver intention determination unit 103. It is determined whether or not. The common support determination unit 105 may permit the driving support process to be executed when it is determined by the consciousness decrease determination unit 102 that the driver's consciousness is decreased or the driver is looking aside. . Further, the common support determination unit 105 may restrict the execution of the driving support process when the driver intention determination unit 103 determines that the driver is performing an intentional operation. Further, the common support determination unit 105 executes the driving support process unconditionally when the reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane calculated by the integrated recognition processing unit 104 is higher than a predetermined first threshold value Rth. On the other hand, when the reliability LR of the recognition result of the traveling road is equal to or less than the first threshold value Rth, the driving support process can be executed when a certain special condition is satisfied. Here, the first threshold value Rth is a threshold value for determining whether or not the driving support process is executed unconditionally only by the reliability LR of the recognition result of the road, and the recognition result of the road is more than that. If the reliability LR is high, the driving support process can be executed unconditionally. Therefore, when the reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane is equal to or less than the first threshold value Rth, normally, the execution of the driving support process is limited. However, the reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane is less than or equal to the first threshold value Rth, and at least one of the driver's arousal level and the driving operation level is low even under the condition that restricts the execution of the driving support process. In some cases, driving support processing is executed. Details of the common support determination control executed by the common support determination unit 105 will be described later.

  When the common support determination unit 105 permits the execution of the driving support process, the alarm determination unit 106 determines the sounding timing of the buzzer 12 and the display timing of the warning message or warning light by the display device 13. The alarm determination unit 106 sounds the buzzer 12 when the distance between the vehicle and the road boundary in the vehicle width direction is equal to or less than a predetermined distance or when the vehicle crosses the road boundary, You may make it display on the warning message by the display apparatus 13, or a warning lamp. The warning determination unit 106 not only sounds the buzzer 12 based on the road boundary and displays a warning message or warning light by the display device 13, but also grasps the road boundary in a wide range of potentials and moves away from the road. The ringing of the buzzer 12 may be increased, or the display on the warning message or warning lamp by the display device 13 may be increased. Further, the alarm determination unit 106 displays a buzzer 12 or a warning message or warning light by the display device 13 when the time until the vehicle reaches the road boundary in the vehicle width direction is less than a predetermined time. May be performed. When the vehicle enters the curve or the vehicle is traveling on the curve, the warning determination unit 106 determines whether the distance between the vehicle and the road boundary in the vehicle traveling direction is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. When it becomes 0 or when the vehicle crosses the road boundary, the buzzer 12 may be sounded or a warning message or warning light by the display device 13 may be displayed. When the vehicle enters the curve or the vehicle is traveling on the curve, the alarm determination unit 106 determines that the time until the vehicle reaches the road boundary in the vehicle traveling direction is equal to or less than a predetermined time. In such a case, the buzzer 12 may be sounded or a warning message or warning lamp may be displayed on the display device 13. The timing at which the alarm determination unit 106 sounds the buzzer 12 or displays a warning message or warning lamp by the display device 13 corresponds to the time when the vehicle departs from the road.

  Here, a predetermined distance and a predetermined time for causing the alarm determination unit 106 to sound the buzzer 12 and display a warning message or warning lamp by the display device 13 are the output signals of the wheel speed sensor 6 ( This value is changed according to the vehicle speed) and the output signal (yaw rate) of the yaw rate sensor 5. When the vehicle speed is high, the predetermined distance is set longer than when the vehicle speed is low, or the predetermined time is set longer. Further, when the yaw rate is large, a predetermined distance is set longer or a predetermined time is set longer than when the yaw rate is small.

  The warning method for the driver is not limited to the sound of the buzzer 12 or the display of a warning message or warning light on the display device 13, and a method of intermittently changing the tightening torque of the seat belt may be adopted.

When the common support determination unit 105 permits the execution of the driving support process, the control determination unit 107 is configured to avoid the deviation from the runway by using an electric power steering (EPS) 14 or an electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15. Determine whether to activate. The control determination unit 107 is configured to perform electric power steering (EPS) when the distance between the vehicle and the road boundary in the vehicle width direction is equal to or less than a predetermined distance or when the vehicle exceeds the road boundary. 14 or an electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 may be operated. In addition, the control determination unit 107 sets the electric power steering (EPS) 14 and the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 when the time until the vehicle reaches the road boundary in the vehicle width direction is equal to or less than a predetermined time. You may make it operate. In addition, when the vehicle enters the curve or the vehicle is traveling on the curve, the control determination unit 107 determines whether the distance between the vehicle and the road boundary in the vehicle traveling direction is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. The electric power steering (EPS) 14 and the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 may be operated when the vehicle reaches zero or when the vehicle crosses the road boundary. When the vehicle enters the curve or the vehicle is traveling on the curve, the control determination unit 107 determines that the time until the vehicle reaches the road boundary in the vehicle traveling direction is equal to or less than a predetermined time. At this time, the electric power steering (EPS) 14 or the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 may be operated. The timing at which the control determination unit 107 operates the electric power steering (EPS) 14 and the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 corresponds to the time when the vehicle departs from the road.

  The predetermined distance and the predetermined time used by the control determination unit 107 are changed according to the vehicle speed and the yaw rate in the same manner as the predetermined distance and the predetermined time used by the alarm determination unit 106. It is good to set shorter than the predetermined distance and predetermined time which the part 106 uses.

When the control determination unit 107 generates an operation request for the electric power steering (EPS) 14 or the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15, the control amount calculating unit 108 performs the electric power steering (EPS) 14 or the electronically controlled brake (ECB). ) 15 and the electric power steering (EPS) 14 and the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 are operated according to the calculated control amount. The control amount calculation unit 108 avoids deviation from the road by using the information generated by the integrated recognition processing unit 104, the output signal (vehicle speed) of the wheel speed sensor 6 and the output signal (yaw rate) of the yaw rate sensor 5 as parameters. To calculate the target yaw rate required to Specifically, when the relative distance to the road boundary is D, the vehicle speed (vehicle speed) is V, and the vehicle yaw angle with respect to the road boundary is θ, the control amount calculation unit 108 uses the following equation to calculate the target yaw rate Ytrg. Is calculated.
Ytrg = (θ · Vsin θ) / D

  The control amount calculation unit 108 obtains the control amount (steering torque) of the electric power steering (EPS) 14 and the control amount (brake hydraulic pressure) of the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 using the target yaw rate Ytrg as arguments. At that time, the relationship between the target yaw rate Ytrg and the steering torque, and the relationship between the target yaw rate Ytrg and the brake hydraulic pressure may be mapped in advance. Note that when the target yaw rate Ytrg is smaller than a predetermined value (the maximum value of the yaw rate at which avoidance of the runway departure can be achieved only by steering), the brake hydraulic pressure of the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 may be set to zero. . Further, when different brake hydraulic pressures are applied to the left and right wheel friction brakes when the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 is operated, it interferes with the yaw rate generated by the electric power steering (EPS) 14. Yaw rate will occur. Therefore, it is desirable to apply the same brake hydraulic pressure to the left and right wheel friction brakes. The control amount calculation unit 108 not only operates the electric power steering (EPS) 14 and the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 on the basis of the road boundary, but also grasps the road boundary in a wide range of potential and moves away from the road. The control amount may be increased as much as possible.

  Note that the method of decelerating the vehicle is not limited to the method of operating the friction brake by the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15, but the method of converting (regenerating) the kinetic energy of the vehicle into the electric energy or the transmission gear ratio. A method of increasing the engine brake by changing may be used.

  According to the driving support apparatus described above, the driver is warned of a departure from the road set based on the non-travelable area such as an obstacle or the lane, or the operation for avoiding the road departure is assisted. be able to.

(Common support judgment control)
When the driving support process is executed so that the vehicle travels on the road only by the reliability LR of the road recognition result set by the integrated recognition processing unit 104, the reliability is uniform when the reliability LR of the road recognition result is low. Therefore, the execution of the driving support process is restricted. If the execution of the driving support process is restricted in this way, the use opportunity of the driving support device mounted on the vehicle is reduced, and the driving support device cannot be used. In addition, when the driver's awakening level or driving operation level is low, it may be difficult for the driver to operate the vehicle, so the driving support process is executed so that the vehicle travels on the road. However, if the reliability of the recognition result of the road is low as described above, execution of the driving support process is limited. In this case, the driving support device is not usable at an opportunity where it can be used meaningfully.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the common support determination unit 105 determines that the execution of the driving support process is limited based on the reliability LR of the recognition result of the road, specifically, the reliability LR of the recognition result of the road By comparing the first threshold value Rth provided for determining whether or not to execute the driving support process unconditionally only by the reliability LR of the recognition result of the road, and limiting the execution of the driving support process Even if it is the condition to determine, when either the driver's arousal level or the driving operation level is low, the driving support process is executed with the restriction relaxed.

  Hereinafter, the function of the common support determination unit 105 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

  The common support determination unit 105 executes driving support processing based on the information generated by the integrated recognition processing unit 104, the determination result of the consciousness decrease determination unit 102, and the determination result of the driver intention determination unit 103. It is determined whether or not.

  The common support determination unit 105 first determines whether or not it is necessary to execute the driving support process. The case where the driving support process is necessary is when the vehicle is traveling normally. On the other hand, the case where the driving support process is not required is when the vehicle is stopped or when the vehicle speed of the vehicle is slower than a predetermined speed. The common support determination unit 105 determines that the driving support process needs to be executed when it is determined by the consciousness decrease determination unit 102 that the driver's consciousness is decreased or the driver is looking aside. May be. Further, the common support determination unit 105 may determine that it is not necessary to execute the driving support process when the driver intention determination unit 103 determines that the driver is performing an intentional operation.

  Next, when it is necessary to execute the driving support processing, the reliability LR of the road recognition result calculated by the integrated recognition processing unit 104 is compared with the first threshold value Rth, and the reliability of the road recognition result is compared. When LR is higher than the first threshold value Rth, the driving support process is executed unconditionally. On the other hand, when the reliability LR of the recognition result of the travel path is equal to or less than the first threshold value Rth, the driving support process can be executed by relaxing the restriction when a certain special condition is satisfied.

Here, the case where a certain special condition is satisfied is a condition in which the reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane is equal to or less than the first threshold Rth and restricts unconditional driving support processing. This is a case where either the arousal level or the driving operation level is low. In this embodiment, the driver's arousal level and the degree of driving operation are the driver's arousal level, which is the determination result of the consciousness decrease determination unit 102, and the steering wheel operation, which is the determination result of the driver intention determination unit 103 ( Steering) amount change, accelerator pedal operation amount change, and brake pedal operation amount change. Since the driver's arousal level is divided into three stages D1 to D3 from the determination result of the consciousness decrease determination unit 102 as shown in FIG. 2, when the driver's arousal level is the lowest value D3, Determined. A state where the driver's arousal level is low is defined as Condition A. The change in the steering wheel operation (steering) amount is obtained from the steering torque based on the output signal of the steering torque sensor 11, and it is determined that the degree of driving operation is low when the steering torque is lower than a predetermined torque. . Condition B is a state where the degree of driving operation due to the change in the steering wheel operation (steering) amount is low. The change in the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal is obtained from the accelerator opening change rate based on the output signal of the accelerator sensor 8, and the degree of driving operation is low when the accelerator opening change rate is lower than a predetermined opening rate. It is determined. Condition C is a state in which the degree of driving operation due to the change in the operation amount of the accelerator pedal is low. The change in the operation amount of the brake pedal is obtained from ON / OFF of the output signal of the brake sensor 7, and it is determined that the degree of the driving operation is low when the output signal of the brake sensor 7 is OFF. Condition D is a state where the degree of driving operation due to the change in the operation amount of the brake pedal is low. The condition D is a condition used in place of the condition C. The case where either the driver's arousal level or the driving operation level is low means that at least one of the conditions A, B, and C (D) is satisfied.

  As described above, when the reliability LR of the recognition result of the road is equal to or less than the first threshold value Rth and at least one of the condition A, the condition B, and the condition C (D) is satisfied, the driving support process is relaxed. Will be executed. Here, in the present embodiment, two driving support processes are executed when all of the conditions A, B, and C (D) are satisfied and when at least one of the conditions is satisfied. It was divided into three support levels. That is, when all of the conditions A, B, and C (D) are satisfied, the reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane is higher than the first threshold value Rth, and the driving support process is performed unconditionally. The driving support process is executed at the same support level as when executing. This support level (the degree of support) is set as a normal support level. On the other hand, when at least one of the conditions A, B, and C (D) is satisfied, the weak support level in which the support level (the degree of support) is lowered compared to the normal support level, In other words, the driving support process is executed in which the warning is weaker than usual or the control amount is halved to assist. In addition, you may change suitably the assistance level (degree of assistance) of this weak assistance level.

  In this embodiment, the support level is divided into the normal support level and the weak support level. However, it is not limited to this. For example, execution is performed when all of the conditions A, B, and C (D) are satisfied, when any two conditions are satisfied, and when any one condition is satisfied. The driving support process may be divided into three support levels, a normal support level, an intermediate support level, and a weak support level. That is, according to the present invention, when the driver's arousal level and the degree of driving operation are low, the driving level is lower than when the driver's awakening level and driving level is low. The support level of the support process may be increased. According to this, it is likely that it is more difficult for the driver to operate the vehicle when the driver's arousal level and the driving operation level are low. Can be increased so that the vehicle continues to run on the track as much as possible.

However, even when certain special conditions are satisfied as described above, there are cases where execution of the driving support process should be restricted. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a case where a vehicle is traveling on a straight road although the traveling road is set as a curve. The reliability LR of the recognition result of the road as shown in FIG. 4 is not more than the first threshold value Rth and the road is set as a curve. However, when the possibility that the vehicle is driving on a straight road is high, there is a special Even if the condition is satisfied, the execution of the driving support process should be restricted. As shown in FIG. 4, the road is set as a curve, but when the vehicle is actually traveling on a straight road, there is no need to change the traveling direction of the vehicle and the driver does not steer the steering wheel. There is a high possibility that the steering torque based on the output signal of the steering torque sensor 11 will be lower than a predetermined torque. Thereby, the condition B is satisfied. In such a case, if driving assistance is performed in accordance with an erroneously set road, the driver's operation of the vehicle may be mistaken.

  Therefore, when the reliability LR of the recognition result of the road is less than or equal to the first threshold value Rth and the road is set as a curve, a special condition is satisfied when the vehicle is highly likely to travel on a straight road. Even in such a case, the execution of the driving support process is limited. According to this, although the track is set as a curve, the actual vehicle is traveling on a straight road, and therefore, when the driver's arousal level and driving level are low, extra driving assistance is provided. Can be avoided. Here, the road is set as a curve, but when there is a high possibility that the vehicle is driving on a straight road, specifically, the road calculated by the integrated recognition processing unit 104 is a curve. The determination is made when the runway immediately before is a straight line for a predetermined time T or longer. In addition, although the road is set as a curve based on a criterion other than this criterion, it may be determined when there is a high possibility that the vehicle is traveling on a straight road.

  Here, in this embodiment, the reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane is less than or equal to the first threshold value Rth, and the lane is set as a curve, but when the possibility that the vehicle is traveling on a straight road is high, Even if a special condition is satisfied, the execution of the driving support process is limited. However, according to the present invention, the driving support process may be executed by changing the support level according to the set degree of curve of the road and the reliability of the recognition result of the road. According to this, for example, the greater the degree of the set runway bend and the lower the reliability of the runway recognition result, the weaker the support level is changed and the driving support process is executed to perform extra driving support. Can be avoided.

  In the present embodiment, the reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane is equal to or less than the first threshold value Rth as a case where the execution of the driving support process should be restricted even when certain special conditions are satisfied as described above. The road is set to be a curve, but there is a high possibility that the vehicle is driving on a straight road. However, this need not be the case. For example, even when certain special conditions are satisfied as described above, the driving support process is executed even when the set track is a straight line or when the vehicle is traveling on a gentle downhill. It may be added when it should be restricted. Even when the set road is a straight line, the driver does not need to change the traveling direction of the vehicle and the driver does not steer the steering wheel. Therefore, the steering torque based on the output signal of the steering torque sensor 11 is higher than a predetermined torque. This is because the possibility that the lowering condition B is satisfied is high. In addition, when the vehicle is traveling on a gentle downhill, the driver may not need to operate the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal, and the accelerator opening change rate based on the output signal of the accelerator sensor 8 is preliminarily determined. This is because the condition C is highly likely to be established lower than the predetermined opening degree, and the condition D is highly likely to be established when the output signal of the brake sensor 7 is OFF.

  When it is determined whether or not to execute the driving support process in this way, the driving support process can be executed according to the reliability of the recognition result of the road, the driver's arousal level, and the degree of driving operation. The use opportunity of the device can be increased and the driving support device can be utilized.

(Common support judgment control routine)
The common support determination control routine in the common support determination unit 105 will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a common support determination control routine. This routine is repeatedly executed by the common support determination unit 105 of the ECU 1 every predetermined time.

  When the routine shown in FIG. 5 is started, in S101, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to execute the driving support process. If it is determined in S101 that the driving support process needs to be executed, the process proceeds to S102. On the other hand, if it is determined in S101 that it is not necessary to execute the driving support process, this routine is temporarily terminated.

  Next, in S102 to which an affirmative determination is made in S101, it is determined whether or not the reliability LR of the lane recognition result calculated by the integrated recognition processing unit 104 is higher than the first threshold value Rth. If it is determined in S102 that the reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane is higher than the first threshold value Rth, the process proceeds to S106. On the other hand, if it is determined in S102 that the reliability LR of the recognition result of the lane is equal to or less than the first threshold value Rth, the process proceeds to S103.

  In S103, which is determined to be negative in S102 and shifts, it is determined whether or not the road set by the integrated recognition processing unit 104 is a curve, and the previous road is a straight line for a time T or longer. If an affirmative determination is made in S103, a special condition may be satisfied, but this routine is temporarily terminated and the execution of the driving support process is limited. If a negative determination is made in S103, the process proceeds to S104.

  In S104, where a negative determination is made in S103 and the process proceeds, it is determined whether or not all of the conditions A, B, and C (D) are satisfied. If it is determined in S104 that all of the conditions A, B, and C (D) are satisfied, the process proceeds to S106. On the other hand, if it is determined in S104 that all of the conditions A, B, and C (D) are not satisfied, the process proceeds to S105.

  In S105, where a negative determination is made in S104 and the process proceeds, it is determined whether or not at least one of the conditions A, B, and C (D) is satisfied. If it is determined in S105 that at least one of the conditions A, B, and C (D) is satisfied, the process proceeds to S107. On the other hand, if it is determined in S105 that at least any one of the conditions A, B, and C (D) is not satisfied, this routine is temporarily terminated.

  In S106, in which affirmative determination is made in S102 and S104 and the transition is made, it is permitted to execute the driving support process at the normal support level. As a result, the warning determination unit 106 issues a warning at the normal support level, and the control amount calculation unit 108 assists with the control amount at the normal support level. That is, the warning determination unit 106 performs a normal warning. The control amount calculation unit 108 performs control using the control amount (steering torque) of the electric power steering (EPS) 14 and the control amount (brake hydraulic pressure) of the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 calculated as usual.

  In S107, which is determined to be affirmative in S105 and shifts, it is permitted to execute the driving support process at the weak support level. As a result, the warning determination unit 106 issues a warning at a weak support level, and the control amount calculation unit 108 assists with a control amount at the weak support level. That is, the warning determination unit 106 issues a warning by reducing the amount of sound of the buzzer 12 or by halving the size of the warning message or warning lamp displayed by the display device 13 as compared with a normal case. . The control amount calculation unit 108 performs control by reducing the control amount (steering torque) of the electric power steering (EPS) 14 and the control amount (brake hydraulic pressure) of the electronically controlled brake (ECB) 15 that are calculated as usual to half. .

With this routine above, even when the reliability of the recognition result of the lane is low and the driver's arousal level or the level of driving operation is low, the driving support process is allowed to be executed and the use opportunity of the driving support device is increased. The travel support device can be utilized. This allows the driver assistance to be executed when the driver's arousal level or the driver's control level is low, which may make it difficult for the driver to operate the vehicle. The driving support device can be used at a possible opportunity.

<Others>
The driving support device according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Moreover, the said Example is an Example of not only a driving assistance apparatus but a driving assistance method. In the above-described embodiment, the driving support device for recognizing the lane and the non-driving range, setting the vehicle running path, and performing the driving support process for avoiding the deviation from the set running path has been described. The present invention can also be applied to devices other than driving support devices. For example, the present invention can also be applied to an LKA (lane keeping assist) device that warns or assists a vehicle to travel within a white line that defines a lane.

1: ECU, 2: radar device, 3: external camera, 4: driver camera, 5: yaw rate sensor, 6: wheel speed sensor, 7: brake sensor, 8: accelerator sensor, 9: winker switch, 10: rudder Angle sensor, 11: Steering torque sensor, 12: Buzzer, 13: Display device, 14: Electric power steering (EPS), 15: Electronically controlled brake (ECB), 100: Obstacle information processing unit, 101: Lane information processing , 102: Decrease in consciousness determination unit, 103: Driver intention determination unit, 104: Integrated recognition processing unit, 105: Common support determination unit, 106: Alarm determination unit, 107: Control determination unit, 108: Control amount calculation unit

Claims (6)

A travel support device that warns or assists a vehicle to travel within the runway when the vehicle deviates from the set runway,
Based on the reliability of the recognition result of the runway, even if it is a condition to determine that the warning or assistance is limited, if at least one of the driver's arousal level and the driving operation level is low, the warning Or the driving | running | working assistance apparatus characterized by loosening the restriction | limiting of assistance.   When the driver's arousal level and the driving operation level are low, the warning or assistance level is larger than when the driver's awakening level and driving operation level are low. The travel support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein   The road is set as a curve, but when there is a high possibility that the vehicle is traveling on a straight road, the warning or the warning or the driving operation may be performed even if at least one of the driver's arousal level and the driving operation level is low. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein assistance is limited. A travel support device that warns or assists a vehicle to travel within the runway when the vehicle deviates from the set runway,
The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the warning or assistance level is changed in accordance with a degree of bending of the road and a reliability of a recognition result of the road. A driving support method for providing warning or assistance so that a vehicle runs on the road when the vehicle deviates from the set road,
Based on the reliability of the recognition result of the runway, even if it is a condition to determine that the warning or assistance is limited, if at least one of the driver's arousal level and the driving operation level is low, the warning Or the driving | running | working assistance method characterized by loosening the restriction | limiting of assistance. A driving support method for providing warning or assistance so that a vehicle runs on the road when the vehicle deviates from the set road,
The driving support method according to claim 1, wherein the warning or assistance level is changed according to the degree of bending of the road and the reliability of the recognition result of the road.

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