JPH0441941A - Follow-up driving control device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable follow-up driving with keeping a safe distance all the time from a preceding car decided by a driver by constituting so that the preceding car to be followed is designated in an image follow-up window and followed in image, a distance between two cars is detected and speed is regulated so that the distance is kept at a predetermined safe distance. CONSTITUTION:In driving a vehicle, when an image 5a of a preceding car 5 that is desired to be followed enters, for example, an image of an image sensor 4 on the right hand side and is displayed on a display device 11, a driver operates a window forming device 12 so as to set an image follow-up window 21 surrounding the preceding car image 5a and operates an image follow-up instruction switch 13, and then, an image follow-up action for the preceding car image 5a is automatically carried out by the window 21. Also, a micro computer 10 reads out a picture element signal in the window 21 from a memory 9 to make it a base image signal for calculating a distance between two cars and continuously detects the distance between the preceding car 5 and its own car, and when a follow-up driving switch 16 is operated, an opening degree of a throttle valve 18 is adjusted based on a safe distance between the two cars by a speed regulating device 17 so as to drive its own car following the preceding car 5.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a vehicle tracking control device that controls vehicle speed so as to follow a preceding vehicle while maintaining a safe inter-vehicle distance. The present invention relates to a vehicle tracking cruise control device that can reliably detect the inter-vehicle distance to a preceding vehicle by image tracking the preceding vehicle.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional vehicle tracking control devices of this type include a radar device that uses light or radio waves installed at the front of the vehicle body, monitors the area in front of the vehicle to detect a preceding vehicle, and then detects the vehicle in front of the vehicle. A device that calculates the relative distance and controls the speed of the own vehicle so that the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes a safe distance is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-86000 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60239900. Disclosed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the conventional device described above, since the preceding vehicle is detected by the radar device installed at the front of the vehicle body, for example, as shown in FIG.
Because a preceding vehicle 32 on the overtaking lane may enter the detection area of the radar device mounted on the vehicle, if the preceding vehicle 32 on the overtaking lane is faster than the flow of vehicles on the own lane, the own vehicle There was a problem in that the vehicle suddenly approached the preceding vehicle 33 on the line, and when it was slow, the vehicle suddenly approached the following vehicle 34 on the own lane.

In addition, since the preceding vehicle that your vehicle is following and detecting the inter-vehicle distance is not clearly indicated, if multiple preceding vehicles are driving, you may not know which preceding vehicle you are following.
There were issues such as giving drivers a sense of anxiety.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and even when multiple preceding vehicles are running, it is possible to reliably follow the preceding vehicle specified by the driver, and also to ensure that the own vehicle It is an object of the present invention to obtain a vehicle tracking travel control device that can confirm a preceding vehicle that is being followed.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The vehicle tracking travel control device of the present invention includes an image sensor, a display means for displaying an image captured by the image sensor, a window forming means, an image tracking instruction input means, and an image sensor. Operation of tracking instruction input means Human power ζ Image tracking means for image tracking of the image of the preceding vehicle in the window, inter-vehicle distance detection means for detecting the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle, follow-up instruction input means, and follow-up instruction input By operating the means,
The vehicle is equipped with a speed adjusting means that receives an inter-vehicle distance signal and adjusts the speed so that the inter-vehicle distance becomes a predetermined value.

[For production]

In the vehicle tracking control device according to the present invention, when the driver specifies the preceding vehicle to be followed using the image tracking window, the image tracking means starts tracking the image of the preceding vehicle. The inter-vehicle distance detection means detects the distance between the vehicle in front and the vehicle in front within the window, and then the speed adjustment means adjusts the speed so that the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes a predetermined safe distance by operating the follow-up command input means. Adjust speed.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1st
In the figure, 1.2 is the lens that constitutes the left and right optical systems,
3.4 is 2 arranged corresponding to lens 1.2 respectively.
The dimensional image sensor 5 indicates the preceding vehicle to be followed.

6 and 7 are analog/digital (A/D) converters that convert each output of the image sensor 3.4 into digital signals, and 89 is a memory connected to each output side of the A/D converter 6.7. 10 is a microcomputer; 11 is a display device that displays an image captured by the right image sensor 4; the display device is controlled by the microcomputer 10; 12 is a window forming device for forming an image tracking window; 13 is an image tracking instruction switch operated by the driver; a signal from this switch is input to the window forming device 2; 14 is a brake switch that detects the operation of the brake; 15 is a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed; 16 is a follow-up switch that is operated by the driver; and 17 is a speed adjustment device for the own vehicle; the brake switch 14 and the vehicle speed sensor 15 , the output signal of the following travel switch 16 is input. The microcomputer IO is connected to the memory 8.9 and inputs signals from the window forming device I2 to display the display device 1.
1, and also outputs an inter-vehicle distance signal to the speed adjustment device 17. A throttle valve 18 is provided in an intake pipe 19 of the engine, and is driven to open and close by an electric motor 20 driven by a speed regulator 17.

In the above configuration, FIG. 2 shows the screen of the display device 11. For example, suppose that the image 5a of the preceding vehicle 5 that you wish to follow enters the image of the image sensor 4 on the right side and is displayed on the display device 11. The driver operates the window forming device 12 to set the image tracking window 21 surrounding the preceding vehicle image 5a. When the image tracking instruction switch 13 is subsequently operated, the leading vehicle image 5 will be displayed on the screen of the display device 11.
No matter how a moves, the window 21 moves accordingly, and the image tracking action of the preceding vehicle image 5a by the window 21 is automatically performed. This image tracking function
This device is similar to the conventional device disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 33352 or Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-35305.

Note that the preceding vehicle 5 is imaged as respective optical images on the left and right image sensors 3 and 4 through the left and right lenses 1.2. The analog photoelectric conversion signals corresponding to the optical images outputted from the image sensor 3.4 are respectively converted into analog and digital signals by the A/D converter 6.7 and stored in the memory 8.9.

The microcomputer 10 stores the image 5a of the preceding vehicle in the memory 9.
The image signal is read and displayed on the display device 11. Further, the microcomputer 10 displays a window signal inputted from the window forming device 12 on the display device 11 as a window 21 .

Next, a method for detecting the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle will be explained. First, the microcomputer 10 uses the preceding vehicle image 5.
The pixel signals within the window 21 tracking a are stored in the memory 9.
, and use it as a reference image signal for calculating the inter-vehicle distance. Then, the microcomputer IO selects an area corresponding to the window 21 in the memory 8 in which the image signal of the left image sensor 3 is stored, and converts the image signal of the memory 8 into one pixel with respect to the reference image signal. The total sum of the absolute values of the signal differences for each left and right pixel is calculated while sequentially shifting each pixel. That is, the position of the image that most closely matches the image within the window 21 is determined by sequentially shifting one pixel at a time. At this time, the area involved in the calculation is, as shown in FIG. 3, the reference image signal in the window 21 of the image in the memory 9 in the right figure, and the area 22 in the image in the memory 8 in the left figure. handle. This area 22 corresponds to an area obtained by extending the window 21 one full width in the left and right direction.

As described above, compare the left and right pixels, let the shift amount of the pixel when the sum of the absolute values of the difference signals is the minimum be n pixels, the pixel pitch be P, the base length of the optical system be the lens 1 ．．
If the focal length of 2 is f, and the distance to the preceding vehicle -L5 is R, then R is R= Formula% Formula% In this way, for the preceding vehicle 5 that has been reset, even if the preceding vehicle 5 is Even if the vehicle moves left or right, it can be tracked and the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle itself can be continuously detected.

When the driver operates the follow-up switch 16 after image tracking of the preceding vehicle 5 has started as described above, the speed adjustment device 17 inputs an inter-vehicle distance detection signal from the microcomputer 10 and receives an inter-vehicle distance detection signal from the vehicle speed sensor 15. Compare it with a predetermined safe following distance corresponding to the entered vehicle speed,
When the inter-vehicle distance R to the preceding vehicle 5 is shorter than the above-mentioned safe inter-vehicle distance, the electric W120 is rotated to drive the throttle valve 18 to the closing side, and when it is longer, the throttle valve 18 is opened and the own vehicle is Adjust speed. As a result, the inter-vehicle distance R is controlled to be the above-mentioned safe inter-vehicle distance, and the own vehicle follows the preceding vehicle 5 while maintaining the above-mentioned safe inter-vehicle distance.

Incidentally, as in the case where the vehicle enters a tunnel during the above-mentioned following drive, the image of the preceding vehicle captured by the image sensors 3 and 4 may become dark, making image tracking impossible against the driver's will. In such cases, the system is configured to notify the driver with a buzzer etc. that image tracking has become impossible, and to maintain the vehicle running at the speed at which image tracking became impossible. It is preferable to prevent the driver from being confused due to sudden termination of the follow-up travel control. Further, the following cruise control is configured to be stopped by an output signal from the brake switch 14 actuated by the driver's brake operation or by release of the following cruise switch 16.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the preceding vehicle to be followed is specified in the image tracking window, the image is tracked, and the following distance is detected, and the following distance is adjusted to a predetermined safe distance by inputting the following command. Since the vehicle is configured to adjust the speed accordingly, even when a plurality of preceding vehicles are running, it is possible to follow the preceding vehicle while always maintaining a safe distance from the preceding vehicle determined by the driver.

In addition, since the image of the preceding vehicle is displayed on the display means, it is possible to reliably specify the preceding vehicle that you want to follow, eliminating the anxiety of not knowing which preceding vehicle you are following, which was the case with conventional devices. There is an effect that can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle tracking control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which an image of a preceding vehicle appears on the screen of a display device and an image tracking window is set. , FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an image area within the window to be compared with a reference image, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the running state of a vehicle equipped with the conventional device. In the figure, 1.2... Lens, 3.4... Image sensor, 5... Leading vehicle, 10... Microcomputer, 11... Display device, 12... Window forming device,
13... Image tracking instruction switch, 16... Tracking travel switch, 17... Speed adjustment device, 18... Throttle valve, 20... Electric motor. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or equivalent parts. Figure Figure Image image in memory (8)

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image sensor that captures an image of a preceding vehicle through an optical system, a display unit that displays an image captured by the image sensor, a window forming unit that can set an image tracking window on the display unit, and can be operated externally. image tracking means for image-tracking the image of the preceding vehicle by operating input of the image tracking instruction input means when the image of the preceding vehicle enters the window; an inter-vehicle distance detection means for detecting the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle; a follow-up command input means that can be operated externally; A vehicle follow-up travel control device comprising speed adjustment means for adjusting the speed of the host vehicle so that the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes a predetermined value.