JP2008308091A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To execute a vehicle control for lane departure prevention according to the irradiation state of a white line recognition range with illumination. <P>SOLUTION: A vehicle control device 10 comprises a white line detection means 32 for detecting a white line by processing an image part in a white line recognition range included in an image obtained by photographing the front of a vehicle, an attitude angle detection means 33 for detecting an attitude angle of a vehicle, an irradiation state estimation means 34 for estimating the irradiation state of the white line recognition range with illumination on the basis of the attitude angle of a vehicle detected by the attitude angle detection means and a departure prevention control means 35 for executing vehicle control for lane departure prevention on the basis of the white line detected by the white line detection means and for adjusting control sensitivity of the vehicle control for the lane departure prevention in response to the irradiation state estimated by the irradiation state estimation means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that detects a white line from an image photographed by a camera and controls the vehicle according to the detection result of the white line.

In the conventional document (Patent Document 1), a road surface in the traveling direction is photographed by a camera mounted on the vehicle, the image is processed by an external recognition device, and a route on which the vehicle travels is recognized. When the pitch angle of the vehicle changes, the external environment recognition device adjusts the image processing region in accordance with the vehicle pitch angle.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-40499

  When the attitude angle of the vehicle changes on a dark road surface such as at night, the brightness of the white line recognition range set in the image for recognizing the white line changes. Due to a change in the brightness of the white line recognition range, white line recognition accuracy may be reduced, and the control state of the vehicle may be deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device capable of performing vehicle control for preventing lane departure according to the illumination state of illumination with respect to a white line recognition range. And

  In order to achieve the above-described object, a vehicle control device according to the present invention includes a white line detection unit that detects a white line by processing an image portion of a white line recognition range included in an image taken in front of the vehicle, and a posture angle of the vehicle. Detected by the angle detection means, the illumination irradiation state estimation means for estimating the illumination state in the white line recognition range based on the attitude angle of the vehicle detected by the attitude angle detection means, and the white line detection means Departure prevention control means for performing vehicle control for preventing lane departure based on the white line, and adjusting the control sensitivity of the vehicle control for preventing lane departure according to the irradiation state estimated by the illumination irradiation state estimation means And.

  According to the vehicle control device described above, the control sensitivity of the vehicle control for preventing lane departure is adjusted according to the illumination state of the illumination in the white line recognition range, so that the lane departure prevention is performed according to the illumination state of the illumination in the white line recognition range. The vehicle control for the vehicle can be carried out moderately.

  In the vehicle control device according to the present invention, the departure prevention control means performs control for generating a steering torque for maintaining the lane as vehicle control for preventing lane departure, and the irradiation state estimated by the illumination irradiation state estimation means. Accordingly, it is preferable to adjust the control sensitivity of the steering torque for maintaining the lane. According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately generate the steering torque for maintaining the lane according to the illumination irradiation state in the white line recognition range.

  In the vehicle control apparatus according to the present invention, the departure prevention control means may adjust the maximum change rate value of the steering torque for maintaining the lane in order to adjust the control sensitivity of the steering torque for maintaining the lane.

  In the vehicle control apparatus according to the present invention, the departure prevention control means may adjust the steering system friction compensation amount in order to adjust the control sensitivity of the steering torque for maintaining the lane.

  In the vehicle control device according to the present invention, the departure prevention control means may adjust the gain of feedback control in order to adjust the control sensitivity of the steering torque for maintaining the lane.

  In the vehicle control device according to the present invention, the departure prevention control means performs lane departure warning control for issuing a warning at the time of lane departure as vehicle control for lane departure prevention, and the irradiation state estimated by the illumination irradiation state estimation means It is preferable to adjust the timing for issuing a warning when the lane departs. According to this configuration, a warning at the time of departure from the lane can be issued at an appropriate timing according to the illumination state of illumination in the white line recognition range.

  In the vehicle control device according to the present invention, the white line detection means can adjust the removal characteristic of the noise removal filter that removes the pseudo component of the white line in the image according to the irradiation state estimated by the illumination irradiation state estimation means. preferable. According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce white line detection errors by adjusting the removal characteristics of the noise removal filter in accordance with the illumination state in the white line recognition range.

  In the vehicle control device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the illumination irradiation state estimation means estimates the illumination irradiation state based on a switch signal indicating an on state or an off state of the illumination. According to this configuration, since the illumination irradiation state is estimated according to the illumination on state or the off state, the illumination illumination state can be accurately estimated.

  The vehicle control device according to the present invention further includes failure detection means for detecting a failure in illumination, and the illumination irradiation state estimation means estimates the illumination irradiation state based on the detection output of the failure detection means. Is preferred. According to this configuration, since the illumination irradiation state is estimated according to the presence or absence of illumination failure, the illumination irradiation state can be estimated with high accuracy.

  The vehicle control device according to the present invention further includes voltage detection means for detecting a terminal voltage of the illumination, and the illumination irradiation state estimation means estimates the illumination irradiation state based on the detection output of the voltage detection means. It is preferable. According to this configuration, since the illumination state of illumination is estimated according to the terminal voltage of illumination, the illumination state of illumination can be accurately estimated.

  The vehicle control device according to the present invention further includes a deterioration detection unit that detects a deterioration state of the illumination, and the illumination irradiation state estimation unit estimates the illumination irradiation state based on the detection output of the deterioration detection unit. It is preferable. According to this configuration, since the illumination irradiation state is estimated according to the deterioration state of the illumination, the illumination irradiation state can be accurately estimated.

  In the vehicle control device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the illumination irradiation state estimation means estimates the illumination irradiation state based on an imaging control parameter of the imaging device. According to this configuration, since the illumination irradiation state is estimated according to the imaging control parameters of the imaging apparatus, the illumination irradiation state can be accurately estimated.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vehicle control apparatus which can perform vehicle control for lane departure prevention according to the irradiation state of the illumination with respect to the white line recognition range can be provided.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements or elements having the same function, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 shows a vehicle control apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle control device 10 is mounted on a vehicle and performs departure prevention support control for preventing the vehicle from departing from the traveling lane. The vehicle control device 10 includes sensors for detecting the state of the vehicle, a departure prevention assisting ECU (Electronic Control Unit: control unit) 30, an electric power steering device (steering torque application means) 40, an alarm buzzer 41, It is equipped with.

  As sensors for detecting the state of the vehicle, a camera 11 that images a road surface ahead of the vehicle, a main switch 14 that outputs a switch signal indicating an on state or an off state of the main power source of the vehicle, and a brake depression state A brake switch 11 that outputs a switch signal indicating a blinker, a winker switch 13 that outputs a switch signal that indicates a lighting state of the blinker, and a headlamp changeover switch 15 that outputs a switch signal indicating a high beam and a low beam of the headlamp. A vehicle speed detection sensor 16 for detecting the speed of the vehicle, a steering torque detection sensor 17 for detecting the steering torque, a vehicle height detection sensor 18 for detecting the height (vehicle height) of the vehicle body from the road surface, An occupant detection sensor 19 that detects the presence or absence of an occupant seated in the seat, and loaded in the trunk A load detection sensor 20 that detects the weight of the load, a failure detection sensor 21 that detects a failure of the headlamp, a terminal voltage detection sensor 22 that detects a terminal voltage of the headlamp, and a deterioration of the headlamp. A deterioration detection sensor 23 that detects the brightness around the vehicle, a clock 25 that outputs current time information, and a GPS (Global Positioning System) device 26 that outputs vehicle position information. Is provided. The outputs of these sensors are supplied to the departure prevention support ECU 30.

  The departure prevention support ECU 30 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 has, as a functional configuration realized by executing a program, a vehicle surrounding brightness detection unit 31, a white line detection unit 32, an attitude angle detection unit 33, and an illumination irradiation state estimation unit 34. The departure prevention control means 35 is provided.

  The departure prevention assist ECU 30 (vehicle surrounding brightness detection means 31) detects the brightness around the vehicle. The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 is connected to a brightness detection sensor 24 that detects the brightness around the vehicle, and takes in the detected value of the brightness around the vehicle detected by the brightness detection sensor 24. The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 may take in time information from the clock 25, position information from the GPS device 26, and the like, and detect the brightness around the vehicle based on these information.

  The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 (white line detecting means 32) detects an image portion corresponding to the white line on both sides of the traveling lane by processing an image of the road surface in front of the vehicle taken by the camera 11. The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 sets a white line recognition range for recognizing a white line in a part of the image taken by the camera 11, and processes the white line recognition range image so that the white lines on both sides of the travel lane are processed. An image portion corresponding to is detected. The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 basically fixes the setting position of the white line recognition range in the image, but sets the white line recognition range in a range close to the vehicle or in a range far from the vehicle according to the running state of the vehicle. A white line recognition range may be set. The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 may include a noise removal filter that removes the pseudo component of the white line in the image.

  The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 (attitude angle detecting means 33) performs processing for detecting the attitude angle (particularly the pitch angle) of the vehicle. The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 calculates the pitch angle of the vehicle based on detection outputs of the vehicle height detection sensor 18, the occupant detection sensor 19, the load amount detection sensor 20, and the like. For example, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 may calculate the pitch angle of the vehicle based on the detection value of the vehicle height detection sensor 18 provided on each of the front wheel side and the rear wheel side of the vehicle. Further, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 may calculate the pitch angle of the vehicle based on the vehicle height on the rear wheel side, the presence / absence of passengers in the rear seat, the load capacity in the trunk room, and the like. This pitch angle calculation method is based on the fact that the vehicle height on the front wheel side and the presence or absence of an occupant do not significantly affect the pitch angle, and the vehicle height on the rear wheel side and the presence or absence of an occupant greatly affect the pitch angle. is there.

  The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 (illumination irradiation state estimation means 34) performs a process of estimating the irradiation state of the headlamp based on the pitch angle of the vehicle. Here, the irradiation state of the headlamp means a good degree of a state in which the light of the headlamp is irradiated to the white line recognition range. Specifically, the irradiation state of the headlamp is better as the irradiation range of the headlamp covers the white line recognition range, and the better degree of the irradiation state becomes larger. On the other hand, as the irradiation range of the headlamp deviates from the white line recognition range, the irradiation state of the headlamp deteriorates and the degree of good irradiation state decreases. Further, the stronger the light of the headlamp, the better the irradiation state of the headlamp, and the better the irradiation state becomes. On the other hand, the weaker the light of the headlamp, the worse the irradiation state of the headlamp, and the better the irradiation state becomes.

  The irradiation state of the headlamp will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 shows the headlamp irradiation range and white line recognition range when the white line recognition range is automatically corrected according to the pitch angle. When the pitch angle of the vehicle 1 is zero, as shown in FIG. 2A, the irradiation range of the headlamp is 10 m to 50 m, and the white line recognition range is 10 m to 30 m. When the pitch angle of the vehicle 1 increases from this state, as shown in FIG. 2B, the irradiation range of the headlamp moves further forward of the vehicle 1, but the white line recognition range is automatically corrected so that the white line recognition is performed. The range does not change from 10m to 30m. In FIG. 2A, the entire white line recognition range is irradiated by the headlamp, and the irradiation state of the headlamp is good, so the recognition accuracy of the white line from the image is high. On the other hand, in FIG. 2B, a part of the white line recognition range is not irradiated by the headlamp, and the irradiation state of the headlamp is deteriorated, so the recognition accuracy of the white line from the image is low.

  FIG. 3 shows the headlamp irradiation range and white line recognition range when the headlamp irradiation range is automatically corrected in accordance with the pitch angle. When the pitch angle of the vehicle 1 is zero, as shown in FIG. 3A, the irradiation range of the headlamp is 10 m to 50 m, and the white line recognition range is 10 m to 30 m. When the pitch angle of the vehicle 1 increases from this state, as shown in FIG. 3B, the irradiation range of the headlamp does not change from 10 m to 50 m, but the white line recognition range moves further forward of the vehicle 1. In FIG. 3A, since the entire white line recognition range is irradiated by the headlamp and the irradiation state of the headlamp is good, the recognition accuracy of the white line from the image is high. On the other hand, in FIG. 3B, a part of the white line recognition range is not irradiated by the headlamp, and the irradiation state of the headlamp is deteriorated, so the recognition accuracy of the white line from the image is low.

  The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 (the departure prevention control means 35) performs vehicle control for preventing lane departure based on the recognition result of the white line on the road surface. Here, the vehicle control for departure prevention is steering torque adjustment control (lane maintenance support control) when the vehicle tries to depart from the driving lane, and alarm control (lane when the vehicle tries to depart from the driving lane). Deviation warning control). In the present embodiment, the departure prevention assistance ECU 30 adjusts the control sensitivity of the vehicle control for departure prevention according to the irradiation state of the headlamp. Specifically, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 increases the control sensitivity of the vehicle control for departure prevention when the headlamp irradiation state becomes good, while the vehicle control for departure prevention when the headlamp irradiation state deteriorates. Decrease sensitivity.

  The departure prevention support ECU 30 performs lane keeping support control as described below. The electric power steering device 40 generates a steering torque corresponding to the driver's steering wheel operation amount, and controls the traveling direction of the vehicle. Here, when the vehicle deviates from the center of the travel lane and approaches the white line, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 outputs a command for returning the vehicle to the center of the travel lane to the electric power steering device 40. By this command, the electric power steering device 40 adds the steering torque for maintaining the lane in the direction in which the vehicle returns to the center of the traveling lane to the steering torque according to the steering wheel operation amount of the driver, and the vehicle deviates from the traveling lane. To deter.

  In the present embodiment, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 adjusts the control sensitivity of the steering torque for maintaining the lane that is generated to return the vehicle to the center of the traveling lane according to the irradiation state of the headlamp. That is, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 sets the steering torque for maintaining the lane to be stronger as the degree of goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp is larger. On the other hand, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 sets the steering torque for maintaining the lane to be weaker as the degree of goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp is smaller. Steering torque for maintaining the lane in a situation where the headlamp irradiation state is good and the white line is detected accurately by increasing the control sensitivity of the steering torque for maintaining the lane as the goodness of the headlamp irradiation state increases. It is possible to prevent the vehicle from departing from the lane accurately by controlling the vehicle in a strong manner. On the other hand, by reducing the control sensitivity of the steering torque for maintaining the lane as the goodness of the headlamp illumination state decreases, the headlamp illumination state deteriorates and white line detection accuracy is poor. Deterioration of the control state of the steering torque due to erroneous detection can be prevented.

  In one method of adjusting the control sensitivity of the steering torque, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 determines the steering torque for maintaining the lane that is generated in order to return the vehicle to the center of the traveling lane according to the good degree of irradiation of the headlamp. Adjust the maximum time change rate. That is, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 sets the maximum value of the time change rate of the steering torque for maintaining the lane to a large value (for example, 10 Nm / sec) when the good degree of the irradiation state of the headlamp is large. On the other hand, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 sets the maximum value of the time change rate of the steering torque for maintaining the lane to a small value (for example, 7 Nm / sec) when the good degree of the irradiation state of the headlamp is small.

  In another method of adjusting the control sensitivity of the steering torque, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 adjusts the compensation amount of the steering system friction to be added to the steering torque for maintaining the lane according to the goodness of the headlamp irradiation state. . In the steering system, there are various frictions such as a friction component of the steering gear box, an elastic deformation of a rubber part for fixing the steering gear box to the body, and a friction component in the rotational direction of the front suspension. When calculating the lane keeping steering torque, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 sets a steering system friction compensation amount and adds the steering system friction compensation amount to the lane keeping steering torque. . Here, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 sets the compensation amount of the steering system friction to a large value (for example, 0.9 Nm with respect to the steering system friction of 1.0 Nm) when the degree of goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp is large. . On the other hand, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 sets the compensation amount of the steering system friction to a small value (for example, 0.5 Nm with respect to 1.0 Nm of the steering system friction) when the good degree of the irradiation state of the headlamp is small.

  Further, in another method for adjusting the control sensitivity of the steering torque, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 adjusts the gain of the feedback control according to the good degree of the irradiation state of the headlamp. For example, when the vehicle 1 travels in a lane as shown in FIG. 4, a feedback control system block diagram as shown in FIG. 5 is obtained. In this case, the state equation of the vehicle 1 is expressed by Formula (1), and the target acceleration G of the vehicle 1 is expressed by Formula (2).

  The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 feedback-controls the steering torque for maintaining the lane so that the positional deviation and angular deviation of the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling lane converge to zero. The departure prevention assist ECU 30 adjusts the control sensitivity of the steering torque of the lane keeping assist control by adjusting the gains k1 and k2 of the feedback control. The departure prevention assist ECU 30 sets the gains k1 and k2 to large values (normally 100%) when the good degree of irradiation of the headlamp is large. On the other hand, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 sets the gains k1 and k2 to small values (normal 50%) when the good degree of irradiation of the headlamp is small.

  In the present embodiment, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 adjusts the alarm timing when the vehicle is about to depart from the traveling lane according to the irradiation state of the headlamp. That is, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 increases the safety by raising the warning timing of the lane departure warning earlier as the degree of goodness of the headlamp irradiation state increases, and promptly notifying the vehicle approaching the white line. Yes. On the other hand, the departure prevention assistance ECU 30 can reduce the warning timing of the lane departure warning as the degree of goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp is reduced, and can reduce unnecessary warnings due to erroneous recognition of the white line.

  In the present embodiment, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 adjusts the removal characteristic of the noise removal filter that removes the pseudo component of the white line in the image according to the irradiation state of the headlamp. In other words, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 sets the removal characteristic of the noise removal filter to be lower as the goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp is larger. On the other hand, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 sets the removal characteristic of the noise removal filter higher as the goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp is smaller. For example, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 sets the lower limit value of the cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter to be high when the good degree of irradiation of the headlamp is large, and the low-pass filter when the good degree of irradiation of the headlamp is small. Set the lower limit of the cut-off frequency to a low value.

  Next, a lane departure prevention process performed by the departure prevention support ECU 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 takes in a detected value of brightness around the vehicle, and determines whether the surroundings of the vehicle are dark enough to reduce the white line recognition accuracy (S601, S602). If the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines that the periphery of the vehicle is dark enough to reduce the white line recognition accuracy, the process proceeds to step 603. On the other hand, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 executes lane departure prevention control (lane maintenance support control and lane departure warning control) as usual when it is determined that the periphery of the vehicle is not dark enough to reduce the white line recognition accuracy ( S605).

  Next, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 detects the irradiation state of the headlamp (S603). Here, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 calculates the degree of goodness of the headlamp irradiation state based on the overlap between the white line recognition range and the headlamp irradiation range. Subsequently, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 sets the control sensitivity of the lane departure prevention control according to the good degree of irradiation of the headlamp (S604). The departure prevention assist ECU 30 sets the control sensitivity of the lane departure prevention control to be higher as the degree of goodness of the headlamp irradiation state is larger, and the control sensitivity of the lane departure prevention control as the degree of goodness of the headlamp irradiation state is smaller. Set low. The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 executes lane departure prevention control according to the set control sensitivity (S605).

  Next, the headlamp irradiation state detection process (step 603 in FIG. 6) will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 calculates the pitch angle of the vehicle based on the detection outputs of the vehicle height detection sensor 18 and the load detection sensor 20 (S701). The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 calculates the irradiation range of the headlamp based on the pitch angle of the vehicle (S702). Next, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines whether or not there is a portion where the light of the headlamp is not irradiated in the white line recognition range. Here, when the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines that there is a portion where the headlamp light is not irradiated in the white line recognition range, the process proceeds to step 704 to calculate the good degree of the irradiation state of the headlamp. To do. On the other hand, if the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines that there is no portion of the white line recognition range that is not irradiated with the light from the headlamp, the ECU 30 proceeds to the processing of step 705 and sets the maximum value as a good degree of the irradiation state of the headlamp. Set (1).

  Note that the processing in FIG. 7 described above is processing when the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 has a white line recognition range automatic correction function. When the departure prevention support ECU 30 has an irradiation range automatic correction function, in step 702 described above, a white line recognition range calculation process is performed instead of the headlamp irradiation range calculation process.

(First modification)
The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 according to the first modification adjusts the goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamps based on the high beam and low beam switch signals of the headlamps. FIG. 8 shows a process for adjusting the goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp. The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 performs the process shown in FIG. 8 following the process shown in FIG.

  First, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 acquires a high beam switch signal indicating the lighting state of the high beam, and determines whether or not the high beam is on based on the high beam switch signal (S801, S802). Here, when the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines that the high beam is on, the process proceeds to step 803. On the other hand, if the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines that the high beam is not turned on, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 proceeds to the process of step 804.

  In step 804, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 acquires a low beam switch signal indicating a low beam lighting state, and determines whether or not the low beam is on based on the low beam switch signal (S804, S805). If the departure prevention assist ECU 30 determines that the low beam is lit, the process proceeds to step 806. On the other hand, if the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines that the low beam is not lit, the process proceeds to step 807.

  In step 803, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 multiplies the already calculated degree of goodness of the irradiation state by a coefficient 2 to increase the degree of goodness of the irradiation state. In step 806, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 multiplies the already calculated degree of goodness of the irradiation state by a coefficient 1, and maintains the degree of goodness of the irradiation state. In step 807, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 multiplies the already calculated goodness of the irradiation state by a coefficient 0 to reduce the goodness of the irradiation state.

  According to the first modification, the degree of goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp is adjusted according to the lighting state of the high beam and the low beam of the headlamp, so that the vehicle control for deviation prevention is controlled according to the brightness of the white line recognition range. Sensitivity can be adjusted.

(Second modification)
The departure prevention assistance ECU 30 according to the second modification adjusts the degree of goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp based on the failure signal of the headlamp. FIG. 9 shows a process for adjusting the goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp. The departure prevention assistance ECU 30 performs the process shown in FIG. 9 following the process shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 9 may be performed in combination with the process shown in FIG.

  First, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 executes low beam failure detection (S901). Here, the detected faults include headlamp bulb breakage, wiring disconnection, switch OFF sticking, and the like. As a headlamp failure detection technique, for example, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-231179 may be employed. When the departure prevention ECU 30 acquires a failure signal indicating the presence or absence of a low beam failure, the departure prevention assistance ECU 30 determines the presence or absence of a low beam failure based on the low beam failure signal (S902). Here, when the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines that the low beam has not failed, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 proceeds to the processing of step 903. On the other hand, if the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines that the low beam is broken, the process proceeds to step 906.

  In step 903, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 acquires the low beam switch signal and determines whether or not the low beam is lit (S903, S904). Here, when the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines that the low beam is lit, the process proceeds to step 905. On the other hand, if the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 determines that the low beam is not lit, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 proceeds to step 906.

  In step 905, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 multiplies the already calculated degree of good irradiation state by a factor of 1, and maintains the good degree of irradiation state. In step 906, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 multiplies the already calculated goodness of the irradiation state by a coefficient 0 to reduce the goodness of the irradiation state.

  According to the second modification, in order to adjust the good degree of irradiation state of the headlamp according to the failure signal of the headlamp, the control sensitivity of the vehicle control for deviation prevention is adjusted according to the brightness of the white line recognition range. be able to.

(Third Modification)
The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 according to the third modified example adjusts the goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp based on the terminal voltage of the headlamp. FIG. 10 shows a process for adjusting the degree of irradiation of the headlamp. The departure prevention assistance ECU 30 performs the process shown in FIG. 10 following the process shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 10 may be performed in combination with the process shown in FIG. 8 and / or the process shown in FIG.

  First, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 measures the terminal voltage of the headlamp (S1001). And departure prevention assistance ECU30 adjusts the favorable degree of an irradiation state according to the measured value of a terminal voltage (S1002). Specifically, when the terminal voltage of the headlamp is large, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 illuminates the front of the vehicle brightly by the headlamp, and the white line recognition accuracy does not decrease. Multiply by 1 to maintain good degree of irradiation. On the other hand, when the terminal voltage of the headlamp is small, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 illuminates the front of the vehicle slightly darkly by the headlamp, so that a coefficient (0.0 to Any value between 1.0) is determined, and the goodness of the irradiation state is multiplied by the coefficient to reduce the goodness of the irradiation state.

  According to the third modified example, in order to adjust the good degree of irradiation state of the headlamp according to the terminal voltage of the headlamp, the control sensitivity of vehicle control for deviation prevention is adjusted according to the brightness of the white line recognition range. be able to.

(Fourth modification)
The departure prevention assist ECU 30 according to the fourth modification adjusts the degree of goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp based on the deterioration state of the headlamp. FIG. 11 shows a process for adjusting the goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamp. The departure prevention assisting ECU 30 performs the process shown in FIG. 11 following the process shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 11 may be performed in combination with the process shown in FIG. 8, the process shown in FIG. 9, and / or the process shown in FIG.

  First, the departure prevention assist ECU 30 measures the deterioration state of the headlamp (S1101). Here, the deterioration state of the headlamp is aged deterioration or dirt of the headlamp. As a technique for measuring the deterioration state of the headlamp, for example, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 02-078438 may be employed. And departure prevention assistance ECU30 adjusts the favorable degree of an irradiation state according to the measured value of a degradation state (S1102). Specifically, when the headlamp has not deteriorated, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 illuminates the front of the vehicle brightly with the headlamp, and the white line recognition accuracy does not decrease. Multiply by a factor of 1 to maintain a good degree of irradiation. On the other hand, when the headlamp deterioration is advanced, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 illuminates the front of the vehicle slightly darkly by the headlamp, and therefore, a coefficient (0.0) corresponding to the measured value of the headlamp deterioration state. Any value between -1.0) is determined, and the good degree of the irradiation state is multiplied by the coefficient to reduce the good degree of the irradiation state.

  According to the fourth modification, in order to adjust the good degree of the irradiation state of the headlamp according to the deterioration state of the headlamp, the control sensitivity of vehicle control for deviation prevention is adjusted according to the brightness of the white line recognition range. be able to.

(5th modification)
The departure prevention assistance ECU 30 according to the fifth modification adjusts the degree of goodness of the irradiation state of the headlamps based on the imaging control parameters of the camera 11. FIG. 12 shows a process for adjusting the good degree of irradiation of the headlamp. The departure prevention assistance ECU 30 performs the process shown in FIG. 12 following the process shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 12 may be performed in combination with the process shown in FIG. 8, the process shown in FIG. 9, the process shown in FIG. 10, and / or the process shown in FIG.

  First, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 takes in parameters for imaging control from the camera 11 (S1201). Usually, the camera 11 performs brightness control (such as shutter control) of the camera 11 based on the brightness of the captured image in order to improve white line recognition accuracy. Therefore, the imaging control parameter captured from the camera 11 represents the brightness of the area in front of the vehicle to be photographed, and represents the irradiation state of the headlamp.

  Next, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 adjusts the degree of good irradiation state according to the imaging control parameters of the camera 11 (S1202). Specifically, since the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 can recognize that the front of the vehicle is brightly illuminated by the headlamps based on the imaging control parameters of the camera 11, the white line recognition accuracy is not lowered. Multiply the goodness of the irradiation state by a factor of 1 to maintain the goodness of the irradiation state. On the other hand, when the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 can recognize that the front of the vehicle is slightly lit by the headlamp based on the imaging control parameters of the camera 11, the departure prevention assisting ECU 30 responds to the imaging control parameters of the camera 11. A coefficient (any value between 0.0 and 1.0) is determined, and the good degree of the irradiation state is multiplied by the coefficient to reduce the good degree of the irradiation state.

  According to the fifth modification, since the degree of goodness of the headlamp irradiation state is adjusted according to the imaging control parameters of the camera 11, the control sensitivity of vehicle control for departure prevention according to the brightness of the white line recognition range. Can be adjusted.

It is a block diagram which shows the vehicle control apparatus of this embodiment. It is a 1st schematic diagram for demonstrating the favorable degree of an irradiation state. It is a 2nd schematic diagram for demonstrating the favorable degree of an irradiation state. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating lane keeping assistance control. It is a block diagram of a feedback control system. It is a flowchart which shows the lane departure prevention process of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the detection process of the irradiation state of a headlamp. It is a flowchart concerning the 1st modification. It is a flowchart which concerns on a 2nd modification. It is a flowchart which concerns on a 3rd modification. It is a flowchart which concerns on a 4th modification. It is a flowchart which concerns on a 5th modification.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle, 10 ... Vehicle control apparatus, 11 ... Camera, 11 ... Brake switch, 13 ... Winker switch, 14 ... Main switch, 15 ... Headlamp switch, 16 ... Vehicle speed detection sensor, 17 ... Steering torque detection sensor, 18 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Vehicle height detection sensor, 19 ... Occupant detection sensor, 20 ... Loading capacity detection sensor, 21 ... Failure detection sensor, 22 ... Terminal voltage detection sensor, 23 ... Degradation detection sensor, 24 ... Brightness detection sensor, 25 ... Clock, 26 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... GPS apparatus, 31 ... Vehicle periphery brightness detection means, 32 ... White line detection means, 33 ... Attitude angle detection means, 34 ... Illumination irradiation state estimation means, 35 ... Deviation prevention control means, 40 ... Electric power steering apparatus, 41 ... Alarm buzzer.

Claims (12)

White line detection means for detecting a white line by processing an image portion of a white line recognition range included in an image obtained by photographing the front of the vehicle;
Attitude angle detection means for detecting the attitude angle of the vehicle;
Illumination illumination state estimating means for estimating the illumination state of the illumination in the white line recognition range based on the attitude angle of the vehicle detected by the attitude angle detection means;
Vehicle control for preventing lane departure is performed based on the white line detected by the white line detecting means, and vehicle control for preventing lane departure is performed according to the irradiation state estimated by the illumination irradiation state estimating means. Deviation prevention control means for adjusting the control sensitivity;
A vehicle control device comprising:   The departure prevention control means performs control for generating a steering torque for maintaining the lane as the vehicle control for preventing the lane departure, and for maintaining the lane according to the irradiation state estimated by the illumination irradiation state estimation means. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein control sensitivity of the steering torque is adjusted.   The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the departure prevention control means adjusts a maximum change rate value of the steering torque for maintaining the lane in order to adjust a control sensitivity of the steering torque for maintaining the lane. .   The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the departure prevention control means adjusts a steering system friction compensation amount in order to adjust a control sensitivity of a steering torque for maintaining a lane.   The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the departure prevention control means adjusts a gain of feedback control in order to adjust a control sensitivity of a steering torque for maintaining a lane.   The departure prevention control means performs lane departure warning control for issuing a warning at the time of departure from the lane as vehicle control for preventing lane departure, and when the lane departs according to the irradiation state estimated by the illumination irradiation state estimation means. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein a timing at which the alarm is issued is adjusted.   The white line detection unit adjusts a removal characteristic of a noise removal filter that removes a pseudo component of a white line in an image according to the irradiation state estimated by the illumination irradiation state estimation unit. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.   The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the illumination irradiation state estimation unit estimates an illumination irradiation state based on a switch signal indicating an on state or an off state of the illumination. Control device. It further comprises failure detection means for detecting a failure of the lighting,
The illumination irradiation state estimation means estimates the illumination irradiation state based on the detection output of the failure detection means.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device is a vehicle control device. Further comprising voltage detection means for detecting a terminal voltage of the illumination,
The illumination irradiation state estimation means estimates the illumination irradiation state based on the detection output of the voltage detection means,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device is a vehicle control device. Further comprising a deterioration detecting means for detecting a deterioration state of the illumination,
The illumination irradiation state estimation means estimates the illumination irradiation state based on the detection output of the deterioration detection means.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein   The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination irradiation state estimation unit estimates an illumination irradiation state based on an imaging control parameter of the imaging device.

Images