Surrounding area monitoring apparatus, surrounding area monitoring system and surrounding area monitoring method

• US 10,380,895 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Katayama, Masahiko, Haga, Tetsuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Zaihan
• Application Number:
  US15/110,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/406 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A surrounding area monitoring apparatus receives visual field information about a driver of a surrounding vehicle of a self vehicle, and decides whether the self vehicle is outside the visual field of the surrounding vehicle or not in accordance with the visual field information. Accordingly, it can learn the present dynamic visual field range of the driver of the surrounding vehicle actually traveling around the self vehicle, and obtain more accurate visual field range. Thus, it can appropriately give information that is really necessary and suppress giving unnecessary information.

Claims

1. A surrounding area monitoring apparatus mounted in a first vehicle connected to a human machine interface that provides a driver of the first vehicle with a notification, the surrounding area monitoring apparatus comprising:

a microcomputer comprising;

a vehicle position acquirer to acquire positional information of the first vehicle;

a line-of-sight acquirer to acquire line-of-sight information about the driver of the first vehicle; and

a visual field calculator to calculate a dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle in accordance with the acquired line-of-sight information;

a communicator to transmit the acquired positional information of the first vehicle and the calculated dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle to a second vehicle around the first vehicle, and to receive positional information of the second vehicle and a dynamic visual field range of a driver of the second vehicle;

a decider to decide whether the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle, based on the acquired positional information of the first vehicle, the positional information of the second vehicle, and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle; and

a notification controller to control to output the notification to the human machine interface when the decider decides that the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle,

wherein the notification controller instructs the human machine interface to output the notification information when a predetermined time has elapsed after the decider decides that the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle.

2. The surrounding area monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the notification controller instructs the human machine interface to output the notification information for guiding the first vehicle into the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle when the decider decides that the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle.

3. The surrounding area monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the notification controller instructs the human machine interface to output the notification information that gives guidance by voice.

4. The surrounding area monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the notification controller instructs the human machine interface to output the notification information that gives guidance by display.

5. The surrounding area monitoring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the notification controller instructs the human machine interface to display the notification information that gives the guidance by icon display.

6. The surrounding area monitoring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the notification controller instructs the human machine interface to display the notification information that gives the guidance together with the positional information of the first vehicle and the positional information of the second vehicle.

12. The surrounding area monitoring apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the microcomputer further comprises:

a vehicle model information acquirer to acquire vehicle model information about the first vehicle, wherein

the visual field calculator calculates the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle from the vehicle model information about the first vehicle and from the line-of-sight information about the driver of the first vehicle.

13. The surrounding area monitoring apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the line-of-sight acquirer acquires, as the line-of-sight information about the driver of the first vehicle, a line-of-sight direction of the driver and the positional information of the driver'"'"'s eyes;

and

the visual field calculator calculates the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle from the vehicle model information about the first vehicle acquired from the vehicle model information acquirer, and from the line-of-sight direction of the driver of the first vehicle and the positional information of the driver'"'"'s eyes of the first vehicle.

7. A surrounding area monitoring apparatus mounted in a first vehicle connected to a human machine interface that provides a driver of the first vehicle with a notification, the surrounding area monitoring apparatus comprising:

a microcomputer comprising;

a vehicle position acquire to acquire position information of the first vehicle;

a line-of-sight acquirer to acquire line-of-sight information about the driver of the first vehicle; and

a visual field calculator to calculate a dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle in accordance with the acquired line-of-sight information;

a communicator to transmit the acquired positional information of the first vehicle and the calculated dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle to a second vehicle around the first vehicle, and to receive positional information of the second vehicle and a dynamic visual field range of a driver of the second vehicle;

a decider to decide whether the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle, based on the acquired positional information of the first vehicle, the positional information of the second vehicle, and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle; and

a notification controller to control to output the notification to the human machine interface when the decider decides that the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle,

wherein

the decider decides collision possibility between the first vehicle and the second vehicle in accordance with the positional information of the first vehicle, the positional information of the second vehicle, and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle; and

the notification controller instructs the human machine interface to alter output intensity of the notification information in accordance with the collision possibility.

8. The surrounding area monitoring apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the notification controller instructs the human machine interface to increase volume or to emphasize display when the intensity of the output of the notification information is increased.

9. A surrounding area monitoring apparatus mounted in a first vehicle connected to a human machine interface that provides a driver of the first vehicle with a notification, the surrounding area monitoring apparatus comprising:

a microcomputer comprising;

a vehicle position acquirer to acquire positional information of the first vehicle;

a line-of-sight acquirer to acquire line-of-sight information about the driver of the first vehicle; and

a visual field calculator to calculate a dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle in accordance with the acquired line-of-sight information;

a communicator to transmit the acquired positional information of the first vehicle and the calculated dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle to a second vehicle around the first vehicle, and to receive positional information of the second vehicle and a dynamic visual field range of a driver of the second vehicle;

a decider to decide whether the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle, based on the acquired positional information of the first vehicle, the positional information of the second vehicle, and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle; and

a notification controller to control to output the notification to the human machine interface when the decider decides that the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle,

wherein

the decider combines, according to dynamic visual field ranges of a plurality of other vehicles received from the communicator, the dynamic visual field ranges of drivers of the other vehicles, and decides, from the positional information of the first vehicle, from the positional information of the other vehicles and from the dynamic visual field range of the drivers of the other vehicles, which is obtained as a result of the combining, whether the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the drivers of the other vehicles.

10. The surrounding area monitoring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the dynamic visual field range of the drivers of the other vehicles combined by the decider is actually a combination of a plurality of dynamic visual field ranges of a driver of a single vehicle.

11. The surrounding area monitoring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the dynamic visual field range of the drivers of the other vehicles combined by the decider is a combination of a plurality of dynamic visual field ranges of the drivers of the plurality of vehicles.

14. A surrounding area monitoring method for providing a driver of a first vehicle with a notification via a human machine interface connected to the first vehicle, the surrounding area monitoring method comprising:

acquiring, by a vehicle position acquirer of a microcomputer, positional information of the first vehicle;

acquiring, by a line-of-sight acquirer of the microcomputer, line-of-sight information about the driver of the first vehicle;

calculating, by a visual field calculator of the microcomputer, a dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle in accordance with the acquired line-of-sight information;

transmitting, by a communicator of the microcomputer, the positional information of the first vehicle and the calculated dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle to a second vehicle around the first vehicle, and receiving positional information of the second vehicle and a dynamic visual field range of a driver of the second vehicle;

deciding, by a decider of the microcomputer, whether the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle, based on the acquired positional information of the first vehicle, the positional information of the second vehicle, and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle;

controlling to output a notification, by a notification controller of the microcomputer, to the human machine interface when the decider decides that the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle, and

instructing the human machine interface to output the notification information when a predetermined time has elapsed after the decider decides that the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle.

15. A surrounding area monitoring system including a first surrounding area monitoring apparatus mounted in a first vehicle connected to a first human machine interface that provides a driver of the first vehicle with a first notification and a second surrounding area monitoring apparatus mounted in a second vehicle connected to a second human machine interface that provides a driver of the second vehicle with a second notification

wherein in the surrounding area monitoring system,

the first surrounding area monitoring apparatus comprises a first microcomputer,

the first microcomputer comprises:

a first vehicle position acquirer to acquire positional information of the first vehicle;

a first line-of-sight acquirer to acquire line-of-sight information about a driver of the first vehicle;

a first visual field calculator to calculate a dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle in accordance with the acquired line-of-sight information;

a first communicator to transmit the acquired positional information of the first vehicle and the calculated dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle to the second vehicle, and to receive positional information of the second vehicle and a dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle;

a first decider to decide whether the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle, based on the positional information of the first vehicle, the positional information of the second vehicle, and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle; and

a first notification controller to control the first human machine interface to output the first notification to the first human machine interface when the first decider decides that the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle, wherein

the second surrounding area monitoring apparatus comprises a second microcomputer,

the first microcomputer comprises;

a second vehicle position acquirer to acquire positional information of the second vehicle;

a second line-of-sight acquirer to acquire line-of-sight information about the driver of the second vehicle;

a second visual field calculator to calculate a dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle in accordance with the acquired line-of-sight information;

a second communicator to transmit the acquired positional information of the second vehicle and the calculated dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle to the first vehicle, and to receive positional information of the first vehicle and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle;

a second decider to decide whether the second vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle, based on the acquired positional information of the second vehicle, the positional information of the first vehicle, and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle; and

a second notification controller to control the second human machine interface to output the second notification to the second human machine interface when the second decider decides that the second vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle.

16. A surrounding area monitoring method for providing a driver of a first vehicle with a notification via a human machine interface connected to the first vehicle, the surrounding area monitoring method comprising:

acquiring, by a vehicle position acquirer of a microcomputer, positional information of the first vehicle;

acquiring, by a line-of-sight acquirer of the microcomputer, line-of-sight information about the driver of the first vehicle;

calculating, by a visual field calculator of the microcomputer a dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle in accordance with the acquired line-of-sight information;

transmitting, by a communicator of the microcomputer, the positional information of the first vehicle and the calculated dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle to a second vehicle around the first vehicle, and receiving positional information of the second vehicle and a dynamic visual field range of a driver of the second vehicle;

deciding, by a decider of the microcomputer whether the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle, based on the acquired positional information of the first vehicle, the positional information of the second vehicle, and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle;

controlling to output a notification, by a notification controller of the microcomputer, to the human machine interface when the decider decides that the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle;

deciding collision possibility between the first vehicle and the second vehicle in accordance with the positional information of the first vehicle, the positional information of the second vehicle, and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle; and

instructing the human machine interface to alter output intensity of the notification information in accordance with the collision possibility.

17. A surrounding area monitoring method for providing a driver of a first vehicle with a notification via a human machine interface connected to the first vehicle, the surrounding area monitoring method comprising:

acquiring, by a vehicle position acquirer of a microcomputer, positional information of the first vehicle;

acquiring, by a line-of-sight acquirer of the microcomputer, line-of-sight information about the driver of the first vehicle;

calculating, by a visual field calculator of the microcomputer a dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle in accordance with the acquired line-of-sight information;

transmitting, by a communicator of the microcomputer, the positional information of the first vehicle and the calculated dynamic visual field range of the driver of the first vehicle to a second vehicle around the first vehicle, and receiving positional information of the second vehicle and a dynamic visual field range of a driver of the second vehicle;

deciding, by a decider of the microcomputer whether the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle, based on the acquired positional information of the first vehicle, the positional information of the second vehicle, and the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle;

controlling to output a notification, by a notification controller of the microcomputer, to the human machine interface when the decider decides that the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the driver of the second vehicle;

combining, according to dynamic visual field ranges of a plurality of other vehicles received from the communicator, the dynamic visual field ranges of drivers of the other vehicles, and deciding, from the positional information of the first vehicle, from the positional information of the other vehicles and from the dynamic visual field range of the drivers of the other vehicles, which is obtained as a result of the combining, whether the first vehicle is outside the dynamic visual field range of the drivers of the other vehicles.