VEHICLE APPROACH DETECTION DEVICE AND VEHICLE APPROACH DETECTION METHOD

• US 20170217440A1
• Filed: 08/03/2016
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: AOYAGI, Takahisa, KATO, Yoichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,925,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/54 Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Provided are a vehicle approach detection device and a vehicle approach detection method that are capable of detecting an approach of another vehicle without installing a dedicated device on a road. At least one of a vehicle surrounding video for showing an observed area (for example, road surface) used to observe irradiation light (for example, headlight beam emitted from a headlight of another vehicle) from another vehicle and a vehicle surrounding environmental sound is detected as vehicle external information, and it is determined based on the detected vehicle external information whether or not another vehicle is approaching an own vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle approach detection device, which is mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle external information detector configured to detect at least one of a vehicle surrounding video for showing an observed area used to observe irradiation light from another vehicle or a vehicle surrounding environmental sound as vehicle external information, to thereby output the detected vehicle external information; and

an electronic control unit comprising a vehicle approach detection unit configured to determine whether or not the another vehicle is approaching the vehicle based on the vehicle external information input from the vehicle external information detector.

2. A vehicle approach detection device according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle external information detector comprises a camera configured to acquire the vehicle surrounding video for showing a road surface as the observed area to output the acquired vehicle surrounding video as the vehicle external information; and

the vehicle approach detection unit is configured to determine whether or not the another vehicle is approaching the vehicle based on a time-series change in a luminance of the observed area shown in the vehicle surrounding video input from the camera.

3. A vehicle approach detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a radar configured to detect information on an obstruction around the vehicle as radar information to output the detected radar information, wherein:

the electronic control unit further comprises a wall surface detection unit configured to generate information on a wall surface around the vehicle as wall surface information from the radar information input from the radar, determine one of presence and absence of a first target wall surface located so as to be opposed to a traveling direction of the vehicle based on the generated wall surface information, and set the observed area to any one of the first target wall surface and the road surface based on a determination result thereof;

the vehicle external information detector comprises a camera configure to acquire the vehicle surrounding video for showing the observed area set by the wall surface detection unit to output the acquired vehicle surrounding video as the vehicle external information; and

the vehicle approach detection unit is configured to determine whether or not the another vehicle is approaching the vehicle based on a time-series change in a luminance of the observed area shown in the vehicle surrounding video input from the camera.

4. A vehicle approach detection device according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle external information detector comprises a camera configured to acquire the vehicle surrounding video for showing a road surface as the observed area to output the acquired vehicle surrounding video as the vehicle external information; and

the vehicle approach detection unit is configured to determine one of presence and absence of a symbol mark projected as the irradiation light from the another vehicle based on the vehicle surrounding video input from the camera, and determine based on a determination result thereof whether or not the another vehicle is approaching the vehicle.

5. A vehicle approach detection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a radar configured to detect information on an obstruction around the vehicle as radar information to output the detected radar information; and

a symbol mark projector configured to project a symbol mark onto an illuminated area, wherein;

the electronic control unit is configured to generate information on a wall surface around the vehicle as wall surface information from the radar information input from the radar, determine one of presence and absence of a first target wall surface located so as to be opposed to a traveling direction of the vehicle based on the generated wall surface information, set the observed area to any one of the first target wall surface and a road surface based on a determination result thereof, determine one of presence and absence of a second target wall surface located along the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the generated wall surface information, and further set the illuminated area to any one of the second target wall surface and the road surface based on a determination result thereof;

the vehicle external information detector comprises a camera configured to acquire the vehicle surrounding video for showing the observed area set by the wall surface detection unit to output the acquired vehicle surrounding video as the vehicle external information;

the symbol mark projector is configured to project the symbol mark onto the illuminated area set by the wall surface detection unit; and

the vehicle approach detection unit is configured to determine one of presence and absence of the symbol mark projected as the irradiation light from the another vehicle based on the vehicle surrounding video input from the camera, and determine based on a determination result thereof whether or not the another vehicle is approaching the vehicle.

6. A vehicle approach detection device according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle external information detector comprises a microphone configured to acquire the vehicle surrounding environmental sound to output the acquired vehicle surrounding environmental sound; and

the vehicle approach detection unit is configured to determine whether or not the another vehicle is approaching the vehicle based on a time-series change in an engine sound of the another vehicle included in the vehicle surrounding environmental sound input from the microphone.

7. A vehicle approach detection device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit further comprises a startup control unit configured to acquire at least one of a luminance of a surrounding environment of the vehicle, current location information on the vehicle, or light emission information on the vehicle as startup information, and control a startup of the vehicle approach detection device based on the acquired startup information.

8. A vehicle approach detection device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit further comprises a driving support control unit configured to provide the vehicle with driving support when the vehicle approach detection unit determines that the another vehicle is approaching the vehicle.

9. A vehicle approach detection device according to claim 8, wherein the driving support control unit is configured to warn a driver of the vehicle that the another vehicle is approaching the vehicle as the driving support.

10. A vehicle approach detection device according to claim 8, wherein the driving support control unit is configured to reduce a speed of the vehicle as the driving support.

11. A vehicle approach detection method to be executed by an electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

acquiring vehicle external information from a vehicle external information detector configured to detect at least one of a vehicle surrounding video for showing an observed area used to observe irradiation light from another vehicle or a vehicle surrounding environmental sound as vehicle external information, to thereby output the detected vehicle external information; and

determining whether or not the another vehicle is approaching the vehicle based on the acquired vehicle external information.