WO2024018953A1

WO2024018953A1 - Road drawing system

Info

Publication number: WO2024018953A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/025606
Authority: WO
Inventors: 直也内山; 裕樹小林; 利彦矢嶋; 海乃渋谷; 耕介長谷川
Original assignee: スタンレー電気株式会社
Priority date: 2022-07-22
Filing date: 2023-07-11
Publication date: 2024-01-25
Also published as: JP2024014273A

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to ascertain the circumstances of a pedestrian with excellent visibility. A road drawing system including: a camera that photographs a space in front of a vehicle; a controller that detects a pedestrian present in the front space and detects white lines on a road in front of the vehicle on the basis of image data obtained by the camera, and that performs control to irradiate the road with light on the basis of the results of detection; and a lamp unit that irradiates the road with light under the control of the controller. When the pedestrian is present and the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is less than or equal to a threshold value, the controller controls the lamp unit so that a position on the road corresponding to the position of the pedestrian is irradiated with a first bright line. The first bright line is a straight line of light following the extension direction of the white line provided at the end of the oncoming lane or the lane in which the vehicle is traveling on the road, the first bright line being displayed overlapping the white line.

Description

Road drawing system

The present disclosure relates to a road surface drawing system.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-143510 (Patent Document 1) discloses that a person's clothing can be detected by emitting light on the road surface that displays the direction of a person estimated to be dangerous and the distance from the own vehicle to the person. A warning illumination device is described that calls attention to both a driver and a person regardless of the color. As the light irradiated onto the road surface, T-shaped, Y-shaped, arrow-shaped light (road surface drawing) that is irradiated so as to extend toward a person is described.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-143510

As in the prior art described in Patent Document 1, when irradiating a complicated character drawing such as a T-shape, the driver of the own vehicle may have to pay attention to areas where the character drawing has an angle or is large in size. Because it is difficult to narrow down the pedestrian's location, it is difficult to recognize the exact location of the pedestrian. Additionally, as the vehicle approaches a pedestrian, complex character drawings such as the letter T move with it, but only the angle of the character drawing changes, making it difficult for the driver to recognize the sense of distance from the pedestrian. . One of the objectives of the specific embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a road surface drawing system that allows the driver of the own vehicle to grasp the situation of pedestrians with good visibility.

A road surface drawing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes (a) a camera that photographs a space in front of a vehicle; (b) detecting a pedestrian existing in the space in front of the vehicle based on image data obtained by the camera; a controller that detects a white line on the road in front of the vehicle and controls to irradiate the road with light based on each detection result; and (c) irradiates the road with light under control by the controller. (d) when the pedestrian is present and the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is less than or equal to a threshold, the controller is configured to control the road corresponding to the pedestrian's position; (e) the first bright line is provided at an end of a lane in which the vehicle is traveling or an oncoming lane on the road; This is a road surface drawing system that irradiates linear light along the extending direction of the white line, overlapping the white line.

According to the above configuration, a road surface drawing system that can grasp the situation of pedestrians (accurate position and sense of distance) with good visibility is provided.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a road surface drawing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2(A) is a diagram schematically showing an installation example of each lamp unit. FIG. 2(B) is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a lamp unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure of the road surface drawing system. FIGS. 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining how bright lines are drawn. FIGS. 6A to 6C are diagrams for explaining how bright lines are drawn. FIGS. 7(A) to 7(C) are diagrams for explaining how bright lines are drawn. FIGS. 8(A) to 8(C) are diagrams for explaining how bright lines are drawn. FIGS. 9A to 9B are diagrams for explaining how bright lines are drawn. FIGS. 10(A) to 10(C) are diagrams for explaining how bright lines are drawn. FIGS. 11(A) to 11(C) are diagrams for explaining how bright lines are drawn. FIGS. 12(A) to 12(C) are diagrams for explaining how bright lines are drawn. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure of the road surface drawing system.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a road surface drawing system according to an embodiment. The road surface drawing system 1 of this embodiment includes a controller 10, a camera 11, a raindrop sensor 12, a vehicle speed sensor 13, and a pair of

lamp units

30L and 30R. This road surface drawing system 1 is mounted on the front of a vehicle, and draws bright lines (line-shaped lights) on the road surface in front of the vehicle depending on the situation of pedestrians present in front of the vehicle. Pedestrians include not only people walking but also people riding bicycles.

The controller 10 controls light irradiation by each

headlamp unit

30L, 30R. The controller 10 is configured using a computer system equipped with, for example, a processor (CPU: Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), storage devices such as flash memory, input/output interfaces, etc. be able to. The controller 10 of this embodiment is brought into a state where it can perform a predetermined function by having a processor read and execute a program stored in advance in a storage device (or ROM).

The camera 11 photographs the space in front of the own vehicle and generates image data. Based on this image data, the image processing unit 20 of the controller 10 detects conditions such as the position of the pedestrian. Note that the function of the image processing section 20 may be provided on the camera 11 side.

The raindrop sensor 12 detects the amount of rainfall at the location where the own vehicle is present, and outputs a signal (or data) indicating a change according to the amount of rainfall. Various known raindrop sensors can be used as the raindrop sensor 12. For example, it is possible to use a sensor that is installed inside the windshield of the own vehicle and uses an optical method to detect raindrops adhering to the outer surface of the windshield, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-29807. can.

The vehicle speed sensor 13 detects the vehicle speed of the own vehicle and outputs a vehicle speed signal (vehicle speed pulse). Note that if there is a vehicle speed sensor already installed in the own vehicle for other purposes, it may be used as the vehicle speed sensor 13.

The own vehicle position data 14 is generated by a position detection means (not shown) such as a car navigation system or a GPS sensor included in the own vehicle, and is input to the own vehicle position detection unit 21 of the controller 10.

The pair of

lamp units

30L and 30R are mounted at predetermined positions on the left and right sides of the front of the host vehicle, and operate in response to control signals given from the controller 10 to move to a desired position in front of the host vehicle in a straight line (line shape). irradiate with light. Each

lamp unit

30L, 30R includes a driver 31 and an LED array 32 driven by the driver 31.

The above-described controller 10 includes an image processing section 20, an own vehicle position detection section 21, a weather detection section 22, a relative position calculation section 23, a relative distance calculation section 24, and a boundary line calculation section 25 as functional blocks realized by program execution. , a road surface drawing control section 26.

The image processing unit 20 performs image recognition processing on the image data generated by the camera 11 to determine the position of the pedestrian, the position of the vehicle ahead (the preceding vehicle or the oncoming vehicle), and the information in front of the own vehicle such as the white line on the road. Detect the situation.

The own vehicle position detection unit 21 detects the position of the own vehicle based on the own vehicle position data 14. In order to know the position of the own vehicle, this own vehicle position data 14 may include a car navigation system, and from the map information of this car navigation system, it is determined whether the own vehicle position is in the city or on a road with a straight line of 100 meters or more. , or it can also be calculated whether the own vehicle is located on a road with only a straight line of less than 100 m. The definition of a road in this disclosure is a road with good visibility that the driver can see, so it includes not only straight roads but also curves if the road is visible. In other words, crossroads and S-curves where you can see ahead are also included as roads.

The weather detection unit 22 detects the weather condition, specifically, the amount of rain, based on the output of the raindrop sensor 13. When the amount of rain exceeds a predetermined value, the weather detection section 22 outputs a notification to that effect to the road surface drawing control section 26.

The relative position calculation unit 23 detects the position and shape of the white line in front of the own vehicle based on the image recognition result by the image processing unit 20.

The relative distance calculating unit 24 calculates the relative distance between the pedestrian and the own vehicle based on the current position detected by the own vehicle position detection based on the own vehicle position data and the image recognition result by the image processing unit 20.

The boundary line calculation unit 25 calculates a boundary line, which is a virtual line that can be substituted for a white line, based on the image recognition result by the image processing unit 20 when there is no white line on the road surface.

The road surface drawing control unit 26 calculates the position and shape of the white line calculated by the relative position calculation unit 23, the relative distance between the pedestrian and the own vehicle calculated by the relative distance calculation unit 24, the boundary line calculated by the boundary line calculation unit 25, Based on the weather conditions detected by the weather detection section 22, a control signal for drawing bright lines on the road surface is generated, and the control signal is output to each

lamp unit

30L, 30R.

FIG. 2(A) is a diagram schematically showing an installation example of each lamp unit. Each

lamp unit

30L, 30R is arranged at a predetermined position on the left and right sides of the front part of the own vehicle 50. In the illustrated example,

lamp units

30L and 30R are arranged adjacent to

lamp units

40L and 40R for emitting high beams and low beams, respectively.

FIG. 2(B) is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a lamp unit. The illustrated lamp unit 30L (30R) includes an LED array 32 having a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) arranged in two directions, and a lens 33 that projects light emitted from the LED array 32. It is configured. The LED array 32 is arranged so that its center substantially coincides with the focal point of the lens 33. By individually controlling the lighting state of each LED of the LED array 32 by the driver 31, it is possible to irradiate a bright line to a desired position on the road surface. The area where the road surface drawing is irradiated is an area that includes at least both the high beam area and the low beam area in the front and rear directions (it may be within 100 m from the front of the vehicle or more than 100 m), and at least the driving lane (driving lane) in the left and right direction. The area includes the side white lines and the center white line), and also includes the oncoming lane (including the white line on the opposite lane side). In the embodiment, the longitudinal direction is 100 m from the front of the host vehicle, and the lateral direction is an area including both the driving lane and the oncoming lane.

Note that the configuration of the lamp unit 30L etc. is not limited to this, and various known configurations can be adopted. For example, a lamp unit configured by combining a light source bulb, a reflecting mirror, or a shielding plate may be used. Alternatively, a lamp unit may be used that includes a light source, a liquid crystal element, etc., and can individually control the light transmission state of each pixel of the liquid crystal element. In addition, the lamp unit includes a light emitting element such as a laser diode and a scanning element such as a mirror device that scans the light emitted from the light emitting element, and can control the timing of turning on and off the light emitting element and the timing of scanning by the scanning element. May be used.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system. The controller 10 described above can be configured using, for example, a computer system as illustrated. A CPU (central processing unit) 201 performs information processing by reading a program 207 stored in a storage device 204 and executing it. A ROM (read-only memory) 202 stores basic control programs and the like necessary for the operation of the CPU 201. A RAM (temporary storage memory) 203 temporarily stores data necessary for information processing by the CPU 201. The storage device 204 is a mass storage device for storing data, and is configured with a hard disk drive, solid state drive, or the like. The communication device 205 performs processing related to data communication with other external devices. The input/output unit 206 is an interface for connecting with external devices, and in this embodiment is used for connecting with the camera 11, the raindrop sensor 12, the vehicle speed sensor 13, and each of the

lamp units

30L and 30R. The CPUs 201 and the like are connected to each other via a bus so that they can communicate with each other.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure of the road surface drawing system. Note that the order of each process can be changed as long as it does not cause inconsistency in the control results, and other processes not described may be added, and such aspects are not excluded. First, as a basic drawing mode, pedestrians are A short bright line (first bright line) 113 whose drawing position changes depending on the position of the pedestrian 100 is drawn over the white line 111, and when the position of the pedestrian 100 is inside the white line 111 (on the road side), The operating procedure of the road surface drawing system 1 will be explained with reference to the manner in which the bright spot 113 is blinked to draw the image.

The vehicle speed of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 13 is 10 km/h or more (step S10; YES), and a pedestrian is detected in front of the host vehicle by the image processing unit 20 based on the image data obtained by the camera 11. If the pedestrian is present (Step S11; YES), the relative distance calculation unit 24 calculates the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle based on the current position detected by the vehicle position detection and the image processing result (Step S12). . Furthermore, the relative position calculation section 23 detects the positions and shapes of the

white lines

110, 111, and 112 that are present in front of the own vehicle based on the image recognition result by the image processing section 20 (step S13). The calculated relative distance, position, and shape data are temporarily stored in memory.

If the relative distance between the pedestrian and the own vehicle is larger than a predetermined threshold (100 m as an example) (step S14; NO), the bright line is not drawn on the road surface and the process returns to step S10. In the embodiment, the predetermined threshold value is set to 100 m because it is assumed that monitoring starts within the high beam area, but in the case of a city, roads with good visibility are short, so there may be no road 100 m ahead. In that case, the predetermined threshold value may be set between 30 m and 50 m (40 m as an example), assuming that the monitoring starts near the low beam area. If it is known in advance from map information such as a car navigation system that the vehicle's location is in the city or on a road section with good visibility of less than 100 meters, the predetermined threshold value may be automatically changed. .

If the relative distance between the pedestrian and the own vehicle is less than the threshold value (step S14; YES) and the pedestrian's position is outside the white line (step S15; YES), the road surface drawing control unit 26 A control signal is generated to draw a bright line of a predetermined length on the white line corresponding to the person's position, and this control signal is output to each

lamp unit

30L, 30R (step S16). The bright line (short bright line) 113 here is made of linear light that is approximately parallel to the white line 111, that is, approximately parallel to the direction in which the road extends. The width of the bright line (short bright line) 113 is preferably set to be approximately the same as or slightly wider than the white line 111 at each position to be drawn. If the white line 111 becomes the same or similar color to the drawn bright line 113 due to deterioration or dirt, or if the brightness of the bright line (short bright line) 113 is insufficient, if it is wider than the white line 111, the white line 111 This is because it becomes easier for the driver of the own vehicle or a pedestrian to visually recognize the drawn bright line 113 by the extent that it protrudes. In addition, the length of the bright line (short bright line) 113 is a length necessary and sufficient to visually recognize the position of a pedestrian (a length of 0.5 m or more and less than 2 m, which is wider than the width of a human). Alternatively, it is preferably about 1.5 m, which is about the length of an outstretched hand. If the distance of the drawing position is as far as 100 m, the width and length of the white line may be the same or slightly wider and the bright line size is 1.5 m long, making it difficult for the driver of the own vehicle to see. may be changed to, for example, 1.5 times to 2 times to improve visibility. When the relative distance becomes short (for example, 50 m or less), the width or length may be shortened and returned to a predetermined width or length (the width or length may be adjusted gradually or in stages). This means that when the relative distance calculation unit 24 detects that the relative distance is far, the road surface drawing control unit 26 generates a control signal so that the width and length of the bright line (short bright line) 113 are adjusted. Then, this control signal may be output to each

lamp unit

30L, 30R.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the position of a pedestrian 100 is relatively far from the own vehicle, a bright line 113 is drawn so as to overlap the part of the white line 111 corresponding to the position of the pedestrian 100. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5(B) and 5(C), when the position of the pedestrian 100 and the position of the own vehicle become relatively close, each pedestrian 100 A bright line (short bright line) 113 is drawn so as to overlap the white line 111 corresponding to the position. This allows drivers to intuitively recognize the location of pedestrians by emitting a short bright line, and since the short bright line is overlaid on the white line, the driver can intuitively recognize the pedestrian's position. Since a short bright line appears to be shining, it is possible for the driver to recognize the relative distance between the vehicle and the pedestrian, that is, the exact location of the pedestrian.

If the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is less than or equal to the threshold (step S14; YES), and the pedestrian is located inside the white line, that is, within the road (step S15; NO), the road surface drawing control unit 26 generates a control signal to blink and irradiate a bright line of a predetermined length (short bright line) on the white line corresponding to the pedestrian's position, and outputs this control signal to each

lamp unit

30L, 30R ( Step S17). This allows the driver to intuitively recognize that there has been a change in the situation of the pedestrian (in this case, whether or not the pedestrian has entered the road) by changing the way the bright line shines. It becomes possible to drive while paying attention to pedestrians.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6(A), when the position of a pedestrian 100 is relatively far from the host vehicle, a bright line 113 is drawn blinking so as to overlap the white line 111 corresponding to the position of the pedestrian 100. be done. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5(B) and 5(C), when the position of the pedestrian 100 and the position of the own vehicle become relatively close, each pedestrian 100 A bright line 113 is drawn blinking so as to overlap a part of the white line 111 corresponding to the position.

After that, return to step S10. By repeating the processing from step S10 onward, the drawing position of the bright line 113 is changed in accordance with the change in the relative position of the pedestrian 100. Further, when the pedestrian's position moves from outside the white line to inside the white line, the bright line 113 is switched to blinking illumination. For example, if the position of the pedestrian 100 is outside the white line far from the host vehicle at one timing, and the position of the pedestrian 100 is inside the white line at the next timing, the drawing mode shown in FIG. 5(A) (continuous irradiation) to the drawing mode (blinking irradiation) shown in FIG. 6(A). Furthermore, the position of pedestrian 100, which was far away from the own vehicle and outside the white line at one timing, becomes relatively close to the own vehicle at the next timing, and the position of pedestrian 100 becomes within the white line at the next timing. In this case, the drawing mode shown in FIG. 5(A) (continuous irradiation), the drawing mode shown in FIG. 5(B) (continuous irradiation), the drawing mode shown in FIG. 6(B) (blinking irradiation), etc. transitions. As a result, the short bright lines are overlaid on the white line, so the short bright lines appear to move closer and closer along the continuous white line (and transition in one direction), which makes it difficult to drive. The hand becomes able to intuitively recognize the sense of distance from pedestrians.

On the other hand, if the vehicle speed is less than 10 km/h (step S10; NO), or if there are no pedestrians even if the vehicle speed is 10 km/h or more (step S11; NO), the bright line Irradiation ends (step S18). Note that if the bright line irradiation was not originally performed, that state is maintained. In the embodiment, step S10 is set as "vehicle speed of the own vehicle is 10 km/h or more", but the vehicle speed is just an example, and if the car is in a running state, step S10 will be YES, and to be extreme, the ignition before driving If it is ON, step S10 may be YES.

FIGS. 7(A) to 7(C) and FIGS. 8(A) to 8(C) are diagrams for explaining an example of how bright lines are drawn. Each figure shows the road ahead as seen from the own vehicle. According to the above operating procedure, bright line irradiation can be performed when there is a pedestrian near the white line on the opposite lane as well as when there is a pedestrian near the white line on the lane in which the own vehicle is traveling. can.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the position of a pedestrian 100 is relatively far from the own vehicle, a bright line (a bright line 1 bright line) 114 is irradiated. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7(B) and 7(C), when the position of the pedestrian 100 and the position of the own vehicle become relatively close, each pedestrian 100 A bright line 114 is irradiated so as to overlap a part of the white line 112 on the oncoming lane side corresponding to the position.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8(A), when the pedestrian 100 is relatively far from the own vehicle and is within the white line (that is, within the oncoming lane), the position of the pedestrian 100 is A bright line 114 is illuminated in a blinking manner so as to overlap a part of the white line 112 on the opposite lane side corresponding to the oncoming lane. For example, as shown in FIGS. 8(B) and 8(C), when the position of the pedestrian 100 and the position of the own vehicle become relatively close, each pedestrian 100 A bright line 114 is illuminated in a blinking manner so as to overlap a part of the white line 112 on the oncoming lane side corresponding to the position.

Then, as the relative position of the pedestrian 100 changes, the irradiation position of the bright line 114 is changed. Further, when the pedestrian's position moves from outside the white line to inside the white line, the bright line 114 is switched to blinking illumination. For example, if the position of the pedestrian 100 is outside the white line far from the host vehicle at one timing, and the position of the pedestrian 100 is inside the white line at the next timing, the drawing mode shown in FIG. 7(A) (continuous irradiation) to the drawing mode (blinking irradiation) shown in FIG. 8(A). Furthermore, the position of pedestrian 100, which was far away from the own vehicle and outside the white line at one timing, becomes relatively close to the own vehicle at the next timing, and the position of pedestrian 100 becomes within the white line at the next timing. In this case, the drawing mode shown in FIG. 7(A) (continuous irradiation), the drawing mode shown in FIG. 7(B) (continuous irradiation), the drawing mode shown in FIG. 8(B) (blinking irradiation), etc. transitions.

FIGS. 9(A) to 9(B) are diagrams for explaining an example of how bright lines are drawn. In each of the drawing modes described above, a relatively short bright line 113 or bright line 114 is drawn depending on the position of the pedestrian 100, but as illustrated in FIG. If the distance is a certain distance or more, a long bright line (second bright line) 113a extending from the vehicle position to the pedestrian 100 position may be drawn overlapping the white line 111.

As an example, when the relative distance between the pedestrian 100 and the own vehicle is greater than 100 m, a relatively long bright line 113a is irradiated, and when the relative distance is less than 100 m, the relative distance is A relatively short bright line 113 (see FIG. 5(B), etc.) can be irradiated. In this case, as shown in FIG. 13, the processing after step S14 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 described above is changed as follows. That is, after step S13, it is recognized in step S14 whether the relative distance to the pedestrian is 100 m or more, and if the pedestrian's position is outside the white line in step S15, a relatively long bright line 113a is irradiated in step S31. Then, if the relative distance is within 100 m in step S14 and the pedestrian is outside the white line in step S33, a short bright line 113 is irradiated in step S34. Note that the relatively long bright line differs from the short bright line only in length in the front-back direction, and it is sufficient that it is sufficiently longer than the short bright line. For example, the length may be between 9 m and 100 m, which is three times or more.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 9(B), when the pedestrian 100 enters the inside of the white line 111, the long bright line 113a can be illuminated in a blinking manner. In this case as well, when the relative distance between the pedestrian 100 and the host vehicle becomes 100 m or less, a relatively short bright line 113 (see FIG. 5(B) etc.) is blinked in the same way as the above-mentioned drawing mode. irradiate. As shown in FIG. 13, the processing after step S14 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 described above is changed as follows. That is, after step S13, it is recognized in step S14 whether the threshold value regarding the relative distance to the pedestrian is 100 m or more, and if the pedestrian's position in step S31 is not outside the white line (that is, if it is within the white line or on the road) , in step S32, the relatively long bright line 113a is irradiated in a blinking manner, and then in step S14, the relative distance is not 100 m or more (that is, less than 100 m), and in step S33, it is determined that the pedestrian is outside the white line. If it is within the white line or on the road, the short bright line 113 is irradiated in step S35 so as to blink.

FIGS. 10(A) to 10(C) are diagrams for explaining an example of how bright lines are drawn. Each of the drawing modes described above assumes that there are white lines on both sides of the vehicle's direction of travel, but if the white line does not exist or cannot be detected due to weather, etc., the drawing mode is exemplified in FIG. It is also possible to draw a long bright line 113b corresponding to a white line. Specifically, based on the white line 110 at the center of the road surface detected by the image processing section 20 and the

edge contours

121 and 122 on both sides of the road surface, the boundary line calculation section 25 determines whether the own vehicle and the pedestrian 110 can safely pass through. A boundary line, which is an imaginary line indicating the boundary that is considered to be, is calculated. The boundary line is a virtual line extending in the direction in which the road extends, and can be determined based on the width or shape of the road.

For example, it is possible to detect the road width, which is the distance between the white line 110 and the end contour 121, and set the boundary line at a position a certain distance away from the end contour 121 based on this road width. Then, a long bright line 113b can be drawn along this determined boundary line. This long bright line 113b can be used as a substitute for the white line, and the length in this embodiment is, for example, 100 m that the high beam can reach from the own vehicle position, but it can be within 100 m, It may be set to 40m, which is the range within which the low beam can reach, or if the straight-line distance is short, it may be made shorter depending on the distance.

As shown in FIG. 10(A), when the pedestrian 100 is present below the first relative distance (for example, 100 m), a long bright line 113b is drawn as a substitute for the white line. This drawing allows the driver to intuitively and visually recognize the presence of a pedestrian in the distance.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 10(B), when the relative distance between the pedestrian 100 and the own vehicle becomes shorter (the second relative distance, for example, 40 m), the bright line 113b overlaps with the relatively long bright line 113b. Therefore, a relatively short bright line 113c corresponding to the position of the pedestrian 100 can be irradiated. Since this short bright line 113c appears to shine above the long bright line 113b, the driver can recognize the exact position of the pedestrian. At this time, it is preferable that the short bright line 113c has a higher illumination intensity than the long bright line 113b, or is irradiated with a different color tone than the long bright line 113b. This is because the visibility of the short bright line 113c can be further improved. Note that even if the long bright line 113b and the short bright line 113c have approximately the same illuminance, the bright line 113c is visible because the bright line 113c has a higher illuminance. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10C, when the position of the pedestrian 100 is within the bright line 113b that replaces the white line, the short bright line 113c is illuminated in a blinking manner. This flashing allows the driver to intuitively recognize that the pedestrian situation changes, that a pedestrian has entered the road, and drive while paying attention to the pedestrian's actions.

FIGS. 11(A) to 11(B) are diagrams for explaining an example of how bright lines are drawn. If it is raining where the vehicle is driving, the visibility of the bright line illuminated on the road surface may be reduced, so the same drawing mode as described above is applied when the white line does not exist. It is preferable. The occurrence of rainy weather is detected by the weather detection section 22 based on the output of the raindrop sensor 12. For example, if the amount of rain exceeding a predetermined value is detected, the weather detection section 22 outputs a notification to that effect to the road surface drawing control section 26.

Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 11A, when the pedestrian 100 is present at a first relative distance (for example, 100 m) or less and is outside the white line, a long bright line 113b overlaps the white line 111. , and then a short bright line 113c corresponding to the position of the pedestrian 110 can be irradiated. In road conditions where the central white line 110 is difficult to see due to rain, even if the short bright line 114a is irradiated over the central white line 110, the driver can only see the short bright line 114a, making the relative position of the short bright line 114a unclear. This makes it difficult for drivers to accurately recognize the location of pedestrians. In this embodiment, since the long bright line 113a is irradiated instead of the hard-to-see central white line 110, the short bright line 114a appears to shine on the long bright line 113a, so the relative position of the short bright line 114a becomes clear. Drivers will be able to recognize the exact location of pedestrians. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11(B), when the pedestrian 100 enters the long bright line 113b (inside the lane 111), the short bright line 113c is illuminated in a blinking manner. By switching the short bright line 114a to blinking, the driver can intuitively recognize that the pedestrian situation has changed and a pedestrian has entered the road, and can drive while paying attention to the pedestrian's actions. At this time, it is preferable that the short bright line 113c has a higher illumination intensity than the long bright line 113b, or is irradiated with a different color tone than the long bright line 113b. Thereby, the visibility of the short bright line 113c can be further improved.

FIGS. 12(A) to 12(C) are diagrams for explaining an example of how bright lines are drawn. When there are multiple pedestrians, a short bright line can be irradiated corresponding to the position of each pedestrian. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 12(A), when a plurality of

pedestrians

100a and 100b are present outside the white line 111, a short bright line 113d corresponding to each position of the

pedestrians

100a and 100b is displayed. , 113e are irradiated. This allows the driver to recognize the exact locations of multiple pedestrians.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 12(B), when one pedestrian 100a enters inside the white line 111, the bright line 113d corresponding to this pedestrian 100a is illuminated in a blinking manner. Similarly, as illustrated in FIG. 12C, when the other pedestrian 100b enters inside the white line 111, the bright line 113e corresponding to this pedestrian 100b is illuminated in a blinking manner. Although not shown, when each of the

pedestrians

100a and 100b enters inside the white line 111, each of the

bright lines

113d and 113e is flashed. As a result, there are multiple short bright lines 114b and 114c that shine on the center white line 100, and the driver recognizes that multiple pedestrians are outside the white line (on the sidewalk, etc.) on the opposite lane ahead. can. Furthermore, if some of the short bright lines 114b or 114c switch to flashing, the driver can intuitively recognize that a pedestrian has entered the road, so the driver can respond to the short bright lines flashing from all the pedestrians. This makes it easier for drivers to respond when a pedestrian approaches their vehicle.

Note that, although a detailed explanation will be omitted, any drawing mode can be implemented in the same manner even when the pedestrian 100 is present on the oncoming lane side.

According to the embodiments described above, by irradiating the short bright lines overlappingly on the central white line or the long bright lines, the driver can clearly recognize the relative positions of the short bright lines. It is possible to obtain a road surface drawing system that can grasp the situation (accurate position, sense of distance, presence or absence of intrusion into the road) with good visibility. Specifically, the linear bright line along the white line on the side of the road conveys the presence of pedestrians and their exact location to the driver, so it is easier for drivers to understand than when irradiating complex lights such as T-shaped lights. The area to be focused on is further narrowed down, and the location of the pedestrian becomes clearer and easier to understand. Furthermore, by narrowing down the range to which the driver should pay attention, the driver's line of sight movement is also reduced. This is particularly noticeable when pedestrians are far away. These make it possible to grasp the situation of pedestrians with good visibility.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bright line drawing mode is switched from continuous irradiation to flashing irradiation according to the pedestrian's position with respect to the white line (inside the white line/outside the white line), making it easier to understand changes in the pedestrian's situation. Furthermore, since the bright line drawing mode is switched even when the weather is bad or when there are no white lines (including when they are undetectable), it is easier to understand changes in the pedestrian's situation. Furthermore, since bright lines are drawn under the feet of pedestrians, there is also the advantage that it is easy to alert pedestrians who are looking down to operate a smartphone, for example.

Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the content of the embodiments described above, and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure has the features described below.

(Additional note 1)
A camera that photographs the space in front of the vehicle,
Detecting pedestrians existing in the space ahead based on image data obtained by the camera, detecting white lines on the road in front of the vehicle, and irradiating light on the road based on the respective detection results. A controller that performs control;
a lamp unit that irradiates the road with light under the control of the controller;
including;
The controller is configured to irradiate a first bright line to a position on the road corresponding to a position of the pedestrian when the pedestrian is present and a relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is less than or equal to a threshold value. The lamp unit is controlled as follows.
The first bright line is linear light along the extending direction of the white line provided at the end of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling or the oncoming lane on the road, and is irradiated to overlap the white line.
Road drawing system.
(Additional note 2)
The controller continuously irradiates the first bright line when the pedestrian's position is on the outside of the road rather than the white line, and when the pedestrian's position is on the inner side of the road than the white line. controls the lamp unit so that the first bright line is illuminated in a blinking manner;
The road surface drawing system described in Appendix 1.
(Additional note 3)
When the pedestrian is present in the forward space and the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is greater than the threshold, the controller controls the controller to generate a second line of light that is a straight line of light that is longer than the first bright line. controlling the lamp unit so as to irradiate a bright line overlapping the white line;
The road surface drawing system according to appendix 1 or 2.
(Additional note 4)
The controller is configured to continuously irradiate the second bright line when the pedestrian's position is on the outside of the road rather than the white line, and to continuously irradiate the second bright line when the pedestrian's position is on the inner side of the road than the white line. controls the lamp unit so that the second bright line is illuminated in a blinking manner;
The road surface drawing system described in Appendix 3.
(Appendix 5)
The irradiation position of the first bright line is changed as the position of the pedestrian moves;
The road surface drawing system described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4.
(Appendix 6)
Also equipped with a raindrop sensor,
When the controller detects that the space in front is rainy based on the output of the raindrop sensor, the controller controls the second bright line even if the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is less than or equal to the threshold value. controlling the lamp unit to continue irradiation and to irradiate the first bright line overlapping the second bright line;
The road surface drawing system according to appendix 3 or 4.
(Appendix 7)
The first bright line is irradiated with a higher illuminance than the second bright line, and/or is irradiated with a different color tone than the second bright line.
The road surface drawing system described in Appendix 6.
(Appendix 8)
If the white line cannot be detected, the controller detects a virtual line extending along the direction of extension of the road, based on the width or shape of the road, on the edge side of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling or the oncoming lane. calculates a boundary line to be placed in the vehicle, and irradiates the second bright line along the boundary line regardless of the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle, and superimposes the second bright line on the second bright line. controlling the lamp unit to irradiate the first bright line;
The road surface drawing system described in any one of Supplementary Notes 3 to 7.
(Appendix 9)
The first bright line is irradiated with a higher illuminance than the second bright line, and/or is irradiated with a different color tone than the second bright line.
The road surface drawing system described in Appendix 8.
(Appendix 10)
When there is a plurality of pedestrians, the controller is configured to control the controller to apply the first signal to each position on the road corresponding to the position of each pedestrian, regardless of the relative distance between each pedestrian and the vehicle. controlling the lamp unit so that one bright line is irradiated;
The road surface drawing system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 9.
(Appendix 11)
When the position of at least one pedestrian among the plurality of pedestrians corresponding to the first bright line is inside the road from the white line, the first bright line corresponding to the pedestrian who is inside the road controlling the lamp unit so that one bright line is flashed;
The road surface drawing system according to claim 10.

1: Road drawing system, 10: Controller, 11: Camera, 12: Raindrop sensor, 13: Vehicle speed sensor, 14: Own vehicle position data, 20: Image processing unit, 21: Own vehicle position detection unit, 22: Weather detection unit , 23: relative position calculation section, 24: relative distance calculation section, 25: boundary line calculation section, 26: road surface drawing control section, 30L, 30R: lamp unit, 31: driver, 32: LED array, 100: pedestrian, 110, 111, 112: White line, 113, 114: Bright line

Claims

A camera that photographs the space in front of the vehicle,
Detecting pedestrians existing in the space ahead based on image data obtained by the camera, detecting white lines on the road in front of the vehicle, and irradiating light on the road based on the respective detection results. A controller that performs control;
a lamp unit that irradiates the road with light under the control of the controller;
including;
The controller is configured to irradiate a first bright line to a position on the road corresponding to a position of the pedestrian when the pedestrian is present and a relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is less than or equal to a threshold value. The lamp unit is controlled as follows.
The first bright line is linear light along the extending direction of the white line provided at the end of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling or the oncoming lane on the road, and is irradiated to overlap the white line.
Road drawing system.
The controller continuously irradiates the first bright line when the pedestrian's position is on the outside of the road rather than the white line, and when the pedestrian's position is on the inner side of the road than the white line. controls the lamp unit so that the first bright line is illuminated in a blinking manner;
The road surface drawing system according to claim 1.
When the pedestrian is present in the forward space and the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is greater than the threshold, the controller controls the controller to generate a second line of light that is a straight line of light that is longer than the first bright line. controlling the lamp unit so as to irradiate a bright line overlapping the white line;
The road surface drawing system according to claim 1.
The controller is configured to continuously irradiate the second bright line when the pedestrian's position is on the outside of the road rather than the white line, and to continuously irradiate the second bright line when the pedestrian's position is on the inner side of the road than the white line. controls the lamp unit so that the second bright line is illuminated in a blinking manner;
The road surface drawing system according to claim 3.
The irradiation position of the first bright line is changed as the position of the pedestrian moves;
The road surface drawing system according to claim 1.
Also equipped with a raindrop sensor,
When the controller detects that the space in front is rainy based on the output of the raindrop sensor, the controller controls the second bright line even if the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle is less than or equal to the threshold value. controlling the lamp unit to continue irradiation and to irradiate the first bright line overlapping the second bright line;
The road surface drawing system according to claim 3.
The first bright line is irradiated with a higher illuminance than the second bright line, and/or is irradiated with a different color tone than the second bright line.
The road surface drawing system according to claim 6.
If the white line cannot be detected, the controller detects a virtual line extending along the direction of extension of the road, based on the width or shape of the road, on the edge side of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling or the oncoming lane. calculates a boundary line to be placed in the vehicle, and irradiates the second bright line along the boundary line regardless of the relative distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle, and superimposes the second bright line on the second bright line. controlling the lamp unit to irradiate the first bright line;
The road surface drawing system according to claim 3.
The first bright line is irradiated with a higher illuminance than the second bright line, and/or is irradiated with a different color tone than the second bright line.
The road surface drawing system according to claim 8.
When there is a plurality of pedestrians, the controller is configured to control the controller to apply the first signal to each position on the road corresponding to the position of each pedestrian, regardless of the relative distance between each pedestrian and the vehicle. controlling the lamp unit so that one bright line is irradiated;
The road surface drawing system according to claim 1.
When the position of at least one pedestrian among the plurality of pedestrians corresponding to the first bright line is inside the road from the white line, the first bright line corresponding to the pedestrian who is inside the road controlling the lamp unit so that one bright line is flashed;
The road surface drawing system according to claim 10.