JP4135598B2 - Driver steering skill determination device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention belongs to the technical field of a driver steering skill determination device that determines a driver's steering skill.

As a conventional driver steering skill determination device, for example, a device that extracts a component of correction steering in a driver's steering and evaluates the driver's steering skill based on the result is known (for example, patent document). 1).
JP 2002-154346 A

  However, in the above prior art, because the driver's steering skill is evaluated by the correction steering, the noise component for the driving skill evaluation, which is caused by road conditions, driving conditions, etc., cannot be completely eliminated, There was a problem that the accuracy of determining the steering skill was low.

  The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned problem, and its object is to provide a prediction component in steering that is not easily affected by noise components that hinder accurate driving skill determination in view of the steering characteristics of the driver. It is an object of the present invention to provide a driver steering skill determination device that enables simple and reliable determination of a steering skill by determining a steering skill based on the determination.

In order to achieve the above-described object, in the driver steering skill determination device of the present invention, the current position of the vehicle is referred to by map information, and when the vehicle is located at a curved road or intersection, the linearity of the curved road or intersection is determined. And a plurality of typical curved roads or intersection linear information that are stored in advance to detect the road alignment on which the vehicle travels, and the steering wheel provided in the vehicle, the driver steers modify a steering angle detecting means, from the history of the steering angle signal when passed through Riken said curved path or the intersection issued by the the steering angle detecting means, the predetermined frequency or more components for detecting a steering angle eliminating as a history of the steering, the prediction steering history extraction means for extracting a component less than a predetermined frequency as a history of the predicted steering, from the prediction steering history extracted by the prediction steering history extraction unit, the prediction steering Predictive steering characteristic extracting means for extracting the characteristics, skill determination rule holding means for associating road alignment and predicted steering characteristics for each driver's steering skill and holding them as skill determination rules, and road detected by the road alignment detecting means Steering skill determination means for determining the driver's steering skill by referring to the skill determination law held in the skill determination rule holding means from the linearity and the predicted steering characteristic extracted by the predicted steering characteristic extraction means; It is provided with.

  Therefore, in the driver steering skill determination device of the present invention, since the driver's steering skill is determined based on the steering characteristics based on the driver's road linear prediction, the noise component hinders accurate driving skill determination. This makes it possible to easily and reliably determine the steering skill that is not easily influenced.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a driver steering skill determination device according to an embodiment.
The driver steering skill determination device includes a road alignment detection means 10, a steering angle detection means 11, a predicted steering history extraction means 12, a predicted steering characteristic extraction means 13, a steering skill determination means 14, and a skill determination rule holding means. 15.

  The road alignment detection means 10 detects the road alignment on which the vehicle travels, and outputs the detection result to the steering skill determination means 14. The steering angle detection means 11 detects the steering angle steered by the driver in the steering wheel provided in the vehicle, and outputs the detection result to the predicted steering history extraction means 12.

  The predicted steering history extracting means 12 excludes the corrected steering history from the steering angle signal history detected by the steering angle detecting means 11 within a predetermined time, extracts only the predicted steering history, and predicts the extraction result. Output to the characteristic extraction means 13.

  The predicted steering characteristic extracting unit 13 extracts the predicted steering characteristic from the predicted steering history extracted by the predicted steering history extracting unit 12 and outputs the extraction result to the steering skill determining unit 14.

  The steering skill determination means 14 refers to the skill determination rule held in the skill determination law holding means 15 from the road alignment detected by the road alignment detection means 10 and the predicted steering characteristics extracted by the predicted steering characteristic extraction means 13. Then, the steering skill of the driver is determined. The skill determination rule holding means 15 associates the road alignment with the characteristics of the predicted steering for each driver's steering skill and holds it as a skill determination rule.

  In other words, since the driver's steering skill is determined based on the road alignment and the predicted steering characteristics, it is difficult to be influenced by the correction steering including a lot of noise components that hinder the accurate driving skill, and simple and reliable determination of the steering skill is possible. It becomes possible.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on Example 1 and Example 2.

First, the configuration will be described.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the driver steering skill determination device according to the first embodiment.

  The driver steering skill determination device according to the first embodiment includes a road alignment detection device 20, a steering angle sensor 21 that detects a steering angle of a steering wheel (not shown), a predicted steering history extraction circuit 22, and a predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit 23. And a steering skill determination circuit 24 and a skill determination rule holding device 25.

  The road alignment detection device 20 corresponds to the road alignment detection means 10 shown in FIG. The steering angle sensor 21 is the steering angle detection means 11, the predicted steering history extraction device 22 is the predicted steering history extraction means 12, the predicted steering characteristic extraction device 23 is the predicted steering characteristic extraction means 13, and the steering skill determination device 24 is A skill determination rule holding device 25 corresponds to the steering skill determination means 14 and a skill determination rule holding means 15.

  The road alignment detection device 20 includes a GPS (vehicle position detection means) 26, map data (map information storage means) 27, and a road alignment template holding circuit (road alignment information holding means) 28, and uses the map data 27. This is a so-called navigation device that detects the current position where the vehicle is traveling. In the first embodiment, the template held in the road alignment template holding circuit 28 is limited to a road alignment at a curved road or an intersection.

  The predicted steering history extraction circuit 22 excludes the corrected steering component from the steering angle history detected by the steering angle sensor 21 and extracts only the predicted steering component. The predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit 23 extracts the predicted steering characteristic from the predicted steering component extracted by the predicted steering history extraction circuit 22.

  The steering skill determination circuit 24 refers to the skill determination rule (road alignment template) held in the skill determination holding device 25 based on the alignment of the road to be traveled and the characteristics of the predicted steering, so that the driver's steering skill is determined. Determine.

Next, the operation will be described.
[Steering skill determination control processing]
Hereinafter, the flow of the steering skill determination control process by the driver steering skill determination device will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S100, the road alignment detector 20 estimates the road alignment, and the process proceeds to step S101.

  In step S101, it is determined whether or not the estimated road alignment matches the template stored in the road alignment template storage circuit 28 (corresponding to typical road alignment determination means). If YES, the process proceeds to step S102, and if NO, the process proceeds to step S100.

  Here, when the alignment of the road on which the vehicle will run is a curved road or an intersection, the road alignment template stored in the road alignment template storage circuit 28 is referred to, and the matching road alignment template is determined. Determine if it exists.

  In step S102, the steering angle of the driver when the vehicle is passing the curved road or intersection is collected by the steering angle sensor 21 until the curved road or intersection is completed, and the process proceeds to step S103. The collected steering angle data is held as a steering history.

  In step S103, the predicted steering history extraction circuit 22 extracts a predicted steering component from the steering angle history collected in step S102, and the process proceeds to step S104.

  Here, the steering is a predicted steering in which the driver predicts a traveling route and steers when the driver approaches a curved road or an intersection or while traveling on a curved road or an intersection. It can be broadly divided into correction steering that performs corrective steering in response to unforeseen circumstances and road conditions while traveling at an intersection.

  In the steering behavior, the predicted steering and the corrected steering are mixed with each other, but the frequency band is different, and the predicted steering is characterized by occupying a low frequency and the corrected steering occupying a high frequency. Therefore, in Example 1, in order to extract the frequency component of the predicted steering, a moving average is taken for the history of the steering angle for a predetermined time. An example of this processing is shown in FIG. The vehicle travels on a route having the shape shown in FIG. When the steering history at that time is FIG. 4B, the predicted steering component shown in FIG. 4C is extracted by taking a moving average for a predetermined time.

  In step S104, the predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit 23 extracts the predicted steering characteristic from the predicted steering component extracted in step S103, calculates the predicted state number N, and proceeds to step S105.

  This process is performed by qualifying time-series and quantitative data of predictive steering. In the first embodiment, a description is given by a combination of “right steering”, “left steering”, and “maintain steering angle” according to the steering direction. For example, in the case where the time series data of the predicted steering is given as shown in FIG. 4 (b), as shown in FIG. 4 (c), first, as shown in FIG. , {Right steering, left steering, steering angle maintenance, left steering, steering angle maintenance, right steering, left steering, steering angle maintenance}, and so on, are described in chronological order in three states (FIG. 4 (d)). Note that the number of predicted states N at this time is N = 8.

  In step S105, in the steering skill determination circuit 24, it is held in the skill determination rule holding device 25 based on the type of template of the curved road or intersection matched in step S101 and the predicted number N of qualifications extracted in step S104. The driver's steering skill is determined by referring to the determined skill determination rule, and this control is terminated.

  The skill determination rule held in the skill determination rule holding means 25 is described in, for example, a matrix as shown in FIG. 5, and is used by a beginner when passing through a specific curved road or an intersection road linear road. The average number of predicted states for predictive steering, the average number of predicted states for predictive steering for intermediate players, and the average number of predicted states for predictive steering for advanced players are described. That is, the driver's steering skill is derived by referring to the road alignment of the curved road or intersection and the predicted state number N in the skill determination rule.

[Driver steering skill judgment]
Conventionally, a driver's operation to determine a driver's driving skill, and to determine the driver's driving skill for the purpose of supporting the driver's safe vehicle driving based on the determination result and the driver's driving skill improvement A skill determination device has been invented. Further, a driver steering skill determining device has been invented as a device specialized in the steering driving skill.

  For example, the driver operation characteristic evaluation method and apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-154346 estimates a target steering angle when it is assumed that the vehicle is smoothly steered based on a steering angle within a predetermined time. By extracting a corrected steering angle from the steering angle with respect to the vehicle and performing frequency analysis or the like on the extracted component of the corrected steering angle, the driver's operation characteristics, that is, the driver's steering skill is evaluated.

  Here, “predictive steering” and “corrective steering” are mixed in the steering behavior of the driver. “Predictive steering” is a method in which the driver predicts in advance the alignment, road surface condition, and traffic environment of a road to be traveled, and performs steering based on the prediction. On the other hand, “corrective steering” is a corrective steering action for appropriately dealing with a situation that has not been predicted in the road situation and the running situation, for example, the deterioration of the road condition.

  However, an unforeseen situation that requires corrective steering can occur even for a driving expert. For this reason, the evaluation of the driving skill by the correction steering has always been a challenge to realize a method that can be evaluated regardless of road conditions and driving conditions.

  The above prior art also mentions a solution to this problem, and at the stage of frequency analysis with respect to the component of the corrected steering angle, attempts are made to evaluate by eliminating the corrected steering accompanying the road condition and the driving condition. .

  However, in the conventional driver steering skill determination device, many processing steps are required until the final evaluation of the steering skill. In addition, the driving skill is completely caused by road conditions and driving conditions. The problem is that noise components for evaluation cannot be excluded.

  On the other hand, in the driver steering skill determination device of the first embodiment, the predicted steering history extraction circuit 22 extracts a predicted steering component that is less affected by the noise component by occupying the low frequency component, and the predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit. 23, the predicted steering component in the driver's steering is described qualitatively to obtain the number of predicted states, so that the depth of prediction for the driver's situation can be described reliably and quantitatively. .

  Further, since the average number of predicted states for each skill of the driver with respect to the road alignment is held in the skill determination rule holding device 25 as a skill determination rule, the predicted state of the driver extracted by the predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit 23 By referencing the number N to the skill determination rule holding device 25, the skill of the driver can be easily evaluated.

Next, the effect will be described.
In the driver steering skill determination device according to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) A road alignment detection device 20 that detects a road alignment on which a vehicle travels, a steering angle sensor 21 that detects a steering angle steered by a driver, and a history of corrected steering is excluded from the history of steering angle signals, and prediction is performed. A predicted steering history extraction circuit 22 that extracts only a steering history, a predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit 23 that extracts predicted steering characteristics from the extracted predicted steering history, and road alignment and predicted steering for each driver's steering skill The skill determination rule holding device 25 that holds the characteristics of the vehicle and holds it as a skill determination rule, and the skill determination rule held in the skill determination rule holding device 25 is referred to from the characteristics of the road alignment and the predicted steering. Since the steering skill determination circuit 24 that determines the steering skill is provided, the driver's steering skill can be determined based on the steering characteristics based on the driver's road linear prediction.

  (2) The predicted steering history extraction circuit 22 extracts a predicted steering history from a history of the steering angle signal detected by the steering angle sensor 21 within a predetermined time, and corrects a high frequency component of a predetermined frequency or higher to a corrected steering history. Therefore, it is possible to extract reliable predicted steering from which noise components in steering are excluded from the history of the steering angle signal.

  (3) The predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit 23 combines the prediction steering history extracted by the predicted steering history extraction circuit 22 with a limited number of qualitative states in chronological order. Since it is performed by describing, the feature of predictive steering can be extracted easily.

  (4) The predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit 23 describes the qualitative state description of the extracted predicted steering history, the right steering, the left steering, and the steering angle maintenance of the predicted steering history extracted by the predicted steering history extraction circuit 22. Since the combination of these three types of qualitative state descriptions is used, the characteristics of the predicted steering can be described by qualitative states such as right steering, left steering, and steering angle maintenance.

  (5) The road alignment detection device 20 includes a GPS 26 that detects the current position of the vehicle, map data 27 that stores map information, and a road alignment holding circuit template that holds linear information of a plurality of typical curves or intersections. 28, when the vehicle position detected by the GPS 26 is referred to the map information stored in the map data 27, when the vehicle is located at a curved road or intersection, the alignment of the curved road or intersection is the road alignment. Since it is determined whether or not there is a shape that matches the shape of the curved road or intersection held in the template holding circuit 28, the driver's steering skill for a specific road alignment can be determined.

  (6) The skill determination rule holding device 25 includes a skill determination rule to be held, a template held by the road linear template holding circuit 28, an average beginner driver, an average intermediate driver, or an average advanced driver. However, in the history of steering behavior when passing through a typical road shape, the number of qualitative states when a finite number of qualitative states are described by combining them in time series is related. Therefore, the driver's steering skill for a specific road alignment can be assigned to an average beginner driver, an average intermediate driver, or an average advanced driver.

  (7) If the steering skill determination circuit 24 determines that the vehicle is traveling on a road alignment that matches the shape of the curved road or intersection held in the road alignment template holding circuit 28, the road alignment and The driver's steering skill is determined by referring to the skill determination rule held in the skill determination rule holding device 25 from the number of time-series combinations of qualitative states extracted by the predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit 22. Therefore, it is possible to easily and reliably determine the skill.

First, the configuration will be described.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the driver steering skill determination device according to the second embodiment. The basic configuration is the same as the block configuration diagram of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  The driver steering skill determination device according to the second embodiment includes a traveling position detection device 30, a driving load determination circuit 31, and a traveling history storage device 32. The travel position detection device 30 corresponds to the road alignment detection means 10 of FIG. 1, the driving load determination circuit 31 corresponds to the steering skill determination means 14, and the travel history storage device 32 corresponds to the skill determination rule holding means 15.

  The traveling position detection means 30 is a so-called navigation device that includes the GPS 26 and the map data 27 and can detect the current position where the vehicle is traveling.

  The driving load determination circuit 31 determines the degree of driving load of the driver using the driver's predicted steering extracted by the predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit 23 and the driving history information stored in the driving history storage device 32.

Next, the operation will be described.
[Steering skill determination control device]
Hereinafter, the flow of the steering skill determination control process by the driver steering skill determination device will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. Since the basic processing flow is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the same reference numerals are given and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

  In step S200, the travel position detection device 30 detects the travel position, and the process proceeds to step S201.

  In step S201, the driving load determination circuit 31 refers to the travel history storage device 32 with reference to the current position detected by the travel position detection device 30, so that the vehicle has traveled in the past at the current travel position. Determine whether or not. If YES, the process proceeds to step S103, and if NO, the process proceeds to step S200.

  In step S <b> 205, the driving load determination circuit 31 determines the driver's predicted steering number M extracted by the predicted steering characteristic extraction circuit 23 and the driving history information stored in the driving history storage device 32. The degree of the operating load is determined, and the process proceeds to step S206.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the travel history storage device 32 includes position information with experience of traveling in the past, an average predicted state number M ′ of predicted steering when the driver steers, and The number of times of traveling a position is stored in an associated state.

  Here, consider a case where the number of predicted states of predicted steering is M and the number of predicted states of average predicted steering in the past is M ′ in traveling at a position where there is experience traveling in the past. . At this time, if M> M ′, it is determined that the driving load of the driver is larger than normal, and if M <M ′, the driving load of the driver is higher than normal. Judged to be small.

  In step S206, the travel history stored in the travel history storage means 32 is updated, and this control ends.

Here, it is performed by reflecting the predicted state number M of the predicted steering in the previous travel in the predicted state number M ′ of the predicted steering used in step S205. Specifically, when the number of times of traveling the certain position is a, the average predicted state number M ′ is
M ′ = (a × M ′ + M) / (a + 1)
And the number of runnings a is set to a = a + 1.

Next, the effect will be described.
(8) In the driver steering skill determination device of the second embodiment, in addition to the effects (1) to (4) of the first embodiment, the identification detected by the traveling position detection means 30 by the traveling history storage device 32 It is possible to hold the number M of predicted states of the driver at the position. The driving load determination circuit 31 can refer to the predicted state number M ′ held in the driving load determination circuit 31 when the driver reaches the specific position. That is, in the comparison of the number of predicted states by this reference, the determination of the driver's driving load based on the driver's characteristics that the number of predicted states increases as the driver's driving load increases, that is, the prediction becomes short-term Is possible.

(Other examples)
The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described based on the first and second embodiments. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments. Design changes and the like within a range that does not depart from the gist are also included in the present invention.

  For example, as a method of extracting a predicted steering signal component from the history of the steering angle signal, a method using a low-pass filter, a method of performing secondary Taylor expansion by time, or the like may be used.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of Example 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the arithmetic processing procedure in the driver | operator steering skill determination apparatus of the Example. It is explanatory drawing of the process in the Example. It is explanatory drawing of the driver state information stored in the skill determination rule holding | maintenance apparatus of the Example. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of Example 2 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the object detection range in the image processing apparatus for environment recognition of the Example. It is explanatory drawing of the driver | operator state information stored in the driving | running history memory | storage device of the Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Road alignment detection means 11 Steering angle detection means 12 Predictive steering history extraction means 13 Predictive steering characteristic extraction means 14 Steering skill determination means 15 Skill determination rule holding means

Claims (7)

Refers to the current position of the vehicle in map information, and when the vehicle is located at a curve or intersection, compares the alignment of the curve or intersection with the linear information of multiple typical curves or intersections that are stored in advance. Road alignment detecting means for detecting the road alignment on which the vehicle travels,
Steering angle detection means for detecting a steering angle steered by the driver in the steering wheel provided in the vehicle;
From the history of the steering angle signal when passed through Riken said curved path or the intersection issued by the the steering angle detecting means, to eliminate as history of corrective steering a predetermined frequency or more components of less than a predetermined frequency Predictive steering history extracting means for extracting components as predicted steering history;
Predicted steering characteristic extracting means for extracting predicted steering characteristics from the predicted steering history extracted by the predicted steering history extracting means;
Skill determination rule holding means for associating the characteristics of road alignment and predicted steering for each driver's steering skill and holding it as a skill determination rule;
Based on the road alignment detected by the road alignment detection means and the predicted steering characteristic extracted by the predicted steering characteristic extraction means, the skill determination rule held in the skill determination rule holding means is referred to and the driver's steering skill is determined. Steering skill determining means for determining
A driver steering skill determination device comprising: The driver steering skill determination device according to claim 1 ,
The predictive steering characteristic extracting means describes the extraction of the predictive steering characteristics by combining the predictive steering history extracted by the predictive steering history extracting means by combining a finite number of qualitative states in chronological order. A driver-steering skill determination device characterized in that: The driver steering skill determination device according to claim 2 ,
The predictive steering characteristic extracting means includes a qualitative state description of the extracted predicted steering history, and three types of right steering, left steering and steering angle maintenance of the predicted steering history extracted by the predicted steering history extracting means. A driver steering skill determination device characterized by a combination of qualitative state descriptions. In the driver | operator steering skill determination apparatus of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 ,
The road alignment detection means
Vehicle position detecting means for detecting a current position of the vehicle;
Map information storage means for storing map information;
Road linear information holding means holding linear information of a plurality of typical curves or intersections;
When the vehicle position detected by the vehicle position detection means is referred to the map information stored in the map information storage means and the vehicle is located at a curved road or intersection, the linearity of the curved road or intersection Is a typical road alignment determination means for determining whether there is a thing that matches the shape of the curved road or intersection held in the road alignment information holding means,
A driver steering skill determination device comprising: In the driver | operator steering skill determination apparatus of Claim 4 ,
The skill determination rule holding means holds the skill determination rule to be held,
A typical road shape held by the typical road alignment determining means in the road alignment detecting means;
A qualitative state of a finite number of steering behavior histories when at least one of an average beginner driver, an average intermediate driver or an average advanced driver passes through the typical road shape. , The number of qualitative states when described in combination with a finite number of time series,
A driver's steering skill determining device characterized in that In the driver | operator steering skill determination apparatus of Claim 5 ,
The steering skill determination means includes
When it is determined by the typical road alignment determining means that the vehicle is traveling on a road alignment that matches the shape of a curved road or intersection held in the road alignment information holding means, the road alignment , By referring to the skill judgment rule held in the skill judgment law holding means from the number of time-series combinations of qualitative states extracted by the predicted steering characteristic extraction means, the steering skill of the driver A driver steering skill determination device characterized by determining In the driver | operator steering skill determination apparatus of Claim 2 or 3 ,
The road alignment detection means includes vehicle position detection means for detecting a current position of the vehicle,
The skill determination rule holding means is travel history storage means for storing information on a position where the vehicle has traveled in the past, the number of times of travel, and a history of predicted steering in association with each other,
When the vehicle has traveled at a position where the vehicle has traveled in the past, the steering skill determination means includes the predicted steering history extracted by the predicted steering characteristic extraction means and the past predicted steering history stored in the travel history storage means. A driver steering skill determining device characterized in that a driving load determining means for determining a driver's driving load is provided.

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