JP7129147B2 - Vehicle device, safe driving support system, and safe driving support method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vehicle device, a driving safety support system, and a driving safety support method.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a dangerous vehicle detection device that includes other vehicle motion recognition means, dangerous vehicle determination means, and dangerous vehicle notification means. The other vehicle motion recognition means recognizes the motion of another vehicle existing around the vehicle. The dangerous vehicle determination means determines whether or not the other vehicle is a dangerous vehicle based on the detected motion of the other vehicle. The dangerous vehicle notification means notifies the driver of the presence of the dangerous vehicle when the dangerous vehicle determination means determines that the vehicle is dangerous.

JP 2007-72641 A

When traveling on a road, there are cases where other vehicles traveling in the vicinity perform dangerous driving, such as closing the distance between vehicles, staggering, or suddenly changing lanes. In the configuration of Patent Literature 1, it cannot be determined whether or not another vehicle traveling around is a dangerous vehicle with a high tendency to perform dangerous driving until the other vehicle actually performs dangerous driving. In this case, there is a possibility that the response to avoid being involved in dangerous driving will be delayed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a technology that enables safe driving by quickly grasping the driving tendency of other vehicles.

In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle device according to the present invention is a vehicle device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from a server device, and includes A unique information acquisition unit that acquires unique information of another existing vehicle; a driving tendency information acquisition unit that acquires past driving tendency information of the other vehicle from the server device based on the unique information; and a driving support processing unit that performs processing for supporting the driving of the own vehicle based on the driving support (first configuration).

In the vehicle device having the first configuration, the driving support processing unit performs processing for notifying the driver of the host vehicle of the information of the other vehicle based on the driving tendency information (the second configuration). configuration).

In the vehicle device of the second configuration, the information on the other vehicle may be information indicating that the other vehicle is a dangerous vehicle that is highly likely to drive dangerously (third configuration).

In the vehicle device having any one of the first to third configurations, the driving support processing unit performs processing for determining whether or not the vehicle is capable of follow-up driving by automatic driving based on the driving tendency information. configuration (fourth configuration).

In the vehicle device having any one of the first to fourth configurations, the unique information acquisition unit acquires the unique information based on image information obtained from a camera mounted on the own vehicle (fifth configuration). configuration).

In the vehicle device having any one of the first to fifth configurations, it is preferable that the unique information is license plate information (sixth configuration).

The vehicle device having any one of the first to sixth configurations evaluates the current driving tendency of the other vehicle for registration of information in the server device, and evaluates the driving tendency associated with the unique information. It is preferable that the configuration (seventh configuration) further includes a registration information processing unit that performs processing for generating registration information related to.

In the vehicle device of the seventh configuration, the driving tendency evaluated by the registration information processing unit includes a staggering tendency, a following distance tendency, and a lane change tendency (eighth configuration). is preferred.

In order to achieve the above objects, a driving safety support system of the present invention has a configuration (ninth configuration) including the vehicle device having any one of the first to eighth configurations and the server device. there is

In the safe driving support system of the ninth configuration, the server device may be configured to delete the driving tendency information associated with the unique information that has not been updated for a predetermined period of time (tenth configuration). .

In order to achieve the above object, a driving safety support method of the present invention is a driving safety support method using a vehicle device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from a server device, the vehicle device comprising: A unique information acquiring step of acquiring unique information of other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle mounted thereon; and a driving tendency information acquiring step of acquiring past driving tendency information of said other vehicle from said server device based on said unique information. and a driving assistance processing step of performing a process for assisting the driving of the own vehicle based on the driving tendency information (an eleventh configuration).

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the technique which grasps|ascertains the driving tendency of another vehicle quickly and enables safe driving can be provided.

Diagram showing the outline of the safe driving support system Diagram for explaining the effect of the safe driving support system Block diagram of safe driving support system Flowchart showing flow of notification of dangerous vehicle by vehicle device Flowchart showing the flow of registration processing of driving tendency information by the vehicle device Flowchart showing an example of evaluation procedure for sway tendency Flowchart showing an example of an evaluation procedure for vehicle-to-vehicle distance trends Flowchart showing an example of evaluation procedure for lane change tendency FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the first modification of the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a second modification of the embodiment of the present invention;

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

<1. System Overview>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a driving safety support system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The safe driving support system 100 includes a vehicle device 1 and a server device 2 . The vehicle device 1 is mounted on each vehicle 101 . The vehicle device 1 can transmit and receive information to and from the server device 2 .

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the effects of the driving safety support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, in front of the host vehicle 101a on which the vehicle device 1 is mounted, there is another vehicle 101b that tends to sway left and right. Behind the host vehicle 101a is another vehicle 101c that tends to reduce the inter-vehicle distance. Another vehicle 101d, which tends to make a sudden lane change, exists diagonally to the left of the host vehicle 101a. All of the other vehicles 101b, 101c, and 101d are dangerous vehicles that are highly likely to perform dangerous driving.

According to the safe driving support system 100 of the present embodiment, the driver who drives the own vehicle 101a uses the communication between the vehicle device 1 and the server device 2 to control the vehicle 101b existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle 101a. -101d driving tendencies can be recognized. For example, according to the safe driving support system 100 of the present embodiment, the driver of the own vehicle 101a quickly recognizes the presence of the dangerous vehicles 101b to 10d before the actual dangerous action is performed, and takes avoidance action. be able to.

<2. System configuration>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the driving safety support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The safe driving support system 100 includes a camera 3 and a notification device 4 in addition to the vehicle device 1 and the server device 2 . Camera 3 and notification device 4 are mounted on each vehicle 101 .

In this embodiment, camera 3 includes two types of cameras: a front camera that captures the front of vehicle 101 and a back camera that captures the rear of vehicle 101 . The type of camera 3 in this embodiment is an example. For example, the camera 3 may consist of only one type of camera such as a front camera. Also, the camera 3 may include left and right side cameras in addition to the front camera and the back camera. The camera 3 preferably has a large angle of view in the horizontal direction. As a result, it is possible to photograph oblique directions such as the front and the rear. The camera 3 is wired or wirelessly connected to the vehicle device 1 . The vehicle device 1 acquires captured image data from the camera 3 .

Also, the notification device 4 may be, for example, a display device having a display screen, an audio output device that outputs sound, an optical output device that outputs light, or the like. The display screen may be, for example, a liquid crystal display, a head-up display, or the like. In this embodiment, the notification device 4 is provided separately from the vehicle device 1 and is connected to the vehicle device 1 by wire or wirelessly. However, this is an example. The notification device 4 may be configured to be provided integrally with the vehicle device 1 .

The vehicle device 1 exchanges information with the server device 2 , acquires driving tendency information of other vehicles already registered in the server device 2 , and registers the driving tendency information of other vehicles in the server device 2 . process. The vehicle device 1 includes a control unit 11 , a storage unit 12 , a communication unit 13 , an image processing unit 14 , an acceleration sensor 15 and a GPS (Global Positioning System) reception unit 16 . The vehicle device 1 may be, for example, a drive recorder, a car navigation system, or the like. The vehicle device 1 may be a vehicle-mounted device that is always mounted on the vehicle 101, or may be a portable device such as a smart phone that can be taken out of the vehicle 101, for example.

The control unit 11 is a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory), which are not shown. The control unit 11 is connected to the storage unit 12 and the like included in the vehicle device 1 , performs processing and transmission/reception of information based on a program stored in the storage unit 12 , and controls the vehicle device 1 as a whole.

The storage unit 12 nonvolatilely stores programs and data. As the storage unit 12, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, a hard disk drive, or the like can be used. Further, part or all of the storage unit 12 is constituted by a portable storage medium such as an SD memory card (registered trademark) or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, and is detachable from the main body of the vehicle device 1. may

The communication unit 13 wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 23 of the server device 2 via a network (not shown).

The image processing unit 14 processes image data captured by the camera 3 . In this embodiment, the image processing unit 14 is a hardware circuit. The image processing unit 14 performs predetermined image processing on the image data signal input from the camera 3 to generate digital image data in a predetermined format. Predetermined image processing includes, for example, A/D conversion, brightness correction, contrast correction, and the like. The predetermined format may be, for example, JPEG format. The image processing unit 14 appropriately outputs the processed image data to the control unit 11 .

The acceleration sensor 15 detects acceleration of the vehicle 101 . The detected acceleration is an instantaneous value of acceleration at the current time, and has magnitudes in directions corresponding to, for example, three axes or two axes orthogonal to each other. The acceleration sensor 15 outputs a signal corresponding to such acceleration to the controller 11 .

The GPS receiver 16 receives signals from a plurality of GPS satellites and obtains the vehicle position, which is the position of the vehicle 101 at the current time. The GPS receiver 16 acquires the position of the vehicle as position information represented by longitude and latitude on the earth, and outputs the position information to the control unit 11 .

The server device 2 includes a control section 21 , a storage section 22 and a communication section 23 . The server device 2 is sometimes called a center and exchanges information with each vehicle 101 .

The control unit 21 is a computer including a CPU, RAM, and ROM (not shown). Based on the information received from the vehicle device 1, the control unit 21 performs registration processing of the driving tendency information of each vehicle 101 and transmits already registered driving tendency information of each vehicle 101 to the vehicle device 1. processing, etc.

The storage unit 22 is configured by, for example, a hard disk drive or the like, and stores programs and data in a non-volatile manner. The storage unit 22 stores driving tendency information indicating the past driving tendency of each vehicle 101 as a database. The driving tendency information of each vehicle 101 is stored in association with the unique information of each vehicle 101 .

In this embodiment, the specific information is license plate information. However, the unique information is not limited to license plate information, and may be, for example, ID number information given to each vehicle 101 for inter-vehicle communication.

In the present embodiment, the past driving tendency information of each vehicle 101 is simply information indicating that the vehicle is a dangerous vehicle that is highly likely to drive dangerously. However, this is an example. For example, the past driving tendency information of each vehicle 101 may be information classified into a plurality of levels based on the past driving tendency, such as dangerous vehicle, normal vehicle, and excellent vehicle. As another example, the driving tendency information may be information indicating at least one specific driving tendency such as staggering tendency, following distance tendency, and lane changing tendency.

The communication unit 23 wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 13 of the vehicle device 1 via a network (not shown).

<3. Detailed Configuration of Vehicle Device>
As shown in FIG. 3 , the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 includes a unique information acquisition unit 111, a driving tendency information acquisition unit 112, a driving support processing unit 113, and a registration information processing unit 114. The functions of the units 111 to 114 are realized by the CPU executing arithmetic processing according to the programs stored in the storage unit 12. FIG.

The unique information acquisition unit 111 acquires unique information of other vehicles existing around the own vehicle on which the vehicle device 1 is mounted. In this embodiment, the unique information acquisition unit 111 acquires unique information based on image information obtained from the camera 3 mounted on the vehicle. This is convenient because it is possible to implement the vehicle device 1 of the present invention using a vehicle device such as a drive recorder.

Further, in the present embodiment, the specific information is license plate information. According to this, the unique information can be acquired by the camera 3 . In this embodiment, the camera 3 includes a front camera and a back camera. Therefore, when another vehicle exists at least one of the front and rear of the own vehicle, the unique information acquisition unit 111 can acquire the license plate information of the other vehicle.

For example, the unique information acquisition unit 111 extracts a character area from image data. The unique information acquisition unit 111 performs collation processing between each extracted character and the character patterns stored in the storage unit 12, and recognizes a character pattern with a high degree of matching as the character. Thereby, the unique information acquisition unit 111 acquires the license plate information from the image obtained by the camera 3 . For example, when the unique information is ID information for inter-vehicle communication given to each vehicle 101, the unique information acquisition unit 111 acquires the unique information by performing processing related to inter-vehicle communication.

The driving tendency information acquisition unit 112 acquires past driving tendency information of other vehicles from the server device 2 based on the unique information. In the present embodiment, the driving tendency information acquisition unit 112 performs processing for transmitting the license plate information acquired by the unique information acquisition unit 111 to the server device 2 . Through this processing, communication is performed between the communication unit 13 of the vehicle device 1 and the communication unit 23 of the server device 2 , and the license plate information is transmitted to the server device 2 . When receiving the license plate information, the server device 2 searches for driving tendency information of the vehicle 101 having the received license plate. The server device 2 uses communication between the communication unit 23 of the server device 2 and the communication unit 13 of the vehicle device 1 to transmit the search result to the vehicle device 1 . Thereby, the driving tendency information acquisition unit 112 acquires the past driving tendency information of other vehicles existing around the own vehicle.

It should be noted that the driving tendency information of the corresponding license plate may not exist in the driving tendency information database 22a. In this case, for example, the server device 2 transmits to the vehicle device 1 that no driving tendency information is stored in the past.

The driving support processing unit 113 performs processing for supporting driving of the own vehicle based on the driving tendency information. According to this, the driving tendency of the other vehicle can be grasped and the driving assistance of the own vehicle can be performed, so that the safety of the own vehicle can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the driving support processing unit 113 performs processing for notifying the driver of the own vehicle of the information of the other vehicle based on the driving tendency information. According to this, the driver can grasp the driving tendencies of other vehicles existing around the own vehicle, and drive in consideration of the driving tendencies of the other vehicles.

Specifically, the information about the other vehicle is information that the other vehicle is a dangerous vehicle that is highly likely to drive dangerously. Based on the driving tendency information acquired from the server device 2, the driving support processing unit 113 determines whether or not another vehicle existing around the own vehicle is a dangerous vehicle. When it is determined that there is a dangerous vehicle, the driving support processing unit 113 performs processing for notifying the driver of the own vehicle of that fact. According to this, the driver can quickly recognize that there is a dangerous vehicle around the own vehicle, so that the driver can quickly take action to avoid the danger.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the driving tendency information is simply information indicating that the vehicle is dangerous. Therefore, when the driving tendency information is obtained in response to the transmission of the license plate information to the server device 2, the driving support processing unit 113 determines that the vehicle having the license plate is a dangerous vehicle. On the other hand, when the driving tendency information is not obtained in response to the transmission of the license plate information to the server device 2, the driving support processing unit 113 determines that the vehicle having the license plate is not a dangerous vehicle.

As described above, the driving tendency information is, for example, classification information indicating the degree of danger, information indicating at least one specific driving tendency such as staggering tendency, inter-vehicle distance tendency, lane change tendency, etc. may be. In such a case, the driving support processing unit 113 analyzes the information acquired from the server device 2 to determine whether the vehicle is a dangerous vehicle. Also in this case, if the driving tendency information is not obtained even though the license plate information is transmitted to the server device 2, it may be determined that the vehicle having the license plate is not a dangerous vehicle.

In this embodiment, the notification of the existence of the dangerous vehicle is performed by the notification device 4 . For example, the notification device 4 uses a display screen to notify the presence of a dangerous vehicle. The notification using the display screen may be, for example, notification using at least one of characters, graphics, and colors. As another example, the notification device 4 may notify a dangerous vehicle using sound. The warning sound may be, for example, a buzzer sound, a chime sound, a speech sound, or the like. As another example, the notification device 4 may notify the presence of a dangerous vehicle using lighting or blinking of lights. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a light in the direction in which the dangerous vehicle exists lights up or blinks. Note that the notification device 4 may be configured to notify the presence of a dangerous vehicle using at least two of the display screen, sound, and light.

In the present embodiment, the notification device 4 is configured to notify the presence of a dangerous vehicle, but this is an example. For example, the information notified by the notification device 4 includes, in addition to the fact that the vehicle is dangerous, specific driving tendencies such as a vehicle that tends to sway, a vehicle that tends to approach, and a vehicle that tends to change lanes sharply. may be In this case, the vehicle device 1 needs to acquire not only information indicating that the vehicle is a dangerous vehicle, but also driving tendency information including specific driving tendencies from the server device 2 . With such a configuration, the driver can predict how the dangerous vehicle is likely to drive, making it easier to avoid danger.

The registration information processing unit 114 evaluates the current driving tendencies of other vehicles and generates registration information related to the driving tendencies associated with the specific information in order to register the information in the server device 2 . The registration information is transmitted to the server device 2 by the communication section 13 . According to this, the driving tendency information of many vehicles 101 can be accumulate|stored in the server apparatus 2. FIG. As described above, the vehicle 101 equipped with the vehicle device 1 is notified of the presence of dangerous vehicles around the vehicle based on the driving tendency information accumulated in the server device 2 . Therefore, by accumulating driving tendency information of many vehicles 101 in the server device 2, the safety of the vehicle 101 equipped with the vehicle device 1 can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the driving tendencies evaluated by registered information processing unit 114 include staggering tendencies, inter-vehicle distance tendencies, and lane change tendencies. According to this, it is possible to determine a plurality of driving tendencies and accumulate the driving tendency information in the server device 2, so that the reliability of the driving tendency information can be improved. Concrete evaluation examples regarding the sway tendency, inter-vehicle distance tendency, and lane change tendency will be described later. Further, the driving tendencies evaluated by the registered information processing unit 114 are not limited to the staggering tendency, the following distance tendency, and the lane changing tendency, and the number and types thereof may be changed as appropriate. Driving tendencies evaluated by the registration information processing unit 114 may include, for example, speed tendencies, braking tendencies, and the like.

In the present embodiment, registration information processing unit 114 generates registration information associated with license plate information and transmits the registration information to server device 2 when a dangerous vehicle is detected by evaluation of driving tendency. In the present embodiment, the transmitted registration information is information indicating that the vehicle having the corresponding license plate is a dangerous vehicle. In addition to this, the registration information transmitted to the server device 2 may also include specific information regarding driving tendencies such as a tendency to stagger, a tendency to approach the vehicle, and a tendency to change lanes sharply. In addition, the registration information processing unit 114 may transmit to the server apparatus 2 information obtained by classifying driving tendencies, including good vehicles, into a plurality of classes, as registration information, in addition to information such as dangerous vehicles. Further, the registration information processing unit 114 may perform processing for transmitting the evaluation result of the current driving tendency as it is to the server device 2 as registration information without making a judgment as to whether the vehicle is a dangerous vehicle or an excellent vehicle.

The server device 2 stores the registration information associated with the license plate information received from the vehicle device 1 in the driving tendency information database 22a. If information about the same license plate is previously stored, the information is updated. At this time, the number of updates of the driving tendency information may be stored together. The degree of risk may be classified into classes according to the number of updates. In addition, when the driving tendency information includes information on multiple types of driving tendencies, the number of updates may be managed for each driving tendency. By configuring in this way, the reliability of the driving tendency information can be improved. The server device 2 may store the registration information received from the vehicle device 1 as it is in the driving tendency information database 22a, or may perform analysis processing and store the analysis processing result in the driving tendency information database 22a. .

Note that the server device 2 may be configured to delete driving tendency information associated with unique information that has not been updated for a predetermined period of time. Thereby, it is possible to prevent transmission of information with low reliability to the vehicle device 1 .

<4. Processing Related to Safe Driving Assistance>
Hereinafter, a process related to safe driving assistance using the vehicle device 1 will be exemplified.

<4-1. Dangerous vehicle notification process>
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of notification of a dangerous vehicle by the vehicle device 1. As shown in FIG. The vehicle device 1 performs processing for notifying a dangerous vehicle while the own vehicle is running. The control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 determines whether or not the vehicle is running, based on changes in position information obtained from the GPS receiving unit 16, for example. The control unit 11 may determine whether or not the vehicle is running based on information from a vehicle speed sensor provided in the vehicle.

First, the control unit 11 confirms whether or not the unique information of other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the host vehicle has been acquired (step S1). Specifically, the control unit 11 confirms whether license plate information has been acquired from the image captured by the camera 3 . Since camera 3 of the present embodiment has a front camera and a back camera, license plate information can be acquired when vehicle 101 is present in at least one of the front and rear. If the license plate information is not acquired (No in step S1), the control unit 11 performs step S5, which will be described later.

When the license plate information is acquired (Yes in step S1), the control unit 11 performs processing for transmitting the license plate information. As a result, the license plate information is transmitted from the communication unit 13 to the server device 2 (step S2). For example, when there are other vehicles in front of and behind the own vehicle, a plurality of license plate information are acquired. In this case, multiple pieces of license plate information are transmitted to the server device 2 .

The server device 2 that has received the license plate information searches the driving tendency information database 22a for the driving tendency information of the vehicle with the received license plate. When there is corresponding driving tendency information as a result of the search, the server device 2 transmits the driving tendency information of the vehicle having the corresponding license plate to the vehicle device 1 via the communication unit 23 . Thereby, the control unit 11 acquires the driving tendency information of the vehicle that has transmitted the license plate information. If there is no corresponding driving tendency information, the server device 2 notifies the vehicular device 1 via the communication unit 23 of that fact. Thereby, the control unit 11 recognizes that there is no driving tendency information for the vehicle that transmitted the license plate information.

After acquiring information corresponding to the transmitted license plate information from the server device 2, the control unit 11 determines whether the vehicle that transmitted the license plate information is a dangerous vehicle (step S3). In the present embodiment, as described above, the driving tendency information is information indicating that the vehicle is dangerous. For this reason, the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle that transmitted the license plate information is a dangerous vehicle by acquiring the driving tendency information. On the other hand, if the driving tendency information cannot be acquired, the vehicle that transmitted the license plate information is determined not to be a dangerous vehicle.

If the vehicle that has transmitted the license plate information is a dangerous vehicle (Yes in step S3), the control unit 11 notifies the driver of the own vehicle of the existence of the dangerous vehicle as a process for assisting the driving of the own vehicle. (step S4). Notification processing is performed in a visual and/or auditory manner, as described above. As a result, the driver can quickly take action to avoid the danger, such as moving away from the dangerous vehicle.

After being notified of the presence of the dangerous vehicle, the control unit 11 checks whether or not the own vehicle is running (step S5). If the own vehicle is running (Yes in step S5), the process returns to step S1 and the above-described processing is performed. If the own vehicle is not running (No in step S5), the dangerous vehicle notification process is terminated. It should be noted that when the same unique information as the previously acquired unique information is continuously acquired, the processing of steps S2 to S4 may be omitted.

<4-2. Registration Processing of Driving Tendency Information>
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of registration processing of driving tendency information by the vehicle device 1. As shown in FIG. The vehicle device 1 performs processing for registering driving tendency information of other vehicles while the own vehicle is running. This process and the above-described process for notifying a dangerous vehicle may be performed at different timings, or may be performed in parallel.

While the own vehicle is running, the control unit 11 starts evaluating the driving tendencies of other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle (step S11). In the present embodiment, the control unit 11 evaluates the stagger tendency, the inter-vehicle distance tendency, and the lane change tendency. These multiple types of driving tendency evaluations may be performed at different timings, or may be performed in parallel.

When the evaluation of each driving tendency is completed, the control unit 11 confirms whether or not a dangerous vehicle has been detected (step S12). For example, when there is a vehicle traveling left and right beyond a predetermined threshold within a certain period of time, the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle has a tendency to sway, and detects the vehicle as a dangerous vehicle. do. For example, when the own vehicle is traveling at a constant speed or higher and there is a vehicle approaching within a certain distance, the control unit 11 determines that there is a tendency to approach the vehicle, and detects the vehicle as a dangerous vehicle. do. For example, when the own vehicle receives an interruption accompanied by sudden deceleration, the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle that has cut in has a tendency to change lanes sharply, and detects the vehicle as a dangerous vehicle.

When a dangerous vehicle is detected (Yes in step S12), the control unit 11 acquires license plate information, which is unique information of the dangerous vehicle (step S13). The acquisition of the license plate information is not limited to this timing, and may be performed, for example, before the evaluation of the driving tendency is started. If no dangerous vehicle is detected (No in step S12), the control unit 11 performs step S15, which will be described later.

When obtaining the license plate information, the control unit 11 generates registration information about driving tendencies associated with the license plate information. In the present embodiment, the registration information is information indicating that the vehicle having the corresponding license plate is a dangerous vehicle. When the registration information is generated, the communication unit 13 transmits the registration information to the server device 2 (step S14). Thereby, the information about the dangerous vehicle can be accumulated in the driving tendency information database 22a of the server device 2. FIG.

After the processing for transmitting the registration information, the control unit 11 confirms whether or not the host vehicle is running (step S15). If the own vehicle is running (Yes in step S15), the process returns to step S11 and the above-described processing is performed. If the own vehicle is not running (No in step S15), the driving tendency information registration process ends.

<4-2-1. Evaluation Processing of Stagger Tendency>
FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of an evaluation procedure for staggering tendency. Evaluation of the staggering tendency is periodically performed at a predetermined timing, for example, when a vehicle is present in front of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling. Whether or not there is a vehicle ahead can be determined from an image obtained from the front camera.

When the evaluation of the staggering tendency is started, the control unit 11 acquires a first evaluation image of the preceding vehicle to be evaluated from the camera 3 (step S21). After that, the control unit 11 waits for the process until a predetermined period of time elapses (step S22). The control unit 11 acquires the second evaluation image from the camera 3 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed (step S23).

The control unit 11 compares the first evaluation image and the second evaluation image, and confirms whether or not the vehicle to be evaluated has moved in either the left or right direction by exceeding a predetermined threshold value (step S24). . The amount of movement in the left-right direction can be obtained, for example, by comparing the position in the left-right direction of the reference position of the evaluation target vehicle in the image. At this time, the positional movement of the vehicle in the left-right direction is taken into consideration. The movement of the position of the own vehicle in the left-right direction can be determined based on, for example, a white line or the like.

If it is determined that the vehicle to be evaluated does not move in either the right or left direction exceeding the predetermined threshold value (No in step S24), the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle to be evaluated does not tend to sway. (step S25).

On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle to be evaluated has moved in either the left or right direction by exceeding the predetermined threshold value (Yes in step S25), the control unit 11 waits until the predetermined period of time elapses. (step S26). The control unit 11 acquires the third evaluation image from the camera 3 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed (step S27).

The control unit 11 compares the second evaluation image and the third evaluation image, and determines whether the vehicle to be evaluated has moved in the opposite direction to the left and right of the image comparison in the previous step S24 by exceeding a predetermined threshold value. Confirm whether or not (step S28). When it is determined that the vehicle to be evaluated has not moved in the left and right opposite directions exceeding the predetermined threshold value (No in step S28), the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle to be evaluated does not tend to sway. (step S25). On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle under evaluation has moved in the left and right opposite directions exceeding the predetermined threshold value (Yes in step S28), the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle under evaluation has a tendency to sway. (step S29).

<4-2-2. Evaluation Processing of Inter-vehicle Distance Trend>
FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an example of the procedure for evaluating the inter-vehicle distance tendency. The evaluation of the inter-vehicle distance tendency is periodically performed at a predetermined timing, for example, when there is a vehicle behind the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. Whether or not there is a vehicle behind can be determined from an image obtained from a back camera.

When the evaluation of the inter-vehicle distance tendency is started, the control unit 11 confirms whether or not the speed of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed (step S31). The predetermined speed may be, for example, 60 km/h. The purpose of setting the speed to a predetermined speed or more is to exclude situations in which the rear vehicle normally shortens the following distance, such as in a traffic jam. The control unit 11 may calculate the speed of the host vehicle based on temporal changes in positional information obtained from the GPS receiving unit 16, for example. Further, the control unit 11 may acquire speed information from a vehicle speed sensor that the own vehicle has.

If the speed of the own vehicle is lower than the predetermined speed (No in step S31), it is determined that the vehicle to be evaluated does not tend to approach (step S33). When the speed of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed (Yes in step S31), the control unit 11 determines whether or not the vehicle to be evaluated is positioned behind the vehicle with an inter-vehicle distance equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. Confirm (step S32). The inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the vehicle to be evaluated may be determined from an image obtained from a back camera. If the own vehicle has a sensor capable of detecting the distance, such as a radar device, the inter-vehicle distance may be obtained using the sensor.

When it is determined that the vehicle to be evaluated has an inter-vehicle distance equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (Yes in step S32), the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle to be evaluated does not tend to approach (step S33). . On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle to be evaluated has an inter-vehicle distance smaller than the predetermined threshold (No in step S32), the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle to be evaluated has an approaching tendency (step S34).

<4-2-3. Evaluation Processing of Lane Change Tendency>
FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of a lane change tendency evaluation procedure. The evaluation of the tendency to change lanes is always performed while the host vehicle is running. The control unit 11 monitors the occurrence of sudden deceleration in the own vehicle (step S41). The occurrence of sudden deceleration can be detected by information from the acceleration sensor 15 . However, this is an example, and the control unit 11 may detect the occurrence of rapid deceleration based on information from a brake sensor of the own vehicle.

When the occurrence of sudden deceleration is detected (Yes in step S41), it is checked whether or not the vehicle existing in front of the own vehicle has changed (step S42). The control unit 11 determines changes in the vehicle from images obtained from the front camera. Specifically, the control unit 11 compares the image before the sudden deceleration and the image after the sudden deceleration. A change in vehicle may be determined, for example, by a change in the shape or size of the vehicle type, or may be determined by license plate information.

If it is determined that the vehicle in front of the host vehicle has changed (Yes in step S42), the controller 11 determines that there has been a sudden lane change (step S43). When there is a sudden lane change, the control unit 11 determines that a vehicle present in front of the own vehicle after the sudden deceleration tends to change the lane quickly. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle in front of the host vehicle has not changed (No in step S42), the control unit 11 determines that a sudden lane change has not occurred (step S44).

<5. Modifications, etc.>
<5-1. First modification>
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a first modification of the embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment described above, the driving support processing unit 113 is configured to perform notification processing only when a dangerous vehicle is present (see FIG. 4). This is an example. In the first modification shown in FIG. 9, the driving support processing unit 113 notifies the driving tendency information obtained by transmitting the specific information to the server device 2 even when the vehicle is not determined to be a dangerous vehicle (step S53). In FIG. 9, steps S51, S52, and S54 are the same processes as steps S1, S2, and S5 shown in FIG. 4, respectively.

In the configuration of the first modified example, the driving tendency information may be, for example, information obtained by classifying the degree of risk. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a vehicle that is not judged to be a dangerous vehicle is classified as a good vehicle, and the driving tendency information database 22a stores information on either a good vehicle or a dangerous vehicle in association with license plate information. It may be configured as follows. As a result, the vehicle device 1 can notify not only the presence of dangerous vehicles around the own vehicle but also the presence of good vehicles. The driver can quickly judge the danger spots and the safety spots. Of course, the classification is not limited to two types, and may be three or more types.

As another example, the driving tendency information to be notified may include at least one specific driving tendency such as a staggering tendency, an inter-vehicle distance tendency, and a lane change tendency. This makes it easier for the driver to predict the movement of vehicles existing in the surroundings and to avoid danger.

<5-2. Second modification>
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a second modification of the embodiment of the invention. In the second modification shown in FIG. 10, the driving support processing unit 113 performs a process of determining whether or not the vehicle is capable of follow-up driving by automatic driving based on the driving tendency information (step S63). 10, steps S61, S62, and S65 are the same processes as steps S1, S2, and S5 shown in FIG. 4, respectively.

In this modified example, the own vehicle has an automatic driving function that automatically follows another vehicle. In this modification, the driving tendency information may be information indicating that the vehicle is an excellent vehicle that should be followed by automatic driving. The judgment as to whether the vehicle is in good condition or not may be obtained by evaluating driving tendencies similar to the judgment as to whether the vehicle is dangerous. Further, as another example, the driving tendency information may be information indicating a plurality of types of specific driving tendencies such as staggering tendency, inter-vehicle distance tendency, and lane change tendency. Since the unique information and the driving tendency information are associated with each other and stored in the driving tendency information database, it is possible to determine whether or not follow-up driving by automatic driving is possible.

If the vehicle that has transmitted the unique information is the vehicle that should follow the vehicle by automatic driving, the driving support processing unit 113 performs processing for notifying that fact (step S64). The notification technique may be similar to the technique for notifying dangerous vehicles. With this notification, the vehicle to be followed by automatic driving can be appropriately selected, so safety can be improved.

<5-3. Others>
The configurations of the embodiments and modifications shown in this specification are merely examples of the present invention. The configurations of the embodiments and modifications may be changed as appropriate without departing from the technical idea of the present invention. Also, multiple embodiments and modifications may be implemented in combination within a possible range.

Further, in the above-described embodiments, various functions are implemented in software by arithmetic processing of the CPU according to programs. It may be realized by a circuit. Conversely, at least part of the functions realized by hardware circuits may be realized by software.

1 vehicle device 2 server device 3 camera 111 unique information acquisition unit 112 driving tendency information acquisition unit 113 driving support processing unit 114 registration information processing unit

Claims (8)

A vehicle device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from a server device,
a unique information acquisition unit that acquires unique information of other vehicles existing around the own vehicle on which the vehicle device is mounted;
a driving tendency information acquisition unit that acquires past driving tendency information of the other vehicle from the server device based on the unique information;
a driving support processing unit that performs processing for supporting driving of the own vehicle based on the driving tendency information;
a registration information processing unit that evaluates current driving tendencies of the other vehicle and performs processing for generating registration information related to the driving tendencies associated with the unique information, in order to register the information in the server device;
with
The driving tendency information includes information indicating dangerous vehicles and information indicating excellent vehicles as classifications of driving tendencies,
The driving support processing unit performs processing for determining whether or not the vehicle is capable of follow-up driving by automatic driving based on at least one of the information indicating the dangerous vehicle and the information indicating the excellent vehicle,
The vehicle device , wherein the registered information includes information obtained by classifying the driving tendency . 2. The vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein said driving support processing unit performs processing for notifying a driver of said own vehicle of information of said other vehicle based on said driving tendency information. 3. The vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein said driving tendency information is information classified into a plurality of types including said dangerous vehicle and said good vehicle. The vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said unique information acquisition unit acquires said unique information based on image information obtained from a camera mounted on said vehicle. The vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the unique information is license plate information. 6. The vehicle apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the driving tendency evaluated by the registration information processing section includes a staggering tendency, an inter-vehicle distance tendency, and a lane change tendency. A vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ;
the server device;
A safe driving support system. A safe driving support method performed by a vehicle device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from a server device,
a unique information acquiring step of acquiring unique information of other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle on which the vehicle device is mounted;
a driving tendency information acquiring step of acquiring past driving tendency information of the other vehicle from the server device based on the unique information;
a driving support processing step of performing processing for supporting driving of the own vehicle based on the driving tendency information;
a registration information processing step of evaluating current driving tendencies of the other vehicle and generating registration information related to the driving tendencies associated with the unique information in order to register the information in the server device;
with
The driving tendency information includes information indicating dangerous vehicles and information indicating excellent vehicles as classifications of driving tendencies,
In the driving support processing step, based on at least one of the information indicating the dangerous vehicle and the information indicating the excellent vehicle, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is capable of follow-up driving by automatic driving ,
The safe driving support method , wherein the registered information includes information obtained by classifying the driving tendency .

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