Drive assist device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11407447-B2
Application number	US-202016740552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2020
Priority date	Feb 28, 2019
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A drive assist device installed in a tractor vehicle having a connection portion to be connected to a vehicle to be towed, includes: an image acquisition unit which acquires an image taken from a camera that shoots a scene in a shooting range including the connection portion; a position detection unit which detects a position of a counterpart connection portion, to be connected to the connection portion, of the vehicle to be towed; a predicted line generation unit which generates a predicted course line that the connection portion is expected to follow based on a steering angle of the tractor vehicle; a deviation calculation unit which calculates a deviation between the counterpart connection portion and the predicted course line as defined herein; a support image generation unit which generates a support image as defined herein; and an image synthesis unit which generates a synthesized image as defined herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive assist device which is installed in a tractor vehicle having a connection portion to be connected to a vehicle to be towed, the drive assist device comprising:
a hardware processor configured to:
acquire an image taken by a camera that photographs a scene adjacent to the tractor vehicle, the scene including the connection portion of the tractor vehicle;
detect a position of a counterpart connection portion of the vehicle to be towed, the counterpart connection portion being connectable to the connection portion of the tractor vehicle;
generate a predicted course line that the connection portion of the tractor vehicle is expected to follow based on a steering angle of the tractor vehicle;
calculate a deviation that is a distance between the counterpart connection portion and the predicted course line in a width direction of the vehicle to be towed based on the position of the counterpart connection portion and the predicted course line;
generate a support image to be used for reducing the deviation that has been calculated, the support image including a numerical value equal to the distance between the counterpart connection portion and the predicted course line in the width direction of the vehicle to be towed; and
generate a synthesized image by combining the predicted course line and the support image with the image taken by the camera and output the generated synthesized image to a display device,
wherein the support image includes a distance line that extends from the counterpart connection portion in the width direction of the vehicle to be towed parallel with a vehicle body front surface, from which the counterpart connection portion extends, of the vehicle to be towed.

2. The drive assist device according to claim 1 , wherein the distance line has a start point corresponding to the counterpart connection portion, and extends from the start point in a direction in which the predicted course line is deviated from the counterpart connection portion.

3. The drive assist device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
measure a distance between the tractor vehicle and the vehicle to be towed; and
compare a length of the predicted course line with the distance and generate the support image with display forms that are different from each other when the length of the predicted course line is longer than or equal to the distance and when the length of the predicted course line is shorter than the distance.

4. The drive assist device according to claim 2 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
measure a distance between the tractor vehicle and the vehicle to be towed; and
compare a length of the predicted course line with the distance and generate the support image with display forms that are different from each other when the length of the predicted course line is longer than or equal to the distance and when the length of the predicted course line is shorter than the distance.

5. The drive assist device according to claim 3 , wherein when the length of the predicted course line is shorter than the distance, the hardware processor generates the distance line so that the distance line crosses the predicted course line.

6. The drive assist device according to claim 4 , wherein when the length of the predicted course line is shorter than the distance, the hardware processor generates the distance line so that the distance line crosses the predicted course line.

7. The drive assist device according to claim 1 , wherein the support image includes a manipulation image indicating a manipulation that is necessary to be performed to the tractor vehicle to make the deviation equal to 0.

8. The drive assist device according to claim 7 , wherein the manipulation indicated by the manipulation image is to be performed on a steering wheel of the tractor vehicle to make the deviation equal to 0.

9. The drive assist device according to claim 8 , wherein the manipulation image indicates a rotation direction and a rotation angle of the steering wheel of the tractor vehicle that are necessary to make the deviation equal to 0.

10. The drive assist device according to claim 7 , wherein the manipulation image indicates a movement direction and a movement distance of the predicted course line that are necessary to make the deviation equal to 0.

11. The drive assist device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor detects a position of the counterpart connection portion as a first position by recognizing the counterpart connection portion based on the image taken by the camera, detects a position of the counterpart connection portion as a second position based on a manipulation position when detecting the manipulation position of a user on the display unit, and gives priority to the second position over the first position when the second position is detected.

12. A control method of a drive assist device which is installed in a tractor vehicle having a connection portion to be connected to a vehicle to be towed, the method being executed by a hardware processor of the tractor vehicle and comprising:
acquiring an image taken by a camera that photographs a scene adjacent to the tractor vehicle, the scene including the connection portion of the tractor vehicle;
detecting a position of a counterpart connection portion of the vehicle to be towed, the counterpart connection portion being connectable to the connection portion of the tractor vehicle;
generating a predicted course line that the connection portion of the tractor vehicle is expected to follow based on a steering angle of the tractor vehicle;
calculating a deviation that is a distance between the counterpart connection portion and the predicted course line in a width direction of the vehicle to be towed based on the position of the counterpart connection portion and the predicted course line;
generating a support image to be used for reducing the deviation that has been calculated, the support image including a numerical value equal to the distance between the counterpart connection portion and the predicted course line in the width direction of the vehicle to be towed; and
generating a synthesized image by combining the predicted course line and the support image with the image taken by the camera and outputting the generated synthesized image to a display device,
wherein the support image includes a distance line that extends from the counterpart connection portion in the width direction of the vehicle to be towed parallel with a vehicle body front surface, from which the counterpart connection portion extends, of the vehicle to be towed.

Assignees

• Denso Ten Ltd

Inventors

• Murasumi Miki
• Moriyama Shinichi

Classifications

• B62D53/005

  Combinations with at least three axles and comprising two or more articulated parts (articulated buses B62D47/025) · CPC title

• B62D15/0295 Primary

  by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image · CPC title

• G06V20/56

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title

• B62D53/06

  Semi-trailers · CPC title