Method and system for assisting a driver in driving a vehicle and vehicle on which such system is mounted

• US 10,083,605 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sendhoff, Bernhard, Heckmann, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US15/586,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20180005526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 340901-905, 3404255, 340435, 340436, 340937
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

The invention regards a method and a system for assisting a driver in driving a vehicle, as well as a vehicle with such system being mounted thereon. Information on an environment of a vehicle is obtained by sensing the environment. Furthermore, information on applicable traffic rules is obtained. A request from a driver is determined from sensing at least one of a driver'"'"'s utterance, gestures, gaze and operation of vehicle control. The traffic scene as sensed is assessed on the basis of the environmental information, the applicable traffic rules and the determined driver request. Information as requested to be output is generated in response to the determined request of the driver. Finally the information in response to the request from the driver is output.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a driver in driving a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by at least one sensor, information on an environment of the vehicle,

obtaining, by an electronic control unit of the vehicle, information on applicable traffic rules,

determining, from sensing at least one of a driver'"'"'s utterance, gestures, gaze, and operation of vehicle controls, and by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, a driver request for information on at least one of the applicable traffic rules with respect to a current traffic scene in which the driver requests the information,

assessing, by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, the current traffic scene by combining and analyzing the environmental information and the applicable traffic rules in view of the determined driver request, wherein the environment information with respect to a current position of the vehicle is used to identify the applicable traffic rules and the identified applicable traffic rules are used to analyze the traffic situation,

generating, by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, requested information to be output as a response to the determined driver request based on the assessed traffic scene, and

outputting, by at least one of a speaker, a display, a vibrator of a steering wheel, a generator for generating force on a seat, a generator for generating force on paddles, or a generator for generating force on the steering wheel, the response to the driver.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the determining step, a driving intention is determined based on said sensing, and the assessing of the traffic scene also takes account of the driving intention.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the driver request or the driving intention is determined based on speech analysis of a driver'"'"'s utterance.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the requested information is output via at least one of a speaker, head up display and display.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the assessing of the current traffic scene uses map data.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of the applicable traffic rules is a priority rule, and

wherein in the assessing step, it is determined which perceived traffic objects in the current traffic scene has a right of way.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generated requested information includes information on parking regulations with respect to an area depicted by the driver.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generated requested information includes information on a currently applicable speed limit.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generated requested information includes information on estimated safe driving speeds.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generated requested information includes information on a recommended driving behavior for the current traffic scene.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein for at least one of determination of the driver request in the determining step or for selecting an output modality in the outputting step, an individual driver model is used.

2. Method for assisting a driver in driving a vehicle, comprises the steps of:

obtaining, by at least one sensor, information on an environment of the vehicle,

obtaining, by an electronic control unit of the vehicle, information on applicable traffic rules,

determining, from sensing at least one of a driver'"'"'s utterance, gestures, gaze and operation of vehicle controls, and by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, a driver request for information on at least one of the applicable traffic rules with respect to a current traffic scene in which the driver requests the information,

assessing, by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, the current traffic scene by combining and analysing the environmental information and applicable traffic rules in view of the determined driver request, wherein the environment information with respect to a current position of the vehicle is used to identify the applicable traffic rules and the identified applicable traffic rules are used to analyze the traffic situation,

generating, by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, a second driver request based on information associating the second driver request to the determined driver request;

generating, by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, requested information to be output as a response to the determined driver request based on the assessed traffic scene, wherein the response includes information indicating that additional information of the current traffic scene is output to the driver at a later point in time,

outputting, by at least one of a speaker, a display, a vibrator of the steering wheel, a generator for generating force on a seat, a generator for generating force on paddles and a generator for generating force on the steering wheel, the response to the driver,

generating, by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, the additional information of the current traffic scene on basis of the second driver request; and

outputting the additional information at the later point in time.

13. A system for assisting a driver in driving a vehicle, comprising:

sensing means for sensing a vehicle environment to obtain environment information,

obtaining means for obtaining information of applicable traffic rules,

determination means for determining, from at least one of a driver'"'"'s utterance, gestures, gaze, and operation of vehicle controls, a driver request for information of at least one of the applicable traffic rules with respect to a current traffic scene in which the driver requests the information,

traffic scene assessment unit for assessing the current traffic scene by combining and analyzing the environment information and the applicable traffic rules in view of the determined driver request, wherein the environment information with respect to a current position of the vehicle is used to identify the applicable traffic rules and the identified applicable traffic rules are used to analyze the traffic situation,

generating means for generating information to be output as a response to the determined request based on the assessed traffic scene, and

output means for outputting the information in response to the driver'"'"'s request.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the determination means is connected to the sensing means including at least one of a microphone, a camera system, or sensors sensing operation of vehicle controls.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the output means includes at least one of the speaker, a head up display, or a display.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the sensing means comprises at least one of a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, a camera system, or a GPS.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the system further comprises a GPS system.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the system further comprises a memory on which a database is stored which comprises information on the applicable traffic rules.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the system comprises a communication means for accessing a remote database on which information on the applicable traffic rules are stored.

20. A vehicle including the system according to claim 13.

21. System for assisting a driver in driving a vehicle, comprising:

sensing means for sensing a vehicle environment to obtain environment information,

obtaining means for obtaining information of applicable traffic rules,

determination means for determining, from at least one of a driver'"'"'s utterance, gestures, gaze and operation of vehicle controls, a driver request for information on at least one of the applicable traffic rules with respect to a current traffic scene in which the driver requests the information,

generating means for generating a second driver request on the basis of information associating the second driver request to the determined request,

traffic scene assessment unit for assessing the current traffic scene by combining and analyzing the environment information and the applicable traffic rules in view of the determined driver request, wherein the environment information with respect to a current position of the vehicle is used to identify the applicable traffic rules and the identified applicable traffic rules are used to analyze the traffic situation,

generating means for generating information to be output as a response to the determined request based on the assessed traffic scene, wherein the response includes information indicating that additional information of the current traffic scene is output to the driver at a later point in time, and

output means for outputting the information in response to the driver'"'"'s request, wherein

the generating means is configured to generate the additional information of the current traffic scene on basis of the second driver request, and

the output means is configured to output the additional information at the later point in time.