Vehicle information presenting device

• US 10,220,775 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2018
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ebina, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tun, Nay
• Application Number:
  US16/033,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20180319332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/283 Steering wheels; Gear levers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/40 specially adapted for specific vehicle types
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/06 Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters

Abstract

A vehicle information presenting device used for an automated driving vehicle that automatically performs traveling control of the vehicle based on a traveling state of the vehicle and information on an outside of the vehicle includes: a steering wheel; a light-emitting unit that is disposed in the steering wheel and emits light; and a light-emitting control unit that causes the light-emitting unit to emit light, wherein the light-emitting control unit changes a light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit to induce a driver to switch from automated driving to manual driving in accordance with a system state of the automated driving.

Claims

1. A vehicle information presenting device used for an automated driving vehicle that automatically performs traveling control of the vehicle based on a traveling state of the vehicle and information on an outside of the vehicle, comprising:

a steering wheel;

a light-emitting unit that is disposed in the steering wheel and emits light; and

a light-emitting control unit that causes the light-emitting unit to emit light, wherein;

the light-emitting control unit causes the light-emitting unit to emit light in different light-emitting state in accordance with an instability of a system state of the automated driving to induce a driver to switch from automated driving to manual driving,

the system state is categorized as a first area for inducing the driver to switch from the automated driving to the manual driving, a second area for inducing the driver to be prepared and poised to perform the manual driving, and a stable area, and

the light-emitting state differs between the first area, the second area and the stable area.

2. The vehicle information presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting control unit enlarges a light-emitting region of the light-emitting unit as the system state becomes more unstable.

3. The vehicle information presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting control unit changes at least one of brightness and a color of the light in accordance with the instability of the system state.