Personalized active safety systems

• US 10,315,648 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sherony, Rini
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US15/455,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20180257642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0063 Manual parameter input, manual setting means, manual initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/40 Photo, light or radio wave sensitive means, e.g. infrared sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/06 Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

An assembly for changing at least one safety feature predefined setting associated with at least one vehicular active safety system includes a computer and a human-machine interface. The computer is configured to change the at least one safety feature predefined setting based on a driver choice. The at least one safety feature predefined setting is selected from the group consisting of a response type and a response timing. The human-machine interface includes an output and an input. The output is configured to provide a driver with a range of customizable settings for the at least one safety feature predefined setting. The input is configured to accept at least one customizable setting chosen by the driver such that the at least one safety feature predefined setting is changed to the at least one customizable setting.

Claims

1. An assembly for changing at least one safety feature predefined setting associated with at least one vehicular active safety system, the assembly comprising:

a computer configured to change the at least one safety feature predefined setting based on a driver choice, the at least one safety feature predefined setting including a response timing; and

a human-machine interface disposed within a vehicle and cooperative with the computer and a plurality of sensors to monitor a safety event associated with the at least one vehicular active safety system, the human-machine interface comprising;

an output configured to provide a driver with a range of customizable settings for the at least one safety feature predefined setting; and

an input configured to accept at least one customizable setting chosen by the driver such that the at least one safety feature predefined setting is changed to the at least one customizable setting such that an amount of time taken to convey a response is selectively lengthened or shortened in a manner provided by the at least one customizable setting, the assembly configured such that driver operational control over the vehicle is maintained during periods under both predefined safety feature setting conditions and customizable setting conditions.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one safety feature predefined setting includes a response type comprising at least one of an audio response, a visual response, a haptic response and a combination thereof.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein wherein the response comprises at least one of an audio response, a visual response, a haptic response and a combination thereof.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured such that driver habit data sensed by the plurality of sensors and processed by the computer forms a basis for a recommended setting within the range of customizable settings.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the recommended setting is based on acquired data that is indicative of how aggressively the driver operates the vehicle.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured such that driver habit data sensed by the plurality of sensors and processed by the computer forms a basis for a recommended setting within a range of the at least one safety feature predefined setting.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the recommended setting is based on acquired data that is indicative of how aggressively the driver operates the vehicle.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicular active safety system comprises at least one device configured to provide at least one of adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, adaptive headlights, night vision, navigation coordination, blind spot monitor, lane departure alert, adaptive high beam headlights, cooperative vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-pedestrian or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, brake assist, anti-lock braking, traction control, vehicle stability control, collision warning and collision avoidance.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a platform comprising a wheeled chassis defining a passenger compartment and an engine compartment comprising an engine disposed therein,

a guidance apparatus cooperative with the wheeled chassis and the engine in order to provide motive control;

a safety system cooperative with the guidance apparatus to provide control over at least one of vehicle brakes, vehicle steering and vehicle acceleration; and

an assembly for changing at least one safety feature predefined setting associated with the safety system, the assembly comprising;

a computer configured to change the at least one safety feature predefined setting based on a driver choice, the at least one safety feature predefined setting including a response timing; and

a human-machine interface disposed within the vehicle and cooperative with the computer, the human-machine interface comprising;

an output configured to provide a driver with a range of customizable settings for the at least one safety feature predefined setting; and

an input configured to accept at least one customizable setting chosen by the driver such that the at least one safety feature predefined setting is changed to the at least one customizable setting such that an amount of time taken to convey a response is selectively lengthened or shortened in a manner provided by the at least one customizable setting, the assembly configured such that driver operational control over the vehicle is maintained during periods under both predefined safety feature setting conditions and customizable setting preference conditions.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the vehicle does not comprise an autonomous mode of operation.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the human-machine interface comprises one part of an infotainment system.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of sensors configured to acquire data that provides indicia of an operation of the vehicle, the plurality of sensors signally cooperative with at least one of the computer, the human-machine interface and the safety system to monitor a safety event associated with the safety system.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least one of a camera, a radar, a lidar, an infrared detector and a combination thereof.

14. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the safety system comprises at least one device configured to provide at least one of adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, adaptive headlights, night vision, navigation coordination, blind spot monitor, lane departure alert, adaptive high beam headlights, cooperative vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-pedestrian or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, brake assist, anti-lock braking, traction control, vehicle stability control, collision warning and collision avoidance.

15. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the at least one safety feature predefined setting includes a response type comprising at least one of an audio response, a visual response, a haptic response and a combination thereof.

16. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the response comprises at least one of an audio response, a visual response, a haptic response and a combination thereof.

17. A method of changing a safety feature predefined setting associated with at least one safety system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing, on the vehicle that is equipped with the at least one safety system to provide control over at least one of vehicle brakes, vehicle steering and vehicle acceleration;

a plurality of sensors to monitor the at least one safety system; and

an assembly comprising a computer and a human-machine interface such that the plurality of sensors, computer and human-machine interface are signally cooperative with one another to monitor a safety event associated with the at least one safety system;

ascertaining with the human-machine interface whether a driver is desirous of changing the safety feature predefined setting to a driver customizable setting, the safety feature predefined setting selected from a group consisting of a response type and a response timing; and

using at least one of the human-machine interface and the computer to change the safety feature predefined setting to the driver customizable setting when the driver indicates a desire to perform such changing through input to the human-machine interface, wherein driver operational control over the vehicle is maintained during periods under both predefined safety feature setting conditions and customizable setting conditions.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of sensors cooperates with the at least one safety system and the computer to provide indicia of at least one of adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, adaptive headlights, night vision, navigation coordination, blind spot monitor, lane departure alert, adaptive high beam headlights, cooperative vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-pedestrian or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, brake assist, anti-lock braking, traction control, vehicle stability control, collision warning and collision avoidance.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sensing driver habit data acquired by the plurality of sensors;

processing the acquired driver habit data by the computer; and

providing to the driver a recommended setting that is within a range of the customizable setting conditions.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sensing driver habit data acquired by the plurality of sensors;

processing the acquired driver habit data by the computer; and

providing to the driver a recommended setting that is within a range of the predefined safety feature setting conditions.