Driving assistance device

• US 10,338,583 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Kuwahara, Junichiro, Iwashita, Yohei, Hoshino, Yoko, Hisamitsu, Ryohei, Nakazato, Hitomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q
• Application Number:
  US15/756,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20180275652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/168 Evaluating attention deficit, hyperactivity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/045 Occupant permissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 : from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 : Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 : Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/007 : adjustable by the driver, e.g. sport mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/168 : Feature extraction; Face representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/174 : Facial expression recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 : Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a technique for providing driving assistance for a driver in such a way as to increase the driver'"'"'s degree of internal focus on driving if his or her degree of internal focus on driving is estimated to be low when deactivation of autonomous driving is predicted. Examples of such driving assistance include boosting the moving vehicle noise to be heard inside the vehicle'"'"'s cabin, increasing sensitivity to a change in the vehicle'"'"'s state responsive to driving operations, providing navigation to a road with features that would entertain the driver through driving, and giving guidance in exemplary driving operations.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device for use in a vehicle with autonomous driving capabilities, the device comprising:

a degree of internal focus estimating unit configured to estimate a driver'"'"'s degree of internal focus on driving;

a deactivation predicting unit configured to predict deactivation of autonomous driving; and

a driving assistance unit configured to provide driving assistance for the driver in such a way as to increase the driver'"'"'s degree of internal focus on driving if the degree of internal focus on driving is estimated to be low by the degree of internal focus estimating unit when the deactivation of the autonomous driving is predicted by the deactivation predicting unit, wherein

the driving assistance unit performs a control of increasing sensitivity to a change in the vehicle'"'"'s state in response to driving operations.

2. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein

the driving assistance unit provides navigation to a road with features that would entertain the driver through driving.

3. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein

the driving assistance unit gives guidance in exemplary driving operations.

4. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein

the driving assistance unit performs control of boosting moving vehicle noise inside the vehicle'"'"'s cabin.

5. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein

if the degree of internal focus on driving is estimated to be high by the degree of internal focus estimating unit when the deactivation of the autonomous driving is predicted by the deactivation predicting unit, then the driver is just notified that the autonomous driving will be deactivated without being provided with any driving assistance by the driving assistance unit, and then the autonomous driving is deactivated.

6. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein

the deactivation predicting unit predicts the deactivation of the autonomous driving according to a degree of accuracy of information available and necessary for the autonomous driving.

7. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein

the driving assistance unit performs a control of increasing sensitivity to a change in the vehicle'"'"'s state in response to accelerating operations and/or steering operations.

8. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein

the driving assistance unit increases the sensitivity of an engine output to accelerating operations.

9. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein

the driving assistance unit changes the steering characteristic such that the actual steering angle of the steering wheel increases.

10. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein

the driving assistance unit increases the sensitivity of steering operations by reducing the operation reaction force of the accelerator pedal or the steering wheel.