Driving assistance method and driving assistance device using same, driving assistance system

• US 10,640,129 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Emura, Koichi, Ohdachi, Eriko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US16/314,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20190256108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 3404255
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09 Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00
• 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 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• 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

A signal recognition instruction receiving unit receives an instruction to recognize signal information in a traffic signal from an automatic driving control device. A signal information recognizer executes recognition processing for the signal information on an image from a sensor and information from a wireless device when the signal recognition instruction receiving unit receives the instruction. An image output unit outputs, to a notification device, start information indicating that the signal information recognizer starts the recognition processing for the signal information.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the driving assistance device to;

receive an instruction to recognize signal information of a traffic signal;

execute recognition processing for the signal information after the instruction is received; and

output start information after the instruction is received and before a success or failure of the recognition processing is determined, the start information indicating that the recognition processing for the signal information is started.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the program, when executed by the processor, causes the driving assistance device to:

output a result of the recognition processing for the signal information after outputting the start information.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the program, when executed by the processor, causes the driving assistance device to:

receive driving behavior information of a vehicle, the driving behavior information being reflected by the result of the recognition processing for the signal information, and

output the driving behavior information of the vehicle.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the signal information is externally input.

8. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the signal information is a first image indicating the traffic signal, and the program, when executed by the processor, causes the driving assistance device to:

output the first image to a notification device equipped in a vehicle where the driving assistance device is equipped,

after outputting the first image is started, a lighting state, indicated by the first image, is changed in response to a change of a result of the recognition processing.

9. The driving assistance device according to claim 8, wherein the program, when executed by the processor, causes the driving assistance device to:

generate a second image indicating a detected surrounding situation of the vehicle;

output the second image to the notification device; and

after the recognition processing for the signal information is started, generate the second image so that the first image is superposed on the second image.

10. The driving assistance device according to claim 9, wherein the program, when executed by the processor, causes the driving assistance device to:

receive driving behavior information of the vehicle, the driving behavior information being reflected by the result of the recognition processing for the signal information; and

generate the second image so that the driving behavior information is superposed on the second image, in response to the driving behavior information being received.

11. The driving assistance device according to claim 9, wherein a third image indicating the vehicle is included in the second image.

5. A driving assistance system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the driving assistance system to;

receive an instruction to recognize signal information of a traffic signal; and

execute recognition processing for the signal information after the instruction is received; and

a display that displays start information after the instruction is received and before a success or failure of the recognition processing is determined, the start information indicating that the recognition processing for the signal information is started.

6. The driving assistance system according to claim 5, wherein the signal information is externally input.

7. A driving assistance method comprising:

receiving an instruction to recognize signal information of a traffic signal;

executing recognition processing for the signal information after the instruction is received; and

outputting start information after the instruction is received and before a success or failure of the recognition processing is determined, the start information indicating that the recognition processing for the signal information is started.