Vehicle operation supporting device and vehicle operation supporting system

• US 20030147247A1
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Koike, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/464
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/484 for showing outline of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/004 using wave sensors radar designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicles and fixed obstacles G01S13/931

Abstract

A beam radiator that radiates visible light beams having a predetermined wavelength onto a road surface to inform drivers of other vehicles of the existence of a self-owned vehicle or to let a driver of the self-owned vehicle confirm a traveling path thereof is disposed in a front portion of a body of the self-owned vehicle. An optical filter is disposed substantially all over a windshield in front of a driver seat. The filter is designed to have a characteristic of being more permeable to light having wavelengths close to a wavelength of visible light beams radiated from the beam radiator 24 than to light having a wavelength different from those wavelengths. In this construction, the driver is prevented from finding it difficult to visually recognize a visible light pattern resulting from visible light beams radiated from the self-owned vehicle or another vehicle owing to sunlight or the like, and visual recognizability of the visible light pattern is enhanced.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation supporting device comprising:

a beam radiating portion that radiates light beams having a predetermined optical characteristic onto a road surface around a vehicle; and

a dimming portion that is more permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic than to light having optical characteristics other than the predetermined optical characteristic.

2. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined optical characteristic is a predetermined wavelength.

3. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined optical characteristic is a predetermined polarization characteristic.

4. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 1, wherein

the dimming portion is a member that is disposed on a windshield in front of the eyes of a driver of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 1, wherein

the dimming portion is a member that is disposed in front of the eyes of a driver of the vehicle by being worn by the driver.

6. A vehicle operation supporting device comprising:

a beam radiating portion that intermittently radiates light beams having a predetermined optical characteristic onto a road surface around a vehicle; and

a dimming portion that intermittently becomes less permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic than to light having optical characteristics other than the predetermined optical characteristic in synchronization with radiation of the light beams from the beam radiating portion.

7. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a penetration control portion that stops the dimming portion from becoming less permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic if a predetermined condition is fulfilled.

8. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 6, wherein

the predetermined optical characteristic is a predetermined wavelength.

9. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 6, wherein

the predetermined optical characteristic is a predetermined polarization characteristic.

10. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 6, wherein

the dimming portion is a member that is disposed on a windshield in front of the eyes of a driver of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 6, wherein

the dimming portion is a member that is disposed in front of the eyes of a driver of the vehicle by being worn by the driver.

12. A vehicle operation supporting device comprising:

a beam radiating portion that radiates light beams having a predetermined optical characteristic onto a road surface around a vehicle; and

a dimming portion that is less permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic than to light having optical characteristics other than the predetermined optical characteristic only in a range corresponding to a range of a pattern that is formed on the road surface by the light beams radiated from the beam radiating portion.

13. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a penetration control portion that stops the dimming portion from becoming less permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic if a predetermined condition is fulfilled.

14. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 12, wherein

the predetermined optical characteristic is a predetermined wavelength.

15. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 12, wherein

the predetermined optical characteristic is a predetermined polarization characteristic.

16. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 12, wherein

the dimming portion is a member that is disposed on a windshield in front of the eyes of a driver of the vehicle.

17. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 12, wherein

the dimming portion is a member that is disposed in front of the eyes of a driver of the vehicle by being worn by the driver.

18. A vehicle operation supporting device comprising:

a beam radiating portion that radiates visible light beams onto a road surface according to a predetermined pattern; and

an obstacle detecting portion that detects an obstacle that exists between a vehicle and a road surface onto which visible light beams are to be radiated,

wherein the beam radiating portion radiates visible light beams according to a pattern avoiding the obstacle if the obstacle detecting portion detects the obstacle.

19. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 18, further comprising:

an image-capturing portion that captures an image of a road surface onto which visible light beams are radiated from the beam radiating portion; and

an attention-requiring object determining portion that determines, if the predetermined pattern does not match a pattern that is represented on a road surface by visible light beams and that is obtained as a result of an image captured by the image-capturing portion, that an object requiring attention in driving a self-owned vehicle exists in a range of mismatch of the patterns.

20. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 19, further comprising:

an operation auxiliary control portion that controls, if the attention-requiring object detecting portion has detected an obstacle obstructing driving of the vehicle, driving of the vehicle in such a direction as to avoid the obstacle.

21. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 18, further comprising:

an auxiliary beam radiating portion that radiates, according to a predetermined auxiliary pattern, auxiliary light beams that are different from the visible light beams onto a road surface onto which visible light beams are radiated from the beam radiating portion;

an image-capturing portion that captures an image of a road surface onto which auxiliary light beams are radiated from the auxiliary beam radiating portion.; and

an attention-requiring object determining portion that determines, if the predetermined auxiliary pattern does not match a pattern that is represented on a road surface by auxiliary light beams and that is obtained as a result of an image captured by the image-capturing portion, that an object requiring attention in driving a self-owned vehicle exists in a range of mismatch of the patterns.

22. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 21, further comprising:

a degree-of-concentration detecting portion that detects a degree of concentration of a driver on driving; and

an auxiliary pattern changing portion that enlarges and shrinks a range of the predetermined auxiliary pattern in accordance with a degree of concentration on driving detected by the degree-of-concentration detecting portion.

23. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 21, further comprising:

a vehicle speed detecting portion that detects a vehicle speed; and

an auxiliary lattice interval changing portion that changes an interval of lattices of the predetermined auxiliary pattern in accordance with a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting portion.

24. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 18, further comprising:

a degree-of-concentration detecting portion that detects a degree of concentration of a driver on driving; and

a pattern changing portion that enlarges and shrinks a range of the predetermined pattern in accordance with a degree of concentration on driving detected by the degree-of-concentration detecting portion.

25. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 18, further comprising:

a vehicle speed detecting portion that detects a vehicle speed; and

a lattice interval changing portion that changes an interval of lattices of the predetermined pattern in accordance with a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting portion.

26. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 18, further comprising:

an attention-requiring traffic sign determining portion that determines that a traffic sign requiring attention in driving a self-owned vehicle exists by detecting light beams that have a predetermined frequency band and that are radiated in correspondence with a traffic sign depicted on a road surface.

27. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 18, wherein

the predetermined pattern is a vehicle-body circumscribed line that is estimated on the basis of a kinetic state of the vehicle.

28. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 18, wherein

the predetermined pattern is a margin line along which the vehicle can make a turn.

29. A vehicle operation supporting device comprising:

a beam radiating portion that radiates visible light beams having a predetermined polarization characteristic onto a road surface according to a predetermined pattern.

30. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 29, further comprising:

an image-capturing portion that captures an image of a road surface onto which visible light beams are radiated from the beam radiating portion; and

an attention-requiring object determining portion that determines, if the predetermined pattern does not match a pattern that is represented on a road surface by visible light beams and that is obtained as a result of an image captured by the image-capturing portion, that an object requiring attention in driving a self-owned vehicle exists in a range of mismatch of the patterns.

31. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 30, further comprising:

an operation auxiliary control portion that controls, if the attention-requiring object detecting portion has detected an obstacle obstructing driving of the vehicle, driving of the vehicle in such a direction as to avoid the obstacle.

32. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 29, further comprising:

an auxiliary beam radiating portion that radiates, according to a predetermined auxiliary pattern, auxiliary light beams that are different from the visible light beams onto a road surface onto which visible light beams are radiated from the beam radiating portion;

an image-capturing portion that captures an image of a road surface onto which auxiliary light beams are radiated from the auxiliary beam radiating portion; and

an attention-requiring object determining portion that determines, if the predetermined auxiliary pattern does not match a pattern that is represented on a road surface by auxiliary light beams and that is obtained as a result of an image captured by the image-capturing portion, that an object requiring attention in driving a self-owned vehicle exists in a range of mismatch of the patterns.

33. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 32, further comprising:

a degree-of-concentration detecting portion that detects a degree of concentration of a driver on driving; and

an auxiliary pattern changing portion that enlarges and shrinks a range of the predetermined auxiliary pattern in accordance with a degree of concentration on driving detected by the degree-of-concentration detecting portion.

34. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 32, further comprising:

a vehicle speed detecting portion that detects a vehicle speed; and

an auxiliary lattice interval changing portion that changes an interval of lattices of the predetermined auxiliary pattern in accordance with a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting portion.

35. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 29, further comprising:

a degree-of-concentration detecting portion that detects a degree of concentration of a driver on driving; and

a pattern changing portion that enlarges and shrinks a range of the predetermined pattern in accordance with a degree of concentration on driving detected by the degree-of-concentration detecting portion.

36. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 29, further comprising:

a vehicle speed detecting portion that detects a vehicle speed; and

a lattice interval changing portion that changes an interval of lattices of the predetermined pattern in accordance with a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting portion.

37. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 29, further comprising:

an attention-requiring traffic sign determining portion that determines that a traffic sign requiring attention in driving a self-owned vehicle exists by detecting light beams that have a predetermined frequency band and that are radiated in correspondence with a traffic sign depicted on a road surface.

38. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 29, wherein

the predetermined pattern is a vehicle-body circumscribed line that is estimated on the basis of a kinetic state of the vehicle.

39. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 29, wherein

the predetermined pattern is a margin line along which the vehicle can make a turn.

40. A vehicle operation supporting device comprising:

a beam radiating portion that radiates visible light beams onto a road surface according to a predetermined pattern;

an environmental state detecting portion that detects an environmental state of a road surface onto which visible light beams are radiated from the beam radiating portion; and

a beam characteristic correcting portion that corrects an optical characteristic of visible light beams radiated from the beam radiating portion on the basis of a result of detection of the environmental state detecting portion such that representation projected onto a road surface by visible light beams becomes easy to visually recognize.

41. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 40, wherein

the environmental state detecting portion detects a contrast between a portion where visible light beams are represented and a portion where visible light beams are not represented on a road surface onto which visible light beams are radiated from the beam radiating portion.

42. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 40, wherein

the beam characteristic correcting portion corrects one of a brightness and a hue of visible light beams radiated from the beam radiating portion.

43. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 40, further comprising:

an image-capturing portion that captures an image of a road surface onto which visible light beams are radiated from the beam radiating portion; and

an attention-requiring object determining portion that determines, if the predetermined pattern does not match a pattern that is represented on a road surface by visible light beams and that is obtained as a result of an image captured by the image-capturing portion, that an object requiring attention in driving a self-owned vehicle exists in a range of mismatch of the patterns.

44. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 40, further comprising:

an auxiliary beam radiating portion that radiates, according to a predetermined auxiliary pattern, auxiliary light beams that are different from the visible light beams onto a road surface onto which visible light beams are radiated from the beam radiating portion;

an image-capturing portion that captures an image of a road surface onto which auxiliary light beams are radiated from the auxiliary beam radiating portion; and

an attention-requiring object determining portion that determines, if the predetermined auxiliary pattern does not match a pattern that is represented on a road surface by auxiliary light beams and that is obtained as a result of an image captured by the image-capturing portion, that an object requiring attention in driving a self-owned vehicle exists in a range of mismatch of the patterns.

45. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 43, further comprising:

an operation auxiliary control portion that controls, if the attention-requiring object detecting portion has detected an obstacle obstructing driving of the vehicle, driving of the vehicle in such a direction as to avoid the obstacle.

46. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 40, further comprising:

a degree-of-concentration detecting portion that detects a degree of concentration of a driver on driving; and

a pattern changing portion that enlarges and shrinks a range of the predetermined pattern in accordance with a degree of concentration on driving detected by the degree-of-concentration detecting portion.

47. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 44, further comprising:

a degree-of-concentration detecting portion that detects a degree of concentration of a driver on driving; and

an auxiliary pattern changing portion that enlarges and shrinks a range of the predetermined auxiliary pattern in accordance with a degree of concentration on driving detected by the degree-of-concentration detecting portion.

48. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 40, further comprising:

a vehicle speed detecting portion that detects a vehicle speed; and

a lattice interval changing portion that changes an interval of lattices of the predetermined pattern in accordance with a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting portion.

49. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 44, further comprising:

a vehicle speed detecting portion that detects a vehicle speed; and

an auxiliary lattice interval changing portion that changes an interval of lattices of the predetermined auxiliary pattern in accordance with a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting portion.

50. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 40, further comprising:

an attention-requiring traffic sign determining portion that determines that a traffic sign requiring attention in driving a self-owned vehicle exists by detecting light beams that have a predetermined frequency band and that are radiated in correspondence with a traffic sign depicted on a road surface.

51. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 40, wherein

the predetermined pattern is a vehicle-body circumscribed line that is estimated on the basis of a kinetic state of the vehicle.

52. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 40, wherein

the predetermined pattern is a margin line along which the vehicle can make a turn.

53. A vehicle operation supporting system comprising:

a vehicle that radiates visually less recognizable light beams of a predetermined frequency band onto a road surface according to a predetermined pattern; and

a converter that is sensitive to a predetermined frequency band of visually less recognizable light beams radiated from the vehicle, that converts a pattern formed on a road surface by the visually less recognizable light beams into a pattern having a visually more recognizable frequency band, and that displays the converted pattern.

54. A vehicle operation supporting system comprising:

a vehicle that radiates visually less recognizable light beams of a predetermined frequency band onto a road surface according to a predetermined pattern; and

a road which is sensitive to a predetermined frequency band of visually less recognizable light beams radiated from the vehicle and on which a material that emits light by converting the radiated visually less recognizable light beams into light beams having a visually more recognizable frequency band is disposed.

55. A vehicle comprising:

a beam radiating portion that radiates visually less recognizable light beams of a predetermined frequency band onto a road surface according to a predetermined pattern.

56. A road comprising:

a material that is sensitive to a predetermined frequency band of visually less recognizable light beams and emits light by converting the radiated visually less recognizable light beams into light beams having a visually more recognizable frequency band, which is disposed on the surface of the road.