Driving support apparatus

• US 20040215383A1
• Filed: 04/05/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yanai, Tatsumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,237,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A driving support apparatus of the present invention comprises an imaging device which picks up a peripheral image of a vehicle, a detecting device which detects action information of a moving object present around the vehicle, an information generating device which generates determination supporting information for supporting determinations at the time of driving the vehicle based on the action information; an information combining device which combines the determination supporting information with the peripheral image; and a display device which displays the peripheral image combined with the determination supporting information.

Claims

1. A driving support apparatus, comprising:

an imaging device which picks up a peripheral image of a vehicle;

a detecting device which detects action information of a moving object present around the vehicle;

an information generating device which generates determination supporting information for supporting determinations at the time of driving the vehicle based on the action information;

an information combining device which combines the determination supporting information with the peripheral image; and

a display device which displays the peripheral image combined with the determination supporting information.

2. The driving support apparatus of claim 1,

wherein when the moving object approaches the vehicle, the information generating device calculates time required for the moving object to reach the vehicle based on the action information of the moving object, and

the information generating device generates the determination supporting information using the calculated time.

3. The driving support apparatus of claim 2,

wherein when the moving object approaches the vehicle, the information combining section combines a range, where margin time for the driving actions intended by a driver of the vehicle is secured, with the peripheral image based on the calculated time.

4. The driving support apparatus of claim 3,

wherein the driving actions intended by the driver is a shift of the vehicle to the lane on which the moving object moves when the moving object moves on a lane different from that on which the vehicle runs and approaches the vehicle, and

the range where the margin time is secured is a distance between the vehicle and the moving object, in which the vehicle can smoothly change lanes.

5. The driving support apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the detecting device detects the action information of the moving object present in the peripheral image according to an image process.

6. The driving support apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the action information is an acceleration of the moving object with respect to the vehicle.

7. A driving support apparatus, comprising:

imaging means for picking up a peripheral image of a vehicle;

detecting means for detecting action information of a moving object present around the vehicle;

information generating means for generating determination supporting information which supports determinations at the time of driving the vehicle based on the action information;

information combining means for combining the determination supporting information with the peripheral image; and

display means for displaying the peripheral image combined with the determination supporting information.

8. A method for supporting a driving, comprising:

picking up a peripheral image of a vehicle;

detecting action information of a moving object present around the vehicle;

generating determination supporting information for supporting determinations at the time of driving the vehicle based on the action information;

combining the determination supporting information with the peripheral image; and

displaying the peripheral image combined with the determination supporting information.