Driver assisting system for vehicle and vehicle equipped with the driver assisting system

• US 20050275520A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Egami, Masahiro, Hijikata, Shunsuke, Kosaka, Norio
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/466
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/981 Warning systems, e.g. the seat or seat parts vibrates to warn the passenger when facing a danger
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• 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 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal

Abstract

A system assists a driver occupying a seat within a vehicle traveling on a road. The system includes sensing apparatus that senses a plurality of different types of conditions regarding the vehicle. Information apparatus provides information regarding the different types of conditions to the driver by respective different types of haptic inputs.

Claims

1. A system for assisting a driver occupying a seat within a vehicle traveling on a road, the system comprising:

sensing apparatus that senses a plurality of different types of conditions regarding the vehicle; and

information apparatus that provides information regarding the different types of conditions to the driver by respective different types of haptic inputs.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the different conditions include longitudinal and lateral conditions with respect to the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the lateral condition comprises a lateral position of the vehicle within a lane on the road.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the longitudinal condition comprises the speed of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the information apparatus creates the different types of haptic inputs based on the lateral and longitudinal conditions and applies the different t types of haptic inputs to the driver via the seat to provide the driver a perception of a running environment of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the information apparatus provides the information regarding the lateral position of the vehicle and the vehicle speed to the driver by different respective pressure inputs via different respective portions of the seat.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the information apparatus modifies the pressure input provided to the driver regarding the lateral position of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the information apparatus provides the information regarding the vehicle speed to the driver by altering the respective portion of the seat to apply the respective pressure input to the driver.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the information apparatus provides the information regarding the lateral position of the vehicle and the vehicle speed to the driver by different respective pressure inputs via the same portion of the seat.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information apparatus restricts providing the information regarding the lateral position of the vehicle to the driver when the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined region around a centerline of the lane and the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined value.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the longitudinal condition comprises a risk potential with regard to a preceding vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information apparatus creates the different types of haptic inputs based on the lateral and longitudinal information and applies the different types of haptic inputs to the driver via the seat to provide the driver a perception of a running environment of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the information apparatus provides the information regarding the risk potential and the lateral position of the vehicle to the driver by respective different types of haptic inputs of different magnitudes via the same portion of the seat.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the information apparatus provides the information regarding the risk potential and the lateral position of the vehicle to the driver by respective different forms of haptic inputs via the same portion of the seat.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the information apparatus provides the information regarding the risk potential and the lateral position of the vehicle to the driver by different pressure inputs via different portions of the seat.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the information apparatus provides the information regarding the risk potential and the lateral position of the vehicle to the driver by respective different forms of haptic inputs via different portions of the seat.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the information apparatus provides the information regarding the risk potential and the lateral position of the vehicle to the driver by different pressure inputs via the seat and by a reaction force input via an accelerator pedal of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the lateral condition further comprises an obstacle located laterally of the vehicle, wherein the information apparatus provides a lateral risk potential with regard to the obstacle and the lateral position of the vehicle within the lane, the information apparatus providing the risk potential with regard to the preceding vehicle and the lateral position of the vehicle to the driver by pressure inputs via different respective pressure inputs via different portions of the seat, and the lateral risk potential to the driver and the lateral position of the vehicle by different haptic inputs via the same portion of the seat.

19. A method of assisting a driver occupying a seat within a vehicle traveling on a road, the method comprising:

sensing a plurality of different types of conditions regarding the vehicle; and

providing information regarding the different types of conditions to the driver by respective different types of haptic inputs.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the different types of conditions include longitudinal and lateral information with respect to the vehicle, and wherein the longitudinal and lateral information are provided to the driver by respective different types of haptic inputs.

21. A system for assisting a driver occupying a seat within a vehicle traveling on a road, the system comprising:

means for sensing a plurality of different types of conditions regarding the vehicle; and

means for providing information regarding the different types of conditions to the driver by respective different types of haptic inputs.

22. A vehicle, comprising:

a system for assisting a driver occupying a seat within a vehicle traveling on a road, the system comprising;

sensing apparatus that senses a plurality of different types of conditions regarding the vehicle; and

information apparatus that provides information regarding the different types of conditions to the driver by respective different types of haptic inputs.