Driving support system and driving support module

• US 20060055525A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kubota, Tomoki, Miyazaki, Hideto
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/461
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A driving support system has a capability of displaying information in such a manner that the information can be directly used by a driver in driving the vehicle, thereby further enhancing driving safety of the vehicle. The driving support system acquires judgment information and, based on such information, decides whether to issue a warning to the driver. Virtual image information, corresponding to the type of the warning, is generated responsive to a decision that a warning should be given, which virtual image information is displayed to the driver.

Claims

1. A driving support system for a vehicle comprising:

vehicle position detection means for detecting location of the vehicle;

judgment information acquisition means for acquiring judgment information;

judgment means for judging whether or not to give a warning to the driver, based on the judgment information acquired by the judgment information acquisition means; and

image information generation means for generating virtual image information in accordance with the type of warning to be given, responsive to a judgment made by the judgment means that the warning should be given, and for outputting the generated virtual image information to the display means for display.

2. A driving support system according to claim 1, wherein the judgment information is at least one of image information supplied from an on-board camera, map information associated with roads or facilities within a particular distance from the detected vehicle location, vehicle operation status information, traffic information acquired via communication means as to another vehicle or a road, and time information indicating a current time.

3. A driving support system according to claim 2, wherein:

image information is acquired as the judgment information;

the judgment means includes blind spot judgment means for determining whether there is a blind spot that cannot be seen by the driver, based on the image information; and

if the blind spot judgment means determines that there is a blind spot, the image information generation means generates virtual image information which includes a virtual object drawn at a location corresponding to the detected blind spot.

4. A driving support system according to claim 2, wherein:

map information or traffic information is acquired as the judgment information;

the judgment means includes event judgment means for determining, from the map information or the traffic information, whether there is an event to be brought to the attention of the driver; and

when the event judgment means determines that there is an event which should be brought to the driver'"'"'s attention, the image information generation means generates virtual image information which includes a virtual object drawn at a location corresponding to the detected event.

5. A driving support system according to claim 1, further comprising warning point candidate registration means for extracting candidates for warning points located on a navigation route indicated by navigation information and located in advance of the detected location of the vehicle and for registering the extracted candidates;

wherein, when the vehicle reaches one of the candidate warning points, a determination is made as to whether to give a warning, and virtual image information is produced and displayed if it is determined that the warning should be given.

6. A driving support system according to claim 2, further comprising warning point candidate registration means for extracting candidates for warning points located on a navigation route indicated by navigation information and located in advance of the detected location of the vehicle and for registering the extracted candidates;

wherein, when the vehicle reaches one of the candidate warning points, a determination is made as to whether to give a warning, and virtual image information is produced and displayed if it is determined that the warning should be given.

7. A driving support system according to claim 3, further comprising warning point candidate registration means for extracting candidates for warning points located on a navigation route indicated by navigation information and located in advance of the detected location of the vehicle and for registering the extracted candidates;

wherein, when the vehicle reaches one of the candidate warning points, a determination is made as to whether to give a warning, and virtual image information is produced and displayed if it is determined that the warning should be given.

8. A driving support system according to claim 4, further comprising warning point candidate registration means for extracting candidates for warning points located on a navigation route indicated by navigation information and located in advance of the detected location of the vehicle and for registering the extracted candidates;

wherein, when the vehicle reaches one of the candidate warning points, a determination is made as to whether to give a warning, and virtual image information is produced and displayed if it is determined that the warning should be given.

9. A driving support system according to claim 1, further comprising warning point judgment means for determining whether the detected location of the vehicle is at one of candidate warning points,

wherein, if the warning point judgment means determines that the detected location of the vehicle is at one of the candidate warning points, it is further determined whether to give a warning, and the virtual image information is produced and displayed if it is determined that the warning should be given.

10. A driving support system according to claim 2, further comprising warning point judgment means for determining whether the detected location of the vehicle is at one of candidate warning points,

wherein, if the warning point judgment means determines that the detected location of the vehicle is at one of the candidate warning points, it is further determined whether to give a warning, and the virtual image information is produced and displayed if it is determined that the warning should be given.

11. A driving support system according to claim 3, further comprising warning point judgment means for determining whether the detected location of the vehicle is at one of candidate warning points,

wherein, if the warning point judgment means determines that the detected location of the vehicle is at one of the candidate warning points, it is further determined whether to give a warning, and the virtual image information is produced and displayed if it is determined that the warning should be given.

12. A driving support system according to claim 4, further comprising warning point judgment means for determining whether the detected location of the vehicle is at one of candidate warning points,

wherein, if the warning point judgment means determines that the detected location of the vehicle is at one of the candidate warning points, it is further determined whether to give a warning, and the virtual image information is produced and displayed if it is determined that the warning should be given.

13. A driving support system according to claim 1, further comprising an on-board camera, wherein the virtual image information is displayed superimposed on the image information captured by the on-board camera.

14. A driving support system according to claim 1, further comprising an on-board camera, and wherein, if an image of an actual object corresponding to a virtual object included in the virtual image information is obtained by the on-board camera, display of the virtual object is changed to a different mode.

15. A driving support module for a vehicle comprising:

an on-board camera for taking an image of a scene ahead of a vehicle;

blind spot judgment means for determining whether there is a blind spot that cannot be seen by the driver of the vehicle, based on image information provided by the on-board camera; and

output means for outputting blind spot information, when the blind spot judgment means determines that there is a blind spot.