Driver load measuring method, device, and program for a vehicle accompanied by attitude changes, and storage medium for storing the program

• US 20060069498A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Katayama, Mutsumi, Kamata, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,266,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/124
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/36 Cycles; Motorcycles; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/12 Motorcycles, Trikes; Quads; Scooters

Abstract

A driver load measuring method, device, and program, and a storage medium for storing the program for accurately measuring a load on a driver driving a vehicle accompanied by attitude changes. The driver load measuring device includes a yaw rate detecting section for detecting a yaw rate y as an example of the angular velocity of a vehicle accompanied by attitude changes, a storing section for storing the results of detection of the yaw rate y, a predicting section for predicting an n-th yaw rate according to an actual [n−1]-th yaw rate y[n−1], an actual [n−2]-th yaw rate y[n−2], and an actual [n−3]-th yaw rate y[n−3] each detected previously, an error calculating section for calculating an error between a predicted result yp[n] of the n-th yaw rate and an actual n-th yaw rate y[n], a frequency distribution recording section for recording a frequency distribution of the errors e in a predetermined time period, and a cell setting section for obtaining a percentile (% tile) value α according to the above frequency distribution and setting a plurality of ranges (cells) discrete from this % tile value α at a predetermined rate.

Claims

1. A driver load measuring device for measuring a load on a driver driving a vehicle accompanied by attitude changes, said driver load measuring device comprising:

angular velocity detecting means for periodically detecting an angular velocity of said vehicle driven by said driver to which said load is applied;

angular velocity predicting means for predicting a value for said angular velocity at an n-th timing from values for said angular velocity at the previous timings before said n-th timing, according to time-series data of said angular velocity detected above;

means for obtaining an error between said predicted value and said detected value for said angular velocity at said n-th timing; and

load calculating means for calculating said load according to a distribution of said errors in a predetermined time period.

2. The driver load measuring device according to claim 1, wherein said load calculating means comprises:

means for obtaining a percentile value α

at a predetermined probability of said errors;

means for setting a plurality of ranges (cells) discrete from said percentile value α

at a predetermined rate, according to said percentile value α

;

means for classifying all of said errors into said plurality of cells; and

means for obtaining an entropy of said angular velocity according to the results of classification of said errors;

said load on said driver being represented by said entropy of said angular velocity.

3. The driver load measuring device according to claim 1, wherein said load calculating means comprises:

means for obtaining a percentile value α

from first errors of an angular velocity detected by applying a first load to said driver and setting reference cells according to said percentile value α

;

means for classifying said first errors into said reference cells;

means for calculating a first entropy of said angular velocity according to the results of classification of said first errors;

means for classifying into said reference cells second errors of an angular velocity detected by applying a second load to said driver;

means for recalculating a second entropy of said angular velocity according to the results of classification of said second errors; and

means for calculating the relativity between said first entropy and said second entropy.

10. The driver load measuring device according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle comprises a motorcycle.

11. The driver load measuring device according to claim 2, wherein said vehicle comprises a motorcycle.

12. The driver load measuring device according to claim 3, wherein said vehicle comprises a motorcycle.

4. A driver load measuring method for measuring a load on a driver driving a vehicle accompanied by attitude changes, said driver load measuring method comprising the steps of:

periodically detecting an angular velocity of said vehicle driven by said driver to which said load is applied;

predicting a value for said angular velocity at an n-th timing from values for said angular velocity at the previous timings before said n-th timing, according to time-series data of said angular velocity detected above;

obtaining an error between said predicted value and said detected value for said angular velocity at said n-th timing; and

calculating said load according to a distribution of said errors in a predetermined time period.

5. The driver load measuring method according to claim 4, wherein said load calculating step comprises the steps of:

obtaining a percentile value α

at a predetermined probability of said errors;

setting a plurality of ranges (cells) discrete from said percentile value α

at a predetermined rate, according to said percentile value α

;

classifying all of said errors into said plurality of cells; and

obtaining an entropy of said angular velocity according to the results of classification of said errors;

said load on said driver being represented by said entropy of said angular velocity.

6. The driver load measuring method according to claim 4, wherein said load calculating step comprises the steps of:

obtaining a percentile value α

from first errors of an angular velocity detected by applying a first load to said driver and setting reference cells according to said percentile value α

;

classifying said first errors into said reference cells;

calculating a first entropy of said angular velocity according to the results of classification of said first errors;

classifying into said reference cells second errors of an angular velocity detected by applying a second load to said driver;

calculating a second entropy of said angular velocity according to the results of classification of said second errors; and

calculating the relativity between said first entropy and said second entropy.

7. The driver load measuring program for making a computer execute a driver load measuring method according to claim 4.

8. The driver load measuring program for making a computer execute a driver load measuring method according to claim 6.

9. The storage medium for storing a driver load measuring program according to claim 7 so that said program is readable by said computer.

13. The driver load measuring method according to claim 4, wherein said vehicle comprises a motorcycle.

14. The driver load measuring method according to claim 5, wherein said vehicle comprises a motorcycle.

15. The driver load measuring method according to claim 6, wherein said vehicle comprises a motorcycle.

16. The driver load measuring program according to claim 7, wherein said vehicle comprises a motorcycle.

17. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein said vehicle comprises a motorcycle.