VEHICLE DRIVING ASSIST SYSTEM

• US 20080004806A1
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: KOBAYASHI, Yosuke, KIMURA, Takeshi, KUGE, Nobuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• 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 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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 vehicle driving assist system is provided with a risk factor detection section, a first risk potential calculation section, a second risk potential calculation section and a risk potential notification section. The risk factor detection section detects a plurality of potential risk factors related to a host vehicle. The first risk potential calculation section calculates a first risk potential attributed to a first risk factor from the risk factors that were detected. The second risk potential calculation section calculates a second risk potential attributed to a second risk factor that is different than the first risk factor from the risk factors that were detected. The risk potential notification section notifies a driver of the first risk potential with a first risk potential notification and the second risk potential with a second risk potential notification using a common risk notification device with the first and second notifications being different.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving assist system comprising:

a risk factor detection section configured to detect a plurality of potential risk factors related to a host vehicle;

a first risk potential calculation section configured to calculate a first risk potential attributed to a first risk factor from the risk factors that are detected;

a second risk potential calculation section configured to calculate a second risk potential attributed to a second risk factor that is different than the first risk factor from the risk factors that are detected; and

a risk potential notification section configured to notifying a driver of the first risk potential calculated by the first risk potential calculation section with a first risk potential notification and the second risk potential calculated by the second risk potential calculation section with a second risk potential notification using a common risk notification device for both the first and second notifications with the first and second notifications being different.

2. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein

the common risk notification device is a driver-operated driving operation device;

and

the risk potential notification section is further configured to notify the driver of the first risk potential by generating a continuous operation reaction force in the driver-operated driving operation device as the first risk potential notification, and to notify the driver of the second risk potential by generating a discontinuous operation reaction force in the driver-operated driving operation device as the first risk potential notification.

3. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein

the risk factor detection section is further configured to detect at least one of a host vehicle speed and a lateral acceleration as at least part of the first risk factor and detect a travel rule attributed to the host vehicle as at least part of the second risk factor;

the first risk potential calculation section is further configured to calculate the first risk potential based on one of the host vehicle speed and the lateral acceleration that is attributed kinetic energy of the host vehicle; and

the second risk potential calculation section is further configured to calculate the second risk potential based on the travel rule attributed to the host vehicle.

4. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 2, wherein

the risk potential notification section is further configured to continuously increases the operation reaction force generated in the driver-operated driving operation device for the first risk potential notification as the first risk potential increases.

5. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 2, wherein

the risk factor detection section is further configured to detect at least one of a road surface condition of a road on which the host vehicle is traveling and a visibility in front of the host vehicle as a traveling condition;

and

the risk potential notification section being further configured to correct the operation reaction force generated in the driver-operated driving operation device in accordance with at least one of the visibility and the road surface condition.

6. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 4, wherein

the risk factor detection section is further configured to detect when the host vehicle exceeds a prescribed upper speed limit set by the driver as the travel rule;

and

the first risk potential calculation section increases the first risk potential as the host vehicle speed increases and approaches the prescribed upper speed limit.

7. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 4, wherein

the risk factor detection section is further configured to detect the upper speed limit recommendation as a speed of the host vehicle when a residential road is being traveled as the travel rule;

and

the first risk potential calculation section increases the first risk potential as the host vehicle speed increases and approaches upper speed limit.

8. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 3, wherein

the risk factor detection section is further configured to detect whether a road exists in at least one of left and right directions in which travel is not permitted as the travel rule.

9. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 3, wherein

the second risk potential calculation section is further configured to determine that the second risk potential is high when the host vehicle travels without following the travel rule;

and

the risk potential notification section is further configured to increase the operation reaction force generated in the driver-operated driving operation device for the second risk potential notification in a stepwise fashion when the second risk potential is determined to be high by the second risk potential calculation section.

10. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 3, wherein

the risk factor detection section is further configured to detect an operation speed of the driver-operated driving operation device;

the second risk potential calculation section is further configured to determine that the second risk potential is high when the host vehicle travels without following a travel rule; and

the risk potential notification section is further configured to increase the operation reaction force generated in the driver-operated driving operation device for the second risk potential notification in accordance with the operation speed of the driver-operated driving operation device when the second risk potential is determined to be high by the second risk potential calculation section.

11. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 9, wherein

the risk factor detection section is further configured to detect an operating state of the driver-operated driving operation device;

and

the risk potential notification section being further configured to stop generating the operation reaction force in the driver-operated driving operation device corresponding to the second risk potential when the driver-operated driving operation device is further operated while the operation reaction force in the driver-operated driving operation device corresponding to the second risk potential is being generated.

12. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein

the single risk notification device is a driver-operated driving operation device;

and

the risk potential notification section is further configured to notify the driver of the first and second risk potentials by vibrating the driver-operated driving operation device at different frequencies for each of the first and second risk potentials.

13. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 12, wherein

the risk factor detection section is further configured to detect at least one of a host vehicle speed and a lateral acceleration as at least part of the first risk factor and detect a travel rule attributed to the host vehicle as at least part of the second risk factor;

the first risk potential calculation section is further configured to calculate the first risk potential based on one of the host vehicle speed and the lateral acceleration that is attributed kinetic energy of the host vehicle; and

the second risk potential calculation section is further configured to calculate the second risk potential based on the travel rule attributed to the host vehicle.

14. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 13, wherein

the risk potential notification section sets the vibration frequency used during transmission of the second risk potential to be higher than the vibration frequency used during transmission of the first risk potential.

15. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 2, wherein

the driver-operated driving operation device is an accelerator pedal.

16. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 2, wherein

the driver-operated driving operation device is a steering wheel.

17. The vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein

the risk factor detection section is further configured to detect a vehicle running state that is attributed kinetic energy of the host vehicle as at least part of the first risk factor and detect a travel rule attributed to the host vehicle as at least part of the second risk factor;

the first risk potential calculation section is further configured to calculate the first risk potential based on the vehicle running state that is attributed kinetic energy of the host vehicle; and

the second risk potential calculation section is further configured to calculate the second risk potential based on the travel rule attributed to the host vehicle.

18. A vehicle equipped with the vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle driving assist system is operatively installed to a vehicle body.

19. A vehicle driving assist system comprising:

means for detecting a plurality of potential risk factors related to a host vehicle;

means for calculating a first risk potential attributed to a first risk factor from the risk factors that were detected;

means for calculating a second risk potential attributed to a second risk factor that is different than the first risk factor from the risk factors that were detected; and

means for notifying a driver of the first risk potential with a first risk potential notification and the second risk potential with a second risk potential notification using a common risk notification means for both the first and second notifications with the first and second notifications being different.

20. A vehicle driving assistance method comprising:

detecting a plurality of potential risk factors related to a host vehicle;

calculating a first risk potential attributed to a first risk factor from the risk factors that were detected;

calculating a second risk potential attributed to a second risk factor that is different than the first risk factor from the risk factors that were detected; and

selectively notifying a driver of the first risk potential with a first risk potential notification and the second risk potential with a second risk potential notification using a common risk notification device for both the first and second notifications with the first and second notifications being different.