Driving support system

• US 20090216396A1
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamagata, Toshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes

Abstract

The navigation apparatus in a vehicle receives physical condition data regarding user'"'"'s condition from a measurement instrument through a power line when the vehicle is connected to the power line. The navigation apparatus determines whether a travel condition of the vehicle that is driven by using the sensors disposed in the vehicle, in terms of the driving operation concerning the fuel consumption rate of the vehicle. If the driving operation is not determined as fuel-consumption-conscious, an advice for the driving operation is output from the navigation apparatus according to the physical condition of the user. The user thus can have an appropriate advice for the driving operation that improves the fuel consumption rate of the vehicle at an appropriate timing that takes into consideration of the physical condition of the user under measurement outside of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A driving support system for supporting a user who is driving a vehicle, the system comprising:

a physical condition measuring unit for measuring a physical condition of the user and for generating a condition data at an outside of a vehicle; and

an information processor disposed on the vehicle for (a) receiving the condition data from the physical condition measuring unit through a power line that connects a battery in the vehicle and a power supply unit outside the vehicle for charging the battery, and for (b) providing an advice for driving operation at a timing that takes into consideration the physical condition of the user estimated from the condition data after (c) examining if the user is performing a fuel-consumption-conscious driving operation and (d) determining that the user is not performing the fuel-consumption-conscious driving operation (e) based on a vehicle condition reflecting driving operation of the user derived from sensors in the vehicle when the user is driving the vehicle.

2. The driving support system of claim 1, wherein

the information processor increases a frequency of advice outputs for the driving operation when the processor determines that the physical condition of the user is in a bad condition, in comparison to an output frequency when the user is determined to be physically in a good condition.

3. The driving support system of claim 1, wherein

the physical condition measuring unit measures at least one of user temperature during his/her sleep, user blood pressure, and user pulse interval.

4. The driving support system of claim 1, wherein

the sensors detect at least one of accelerator position, deceleration at a time of braking, degree of acceleration/deceleration and vehicle speed.

5. The driving support system of claim 1, wherein

the information processor outputs the advice for driving operation in at least one of a vocal manner and a visual manner.