DRIVING SUPPORT DEVICE, DRIVING SUPPORT METHOD, AND DRIVING SUPPORT PROGRAM

• US 20090234550A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: TAKEUCHI, Atsushi, Koto, Hideaki, Maruyama, Masaki, Kodama, Hiroyuki, Ogawa, Fumiharu, Miyajima, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18009 related to particular drive situations

Abstract

Factor information is acquired that indicates at least one factor that imposes a psychological effect on a driver of a host vehicle when the host vehicle is traveling on a road with a descending slope ahead of the host vehicle. An overall psychological effect that is imposed on the driver when the host vehicle is traveling on the road with the descending slope is acquired based on the factor information. The vehicle speed is controlled in a vehicle speed control section in accordance with the overall psychological effect.

Claims

1. A driving support device, comprising:

a factor information acquisition unit that acquires factor information indicative of at least one factor that imposes a psychological effect on a driver of a host vehicle when the vehicle is traveling on a road with a descending slope ahead of the host vehicle;

an overall psychological effect acquisition unit that, based on the factor information, acquires an overall psychological effect that is imposed on the driver when the host vehicle is traveling on the road with the descending slope; and

a vehicle speed control unit that controls the vehicle speed in accordance with the overall psychological effect.

2. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein

the factor information includes information that associates each factor with a degree of psychological stress that is imposed on the driver, and

the overall psychological effect acquisition unit acquires, as the overall psychological effect, a total of the degrees of psychological stress respectively associated with the each factor that pertains to the road with the descending slope ahead of the host vehicle.

3. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein

the factor information includes information that indicates at least one of a state of the road with the descending slope and a state of a road in the vicinity of the road with the descending slope.

4. The driving support device according to claim 2, wherein

the factor information includes information that indicates at least one of a state of the road with the descending slope and a state of a road in the vicinity of the road with the descending slope.

5. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein

the factor information includes information that indicates presence of another vehicle in the vicinity of the host vehicle.

6. The driving support device according to claim 2, wherein

the factor information includes information that indicates presence of another vehicle in the vicinity of the host vehicle.

7. The driving support device according to claim 3, wherein

the factor information includes information that indicates presence of another vehicle in the vicinity of the host vehicle.

8. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein

the factor information includes information that indicates that braking force of a brake that is installed in the host vehicle has dropped below a specified state.

9. The driving support device according to claim 2, wherein

the factor information includes information that indicates that braking force of a brake that is installed in the host vehicle has dropped below a specified state.

10. The driving support device according to claim 3, wherein

the factor information includes information that indicates that braking force of a brake that is installed in the host vehicle has dropped below a specified state.

11. The driving support device according to claim 4, wherein

the factor information includes information that indicates that braking force of a brake that is installed in the host vehicle has dropped below a specified state.

12. A driving support method, comprising the steps of:

acquiring factor information indicative of at least one factor that imposes a psychological effect on a driver of a host vehicle when the host vehicle is traveling on a road with a descending slope ahead of the host vehicle;

acquiring, based on the factor information, an overall psychological effect that is imposed on the driver when the host vehicle is traveling on the road with the descending slope; and

controlling the vehicle speed in accordance with the acquired overall psychological effect.

13. A computer-readable medium encoded with driving support program that causes a computer to function as:

a factor information acquisition unit that acquires factor information indicative of at least one factor that imposes a psychological effect on a driver of a host vehicle when the vehicle is traveling on a road with a descending slope ahead of the host vehicle;

an overall psychological effect acquisition unit that, based on the factor information, acquires an overall psychological effect that is imposed on the driver when the host vehicle is traveling on the road with the descending slope; and

a vehicle speed control unit that controls the vehicle speed in accordance with the overall psychological effect.