Driving Support Apparatus and Method

• US 20090326814A1
• Filed: 12/26/2005
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumura, Kazuyuki, Kobayashi, Masato, Sakoda, Taiichiro, Yamada, Shuuji, Kanemaru, Ryouhei, Kuwano, Teruomi, Nakamura, Motohiro, Harumoto, Satoshi, Suzuki, Hidenobu, Matsuda, Yuusaku
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/102 using electrical means

Abstract

To provide a driving support apparatus that performs guidance with suitable contents at suitable timing based on a situation. A GPS 11 obtains positional information, a lane recognizing section 12 recognizes a current driving lane that is a lane on the road in which the vehicle is currently running, a driver recognizing section 13 recognizes the driver, and a driving-history data 23 stores therein driving course along which the vehicle have been driven. A lane-course setting unit 22 sets a driving schedule lane that is a lane in which the vehicle is to be driven based on the driving schedule course set by an overall-course setting section 21 and the current driving lane, and a guiding process unit 30 controls a timing of performing course guidance and contents of the course guidance based on shapes of the road, difficulty in driving, skill of the driver, driving history, and traffic information.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A driving support apparatus that supports a driver in driving a vehicle on a road by giving instructions, the driving support apparatus comprising:

a recognizing unit configured to recognize a current driving lane of the vehicle that is a lane on the road in which the vehicle is currently running;

a lane setting unit configured to set a driving schedule lane that is a lane in which the vehicle is to be driven; and

a guiding unit configured to determine content of lane guidance based on the driving schedule lane and the current driving lane, and guide the driver to a lane based on the lane guidance when the road is substantially straight.

16. The driving support apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a course setting unit configured to set a driving schedule course that is a course in which the vehicle is to be driven, wherein the guiding unit guides the driver to a driving course based on the driving schedule course.

17. The driving support apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a map-data storing unit configured to store therein map data indicative of shapes of the road and number of lanes on the road.

18. The driving support apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a driver-information obtaining unit configured to obtain driver information indicative of driving skills of the driver.

19. The driving support apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a traffic-information obtaining unit configured to obtain traffic information indicative of traffic conditions on the road.

20. The driving support apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the guiding unit includes a driver adapting unit configured to change contents of guidance to the driver based on driver information indicative of driving skills of the driver.

21. The driving support apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the guiding unit includes a difficulty-level judging unit configured to judge at least one of a level of difficulty in driving in accordance with the driving schedule lane and a level of difficulty in driving in accordance with the driving schedule course and notifies the driver of factors that have caused a rise in the level of difficulty.

22. The driving support apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the difficulty-level judging unit judges the level of difficulty using the current driving lane and map data indicative of shapes of the road and number of lanes on the road.

23. The driving support apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the guiding unit includes a course-resetting judging unit configured to judge whether resetting of the driving schedule course is necessary based on difficultness in driving in the driving schedule lane.

24. The driving support apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the lane setting unit sets the driving schedule lane based on the driving schedule course and map data indicative of shapes of the road and number of lanes on the road.

25. The driving support apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the lane setting unit sets the driving schedule lane based on at least any one of the level of difficulty in driving in accordance with the driving schedule lane, driver information indicative of driving skills of the driver, and traffic information indicative of traffic conditions on the road.

26. A method of supporting a driver in driving a vehicle on a road by giving instructions, the method comprising:

recognizing a current driving lane of the vehicle that is a lane on the road in which the vehicle is currently running;

setting a driving schedule lane that is a lane in which the vehicle is to be driven;

determining content of lane guidance based on the driving schedule lane and the current driving lane; and

guiding the driver to a lane based on the lane guidance when the road is substantially straight.