DRIVING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH DRIVING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

• US 20100198456A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kondoh, Takayuki, Yamamura, Tomohiro, Takae, Yasuhiko, Kuge, Nobuyuki, Komori, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/408 Traffic behavior, e.g. swarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A driving assistance system for vehicle detects short-duration data representing a current traveling condition and drive operation, and intermediate-duration data representing a travelling condition and drive operation of this day. Drive diagnosis is carried out by comparing distribution of the short-duration data and distribution of the intermediate-duration data.

Claims

1. A driving assistance system for vehicle characterized by comprising:

a traveling condition detection means that detects a traveling condition of a vehicle;

a drive operation detection means that detects a drive operation by a driver; and

a drive diagnosis means that estimates driving characteristics of the driver from the traveling condition detected by the traveling condition detection means and the drive operation detected by the drive operation detection means, and diagnoses drive operation of the driver based upon the estimated driving characteristics.

2. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1 characterized by further comprising:

a storage means that stores data of the traveling condition detected by the traveling condition detection means and the drive operation detected by the drive operation detection means;

wherein

the drive diagnosis means carries out drive diagnosis using data with a limited temporal position and range which are stored in the storage means among data of the traveling condition detected by the traveling condition detection means and the drive operation detected by the drive operation detection means.

3. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1 characterized by further comprising:

a storage means that stores data of the traveling condition detected by the traveling condition detection means and the drive operation detected by the drive operation detection means;

wherein

the drive diagnosis means carries out drive diagnosis using data with a limited spatial location and range in which a vehicle travels that are stored in the storage means among data of the traveling condition detected by the traveling condition detection means and the drive operation detected by the drive operation detection means.

4. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1 characterized by further comprising:

a storage means that stores data of the traveling condition detected by the traveling condition detection means and the drive operation detected by the drive operation detection means;

wherein

when data, which is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, of the traveling condition detected by the traveling condition detection means and the drive operation detected by the drive operation detection means are stored, the drive diagnosis means carries out drive diagnosis using stored data.

5. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the drive diagnosis means sets a plurality of temporal ranges for the traveling condition detected by the traveling condition detection means and the drive operation detected by the drive operation detection means, updates in real time data obtained in each of temporal ranges, and compares between a plurality of data so as to carry out drive diagnosis.

6. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the drive diagnosis means obtains data of a first period of time that represent a current traveling condition and drive operation and data of a second period of time which is longer than the first period of time that represent a traveling condition and drive operation of that day and compares data of the first period of time with data of the second period of time so as to carry out drive diagnosis.

7. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the drive diagnosis means obtains data that represent an usual traveling condition and drive operation of the driver and compares the data with other data obtained in a temporal range other than a temporal range in which the data is obtained so as to carry out drive diagnosis.

8. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the drive diagnosis means obtains data of the traveling condition and the drive operation in a spatial range in which a vehicle is currently traveling and compares the data with recorded data that was obtained in a same spatial range so as to carry out drive diagnosis.

9. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive diagnosis means recursively calculates a distribution of drive operation data that represents the driving characteristics from data of the traveling condition and the drive operation.

10. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the drive diagnosis means recursively calculates distributions of a plurality of drive operation data having different time constants, as the driving characteristics, from a plurality of data of the different temporal ranges.

11. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

the drive diagnosis means recursively calculates a probability density function as a distribution of the drive operation data.

12. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

the drive diagnosis means recursively calculates a plurality of probability density functions having different time constants as a distribution of the drive operation data.

13. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the drive diagnosis means carries out drive diagnosis from a difference in values of predetermined ranges between a plurality of data of the different temporal ranges.

14. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the drive diagnosis means compares distributions of a plurality of data of the different temporal ranges and carries out drive diagnosis based on degree of fit of distributions.

15. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the drive diagnosis means assumes that distributions of a plurality of data of the different temporal ranges each have a predetermined shape and obtains a distribution parameter thereof so as to calculate a plurality of data distributions.

16. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

the drive diagnosis means calculates a data distribution for each of the plurality of data, sets the predetermined range from a reference data distribution among a plurality of calculated data distributions, and carries out drive diagnosis based on a difference in values between the plurality of data in the set predetermined range.

17. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 16, wherein

the drive diagnosis means uses a data distribution calculated from data with a widest temporal range among the plurality of data, as the reference data distribution.

18. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive diagnosis means calculates time headway between a vehicle and a leading vehicle when the vehicle is following the leading vehicle, as an index that represents the driving characteristics.

19. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive operation detection means detects a steering angle as the drive operation;

and

the drive diagnosis means uses the detected steering angle so as to calculate a steering angle entropy that represents instability of a steering operation by the driver, as an index that represents the driving characteristics.

20. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive operation detection means detects an accelerator pedal operation amount as the drive operation;

and

the drive diagnosis means uses the detected accelerator pedal operation amount so as to calculate an accelerator pedal position entropy that represents instability of an accelerator pedal operation by the driver, as an index that represents the driving characteristics.

21. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive diagnosis means calculates time to contact between a vehicle and a leading vehicle when an accelerator pedal is released, as an index that represents the driving characteristics.

22. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive diagnosis means calculates time to lane crossing until a vehicle deviates from a travel lane when a steering adjustment is performed, as an index that represents the driving characteristics.

23. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive diagnosis means uses a vehicle velocity at a time of single traveling, as an index that represents the driving characteristics.

24. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive diagnosis means uses a maximum acceleration at a time of start-up of a vehicle, as an index that represents the driving characteristics.

25. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive diagnosis means calculates a minimum time to contact between a vehicle and a leading vehicle at a time of brake operation, as an index that represents the driving characteristics.

26. A driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the drive diagnosis means uses a minimum vehicle separation between a vehicle and a leading vehicle at a time of passing, as an index that represents the driving characteristics.

28. A vehicle characterized by comprising a driving assistance system for vehicle according to claim 1.

27. A driving assistance method for vehicle characterized in:

detecting a traveling condition of a vehicle;

detecting a drive operation by a driver; and

estimating driving characteristics of the driver from the detected traveling condition and the detected drive operation, and, based on the estimated driving characteristics, diagnosing drive operation of the driver.