Vehicle operation diagnosis device, vehicle operation diagnosis method, and computer program

• US 20100250046A1
• Filed: 02/17/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Miura, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour

Abstract

Vehicle operation diagnosis devices, methods, and programs diagnose a driver'"'"'s vehicle operation in a vehicle that is provided with an inter-vehicular distance control system. When an inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and a vehicle ahead that is moving forward ahead of the driver'"'"'s own vehicle is within a specified distance, the inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and the vehicle ahead is controlled by performing deceleration control of the driver'"'"'s own vehicle. The devices, methods, and programs acquire a first driving parameter and a second driving parameter and diagnose the driver'"'"'s vehicle operation based on a difference between the first driving parameter and the second driving parameter.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation diagnosis device that diagnoses a driver'"'"'s vehicle operation in a vehicle that is provided with an inter-vehicular distance control system that, in a case where an inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and a vehicle ahead that is moving forward ahead of the driver'"'"'s own vehicle is within a specified distance, controls the inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and the vehicle ahead by performing deceleration control of the driver'"'"'s own vehicle, the vehicle operation diagnosis device comprising:

a first driving parameter acquisition unit that acquires a first driving parameter when the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled in a state in which the deceleration control by the inter-vehicular distance control system was in operation;

a second driving parameter acquisition unit that acquires a second driving parameter when the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled in a state in which the deceleration control by the inter-vehicular distance control system was in operation based on the inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and the vehicle ahead being within the specified distance in accordance with a factor that is based on the vehicle ahead; and

a vehicle operation diagnosis unit that diagnoses the driver'"'"'s vehicle operation based on a difference between the first driving parameter and the second driving parameter.

2. The vehicle operation diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle operation diagnosis unit includes a ratio computation unit that computes a ratio of the difference between a first driving distance as the first driving parameter and a second driving distance as the second driving parameter to a distance that the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled under a specified condition, and

the vehicle operation diagnosis unit diagnoses the driver'"'"'s vehicle operation based on the ratio that is computed by the ratio computation unit.

3. The vehicle operation diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle operation diagnosis unit includes a ratio computation unit that computes a ratio of the difference between a first driving length of time as the first driving parameter and a second driving length of time as the second driving parameter to a length of time that the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled under a specified condition, and

the vehicle operation diagnosis unit diagnoses the driver'"'"'s vehicle operation based on the ratio that is computed by the ratio computation unit.

4. The vehicle operation diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle operation diagnosis unit includes a ratio computation unit that computes a ratio of the difference between a first driving number of times as the first driving parameter and a second driving number of times as the second driving parameter to a number of times that the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled under a specified condition, and

the vehicle operation diagnosis unit diagnoses the driver'"'"'s vehicle operation based on the ratio that is computed by the ratio computation unit.

5. The vehicle operation diagnosis device according to claim 2, wherein

the inter-vehicular distance control system executes the deceleration control on the condition that the driver'"'"'s own vehicle is traveling at not less than a specified speed, and

the specified condition is that the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled at not less than the specified speed.

6. The vehicle operation diagnosis device according to claim 3, wherein

the inter-vehicular distance control system executes the deceleration control on the condition that the driver'"'"'s own vehicle is traveling at not less than a specified speed, and

the specified condition is that the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled at not less than the specified speed.

9. The vehicle operation diagnosis device according to claim 4, wherein

the inter-vehicular distance control system executes the deceleration control on the condition that the driver'"'"'s own vehicle is traveling at not less than a specified speed, and

the specified condition is that the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled at not less than the specified speed.

10. The vehicle operation diagnosis device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a diagnosis result guidance unit that provides guidance with respect to a result of the diagnosis of the driver'"'"'s vehicle operation by the vehicle operation diagnosis unit.

7-8. -8. (canceled)

11. A vehicle operation diagnosis method that diagnoses a driver'"'"'s vehicle operation in a vehicle that is provided with an inter-vehicular distance control system that, in a case where an inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and a vehicle ahead that is moving forward ahead of the driver'"'"'s own vehicle is within a specified distance, controls the inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and the vehicle ahead by performing deceleration control of the driver'"'"'s own vehicle, the vehicle operation diagnosis method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a first driving parameter when the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled in a state in which the deceleration control by the inter-vehicular distance control system was in operation;

acquiring a second driving parameter when the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled in a state in which the deceleration control by the inter-vehicular distance control system was in operation based on the inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and the vehicle ahead being within the specified distance in accordance with a factor that is based on the vehicle ahead; and

diagnosing the driver'"'"'s vehicle operation based on a difference between the first driving parameter and the second driving parameter.

12. A computer program that is installed in a computer and that diagnoses a driver'"'"'s vehicle operation in a vehicle that is provided with an inter-vehicular distance control system that, in a case where an inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and a vehicle ahead that is moving forward ahead of the driver'"'"'s own vehicle is within a specified distance, controls the inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and the vehicle ahead by performing deceleration control of the driver'"'"'s own vehicle, the computer program causing the computer to perform the functions of:

acquiring a first driving parameter when the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled in a state in which the deceleration control by the inter-vehicular distance control system was in operation;

acquiring a second driving parameter when the driver'"'"'s own vehicle has traveled in a state in which the deceleration control by the inter-vehicular distance control system was in operation based on the inter-vehicular distance between the driver'"'"'s own vehicle and the vehicle ahead being within the specified distance in accordance with a factor that is based on the vehicle ahead; and

diagnosing the driver'"'"'s vehicle operation based on a difference between the first driving parameter and the second driving parameter.