DRIVE ASSISTANCE DEVICE

• US 20110029195A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Yuki, Matsumura, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

Disclosed is a drive assistance device capable of performing proper drive assistance by reducing unnecessary drive assistance operations. The drive assistance device performs drive assistance relative to stopping of a vehicle at an intersection. When the vehicle approaches the intersection where an arrow lamp device is installed at a traffic signal, if the necessity of drive assistance for stimulating a driver to stop at the signal according to lighting of the arrow lamp device differs depending on a route of the vehicle, the start timing of the drive assistance operation is delayed and drive assistance is executed. Therefore, an unnecessary drive assistance operation can be suppressed.

Claims

1. A drive assistance device for performing drive assistance of a vehicle at an intersection,

wherein, when drive assistance differs depending on a route of the vehicle, a drive assistance operation is suppressed as compared with a case where the same drive assistance is performed regardless of the route of the vehicle.

2. The drive assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein, when drive assistance differs depending on the route of the vehicle, the start timing of the drive assistance operation is delayed as compared with a case where the same drive assistance operation is performed regardless of the route of the vehicle.

3. The drive assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein, when the necessity of stopping the vehicle differs depending on the route of the vehicle, the drive assistance operation is suppressed as compared with a case where the necessity of stopping the vehicle does not differ.

4. The drive assistance device according to claim 3,

wherein, when the necessity of stopping differs depending on the route of the vehicle, the start timing of the drive assistance operation is delayed as compared with a case where the necessity of stopping does not differ.

5. The drive assistance device according to claim 3,

wherein the higher the route of the vehicle is likely to be a no-stop-required route, the more the drive assistance operation is suppressed.

6. The drive assistance device according to claim 5,

wherein it is determined whether the route of the vehicle is likely to be a no-stop-required route or not on the basis of a travel behavior regarding the no-stop-required route.

7. The drive assistance device according to claim 5,

wherein it is determined whether the route of the vehicle is likely to be the no-stop-required route or not on the basis of the number of lanes of a road on which the vehicle is traveling and presence/absence of an exclusive lane on the no-stop-required route.

8. The drive assistance device according to claim 6,

wherein, when a preceding vehicle is present in front of the vehicle, it is determined whether the route of the vehicle is likely to be the no-stop-required route or not on the basis of a comparison result of a vehicle speed after a travel behavior of the vehicle with a vehicle speed before the travel behavior of the vehicle.

9. The drive assistance device according to claim 3,

wherein, when an exclusive lane on a no-stop-required route at the intersection is added around the intersection, the drive assistance operation is suppressed as compared with a case where no exclusive lane on the no-stop-required route is added.