DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM AND DRIVER ASSISTANCE METHOD

• US 20120072097A1
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kimura, Takeshi, Ohta, Mitsunori, Suzuki, Taku
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Risk and/or control status are presented in such a way that the vehicle driver can easily comprehend the fact. Upon detecting risk during driving a vehicle, the vehicle is controlled and information of at least one of the risk and the status of the vehicle being controlled is presented in visual form. In addition, the driver'"'"'s initiative (D) in driving the vehicle is calculated (step S2), and the visual form, in which the information is presented, is altered depending on the calculated driver'"'"'s initiative (step S3). When, for example, a lane departure prevention control works, the status of restraining lane departure is presented by arrow(s) in an anti-lane-departure direction opposite to the direction of lane departure. The size (including the length and the width) and color of the arrow(s) are altered depending on the initiative (D). Here, when the initiative (D) is at a low level, the arrow(s) is set in color, for example, ‘red’ and increased in size because the risk that the tendency of lane departure may increase becomes high.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A driver assistance system comprising:

a plurality of vehicle motion controls, each being constructed to work for controlling a vehicle upon detecting risk during driving the vehicle;

a display device constructed to present information, in visual form, of at least one of the risk and operating states of the plurality of vehicle motion controls when at least one of the plurality of vehicle motion controls works;

a calculating unit constructed to calculate the driver'"'"'s initiative in driving the vehicle based on a ratio of that motion of the vehicle which depends on driver'"'"'s operation to the vehicle behavior; and

an altering unit constructed to alter the visual form, in which the information is presented, depending on the driver'"'"'s initiative calculated by the calculating unit.

23. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the calculating unit calculates the driver'"'"'s initiative based on a ratio of that predicted motion of the vehicle which depends on driver'"'"'s operation that is predicted to happen in the future after a predetermined time passes to the vehicle behavior that is predicted to happen in the future after the predetermined time passes.

24. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the calculating unit predetermines a relationship between the operating state of each of the plurality of vehicle motion controls and the driver'"'"'s initiative, and calculates the driver'"'"'s initiative depending on the operating state of the vehicle motion control.

25. The driver assistance system according to claim 24, wherein the calculating unit calculates the driver'"'"'s initiative depending on controlled variable when the vehicle motion control works.

26. The driver assistance system according to claim 22,

wherein the display device presents, in visual form of an operating state diagram, the force acting on the vehicle when the vehicle motion control works, and

wherein the altering unit alters the operating state diagram in such a way that the lower the driver'"'"'s initiative becomes, the larger the operating state diagram becomes in size.

27. The driver assistance system according to claim 22,

wherein the display device presents, in visual form of an operating state diagram, the force acting on the vehicle when the vehicle motion control works, and

wherein the altering unit alters the operating state diagram in such a way that the lower the driver'"'"'s initiative becomes, the more red, which is selected out of the three primary colors used to express the operating state diagram, becomes deepened.

28. The driver assistance system according to claim 22,

wherein the display device presents, in visual form of an operating state diagram, the force acting on the vehicle when the vehicle motion control works, and

wherein the altering unit alters the operating state diagram in such a way that the lower the driver'"'"'s initiative becomes, the higher luminance of the operating state diagram becomes.

29. The driver assistance system according to claim 22,

wherein the display device presents, in visual form of an operating state diagram, the force acting on the vehicle when the vehicle motion control works, and

wherein the altering unit alters the operating state diagram in such a way that the lower the driver'"'"'s initiative becomes, the higher blink speed of the operating state diagram becomes.

30. The driver assistance system according to claim 22,

wherein the display device presents, in visual form of a risk diagram, the risk during driving the vehicle, and

wherein the altering unit alters the risk diagram in such a way that the higher the driver'"'"'s initiative becomes, the more blue, which is selected out of the three primary colors used to express the risk diagram, becomes deepened.

31. The driver assistance system according to claim 22,

wherein the display device presents, in visual form of a risk diagram, the risk during driving the vehicle, and

wherein the altering unit alters the risk diagram in such a way that the higher the driver'"'"'s initiative becomes, the higher luminance of the risk diagram becomes.

32. The driver assistance system according to claim 22,

wherein the display device presents, in visual form of a risk diagram, the risk during driving the vehicle, and

wherein the altering unit alters the risk diagram in such a way that the lower the driver'"'"'s initiative becomes, the higher blink speed of the risk diagram becomes.

33. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the lower the driver'"'"'s initiative becomes, the more the display device magnifies the vehicle.

34. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the display device presents any one of the future state of the risk during driving the vehicle, the present state of that motion of the vehicle which depends on the operating state of the vehicle motion control and the past state of the operating state of the vehicle motion control.

35. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the calculating unit calculates the frequency of driver'"'"'s operation and calculates the driver'"'"'s initiative depending on the calculated frequency.

36. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the calculating unit calculates a waking state of the driver and calculates the driver'"'"'s initiative depending on the calculated waking state.

37. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the calculating unit calculates how many times in the past the vehicle driver drove on its route, and calculates the driver'"'"'s initiative depending on the calculated number of times.

38. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the calculating unit detects traffic congestion, and calculates the driver'"'"'s initiative depending on the detected traffic congestion.

39. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the calculating unit calculates the driver'"'"'s initiative depending on a speed limit for a road on which the driver is driving.

40. The driver assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the calculating unit detects the number of vehicles in the surroundings of the vehicle, and calculates the driver'"'"'s initiative depending on the detected number.

41. A driver assistance method comprising:

controlling a vehicle upon detecting risk during driving the vehicle;

presenting information, in visual form, of at least one of the risk during driving the vehicle and the status of the vehicle being controlled;

calculating the driver'"'"'s initiative in driving the vehicle based on a ratio of that motion of the vehicle which depends on driver'"'"'s operation to the vehicle behavior; and

altering the visual form, in which the information is presented, depending on the calculated driver'"'"'s initiative.