VEHICLE SAFE DRIVING PROMOTION SYSTEM

• US 20130006513A1
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UD Trucks Corporation (Isuzu Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fukuoka Institute Of Technology, UD Trucks Corporation (Isuzu Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Yoshitaka, Uekusa, Osamu, Matsuki, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 Load or weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A distance sensor detects a target distance from a vehicle to a target in front of the vehicle, and a vehicle speed sensor detects a vehicle speed. A controller calculates a stopping distance of the vehicle from the vehicle speed. The controller calculates a collision possibility index from the target distance and the stopping distance, and calculates a kinetic energy of the vehicle immediately before a collision with the target from the vehicle speed and the target distance. The controller warns a driver of the vehicle of the possibility of a collision and the scale of damage to be caused by the collision on the basis of the collision possibility index and the kinetic energy of the vehicle immediately before the collision. As a result, the driver is provided with information promoting safe driving which appeals to the driver forcefully.

Claims

1. A vehicle safe driving promotion system comprising:

a distance sensor that detects a target distance from a vehicle to a target in front of the vehicle;

a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed; and

a programmable controller programmed to;

calculate a stopping distance of the vehicle from the vehicle speed;

calculate a collision possibility index corresponding to a ratio between the target distance and the stopping distance;

calculate a kinetic energy of the vehicle immediately before a collision with the target from the vehicle speed and the target distance; and

provide a driver with information indicating a danger of a collision based on the collision possibility index and a collision damage based on the kinetic energy of the vehicle immediately before the collision.

2. The vehicle safe driving promotion system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

measure a time in which the collision possibility index remains at or above a predetermined value; and

warn the driver of the vehicle of a possibility of a collision and a scale of damage to be caused by the collision when the time exceeds a predetermined time and the collision possibility index exceeds a predetermined value.

3. The vehicle safe driving promotion system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a storage device that stores the collision possibility index and the kinetic energy of the vehicle immediately before the collision as a traveling history of the vehicle; and

a monitor that displays a risk evaluation map based on the traveling history in the vehicle.

4. The vehicle safe driving promotion system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to calculate the stopping distance of the vehicle using a following Equation (A):

5. The vehicle safe driving promotion system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to calculate the kinetic energy of the vehicle immediately before the collision using following Equations (B) and (C):

Vc=√

{square root over (−

2·

μ

·

g(Dhw−

Vf·

Tr)+Vf²)} 

 

(B)

where,

Vc is the vehicle speed immediately before the collision,

Dhw is the target distance,

Tr is a reaction time of the driver of the vehicle,

Vf is the vehicle speed, and

μ

is a frictional coefficient between a tire and a road surface;

6. The vehicle safe driving promotion system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a driving management facility provided in a base station on an exterior of the vehicle; and

a communication device installed in the vehicle to transmit and receive information between the driving management facility and the controller,

wherein the driving management facility comprises an external storage device that stores driving histories of a plurality of vehicles, and

the controller is further programmed to transmit vehicle travel information based on the collision possibility index and the kinetic energy of the vehicle immediately before the collision to the driving management facility.