DRIVING ASSISTANCE APPARATUS

• US 20130194099A1
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: NAGATA, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US13/742,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20130194099A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1079 using optical or photographic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A driving assistance apparatus detects drowsiness of a driver of a vehicle while having a drowsy driving preventing function for awaking the driver having feeling of drowsiness. When erroneous detection of drowsy driving occurs frequently, the driver may deactivate the drowsy driving preventing function into an off state. The driving assistance apparatus determines a stress of the driver due to driving based on travel states of the vehicle obtained from a navigation apparatus such as traffic around the vehicle, a width and shape of a road traveled, installation states of traffic signals, and a velocity and steering angle of the vehicle. When the stress due to driving changes from a high status to a low status, the driver is regarded as being in a state of tending to be drowsy. The drowsy driving preventing function is thereby activated or turned on into an on state compulsorily.

Claims

1. A driving assistance apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a determination section that determines whether a drowsy-tending state takes place, the drowsy-tending state being a state where a driver of the vehicle tends to be drowsy; and

an activation section that activates a drowsy driving preventing function when it is determined that drowsy-tending state takes place, the drowsy driving prevention function detecting a drowsiness of the driver and awaking the driver being drowsy.

2. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

in cases that the drowsy driving preventing function is deactivated compulsorily, the activation section re-activates the drowsy driving preventing function when the determination section determines that the drowsy-tending state takes place.

3. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a travel state detection section that detects a travel state of the vehicle, wherein;

the determination section determines whether the drowsy-tending state takes place based on the travel state detected by the travel state detection section.

4. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the determination section determines whether a change arises in a stress of the driver due to driving of the vehicle based on a history of the travel state detected by the travel state detection section; and

the determination section determines that the drowsy-tending state takes place when determining that the change arises such that the stress due to driving is reduced.

5. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle-interior environment detection section that detects an environment in an interior of the vehicle, wherein;

the determination section determines whether the drowsy-tending state takes place based on the environment detected by the vehicle-interior environment detection section.

6. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the determination section determines whether a change in the environment of the interior of the vehicle arises, the change being from a discomfort status of the driver into a comfort status of the driver, based on a history of the environment detected by the vehicle-interior environment detection section; and

the determination section determines that the drowsy-tending state takes place when determining that the change from the discomfort status into the comfort status arises in the environment of the interior.