DRIVE ASSIST DEVICE

• US 20160148508A1
• Filed: 10/13/2015
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Katsuhiro, MORIMOTO, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,607,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/00 Dashboards as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096 provided with indicators in which a mark progresses showing the time elapsed, e.g. of green phase
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate 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

A drive assist device assists a driver who is driving a vehicle by showing, on a display unit, information related to an indication state of a traffic signal including a remaining time until the indication state of the traffic signal changes. The drive assist device includes a processor configured to output a representation of the remaining time to the display unit. The processor is configured to set the representation of the remaining time to a first representation when the remaining time is greater than a predetermined value and set the representation of the remaining time to a second representation when the remaining time is less than or equal to the predetermined value. The second representation differs from the first representation in at least one of brightness, saturation, and hue.

Claims

1. A drive assist device that assists a driver who is driving a vehicle by showing, on a display unit, information related to an indication state of a traffic signal including a remaining time until the indication state of the traffic signal changes, the drive assist device comprising:

a processor configured to output a representation of the remaining time to the display unit, wherein

the processor is configured to set the representation of the remaining time to a first representation when the remaining time is greater than a predetermined value and set the representation of the remaining time to a second representation when the remaining time is less than or equal to the predetermined value, wherein the second representation differs from the first representation in at least one of brightness, saturation, and hue.

2. The drive assist device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of brightness, saturation, and hue of the second representation is closer to a background of the representation of the remaining time than the first representation.

3. The drive assist device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to stop decreasing the remaining time shown in the second representation when the remaining time is less than or equal to the predetermined value.

4. The drive assist device according to claim 1, wherein

the representation of the remaining time includes a numerical representation or a symbolic representation, and

the processor is configured to maintain the second representation at a value or symbol that corresponds to the predetermined value when the remaining time is less than or equal to the predetermined value.

5. The drive assist device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to gradually change at least one of brightness, saturation, and hue of the second representation when the remaining time is less than or equal to the predetermined value.

6. The drive assist device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to set the representation of the remaining time to the second representation on the condition that the representation of the remaining time has been set to the first representation.

7. The drive assist device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured not to output the representation of the remaining time to the display unit when the remaining time becomes less than or equal to the predetermined value before the representation of the remaining time is set to the first representation.

8. The drive assist device according to claim 1, wherein the second representation has a lower brightness than the first representation.

9. The drive assist device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining time until the indication state of the traffic signal changes is a remaining time until a first indication state that instructs the vehicle to stop changes to a second indication state indicating that the vehicle is allowed to pass, wherein the processor is configured to:

set the representation of the remaining time to the first representation when the indication state is the first indication state and the remaining time is greater than the predetermined value;

set the representation of the remaining time to the second representation when the indication state is the first indication state and the remaining time is less than or equal to the predetermined value; and

set the representation of the remaining time to the second representation when the indication state is not the first indication state.

10. The drive assist device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the vehicle is traveling or stopped;

set the representation of the remaining time to the first representation when the vehicle is stopped and the remaining time is greater than the predetermined value;

set the representation of the remaining time to the second representation when the vehicle is stopped and the remaining time is less than or equal to the predetermined value; and

set the representation of the remaining time to the second representation when the vehicle is travelling.

11. A drive assist device that assists a driver who is driving a vehicle by showing, on a display unit, information related to an indication state of a traffic signal including a remaining time until the indication state of the traffic signal changes, the drive assist device comprising:

a processor configured to output a representation of the remaining time to the display unit, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine whether the vehicle is travelling or stopped;

set the representation of the remaining time to a first representation when the vehicle is stopped; and

set the representation of the remaining time to a second representation when the vehicle is travelling, wherein the second representation differs from the first representation in at least one of brightness, saturation, and hue.