ATTENTION CALLING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

• US 20160250968A1
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Shirakata, Tetsuro, Kumakiri, Naotaka, Koike, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,969,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal

Abstract

An attention calling system for a vehicle, which is capable of performing an alarm by presenting tactile information while causing a driver to have a feeling of being convinced and a feeling of trust, thereby making it possible to effectively and appropriately call attention of the driver. In the attention calling system according to the present invention, the attention level of the driver is estimated, and an abnormal behavior (unstableness) of the vehicle is detected. Then, on condition that the estimated attention level of the driver is lower than a predetermined level and the abnormal behavior of the vehicle is detected, the tactile information is presented to the driver as an alarm for calling attention of the driver.

Claims

1. An attention calling system for a vehicle, which calls attention of a driver when an attention level of the driver to driving the vehicle is lowered, comprising:

attention level estimation means for estimating the attention level of the driver;

abnormal behavior detection means for detecting a predetermined abnormal behavior of the vehicle; and

alarm means including tactile information-presenting means for presenting tactile information via a tactile sense to the driver,

wherein said alarm means performs presentation of the tactile information by said tactile information-presenting means, as an alarm for calling attention of the driver, on condition that the estimated attention level of the driver is lower than a predetermined level and the abnormal behavior of the vehicle is detected.

2. The attention calling system according to claim 1, wherein said alarm means further includes first alarm means for presenting information via at least one of an auditory sense and a visual sense to the driver, and

wherein said alarm means performs presentation of the information by said first alarm means, as a first alarm, when the attention level of the driver has become lower than the predetermined level, and performs presentation of the tactile information by said tactile information-presenting means, as a second alarm, on condition that the first alarm has been performed at least once within a predetermined driving time period of the vehicle.

3. The attention calling system according to claim 2, wherein said alarm means performs the second alarm on condition that the first alarm is being performed.

4. The attention calling system according to claim 3, wherein said tactile information-presenting means is configured to present the tactile information to the driver by vibrating an operation member operated by the driver, and

wherein when said alarm means performs the second alarm during execution of the first alarm, said alarm means synchronizes the presentation of the information by said first alarm means and vibration of the operation member by said tactile information-presenting means with each other.

5. The attention calling system according to claim 2, wherein said alarm means performs the first alarm on condition that the abnormal behavior of the vehicle is detected.

6. The attention calling system according to claim 1, further comprising attention level display means for displaying the estimated attention level of the driver, and

wherein said alarm means performs the alarm by said tactile information-presenting means in a state in which the attention level of the driver lower than the predetermined level is displayed on said attention level display means.

7. The attention calling system according to claim 1, further comprising second abnormal behavior detection means for detecting a predetermined second abnormal behavior of the vehicle, which is higher in a degree of abnormality than the abnormal behavior of the vehicle, and

wherein when the second abnormal behavior of the vehicle has been detected, said alarm means performs the alarm by said tactile information-presenting means irrespective of the attention level of the driver.

8. The attention calling system according to claim 7, wherein said alarm means inhibits the alarm by said tactile information-presenting means based on lowering of the attention level of the driver, until a predetermined time period elapses after the alarm by said tactile information-presenting means has been performed based on detection of the second abnormal behavior of the vehicle.