DRIVING ASSISTANCE METHOD, AND DRIVING ASSISTANCE DEVICE, DRIVING CONTROL DEVICE, VEHICLE, DRIVING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM USING SAID METHOD

• US 20180105185A1
• Filed: 04/19/2016
• Published: 04/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: WATANABE, KAZUYA, EMURA, KOICHI, TSUJI, MASANAGA, MORI, TOSHIYA, NAKAI, WATARU
• Granted Patent: US 10,793,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/167 Vehicle dynamics information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/175 Autonomous driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• 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: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/20 Direction indicator values
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 : Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 : using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 : Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 : Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 : Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 : Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 : Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 : Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 : Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0027 : using trajectory prediction for other traffic participants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 : from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 : Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 : Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 : using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 : using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 : Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 : in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 : inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 : Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 : having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 : where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

During autonomous driving of a vehicle, useful Information is presented to an occupant. An image generator in driving assistance device generates a first image representing an action the vehicle is capable of executing depending on a travel environment during autonomous driving and a second image representing a basis of the action. Image output unit outputs the first image and the second image generated by the image generator to notification device in the vehicle in association with each other. The action vehicle is capable of executing may be selected from among action candidates by a driver.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device comprising

an image generator that generates a first image representing an action a vehicle is capable of executing depending on a travel environment during autonomous driving and a second image representing a basis of the action;

and

an image output unit that outputs the first image and the second image generated by the image generator to a notification device in the vehicle in association with each other.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein

the image generator generates at least one first image representing at least one action candidate of the vehicle which is selectable by an occupant,

the image output unit outputs the at least one first image that has been generated to the notification device,

the driving assistance device further comprises an operation input unit that receives an action of the vehicle selected by the occupant from among the at least one action candidate of the vehicle,

the image generator generates the second image representing a basis of the action of the vehicle that has been received, and

the image output unit outputs the second image that has been generated to the notification device.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 3, further comprising

a detection information input unit that acquires detection information indicating a detection result from a detector configured to detect a state of the vehicle and a surrounding situation of the vehicle;

a travel history generator that generates a travel history obtained by associating an action executed by the vehicle with values of a plurality of environmental parameters specifying a travel environment when the vehicle executes the action based on the detection information; and

an action candidate determination unit that determines an action candidate of the vehicle based on the travel history and the detection information acquired from the detection information input unit.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 4, wherein the action candidate determination unit selects, as an action candidate of the vehicle, an action having an actual value exceeding a first threshold from among actions executed by the vehicle under a previous similar travel environment, based on the travel history and values of a plurality of environmental parameters based on detection information currently acquired from the detection information input unit.

6. The driving assistance device according to claim 5, wherein the action candidate determination unit designates, as a recommended action recommended to the occupant, an action having a highest actual value from among actions executed by the vehicle under a previous similar travel environment.

7. The driving assistance device according to of claim 4, further comprising

an action basis determination unit that selects, as a travel-environmental basis that an action candidate selected by the occupant and received by the operation input unit is executable, an environmental parameter having a highest rate of contribution or at least one environmental parameter which has a rate of contribution exceeding a second threshold, from among a plurality of environmental parameters included in the travel history and associated with the action.

8. The driving assistance device according to of claim 3, wherein

the image generator generates an image including, in one screen an object representing the vehicle;

at least one object representing the action candidate disposed around the object representing the vehicle;

at least one object representing a subject that provides a travel-environmental basis of a selected action candidate; and

at least one object for highlighting the at least one object representing the subject providing the basis, and

the image output unit outputs the image that has been generated.

9. The driving assistance device according to claim 8, wherein the image generator changes a display size of the object which represents the subject providing the basis according to a distance between the vehicle and the subject providing the basis.

10. The driving assistance device according to claim 8, wherein

the image has a circular region around the object representing the vehicle,

the circular region is segmented into a plurality of sectorial regions,

a position where the object representing the subject providing the basis is disposed in the circular region is determined according to a positional relation between the vehicle and the subject providing the basis, and sectorial region including the position is displayed in a highlighted manner.

11. The driving assistance device according to claim 3, wherein

the image generator generates, as images in different screens, an action selection image including at least one object representing the action candidate and an overhead image including an object representing the vehicle;

at least one object representing a subject that provides a travel-environmental basis of a selected action candidate; and

at least one object for highlighting the at least one object representing the subject providing the basis, and

the image output unit outputs the action selection image and the overhead image which have been generated.

12. The driving assistance device according to claim 8, wherein the image generator highlights an object of a recommended action candidate in the at least one object representing the action candidate.

2. (canceled)

13-16. -16. (canceled)

17. An autonomous driving control device comprising

an autonomous driving controller that controls an action of a vehicle during autonomous driving of the vehicle;

an image generator that generates a first image representing an action the vehicle is capable of executing depending on a travel environment during autonomous driving and a second image representing a basis of the action; and

an image output unit that outputs the first image and the second image generated by the image generator to a notification device in the vehicle in association with each other.

18-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A driving assistance method comprising

generating a first image representing an action a vehicle is capable of executing depending on a travel environment during autonomous driving and a second image representing a basis of the action;

and

outputting the first image and the second image which have been generated to a notification device in the vehicle in association with each other.

22-24. -24. (canceled)