Driving assist system

• US 6,934,614 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hijikata, Shunsuke, Yamamura, Tomohiro, Kitazaki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/226,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20030060936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/301, 701/117, 701/45, 701/96, 701/41, 701/72, 701/70, 342/70, 342/71, 340/436
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/823 Obstacle sensing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/824 Travel path sensing; Track monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/16 GPS track data
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/166 Platooning
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/704 predicting unorthodox driving conditions for safe or optimal driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/96 ASC - Assisted or power Steering control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/97 Engine Management System [EMS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/982 Active Cruise Control, e.g. DISTRONIC type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/021 with means for providing feel, e.g. by changing pedal force characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/083 using active brake actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/087 using active steering actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/089 using optical detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/087 where the control system corrects or modifies a request from the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A driving assist system for assisting effort by an operator to operate a vehicle in traveling is provided. The assist system receives data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle. A controller, mounted to the vehicle, determines future environment in the field, makes an operator response plan in response to the determined future environment to determine command, and generates the command. The operator response plan prompts the operator to operating the vehicle in a desired manner for the determined future environment. At least one actuator, mounted to the vehicle, prompts the operator in response to the command to operating the vehicle in the desired manner.

Claims

1. A driving assist system for assisting effort by an operator to operate a vehicle in traveling, the driving assist system comprising:

a data acquisition system acquiring data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle;

a controller, mounted to the vehicle, for receiving the acquired data, for predicting a future environment in the field using the acquired data, for making an operator response plan in response to the predicted future environment, which plan includes prompts to the operator to operate the vehicle in a desired manner for the predicted future environment, and for generating a command in accordance with the operator response plan; and

at least one actuator, mounted to the vehicle, for haptically prompting the operator in response to the command to operate the vehicle in the desired manner.

2. The driving assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information on environment involves information on the presence of obstacles in the field;

wherein the predicted future environment involves a risk which each of the obstacles would cause the operator to perceive; and

wherein the operator response plan is made to prompt the operator to operating the vehicle in the desired manner to reduce the risks.

3. The driving assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operator response plan includes the amount of input to the actuator, and wherein the actuator is capable of modulating reaction characteristic to manual effort by the operator.

4. The driving assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information on environment involves information on the presence of a leading vehicle ahead in the same lane on a road in the field.

5. The driving assist system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller uses information of velocity of the vehicle, velocity of the leading vehicle and relative vehicle velocity in determining future environment in the field.

6. The driving assist system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predicted future environment includes a relative position between the vehicles.

7. The driving assist system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predicted future environment includes a relative positional relation between the vehicles.

8. The driving assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator is capable of modulating reaction characteristic to manual steering effort by the operator.

9. A vehicle operated by an operator in traveling, the vehicle comprising:

a data acquisition system acquiring data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle;

a controller for predicting a future environment in the field using the acquired data, for making an operator response plan in response to the predicted future environment, which plan includes prompts to the operator to operate the vehicle in a desired manner for the predicted future environment, and for generating a command in accordance with the operator response plan; and

at least one actuator for haptically prompting the operator in response to the command to operate the vehicle in the desired manner.

10. A method for assisting effort by an operator to operate a vehicle in traveling, the method comprising:

acquiring data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle;

predicting a future environment in the field using the acquired data;

making an operator response plan in response to the predicted future environment, which plan includes prompts to the operator to operate the vehicle in a desired manner for the predicted future environment;

generating a command in accordance with the operator response plan; and

haptically prompting the operator in response to the command to operate the vehicle in the desired manner.

11. A system for assisting effort by an operator to operate a vehicle in traveling, the system comprising:

means for acquiring data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle;

means for predicting a future environment in the field using the acquired data;

means for making an operator response plan in response to the determined future environment, which plan includes prompts to the operator to operate the vehicle in a desired manner for the predicted future environment;

means for generating a command in accordance with the operator response plan; and

means for haptically prompting the operator in response to the command to operate the vehicle in the desired manner.

12. A vehicle operated by an operator in traveling, the vehicle comprising:

means for acquiring data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle;

means for predicting a future environment in the field using the acquired data;

means for making an operator response plan in response to the predicted future environment, which plan includes prompts to the operator to operate the vehicle in a desired manner for the predicted future environment;

means for generating a command in accordance with the operator response plan; and

means for haptically prompting the operator in response to the command to operate the vehicle in the desired manner.

13. A method for assisting effort by an operator to operate a vehicle in traveling, the method comprising:

acquiring data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle;

determining, based on the acquired data, an estimate of a desired future environment in the field around the vehicle; and

haptically prompting the operator to operate the vehicle in a manner to accomplish the determined estimate of the desired future environment in the field around the vehicle.

14. A method for assisting effort by an operator to operate a vehicle in traveling, the method comprising:

acquiring data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle;

determining, based on the acquired data, an estimate of a future environment in the field around the vehicle;

making an operator response plan, which plan includes prompts to the operator to operate the vehicle in a desired path of travel through the estimate of future environment in the field around the vehicle; and

modulating reaction characteristic to manual effort applied onto at least one of a steering wheel, an accelerator and a brake of the vehicle by the operator to haptically prompt the operator to operate the vehicle in a manner to accomplish the operator response plan.

15. A driving assist system for assisting a vehicle operator operating vehicle operator controlled input devices of a vehicle in traveling, the driving assist system comprising:

a data acquisition system acquiring data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle;

a controller, mounted to the vehicle, for receiving the acquired data, for predicting future environment in the field around the vehicle using the acquired data, for making an operator response plan in response to the predicted future environment, which plan includes prompts to the operator to operate the vehicle in a desired manner for the predicted future environment, and

for generating a command in accordance with the operator response plan; and

at least one actuator mounted to the vehicle and coupled to one of the operator controlled input devices to act on the vehicle operator in response to the command in a manner that haptically prompts the vehicle operator to operate the vehicle in the desired manner for the predicted future environment.

16. A driving assist system for assisting a vehicle operator operating vehicle operator controlled input devices of a vehicle in traveling, the driving assist system comprising:

a data acquisition system acquiring data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle;

a controller, mounted to the vehicle, for receiving the acquired data, for predicting a future environment in the field around the vehicle using the acquired data, for making an operator response plan in response to the predicted future environment, which plan includes prompts to the operator to operate the vehicle in a desired manner for the determined future environment, and for generating a command in accordance with the operator response plan; and

at least one actuator mounted to the vehicle and coupled to one of the operator controlled input devices to provide a force to the vehicle operator in response to the command in a manner that haptically prompts the vehicle operator to operate the vehicle in the desired manner for the predicted future environment.

17. A driving assist system for assisting a vehicle operator operating vehicle operator controlled input devices of a vehicle in traveling, the driving assist system comprising:

a data acquisition system acquiring data including information on vehicle state and information on environment in a field around the vehicle;

a controller, mounted to the vehicle, for receiving the acquired data, for predicting a future environment in the field around the vehicle using the acquired data, for making an operator response plan in response to the predicted future environment, which plan includes prompts to the operator to operate the vehicle in a desired manner for the determined future environment, for generating a command in accordance with the operator response plan; and

at least one actuator mounted to the vehicle and coupled to one of the operator controlled input devices to mechanically affect operation of the one of the operator controlled input devices in response to the command in a manner that haptically prompts the vehicle operator to operate the vehicle in the desired manner for the predicted future environment.