Driving support equipment for vehicles

• US 7,403,124 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Takashi, Kinoshita, Masahiro, Matsuo, Noriyoshi, Arakawa, Toshiya, Satomi, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/415,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20060255956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 340/575, 340/576, 340/573.1, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/901, 340/903, 340/933, 340/37
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A driving support equipment for a vehicle is provided, the equipment comprising a frontward information recognition unit for recognizing environs information at the front of the vehicle; a preceding vehicle information detection unit for detecting preceding vehicle information from the environs information at the front of the vehicle; an eye motion detection unit for detecting an eye motion of a driver who drives the vehicle; a dispersion value processing unit for processing a value showing a dispersion of the eye motions regarding the preceding vehicle, detected by the eye motion detection unit; an attention state estimation unit for estimating an attention state of the driver regarding the preceding vehicle, using the value showing the eye motion dispersion; and an alarm control unit for varying a vehicle alarm according to the estimated attention state of the driver.

Claims

1. A driving support equipment for a vehicle, comprising:

a frontward information recognition unit for recognizing environs information at the front of said vehicle;

a preceding vehicle information detection unit for detecting preceding vehicle information from the environs information at the front of said vehicle;

an eye motion detection unit for detecting an eye motion of a driver who drives the vehicle;

a dispersion value processing unit for processing a value showing a dispersion of said eye motion regarding said preceding vehicle based on the preceding vehicle information detected by the preceding vehicle information detection unit and on the eye motion detected by the eye motion detection unit;

an attention state estimation unit for estimating an attention state of the driver regarding said preceding vehicle, using said value showing the eye motion dispersion; and

an alarm control unit for varying a vehicle alarm according to said estimated attention state of the driver.

2. A driving support equipment of claim 1,

wherein if said driving attention state regarding said preceding vehicle, estimated by said attention state estimation unit, is greater than a predetermined estimation threshold value, said driving attention state regarding said preceding vehicle is determined to be greater, and said alarm control unit causes at least an alarm focused on said preceding vehicle, to be moderated in intensity from an alarm performed in a usual state.

3. A driving support equipment for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein if said driving attention state regarding said preceding vehicle, estimated by said attention state estimation unit, is lesser than an estimation threshold value which was set beforehand, said driving attention state regarding said preceding vehicle is determined to be lesser, and said alarm control unit causes at least an alarm focused on a frontward obstacle object other than said preceding vehicle, to be moderated in intensity from an alarm performed in a usual state.

4. A driving support equipment for a vehicle of claim 3, further comprising an awake degree estimation unit for estimating an awake degree of the driver when driving the vehicle,

wherein if said driving attention state focused on said preceding vehicle, estimated by said attention state estimation unit, is determined to be lesser, and also, if said awake degree is an awake time that satisfies a condition set beforehand, then said alarm control unit causes at least an alarm focused on a frontward obstruction object other than said preceding vehicle, to be moderated in intensity from an alarm performed in a usual state.

5. A driving support equipment of claim 1, wherein

the value showing the dispersion of said eye motions is either a dispersion value of, or the standard deviation of, the eyes'"'"' horizontal direction movements.

6. A driving support equipment for a vehicle, comprising:

an environs information detection unit for recognizing a solid object in an environs of the vehicle;

an eye motion detection unit for detecting an eye motion of a driver of the vehicle;

a dispersion value processing unit for processing a value showing a dispersion of the eye motions regarding said solid object based on the detected eye motion and detected information regarding said solid object; and

an attention state estimation unit for estimating an attention state of the driver regarding said solid object, using said value showing the dispersion of eye motions of the driver.

7. A driving support equipment of claim 6, wherein said attention state estimation unit estimates a steady gaze state, according to a ratio of a width of the solid object, with a value showing a dispersion of driver eye motions in a horizontal direction.

8. A driving state estimation equipment for a vehicle, comprising:

a solid object information detection unit for recognizing a solid object in an environs of the vehicle and detecting information regarding said solid object;

an eye motion detection unit for detecting an eye motion of a driver of the vehicle;

a determination area setting unit for setting a determination area based on the solid object information detected by said solid object information detection unit; and

a driving state determination unit for determining a driving state of the driver, based on a ratio of a stoppage period of a line of sight of the driver within said determination area to a standard stoppage period, said determination area being set by the determination area setting unit, and said standard stoppage period being a stoppage period of the line of sight of the driver within said determination area under circumstances set beforehand.

9. A driving state estimation equipment of claim 8, wherein

said driving state determination unit determines at least one of an overcautious state where a driving attention state regarding a preceding vehicle is greater, or an aimless state where a driving attention state regarding solid objects other than the preceding vehicle is greater.

10. A driving state estimation equipment for a vehicle, comprising:

a solid object information detection unit for recognizing a solid object in an environs of the vehicle and detecting information regarding said solid object;

an eye motion detection unit for detecting an eye motion of a driver of the vehicle;

a determination area setting unit for setting a determination area based on the solid object information detected by said solid object information detection unit; and

a driving state determination unit for determining a driving state of the driver, based on a ratio of a stoppage period of a line of sight of the driver within said determination area to a standard stoppage period, said determination area being set by the determination area setting unit, and said standard stoppage period being a stoppage period of the line of sight of the driver within said determination area under circumstances set beforehand.

11. A driving state estimation equipment of claim 10, wherein

said driving state determination unit determines at least one of an overcautious state where a driving attention state regarding a preceding vehicle is greater, or an aimless state where a driving attention state regarding solid objects other than the preceding vehicle is greater.

12. A driving state estimation equipment for a vehicle, comprising:

a solid object information detection unit for recognizing a solid object in an environs of the vehicle and detecting information regarding said solid object;

an eye motion detection unit for detecting an eye motion of a driver of the vehicle;

a determination area setting unit for setting a determination area based on the solid object information detected by said solid object information detection unit; and

a driving state determination unit for determining a driving state of the driver, based on said driver'"'"'s eye angle and on a degree of concentration of a line of sight of the driver existing within said determination area set by the determination area setting unit.

13. A driving state estimation equipment of claim 12, wherein

said driving state determination unit determines at least one of an overcautious state where a driving attention state regarding a preceding vehicle is greater, or an aimless state where a driving attention state regarding solid objects other than the preceding vehicle is greater.

14. A driving state estimation equipment for a vehicle, comprising:

a solid object information detection unit for recognizing a solid object in an environs of the vehicle and detecting information regarding said solid object;

an eye motion detection unit for detecting an eye motion of a driver of the vehicle;

a determination area setting unit for setting a determination area based on information on a plurality of solid objects detected by said solid object information detection unit which does not include information on a preceding vehicle; and

a driving state determination unit for determining a driving state of the driver, based on a degree of concentration of a line of sight existing within said determination area set by the determination area setting unit.

15. A driving state estimation equipment of claim 14, wherein

said driving state determination unit determines at least one of an overcautious state where a driving attention state regarding a preceding vehicle is greater, or an aimless state where a driving attention state regarding solid objects other than the preceding vehicle is greater.

16. A driving support equipment of claim 15, further comprising:

an alarm control unit for varying an alarm of the vehicle according to said determined driving states of the driver,

wherein if said driving state determination unit determines said overcautious state, said alarm control unit moderates in intensity at least an alarm focused on said preceding vehicle from an alarm performed in a usual state, and if said aimless state is determined, said alarm control unit moderates in intensity at least an alarm focused on frontward obstruction objects other than said preceding vehicle from an alarm performed in a usual state.