Drive sense adjusting apparatus and drive sense adjusting method

• US 7,815,313 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ito, Mitsuhito, Nakashima, Hiroto, Sunda, Takashi, Shimizu, Youji, Hatano, Yoshikazu, Matsushita, Akihiro, Okada, Katsunori, Uenuma, Kenya, Iwao, Keijiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Que T
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROOKS, JERRY L.
• Application Number:
  US11/191,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20060022808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 353/12, 353/13, 353/14, 340/705, 340/439, 340/980, 340/425.5
• US Class Current: 353/13
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A control unit presents a visual stimulus onto a film adhered on an inner surface of a windscreen glass of a vehicle, and controls the visual stimulus so as to allow a driver to perceive the visual stimulus approaching the driver or receding therefrom in response to detection results of a driving environment detection unit, a vehicle status detection unit and a driver status detection unit. In such a way, visually induced vection can be produced for the driver by the visual stimulus. Accordingly, a drive sense of the driver can be adjusted in response to a vehicle state quantity, a driving environment and a driver state.

Claims

1. A drive sense adjusting apparatus for adjusting a drive sense of a driver, the drive sense adjusting apparatus being provided in a vehicle, comprising:

a visual stimulus presentation unit provided in a vision of the driver;

a driving environment detection unit for detecting a driving environment outside the vehicle;

a vehicle status detection unit for detecting a state quantity of the vehicle;

a driver status detection unit for detecting a drive state of the driver; and

a control unit for presenting a visual stimulus to the visual stimulus presentation unit, and for controlling the visual stimulus, the control unit comprising;

a visual stimulus producing unit configured to produce the visual stimulus; and

a visual stimulus motion controller configured to control motion of the visual stimulus produced by the visual stimulus producing unit in response to at least one detection result of the driving environment detection unit, the vehicle status detection unit and the driver status detection unit, the controlled motion of the visual stimulus providing the driver with a perception of the visual stimulus approaching the driver or receding therefrom, and with a visually induced self motion perception.

2. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit assumes at least one virtual spot in the vision of the driver, and controls the visual stimulus to allow the driver to perceive the visual stimulus approaching the driver or receding therefrom from the virtual spot.

3. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit estimates a focus of expansion, and assumes, as a virtual spot, the estimated focus of expansion or a spot in a vicinity thereof.

4. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the control unit defines a virtual plane vertical to a straight line connecting an eyeball position of the driver and the virtual spot to each other, divides the virtual plane into plural regions, and controls the visual stimulus to be projected on at least one of the plural regions when the visual stimulus presented to the visual stimulus presentation unit is projected on the virtual plane.

5. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, when the control unit sets a circular or square region with an intersection of the straight line connecting the eyeball position of the driver and the virtual spot to each other and the virtual plane taken as a center, and projects the visual stimulus presented to the visual stimulus presentation unit on the virtual plane, the control unit controls so that the visual stimulus cannot be projected within the set circular or square region or a transmittance of the visual stimulus in the set circular or square region can become higher than a transmittance of the visual stimulus in other regions.

6. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, when the control unit divides the virtual plane into two regions in a horizontal direction, and projects the visual stimulus presented to the visual stimulus presentation unit on the virtual plane, the control unit controls the visual stimulus to be projected only on a lower region thus divided.

7. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, when the control unit radially divides the virtual plane with a vehicle heading direction taken as a center, and projects the visual stimulus presented to the visual stimulus presentation unit on the virtual plane, the control unit controls the visual stimulus, in response to a running condition, to be projected on at least one of the regions radially divided.

8. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit varies, uniformly or step by step, at least one of a brightness, contrast, color, density and opacity of the visual stimulus in response to a distance from the virtual spot.

9. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit includes unit that detects light quantities outside the vehicle and inside a cabin, and varies at least one of the brightness, contrast, color, density and opacity of the visual stimulus uniformly or step by step in response to the light quantities outside the vehicle and inside the cabin.

10. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit determines whether or not there is a lurch of the vehicle for a fixed time based on the detection result of the vehicle status detection unit, and when the lurch of the vehicle exists, presents the visual stimulus from the virtual point fixed to a global coordinate system.

11. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit determines whether or not the heading direction of the vehicle is obscure for the driver based on the detection result of the driving environment detection unit, and when the heading direction of the vehicle is obscure for the driver, presents the visual stimulus.

12. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit determines whether or not a degree of arousal of the driver is low or whether or not the driver is looking aside while driving based on the detection result of the driver status detection unit, and when the degree of arousal of the driver is low or when the driver is looking aside while driving, presents the visual stimulus.

13. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein, in response to an angle variation of a vector of acceleration about an axis of the vehicle heading direction, the acceleration being applied to the driver or the vehicle, the control unit rotationally displaces the visual stimulus about an axis of a sight of the driver and in the same direction as a direction of an angle variation of the vector of acceleration.

14. The drive sense adjusting apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit moves the virtual spot in a left or right direction and a lower direction by a distance proportional to a steering angle of the vehicle.

15. A drive sense adjusting method for adjusting a drive sense of a driver, the drive sense adjusting method being provided in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting a driving environment outside the vehicle;

detecting a state quantity of the vehicle;

detecting a drive state of the driver;

producing a visual stimulus;

controlling motion of the produced visual stimulus in response to at least one of the detected driving environment, vehicle status and driver status, the controlled motion of the visual stimulus providing the driver with a perception of the visual stimulus approaching the driver or receding therefrom, and with a visually induced self-motion perception; and

presenting the visual stimulus.