Navigation systems, methods, and programs

• US 7,930,096 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Okabe, Hidefumi, Kubota, Tomoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Algahaim; Helal A
• Application Number:
  US11/481,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/96, 701/200, 340/439, 340/575
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/007 adjustable by the driver, e.g. sport mode
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• 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

Navigation systems, methods, and programs provide appropriate driving guidance to a driver according to the level of the driving skills of the driver. The navigation systems, methods, and programs identify that the vehicle is in a predetermined specified condition based on information detected by a condition detecting device and detect an actual vehicle control state under the specified conditions based on information detected by an actual state detecting device. The systems, methods, and programs specify an appropriate vehicle control state according to the specified conditions. The systems, methods, and programs determine the level of the driving skills of a driver of the vehicle under the specified conditions based on the actual vehicle control state and the appropriate vehicle control state and output driving guidance according to the determined level of the driving skills under the specified conditions.

Claims

1. A navigation system for a vehicle, comprising:

a controller that;

identifies that the vehicle is in a predetermined specified condition based on information detected by a condition detecting device;

detects an actual vehicle control state under the specified conditions based on information detected by an actual state detecting device;

specifies an appropriate vehicle control state according to the specified conditions;

determines a level of driving skills of a driver of the vehicle under the specified conditions based on the actual vehicle control state and the appropriate vehicle control state;

determines a guidance mode set by the driver between a warning mode in which only warnings are output and a driving assistance mode in which necessary driving guidance is output;

determines whether the level of driving skills of the driver is below a predetermined level if the driver selects the warning mode; and

outputs the necessary driving guidance in the warning mode when the level of the driving skills of the driver is below the predetermined level.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines if the actual vehicle control state is consistent with the appropriate vehicle control state;

if the actual vehicle control state is inconsistent with the appropriate vehicle control state, outputs warnings; and

determines the level of the driving skills based on an output frequency of the warnings.

3. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined specified condition is the vehicle entering highway main traffic lanes.

4. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the information detected by the actual state detecting device comprises the steering angle of the vehicle.

5. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the information detected by the actual state detecting device comprises the speed of the vehicle.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the information detected by the actual state detecting device comprises the distance between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and nearby vehicles.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller specifies the appropriate vehicle control state based on road data, the road data relating to roads in a vicinity of the vehicle, the road data stored in a memory.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein:

the information detected by actual state detecting device comprises a location and a speed of another vehicle traveling nearby the vehicle; and

the controller specifies the appropriate vehicle control state based on the location and the speed of the other vehicle.

9. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the condition detecting device and the actual state detecting device, comprises at least one of:

a camera;

a radar unit;

a GPS receiver;

a vehicle speed sensor;

a direction sensor;

a steering angle sensor; and

a communicator that communicates with tollgates.

10. The navigation system of claim 1, further comprising:

the condition detecting device; and

the actual state detecting device.

21. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein the output frequency of the warnings includes one of a number of output occurrences and an output time interval.

11. A navigation method for a vehicle, comprising:

identifying that the vehicle is in a predetermined specified condition based on information detected by a condition detecting device;

detecting an actual vehicle control state under the specified conditions based on information detected by an actual state detecting device;

specifying an appropriate vehicle control state according to the specified conditions;

determining a level of driving skills of a driver of the vehicle under the specified conditions based on the actual vehicle control state and the appropriate vehicle control state;

determining a guidance mode set by the driver between a warning mode in which only warnings are output and a driving assistance mode in which necessary driving guidance is output;

determining whether the level of driving skills of the driver is below a predetermined level if the driver selects the warning mode; and

outputting the necessary driving guidance in the warning mode when the level of the driving skills of the driver is below the predetermined level.

12. The navigation method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining if the actual vehicle control state is consistent with the appropriate vehicle control state;

outputting warnings, if the actual vehicle control state is inconsistent with the appropriate vehicle control state; and

determining the level of the driving skills based on an output frequency of the warnings.

13. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined specified condition is the vehicle entering highway main traffic lanes.

14. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein the information detected by the actual state detecting device comprises the steering angle of the vehicle.

15. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein the information detected by the actual state detecting device comprises the speed of the vehicle.

16. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein the information detected by the actual state detecting device comprises the distance between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and nearby vehicles.

17. The navigation method of claim 11, further comprising:

specifying the appropriate vehicle control state based on road data, the road data relating to roads in a vicinity of the vehicle, the road data stored in a memory.

18. The navigation method of claim 11, wherein the information detected by actual state detecting device comprises a location and a speed of another vehicle traveling nearby the vehicle, the method further comprising:

specifying the appropriate vehicle control state based on the location and the speed of the other vehicle.

19. A storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device, the program instructions usable to implement the method of claim 11.

22. The navigation system of claim 12, wherein the output frequency of the warnings includes one of a number of output occurrences and an output time interval.

20. A navigation system for a vehicle, comprising:

means for identifying that the vehicle is in a predetermined specified condition based on information detected by condition detecting means;

means for detecting an actual vehicle control state under the specified conditions based on information detected by actual state detecting means;

means for specifying an appropriate vehicle control state according to the specified conditions;

means for determining the level of the driving skills of a driver of the vehicle under the specified conditions based on the actual vehicle control state and the appropriate vehicle control state;

means for determining a guidance mode set by the driver between a warning mode in which only warnings are output and a driving assistance mode in which necessary driving guidance is output;

means for determining whether the level of driving skills of the driver is below a predetermined level if the driver selects the warning mode; and

means for outputting the necessary driving guidance in the warning mode when the level of the driving skills of the driver is below the predetermined level.