Dangerous drive predicting apparatus

• US 8,041,494 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kubotani, Hiroyuki, Arata, Koji, Sota, Toshihiro, Mochizuki, Makoto, Iwai, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US12/097,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20090292413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,772 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119, 701/96, 701300-302, 340435-436, 340901-903, 340/500, 340/438, 342/70
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered

Abstract

A dangerous drive predicting apparatus is provided which is capable of rapidly recognizing a future situation of the own vehicle by other vehicles. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus is equipped with: drive information detecting section 110 for detecting drive information containing at least one of a drive action and vehicle information; traffic environment detecting section 120 for detecting a traffic environment around a first vehicle; driving characteristic producing/storing section 130 for producing and storing a driving characteristic every traffic environment based upon the drive information and the traffic environment; and a driving characteristic transmitting section for transmitting the driving characteristic to a second vehicle.

Claims

1. A dangerous drive predicting apparatus, comprising:

a drive information detecting section that detects drive information which includes at least one of a drive action and vehicle information, the drive action having an operation to a first vehicle by a vehicle driver, and the vehicle information having a condition of the first vehicle in connection with the drive action;

a traffic environment detecting section that detects a traffic environment around the first vehicle;

a driving characteristic producing section that produces a driving characteristic indicative of a trend of the drive action by the vehicle driver every traffic environment under which the drive action is carried out on the basis of the drive information detected by the drive information detecting section and the traffic environment detected by the traffic environment detecting section;

a driving characteristic storage section that stores the driving characteristic produced by the driving characteristic producing section; and

a driving characteristic transmitting section that transmits the driving characteristic to a second vehicle, in a case that the driving characteristic stored in the driving characteristic storage section is different from a driving characteristic related to a previously determined safe driving.

2. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving characteristic producing section produces the driving characteristic with respect to each of the vehicle drivers, who executes the drive action.

3. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a drive condition predicting section that predicts a drive condition under a future traffic environment in accordance with the drive information and the traffic environment on the basis of the driving characteristic,

wherein the driving characteristic transmitting section transmits the driving characteristic corresponding to the drive condition to the second vehicle.

9. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive action includes at least one of an accelerator manipulating operation, a braking operation, a steering wheel manipulating operation, a winker manipulating operation, and a safety confirming operation with respect to the first vehicle;

and

wherein the driving characteristic producing section produces the driving characteristic related to at least one of the accelerator manipulating operation, the braking operation, the steering wheel manipulating operation, the winker manipulating operation, and the safety confirming operation.

10. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes at least one of vehicle speed information related to a vehicle speed of the first vehicle, acceleration information related to acceleration thereof, steering angle information related to a steering angle thereof, vehicle position information related to a vehicle position thereof, and vehicle-to-vehicle distance information related to a vehicle-to-vehicle distance thereof;

and

wherein the driving characteristic producing section produces the driving characteristic related to at least one of the vehicle speed information, the acceleration information, the steering angle information, the vehicle position information, and the vehicle-to-vehicle information.

4. A dangerous drive predicting apparatus, comprising:

a drive information detecting section that detects drive information which includes at least one of a drive action and vehicle information, the drive action having an operation to a first vehicle by a vehicle driver, and the vehicle information having a condition of the first vehicle in connection with the drive action;

a traffic environment detecting section that detects a traffic environment around the first vehicle;

a driving characteristic producing section that produces a driving characteristic indicative of a trend of the drive action by the vehicle driver every traffic environment under which the drive action is carried out on the basis of the drive information detected by the drive information detecting section and the traffic environment detected by the traffic environment detecting section;

a driving characteristic storage section that stores the driving characteristic produced by the driving characteristic producing section;

a driving characteristic receiving section that receives another vehicle driving characteristic indicative of a driving characteristic of a second vehicle which is transmitted from the second vehicle; and

a dangerous driving judging section that judges that there is a possibility of the dangerous drive in the second vehicle in a case that the another vehicle driving characteristic received by the driving characteristic receiving section is different from a driving characteristic related to a previously determined safe driving.

6. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the driving characteristic producing section produces the driving characteristic with respect to each of the vehicle drivers, who executes the drive action.

11. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the driving characteristic receiving section receives the another vehicle driving characteristic related to at least one of an accelerator manipulating operation, a braking operation, a steering wheel manipulating operation, a winker manipulating operation, and a safety confirming operation with respect to the second vehicle.

14. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the driving characteristic receiving section receives the another vehicle driving characteristic related to at least one of vehicle speed information related to a vehicle speed of the second vehicle, acceleration information related to acceleration thereof, steering angle information related to a steering angle thereof, vehicle position information related to a vehicle position thereof, and vehicle-to-vehicle distance information related to a vehicle-to-vehicle distance thereof.

5. A dangerous drive predicting apparatus, comprising:

a drive information detecting section that detects drive information which includes at least one of a drive action and vehicle information, the drive action having an operation to a first vehicle by a vehicle driver, and the vehicle information having a condition of the first vehicle in connection with the drive action;

a traffic environment detecting section that detects a traffic environment around the first vehicle;

a driving characteristic producing section that produces a driving characteristic indicative of a trend of the drive action by the vehicle driver every traffic environment under which the drive action is carried out on the basis of the drive information detected by the drive information detecting section and the traffic environment detected by the traffic environment detecting section;

a driving characteristic storage section that stores the driving characteristic produced by the driving characteristic producing section;

a driving characteristic receiving section that receives another vehicle driving characteristic indicative of a driving characteristic of a second vehicle which is transmitted from the second vehicle;

a driving characteristic difference judging section that compares the another vehicle driving characteristic received by the driving characteristic receiving section with the driving characteristic stored in the driving characteristic storage section and classified in accordance with a traffic environment identical to a traffic environment of the another vehicle driving characteristics so as to judge a difference between the another vehicle characteristic and the stored driving characteristic; and

a driving characteristic difference providing section that provides the difference judged by the driving characteristic difference judging section with respect to the vehicle driver.

7. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the driving characteristic producing section produces the driving characteristic with respect to each of the vehicle drivers, who executes the drive action.

8. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in a case that the another vehicle driving characteristic received by the driving characteristic receiving section is different from a driving characteristic related to a previously determined safe driving, the driving characteristic difference providing section provides difference information related to the difference judged by the driving characteristic difference judging section.

12. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the driving characteristic receiving section receives the another vehicle driving characteristic related to at least one of an accelerator manipulating operation, a braking operation, a steering wheel manipulating operation, a winker manipulating operation, and a safety confirming operation with respect to the second vehicle.

13. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the driving characteristic difference judging section compares the another vehicle driving characteristic with a driving characteristic stored in the driving characteristic storage section, which corresponds to the another vehicle driving characteristic;

and in a case that a result of the comparison indicates that a difference is larger than or equal to a predetermined constant value, the driving characteristic difference judging section judges that the difference is present in the driving characteristic.

15. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the driving characteristic receiving section receives the another vehicle driving characteristic related to at least one of vehicle speed information related to a vehicle speed of the second vehicle, acceleration information related to acceleration thereof, steering angle information related to a steering angle thereof, vehicle position information related to a vehicle position thereof, and vehicle-to-vehicle distance information related to a vehicle-to-vehicle distance thereof.

16. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the driving characteristic difference judging section compares the another vehicle driving characteristic with a driving characteristic stored in the driving characteristic storage section, which corresponds to the another vehicle driving characteristic;

and in a case that a result of the comparison indicates that a difference is larger than or equal to a predetermined constant value, the driving characteristic difference judging section judges that the difference is present in the driving characteristic.

17. A dangerous drive predicting method, comprising:

a drive information detecting step for detecting drive information which includes at least one of a drive action and vehicle information, the drive action having an operation to a first vehicle by a vehicle driver, and the vehicle information having a condition of the first vehicle in connection with the drive action;

a traffic environment detecting step for detecting a traffic environment around the first vehicle;

a driving characteristic producing step for producing a driving characteristic indicative of a trend of the drive action by the vehicle driver every traffic environment under which the drive action is carried out on the basis of the drive information detected by the drive information detecting step and the traffic environment detected by the traffic environment detecting step;

a driving characteristic storing step for storing the driving characteristic produced by the driving characteristic producing step; and

a driving characteristic transmitting step for transmitting the driving characteristic to a second vehicle in a case that the driving characteristic stored in the driving characteristic storage section is different from a driving characteristic related to a previously determined safe driving.

18. A dangerous drive predicting method, comprising:

a drive information detecting step for detecting drive information which includes at least one of a drive action and vehicle information, the drive action having an operation to a first vehicle by a vehicle driver, and the vehicle information having a condition of the first vehicle in connection with the drive action;

a traffic environment detecting step for detecting a traffic environment around the first vehicle;

a driving characteristic producing step for producing a driving characteristic indicative of a trend of the drive action by the vehicle driver every traffic environment under which the drive action is carried out on the basis of the drive information detected by the drive information detecting step and the traffic environment detected by the traffic environment detecting step;

a driving characteristic storing step for storing the driving characteristic produced by the driving characteristic producing step;

a driving characteristic receiving step for receiving another vehicle driving characteristic indicative of a driving characteristic of a second vehicle which is transmitted from the second vehicle; and

a dangerous driving judging step for judging that there is a possibility of the dangerous drive in the second vehicle in a case that the another vehicle driving characteristic received by the driving characteristic receiving section is different from a driving characteristic related to a previously determined safe driving.

19. A dangerous drive predicting method, comprising:

a drive information detecting step for detecting drive information which includes at least one of a drive action and vehicle information, the drive action having an operation to a first vehicle by a vehicle driver, and the vehicle information having a condition of the first vehicle in connection with the drive action;

a traffic environment detecting step for detecting a traffic environment around the first vehicle;

a driving characteristic producing step for producing a driving characteristic indicative of a trend of the drive action by the vehicle driver every traffic environment under which the drive action is carried out on the basis of the drive information detected by the drive information detecting step and the traffic environment detected by the traffic environment detecting step;

a driving characteristic storing step for storing the driving characteristic produced by the driving characteristic producing step;

a driving characteristic receiving step for receiving another vehicle driving characteristic indicative of a driving characteristic of a second vehicle which is transmitted from the second vehicle;

a driving characteristic difference judging step for comparing the another vehicle driving characteristic received by the driving characteristic receiving step with the driving characteristic stored and classified in accordance with a traffic environment identical to a traffic environment of the another vehicle driving characteristics so as to judge a difference between the another vehicle characteristic and the stored driving characteristic; and

a providing step for providing the difference judged by the driving characteristic difference fudging step with respect to the vehicle driver.