Driving skill judging apparatus, variable steering apparatus, vehicle and driving skill judging method

• US 8,068,953 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakuma, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman; Laura
• Application Number:
  US12/149,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 180/443, 340/439, 434 64- 66, 701/29, 701/35, 701/41, 701/42
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/008 Changing the transfer ratio between the steering wheel and the steering gear by variable supply of energy, e.g. by using a superposition gear
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/007 adjustable by the driver, e.g. sport mode

Abstract

A driving skill judging apparatus for a vehicle includes: a steering angle detecting section configured to detect a steering angle of the vehicle; a high order function calculating section configured to calculate a high order function of a third order or more, and which is for approximating a transition state of the steering angle based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section; and a skill judging section configured to judge a driving skill based on a comparative result between a transition state of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section and the high order function calculated by the high order function calculating section.

Claims

1. A driving skill judging apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a steering angle detecting section configured to detect a steering angle of the vehicle;

a high order function calculating section configured to calculate a high order function of a third order or more, and which is for approximating a transition state of the steering angle based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section; and

a skill judging section configured to judge a driving skill based on a comparative result between a transition state of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section and the high order function calculated by the high order function calculating section.

2. The driving skill judging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high order function calculating section calculates a first high order function of a third order or more, and a second high order function of an order larger than the order of the first high order function;

and the skill judging section is configured to judge the driving skill based on a difference between the transition state of the steering angle and the first high order function, and a difference between the transition state of the steering angle and the second high order function.

3. The driving skill judging apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the high order function calculating section includes a steering start point detecting section configured to detect a steering start point indicating a point at which the steering is started, based on the record of the steering angle;

a steering target point detecting section configured to detect a steering target point indicating a point at which the steering is returned, based on the record of the steering angle; and

an approximation function calculating section configured to calculate the first high order function and the second high order function for approximating the transition state of the steering angle from the steering start point to the steering target point, based on the record of the steering angle.

4. The driving skill judging apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first high order function is a cubic function;

and the second high order function is a quintic function.

5. The driving skill judging apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the steering start point detecting section determines the steering start point when an absolute value of variation speed of the steering angle becomes greater than a third threshold value from a state in which the absolute value of the steering angle is smaller than a first threshold value and the absolute value of the variation speed of the steering angle is smaller than a second threshold value.

6. The driving skill judging apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the steering target point sensing section determines the steering target point when the steering angle is maximized.

7. The driving skill judging apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the high order function calculating section includes a steering target point detecting section configured to detect a steering target point indicating a point at which the steering is returned, based on the record of the steering angle;

a steering end point detecting section configured to detect a steering end point indicating a point at which the steering is finished, based on the record of the steering angle;

an approximation function calculating section configured to calculate the first high order function and the second high order function for approximating the transition state of the steering angle from the steering target point to the steering end point, based on the record of the steering angle.

8. The driving skill judging apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the steering end point detecting section determines the steering end point when an absolute value of a variation quantity of the steering angle becomes smaller than a sixth threshold value from a state in which the absolute value of the steering angle is smaller than a fourth threshold value and the absolute value of the variation speed of the steering angle is greater than a fifth threshold value.

9. The driving skill judging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high order function calculating section is configured to calculate the high order function by least square method, based on the steering angle.

10. The driving skill judging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the skill judging section is configured to judge the driving skill based on mean square of difference between the transition state of the steering angle and the high order function.

11. A variable steering apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a steering angle detecting section configured to detect a steering angle of the vehicle;

a high order function calculating section configured to calculate a high order function of a third order or more, and which is for approximating a transition state of the steering angle based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section;

a skill judging section configured to judge a driving skill based on a comparative result between a transition state of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section and the high order function calculated by the high order function calculating section; and

a variable gear ratio steering device arranged to control a ratio between the steering angle and an actual steering angle based on the judgment result of the driving skill by the skill judging section.

12. A variable steering apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a steering angle detecting section configured to detect a steering angle of the vehicle;

a high order function calculating section configured to calculate a high order function of a third order or more, and which is for approximating a transition state of the steering angle based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section;

a skill judging section configured to judge a driving skill based on a comparative result between a transition state of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section and the high order function calculated by the high order function calculating section; and

an electromotive power steering device arranged to assist a steering force, and to set a characteristic of the assist of the steering force based on the judgment result of the driving skill by the skill judgment section.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a steering wheel;

a steering angle detecting section configured to detect a steering angle of the steering wheel;

a high order function calculating section configured to calculate a high order function of a third order or more, and which is for approximating a transition state of the steering angle based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section; and

a skill judging section configured to judge a driving skill based on a comparative result between a transition state of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section and the high order function calculated by the high order function calculating section.

14. A driving skill judging method for a vehicle comprising:

detecting a steering angle of the vehicle;

calculating a high order function of a third order or more, and which is for approximating a transition state of the steering angle based on the steering angle; and

judging a driving skill based on a comparative result between a transition state of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section and the high order function.