Driving support device, driving support method, and driving support program

• US 8,204,666 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Atsushi, Miyajima, Takayuki, Ogawa, Fumiharu, Kodama, Hiroyuki, Koto, Hideaki, Maruyama, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne, Darnell
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAWN, PATRICK D
• Application Number:
  US12/401,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/96, 701/93, 701/94, 701/98, 701/1, 701/36, 701/45, 180/272, 340/425.5, 340/540, 340/576
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18009 related to particular drive situations

Abstract

Factor information is acquired that indicates at least one factor that imposes a psychological effect on a driver of a host vehicle when the host vehicle is traveling on a road with a descending slope ahead of the host vehicle. An overall psychological effect that is imposed on the driver when the host vehicle is traveling on the road with the descending slope is acquired based on the factor information. The vehicle speed is controlled in a vehicle speed control section in accordance with the overall psychological effect.

Claims

1. A driving support device, comprising:

a factor information acquisition unit that acquires an item of factor information for each of plural factors that impose a psychological effect on a driver of a vehicle when the vehicle is traveling on a road with a descending slope ahead of the vehicle;

an overall psychological effect acquisition unit that, based on the acquired items of factor information, acquires an overall psychological effect that is imposed on the driver when the vehicle is traveling on the road with the descending slope; and

a vehicle speed control unit that controls the vehicle speed in accordance with the overall psychological effect; and

wherein;

the plural factors are selected from;

a state of the road with the descending slope,

a state of a road in the vicinity of the road with the descending slope,

a state of another vehicle in the vicinity of the vehicle,

a state in which a braking force of a brake that is installed in the vehicle has dropped below a specific force,

the relationship between the vehicle and the road, and

the overall psychological effect acquisition unit is adapted to acquire a degree of psychological stress for each acquired item of factor information and to acquire, as the overall psychological effect, a total of the degrees of psychological stress for all of the acquired items of factor information.

4. The driving support device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control state determination processing unit that, in accordance with the overall psychological effect, determines a driver'"'"'s intention based on a throttle position.

5. The driving support device according to claim 1 wherein

the vehicle speed control unit is adapted to control the vehicle speed by using brakes of the vehicle, by switching a shift level and by regulating an opening of a throttle valve.

6. The driving support device according to claim 1 wherein the state of the road with the descending slope is a selected factor and wherein the item of information for the state of the road with the descending slope includes the inclination of the road with the descending slope.

7. The driving support device according to claim 1 wherein the item of information for the state of the road with the descending slope further includes the distance from the vehicle to an end point of the descending slope.

8. The driving support device according to claim 1 wherein the degree of psychological stress is determined for each acquired item of information by successive comparisons of the acquired item of information with predetermined threshold values for different levels of psychological stress.

2. A driving support method, comprising the steps of:

acquiring an item of factor information indicative for each of plural factors that impose a psychological effect on a driver of a vehicle when the vehicle is traveling on a road with a descending slope ahead of vehicle;

acquiring, based on the acquired items of factor information, an overall psychological effect that is imposed on the driver when the vehicle is traveling on the road with the descending slope; and

controlling the vehicle speed in accordance with the acquired overall psychological effect; and

wherein;

the plural factors are selected from;

a state of the road with the descending slope,

a state of a road in the vicinity of the road with the descending slope,

a state of another vehicle in the vicinity of the vehicle, and

a state in which a braking force of a brake that is installed in the vehicle has dropped below a specific force,

the relationship between the vehicle and the road, and

the acquiring step is adapted to acquire a degree of psychological stress for each acquire item of factor information and to acquire, as the overall psychological effect, a total of the degrees of psychological stress for all of the acquired items of factor information.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a driving support program that causes a computer to perform the steps of claim 2.

9. The driving support method according to claim 2 wherein the state of the road with the descending slope is a selected factor and wherein the item of information for the state of the road with the descending slope includes the inclination of the road with the descending slope.

10. The driving support method according to claim 9 wherein the item of information for the state of the road with the descending slope further includes the distance from the vehicle to an end point of the descending slope.

11. The driving support device according to claim 9 wherein the degree of psychological stress is determined for each acquired item of information by successive comparisons of the acquired item of information with predetermined threshold values for different levels of psychological stress.