Driving operation support device for a vehicle

• US 8,224,522 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Ikeda, Kenichi, Ohmura, Hiroshi, Matsumoto, Seiji, Hayashi, Kazuhiro, Shiraishi, Hiroko
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US12/483,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20090306852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/211, 701/300, 701/301, 340/995.1, 340/907, 340/5.7, 340/5.2, 340/435, 348/148
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A driving operation support device for a vehicle is provided herein. One exemplary driving operation support device includes a road sensor for acquiring information regarding a section of road ahead of a vehicle over which the vehicle is traveling. The driving operation support device may also include a controller for determining whether the section of road is passable for the vehicle based on the information acquired by the road sensor. The driving operation support device may further include a display provided between the section of road and a driver of the vehicle. The controller may display a guidance element on the display at a position overlapped with the section of the road as seen from the perspective of the driver, such that the guidance element indicates whether the road is passable based on the determination of the controller.

Claims

1. A driving operation support device for a vehicle comprising:

a road sensor for acquiring information regarding a section of road ahead of a vehicle, over which the vehicle is traveling;

a controller for determining whether the section of road is passable for the vehicle based on the information acquired by the road sensor; and

a display provided between the section of road and a driver of the vehicle;

wherein the controller displays a guidance element on the display at a position overlapped with the section of road as seen from a perspective of the driver, the guidance element indicating whether the section of road is passable based on the determination of the controller, and when the controller has determined the section of road to be impassable the guidance element indicates that the section of road is impassable via an arrow and a symbol positioned on the arrow indicating that the section of road is impassable.

2. A driving operation support device according to claim 1, wherein the guidance element indicates that the section of road is passable when the controller has determined the section of road to be passable.

3. A driving operation support device according to claim 1, wherein the road sensor acquires information regarding each of a plurality of lanes of the section of road,

the controller determines whether each lane is passable for the vehicle based on the information acquired by the road sensor, and

the controller causes a guidance element to be displayed in a manner that a passable lane for the vehicle is distinguishable from an impassable lane for the vehicle based on the controller determination of whether or not each lane is passable for the vehicle.

4. A driving operation support device according to claim 1, wherein

the road sensor acquires the information regarding the section of road from a memory provided inside or outside the vehicle, based on a current position of the vehicle.

5. A driving operation support device according to claim 1, wherein

the road sensor detects that an object is present on the section of road ahead of the vehicle as the information regarding the section of road.

6. A driving operation support device according to claim 1, wherein the display is provided on a front windshield of the vehicle.

7. A driving operation support device for a vehicle comprising:

a road sensor for acquiring information regarding a section of road ahead of a vehicle over which the vehicle is traveling;

a controller for determining whether the section of road is passable for the vehicle based on the information acquired by the road sensor; and

an irradiator for irradiating a visible light beam on the section of road;

wherein the controller causes the irradiator to display a guidance element on the section of road by irradiating the visible light beam, the guidance element indicating whether the section of road is passable based on the determination of the controller and where the guidance element displayed by irradiating the visible light beam indicates that the section of road is impassable when the controller has determined the section of road to be impassable via an arrow and an object projected on the section of road.

8. A driving operation support device according to claim 7, wherein the guidance element displayed by irradiating the visible light beam indicates that the section of road is passable when the controller has determined the section of road to be passable.

9. A driving operation support device according to claim 7, wherein the road sensor acquires information regarding each of a plurality of lanes of the section of road, and the controller determines whether each lane is passable for the vehicle based on the information acquired by the road sensor, and

the controller causes a guidance element to be displayed in a manner that a passable lane for the vehicle is distinguishable from an impassable lane for the vehicle based on the controller determination of whether or not each lane is passable for the vehicle.

10. A driving operation support device according to claim 7, wherein

the road sensor acquires the information regarding the section of road from a memory provided inside or outside the vehicle, based on a current position of the vehicle.

11. A driving operation support device according to claim 7, wherein

the road sensor detects that an object is present on the section of road ahead of the vehicle as the information regarding the road.

12. A driving operation support device according to claim 7, further comprising a speed sensor for detecting a traveling speed of the vehicle, wherein

the controller stops displaying the guidance element using the visible light beam, when the traveling speed detected by the speed sensor is below a predetermined speed.

13. A driving operation support device according to claim 7, further comprising an object sensor for detecting at least one of a pedestrian and an oncoming vehicle that is present on the section of road ahead of the vehicle,

wherein the controller stops displaying the guidance element using the visible light beam, when at least one of the pedestrian and the oncoming vehicle is detected by the object sensor.