Driving condition evaluation device and evaluation method

• US 8,525,656 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Kan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/133,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20110241865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 340/439, 340/435, 340/436, 123/492, 123/399, 123/349, 123/350, 123/493, 701/70, 701/110, 701/123
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A driving condition evaluation device is provided. The device includes a vehicle speed detection portion configured to detect a vehicle speed. A driving force estimation portion is configured to estimate driving force for driving a vehicle generated in accordance with a driving operation performed by a driver. A threshold value setting portion is configured to set a threshold value of the driving force based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection portion. A driving force information informing portion is configured to inform the driver of a relationship between the driving force estimated by the driving force estimation portion and the threshold value set by the threshold value setting portion.

Claims

1. A driving condition evaluation device comprising:

a vehicle speed detection portion configured to detect a vehicle speed;

a driving force estimation portion configured to estimate a not-yet-generated driving force for driving a vehicle generated in accordance with an accelerator opening before a driving force is actually generated;

a threshold value setting portion configured to set a threshold value of the not-yet-generated driving force based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection portion; and

a driving force information informing portion configured to inform a driver before the driving force is actually generated of a relationship between the not-yet-generated driving force estimated by the driving force estimation portion and the threshold value set by the threshold value setting portion.

2. The driving condition evaluation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driving force adequacy determination portion configured to determine whether the not-yet-generated driving force estimated by the driving force estimation portion is equal to or more than the threshold value setting portion or not;

wherein the driving force information informing portion is adapted to inform the driver of the determination result when the driving force adequacy determination portion determines that the not-yet-generated driving force is equal to or more than the threshold value.

3. The driving condition evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value is a maximum acceptable value of driving force assumed to be adequate among the detected vehicle speed.

4. The driving condition evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value is a value obtained by multiplying the weight of the vehicle by a maximum acceptable value of acceleration assumed to be adequate among the detected vehicle speed.

5. The driving condition evaluation device according to claim 3, wherein a correspondence relationship between the vehicle speed, and the maximum acceptable value of the acceleration or the driving force is determined in advance based on a driving environment.

6. The driving condition evaluation device according to claim 1, further comprising a driving resistance detection portion configured to detect driving resistance of the vehicle;

wherein the threshold value is corrected in accordance with the driving resistance.

7. The driving condition evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the driving force estimation portion is adapted to estimate the not-yet-generated driving force based on engine torque calculated by an engine controller based on the accelerator opening, and a transmission gear ratio and a torque converter ratio calculated by a transmission controller based on the accelerator opening.

8. The driving condition evaluation device according to claim 1, further comprising an accelerator opening detection portion;

wherein the driving force estimation portion is adapted to calculate engine torque, a transmission gear ratio, and a torque converter ratio based on the accelerator opening detected by the accelerator opening detection portion, and is adapted to estimate the not-yet-generated driving force based on the calculation result.

9. A method for evaluating a driving condition of a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a vehicle speed;

estimating a not-yet-generated driving force for driving a vehicle in accordance with an accelerator opening before a driving force is actually generated;

setting a threshold value of the not-yet-generated driving force based on the detected vehicle speed; and

informing a driver before the driving force is actually generated of a relationship between the estimated not-yet-generated driving force and the set threshold value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the detecting includes detecting an accelerator opening and the relationship is determined by comparing the estimated not-yet-generated driving force with the set threshold value.