Vehicle drive support device

• US 8,645,058 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Yuki, Matsumura, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US13/203,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20110313592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 701409-416, 701/418, 701420-425, 701/450, 701/451, 701/452
• US Class Current: 701/411
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

In a vehicle drive support device 10a including an optical beacon communicator 11 that acquires exterior information on roads from an optical beacon communicator 100 on the roadside outside a subject vehicle, a navigation system 12 that acquires interior information on roads inside the subject vehicle and a vehicle drive support processing unit 24 that performs vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle using the exterior information acquired by the optical beacon communicator 11, the vehicle drive support processing unit 24 changes use aspects of the exterior information for the vehicle drive support in accordance with the interior information acquired by the navigation system 12. Accordingly, it becomes possible to perform the vehicle drive support by more efficiently using the information from outside of the subject vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive support device comprising:

exterior information acquisition means capable of acquiring exterior information on roads from an external information source outside a subject vehicle;

interior information acquisition means capable of acquiring interior information on roads from an interior information source inside the subject vehicle; and

vehicle drive support means for performing vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle using the exterior information acquired by the exterior information acquisition means,

wherein the vehicle drive support means changes use aspects of the exterior information for the vehicle drive support in accordance with the interior information acquired by the interior information acquisition means, and

the exterior information acquisition means changes the exterior information to be acquired in accordance with a time when the interior information acquisition means acquires the interior information.

6. The vehicle drive support device according to claim 1, wherein the exterior information acquisition means lessens the exterior information to be acquired as the time when the interior information acquisition means acquires the interior information becomes more recent.

2. A vehicle drive support device comprising:

exterior information acquisition means capable of acquiring exterior information on roads from an external information source outside a subject vehicle;

interior information acquisition means capable of acquiring interior information on roads from an interior information source inside the subject vehicle; and

vehicle drive support means for performing vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle using the exterior information acquired by the exterior information acquisition means,

wherein the vehicle drive support means changes use aspects of the exterior information for the vehicle drive support in accordance with the interior information acquired by the interior information acquisition means,

the vehicle drive support means performs the vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle using the interior information acquired by the interior information acquisition means, and

the exterior information acquisition means changes the exterior information to be acquired in accordance with the contents of the vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle that the vehicle drive support means performs using the interior information.

8. The vehicle drive support device according to claim 2, wherein the exterior information acquisition means lessens the exterior information to be acquired as a priority of the contents of the vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle, which the vehicle drive support means performs using the interior information, becomes higher.

3. A vehicle drive support device comprising:

exterior information acquisition means capable of acquiring exterior information on roads from an external information source outside a subject vehicle;

interior information acquisition means capable of acquiring interior information on roads from an interior information source inside the subject vehicle; and

vehicle drive support means for performing vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle using the exterior information acquired by the exterior information acquisition means,

wherein the vehicle drive support means changes use aspects of the exterior information for the vehicle drive support in accordance with the interior information acquired by the interior information acquisition means, and

the vehicle drive support means performs the vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle by adding the interior information to the exterior information in accordance with time when the interior information acquisition means acquires the interior information.

10. The vehicle drive support device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle drive support means performs the vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle by lessening the interior information that is added to the exterior information as the time when the interior information acquisition means acquires the interior information becomes earlier.

4. A vehicle drive support device comprising:

exterior information acquisition means capable of acquiring exterior information on roads from an external information source outside a subject vehicle;

interior information acquisition means capable of acquiring interior information on roads from an interior information source inside the subject vehicle; and

vehicle drive support means for performing vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle using at least one of the exterior information acquired by the exterior information acquisition means and the interior information acquired by the interior information acquisition means,

wherein the exterior information acquisition means determines whether to acquire the exterior information or changes the exterior information to be acquired in accordance with a time when the interior information acquisition means acquires the interior information.

7. The vehicle drive support device according to claim 4, wherein the exterior information acquisition means lessens the exterior information to be acquired as the time when the interior information acquisition means acquires the interior information becomes more recent.

5. A vehicle drive support device comprising:

exterior information acquisition means capable of acquiring exterior information on roads from an external information source outside a subject vehicle;

interior information acquisition means capable of acquiring interior information on roads from an interior information source inside the subject vehicle; and

vehicle drive support means for performing vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle using at least one of the exterior information acquired by the exterior information acquisition means and the interior information acquired by the interior information acquisition means,

wherein the exterior information acquisition means changes the exterior information to be acquired in accordance with the contents of the vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle that the vehicle drive support means performs using the interior information.

9. The vehicle drive support device according to claim 5, wherein the exterior information acquisition means lessens the exterior information to be acquired as a priority of the contents of the vehicle drive support of the subject vehicle, which the vehicle drive support means performs using the interior information, becomes higher.