Driving support device, vehicle, and control program

• US 9,449,517 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Chiba, Takeshi, Saito, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEBER, TAMARA L
• Application Number:
  US14/507,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

There is provided a driving support device includes a communication unit configured to perform communication with another vehicle; a storage unit configured to store reference information including information regarding positional relationship of the another vehicle with respect to an own-vehicle, information regarding a direction of relative displacement of the another vehicle with respect to the own-vehicle, and a control threshold value, each associated with one another; and a control unit configured to perform predetermined safety control based on whether or not information derived from running information on the another vehicle received by the communication unit and running information on the own-vehicle correspond to the reference information stored by the storage unit.

Claims

1. A driving support device comprising:

a communication unit configured to perform communication with another vehicle;

a storage unit configured to store reference information including position information regarding positional relationship of the another vehicle with respect to an own-vehicle, direction information regarding a direction of relative displacement of the another vehicle with respect to the own-vehicle, and a control threshold value, the position information, the direction information and the control threshold being associated with each of classified patterns of encounter situation between the another vehicle and the own-vehicle; and

a control unit configured to determine whether the another vehicle encounters the own-vehicle for each of the classified patterns of encounter situation, based on information derived from running information on the another vehicle received by the communication unit and running information on the own-vehicle, and based on the reference information stored by the storage unit, and configured to perform predetermined safety control in accordance with the determination result of whether the another vehicle encounters the own-vehicle,

wherein the predetermined safety control instructs the own-vehicle to perform one of generating a warning sound, causing a braking device to output a braking force, and causing a portion which is in constant contact with a driver to vibrate,

wherein the position information regarding positional relationship in the reference information includes a range of azimuth of the another vehicle as viewed from a reference azimuth of the own-vehicle and a range of relative distance between the another vehicle and the own-vehicle,

wherein the control unit performs the predetermined safety control when an azimuth and a relative distance of the another vehicle each fall within the range of azimuth of the another vehicle and the range of relative distance, the azimuth and relative distance of the another vehicle being derived from the running information on the another vehicle and the running information on the own-vehicle,

wherein the control unit is configured to select, as the reference azimuth of the own-vehicle, an own-vehicle moving azimuth at present time to which a central axis of the own-vehicle is presently directed, or different azimuth different from the own-vehicle moving azimuth at the present time, by using information regarding turn of the own-vehicle, and

wherein the different azimuth is an azimuth having an azimuth angle direction which is opposite to the direction of the turn of the own-vehicle with respect to the own-vehicle moving azimuth.

2. The driving support device according to claim 1,

wherein the reference information is provided for each of classified patterns of encounter situation between the another vehicle and the own-vehicle, and

the control unit performs the predetermined safety control based on the reference information for each pattern of encounter situation.

3. A vehicle comprising:

the driving support device according to claim 1; and

a collection unit configured to transmit the running information on the own-vehicle to the driving support device.

4. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit:

calculates a relative moving direction of the another vehicle, and a relative distance of the another vehicle, with respect to the own vehicle using the running information of the another vehicle and the running information of the own vehicle,

determines whether there is possibility of collision between the another vehicle and the own vehicle by detecting that the another vehicle enters a preset area using the relative distance, and if so;

determines whether the possibility of collision is high or not by evaluating correspondence between the relative moving direction of the another vehicle and the reference information.

5. The driving support device according to claim 4, wherein the preset area extends radially from the own vehicle.

6. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein each of the classified patterns of encounter situation is associated with a plurality of preset areas, and the position information, the direction information and the control threshold are associated with each of the preset areas.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a control program causing a computer to execute the steps comprising:

performing communication with another vehicle;

storing reference information including position information regarding positional relationship of the another vehicle with respect to an own-vehicle, direction information regarding a direction of relative displacement of the another vehicle with respect to the own-vehicle, and a control threshold value, the position information, the direction information and the control threshold being associated with each of classified patterns of encounter situation between the another vehicle and the own-vehicle; and

determining whether the another vehicle encounters the own-vehicle for each of the classified patterns of encounter situation, based on information derived from running information on the another vehicle received in the performing communication and running information on the own-vehicle, and based on the stored reference information, and performing predetermined safety control in accordance with the determination result of whether the another vehicle encounters the own-vehicle,

wherein the predetermined safety control instructs the own-vehicle to perform one of generating a warning sound, causing a braking device to output a braking force, and causing a portion which is in constant contact with a driver to vibrate,

wherein the position information regarding positional relationship in the reference information includes a range of azimuth of the another vehicle as viewed from a reference azimuth of the own-vehicle and a range of relative distance between the another vehicle and the own-vehicle,

wherein the performing step further includes performing the predetermined safety control when an azimuth and a relative distance of the another vehicle each fall within the range of azimuth of the another vehicle and the range of relative distance, the azimuth and relative distance of the another vehicle being derived from the running information on the another vehicle and the running information on the own-vehicle,

wherein the determining step includes selecting, as the reference azimuth of the own-vehicle, an own-vehicle moving azimuth at present time to which a central axis of the own-vehicle is presently directed, or different azimuth different from the own-vehicle moving azimuth at the present time, by using information regarding turn of the own-vehicle, and

wherein the different azimuth is an azimuth having an azimuth angle direction which is opposite to the direction of the turn of the own-vehicle with respect to the own-vehicle moving azimuth.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein each of the classified patterns of encounter situation is associated with a plurality of preset areas, and the position information, the direction information and the control threshold are associated with each of the preset areas.

9. A driving support method comprising:

obtaining running information of another vehicle via communication with the another vehicle using wireless communication device;

obtaining running information of an own vehicle;

calculating, using a computer, a relative moving direction of the another vehicle, and a relative distance of the another vehicle with respect to the own vehicle using the running information of the another vehicle and the running information of the own vehicle;

determining, using the computer, based on information derived from the running information of the another vehicle and the running information of the own-vehicle, and based on reference information stored in a storage device, whether there is possibility of collision between the another vehicle and the own vehicle for each of classified patterns of encounter situation between the another vehicle and the own-vehicle; and

performing predetermined safety control when it is determined that there is possibility of collision,

wherein the reference information includes position information regarding positional relationship of the another vehicle with respect to the own vehicle, direction information regarding a direction of relative displacement of the another vehicle with respect to the own vehicle, and a control threshold value, the position information, the direction information and the control threshold being associated with each of the classified patterns of encounter situation between the another vehicle and the own-vehicle,

wherein the predetermined safety control instructs the own-vehicle to perform one of generating a warning sound, causing a braking device to output a braking force, and causing a portion which is in constant contact with a driver to vibrate,

wherein the position information regarding positional relationship in the reference information includes a range of azimuth of the another vehicle as viewed from a reference azimuth of the own-vehicle and a range of relative distance between the another vehicle and the own-vehicle,

wherein the performing step further includes performing the predetermined safety control when an azimuth and a relative distance of the another vehicle each fall within the range of azimuth of the another vehicle and the range of relative distance, the azimuth and relative distance of the another vehicle being derived from the running information on the another vehicle and the running information on the own-vehicle,

wherein the determining step includes selecting, as the reference azimuth of the own-vehicle, an own-vehicle moving azimuth at present time to which a central axis of the own-vehicle is presently directed, or different azimuth different from the own-vehicle moving azimuth at the present time, by using information regarding turn of the own-vehicle, and

wherein the different azimuth is an azimuth having an azimuth angle direction which is opposite to the direction of the turn of the own-vehicle with respect to the own-vehicle moving azimuth.

10. The driving support method according to claim 9 further comprising:

determining whether there is possibility of collision between the another vehicle and the own vehicle by detecting that the another vehicle enters a preset area by using the relative distance, and if so;

determining whether the possibility of collision is high or not by evaluating correspondence between the relative moving direction of the another vehicle and the reference information.

11. The driving support method according to claim 10, wherein the preset area extends radially from the own vehicle.

12. The driving support method according to claim 9, wherein each of the classified patterns of encounter situation is associated with a plurality of preset areas, and the position information, the direction information and the control threshold are associated with each of the preset areas.