Driving assistance device, driving assistance method, and computer readable medium

• US 9,637,135 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/936,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20160159370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 340457
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal

Abstract

A driving assistance device includes: a switch information acquisition section that acquires switch information indicating a switch from a first travelling operation state to a second travelling operation state, in which the occupant drives manually; a degree of tension information acquisition section that acquires information indicating a degree of tension of an occupant; a perception state presentation section that presents a perception state indicating a state of stimulus perceived by the occupant using touch; and a controller that, when the switch information has been acquired, causes a first perception state corresponding to the degree of tension to be presented by the perception state presentation section as the perception state, and causes presentation by the perception state presentation section so as to transition from the first perception state to a second perception state determined for when the occupant manually drives.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device, comprising:

a switch information acquisition section that acquires switch information indicating a switch from a first travelling operation state, in which a driving assistance section performs driving assistance processing that assists driving of a vehicle by an occupant of the vehicle, to a second travelling operation state, in which the occupant drives the vehicle manually;

a degree of tension information acquisition section that acquires information indicating a degree of tension of the occupant;

a perception state presentation section that causes a part of the vehicle to present a tactile stimulus to the occupant; and

a controller that, in cases in which the switch information has been acquired, causes a first level of the tactile stimulus, corresponding to the degree of tension, to be presented by the perception state presentation section, and subsequently causes the perception state presentation section to transition from presenting the first level of the tactile stimulus to a second level of the tactile stimulus that is determined for when the occupant manually drives the vehicle, the second level being different from the first level.

2. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein:

the perception state presentation section is configured to present the tactile stimulus by controlling at least one of a rigidity or a temperature of the part of the vehicle; and

the controller employs a set value that identifies at least one of a first rigidity or a first temperature as the first level of the tactile stimulus, and employs a set value identifying at least one of a second rigidity or a second temperature as the second level of the tactile stimulus.

3. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein:

the perception state presentation section comprises a vibrating section capable of vibrating at a specific cycle; and

the controller causes the first level of the tactile stimulus to be presented by causing the vibrating section to vibrate by employing a first cycle that corresponds to a breathing cycle in which an inhalation and exhalation pair by the occupant is a single cycle and that corresponds to the degree of tension, and by causing the vibrating section to transition from vibrating while employing the first cycle, to vibrating while employing a second cycle determined to correspond to the breathing cycle for when the occupant is driving manually, the second cycle being different from the first cycle.

4. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein the part of the vehicle is one or both of a steering wheel and a seat of the vehicle.

5. The driving assistance device of claim 1, wherein the controller stores a plurality of guiding patterns indicating a progress of the transition from the first level of the tactile stimulus to the second level of the tactile stimulus, and causes the level of the tactile stimulus to transition from the first level to the second level based on one of the guiding patterns selected from the plurality of guiding patterns.

6. A driving assistance method, comprising:

acquiring switch information indicating a switch from a first travelling operation state, in which a driving assistance section performs driving assistance processing that assists driving of a vehicle by an occupant of the vehicle, to a second travelling operation state, in which the occupant drives the vehicle manually;

acquiring information indicating a degree of tension of the occupant; and

in cases in which the switch information has been acquired, causing a first level of tactile stimulus, corresponding to the degree of tension, to be presented by a part of the vehicle to the occupant of the vehicle, and subsequently causing the presented level of the tactile stimulus to transition from the first level of the tactile stimulus to a second level of the tactile stimulus that is determined for when the occupant manually drives the vehicle, the second level being different from the first level.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a driving assistance program that causes a computer to execute processing, the processing comprising:

acquiring switch information indicating a switch from a first travelling operation state, in which a driving assistance section performs driving assistance processing that assists driving of a vehicle by an occupant of the vehicle, to a second travelling operation state in which the occupant drives the vehicle manually;

acquiring information indicating a degree of tension of the occupant; and

in cases in which the switch information has been acquired, causing a first level of tactile stimulus, corresponding to the degree of tension, to be presented by a part of the vehicle to the occupant of the vehicle, and subsequently causing the presented level of the tactile stimulus to transition from the first level of the tactile stimulus to a second level of the tactile stimulus that is determined for when the occupant manually drives the vehicle, the second level being different from the first level.