Vehicle agent system acting for driver in controlling in-vehicle devices

• US 20030167112A1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Akiyama, Susumu
• Granted Patent: US 6,853,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/086 using driver related features
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/06 Improving the dynamic response of the control system, e.g. improving the speed of regulation or avoiding hunting or overshoot

Abstract

A vehicle agent system controls operation of relevant in-vehicle devices as execution of a practical response for acting for a driver. When a command is inputted by the driver or a notification is inputted from an in-vehicle network, an assumed response is selected from driver information stored in a RAM, based on the command or the notification. The selected assumed response including parameters is presented to the driver. When the driver inputs a command for permitting the selected assumed response or the driver inputs no command for a predetermined period, the selected assumed response is determined to be the practice response. When the driver inputs modification, the selected assumed response is modified into the practical response.

Claims

1. An agent system acting for a driver of a vehicle that has a device, the agent system comprising:

command inputting means for inputting a plurality of commands from the driver;

state detecting means for detecting at least one of states of the device and surroundings of the vehicle;

information storing means for storing driver information including a plurality of assumption responses to be probably operated by the driver according to either of a predetermined command and a predetermined state;

response selecting means for selecting, either of when a given command is inputted by the driver and when the state detected by the state detecting means changes, a given assumption response from the plurality of the assumption responses stored in the information storing means, based on either of the given command inputted from the driver and the change of the state;

response determining means for determining, after the given assumption response selected by the response selecting means is presented to the driver, a practice response based on the given assumption response and a certain command that is inputted from the driver and relates to the presented given assumption response; and

controlling means for controlling the device based on the practice response determined by the response determining means.

2. An agent system according to claim 1, further comprising:

information modifying means for modifying the driver information stored in the information storing means based on the practice response determined by the response determining means.

3. An agent system according to claim 1, further comprising:

information installing means for installing to the information storing means the driver information read out from a predetermined information source.

4. An agent system according to claim 3,

wherein the predetermined information source includes an electronic key that stores the driver information.

5. An agent system according to claim 3, further comprising:

driver identifying means for identifying the driver,

wherein the information installing means reads out from the predetermined information source the driver information that corresponds to the driver identified by the driver identifying means.

6. An agent system according to claim 5,

wherein the driver identifying means identifies the driver based on identification information read out from an electronic key.

7. An agent system according to claim 5,

wherein the predetermined information source is included in a server located in a network outside of the vehicle, and

wherein the information installing means accesses the server via a wireless communication line.

8. An agent system according to claim 3,

wherein the information installing means changes the driver information read out from the predetermined information source according to the state detected by the state detecting means.

9. An agent system according to claim 1, further comprising:

information providing means for providing the driver with a plurality of pieces of provision information according to an ordering of priority that is possessed by each piece of the provision information.

10. An agent system according to claim 9,

wherein the information providing means changes the ordering of the priory of each piece of the provision information according to the state detected by the state detecting means.

11. An agent system according to claim 9,

wherein the provision information relating to controlling travel of the vehicle is given top priority to.

12. An agent system according to claim 1,

wherein communication among the command inputting means, state detecting means, the information storing means, the response selecting means, the response determining means, and the controlling means is executed by using at least a communication network in the vehicle.

13. An electronic control unit acting for a driver of a vehicle that has a device and a plurality of communication networks, the electronic control unit comprising:

command inputting means for inputting a plurality of commands from the driver;

state detecting means for detecting at least one of states of the device and surroundings of the vehicle;

information storing means for storing driver information including a plurality of assumption responses to be probably operated by the driver according to either of a predetermined command and a predetermined state;

response selecting means for selecting, either of when a given command is inputted by the driver and when the state detected by the state detecting means changes, a given assumption response from the plurality of the assumption responses stored in the information storing means, based on either of the given command inputted from the driver and the change of the state;

response determining means for determining, after the given assumption response selected by the response selecting means is presented to the driver, a practice response based on the given assumption response and a certain command that is inputted from the driver and relates to the presented given assumption response;

controlling means for controlling the device based on the practice response determined by the response determining means; and

gateway means for interconnecting the plurality of the networks.

14. A method for acting for a driver of a vehicle that has a device, the method comprising steps of:

inputting a plurality of commands from the driver;

detecting at least one of states of the device and surroundings of the vehicle;

storing driver information including a plurality of assumption responses to be probably operated by the driver according to either of a predetermined command and a predetermined state;

selecting, either of when a given command is inputted by the driver and when the detected state changes, a given assumption response from the plurality of the stored assumption responses, based on either of the given command inputted from the driver and the change of the state;

determining, after the selected given assumption response is presented to the driver, a practice response based on the given assumption response and a certain command that is inputted from the driver and relates to the presented given assumption response; and

controlling the device based on the determined practice response.