Driver assisting system, method for assisting driver, and vehicle incorporating same

• US 20050110348A1
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Egami, Masahiro, Hijikata, Shunsuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,560,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42763 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/981 Warning systems, e.g. the seat or seat parts vibrates to warn the passenger when facing a danger
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

A driver assisting system calculates a risk perceived (RP) by a driver from the environment, and a potential risk. At least one actuator is coupled to a driver controlled input device (or a driver'"'"'s seat) to provide a first force to the driver controlled input device to stimulate the driver with a first form of tactile stimulus thereby to forward the calculated risk perceived (RP) to the driver, and to provide a second force to the driver controlled input device to stimulate driver with a second form of tactile stimulus thereby to forward the calculated potential risk to the driver.

Claims

1. A driver assisting system for assisting a driver, within a driver'"'"'s seat, operating a driver controlled input device of a vehicle, comprising:

a running environment detecting section detecting a running environment around the vehicle;

a risk calculating section calculating a first risk and a second risk based on the detected running environment;

a tactile stimulus controlling section translating the calculated first risk and second risk into different first and second forms of tactile stimulus, respectively; and

a tactile stimulus forwarding device that provides a first force and a second force to one of the driver'"'"'s seat and the driver controlled input device to stimulate the driver with the different first and second forms of tactile stimulus thereby to forward the first and second risks to the driver, respectively.

2. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the running environment detecting section detects an obstacle around the vehicle and calculates a vehicle speed standard, and wherein the risk calculating section calculates the first risk derived from the detected obstacle and calculates the second risk based on the calculated vehicle speed standard.

3. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 2, wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section controls the tactile stimulus forwarding device such that the calculated first risk is forwarded to the driver by stimulating the driver with the first form of tactile stimulus that varies continuously and the calculated second risk is forwarded to the driver by stimulating the driver with the second form of tactile stimulus that occurs temporarily.

4. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 3, wherein the risk calculating section calculates, as the second risk, an excess, in state, by which the vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed standard, and wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section controls the tactile stimulus forwarding device such that the driver is stimulated with the second form of tactile stimulus that occurs with a predetermined magnitude at a predetermined interval when the vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed standard.

5. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 3, wherein the risk calculating section calculates, as the second risk, an excess, in state and amount, by which the vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed standard, and wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section alters form in which the second form of tactile stimulus occurs with different values of the excess.

6. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 5, wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section varies an interval and a magnitude with which the second form of tactile stimulus occurs with different values of the excess.

7. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 5, wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section varies a magnitude with which the second form of tactile stimulus occurs with different values of the calculated first risk.

8. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 5, wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section varies a magnitude with which the second form of tactile stimulus occurs with different values of an accelerator pedal position.

9. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 5, wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section varies a frequency with which the second form of tactile stimulus occurs with different values of the excess.

10. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 3,

wherein the one of the driver'"'"'s seat and the driver controlled input device is an accelerator pedal;

wherein the tactile stimulus forwarding device includes an accelerator pedal reaction force control unit;

wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section causes the accelerator pedal reaction force control unit to provide, as the first force, an accelerator pedal reaction force that continuously varies with different values of the calculated first risk; and

wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section causes the accelerator pedal reaction force control unit to provide, as the second force, a pulse-like reaction force added to the accelerator pedal reaction force in response to the calculated second risk.

11. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 3,

wherein the one of the driver'"'"'s seat and the driver controlled input device is the driver'"'"'s seat;

wherein the tactile stimulus forwarding device includes a seat control unit;

wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section causes the seat control unit to provide, as the first force, a force that continuously vary the driver'"'"'s seat in height and hardness with different values of the calculated first risk, and

wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section causes the seat control unit to provide, as the second force, a vibration of the driver'"'"'s seat in response to the calculated second risk.

12. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 3,

wherein the one of the driver'"'"'s seat and the driver controlled input device is a steering system including a steering column;

and

wherein the tactile stimulus forwarding device includes a motor unit that retractably extends the steering column.

13. A vehicle having a plurality of driver contact surfaces, comprising:

a running environment detecting section detecting a running environment around the vehicle;

a risk calculating section calculating a first risk and a second risk based on the detected running environment;

a stimulus controlling section translating the calculated first risk and second risk into different first and second forms of stimulus, respectively; and

a risk forwarding device that provides a first force and a second force to at least one of the driver contact surfaces to stimulate the driver with the different first and second forms of stimulus thereby to forward the first and second risks to the driver, respectively.

14. The vehicle as recited in claim 13, wherein the first risk is a risk perceived (RP) by the driver and the second risk is a potential risk.

15. The vehicle as recited in claim 14, wherein the first and second forms of stimulus are each a different form of tactile stimulus, the risk forwarding device includes at least one actuator, and the driver contact surface is at least one of a driver'"'"'s seat and a driver controlled input device coupled to the at least one actuator, such that the at least one actuator provides the first force to the one of the driver'"'"'s seat and the driver controlled input device to stimulate the driver with the first form of tactile stimulus thereby to forward the calculated risk perceived (RP) to the driver, and to provide the second force to the one of the driver'"'"'s seat and the driver controlled input device to stimulate the driver with the second form of tactile stimulus thereby to forward the calculated potential risk to the driver.

16. The vehicle as recited in claim 15, wherein the calculated potential risk is indicative of an excess by which a vehicle speed of the vehicle exceeds a vehicle speed standard established after accounting for the acquired data.

17. The vehicle as recited in claim 16, wherein the first form of tactile stimulus occurs continuously when the calculated risk perceived (RP) is present, and the second form of tactile stimulus occurs temporarily when the calculated potential risk is present.

18. The vehicle as recited in claim 17, wherein the first form of tactile stimulus is continuously variable with different values of the calculated risk perceived (RP), and the second form of tactile stimulus provides repeating a discrete stimulus at interval when varying of the excess with respect to time justifies continuation of repeating the discrete stimulus.

19. The vehicle as recited in claim 18, wherein the interval at which the discrete stimulus is repeated is variable.

20. The vehicle as recited in claim 18, wherein a magnitude of discrete stimulus is variable with different values of at least one of the excess, the risk perceived (RP), an accelerator pedal position of an accelerator pedal, and a time elapsed from a moment immediately after the vehicle speed has exceeded the vehicle speed standard.

21. The vehicle as recited in claim 19, wherein the interval at which the discrete stimulus is repeated is variable with different values of at least one of the excess and a time elapsed from a moment immediately after the vehicle speed has exceeded the vehicle speed standard.

22. The vehicle as recited in claim 17, wherein the number of times the discrete stimulus is repeated within a predetermined span of time is variable with different ranges of values of the excess by which the vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed standard.

23. A method for assisting a driver, within a driver'"'"'s seat, operating a driver controlled input device of a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a running environment around the vehicle;

calculating a first risk and a second risk based on the detected running environment;

translating the calculated first risk and second risk into different first and second forms of tactile stimulus, respectively;

providing a first force to one of the driver'"'"'s seat and input device to stimulate the driver with the first form of tactile stimulus thereby to forward the calculated first risk to the driver; and

providing a second force to the one of the driver'"'"'s seat and input device to stimulate the driver with the second form of tactile stimulus thereby to forward the calculated second risk to the driver.

24. A driver assisting system for assisting a driver operating a driver controlled input device of a vehicle, comprising:

means for detecting section detecting a running environment around the vehicle;

means for calculating a first risk and a second risk based on the detected running environment;

means for translating the calculated first risk and second risk into different first and second forms of tactile stimulus, respectively; and

means for providing a first force and a second force to the driver controlled input device to stimulate the driver with the different first and second forms of tactile stimulus thereby to forward the first and second risks to the driver, respectively.

25. A driver assisting system for assisting a driver, within a vehicle have a plurality of driver contact surfaces, comprising:

a running environment detecting section detecting a running environment around the vehicle;

a risk calculating section calculating a first risk and a second risk based on the detected running environment;

a stimulus controlling section translating the calculated first risk and second risk into different first and second forms of stimulus, respectively; and

a risk forwarding device that provides a first force and a second force to at least one of the driver contact surfaces to stimulate the driver with the different first and second forms of stimulus thereby to forward the first and second risks to the driver, respectively.

26. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 25, wherein the driver contact surface to which the first force and the second force are provided is a driver'"'"'s seat.

27. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 25, wherein the driver contact surface to which the first force and the second force are provided is a driver controlled input device.

28. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 25, wherein at least one of the first and second forms of stimulus is a tactile stimulus.

29. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 28, wherein the tactile stimulus is a continuous contact stimulus.

30. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 25, wherein at least one of the first and second forms of stimulus is a non-tactile stimulus.