Operation assistance system and method

• US 20050131590A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuge, Nobuyuki, Yamamura, Tomohiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• 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 method and system for providing automatic assistance in operating a machine. A current operation performed by an operator of the machine is detected, and data related to an estimated intention of the operator is generated based on the detected operation. A state of the estimated intention of the operator is then determined. The state indicates, for example, the reliability or strength of the estimated intention. The operation of the machine is altered based on the estimated intention and the state of the estimated intention.

Claims

1. An operation assistance method comprising the steps of:

detecting an operation performed by an operator of a machine;

generating data related to an estimated intention of the operator based on the detected operation; and

identifying a state of the estimated intention of the operator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the state of the estimated intention of the operator includes the steps of:

generating data related to an estimated period of time that the operator retains the estimated intention; and

generating the state of the estimated intention based on the estimated period of time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of generating data related to an estimated period of time comprises the steps of:

generating data related to an estimated intention of the operator at a specific point in time and at least one past estimated intention of the operator before the specific point in time; and

generating data related to the estimated period of time based on the data related to the estimated intention of the operator at the specific point in time and the at least one past estimated intention of the operator before the specific point in time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the machine is a vehicle; and

the operator is a driver of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the detecting step detects an operation of the operator at each one of different points in time; and

the step of generating data related to an estimated intention of the operator comprises the steps of;

providing data related to a plurality of imaginary operators, each of the plurality of imaginary operators associated with a sequence of intentions corresponding to the different points in time, wherein each of the sequence of intentions is associated with an operation;

for each imaginary operator, calculating a likelihood value based on partial likelihood values of each imaginary operator corresponding to the different points in time, wherein each of the partial likelihood values is respectively associated with each of the sequence of intentions and the respective operation at each one of the different points in time, and is generated based on the respective detected operation of the real operator at each one of the different points in time and the respective operation of the respective one of the plurality of imaginary operators at each one of the different points in time;

selecting one of the plurality of imaginary operators based on the likelihood value of each one of the imaginary operators; and

generating the estimated intention of the real operator based on a chosen intention of the selected one of the imaginary operators.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of generating data related to an estimated intention of the operator comprises the steps of:

determining the point in time corresponding to the chosen intention;

for the selected one of the plurality of imaginary operators, determining the point in time corresponding to the last intention in the sequence of intentions that is different from the chosen intention; and

determining a period of time that the chosen intention is retained by the selected one of the plurality of imaginary operators, based on the point in time corresponding to the chosen intention and the point in time corresponding to the last intention in the sequence of intentions that is different from the chosen intention; and

generating the state of the estimated intention based on the determined period of time.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

calculating a risk potential associated with the vehicle;

calculating a reaction force based on the calculated risk potential, the estimated intention and the state of the estimated intention; and

applying the reaction force to a vehicle control device of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle control device is an acceleration pedal or a steering wheel.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of calculating a reaction force comprises the steps of:

modifying the risk potential based on the state of the estimated intention; and

calculating the reaction force based on the modified risk potential and the estimated intention.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of calculating a reaction force comprises the steps of:

calculating the reaction force based on the calculated risk potential and the estimated intention; and

modifying the calculated reaction force based on the state of the estimated intention.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of modifying the operation of the machine based on the state of the estimated intention of the operator.

12. An operation assistance system comprising:

a first device configured to detect an operation performed by an operator of a machine;

a second device configured to generate data related to an estimated intention of the operator based on the detected operation; and

a third device configured to identify a state of the estimated intention of the operator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the third device is configured to generate data related to an estimated period of time that the operator retains the estimated intention, and to generate the state of the estimated intention based on the estimated period of time.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third device is configured to generate data related to an estimated intention of the operator at a specific point in time and at least one past estimated intention of the operator before the specific point in time, and to generate data related to the estimated period of time based on the data related to the estimated intention of the operator at the specific point in time and the at least one past estimated intention of the operator before the specific point in time.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the machine is a vehicle; and

the operator is a driver of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the first device is configured to detect an operation of the operator at each one of different points in time; and

the second device is configured to perform the steps of;

providing data related to a plurality of imaginary operators, each of the plurality of imaginary operators associated with a sequence of intentions corresponding to the different points in time, wherein each of the sequence of intentions is associated with an operation;

for each imaginary operator, calculating a likelihood value based on partial likelihood values of each imaginary operator corresponding to the different points in time, wherein each of the partial likelihood values is respectively associated with each of the sequence of intentions and the respective operation at each one of the different points in time, and is generated based on the respective detected operation of the real operator at each one of the different points in time and the respective operation of the respective one of the plurality of imaginary operators at each one of the different points in time;

selecting one of the plurality of imaginary operators based on the likelihood value of each one of the imaginary operators; and

generating the estimated intention of the real operator based on a chosen intention of the selected one of the imaginary operators.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein second device is configured to perform the steps of:

determining the point in time corresponding to the chosen intention;

for the selected one of the plurality of imaginary operators, determining the point in time corresponding to the last intention in the sequence of intentions that is different from the chosen intention; and

determining a period of time that the chosen intention is retained by the selected one of the plurality of imaginary operators, based on the point in time corresponding to the chosen intention and the point in time corresponding to the last intention in the sequence of intentions that is different from the chosen intention;

generating the state of the estimated intention based on the determined period of time.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a risk calculation device configured to calculate a risk potential associated with the vehicle;

a reaction force calculation device configured to calculate a reaction force based on the calculated risk potential, the estimated intention and the state of the estimated intention; and

applying the reaction force to a vehicle control device of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the vehicle control device is an acceleration pedal or a steering wheel.

20. An operation assistance system comprising:

means for detecting an operation performed by an operator of a machine;

means for generating data related to an estimated intention of the operator based on the detected operation; and

means for identifying a state of the estimated intention of the operator.

21. A machine-readable medium bearing instructions for assisting operation of a machine, the instructions, upon execution by a data processing system, causing the data processing system to perform the steps of:

receiving data related to an operation performed by an operator of the machine;

generating data related to an estimated intention of the operator based on the detected operation; and

identifying a state of the estimated intention of the operator.

22. A vehicle comprising:

a first device configured to detect an operation performed by a driver of the vehicle;

a second device configured to generate data related to an estimated intention of the driver based on the detected operation; and

a third device configured to identify a state of the estimated intention of the driver.

23. The vehicle of claim 22 further comprising a control device to control the operation of the vehicle based on the identified state of the estimated intention of the driver.