Driving support methods, apparatus, and programs

• US 20060085125A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Yukio, Shibata, Yumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/958 Collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/959 Object path adherence

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and programs display a virtual escort vehicle that appears to be driving ahead of a user'"'"'s vehicle on at least one of a windshield of the user'"'"'s vehicle and a display disposed in front of a driving seat of the user'"'"'s vehicle and display a driving instruction for the user'"'"'s vehicle based on actual driving condition information and standard driving condition information for a predetermined reference point located ahead of the current position of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

Claims

1. A driving support method, comprising:

displaying a virtual escort vehicle that appears to be driving ahead of a user'"'"'s vehicle on at least one of a windshield of the user'"'"'s vehicle and a display disposed in front of a driving seat of the user'"'"'s vehicle; and

displaying a driving instruction for the user'"'"'s vehicle based on actual driving condition information and standard driving condition information for a predetermined reference point located ahead of the current position of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

2. The driving support method of claim 1, wherein displaying the driving instruction comprises turning on a brake lamp of the virtual escort vehicle to indicate a timing of braking.

3. The driving support method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a timing of turning on the brake lamp based on the actual driving condition information and the standard driving condition information.

4. The driving support method of claim 3, wherein determining the timing of turning on the brake lamp comprises:

calculating a braking start distance based on the actual driving condition information and the standard driving condition information;

determining a reaction distance based on the actual driving condition information and a predetermined reaction time;

determining an instruction display start position based on the braking start distance and the reaction distance; and

determining that the brake lamp should be turned on at the instruction display start position.

5. The driving support method of claim 1, wherein a form of the virtual escort vehicle simulates a vehicle running ahead of the user'"'"'s vehicle, a running attitude of the virtual escort vehicle varying depending on a condition of a road ahead of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

6. The driving support method of claim 1, wherein a form of the displayed virtual escort vehicle comprises:

a driving direction mark that indicates a driving direction, as seen from the user'"'"'s vehicle, the driving direction varying depending on a road form of a road ahead of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

7. The driving support method of claim 1, wherein:

the standard driving condition information comprises a predetermined standard speed at the reference point; and

the actual driving condition information represents an actual vehicle speed.

8. The driving support method of claim 1, wherein:

displaying the virtual escort vehicle comprises displaying, only when there is no other vehicle within a predetermined distance ahead of the user'"'"'s vehicle, the virtual escort vehicle and the driving instruction.

9. The driving support method of claim 1, wherein:

displaying the virtual escort vehicle comprises displaying, only when there is no moving object within a predetermined radius of the user'"'"'s vehicle, the virtual escort vehicle and the driving instruction.

10. A program storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device and usable to provide driving support according to the method of claim 1.

11. A driving support apparatus, comprising:

a current position detector means that detects a current position of a user'"'"'s vehicle;

a memory that stores map data and standard driving condition information associated with each of a plurality of predetermined reference points on a road of the map data; and

a controller that;

determines actual driving condition information, including the current position of the user'"'"'s vehicle on the road based on the detected current position;

searches for a predetermined reference point, based on the current position of the user'"'"'s vehicle

reads, if the predetermined reference point is detected, the predetermined reference point and standard driving condition information for the predetermined reference point; and

displays a virtual escort vehicle that appears to be driving ahead of a user'"'"'s vehicle on at least one of a windshield of the user'"'"'s vehicle and a display disposed in front of a driving seat of the user'"'"'s vehicle; and

displays a driving instruction for the user'"'"'s vehicle based on actual the driving condition information and the standard driving condition information for the predetermined reference point.

12. The driving support apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller:

determines a timing of turning on the brake lamp based on the actual driving condition information and the standard driving condition information; and

displays the driving instruction by turning on the brake lamp of the virtual escort vehicle.

13. The driving support apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the standard driving condition information comprises information indicating a predetermined standard speed at the predetermined reference point, and the actual driving condition information comprises information indicating an actual vehicle speed; and

the controller;

calculates a braking start distance based on the actual vehicle speed at the current position and the standard speed at the predetermined reference point;

calculates a reaction distance from the actual vehicle speed at the current position and a predetermined reaction time; and

determines a position at which to start displaying the turned-on brake lamp from the braking start distance and the reaction distance.

14. The driving support apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the memory stores road form information of a predetermined section of a road, and form information representing a plurality of forms from which a driving direction of the virtual escort vehicle is recognizable; and

the controller, in accordance with the current position and the form information, displays the virtual escort vehicle such that the virtual escort vehicle has a form simulating the attitude of a vehicle, the attitude varying depending on the road form information.

15. The driving support apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller:

receives a vehicle detection signal indicating that a vehicle is ahead of the user'"'"'s vehicle; and

based on the received vehicle detection signal, does not display the virtual escort vehicle and the driving instruction.

16. The driving support apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller:

receives a nearby object detection signal indicating that there is an object in the vicinity of the user'"'"'s vehicle; and

based on the received nearby object detection signal, does not display the virtual escort vehicle and the driving instruction.

17. The driving support apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the standard driving condition information includes display allowance/prohibition information indicating whether displaying of the driving instruction is allowed for a predetermined section of the road on which the user'"'"'s vehicle is located; and

if the display allowance/prohibition information indicates that displaying of the driving instruction is not allowed, the controller does not display the virtual escort vehicle and the driving instruction.

18. The driving support apparatus of claim 11, wherein the driving support apparatus comprises a navigation apparatus.

19. An information server including:

a memory that stores map data and standard driving condition information associated with each of a plurality of predetermined reference points on a road of the map data; and

a controller that;

receives a current position of a user'"'"'s vehicle, from the user'"'"'s navigation apparatus;

determines actual driving condition information, including the current position of the user'"'"'s vehicle on the road based on the detected current position;

searches for a predetermined reference point, based on the current position of the user'"'"'s vehicle

reads, if the predetermined reference point is detected, the predetermined reference point and standard driving condition information for the predetermined reference point; and

transmits information for displaying a virtual escort vehicle that appears to be driving ahead of a user'"'"'s vehicle on at least one of a windshield of the user'"'"'s vehicle and a display disposed in front of a driving seat of the user'"'"'s vehicle to the user'"'"'s navigation apparatus; and

transmits information for displaying a driving instruction for the user'"'"'s vehicle based on actual the driving condition information and the standard driving condition information for the predetermined reference point to the user'"'"'s navigation apparatus.