Information provision apparatus and driving assistance system using the same

• US 20070078601A1
• Filed: 10/04/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nakaya, Akira, Nakano, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/20 Direction indicator values
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

An information provision apparatus mounted in a driver'"'"'s vehicle, including a vehicle approach determiner configured to execute a vehicle approach determination process to determine whether or not an opponent vehicle is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at a future time, based on driving information including information as to whether a blinker of the driver'"'"'s vehicle is in an on-state or in an off-state at a current time, and driving information including information as to whether a blinker of the opponent vehicle is in an on-state or in an off-state, and a notification device configured to inform a driver driving the driver'"'"'s vehicle of an opponent vehicle that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

Claims

1. An information provision apparatus mounted in a driver'"'"'s vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle approach determiner configured to execute a vehicle approach determination process to determine whether or not an opponent vehicle is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at a future time, based on driving information including information as to whether a blinker of the driver'"'"'s vehicle is in an on-state or in an off-state at a current time, and driving information including information as to whether a blinker of the opponent vehicle is in an on-state or in an off-state at the current time; and

a notification device configured to inform a driver driving the driver'"'"'s vehicle of an opponent vehicle that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle, based on a result of determination by the vehicle approach determiner.

2. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle approach determination process includes, among a first determination process, a second determination process, a third determination process, a fourth determination process, and a fifth determination process, at least the first determination process, the second determination process, and the third determination process,

wherein the first determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running forward and in substantially same direction on substantially same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time;

the second determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running forward and from substantially opposite direction on substantially the same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time;

the third determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running behind the driver'"'"'s vehicle and in substantially the same direction on substantially the same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time;

the fourth determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running from leftward to rightward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle so as to substantially cross the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time; and

the fifth determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running from rightward to leftward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle so as to substantially cross the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time.

3. The information provision apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle approach determination process further includes a re-determination process to decide, in a case where there are plural opponent vehicles that are determined to be likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle in each of the determination processes of the vehicle approach determination process, one opponent vehicle that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle, based on a predetermined condition.

4. The information provision apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle approach determination process includes the first to fifth determination processes.

5. The information provision apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the blinker of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the blinker of the opponent vehicle are each comprised of right and left blinkers;

wherein

the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time which is used in the first determination process is information of a position, a driving direction and a driving velocity of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time which is used in the first determination process is information of a position, a driving direction, and a driving velocity of the opponent vehicle and information as to whether the right blinker and/or the left blinker of the opponent vehicle are in an on-state or in an off-state at the current time;

wherein the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time which is used in the second determination process is the information of the position, the driving direction, and the driving velocity of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and information as to whether the right blinker or the left blinker of the driver'"'"'s vehicle is in an on-state or in an off-state, and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time which is used in the second determination process is the information of the position, the driving direction, and the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle and information as to whether the right blinker or the left blinker of the opponent vehicle is in an on-state or in an off-state;

wherein the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time which is used in the third determination process is the information of the position, the driving direction and the driving velocity of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and information as to whether the right blinker and/or the left blinker of the driver'"'"'s vehicle are in an on-state or in an off-state, and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time which is used in the third determination process is the information of the position, the driving direction, and the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle; and

wherein the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time which is used in the fourth and fifth determination processes is the information of the position, the driving direction, and the driving velocity of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time which is used in the fourth and fifth determination processes is the information of the position, the driving direction, and the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle.

6. The information provision apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a position detector configured to detect the position of the driver'"'"'s vehicle;

a direction detector configured to detect the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle;

a communication device configured to receive the information as to whether the right blinker and/or the left blinker of the opponent vehicle are in the on-state or in the off-state and the information of the position of the opponent vehicle; and

a calculator configured to calculate the driving direction and the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle from the information of the position of the opponent vehicle which is received by the communication device;

wherein

the vehicle approach determiner is configured to obtain the information as to whether the right blinker and/or the left blinker of the driver'"'"'s vehicle are in the on-state or in the off-state and the information of the driving velocity of the driver'"'"'s vehicle from a vehicle body of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

7. The information provision apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the position detector includes a GPS sensor, and the direction detector includes a calculator configured to calculate the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle from the position of the driver'"'"'s vehicle which is detected by the GPS sensor.

8. The information provision apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the position detector and the direction detector include the GPS sensor.

9. The information provision apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a position detector configured to detect the position of the driver'"'"'s vehicle;

a direction detector configured to detect the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle;

a communication device configured to receive the information as to whether the right blinker and/or the left blinker of the opponent vehicle are in the on-state or in the off-state and the information of the position and the driving direction of the opponent vehicle; and

a calculator configured to calculate the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle based on the information of the position of the opponent vehicle which is received by the communication device;

wherein

the vehicle approach determiner is configured to obtain the information as to whether the right blinker and/or the left blinker of the driver'"'"'s vehicle are in the on-state or in the off-state and the information of the driving velocity of the driver'"'"'s vehicle from a vehicle body of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

10. The information provision apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a position detector configured to detect the position of the driver'"'"'s vehicle;

a direction detector configured to detect the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle;

a communication device configured to receive the information as to whether the right blinker and/or the left blinker of the opponent vehicle are in the on-state or in the off-state and the information of the position and the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle; and

a calculator configured to calculate the driving direction of the opponent vehicle from the information of the position of the opponent vehicle which is received by the communication device;

wherein

the vehicle approach determiner is configured to obtain the information as to whether the right blinker and/or the left blinker of the driver'"'"'s vehicle are in the on-state or in the off-state and the information of the driving velocity of the driver'"'"'s vehicle from a vehicle body of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

11. The information provision apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the vehicle approach determiner is configured to execute a first detection process to detect the opponent vehicle running forward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and in substantially the same direction on substantially the same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time, and then execute the first determination process with respect to the detected opponent vehicle;

wherein the vehicle approach determiner is configured to execute a second detection process to detect the opponent vehicle running forward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and from substantially opposite direction on substantially the same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time, and then execute the second determination process with respect to the detected opponent vehicle;

wherein the vehicle approach determiner is configured to execute a third detection process to detect the opponent vehicle running behind the driver'"'"'s vehicle and in substantially the same direction on substantially the same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time, and then execute the third determination process with respect to the detected opponent vehicle;

wherein the vehicle approach determiner is configured to execute a fourth detection process to detect the opponent vehicle running forward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and from leftward to rightward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle so as to substantially cross the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time, and then execute the fourth determination process with respect to the detected opponent vehicle; and

wherein the vehicle approach determiner is configured to execute a fifth detection process to detect the opponent vehicle running forward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and from rightward to leftward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle so as to substantially cross the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time, and then execute the fifth determination process with respect to the detected opponent vehicle.

12. The information provision apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time which is used in each of the first to fifth detection processes is the information of the position and the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time is the information of the position and the driving direction of the opponent vehicle.

13. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle approach determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at plural future times, and the plural future times include times that are set at constant intervals in a period that lapses a predetermined time from the current time.

14. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle approach determiner is configured to periodically repeat the vehicle approach determination process.

15. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification device is a display device configured to display the opponent vehicle that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle on a screen of the display device by an icon.

16. The information provision apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the display device is configured to display a smaller icon when a distance between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the opponent vehicle at the current time that is calculated from the information of the position of the driver'"'"'s vehicle included in the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the information of the position of the opponent vehicle included in the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle is a predetermined value or more and to display a larger icon when the distance is less than the predetermined value.

17. The information provision apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the display device is configured to display a pattern indicating a degree of the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle as a background image of the icon, based on the information of the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle that is included in the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

18. The information provision apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the pattern displayed as the background image of the icon is a V-shaped stripe pattern, and the degree of the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle is indicated in such a manner that a width and/or spacing of a stripe of the V-shaped stripe pattern is made smaller when the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle is a predetermined value or more and is made larger when the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle is less than the predetermine value, and/or an angle of a V-shape of the V-shaped stripe pattern is made smaller when the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle is the predetermined or more and is made larger when the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle is less than the predetermined value.

19. The information provision apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the display device is configured to display the icon in a shape indicating a type of the opponent vehicle, based on information of the type of the opponent vehicle that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

20. The information provision apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the vehicle approach determination process includes, among a first determination process, a second determination process, a third determination process, a fourth determination process, and a fifth determination process, at least the first determination process, the second determination process, and the third determination process,

wherein the first determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running forward and in substantially same direction on substantially same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time;

the second determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running forward and from substantially opposite direction on substantially the same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time;

the third determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running behind the driver'"'"'s vehicle and in substantially the same direction on substantially the same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time;

the fourth determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running from leftward to rightward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle so as to substantially cross the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time; and

the fifth determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running from rightward to leftward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle so as to substantially cross the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time, based on the driving information of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the current time and the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time; and

wherein

the display device is configured to divide a display region of the screen into plural determination display regions for displaying icons of the opponent vehicles that are determined to be likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle in the determination processes of the vehicle approach determination process so as to respectively correspond to the determination processes, and the determination display regions are disposed to substantially reflect a positional relationship between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the opponent vehicles which are associated with the respective determination processes in a positional relationship between an icon of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the icons of the opponent vehicles displayed on the determination display regions when the icon of the driver'"'"'s vehicle is displayed at a substantially center region of the screen.

21. The information provision apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the vehicle approach determination process includes the first to fifth determination processes;

and wherein

the display device is configured to dispose the determination display region corresponding to the first determination process at an upper region of one of a left side and a right side of the screen, the determination display region corresponding to the second determination process at an upper region of an opposite side of the left side and the right side of the screen, the determination display region corresponding to the third determination process at a substantially center position of a lower region of the screen, the determination display region corresponding to the fourth determination process at a center region or a lower region of the left side of the screen, and the determination display region corresponding to the fifth determination process at a center region or a lower region of the right side of the screen.

22. An information provision apparatus mounted in a driver'"'"'s vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle approach determiner configured to determine whether or not an opponent vehicle is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at a future time; and

a display device configured to display the opponent vehicle that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle by an icon on a screen of the display device based on a determination result by the vehicle approach determiner in such a manner that a smaller icon is disposed when a distance between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the opponent vehicle at a current time is a predetermined value or more and a larger icon is displayed when the distance is less than the predetermined value.

23. The information provision apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the display device is configured to display a pattern indicating a degree of the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle at the current time that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle as a background image of the icon.

24. The information provision apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the pattern displayed as the background image of the icon is a V-shaped stripe pattern, and the degree of the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle is indicated in such a manner that a width and/or spacing of a stripe of the V-shaped pattern is made smaller when the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle is a predetermined value or more and is made larger when the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle is less than the predetermine value, and/or an angle of a V-shape of the V-shaped stripe pattern is made smaller when the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle is the predetermined value or more and is made larger when the driving velocity of the opponent vehicle is less than the predetermine value.

25. The information provision apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the display device is configured to display the icon in a shape indicating a type of the opponent vehicle, based on information of the type of the opponent vehicle that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

26. The information provision apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

the vehicle approach determiner is configured to execute plural determination processes, among a first determination process, a second determination process, a third determination process, a fourth determination process, and a fifth determination process,

wherein the first determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running forward and in substantially same direction on substantially same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time;

the second determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running forward and from substantially opposite direction on substantially the same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time;

the third determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running behind the driver'"'"'s vehicle and in substantially same direction on substantially the same driving path of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time;

the fourth determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running from leftward to rightward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle so as to substantially cross the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time; and

the fifth determination process is to determine whether or not the opponent vehicle is running from rightward to leftward of the driver'"'"'s vehicle so as to substantially cross the driving direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time and is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at the future time; and

wherein

the display device is configured to divide a display region of the screen into plural determination display regions for displaying icons of the opponent vehicles that are determined to be likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle in the determination processes so as to respectively correspond to the determination processes, and the determination display regions are disposed to substantially reflect a positional relationship between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the opponent vehicles which are associated with the respective determination processes in a positional relationship between an icon of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the icons of the opponent vehicles displayed on the determination display regions when the icon of the driver'"'"'s vehicle is displayed at a substantially center region of the screen.

27. The information provision apparatus according to claim 26, wherein

the vehicle approach determiner is configured to execute the first to fifth determination processes;

and wherein

the display device is configured to dispose the determination display region corresponding to the first determination process at an upper region of a left side of the screen, the determination display region corresponding to the second determination process at an upper region of a right side of the screen, the determination display region corresponding to the third determination process at a substantially center position of a lower region of the screen, the determination display region corresponding to the fourth determination process at a center region or a lower region of the left side of the screen, and the determination display region corresponding to the fifth determination process at a center region or a lower region of the right side of the screen.

28. The information provision apparatus according to claim 26, wherein

the vehicle approach determiner is configured to execute the first to fifth determination processes;

and wherein

the display device is configured to dispose the determination display region corresponding to the first determination process at an upper region of a right side of the screen, the determination display region corresponding to the second determination process at an upper region of a left side of the screen, the determination display region corresponding to the third determination process at a substantially center position of a lower region of the screen, the determination display region corresponding to the fourth determination process at a center region or a lower region of the left side of the screen, and the determination display region corresponding to the fifth determination process at a center region or a lower region of the right side of the screen.

29. A driving assistance system comprising:

an information provision apparatus mounted in a driver'"'"'s vehicle;

including

a vehicle approach determiner configured to execute a vehicle approach determination process to determine whether or not an opponent vehicle is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle at a future time, based on driving information including information as to whether a blinker of the driver'"'"'s vehicle is in an on-state or in an off-state at a current time, and driving information including information as to whether a blinker of the opponent vehicle is in an on-state or in an off-state at the current time; and

a notification device configured to inform a driver driving the driver'"'"'s vehicle of an opponent vehicle that is likely to approach the driver'"'"'s vehicle, based on a result of determination by the vehicle approach determiner; and

an information transmitter mounted in the opponent vehicle, including;

an opponent vehicle information detector configured to detect driving information of the opponent vehicle at a current time which is used in the information provision apparatus, from the opponent vehicle; and

an opponent vehicle communication device configured to transmit the information detected by the opponent vehicle information detector;

wherein the information provision apparatus includes a communication device configured to receive the information transmitted from the opponent vehicle communication device and to present the information to the vehicle approach determiner.

30. The driving assistance system according to claim 29, wherein the vehicle approach determiner is configured to calculate the driving information of the opponent vehicle at the current time, based on the information presented by the communication device.