DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS ESTIMATING DEVICE AND DRIVE ASSISTING SYSTEM

• US 20150183441A1
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Hirofumi
• Granted Patent: US 10,518,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

To provide an operation start index value calculating unit for calculating index values of operation start times according to operation contents of a driver who drives a vehicle, and a driving characteristics estimating unit for determining ratios of probability densities to total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the operation start times to the index values of the operation start times and on the index values of the operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit, and for estimating the driving characteristics of the driver by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A driving characteristics estimating device comprising:

an operation start index value calculating unit configured to calculate index values of operation start times according to operation contents of a driver who drives a vehicle; and

a driving characteristics estimating unit configured to determine ratios of probability densities to total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the operation start times to the index values of the operation start times and on the index values of the operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit, and configured to estimate the driving characteristics of the driver by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities.

10. The driving characteristics estimating device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a probability density function calculating unit configured to divide frequency distributions of the operation start times to the index values of the obtained plural operation start times for every state of the plural operation start times by the driver, and configured to calculate the probability density functions of every state of the operation start times to the index values of the operation start times for the every frequency distributions, respectively.

11. The driving characteristics estimating device according to claim 9, wherein

the operation start index value calculating unit calculates index values of brake operation start times of the driver, and

the driving characteristics estimating unit determines ratios of probability densities to the total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the brake operation start times to the index values of the brake operation start times and on the index values of the brake operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit, and estimates an inter-vehicle distance tendency to a preceding vehicle in the driver as the driving characteristics by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities.

12. The driving characteristics estimating device according to claim 10, wherein

the operation start index value calculating unit calculates index values of brake operation start times of the driver, and

the driving characteristics estimating unit determines ratios of probability densities to the total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the brake operation start times to the index values of the brake operation start times and on the index values of the brake operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit, and estimates an inter-vehicle distance tendency to a preceding vehicle in the driver as the driving characteristics by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities.

13. The driving characteristics estimating device according to claim 9, wherein

the operation start index value calculating unit calculates index values of operation start times according to a plurality of operation contents of the driver, and

the driving characteristics estimating unit determines ratios of probability densities to total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the operation start times to the index values of the operation start times and on the index values of the operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit for the every operation contents, and estimates an inter-vehicle distance tendency to a preceding vehicle in the driver as driving characteristics by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities.

14. The driving characteristics estimating device according to claim 10, wherein

the operation start index value calculating unit calculates index values of operation start times according to a plurality of operation contents of the driver, and

the driving characteristics estimating unit determines ratios of probability densities to total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the operation start times to the index values of the operation start times and on the index values of the operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit for the every operation contents, and estimates an inter-vehicle distance tendency to a preceding vehicle in the driver as driving characteristics by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities.

15. A drive assisting system comprising:

an operation start index value calculating unit configured to calculate index values of operation start times according to operation contents of a driver who drives a vehicle;

a driving characteristics estimating unit configured to determine ratios of probability densities to total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the operation start times to the index values of the operation start times and on the index values of the operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit, and configured to estimate the driving characteristics of the driver by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities; and

a drive assisting controller configured to carry out a drive assisting according to the estimated driving characteristics.

16. The drive assisting system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a probability density function calculating unit configured to divide frequency distributions of the operation start times to the index values of the obtained plural operation start times for every state of the plural operation start times by the driver, and configured to calculate the probability density functions of every state of the operation start times to the index values of the operation start times for the every frequency distributions, respectively.

17. The drive assisting system according to claim 15, wherein

the operation start index value calculating unit calculates index values of brake operation start times of the driver, and

the driving characteristics estimating unit determines ratios of probability densities to the total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the brake operation start times to the index values of the brake operation start times and on the index values of the brake operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit, and estimates an inter-vehicle distance tendency to a preceding vehicle in the driver as driving characteristics by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities.

18. The drive assisting system according to claim 16, wherein

the operation start index value calculating unit calculates index values of brake operation start times of the driver, and

the driving characteristics estimating unit determines ratios of probability densities to the total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the brake operation start times to the index values of the brake operation start times and on the index values of the brake operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit, and estimates an inter-vehicle distance tendency to a preceding vehicle in the driver as driving characteristics by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities.

19. The drive assisting system according to claim 15, wherein

the operation start index value calculating unit calculates index values of operation start times according to a plurality of operation contents of the driver, and

the driving characteristics estimating unit determines ratios of probability densities to total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the operation start times to the index values of the operation start times and on the index values of the operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit for the every operation contents, and estimates an inter-vehicle distance tendency to a preceding vehicle in the driver as driving characteristics by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities.

20. The drive assisting system according to claim 16, wherein

the operation start index value calculating unit calculates index values of operation start times according to a plurality of operation contents of the driver, and

the driving characteristics estimating unit determines ratios of probability densities to total value thereof in respective probability density functions in the calculated index values, based on the respective probability density functions of every state of the operation start times to the index values of the operation start times and on the index values of the operation start times calculated by the operation start index value calculating unit for the every operation contents, and estimates an inter-vehicle distance tendency to a preceding vehicle in the driver as driving characteristics by weighting the ratios to the total values of the respective probability densities.