VEHICLE DRIVE ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

• US 20180284766A1
• Filed: 02/13/2018
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Minegishi, Yuka, Tomii, Keiichi, Tochioka, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,558,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/202 Steering torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/21 Voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 : Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 : Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 : Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 : Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 : Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 : Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 : Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 : Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 : Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 : Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 : Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 : Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 : Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 : related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 : Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/14 : Traffic procedures, e.g. traffic regulations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 : Control of land vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute a required driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver'"'"'s driving ability required for driving a vehicle based on a traffic environment around the vehicle and drive assistance provided to the driver by the vehicle, a current driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver'"'"'s current driving ability, and a changing module to reduce the required driving ability by performing reduction processing in which comprehension of the traffic environment by the driver is facilitated when the current driving ability is lower than the required driving ability.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive assistance system, comprising:

a processor configured to execute;

a required driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver'"'"'s driving ability required for driving a vehicle based on a traffic environment around the vehicle and drive assistance provided to the driver by the vehicle;

a current driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver'"'"'s current driving ability; and

a changing module to reduce the required driving ability by performing reduction processing in which comprehension of the traffic environment by the driver is facilitated when the current driving ability is lower than the required driving ability.

2. The vehicle drive assistance system of claim 1, wherein the reduction processing includes information amount reduction processing in which an information presentation amount to the driver by an on-board information presentation device is reduced.

3. The vehicle drive assistance system of claim 1, wherein the reduction processing includes line-of-sight leading processing in which the driver'"'"'s line of sight is led to a given position ahead of the vehicle by a line-of-sight leading device.

4. The vehicle drive assistance system of claim 1, wherein when the current driving ability is lower than a given threshold, the changing module preferentially performs line-of-sight leading processing, in which the driver'"'"'s line of sight is led to a given position ahead of the vehicle by a line-of-sight leading device, over other types of reduction processing, the line-of-sight leading processing being included in the reduction processing.

5. The vehicle drive assistance system of claim 1, wherein when the current driving ability is still lower than the required driving ability after the reduction processing, the changing module activates one or more autonomous drive control systems to further reduce the required driving ability.

6. The vehicle drive assistance system of claim 1, wherein the current driving ability estimating module estimates the current driving ability of the driver based on drive history data of the vehicle and at least one of a physical state and a mental state of the driver.