Safe driving assisting apparatus, safe driving assisting server, and safe driving assisting system

• US 7,174,248 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/704,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/45, 701/96, 701/216, 701/117, 701/300, 701/301, 701/213, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 340/436
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

Herein disclosed is a safe driving assisting apparatus for assisting a vehicle driver in safely driving a vehicle, comprising: attention status information generating means for generating one or more attention status information elements each having an attention position and an attention condition; information providing means for providing the vehicle driver with the attention status information elements generated by said attention status information generating means; information obtaining means for obtaining current vehicle status information having a current position and a current condition; judging means for judging whether or not the vehicle driver'"'"'s attention is to be attracted on the basis of the current vehicle status information obtained by the information obtaining means and each of the attention status information elements generated by said attention status information generating means; and controlling means for controlling the information providing means to have the information providing means provide the vehicle driver with one of the attention status information elements generated by said attention status information generating means when the judging means judges that the vehicle driver'"'"'s attention is to be attracted.

Claims

1. A safe driving assisting apparatus for assisting a vehicle driver in safely driving a vehicle, comprising:

an attention status information generating means for generating attention status information elements each having an attention position and an attention condition;

information providing means for providing said vehicle driver with said attention status information elements generated by said attention status information generating means;

information obtaining means for obtaining current vehicle status information having a current position and a current condition;

judging means for judging whether or not said vehicle driver'"'"'s attention is to be attracted on the basis of said current vehicle status information obtained by said information obtaining means and each of said attention status information elements generated by said attention status information generating means;

a request information transmitting unit and controlling means for controlling said information providing means to have said information providing means provide said vehicle driver with one of said attention status information elements generated by said attention status information generating means when said judging means judges that said vehicle driver'"'"'s attention is to be attracted, wherein said request information transmitting unit request information from a safe driving assembly home server in response to a driver request signal.

2. A safe driving assisting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said judging means includes a position judging section for judging whether or not the distance between said current position of said current vehicle status information obtained by said information obtaining means and said attention position of each of said attention status information elements is less than a predetermined threshold distance, and a condition judging section for judging whether or not said vehicle driver'"'"'s attention is to be attracted on the basis of said current condition of said current vehicle status information obtained by said information obtaining means and said attention condition of said attention status information element generated by said attention status information generating means when said position judging section judges that the distance between said current position of said current vehicle status information obtained by said information obtaining means and said attention position of said attention status information element is less than a predetermined threshold distance, said controlling means is operative to control said information providing means to have said information providing means provide said vehicle driver with said attention status information element generated by said attention status information generating means when said judging means judges that said vehicle driver'"'"'s attention is to be attracted.

3. A safe driving assisting apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said attention status information generating means is operative to generate an attention time and an attention weather as part of said attention condition, said information obtaining means is operative to obtain a current time and a current weather as part of said current condition, and said condition judging section is operative to judge whether or not said vehicle driver'"'"'s attention is to be attracted in consideration of said current time and said current weather of said current vehicle status information obtained by said information obtaining means and said attention time and said attention weather of said attention status information element generated by said attention status information generating means.

4. A safe driving assisting apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said attention status information generating means is operative to generate an attention vehicle condition as part of said attention condition, said information obtaining means is operative to obtain a current vehicle condition as part of said current condition, and said condition judging section is operative to judge whether or not said vehicle driver'"'"'s attention is to be attracted in consideration of said current vehicle condition of said current vehicle status information obtained by said information obtaining means and said attention vehicle condition of said attention status information element generated by said attention status information generating means.

5. A safe driving assisting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said information providing means includes a speaker unit for acoustically outputting a sound indicative of said attention status information element.

6. A safe driving assisting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said information providing means includes a display unit for displaying character information indicative of said attention status information element.

7. A safe driving assisting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said information providing means includes a display unit for displaying said attention position on a road map.

8. A safe driving assisting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said attention position includes a position where a vehicle encountered a dangerous situation.

9. A safe driving assisting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said attention time of said attention condition includes an attention time when a vehicle encountered a dangerous situation.

10. A safe driving assisting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said attention weather of said attention condition includes an attention weather when a vehicle encountered a dangerous situation.

11. A safe driving assisting home server for assisting a vehicle driver in safely driving a vehicle, comprising:

storage means for storing therein one or more attention status information elements each having an attention position and an attention condition;

a request information receiving unit; and

attention information transmitting means for transmitting said attention status information elements stored in said storage means, wherein said request information receiving unit receives requests for one or more attention status information elements from a safe driving assisting apparatus.

12. A safe driving assisting home server as set forth in claim 11, in which said storage means is operative to store therein an attention time and an attention weather as part of said attention condition.

13. A safe driving assisting home server as set forth in claim 11, in which said storage means is operative to store therein an attention vehicle condition as part of said attention condition.

14. A safe driving assisting system for assisting a vehicle driver in safely driving a vehicle, comprising:

a safe driving assisting home server for assisting a vehicle driver in safely driving a vehicle, including;

storage means for storing therein one or more attention status information elements each having an attention position and an attention condition;

a request information receiving unit; and

attention information transmitting means for transmitting said attention status information elements stored in said storage means; and

a safe driving assisting apparatus including;

attention information obtaining means for obtaining said attention status information elements transmitted by said attention information transmitting means of said safe driving assisting home server;

information providing means for providing said vehicle driver with said attention status information elements obtained by said attention information obtaining means;

information obtaining means for obtaining current vehicle status information having a current position and a current condition;

judging means for judging whether or not said vehicle driver'"'"'s attention is to be attracted on the basis of said current vehicle status information obtained by said information obtaining means and each of said attention status information elements obtained by said attention information obtaining means;

a request information transmitting unit and controlling means for controlling said information providing means to have said information providing means provide said vehicle driver with one of said attention status information elements obtained by said attention information obtaining means when said judging means judges that said vehicle driver'"'"'s attention is to be attracted, wherein said request information receiving unit receives requests from said request information transmitting unit in response to a driver recluest signal.

15. A safe driving assisting system as set forth in claim 14, in which said storage means of said safe driving assisting home server is operative to store therein an attention time and an attention weather as part of said attention condition.

16. A safe driving assisting system as set forth in claim 14, in which said storage means of said safe driving assisting home server is operative to store therein an attention vehicle condition as part of said attention condition.

17. A safe driving assisting system as set forth in claim 14, in which said information providing means includes a speaker unit for acoustically outputting a sound indicative of said attention status information.

18. A safe driving assisting system as set forth in claim 14, in which said information providing means includes a display unit for displaying character information indicative of said attention status information.

19. A safe driving assisting system as set forth in claim 14, in which said information providing means includes a display unit for displaying said attention position of said attention status information element on a road map.