Driver assisting system, method for assisting driver, and vehicle incorporating same

• US 7,560,826 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Egami, Masahiro, Hijikata, Shunsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amrany; Adi
• Application Number:
  US10/990,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20050110348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42763 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/981 Warning systems, e.g. the seat or seat parts vibrates to warn the passenger when facing a danger
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

A driving assist method and system for assisting a driver operating a vehicle. An obstacle is detected and information of a legal speed restriction on vehicle speeds for a road which the vehicle is traveling on, is obtained. A first type risk perceived by the driver from the detected obstacle is calculated, and a second type of risk is determined by comparing the detected vehicle speed and the legal speed restriction. The calculated first and second type of risk are translated into different first and second forms of tactile stimulus, respectively, and are applied to the driver via a single device to forward the calculated first and second type of risk to the driver. The single device is the driver'"'"'s seat or the driver controlled device.

Claims

1. A driver assisting system for assisting a driver, within a driver'"'"'s seat of a vehicle, operating a driver controlled input device of the vehicle, comprising:

a running environment detecting device configured to detect an obstacle appearing in a running environment around the vehicle and obtain information of a legal speed restriction for a road on which the vehicle is traveling;

a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect a vehicle speed of the vehicle;

a risk calculating section configured to calculate a first type of risk perceived by the driver associated with a possible collision with the detected obstacle and a second type of risk unrelated to the detected obstacle and derived based on the detected vehicle speed and the legal speed restriction;

a tactile stimulus controlling section configured to translate the calculated first type of risk and second type of risk into different first and second forms of tactile stimulus, respectively; and

a tactile stimulus forwarding device configured to forward the calculated first and second type of risk to the driver by applying the first and second forms of tactile stimulus to the driver, via a single device, wherein the single device is the driver'"'"'s seat or the driver controlled input device.

2. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section controls the tactile stimulus forwarding device such that the calculated first type of risk is forwarded to the driver by applying the first form of tactile stimulus to the driver in a continuous manner, and the calculated second type of risk is forwarded to the driver by applying the second form of tactile stimulus to the driver in an intermittent, non-continuous or pulsed manner.

3. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 2, wherein the second type of risk indicates a state that the vehicle speed exceeds the legal speed restriction and wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section controls the tactile stimulus forwarding device such that the driver is stimulated with the second form of tactile stimulus that occurs with a predetermined magnitude at a predetermined interval when the vehicle speed exceeds the legal speed restriction.

4. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 2, wherein the second type of risk represents a status and an amount of an excess by which the vehicle speed exceeds the legal speed restriction, and wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section alters the form in which the second form of tactile stimulus occurs according to different values of the excess.

5. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 4, wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section varies an interval and a magnitude with which the second form of tactile stimulus occurs with different values of the excess.

6. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 4, wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section varies a magnitude with which the second form of tactile stimulus occurs with different values of the calculated second type of risk.

7. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 4, wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section varies a magnitude with which the second form of tactile stimulus occurs with different values of an accelerator pedal position.

8. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 4, wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section varies a frequency with which the second form of tactile stimulus occurs with different values of the excess.

9. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 2,

wherein the one of the driver'"'"'s seat and the driver controlled input device is an accelerator pedal;

wherein the tactile stimulus forwarding device includes an accelerator pedal reaction force control unit;

wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section causes the accelerator pedal reaction force control unit to provide, as the first force, an accelerator pedal reaction force that continuously varies with different values of the calculated first type of risk; and

wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section causes the accelerator pedal reaction force control unit to provide, as the second force, a pulse-like reaction force added to the accelerator pedal reaction force in response to the calculated second type of risk.

10. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 2,

wherein the one of the driver'"'"'s seat and the driver controlled input device is the driver'"'"'s seat;

wherein the tactile stimulus forwarding device includes a seat control unit;

wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section causes the seat control unit to provide, as the first force, a force that continuously vary the driver'"'"'s seat in height and hardness with different values of the calculated first type of risk, and

wherein the tactile stimulus controlling section causes the seat control unit to provide, as the second force, a vibration of the driver'"'"'s seat in response to the calculated second type of risk.

11. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 2,

wherein the one of the driver'"'"'s seat and the driver controlled input device is a steering system including a steering column;

and

wherein the tactile stimulus forwarding device includes a motor unit that retractably extends the steering column.

12. A vehicle having a driver contact surface, comprising:

a running environment detecting section configured to detect an obstacle in a running environment around the vehicle and information of a legal speed restriction for a road on which the vehicle is traveling;

a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect a vehicle speed with which the vehicle is traveling;

a risk calculating section configured to calculate a first risk perceived by the driver associated with a possible collision with the detected obstacle and a second type of risk unrelated to the detected obstacle and derived based on the detected vehicle speed and the legal speed restriction;

a stimulus controlling section configured to translate the calculated first type of risk and the second type of risk into different first and second forms of tactile stimulus, respectively; and

a risk forwarding device configured to forward the calculated first and second type of risk to the driver by applying the first and second forms of tactile stimulus to the driver via the driver contact surface.

13. The vehicle as recited in claim 12, wherein the first type of risk is a tangible risk to be perceived by the driver and the second type of risk is a potential risk.

14. The vehicle as recited in claim 13, wherein the risk forwarding device includes at least one actuator, and the driver contact surface is at least one of a driver'"'"'s seat and a driver controlled input device coupled to the actuator, such that the actuator provides a first force to the driver contact surface to stimulate the driver with the first form of tactile stimulus thereby to forward the tangible risk to the driver, and a second force to the driver contact surface to stimulate the driver with the second form of tactile stimulus thereby to forward the potential risk to the driver.

15. The vehicle as recited in claim 14, wherein the potential risk is indicative of an excess by which the detected vehicle speed of the vehicle exceeds the legal speed restriction.

16. The vehicle as recited in claim 15, wherein the first form of tactile stimulus occurs continuously when the tangible risk is present, and the second form of tactile stimulus occurs in an intermittent, non-continuous or pulsed manner when the potential risk is present.

17. The vehicle as recited in claim 16, wherein the first form of tactile stimulus is continuously variable with different values of the tangible risk, and the second form of tactile stimulus provides repeating a discrete stimulus at interval when varying of the excess with respect to time justifies continuation of repeating the discrete stimulus.

18. The vehicle as recited in claim 17, wherein the interval at which the discrete stimulus is repeated is variable.

19. The vehicle as recited in claim 18, wherein the interval at which the discrete stimulus is repeated is variable with different values of at least one of the excess by which the vehicle speed exceeds the legal speed restriction and a time elapsed from a moment immediately after the vehicle speed has exceeded the legal speed restriction.

20. The vehicle as recited in claim 17, wherein a magnitude of discrete stimulus is variable with different values of at least one of the excess by which the vehicle speed exceeds the legal speed restriction, the tangible risk, an accelerator pedal position of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and a time elapsed from a moment immediately after the vehicle speed has exceeded the legal speed restriction.

21. The vehicle as recited in claim 16, wherein the number of times the discrete stimulus is repeated within a predetermined span of time is variable with different ranges of values of the excess by which the vehicle speed exceeds the legal speed restriction.

22. The vehicle as recited in claim 12, where the first type of risk is a collision risk derived from the detected obstacle and the second type of risk is a vehicle driving risk.

23. The vehicle as recited in claim 12, wherein the first type of risk is a collision risk derived from the detected obstacle and the second type of risk is a potential risk.

24. The vehicle as recited in claim 12, wherein the first type of risk is a current risk derived from the detected obstacle and the second type of risk is a future risk indicative of likelihood that the vehicle might cause a traffic accident.

25. A method for assisting a driver, within a driver'"'"'s seat of a vehicle, operating a driver controlled input device of the vehicle, comprising:

detecting an obstacle in a running environment around the vehicle;

obtaining information of a legal speed restriction for a road on which the vehicle is traveling;

detecting a vehicle speed with which the vehicle is traveling;

calculating a first type of risk perceived by the driver associated with a possible collision with the detected obstacle;

calculating a second type of risk unrelated to the detected obstacle and derived based on the detected vehicle speed and the legal speed restriction;

translating the calculated first type of risk and the second type of risk into different first and second forms of tactile stimulus, respectively; and

forwarding the calculated first and second type of risk to the driver by applying the first and second form of tactile stimulus to the driver via a single device, wherein the single device is the driver'"'"'s seat or the driver controlled input device.

26. A driver assisting system for assisting a driver, within a driver'"'"'s seat of a vehicle, operating a driver controlled input device of the vehicle, comprising:

means for detecting an obstacle in a running environment around the vehicle;

means for obtaining information of a legal speed restriction for a road on which the vehicle is traveling;

means for detecting a vehicle speed with which the vehicle is traveling;

means for calculating a first type of risk perceived by the driver associated with a possible collision with the detected obstacle;

means for calculating a second type of risk unrelated to the detected obstacle and derived based on the detected vehicle speed and the legal speed restriction;

means for translating the calculated first risk and second risk into different first and second forms of tactile stimulus, respectively; and

means for forwarding the calculated first and second type of risk to the driver by applying the first and second form of tactile stimulus to the driver via a single device, wherein the single device is the driver'"'"'s seat or a driver controlled input device.

27. A driver assisting system for assisting a driver operating a vehicle having a driver contact surface, comprising:

a running environment detecting section configured to detect an obstacle in a running environment around the vehicle and information of a legal speed restriction for a road on which the vehicle is traveling;

a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect a vehicle speed with which the vehicle is traveling;

a risk calculating section configured to calculate a first type of risk perceived by the driver associated with a possible collision with the detected obstacle and a second type of risk unrelated to the detected obstacle and derived based on the detected vehicle speed and the legal speed restriction;

a stimulus controlling section configured to translate the calculated first risk and second risk into different first and second forms of stimulus, respectively; and

a risk forwarding device configured to forward the calculated first and second type of risk to the driver by applying the first and second forms of tactile stimulus to the driver via the driver contact surface.

28. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 27, wherein the driver contact surface to which the first form of tactile stimulus and the second form of tactile stimulus are provided is a driver'"'"'s seat.

29. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 27, wherein the driver contact surface to which the first form of tactile stimulus and the second form of tactile stimulus are provided is a driver controlled input device.

30. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 27, wherein at least one of the first and second forms of stimulus is a tactile stimulus.

31. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 30, wherein the tactile stimulus is a continuous contact stimulus.

32. The driver assisting system as recited in claim 27, wherein at least one of the first and second forms of stimulus is a non-tactile stimulus.

33. A method for assisting a driver, within a driver'"'"'s seat of a vehicle, operating a driver controlled input device of the vehicle, comprising;

detecting an obstacle;

obtaining information of a legal speed restriction on vehicle speeds for a road which the vehicle is traveling on;

detecting a vehicle speed with which the vehicle is traveling;

calculating a first type risk perceived by the driver from the detected obstacle;

calculating a second type of risk by comparing the detected vehicle speed and the legal speed restriction;

translating the calculated first and second type of risk into different first and second forms of tactile stimulus, respectively; and

forwarding the calculated first and second type of risk to the driver by applying the first and second forms of tactile stimulus to the driver via a single device, wherein the single device is the driver'"'"'s seat or the driver controlled device.

34. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein the first type of risk is a collision risk derived from the detected obstacle and the second type of risk is a vehicle driving risk.

35. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein the first type of risk is a collision risk derived from the detected obstacle and the second type of risk is a potential risk.

36. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein the first type of risk is a current risk derived from the detected obstacle and the second type of risk is a future risk indicative of likelihood that the vehicle might cause a traffic accident.