Driving operation feedback apparatus and program for same

• US 7,800,486 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kaneiwa, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US11/907,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340438-439, 340901-905
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8033 for pedestrian protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles

Abstract

A safe driving support apparatus in a vehicle is used in a manner that prevents an over-reliance of a driver on a safety device by an application of a technique. That is, for example, an evaluation of driving operation is lowered when the vehicle has been under control of an avoidance control for avoiding an unsafe situation of the vehicle, and the lowered evaluation of driving operation is recorded on a memory medium as well as being notified for the driver after evaluation is being changed. A provision of the avoidance control may result in a suppression of a vehicular function that contributes to a comfort in the vehicle among functions provided by in-vehicle devices.

Claims

1. A driving operation feedback apparatus comprising:

a safe driving support unit that performs an avoidance control to have a vehicle avoid an unsafe condition based on information regarding physical condition around the vehicle and on a content of a driver'"'"'s operation of the vehicle;

a function suppression unit that prohibits traveling of the vehicle based on the avoidance control performed by the safe driving support unit, and

a movie player that plays a movie for a safe driving operation lesson based on the driver'"'"'s operation, wherein

the function suppression unit releases a prohibition of the traveling of the vehicle based on a playback of the movie by the movie player.

2. A program product stored in a storage medium for operating a computer as following units, the program product comprising steps of:

providing a safe driving support unit that performs an avoidance control to have a vehicle avoid an unsafe condition based on information regarding physical condition around the vehicle and on a content of a driving operation by a driver in the vehicle,

providing a function suppression unit that prohibits traveling of the vehicle based on the avoidance control performed by the safe driving support unit, and

providing a movie player that plays a movie for a safe driving operation lesson based on the driver'"'"'s operation, wherein

the function suppression unit releases a prohibition of the traveling of the vehicle based on a playback of the movie by the movie player.