Driving assistance device, driving assistance method, information-providing device, information-providing method, navigation device and navigation method

• US 9,801,580 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Iizuka, Hisashi, Kaji, Hirotaka, Kikuchi, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US14/777,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20160029940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0064 using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit, e.g. remote keypad or mobile phone
• 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 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: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A heartbeat sensor obtains a heartbeat of a driver. A concentration level computing unit estimates a concentration level of the driver at a time later than a timing of obtaining the heartbeat by the heartbeat sensor, on the basis of the heartbeat obtained by the heartbeat sensor. A state determining unit controls driving assistance for a vehicle on the basis of a comparison of the concentration level of the driver estimated by the concentration level computing unit with a target concentration level of the driver that is set in association with a position or an environment in which the vehicle driven by the driver is predicted to travel.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device comprising:

a biometric information obtaining unit configured to obtain biometric information of a driver;

a driver state estimating unit configured to estimate, on the basis of the biometric information obtained by the biometric information obtaining unit, a state of the driver at a time later than a timing of obtaining the biometric information by the biometric information obtaining unit; and

a control unit configured to control driving assistance of a vehicle on the basis of a comparison of the state of the driver estimated by the driver state estimating unit with a condition for the state of the driver that is set in association with any one of a position and an environment in which the vehicle driven by the driver is predicted to travel,

wherein the state of the driver is a concentration level of the driver;

wherein the driver state estimating unit, on the basis of the biometric information obtained by the biometric information obtaining unit, estimates a tendency of the concentration level of the driver to decrease over time; and

wherein the control unit promotes the driving assistance as a degree to which the state of the driver estimated by the driver state estimating unit does not satisfy the condition for the state of the driver that is set in association with any one of the position and the environment in which the vehicle driven by the driver is predicted to travel is greater.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit controls the driving assistance to be initiated when the state of the driver estimated by the driver state estimating unit does not satisfy the condition for the state of the driver that is set in association with any one of the position and the environment in which the vehicle driven by the driver is predicted to travel.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the driver state estimating unit, on the basis of the biometric information obtained by the biometric information obtaining unit, estimates a tendency of the concentration level of the driver to decrease over time by estimating a degree of accumulation of the concentration level of the driver over time.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 3,

wherein the driver state estimating unit, on the basis of the biometric information obtained by the biometric information obtaining unit, estimates a period of time until the degree of accumulation of the concentration level of the driver over time is saturated and estimates a tendency of the concentration level of the driver to decrease over time on the basis of the time period until the degree of accumulation is saturated.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit, on the basis of the biometric information obtained by the biometric information obtaining unit, associates the state of the driver estimated at the timing of obtaining the biometric information by the biometric information obtaining unit with any one of the position and the environment in which the vehicle driven by the driver travels and records the association.

6. The driving assistance device according to claim 5,

wherein the condition for the state of the driver that is set in association with any one of the position and the environment in which the vehicle driven by the driver is predicted to travel is set on the basis of the state of the driver that is recorded in association with any one of the position and the environment in which the vehicle driven by the driver travels.

7. The driving assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit performs the driving assistance that is set in association with any one of the position and the environment in which the vehicle driven by the driver is predicted to travel.

8. The driving assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit calls to the attention of the driver when the state of the driver estimated by the driver state estimating unit is below a first threshold and performs the driving assistance of intervening in a driving operation by the driver when the state of the driver estimated by the driver state estimating unit is below a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold.