Systems and methods for motivating a driver according to behaviors of nearby vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10037699-B1
Application number	US-201715641840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 5, 2017
Priority date	May 5, 2017
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to inducing awareness in a driver about a surrounding environment of a primary vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to detecting that a nearby vehicle is present within a defined range of the primary vehicle, generating a behavior characterization of the nearby vehicle according to at least sensor data from one or more sensors of the primary vehicle. The method includes indicating to the driver of the primary vehicle the behavior characterization of the nearby vehicle to inform the driver of how surrounding vehicles including the nearby vehicle are operating and to induce the driver to be engaged with the surrounding environment of the primary vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engagement system for inducing awareness in a driver of a primary vehicle about a surrounding environment, comprising:
one or more processors;
a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing:
a monitoring module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to, in response to detecting that a nearby vehicle is present within a defined range of the primary vehicle, generate a behavior characterization of the nearby vehicle according to at least sensor data from one or more sensors of the primary vehicle, wherein the monitoring module includes instructions to generate the behavior characterization including instructions to identify behaviors of the nearby vehicle to classify the nearby vehicle according to a driving style that is a safety assessment of how the nearby vehicle is being controlled; and
an engagement module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to indicate to the driver of the primary vehicle the behavior characterization of the nearby vehicle to inform the driver of how surrounding vehicles including the nearby vehicle are operating and to induce the driver to be engaged with the surrounding environment of the primary vehicle.

2. The engagement system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module further includes instructions to generate the behavior characterization of the nearby vehicle including instructions to analyze the sensor data by analyzing one or more of a present trajectory of the nearby vehicle, a projected trajectory of the nearby vehicle, driving patterns of the nearby vehicle, erratic maneuvers of the nearby vehicle, a following distance between the nearby vehicle and the surrounding vehicles, and how closely the nearby vehicle is following speed limits, and
wherein the monitoring module includes instructions to generate the behavior characterization including instructions to generate the behavior characterization as a score that numerically indicates how safely the nearby vehicle is being controlled.

3. The engagement system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module further includes instructions to generate the behavior characterization by analyzing the sensor data according to a machine learning algorithm and a driving model to correlate the sensor data with known driving styles, and wherein the driving model indicates likelihoods of correlations between the sensor data about the nearby vehicle and the known driving styles.

4. The engagement system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module further includes instructions to detect that the nearby vehicle is present including instructions to determine when the nearby vehicle is within the defined range of the primary vehicle by tracking a trajectory and a current position of the nearby vehicle according to the one or more sensors of the primary vehicle, and wherein the defined range is a distance from the primary vehicle that provides for tracking the nearby vehicle beyond the defined range to collect the sensor data for deriving the behavior characterization.

5. The engagement system of claim 1 , wherein the engagement module further includes instructions to indicate the behavior characterization to the driver including instructions to display graphics within one or more of an augmented reality display, and an in-dash display.

6. The engagement system of claim 5 , wherein the engagement module further includes instructions to display the graphics including instructions to display the behavior characterization as one of a positive indication affirming a driving style of the nearby vehicle and a negative indication denouncing the driving style of the nearby vehicle.

7. The engagement system of claim 1 , wherein the engagement module further includes instructions to indicate the behavior characterization for the nearby vehicle including instructions to indicate separate behavior characterizations for multiple surrounding vehicles within the defined range of the primary vehicle simultaneously.

8. The engagement system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module further includes instructions to collect the sensor data from the at least one sensor by electronically controlling the one or more sensors to scan the surrounding environment for the nearby vehicle and to track the nearby vehicle to acquire the sensor data, wherein collecting the sensor data includes acquiring the sensor data over at least a defined period of time that embodies present driving actions of the nearby vehicle.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for inducing awareness in a driver of a primary vehicle about a surrounding environment and storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
in response to detecting that a nearby vehicle is present within a defined range of the primary vehicle, generate a behavior characterization of the nearby vehicle according to at least sensor data from one or more sensors of the primary vehicle,
wherein the instructions to generate the behavior characterization identify behaviors of the nearby vehicle to classify the nearby vehicle according to a driving style that is a safety assessment of how the nearby vehicle is being controlled; and
indicate to the driver of the primary vehicle the behavior characterization of the nearby vehicle to inform the driver of how surrounding vehicles including the nearby vehicle are operating and to induce the driver to be engaged with the surrounding environment of the primary vehicle.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to generate the behavior characterization of the nearby vehicle include instructions to analyze the sensor data by analyzing one or more of a present trajectory of the nearby vehicle, a projected trajectory of the nearby vehicle, driving patterns of the nearby vehicle, erratic maneuvers of the nearby vehicle, a following distance between the nearby vehicle and the surrounding vehicles, and how closely the nearby vehicle is following speed limits, and
wherein the instructions to generate the behavior characterization include instructions to generate the behavior characterization as a score that numerically indicates how safely the nearby vehicle is being controlled.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to generate the behavior characterization include instructions to analyze the sensor data according to a machine learning algorithm and a driving model to correlate the sensor data with known driving styles, and wherein the driving model indicates likelihoods of correlations between the sensor data about the nearby vehicle and the known driving styles.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to indicate the behavior characterization to the driver include instructions to display graphics within one or more of an augmented reality display, and an in-dash display.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to indicate the behavior characterization for the nearby vehicle include instructions to indicate separate behavior characterizations for multiple surrounding vehicles within the defined range of the primary vehicle simultaneously.

14. A method for inducing awareness in a driver of a primary vehicle about a surrounding environment, comprising:
in response to detecting that a nearby vehicle is present within a defined range of the primary vehicle, generating a behavior characterization of the nearby vehicle ac

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Toyoda Heishiro
• Hamada Hiroto

Classifications

• B60W2554/4046

  Behavior, e.g. aggressive or erratic · CPC title

• B60W60/00276

  for two or more other traffic participants · CPC title

• B60W30/0956 Primary

  the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters · CPC title

• G08G1/16

  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 title

• G08G1/0962

  having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages · CPC title