Drive assist control apparatus and control method for drive assist

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654401-B2
Application number	US-201615574461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2016
Priority date	May 21, 2015
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A drive assist control apparatus assists a driving of a vehicle by controlling a light image projected on a road surface in front of the vehicle. The drive assist control apparatus includes a light image projector, a change portion detector, and a light image corrector. The light image projector projects an informative light image on the road surface. The informative light image represents information to be displayed to an occupant in the vehicle. The change portion detector detects a gradient change portion where a gradient of the road surface changes. The light image corrector corrects a projection position of the informative light image projected by the light image projector. The light image corrector moves the projection position to a position nearer to the occupant than the gradient change portion detected by the change portion detector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive assist control apparatus assisting a driving of a vehicle by controlling a light image projected on a road surface in front of the vehicle, the drive assist control apparatus comprising:
a light image projector projecting an informative light image on the road surface, wherein the informative light image represents information to be displayed to an occupant in the vehicle;
a change portion detector detecting a gradient change portion of the road, the gradient change portion indicating a position at which a gradient angle of the road surface changes; and
a light image corrector correcting a projection position of the informative light image projected by the light image projector,
wherein the light image corrector moves the projection position of the informative light image on the road surface to a position nearer to the occupant than the gradient change portion detected by the change portion detector.

2. The drive assist control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light image corrector corrects the projection position each time the vehicle approaches the gradient change portion by a predetermined distance.

3. The drive assist control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the light image corrector decreases the predetermined distance with an increase of a speed of the vehicle.

4. The drive assist control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light image corrector starts a correction of the projection position in response to the projection position arriving at the gradient change portion.

5. The drive assist control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the light image corrector ends the correction of the projection position in response to the vehicle arriving at the gradient change portion or the vehicle is supposed to arrive at the gradient change portion.

6. The drive assist control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein,
after the correction of the projection position starts, in response to a detection of the gradient change portion to be executed by the change portion detector being interrupted, the light image corrector corrects the projection position in a same manner as a previous correction of the projection position.

7. The drive assist control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
in addition to the correction of the projection position, the light image corrector corrects a shape and a size of the informative light image projected by the light image projector corresponding to a gradient angle of the road surface.

8. The drive assist control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light image corrector corrects the informative light image projected by the light image projector so that the informative light image visually stimulates the occupant with an increasing level in response to the vehicle approaching the gradient change portion.

9. A control method for drive assist which assists a driving of a vehicle by controlling a light image projected on a road surface in front of the vehicle, the control method for drive assist comprising:
projecting an informative light image on the road surface, wherein the informative light image represents information to be displayed to an occupant in the vehicle;
detecting a gradient change portion of the road, the gradient change portion indicating a position at which a gradient angle of the road surface changes; and
correcting a projection position of the informative light image on the road surface to a position nearer to the occupant than the gradient change portion detected on the road surface.

10. A drive assist control apparatus assisting a driving of a vehicle by controlling a light image projected on a road surface in front of the vehicle, the drive assist control apparatus comprising:
a light image projector projecting an informative light image on the road surface, wherein the informative light image represents information to be displayed to an occupant in the vehicle;
a change portion detector detecting a gradient change portion of the road, the gradient change portion indicating a position at which a gradient angle of the road surface changes; and
a light image corrector correcting a projection position of the informative light image projected by the light image projector relative to the gradient change portion of the road,
wherein the light image corrector moves the projection position of the informative light image on the road surface relative to the gradient change portion of the road and to a position nearer to the occupant than the gradient change portion detected by the change portion detector such that distortion of the informative light image by the position at which the gradient angle of the road surface changes is inhibited.

Assignees

• Denso Corp
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hamada Koji
• Nakashima Kazuhiko
• Sawada Tomonari

Classifications

• B60Q2300/324

  Road inclination, e.g. uphill or downhill · CPC title

• B60Q2300/22

  Seat occupation · CPC title

• B60Q2400/50

  Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body · CPC title

• B60Q2300/45

  Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers · CPC title

• B60Q2300/41

  preceding vehicle · CPC title