Driving assistance device and driving assistance method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016229268-A1
Application number	US-201415022739-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 23, 2014
Priority date	Sep 26, 2013
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device for assisting with driving an automotive vehicle comprising a variable transmission screen intended to be placed between a road scene (SR) and a driver of the vehicle, the assisting device being configured to, when active, control a transmission coefficient of the variable transmission screen. The device comprises a glare-evaluating means and is furthermore configured to modify the coefficient of transparency of the variable transmission screen depending on the glare measured by the glare-evaluating means.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device for assisting with driving an automotive vehicle comprising a variable transmission screen intended to be placed between a road scene and a driver of said vehicle, said device being configured to, when active, control a transmission coefficient of said variable transmission screen, wherein said device comprises a glare-evaluating means and is furthermore configured to modify a coefficient of transparency of said variable transmission screen depending on glare measured by said glare-evaluating means.

2 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said vehicle being equipped with at least one illuminating device able to emit a beam for illuminating said road scene (SR) in front of said vehicle, said device is configured to, when active, control a light emission of at least one light source of said at least one illuminating device and said transmission coefficient of said variable transmission screen, in relation to each other, with a pulsed signal.

3 . The device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said device is configured to, when active, control said light emission with a first periodic pulsed signal of period T and duty cycle R1 and said transmission coefficient of said variable transmission screen with a second periodic pulsed signal of period T and duty cycle R2, said device being configured to modify said coefficient of transparency of said variable transmission screen by modifying said second pulsed periodic signal so that said duty cycle R2 takes a value between:
its maximum when said glare measured by said glare-evaluating means is below a first threshold; and said duty cycle R1 when said glare measured by said glare-evaluating means is above a second threshold.

4 . The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said device is configured to keep said duty cycle R1 constant whatever the value of said duty cycle R2.

5 . The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said device is configured to modify control of said light emission by modifying said first pulsed signal so that said duty cycle R1 takes a value between two extreme values:
its maximum when said glare measured by said glare-evaluating means is below a third threshold; and its minimum when said glare measured by said glare-evaluating means is above a fourth threshold.

6 . The device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said duty cycle R1 takes values identical to said duty cycle R2.

7 . The device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said device is configured to modify control of said light emission by modifying the amplitude of said first pulsed signal.

8 . The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said device is configured to modify control of said light emission by modifying said amplitude of said first pulsed signal so that the average illumination generated by said light emission during the period T is constant when said duty cycle R1 varies.

9 . The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said device comprises a luminosity sensor, said device being configured to adapt said glare thresholds to a measured luminosity.

10 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said glare-evaluating means is a luminosity sensor the measurements of which are processed in order to deduce said glare therefrom.

11 . The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said variable transmission screen is formed:
by a windshield of said vehicle;
by a screen placed between said windshield of said vehicle and said driver of said vehicle; or
by a pair of glasses worn by said driver of said vehicle.

12 . The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said variable transmission screen is formed by a pair of glasses worn by said driver of said vehicle, and wherein said glare-evaluating means is placed on said pair of glasses.

13 . A pair of glasses for said device for assisting with driving as claimed in claim 1 .

14 . A method for assisting with driving an automotive vehicle, said vehicle being equipped with a variable transmission screen intended to be placed between a road scene (SR) and a driver of said vehicle, said method comprising a step of controlling a transmission coefficient of said variable transmission screen with a pulsed signal, wherein said method comprises the step of modifying a coefficient of transparency of said variable transmission screen depending on glare measured by a glare-evaluating means.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 14 , in which said vehicle being equipped with at least one illuminating device able to emit a beam for illuminating said road scene (SR) in front of said vehicle, said controlling step is configured to allow a light emission of at least one light source of said illuminating device and said transmission coefficient to be controlled in relation to each other.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said light emission being controlled with a first periodic pulsed signal of period T and duty cycle R1 and said transmission coefficient of said variable transmission screen with a second periodic pulsed signal of period T and duty cycle R2, a step of modifying said coefficient of transparency of said variable transmission screen comprises a step of modifying a second periodic pulsed signal, so that said duty cycle R2 takes a value between:
its maximum when said glare measured by said glare-evaluating means is below a first threshold; and said duty cycle R1 when said glare measured by said glare-evaluating means is above a second threshold.

17 . The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said duty cycle R1 is kept constant whatever the value of said duty cycle R2.

18 . The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said method comprises said controlling step of modifying control of said light emission by modifying the amplitude of a first periodic pulsed signal.

19 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein said light emission is controlled by modifying said amplitude of said first periodic pulsed signal so that the average illumination generated by said light emission during the period T is constant when said duty cycle R1 varies.

20 . The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said device is configured to modify control of said light emission by modifying said amplitude of said first pulsed signal.

Assignees

• Valeo Vision

Inventors

• Fleury Benoist
• Hue David
• Beev Kostadin

Classifications

• B60Q1/085

  due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers (B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y02T10/88

  Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses · CPC title

• B60Q2300/314

  Ambient light · CPC title

• B60R1/00

  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 title

• B60Q1/143

  combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers · CPC title