Driving assist device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016355190-A1
Application number	US-201515117885-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 5, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2014
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A driving assist device ( 10 ) is provided. A driving assist device includes a driver state detection unit ( 120 ) for detecting an inattentive state as a driver state, an alerting unit ( 140 ) for altering the driver upon detection of the inattentive state of the driver, a driving operation unit ( 500 ) for being operated by the driver for driving operations; and a driving state switching unit ( 130 ) that switches at least one of the driving operations in an automated driving state to a manual driving state when the driver's operation of the driving operation unit is detected during the automated driving state of the vehicle. When at least one of the driving operations in the automated driving state is switched to the manual driving state by the driving state switching unit, the driver state detection unit detects whether the state of the driver is an excited state. When the excited state of the driver is detected, the alerting unit alerts the driver.

First claim

1 . A driving assist device mounted in a vehicle to assist a driver in driving the vehicle through detecting a state of the driver, the vehicle being switchable between
a manual driving state in which driving operations for acceleration, braking and steering are manually performed by the driver and an automated driving state in which at least one of the driving operations is performed automatically, the driving assist device comprising: a driver state detection unit that detects whether the state of the driver is an inattentive state; an alerting unit that, when the inattentive state of the driver is detected, alerts the driver; a driving operation unit that is operated by the driver to perform the driving operations; and a driving state switching unit that, when the driver's operation of the driving operation unit is detected during the automated driving state of the vehicle, switches at least one of the driving operations in the automated driving state to the manual driving state, wherein: when at least one of the driving operations in the automated driving state is switched to the manual driving state by the driving state switching unit, the driver state detection unit detects whether the state of the driver is an excited state; and when the excited state of the driver is detected, the alerting unit alerts the driver.

2 . The driving assist device according to claim 1 , wherein
when at least one of the driving operations in the automated driving state is switched to the manual driving state by the driving state switching unit, the driver state detection unit detects, over a predetermined period of time, whether the driver is in the excited state.

3 . The driving assist device according to claim 1 , wherein:
when the excited state of the driver is detected, the alerting unit alerts the driver in a different manner than when the inattentive state of the driver is detected.

4 . The driving assist device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a driving area detection unit that detects whether an automated driving-prohibited area where the vehicle is not permitted to be driven in the automated driving state exists in a forward traveling direction of the vehicle, wherein: in cases where the automated driving-prohibited area is detected, even when at least one of the driving operations in the automated driving state is switched to the manual driving state by the driving state switching unit, the driver state detection unit detects not whether the driver is in the excited state but whether the driver is in the inattentive state.

5 . A driving assist method to be applied to a vehicle to assist a driver in driving the vehicle through detecting a state of the driver, the vehicle being switchable between
a manual driving state in which driving operations for acceleration, braking and steering are manually performed by the driver and an automated driving state in which at least one of the driving operations is performed automatically, the driving assist method comprising: a driver state detection process that detects whether the state of the driver is an inattentive state; an alerting process that alerts the driver when the inattentive state of the driver is detected; and a driving state switching process that, when the driver's operation of the driving operation unit is detected during the automated driving state of the vehicle, switches at least one of the driving operations in the automated driving state to the manual driving state, wherein: when at least one of the driving operations in the automated driving state is switched to the manual driving state in the driving state switching process, it is detected in the driver state detection process whether the state of the driver is an excited state; and in the alert process, the driver is alerted when the excited state of the driver is detected.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Omi Takuhiro

Classifications

• B60W2540/221

  Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs · CPC title

• B60W30/16

  Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• G08B21/06

  indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms · CPC title

• G08B25/08

  using communication transmission lines {(G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence)} · CPC title