Intuitive eco-driving assistance method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9045139-B2
Application number	US-201213722424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2012
Priority date	Dec 20, 2012
Publication date	Jun 2, 2015
Grant date	Jun 2, 2015

Abstract

An intuitive eco-driving assistance system is mounted on a vehicle and has an input module, a control module and an output module. The control module is electrically connected to the input module and the output module. The output module acquires images ahead of the vehicle and speed signals for the control module to recognize a speed limit, traffic lights and a speed and distance of any obstacle on the images. Furthermore, according to the driving limits of the road and actual vehicle speed, the output module prompts for an eco-driving instruction and the speed limit meeting the road condition visually or audibly. Accordingly, the issue of conventional vehicles being structurally complicated and costly for conserving energy, only passively prompting fuel consumption, and consuming more fuel can be solved without requiring any additional and complicated system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An intuitive eco-driving assistance method, comprising steps of:
acquiring images of road and environmental conditions ahead of a vehicle;
recognizing traffic signs and signals on the images;
detecting any obstacle ahead of the vehicle and analyzing the obstacle;
converting the traffic signs and signals and an analyzed information of the obstacle into at least one mode of eco-driving behavior, wherein the at least one mode of eco-driving behavior includes a high-speed driving mode prompting multiple optimal eco-driving instructions for lane changing, intelligent car-following and cruise control in compliance with the road and environmental conditions according to a distance and a speed of the obstacle ahead of the vehicle and a driving area between the obstacle and the vehicle; and
generating a prompt message corresponding to the mode of eco-driving behavior.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the optimal eco-driving instruction for cruise control is prompted during the high-speed driving mode, if no obstacle is detected or if an obstacle is detected and the speed of the obstacle is faster than an optimal speed and a speed of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is greater than zero, wherein, the optimal eco-driving instruction for cruise control includes: driving constantly at the optimal speed; and
the optimal eco-driving instruction is prompted for lane changing or intelligent car-following, if an obstacle is detected and the speed of the obstacle is slower than the optimal speed and the speed of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is less than zero, wherein the optimal eco-driving instruction for lane changing includes: changing lane and performing a driving route tracing navigation, and the optimal eco-driving instruction for intelligent car-following includes: actively and intelligently following vehicles ahead.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one mode of eco-driving behavior includes a low-speed driving mode prompting for multiple optimal eco-driving instructions for inertial navigation, gentle starting, and intelligent car-following and cruise control in compliance with the road and environmental conditions according to the distance and the speed of the obstacle ahead of the vehicle and a recognition result of traffic signals and signs.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein
the optimal eco-driving instruction for inertial navigation is prompted during the low-speed driving mode, if an obstacle is detected and the speed of the obstacle is equal to 0 kilometer/hour or if no obstacle is detected and a red light shows, wherein the optimal eco-driving instruction for inertial navigation includes: performing an inertial navigation;
the eco-driving instruction for intelligently following the vehicles ahead is prompted, if an obstacle is detected and the speed of the obstacle is slower than an optimal speed and a speed of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is less than zero, wherein the optimal eco-driving instruction for inertial navigation includes: actively and intelligently following vehicles ahead;
the eco-driving instruction for cruise control is prompted, if an obstacle is detected and the speed of the obstacle is faster than the optimal speed, the distance to the obstacle is greater than a safe distance and the speed of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is greater than zero or if no obstacle is detected and a green light shows, wherein the optimal eco-driving instruction for cruise control includes: driving constantly at the optimal speed; and
the optimal eco-driving instruction for gentle starting is prompted, if no obstacle is detected and the traffic light changes from the red light to the green light, wherein the eco-driving instruction for gentle starting includes: gently starting the vehicle.

5. An intuitive eco-driving assistance system, comprising:
an input module having:
an image-capturing unit taking images of roads and environmental conditions ahead of a vehicle and outputting image signals; and
a vehicle body signal capturing unit adapted to acquire at least one speed signal of the vehicle;
a control module electrically connected to the input module, receiving the image signals from the image-capturing unit and the at least one speed signal from the vehicle body signal capturing unit, and having:
a traffic signal and sign recognition unit recognizing a speed limit and traffic lights of the roads and environmental conditions;
an obstacle detection and analysis unit detecting information of any obstacle ahead of the vehicle; and

an eco-driving logic unit prompting multiple optimal eco-driving instructions according to the at least one speed signal, the speed limit and the detected information of obstacle acquired from the traffic signal and sign recognition unit and the obstacle detection and analysis unit, and at least one mode of eco-driving behavior preset in the eco-driving logic unit and corresponding to the speed limit and the detected information of the obstacle,
wherein the at least one mode of eco-driving behavior includes a high-speed driving mode prompting the multiple optimal eco-driving instructions for lane changing, intelligent car-following and cruise control in compliance with the road and environmental conditions according to a distance and a speed of the obstacle ahead of the vehicle and a driving area between the obstacle and the vehicle,
wherein the optimal eco-driving instruction for cruise control is prompted during the high-speed driving mode if no obstacle is detected or if an obstacle is detected and the speed of the obstacle is faster than an optimal speed and a speed of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is greater than zero, and includes driving constantly at the optimal speed, the optimal eco-driving instruction for lane changing or intelligent car-following is prompted if an obstacle is detected and the speed of the obstacle is slower than the optimal speed and the speed of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is less than zero, the optimal eco-driving instruction for lane changing includes: changing lane and performing a driving route tracing navigation, and the optimal eco-driving instruction for intelligent car-following includes: actively and intelligently following vehicles ahead; and
an output module electrically connected to the control module and having a display unit and a prompt unit respectively serving to display and prompt the eco-driving instructions or the speed limit with voice.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the output module further has an active control unit adapted to electrically connect to an accelerator and a brake circuit of the vehicle.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein
the at least one mode of eco-driving behavior includes a low-speed driving mode prompting for multiple optimal eco-driving instructions for inertial navigation, gentle starting, and intelligent car-following and cruise control in compliance with the road and environmental conditions according to the distance and the speed of the obstacle ahead and a recognition result of traffic signals and signs;
the optimal eco-driving instruction for inertial navigation is prompted during the high-speed driving mode, if an obstacle is detected and the speed of the obstacle is equal to 0 kilometer/hour or if no obstacle is detected and a red light shows, wherein the optimal eco-driving instruction for inertial navigation includes: performing an inertial navigation;
the eco-driving instruction for intelligently following the vehicles ahead is prompted, if an obstacle is detected and the speed of the obstacle is slower than the optimal speed and the speed of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is less than zero, wherein the optimal eco-

Assignees

• Automotive Res & Testing Ct

Inventors

• Chen Yu-Sung
• Su Yi-Feng
• Chen Shung-Huang
• Chang Yu-Long
• Yang Chia-Hao

Classifications

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title

• B60W30/18163

  Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres · CPC title

• B60W2555/20

  Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain · CPC title

• B60W2420/403

  Image sensing, e.g. optical camera · CPC title

• B60W2555/60

  Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way · CPC title