Drive assisting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9437110-B2
Application number	US-201113261862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2011
Priority date	Nov 15, 2011
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A drive assisting apparatus includes an assistance controller configured to create a target vehicle travelling state in which a timing to start stop assistance is changed in accordance with an elapsed time elapsed from at the time a traffic light, which exists in an advancing direction of a vehicle, is switched to a stop display, and an assisting device configured to be able to output drive assisting information for assisting the driving of the vehicle based on the target travelling state amount of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive assisting apparatus configured to assist driving of a vehicle, the drive assisting apparatus comprising:
an assistance controller configured to
determine an estimated variation including a distance between a reference stop position at a traffic light and a target stop position for the vehicle in accordance with an elapsed time elapsed from a time the traffic light is switched to a stop display, the traffic light existing in an advanced direction of the vehicle, and
calculate a target travelling state amount including a target brake operation start vehicle speed based on the estimated variation to change a timing to start stop assistance, the target brake operation start vehicle speed being a recommended vehicle speed at a start of a brake operation; and

at least one of a display device and a speaker configured to output drive assisting information for assisting the driving of the vehicle based on the target travelling state amount calculated by the assistance controller.

2. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the assistance controller:
determines the target stop position based on a difference between the estimated variation and the reference stop position at the traffic light, and
calculates the target travelling state amount based on the target stop position to change the timing to start the stop assistance.

3. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the assistance controller:
calculates a correction value based on the estimated variation, and
calculates the target travelling state amount based on the correction value to change the timing to start the stop assistance.

4. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the estimated variation becomes greater with an increase in the elapsed time.

5. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the assistance controller adjusts a value of the estimated variation with respect to the elapsed time based on past stop position information indicating a past stop position in which the vehicle stopped at the traffic light in the past.

6. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the estimated variation becomes greater with an increase in the elapsed time.

7. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the assistance controller adjusts a value of the estimated variation with respect to the elapsed time based on past stop position information indicating a past stop position in which the vehicle stopped at the traffic light in the past.

8. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the assistance controller adjusts a value of the estimated variation with respect to the elapsed time based on past stop position information indicating a past stop position in which the vehicle stopped at the traffic light in the past.

9. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the assistance controller determines a maximum value of the estimated variation with respect to the elapsed time based on the past stop position information.

10. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the assistance controller:
adjusts the value of the estimated variation based on a correlativity between the elapsed time and the past stop position information, and
learns the correlativity for the traffic light or for a time slot.

11. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the past stop position information is information indicating a position of an average value of the past stop positions or the past stop position which is most distant from the traffic light.

12. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the assistance controller determines an increasing rate of the estimated variation with respect to the elapsed time based on the past stop position information.

13. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the assistance controller:
adjusts the value of the estimated variation based on a correlativity between the elapsed time and the past stop position information, and
learns the correlativity for the traffic light or for a time slot.

14. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the assistance controller:
adjusts the value of the estimated variation based on a correlativity between the elapsed time and the past stop position information, and
learns the correlativity for the traffic light or for a time slot.

15. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein
the past stop position information includes a changing pattern of the past stop position according to the elapsed time, and
the assistance controller determines an increment rule of the estimated variation with respect to the elapsed time based the changing pattern of the past stop position.

16. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the past stop position information is information indicating a position of an average value of the past stop positions or the past stop position which is most distant from the traffic light.

17. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the assistance controller determines a constant value, which is set in advance at the time a display mode of the traffic light is the stop display, as the estimated variation.

18. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the display device and the speaker performs assistance of urging recommended driving operation by outputting the drive assisting information.

19. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the drive assisting information includes information instructing release of an acceleration request operation and a brake request operation.

20. The drive assisting apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the drive assisting information includes information instructing start of a brake request operation.

Assignees

• Otake Hirotada
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Otake Hirotada

Classifications

• G08G1/096741

  where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle · CPC title

• G08G1/096783

  where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element · CPC title

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• G08G1/16 Primary

  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

• G08G1/096716 Primary

  where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control · CPC title