Vehicle and method for advising driver of same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707975-B2
Application number	US-200913063393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2009
Priority date	Oct 30, 2008
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A method for advising a driver of a vehicle including a haptic driver interface may include determining a speed of the vehicle, determining a distance between the vehicle and another vehicle, and activating the haptic driver interface based on the speed and distance.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a haptic interface; and
a controller configured to
activate the haptic interface responsive to a distance between the vehicle and another vehicle being less than a threshold distance initially set according to a learned driver behavior that is based on how a driver is driving the vehicle, and
decrease the threshold distance to not less than a predefined minimum responsive to the distance not increasing following activation of the haptic interface.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the haptic interface is a haptic accelerator pedal.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to activate the haptic interface at an intensity that depends on the distance between the vehicles.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the intensity increases as the distance decreases.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the threshold distance is decreased to a predefined minimum.

6. A vehicle comprising:
a haptic interface; and
a controller configured to
responsive to a time to collision with another vehicle being less than a threshold time initially set according to a learned driver behavior that is based on how a driver is driving the vehicle, activate the haptic interface, and

responsive to the time to collision not increasing following activation of the haptic interface, decrease the threshold time to not less than a predefined minimum.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the haptic interface is a haptic accelerator pedal.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the controller is further configured to activate the haptic interface at an intensity that depends on the time to collision.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the intensity increases as the time to collision decreases.

10. A method for advising a driver of a vehicle comprising:
by a processor,
responsive to a gap time between the vehicle and another vehicle being less than a threshold time initially set according to a learned driver behavior that is based on how the driver is driving the vehicle, activating a haptic interface; and
responsive to the gap time not increasing following activation of the haptic interface, decreasing the threshold time to a predefined minimum.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the haptic interface is activated with an intensity that depends on the gap time.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the threshold time is decreased to a predefined minimum.

Assignees

• Filev Dimitar Petrov
• Lu Jianbo
• Prakah-Asante Kwaku O
• Syed Fazal Urrahman
• Tseng Fling
• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Filev Dimitar Petrov
• Lu Jianbo
• Prakah-Asante Kwaku O
• Syed Fazal Urrahman
• Tseng Fling

Classifications

• B60W40/107

  Longitudinal acceleration · CPC title

• B60W2540/30

  Driving style · CPC title

• B60W50/16 Primary

  Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal · CPC title

• B60W2554/801

  Lateral distance · CPC title

• B60W40/09

  Driving style or behaviour · CPC title