Nissan Motor Company Limited

Drexel University

Nissan North America, Inc.

Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc

Nobuyuki Kuge

Tomohiro Yamamura

Takayuki Kondoh

Takeshi Kimura

Kenji Komori

Yosuke Kobayashi

Yasuhiko Takae

Akira Onozuka

Yoshiharu Kamisuki

Dario Salvucci

Yoshiki Yasuno

Hiroshi Tsuda

Kazuto Sato

Hirofumi Hashiguchi

Shane McLaughlin

Jon Hankey

A vehicle driving assist system has a controller configured to urge a driver to slow down (decelerate) in locations where visibility is poor. The controller detects a traveling condition of a host vehicle, e.g., when the host vehicle is approaching a designated area, such as a school zone, and then selectively executes an imaginary speed limiting road protrusion control that generates an imaginary speed limiting road protrusion by artificially reproducing a vehicle behavior that simulates the host vehicle crosses an actual speed limiting road protrusion arranged on a road surface, based on the traveling condition of the host vehicle.

Vehicle driving assist system

A driving assistance system for vehicle detects short-duration data representing a current traveling condition and drive operation, and intermediate-duration data representing a travelling condition and drive operation of this day. Drive diagnosis is carried out by comparing distribution of the short-duration data and distribution of the intermediate-duration data.

Driving assistance system for vehicle and vehicle equipped with driving assistance system for vehicle

A driving maneuver assisting apparatus includes a learning section configured to learn a driving-behavior pattern of a driver for a predetermined duration; a non-steady-state degree calculating section configured to calculate a non-steady-state degree by comparing a current driving-behavior pattern with the driving-behavior pattern learned by the learning section, wherein the non-steady-state degree represents how different the current driving-behavior pattern is from the driving-behavior pattern learned by the learning section; a learning level calculating section configured to calculate a learning level of the learning section; and a notifying section configured to notify the driver of a maneuver assisting information for inducing the driving-behavior pattern learned by the learning section in accordance with the learning level calculated by the learning level calculating section, when the non-steady-state degree calculated by the non-steady-state degree calculating section exceeds a threshold value. The notifying section is configured to provide contents of the maneuver assisting information in more detail as the learning level calculated by the learning level calculating section becomes higher.

Driving maneuver assisting apparatus and method for assisting driving maneuver

A driving assistance system for vehicle obtains short-duration data representing a present traveling condition and driving operation and intermediate-duration data representing a traveling condition and driving operation of that day. A drive diagnosis is carried out by comparing a distribution of the short-duration data and a distribution of the intermediate-date, and a drive diagnosis result is evaluated with two evaluation criteria so as to provide an alarm or an operation improvement suggestion.

A vehicle driving assist system is provided that calculates a risk potential indicative of a degree of convergence between the host vehicle and the preceding obstacle. A first driving assistance control system controls at least one of an actuation reaction force exerted by a driver-operated driving operation device and a braking/driving force exerted against the host vehicle based on the risk potential calculated. A second driving assistance control system controls the braking/driving force of the host vehicle such that a headway distance is maintained between the host vehicle and the obstacle. A transition detecting section detects a transition of operating states of the first and second driving assistance control systems. The control adjusting section adjusts the control executed by the first and second driving assistance control systems when a transition of operating state is detected.

An impaired operation detection method is basically performed by sensing a yaw rate of a vehicle over a time period. Then time points are identified in which the yaw rate changes direction. A linear rate of change in the yaw rate is determined between two of the time points that are sequential in time. An actual rate of change is examined between the two time points. A difference between the actual rate of change and the linear rate of change to obtain a difference value. Then, the operator's impairment condition is determined based on the difference value.

Impaired operation detection method

Disclosed herein are stability display apparatus and methods. One apparatus comprises a driving state detection unit configured to detect a driving state of a vehicle in operation; a controller comprising an instability estimation unit configured to estimate an instability index indicating driving instability of the vehicle based on the driving state of the vehicle detected by the driving state detection unit and configured to determine changes in the instability index; and a display unit configured to display the instability index estimated by the instability estimation unit in a display region within a range less than or equal to an upper limit that is a limit of display and configured to display in the display region a representation of the changes of the instability index when the instability index is beyond the upper limit.

Stability display apparatus

A vehicle driving assist system is provided with a risk factor detection section, a first risk potential calculation section, a second risk potential calculation section and a risk potential notification section. The risk factor detection section detects a plurality of potential risk factors related to a host vehicle. The first risk potential calculation section calculates a first risk potential attributed to a first risk factor from the risk factors that were detected. The second risk potential calculation section calculates a second risk potential attributed to a second risk factor that is different than the first risk factor from the risk factors that were detected. The risk potential notification section notifies a driver of the first risk potential with a first risk potential notification and the second risk potential with a second risk potential notification using a common risk notification device with the first and second notifications being different.

A vehicle driving assist system has a host vehicle risk factor detection section, a peripheral risk factor detection section, a host vehicle risk potential calculation section, a peripheral risk potential calculation section and a risk potential notification section. The host vehicle risk factor detection section detects host vehicle risk factors related to a host vehicle. The peripheral risk factor detection section detects peripheral risk factors in an area around the host vehicle. The host vehicle risk potential calculation section calculates a host vehicle risk potential attributed to the host vehicle risk factors. The peripheral risk potential calculation section calculates a peripheral risk potential attributed to the peripheral risk factors. The risk potential notification section notifies a driver of the host vehicle risk potential and the peripheral risk potential using a common risk notification device for both notifications.

A driving intention estimation, driver assistance and vehicle with the driver assistance for providing a stable estimation of a driver's driving intention even if detection of a relationship between an own vehicle and lane markers is lost. A plurality of imaginary drivers of a first type and a second type, each being given a respective driving intention, are provided. When detection of lane markers is reliably kept, a driving intention by a real driver is estimated based on a comparison between an operation of the real driver to operations of the imaginary drivers of the first type that are calculated based on the relative positional relationship of the own vehicle to the detected lane marker. When the detection of lane markers is lost, operations of the plurality of imaginary drivers are calculated based on the relative positional relationship of the own vehicle to a preceding vehicle. In response to the status of detection of the lane marker, either the imaginary drivers of the first type or the second type are selected.

Driving intention estimation system, driver assisting system, and vehicle with the system

An intention estimation and operation assistance system for estimating an operator's intention and providing assistance to operation of a machine. Reference data, such as the operation of a plurality of hypothetical operators, is provided for comparison with the operation of a real operator, to determine an estimated intention of the operator. The estimated operator is utilized to alter the operation of the machine, to provide a safer and/or smoother operation experience in operating the machine.

Method and system for intention estimation and operation assistance

Driving assisting systems and methods that regulate a reaction force applied to an accelerator pedal based on risk potential, estimated driver's intention and necessity for acceleration, in response to an estimated driver's intention being a predetermined type of intention.

Driving assisting system for a vehicle and a vehicle installed with the system

A system for estimating a driving intention of a vehicle driver comprises a vehicle surroundings detection device for detecting the vehicle surroundings, an operational input detection device for detecting operational input by the real driver, a first imaginary driver operational input calculation device for calculating the required operational input by a first method based on the vehicle surroundings in order to execute the driving intention of each imaginary driver for multiple differing imaginary drivers, a second imaginary driver operational input calculation device for calculating the required operational input by a second method that differs from the first method based on information differing from said vehicle surroundings in order to execute the driving intention of each imaginary driver, an imaginary driver operational input selection device for selecting either the operational input of the multiple imaginary drivers computed by the first driver operational input calculation device or the operational input of multiple imaginary drivers computed by the second driver operational input calculation device, based on the running condition, an operational input degree of similarity calculation device for calculating each degree of similarity between the operational input of multiple imaginary drivers and the operational input for the real driver, and a driving intention estimation device for estimating the driving intention of said real driver based on the multiple operational input degree of similarity.

Driving intention estimation system, vehicle operation assistance system, and vehicle equipped therewith

Intention estimation methods and systems that are adaptive to changes in environment and/or operations are disclosed. An exemplary system includes a detector configured to detect at least one of a state of environment around a vehicle, and an operation performed by the driver of the vehicle. An intention estimation device is provided to generate an estimated intention of the driver based on the detected operation performed by the driver and an adjustable criterion.

Growing community of inventors

Zushi, Japan

Nobuyuki Kuge