Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – Internal alarm or indicator responsive to a condition of the...
Reexamination Certificate
1995-05-30
2001-08-21
Trieu, Van T. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Internal alarm or indicator responsive to a condition of the...
C340S438000, C340S576000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06278362
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a driving state-monitoring apparatus for automotive vehicles, which monitors the driving state of the driver of the automotive vehicle, and gives an alarm, if necessary.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, a driving state-monitoring apparatus has been proposed e.g. by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 5-85221, which estimates a delay in response of a driver of an automotive vehicle and the difference between the actual position of the vehicle and a lane on which the vehicle is traveling (reference position of the vehicle in the lane), based on an amount of steering of the vehicle performed by the driver and the vehicle speed, and compares the estimated delay in response and the estimated difference with respective reference values to be assumed during normal driving states of the driver, to thereby check the driving state of the driver e.g. for abnormal steering caused by a doze or lowered driving ability of the driver resulting from his fatigue.
However, since the proposed driving state-monitoring system calculates or estimates the difference between the actual position of the vehicle and the lane on which the vehicle is traveling (reference position in the lane), based on the amount of steering of the vehicle performed by the driver and the vehicle speed, but not based on physical amounts directly related to behavior of the vehicle. As a result, an error can be produced in the calculated difference due to conditions of the road surface (e.g. irregularities and gradient of the road surface), a difference in driving skill between individual drivers (e.g. between a beginner and a skilled driver), and so forth, which results in degraded accuracy of determination of the driving state of the driver.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a driving state-monitoring apparatus for an automotive vehicle, which is capable of more accurately grasping behavior of the vehicle, to thereby determine the driving state of the driver with enhanced accuracy.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides a driving state-monitoring apparatus for an automotive vehicle, for monitoring a driving state of a driver of the automotive vehicle, comprising:
behavior parameter-detecting means for detecting a behavior parameter indicative of an amount of behavior related to at least one of yawing movement and lateral movement of the automotive vehicle;
vehicle speed-detecting means for detecting a speed of the automotive vehicle;
behavior reference parameter-setting means for setting a behavior reference parameter based on changes in the behavior parameter;
lateral deviation behavior amount-calculating means for calculating a lateral deviation behavior amount of the automotive vehicle, based on the behavior parameter, the behavior reference parameter, and the speed of the automotive vehicle;
driving state-determining means for determining whether or not the driving state of the driver is normal, based on the lateral deviation behavior amount; and
abnormality-determining means responsive to a determination by the driving state-determining means that the driving state of the driver is not normal, for determining that the driving state of the driver is abnormal.
Preferably, the driving state-monitoring apparatus includes lane changing intention-determining means for determining whether or not the driver intends to change a lane on which the automotive vehicle is traveling, and the abnormality-determining means determines that the driving state of the driver is abnormal, when it is determined by the lane changing intention-determining means that the driver does not intend to change the lane, and at the same time it is determined by the driving state-determining means that the driving state of the driver is not normal.
More preferably, the driving state-determining means determines whether or not the driving state of the driver is normal, based on a plurality of data obtained at different measuring time points.
Also preferably, the driving state-monitoring apparatus includes control means for causing the behavior reference parameter-setting means to again set or correct the behavior reference parameter, depending on variation in the lateral deviation behavior amount calculated by the lateral deviation behavior amount-calculating means.
Preferably, the driving state-monitoring apparatus includes alarm means responsive to the determination by the abnormality-determining means that the driving state of the driver is abnormal, for giving an alarm.
More preferably, the driving state-monitoring apparatus includes vehicle speed-limiting means responsive to the determination by the abnormality-determining means that the driving state of the driver is abnormal, for limiting the speed of the automotive vehicle.
Alternatively, the automotive vehicle includes equipment installed on the automotive vehicle for directly acting on the driver, the apparatus including vehicle equipment control means responsive to the determination by the abnormality-determining means that the driving state of the driver is abnormal, for controlling the equipment.
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Kojima Kouichi
Tanaka Katsuhisa
Yoshikawa Kenji
Blackman William D.
Carrier Joseph P.
Carrier Blackman & Associates P.C.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Trieu Van T.
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