Driving support device

Abstract

To provide a driving support device capable of supporting improvement of driving technique.SOLUTION: A driving support device includes an acquisition unit for acquiring temperature distribution of a tread surface of a tire of a vehicle, and a notification unit for notifying an occupant of the vehicle of improvement information related to improvement of a driving method of the vehicle according to the temperature distribution when the vehicle is traveling in sports.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes that the amount of wear is calculated from the internal pressure and internal temperature of a tire. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-70341 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the amount of wear can be used to notify vehicle occupants when it is time to replace tires, it cannot be used to improve driving skills, such as cornering skills, when a vehicle is running on a circuit.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a driving assistance device that can assist in improving driving skills. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The driving assistance device of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires the temperature distribution of the tread surface of a vehicle's tire, and a notification unit that, when the vehicle is engaged in sports driving, notifies an occupant of the vehicle of improvement information regarding improvements to the driving method of the vehicle in accordance with the temperature distribution. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to support improvement of driving skills. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a vehicle system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving assistance device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of a message suggesting alignment adjustment and an example of a message of improvement information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (Vehicle system configuration) 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a system for a vehicle V. The vehicle V has a driving assistance device 1, tires 20, axles 21, a temperature sensor 22, a GPS (Global Positioning System) 23, and a display 24. The vehicle V has two driving modes: a normal driving mode for driving on public roads, and a sports driving mode for driving on a circuit or the like.

[0010] The temperature sensor 22 detects the temperature distribution on the tread surface S of the tire 20. The temperature sensor 22 is a non-contact detection means such as an infrared sensor or a thermographic camera, and detects the temperature of the tread surface S along the width direction W of the tire 20, which is approximately parallel to the axle 21. There is no limitation on the tires 20 whose temperature is to be detected, and for example, the tires 20 on the front wheels, rear wheels, or all wheels may be the detection targets depending on the type of vehicle V. In this example, to illustrate an improvement in cornering driving method, it is preferable that the temperature sensors 22 are provided on at least one pair of left and right tires 20, and the temperature distribution data of each is used depending on the cornering direction.

[0011] The GPS 23 is an example of a means for detecting the position of the vehicle V. The display 24 is a display means such as a liquid crystal panel, and notifies the passengers of the vehicle V of various information.

[0012] The driving assistance device 1 is a computer such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory), all of which are not shown. The driving assistance device 1 analyzes the load on the tire 20 from the temperature distribution on the tread surface S, and suggests improvements to the driving method based on the analysis results.

[0013] The driving assistance device 1 has, for example, an acquisition unit 10 and a notification unit 11 as software functions that drive a CPU. The acquisition unit 10 and the notification unit 11 may be realized by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit). The driving assistance device 1 also has a circuit database (DB) 12 stored in a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory.

[0014] The acquisition unit 10 acquires position information of the vehicle V from the GPS 23 via a communication bus or the like, and acquires detected temperature values ​​from the temperature sensor 22. The acquisition unit 10 generates temperature distribution data as indicated by the symbol D from the detected values ​​of the temperature sensor 22 collected over a predetermined period. The temperature distribution data indicates, for example, the time-averaged temperature value for a position in the width direction W of the tire 20. Note that on the tread surface S, the side of the axle 21 across the center line L in the width direction W is referred to as the inner region, and the opposite side is referred to as the outer region. In this way, the acquisition unit 10 acquires the temperature distribution on the tread surface S.

[0015] When the vehicle V is being driven in a sporty manner, the notification unit 11 notifies the occupant of the vehicle V of improvement information relating to improvements to the driving method of the vehicle V in accordance with the temperature distribution of the tread surface S. The notification unit 11 analyzes the load applied to the tread surface S due to the running of the axle 21 from the temperature distribution data, and generates improvement information from the analysis results based on the circuit DB 12 and outputs it to the display 24.

[0016] For example, temperature distribution data when a professional driver drives a specific circuit is registered in the circuit DB 12. The temperature distribution data is registered for each predetermined point on the circuit (for example, the first corner, the second corner, etc.), and the position (corresponding to the position information detected by the GPS 23) is also registered.

[0017] The notification unit 11 compares the temperature distribution data obtained from the temperature sensor 22 with the temperature distribution data in the circuit DB 12 for each point and notifies the occupant of the vehicle V of improvement information. For example, when presenting improvement information for the cornering of the vehicle V at the first corner, the second corner, etc., the notification unit 11 determines whether there is room for improvement based on the circuit DB 12 from the temperature distribution data of the tread surface S of the tire 20 located on the outside of the cornering.

[0018] When the inner region of the tread surface S is under a higher load than the outer region, the notification unit 11 compares the temperature distribution data obtained from the temperature sensor 22 with the circuit DB 12, and if the temperature of the outer region is lower than the threshold, the notification unit 11 provides improvement information suggesting that the vehicle speed be increased at the relevant corner so that the outer region comes into closer contact with the circuit road surface. In this way, the driving assistance device 1 can support the improvement of driving skills.

[0019] Furthermore, when the vehicle V is traveling normally, if the temperature distribution data indicates that the load is biased in the inner region or the outer region of the tread surface S, the notification unit 11 notifies the occupant of the vehicle V to adjust the alignment of the tire 20. This makes it possible to suppress biased wear of the tire 20 and tilt of the tire 20 relative to the road surface.

[0020] (Operation of driving assistance device) 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving assistance device 1. This operation is executed repeatedly, for example, while the vehicle V is traveling. In this example, the notification unit 11 presents improvement information about cornering at the first corner or the like registered at a point in the circuit DB 12. For this reason, the notification unit 11 makes the following determinations about the tire 20 located on the outer side during cornering (for example, the left tire 20 in the case of a right-hand curve corner) out of a pair of left and right tires 20 of the vehicle V.

[0021] First, the acquisition unit 10 acquires temperature distribution data and location information from the temperature sensor 22 and the GPS 23, respectively (step St1). Next, the notification unit 11 analyzes the load on the tread surface S of the tire 20 from the temperature distribution data (step St2). At this time, the notification unit 11 determines that the higher the temperature, the higher the load.

[0022] Next, the notification unit 11 determines whether the inner region of the tread surface S is under a higher load than the outer region (step St3). If the inner region is under a higher load than the outer region (Yes in step St3), the notification unit 11 determines whether the vehicle V is in sport driving mode (step St4).

[0023] At this time, the notification unit 11 determines whether or not the location information acquired from, for example, the GPS 23 is within the circuit. If the location information indicates that the vehicle is within the circuit, the notification unit 11 determines that the vehicle V is in sport driving mode, and if the location information indicates that the vehicle is outside the circuit, the notification unit 11 determines that the vehicle V is in normal driving mode. Note that the determination method is not limited to this, and the determination can also be made by, for example, acquiring information on the driving mode (sport driving mode or normal driving mode) from the engine control ECU.

[0024] If the vehicle V is traveling normally (No in step St4), the notification unit 11 displays a suggestion for adjusting the alignment of the tires 20 on the display 24 (step St7).

[0025] 3, reference numeral 240 denotes an example of a message suggesting alignment adjustment. The notification unit 11 prompts the occupant of the vehicle V to adjust the alignment of the tire 20 by displaying such a message on the display 24.

[0026] Furthermore, if the vehicle V is in sport driving mode (Yes in step St4), the notification unit 11 determines whether there is room for improvement in the driving method based on the load analysis result and the circuit DB 12 (step St5). For example, the notification unit 11 acquires temperature distribution data of a point corresponding to the position information detected by the GPS 23 from the circuit DB 12 and compares it with the temperature distribution data acquired from the temperature sensor 22.

[0027] For example, suppose the point is a corner of a circuit. At this time, if the average value of the temperature of the outer region of the temperature sensor 22 is equal to or greater than the threshold value of the average value of the temperature of the outer region of the circuit DB 12, the notification unit 11 increases the vehicle speed of the vehicle V at the corner in question to increase the centrifugal force acting on the vehicle V, thereby bringing a wider outer region into contact with the road surface and stabilizing the vehicle's running.

[0028] If the driving method can be improved in this way, the notification unit 11 determines that there is room for improvement. On the other hand, if the average value of the temperature in the outer region of the temperature sensor 22 is less than the threshold value of the average value of the temperature in the outer region of the circuit DB12, the notification unit 11 determines that there is room for improvement because there is no substantial difference between the driving method of the vehicle V at the corner and the driving method of a professional driver.

[0029] If there is room for improvement (Yes in step St5), the notification unit 11 presents improvement information indicating improvements to the driving method on the display 24 (step St6). In this example, the notification unit 11 presents improvements to the cornering speed at the corner. If there is no room for improvement (No in step St5), this operation ends.

[0030] Reference numeral 241 in Fig. 3 indicates an example of a message of improvement information. The notification unit 11 prompts the passenger of the vehicle V to improve their driving technique by displaying such a message on the display 24. Thus, the driving assistance device 1 can support the passenger in improving their driving technique.

[0031] If the inner region is not under a higher load than the outer region (No in step St3), the notification unit 11 determines whether the outer region is under a higher load than the inner region (step St8). If the loads on the outer region and the inner region are substantially equal (No in step St8), it is determined that the tread surface S is in contact with the road surface substantially evenly as a whole, and this operation ends.

[0032] If the outer region is under a higher load than the inner region (Yes in step St8), the notification unit 11 determines whether the vehicle V is in sport driving mode (step St9). If the vehicle V is in sport driving mode (Yes in step St9), it is determined that the outer region of the tread surface S is in sufficient contact with the road surface during cornering, and there is no room for improvement in the driving method, so this operation ends.

[0033] Furthermore, if the vehicle V is traveling normally (No in step St9), the notification unit 11 displays a suggestion for adjusting the alignment of the tire 20 on the display 24 (step St10). The message displayed on the display 24 at this time is as in the example above.

[0034] The above-described embodiment is a preferred example of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 Driving assistance device, 10 Acquisition unit, 11 Notification unit, 12 Circuit DB, 20 Tire, 22 Temperature sensor, 23 GPS, 24 Display

Claims

[Claim 1] an acquisition unit that acquires a temperature distribution of a tread surface of a tire of a vehicle; a notification unit that notifies a passenger of the vehicle of improvement information related to an improvement in a driving method of the vehicle in accordance with the temperature distribution when the vehicle is being driven in a sporty manner, Driving assistance device.

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