IP Library Granted Patent US 11,117,593
Granted Patent B2
US 11,117,593 · App. 16/117,726 · Granted Sep 14, 2021

Information system, driving assistance information providing method, and in-vehicle terminal

Inventors: Akihiro Kondo (Tokyo, JP); Keita Shimada (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.
B60W50/08B60W50/00B60W50/0098G01C21/3461G06F16/22G06F16/29G08G1/00G08G1/0112G08G1/0129G08G1/096775G08G1/096888B60W2050/0077B60W2050/0083B60W2050/0089B60W2540/30G09B9/042G09B9/052G09B19/167
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,117,593
App. No.
16/117,726
Granted
Sep 14, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information system includes an in-vehicle terminal that is mounted on a host vehicle and a server that communicates with the in-vehicle terminal. The server includes a running history DB in which a running history of the host vehicle is stored for each driver, a driving skill-level determination unit, a driving skill-level DB in which a driving skill-level determined by the driving skill-level determination unit is stored, and a distribution information control unit that distributes driving assistance information based on the driving skill-level stored in the driving skill-level DB to the in-vehicle terminal. The driving skill-level determination unit determines a driving skill-level of a driver based on the running history stored in the running history DB and a driving skill element definition list representing a difficulty level of driving predefined for each driving skill element.

Claims (42)

1. An information system comprising:

an in-vehicle terminal that is mounted on a vehicle; and

a server that communicates with the in-vehicle terminal,

the server including

a running history database in which a running history of the vehicle is stored for each driver,

a processor programmed to determine a driving skill-level of the driver for each of a plurality of driving skill elements, based on the running history stored in the running history database and a driving difficulty level predefined for each driving skill element, wherein the driving difficulty level includes information indicating contents of road conditions and traffic conditions,

a driving skill-level database that stores the driving skill-level determined for each of the driving skill elements by the processor, and

the processor is programmed to distribute driving assistance information based on the driving skill-level stored in the driving skill-level database to the in-vehicle terminal, wherein

the processor is further programmed to calculate a practice technique requirement to be practiced by the driver, based on the driving skill-level,

the processor distributes the driving assistance information including information on the practice technique requirement to the in-vehicle terminal, and

when receiving the driving assistance information, the in-vehicle terminal searches for a practice route, including a practice point, for causing the driver to practice the practice technique requirement, based on the received driving assistance information and guides the vehicle according to the searched practice route.

2. The information system according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is further programmed to extract, based on the driving skill-level, an attention calling point when the vehicle runs along a route to a destination, the attention calling point being a point at which an attention-calling is issued to the driver,

the processor distributes the driving assistance information including information on the attention calling point to the in-vehicle terminal, and

when receiving the driving assistance information, the in-vehicle terminal assists driving of the driver at the attention calling point, based on the received driving assistance information.

3. The information system according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor changes contents of the driving assistance information to be distributed to the in-vehicle terminal according to a date on which the vehicle is scheduled to go to a destination, and a current date.

4. A driving assistance information providing method of providing driving assistance information from a server to an in-vehicle terminal, the method comprising:

storing a running history of a vehicle mounted with the in-vehicle terminal for each driver in the server;

determining a driving skill-level of the driver for each of driving skill elements in the server, based on the running history and a driving difficulty level predefined for each of a plurality of driving skill elements, wherein the driving difficulty level includes information indicating contents of road conditions and traffic conditions; and

distributing driving assistance information based on the driving skill-level from the server to the in-vehicle terminal, wherein

the server calculates a practice technique requirement to be practiced by the driver, based on the driving skill-level,

the driving assistance information including information on the practice technique requirement is distributed to the in-vehicle terminal from the server, and

when the in-vehicle terminal receives the driving assistance information, the in-vehicle terminal searches for a practice route, including a practice point, for causing the driver to practice the practice technique requirement, based on the received driving assistance information and guides the vehicle according to the searched practice route.

5. The driving assistance information providing method according to claim 4 , wherein

the server extracts an attention calling point, based on the driving skill-level, when the vehicle runs along a route to a destination, the attention calling point being a point at which an attention-calling is issued to the driver,

the driving assistance information including information on the attention calling point is distributed to the in-vehicle terminal from the server, and

when the in-vehicle terminal receives the driving assistance information, the in-vehicle terminal assists driving of the driver at the attention calling point, based on the received driving assistance information.

6. The driving assistance information providing method according to claim 4 , wherein

contents of the driving assistance information are changed, the driving assistance information being distributed to the in-vehicle terminal from the server, according to a date on which the vehicle is scheduled to go to a destination, and a current date.

7. An in-vehicle terminal that is mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a running history database that acquires a running history of the vehicle associated with a driver of the vehicle;

a transmitter configured to transmit the running history to a server and receive driving assistance information distributed from the server; and

a processor programmed to perform driving assistance of the driver according to a driving skill-level of the driver for each of driving skill elements, based on the driving assistance information received by the transmitter;

wherein the driving skill-level of the driver is determined based on the running history and a driving difficulty level predefined for each of the driving skill elements, the driving difficulty level including information indicating contents of road conditions and traffic conditions;

wherein the transmitter receives, from the server, the driving assistance information including information on a practice technique requirement to be practiced by the driver, the practice technique requirement being calculated based on the driving skill-level; and

wherein the processor searches for a practice route, including a practice point, for causing the driver to practice the practice technique requirement, based on the driving assistance information and guides the vehicle according to the searched practice route, thereby assisting driving of the driver.

8. The in-vehicle terminal according to claim 7 , wherein

the transmitter receives the driving assistance information including information on an attention calling point extracted based on the driving skill-level, the attention calling point being a point at which an attention-calling is issued to the driver, and

the processor calls an attention to the driver when the vehicle approaches the attention calling point, thereby assisting the driving of the driver based on the driving assistance information.

9. The in-vehicle terminal according to claim 7 , wherein

the processor changes contents of the driving assistance according to a date on which the vehicle is scheduled to go to a destination, and a current date.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE DOC DATE OF THE 2ND ASSIGNOR PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 047369 FRAME: 0113. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 7, 2018
From: KONDO, AKIHIRO; SHIMADA, KEITA
To: CLARION CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 047445/0653 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2018
From: KONDO, AKIHIRO; SHIMADA, KEITA
To: CLARION CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 047369/0113 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-175071 · Sep 12, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190077413A1 · Mar 14, 2019
Cited By (4)
US 12,449,809 US 12,530,381 US 12,608,406 US 12,709,252