IP Library Granted Patent US 11,858,414
Granted Patent B2
US 11,858,414 · App. 17/542,027 · Granted Jan 2, 2024

Attention calling device, attention calling method, and computer-readable medium

Inventors: Naoya Tanimura (Kanagawa Ken, JP); Akito Sakamoto (Kanagawa Ken, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
B60Q1/535B60Q1/085B60W30/0956B60W40/04B60W50/14G06V20/58B60Q2300/45B60W2050/143B60W2050/146B60W2554/4041B60W2554/4042B60W2554/4043B60W2554/4044B60W2554/4045
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,858,414
App. No.
17/542,027
Granted
Jan 2, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An attention calling device includes a memory and a hardware processor coupled to the memory. The hardware processor is configured to: acquire information regarding obstacles around a moving object detected by a sensor included in the moving object; calculate a potential risk that is a degree to which attention needs to be paid for each of the obstacles around the moving object, based on the acquired information regarding the obstacles and a moving state of the moving object; and present, to an occupant of the moving object, information for calling attention to an obstacle having a potential risk exceeding a predetermined value, based on a calculated potential risk of each of the obstacles.

Claims (46)

1. An attention calling device, comprising: a memory; and a hardware processor coupled to the memory, wherein the hardware processor is configured to:

acquire information regarding obstacles around a moving object, the obstacles being detected by a sensor included in the moving object;

calculate a potential risk that is a degree to which attention needs to be paid for each of the obstacles around the moving object, based on the information regarding the obstacles thus acquired and a moving state of the moving object;

present, to an occupant of the moving object, information for calling attention to at least one obstacle having a potential risk exceeding a predetermined value, based on the potential risk of each of the obstacles;

and determine radiation characteristics of at least one headlight of the moving object to cover the obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to: determine whether a following moving object is traveling in a same direction as the moving object and at a position within a predetermined distance behind the moving object; and present, to a second occupant of the following moving object, second information for calling attention to the obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value in response to the following moving object traveling in the same direction and being at the position within the predetermined distance.

2. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein

the hardware processor is configured to control the radiation characteristics of the headlight of the moving object according to a position of the obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value.

3. The attention calling device according to claim 2 , wherein

the hardware processor is configured to direct a radiation direction of the headlight in a direction toward the obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value.

4. The attention calling device according to claim 2 , wherein

the hardware processor is configured to change a light distribution of the headlight such that illuminance is increased in a direction toward the obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value.

5. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein

the hardware processor is configured to display a position of the obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value on a display device included in the moving object.

6. The attention calling device according to claim 5 , wherein

the display device is an in-vehicle monitor.

7. The attention calling device according to claim 5 , wherein

the display device is a head-up display.

8. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein

the information regarding the obstacles includes at least positions of the obstacles.

9. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein

the information regarding the obstacles includes types, positions, moving directions, and moving speeds of the obstacles.

10. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein

the moving state of the moving object includes at least a moving speed and a moving direction of the moving object.

11. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein

the hardware processor is further configured to:

determine an illumination area of the headlight based at least on the radiation characteristics.

12. The attention calling device according to claim 11 , wherein

the hardware processor determines the illumination area of the headlight based on the radiation characteristics and an area of a travel lane on which the moving object is traveling.

13. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein the second information for calling attention to the obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value is presented to the second occupant by blinking a lamp at a rear portion of the moving object.

14. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein when a distance from the moving object to the following moving object exceeds the predetermined distance, the hardware processor does not present the second information for calling attention to the second occupant of the following moving object.

15. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the obstacles includes at least positions of the obstacles.

16. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the obstacles includes types, positions, moving directions, and moving speeds of the obstacles.

17. The attention calling device according to claim 1 , wherein

the hardware processor presents the information for calling attention to the obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value to the occupant of the moving object, based on the potential risk of each of the obstacles calculated by the hardware processor.

18. An attention calling method, executed by a hardware processor, the attention calling method comprising:

acquiring information regarding obstacles around a moving object, the obstacles being detected by a sensor included in the moving object; calculating a potential risk that is a degree to which attention needs to be paid for each of the obstacles around the moving object, based on the information regarding the obstacles acquired at the acquiring and a moving state of the moving object;

presenting, to an occupant of the moving object, information for calling attention to at least one obstacle having a potential risk exceeding a predetermined value, based on the potential risk of each of the obstacles calculated at the calculating;

determining radiation characteristics of at least one headlight of the moving object to cover the at least one obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value;

determining whether a following moving object is traveling in a same direction as the moving object and at a position within a predetermined distance behind the moving object; and

presenting, to a second occupant of the following moving object, second information for calling attention to the obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value in response to the following moving object traveling in the same direction and being at the position within the predetermined distance.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which an executable program is recorded, the program instructing a computer to carry out:

acquiring information regarding obstacles around a moving object, the obstacles being detected by a sensor included in the moving object; calculating a potential risk that is a degree to which attention needs to be paid for each of the obstacles around the moving object, based on the information regarding the obstacles acquired at the acquiring and a moving state of the moving object;

presenting, to an occupant of the moving object, information for calling attention to at least one obstacle having a potential risk exceeding a predetermined value, based on the potential risk of each of the obstacles calculated at the calculating;

determining radiation characteristics of at least one headlight of the moving object to cover the at least one obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value;

determining whether a following moving object is traveling in a same direction as the moving object and at a position within a predetermined distance behind the moving object; and

presenting, to a second occupant of the following moving object, second information for calling attention to the obstacle having the potential risk exceeding the predetermined value in response to the following moving object traveling in the same direction and being at the position within the predetermined distance.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2024
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066703/0223 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2022
From: TANIMURA, NAOYA; SAKAMOTO, AKITO
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059672/0094 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2020-215085 · Dec 24, 2020 · national
JP 2020-215745 · Dec 24, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220203888A1 · Jun 30, 2022