DRIVING ASSISTANCE APPARATUS

Abstract

A driving assistance apparatus including a display part and a microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to perform controlling a travel actuator so that a subject vehicle follows a preceding vehicle while keeping a target inter-vehicle distance, acquiring traffic light information including switching information on a traffic light, position information of the subject vehicle with respect to the traffic light, and inter-vehicle distance information on an inter-vehicle distance from the subject vehicle to the preceding vehicle, and controlling the display part so as to notify the driver of information during following the preceding vehicle based on the traffic light information, the position information and the inter-vehicle distance information, and the controlling including controlling the display part so as to notify information on a recommended inter-vehicle distance allowing the subject vehicle to travel while following the preceding vehicle without receiving a stop instruction from the traffic light.

Description

Claims

1. A driving assistance apparatus comprising: a display part displaying information; andan electronic control unit including a microprocessor and a memory connected to the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform: controlling a travel actuator so that a subject vehicle follows a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the subject vehicle while keeping a target inter-vehicle distance;acquiring traffic light information including switching information on a traffic light, position information on a position of the subject vehicle with respect to the traffic light, and inter-vehicle distance information on an inter-vehicle distance from the subject vehicle to the preceding vehicle, the traffic light periodically instructing a driver to stop at a predetermined position; andcontrolling the display part so as to notify the driver of information during following the preceding vehicle, based on the traffic light information, the position information and the inter-vehicle distance information acquired, andthe microprocessor is configured to perform the controlling including controlling the display part so as to notify information on a recommended inter-vehicle distance allowing the subject vehicle to travel while following the preceding vehicle without receiving a stop instruction from the traffic light.

2. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured to further perform: setting the target inter-vehicle distance in accordance with an instruction from the driver when the subject vehicle follows the preceding vehicle; anddetermining whether a predetermined situation arises when the subject vehicle follows the preceding vehicle at the target inter-vehicle distance set,the predetermined situation is a situation where the preceding vehicle does not receive the stop instruction from the traffic light, while the subject vehicle receives the stop instruction, andthe microprocessor is configured to perform the controlling including controlling the display part so as to notify the driver that it is necessary to change a setting of the target inter-vehicle distance so as to shorten the target inter-vehicle distance by the instruction from the driver, when it is determined that the predetermined situation arises.

3. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the microprocessor is configure to perform the controlling including controlling the display part so as to notify the driver that it is necessary to change the setting of the target inter-vehicle distance from a first inter-vehicle distance to a second inter-vehicle distance shorter than the first inter-vehicle distance by the instruction from the driver, when it is determined that the predetermined situation arises, andthe setting including changing the target inter-vehicle distance from the second inter-vehicle distance to the first inter-vehicle distance regardless of the instruction from the driver, after the subject vehicle passes through the predetermined position under a condition that the target inter-vehicle distance is changed from the first inter-vehicle distance to the second inter-vehicle distance by the instruction from the driver.

4. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform the controlling including controlling the display part so as not to display information on a target vehicle speed of the subject vehicle when the travel actuator is controlled so that the subject vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, while so as to display an image indicating the target vehicle speed when the travel actuator is not controlled so that the subject vehicle follows the preceding vehicle.

5. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform the controlling including controlling the display part so as to display side by side a first inter-vehicle distance image indicating the target inter-vehicle distance set in accordance with the instruction from the driver and a second inter-vehicle distance image indicating the recommended inter-vehicle distance when it is determined that the predetermined situation arises,a length of the second inter-vehicle image is shorter than a length of the first inter-vehicle distance image.

6. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform the controlling including controlling the display part so as to display a first preceding vehicle image representing a rear surface of the preceding vehicle so as to associate with the first inter-vehicle distance image, and a second preceding vehicle image representing the rear surface of the preceding vehicle so as to associate with the second inter-vehicle distance image, anda size of the second preceding vehicle image is larger than a size of the first preceding vehicle image.

7. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage part pre-storing a plurality of characteristics indicating relationships between a vehicle speed of the subject vehicle and the target inter-vehicle distance, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform the setting including selecting one of the plurality of characteristics in accordance with the instruction from the driver, and setting the target inter-vehicle distance based on a selected characteristic.

8. A driving assistance apparatus comprising: a display part displaying information; andan electronic control unit including a microprocessor and a memory connected to the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor is configured to function as: a driving control unit that controls a travel actuator so that a subject vehicle follows a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the subject vehicle while keeping a target inter-vehicle distance;an information acquisition unit that acquires traffic light information including switching information on a traffic light, position information on a position of the subject vehicle with respect to the traffic light, and inter-vehicle distance information on an inter-vehicle distance from the subject vehicle to the preceding vehicle, the traffic light periodically instructing a driver to stop at a predetermined position; anda display control unit that controls the display part so as to notify the driver of information during following the preceding vehicle, based on the traffic light information, the position information and the inter-vehicle distance information acquired by the information acquisition unit, andthe display control unit controls the display part so as to notify information on a recommended inter-vehicle distance allowing the subject vehicle to travel while following the preceding vehicle without receiving a stop instruction from the traffic light.

9. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the microprocessor is configured to further function as: a setting unit that sets the target inter-vehicle distance in accordance with an instruction from the driver when the subj ect vehicle follows the preceding vehicle; anda determination unit that determines whether a predetermined situation arises when the subject vehicle follows the preceding vehicle at the target inter-vehicle distance set by the setting unit,the predetermined situation is a situation where the preceding vehicle does not receive the stop instruction from the traffic light, while the subject vehicle receives the stop instruction, andthe display control unit controls the display part so as to notify the driver that it is necessary to change a setting of the target inter-vehicle distance so as to shorten the target inter-vehicle distance by the instruction from the driver, when it is determined by the determination unit that the predetermined situation arises.

10. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display control unit controls the display part so as to notify the driver that it is necessary to change the setting of the target inter-vehicle distance from a first inter-vehicle distance to a second inter-vehicle distance shorter than the first inter-vehicle distance by the instruction from the driver, when it is determined by the determination unit that the predetermined situation arises, andthe setting unit changes the target inter-vehicle distance from the second inter-vehicle distance to the first inter-vehicle distance regardless of the instruction from the driver, after the subject vehicle passes through the predetermined position under a condition that the target inter-vehicle distance is changed from the first inter-vehicle distance to the second inter-vehicle distance by the instruction from the driver.

11. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the display control unit controls the display part so as not to display information on a target vehicle speed of the subject vehicle when the travel actuator is controlled by the driving control unit so that the subject vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, while so as to display an image indicating the target vehicle speed when the travel actuator is not controlled so that the subject vehicle follows the preceding vehicle.

12. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display control unit controls the display part so as to display side by side a first inter-vehicle distance image indicating the target inter-vehicle distance set by the setting unit and a second inter-vehicle distance image indicating the recommended inter-vehicle distance when it is determined by the determination unit that the predetermined situation arises,a length of the second inter-vehicle image is shorter than a length of the first inter-vehicle distance image.

13. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the display control unit controls the display part so as to display a first preceding vehicle image representing a rear surface of the preceding vehicle so as to associate with the first inter-vehicle distance image, and a second preceding vehicle image representing the rear surface of the preceding vehicle so as to associate with the second inter-vehicle distance image, anda size of the second preceding vehicle image is larger than a size of the first preceding vehicle image.

14. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a storage part pre-storing a plurality of characteristics indicating relationships between a vehicle speed of the subject vehicle and the target inter-vehicle distance, wherein the setting unit selects one of the plurality of characteristics in accordance with the instruction from the driver, and sets the target inter-vehicle distance based on a selected characteristic.

15. A driving assistance method comprising: controlling a travel actuator so that a subject vehicle follows a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the subject vehicle while keeping a target inter-vehicle distance;acquiring traffic light information including switching information on a traffic light, position information on a position of the subject vehicle with respect to the traffic light, and inter-vehicle distance information on an inter-vehicle distance from the subject vehicle to the preceding vehicle, the traffic light periodically instructing a driver to stop at a predetermined position; andcontrolling a display part so as to notify the driver of information during following the preceding vehicle, based on the traffic light information, the position information and the inter-vehicle distance information acquired, wherein the controlling includes controlling the display part so as to notify information on a recommended inter-vehicle distance allowing the subject vehicle to travel while following the preceding vehicle without receiving a stop instruction from the traffic light.