DRIVING LIMITATION SYSTEM

Abstract

A driving limitation system includes the steps of: identifying a driver by a driver authentication means; extracting information on the identified driver; extracting data relating to vehicle speed limitation according to the driver; extracting data relating to limitation in a vehicle traveling area according to the driver; performing selection or generation of map data regarding a traveling area; generating, on the basis of the extracted data relating to the vehicle speed limitation, vehicle traveling area limitation and the driver, a traveling speed control command within the limitation in the vehicle traveling area in accordance with the physical ability and/or cognitive ability of the driver; transmitting the traveling speed control command to a vehicle speed control means; generating a control command for controlling the vehicle speed on the basis of the safety speed indicated by the vehicle speed control means; and sending the control command to an engine and to a braking system to set the traveling speed of the vehicle to be equal to or lower than the safety speed according to the driver.

Claims

1. A driving limitation system comprising: a driver authentication means for identifying a driver of a vehicle, a driver information storage means in which driver information on the driver identified by said driver authentication means is stored, a vehicle speed limitation data storage means in which data relating to vehicle speed limitation to be applied in accordance with physical ability information or cognitive ability information on the driver is stored, a vehicle speed control data generation means for, in regards to the driver identified by said driver authentication means, extracting storage data relating to the vehicle speed limitation from said vehicle speed limitation data storage means on the basis of the driver information extracted from said driver information storage means, and then generating vehicle speed control data, a vehicle traveling area limitation data storage means in which data relating to vehicle traveling area limitation to be applied in accordance with the physical ability information or cognitive ability information of the driver is stored, and a vehicle traveling acceptable area setting means for, in accordance with the driver information extracted from said driver information storage means, extracting vehicle traveling area limitation data from among the storage data in said vehicle traveling area limitation data storage means, and then setting a vehicle traveling acceptable area, wherein the vehicle speed control data generated by said vehicle speed control data generation means is transmitted to a vehicle speed control system, a traveling speed control command is generated to perform traveling speed control in said vehicle speed control system, and traveling speed control is performed based on said traveling speed control command to set the traveling speed of said vehicle to be equal to or lower than a speed that is based on said vehicle speed control data, and wherein data relating to said vehicle traveling acceptable area that is set by said vehicle traveling acceptable area setting means is transmitted to said vehicle speed control system, a traveling area control command is generated to perform vehicle traveling area control in said vehicle speed control system in such a way as to gradually make the traveling speed of said vehicle lower before said vehicle reaches said traveling acceptable area; and traveling area control is performed based on said traveling area control command to set the traveling area of said vehicle to be within a traveling area that is based on the data relating to said vehicle traveling acceptable area.

2. The driving limitation system according to claim 1, wherein said driver authentication means is a means equipped with an input device mounted on the vehicle, a receiving device for receiving input information inputted from a mobile terminal or a biometric authentication device.

3. The driving limitation system according to claim 1 , wherein the driving limitation system is provided with a driver condition acquisition means for grasping a driver condition during driving, a vehicle information acquisition means for grasping a vehicle condition during driving, and an around-vehicle information acquisition means for grasping a situation around the vehicle during driving, and wherein one of or more than one of an abnormality alarm means for generating an alarm in case of abnormality, an emergency stop means for stopping the vehicle and an emergency guide means for guiding to a place of safety or to a specific facility is provided to cope with the abnormality when recognized by any of said driver condition acquisition means, said vehicle information acquisition means and said around-vehicle information acquisition means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] [FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the outline of a driving limitation system in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] [FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a traveling area corresponding to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

[0058] [FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the relation between vehicle speed control data and a vehicle speed control means in regards to the traveling limitation system of the present invention.

MODE FOR EMBODYING THE INVENTION

[0059] Hereinafter will be described the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

[0060] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the outline of a driving limitation system in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a traveling area corresponding to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

[0061] Firstly, when a driver starts driving the vehicle, identification of the driver is performed by making use of a driver authentication means such as a card reader or like input device mounted on the vehicle, a receiving device for receiving input information inputted from a mobile terminal and a biometric authentication device, for instance (step 101) .

[0062] Then, after inquiry of storage data in a memory of an on-vehicle computer, such as storage data relating to the age, physical ability, cognitive ability, traffic violation history and others about a plurality of or large number of drivers, personal information on the driver identified by the processing in the step 101 is extracted (step 102). It is to be noted that the processing of extracting the personal information on the driver in the step 102 can be performed using an external database via a communications line.

[0063] It is to be noted also that additional use of external information on traffic regulations and/or legal revisions, for instance, other than the personal information can be also made via cooperation with an administrative organization or an information management company as needed (step 102a).

[0064] Based on the information obtained by the processing in the steps 102 and 102a, storage data relating to vehicle speed limitation is extracted from the on-vehicle computer memory or external database provided to serve as a vehicle speed limitation data storage means (step 103).

[0065] Based on the information obtained by the processing in the steps 102 and 102a, storage data relating to vehicle traveling area limitation is further extracted from the on-vehicle computer memory or external database provided to serve as a vehicle traveling area limitation data storage means (step 103a).

[0066] The storage data relating to the vehicle traveling area limitation can be interlocked with map data owned by a car navigation system and is thus applicable to selection and generation of map data regarding a traveling area (step 103b).

[0067] Based on the extracted data obtained by the processing in the steps 102, 102a, 103, 103a and 103b, such as the data relating to the driver, the vehicle speed limitation and the vehicle traveling area limitation, selection or arithmetic processing is performed using an on-vehicle computer CPU provided to serve as a vehicle speed control data generation means, and consequently, a traveling speed control command in accordance with the physical ability and/or cognitive ability of the driver is generated (step 104).

[0068] The traveling speed control command in this case is supposed to instruct, in accordance with the information on the identified driver, a speed lower than a legal speed limit on a road where a driver’s own vehicle is traveling, and therefore, the processing of setting a safety speed suited to the identified driver is performed.

[0069] When a prescribed distance from a driver’s own house H of an aged driver, specifically, an area of 50 km radius therefrom is assumed to be a traveling acceptable area A, for instance, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, traveling speed control is performed so as to gradually make the traveling speed of the vehicle lower before the driver’s own vehicle reaches the traveling acceptable area A.

[0070] Because of the fact that an action of suddenly stopping the vehicle on the boundary between the traveling acceptable area and a traveling prohibited area is a rather dangerous action and besides, involves the need for operation of returning to the starting point, the execution of traveling speed control so as to make the traveling speed of the vehicle lower under a condition that an alarming area B is set ahead of the boundary of the traveling acceptable area A results in allowing the driver to recognize that the driver’s own vehicle is approaching the vicinity of the boundary of the traveling acceptable area A, thereby making it possible to urge the driver to stop the vehicle safely and return to the starting point.

[0071] The traveling speed control command is transmitted to a vehicle speed control means (ECU, for instance) (step 105), and in the vehicle speed control means, a control command for controlling the vehicle speed is generated based on the indicated safety speed and traveling acceptable area (step 106) .

[0072] This control command is sent in the form of a control signal to an engine and/or to a braking system to set the traveling speed of the vehicle to be equal to or lower than the safety speed in a traveling section (step 107).

[0073] The processing of control command generation in the vehicle speed control means and also of traveling speed control by means of transmission of the control command to the engine and/or to the braking system is basically equivalent to that of a technology used in the conventional vehicle speed control means, and accordingly, use of the conventional control system can be also made in regards to this processing.

[0074] FIG. 3 schematically shows the relation between the vehicle speed control data and the vehicle speed control means in regards to the driving limitation system incorporated in a car navigation system 1.

[0075] The car navigation system 1 can utilize a commonly used car navigation device and contains driver information 15 in addition to main constitutional elements such as a CPU 10, map data 11 introduced by a DVD-ROM and a reading device, a GPS device 12, a vehicle speed sensor 13 and a driver’s seat display 14.

[0076] The vehicle speed control data subjected to arithmetic processing with the CPU 10 of the car navigation system 1 into which a program of the driving control system of the present invention is incorporated is transmitted to a vehicle speed control means 2 such as ECU, and an engine 3 and/or a braking system 4 is controlled in response to a control command from the vehicle speed control means 2 to set the traveling speed of the vehicle to be equal to or lower than a speed prescribed in accordance with the driver.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0077] 1 ... Car navigation system, [0078] 2 ... Vehicle speed control means, [0079] 3 ... Engine, [0080] 4 ... Braking system, [0081] 10 ... CPU, [0082] 11 ... Map data, [0083] 12 ... GPS device, [0084] 13 ... Vehicle speed sensor, [0085] 14 ... Driver’s seat display, [0086] 15 ... Driver information