# US 10,118,642 B2 · Method and system of assisting a driver of a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,642 B2 - Document ID: US10118642B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/329,857 - Filed: 2014-09-26 - Published: 2017-09-21 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-26 - Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc.; Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Nissan North America, Inc.; Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yoshiro Takamatsu; Yuji Takada; Yoshinori Kusayanagi; Norimasa Kishi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118642B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/12: Lane keeping - B62D 15/029: {Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system} - B60Q 9/00: Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} - B62D 15/024: {Other means for determination of steering angle without directly measuring it, e.g. deriving from wheel speeds on different sides of the car} - B60W 30/10: Path keeping {(cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165)} - B60W 50/0098: {Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for} - B60W 50/16: Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal - B60W 2050/0075: {Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means} - B60W 2556/10: Historical data - B63H 25/04: automatic, e.g. reacting to compass - G01C 21/34: Route searching; Route guidance - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G05D 1/02: Control of position or course in two dimensions - G05D 1/0206: {specially adapted to water vehicles} - G16Z 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G16Z: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A method of assisting a driver of a vehicle in driving a road, the method includes determining a location of a road boundary along a segment of a road relative to the vehicle using a sensor, selecting, via a controller, a parameter for the segment of the road, the parameter including a plurality of values corresponding to a plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road, determining, via the controller, whether the vehicle is approaching the road boundary based on a vehicle trajectory and the location of the plurality of boundary locations, and providing a feedback operation to assist the driver in avoiding the road boundary, the feedback operation based on the selected parameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of assisting a driver of a vehicle in driving a road, the method comprising: determining a location of a first one of a plurality of boundary locations along a segment of a road relative to the vehicle using a sensor; selecting, via a controller, a parameter for the segment of the road, the parameter including a plurality of values each corresponding to one of the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road; determining, via the controller, whether the vehicle is approaching the first one of the plurality of boundary locations based on a vehicle trajectory and the location of the first one of the plurality of the boundary locations; and providing a feedback operation to assist the driver in avoiding the first one of the plurality of boundary locations, the feedback operation based on the one of the plurality of values of the selected parameter corresponding to the first one of the plurality of boundary locations. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the parameter based on a previous operation of the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein updating the parameter includes updating the parameter based on a previous driving operation of the vehicle on the segment of the road. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein updating the parameter includes updating the parameter based on a statistical calculation of a plurality of previous driving operations on the segment of the road. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the parameter includes a previous trajectory of the vehicle during the previous operation of the vehicle on the segment of the road. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes a distance threshold for each of the plurality of boundary locations, and the providing a feedback operation includes applying a feedback force when a distance of the vehicle to the first one of the plurality of boundary locations is less than the distance threshold corresponding to the first one of the plurality of boundary locations. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes latitude and longitude information for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road segment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes curvature information for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes weather information for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes time of day information for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes traffic information for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes a position of at least one other vehicle for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes a position of at least one static object for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes a presence of at least one pedestrian for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes a width of a lane for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes a number of lanes for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of values in the parameter includes a length of the segment of the road segment for the plurality of boundary locations along the segment of the road. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the feedback operation includes providing haptic feedback to a portion of an interior of the vehicle located proximate to the driver. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the feedback operation includes applying torque on a portion of a steering system of the vehicle to cause movement of the vehicle away from the first one of the plurality of boundary locations. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first one of the plurality of boundary locations is at least one of a wall and a curb proximal to the road. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first one of the plurality of boundary locations is a lane marker on the road. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the parameter for the segment of the road includes selecting the parameter based on an identity of the driver. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the parameter for the segment of the road includes selecting the parameter from among a plurality of parameters stored in the vehicle.