Drive assistance device and drive assistance method

A drive assistance device, comprising:

• a memory to store a program;
• and
• a processor which, by executing the program, is configured to:
• estimate a required space which is a space required for a subject vehicle to complete a starting at a time of starting the subject vehicle;
• based on positional information of the subject vehicle and a past required time for a current driver of the subject vehicle to complete the starting of the subject vehicle, calculate an estimated required time which is an estimate value of a time required for the current driver of the subject vehicle to complete the starting at the time of starting the subject vehicle, said past required time being determined on the basis of plural past starting incidences and being weighted by recency of the incidence, wherein the past required times for the current driver are stored in a storage;
• detect an obstacle around the subject vehicle based on sensing data provided by a sensor;
• calculate an estimated collision time which is an estimate value of a time until the obstacle reaches the required space;
• calculate a start margin indicating a temporal margin for the subject vehicle to complete the starting until the obstacle reaches the required space based on the estimated required time and the estimated collision time;
• provide a notification to the current driver of the subject vehicle of the start margin, wherein the notification is configured to indicate the start margin as a magnitude on a gauge;
• control an operation for the starting of the subject vehicle based on the start margin;
• based on detecting a completion of the starting of the subject vehicle, calculate an actual required time that was required for the current driver to complete the starting of the subject vehicle;
• and
• update, in the storage, the past required time based on the actual required time,
• wherein the processor is further configured to:
• based on the subject vehicle not reaching a completion of the starting of the subject vehicle, recalculate the estimated required time, recalculate the estimated collision time, and recalculate the start margin based on the recalculated estimated required time and the recalculated estimated collision time, and
• based on a value of the start margin being changed, control the operation for the starting of the subject vehicle based on the recalculated start margin.

A drive assistance method, comprising:

• estimating a required space which is a space required for a subject vehicle to complete a starting of the subject vehicle at a time of starting the subject vehicle;
• determining a specific driver as a current driver;
• based on positional information of the subject vehicle and a past required time for the current driver to complete the starting of the subject vehicle, calculating an estimated required time which is an estimate value of a time required for the subject vehicle to complete the starting of the subject vehicle, based upon past performance of the current driver, said past required time being determined on the basis of plural past starting incidences and being weighted by recency of the incidence;
• detecting an obstacle around the subject vehicle;
• calculating an estimated collision time which is an estimate value of a time until the obstacle reaches the required space;
• calculating a start margin indicating a temporal margin for the subject vehicle to complete the starting until the obstacle reaches the required space based on the estimated required time and the estimated collision time;
• providing a notification to the current driver of the subject vehicle of the start margin, wherein the notification is configured to indicate the start margin as a magnitude on a gauge;
• and
• controlling an operation for the starting of the subject vehicle based on the start margin,
• wherein the drive assistance method further comprises:
• based on the subject vehicle not reaching a completion of the starting of the subject vehicle, recalculating the estimated required time, recalculating the estimated collision time, and recalculating the start margin based on the recalculated estimated required time and the recalculated estimated collision time, and
• based on a value of the start margin being changed, providing an updated notification to the current driver based on the recalculated start margin.

A drive assistance method, comprising:

• estimating a required space which is a space required for a subject vehicle to complete a starting of the subject vehicle at a time of starting the subject vehicle;
• based on positional information of the subject vehicle and a past required time for a current driver of the subject vehicle to complete the starting of the subject vehicle, calculating an estimated required time which is an estimate value of a time required for the current driver of the subject vehicle to complete the starting of the subject vehicle, said past required time being determined on the basis of plural past starting incidences and being weighted by recency of the incidence, wherein the past required times for the current driver are stored in a storage;
• detecting an obstacle around the subject vehicle;
• calculating an estimated collision time which is an estimate value of a time until the obstacle reaches the required space;
• calculating a start margin indicating a temporal margin for the subject vehicle to complete the starting until the obstacle reaches the required space based on the estimated required time and the estimated collision time;
• providing a notification to the current driver of the subject vehicle of the start margin, wherein the notification is configured to indicate the start margin as a magnitude on a gauge;
• controlling a traveling of the subject vehicle based on the start margin;
• based on detecting a completion of the starting of the subject vehicle, calculating a present actual required time that was required for the current driver to complete the starting of the subject vehicle;
• and
• updating, in the storage, the current driver's past required times by adding the present actual required time in the storage,
• wherein the drive assistance method further comprises:
• based on the subject vehicle not reaching a completion of the starting of the subject vehicle, recalculating the estimated required time, recalculating the estimated collision time, and recalculating the start margin based on the recalculated estimated required time and the recalculated estimated collision time, and
• based on a value of the start margin being changed, controlling the traveling of the subject vehicle based on the recalculated start margin.