Driving assist system

A driving assist system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a driving environment detection means for detecting a driving environment of the vehicle;
• a risk potential calculation means for calculating a risk potential present along a longitudinal direction (a RPlongitudinal) and a risk potential present along a lateral direction (a RPlateral) relative to the vehicle based upon the driving environment detected by the driving environment detection means;
• a longitudinal information conveyance means for presenting the RPlongitudinal calculated by the risk potential calculation means to a driver;
• a lateral information conveyance means for presenting the RPlateral calculated by the risk potential calculation means to the driver;
• and
• a timing control means that adjust an output timing of the longitudinal information conveyance means and an output timing of the lateral information conveyance means so as to prompt a driver to perform a longitudinal driving operation or a lateral driving operation to stabilize behavior of the vehicle when operation and non-operation of the longitudinal information conveyance means and the lateral information conveyance means are switched.

A vehicle driving assist method, comprising:

• detecting a driving environment of a vehicle;
• calculating a risk potential present along a longitudinal direction (a RPlongitudinal) and a risk potential present along a lateral direction (a RPlateral) relative to the vehicle based upon the driving environment;
• conveying the calculated RPlongitudinal to a driver;
• conveying the calculated RPlateral to the driver;
• and
• adjusting output timing for conveying the RPlongitudinal and output timing for conveying the RPlateral so as to prompt a driver to perform a longitudinal driving operation or a lateral driving operation to stabilize behavior of the vehicle when information conveyance mode is changed.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a driving environment detection device that detects a driving environment of the vehicle;
• a risk potential calculation device that calculates a risk potential present along a longitudinal direction (a RPlongitudinal) and a risk potential present along a lateral direction (a RPlateral) relative to the vehicle based upon the driving environment detected by the driving environment detection device;
• a longitudinal information conveyance device that presents the RPlongitudinal calculated by the risk potential calculation device to a driver;
• a lateral information conveyance device that presents the RPlateral calculated by the risk potential calculation device to the driver;
• and
• a timing control device that adjust an output timing of the longitudinal information conveyance device and an output timing of the lateral information conveyance device so as to prompt a driver to perform a longitudinal driving operation or a lateral driving operation to stabilize behavior of the vehicle when operation and non-operation of the longitudinal information conveyance device and the lateral information conveyance device are switched.