Patent ID: 7649445
Filing Date: 2010-01-19
Classification: B60Q

Abstract:
1. An evaluating apparatus for evaluating driving skill of a driver who drives a vehicle, the evaluating apparatus including: driver load measurement means for measuring the degree of physical load on the driver in a driving operation activity of the vehicle; driving operation quantity measurement means for measuring a quantity of driving operation performed by the driver for the vehicle in the driving operation activity; and evaluation means for evaluating the driving skill of the driver by using the degree of the physical load on the driver and the quantity of driving operation, wherein the driver load measurement means includes: a myoelectric potential detecting section for detecting myoelectric potentials of a pair of right and left muscles of the driver, the pair of the muscles being involved in the driving operation activity; and a load calculating section for calculating first data indicative of the physical load from the detected myoelectric potentials, wherein the driving operation quantity measurement means includes: a steering angle detecting section for detecting a steering angle of the vehicle, the steering angle being generated with the driving operating activity of the driver; a steering torque detecting section for detecting a steering torque about a steering shaft of the vehicle, the steering torque being generated with the driving operation activity; and an operation calculating section for calculating second data indicative of the driving operation from the detected steering angle and the detected steering torque, and wherein the evaluation means calculates, as an evaluation value, a ratio of an integrated operation quantity value to an integrated load quantity value or a difference between the integrated operation quantity value and the integrated load quantity value, in which the integrated load quantity value is obtained by integrating the calculated first data over a predetermined time and the integrated operation quantity value is obtained by integrating the calculated second data over the predetermined time.