Patent ID: 7689361

Claim:
A system for assisting a driver in operating a vehicle, the system comprising: a detection assembly configured to obtain environment information related to an environment around the vehicle; a risk potential calculation device configured to calculate risk potential associated with the vehicle based on the environment information; an operator controlled input device used by the driver to enter a control input to operate the vehicle; equipment of the vehicle that is different from the operator controlled input device and not used by the driver in entering the control input to operate the vehicle; a reaction force generator configured to regulate a reaction force transmitted to the driver via the operator controlled input device in response to a first control signal when the driver is manipulating the operator controlled input device; a pressing force generator configured to regulate a pressing force transmitted to the driver via the equipment of the vehicle in response to a second control signal; and a controller configured to generate the first control signal so as to vary the reaction force with different values of the calculated risk potential when the calculated risk potential falls in a high risk region, and to generate the second control signal so as to vary the pressing force with different values of the calculated risk potential when the calculated risk potential falls in a low risk region.