Travel control method and travel control apparatus

• US 10,183,668 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2015
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takae, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schneider, Paula L
• Application Number:
  US15/747,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20180215387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A travel control apparatus comprises a first detector configured to detect an obstacle around a subject vehicle traveling in a first lane and a second detector configured to detect a second lane adjacent to the first lane. The travel control apparatus sets a first range at a target position for lane change in the second lane. The travel control apparatus detects a range in the second lane as a second range located at a side of the subject vehicle, and the obstacle is absent in the range in the second lane. The apparatus permits the subject vehicle to change lanes when the second range includes the first range. A method estimates whether another vehicle traveling in the second lane comes away from the subject vehicle and corrects to reduce the first range or increase the second range when the other vehicle is estimated to come away from the subject vehicle.

Claims

1. A travel control method executed by a travel control apparatus comprising a controller, a first sensor configured to detect an obstacle around a subject vehicle traveling in a first lane, and a second sensor configured to detect a second lane adjacent to the first lane, the method comprising:

setting a first range at a target position for lane change in the second lane, the first range having a size equal to or larger than a size which the subject vehicle occupies on a road surface;

detecting a range in the second lane as a second range, the range in the second lane being located at a side of the subject vehicle, the obstacle being absent in the range in the second lane;

autonomously controlling the subject vehicle to change lanes when the second range includes the first range;

estimating whether or not another vehicle traveling in the second lane comes away from the subject vehicle on a basis of a travel state of the other vehicle; and

performing correction to reduce the first range or increase the second range when the other vehicle is estimated to come away from the subject vehicle.

2. The travel control method according to claim 1, comprising:

detecting a lighting state of winkers of the other vehicle as the travel state of the other vehicle; and

estimating that the other vehicle comes close to the subject vehicle when the other vehicle lights a winker at the first lane side while estimating that the other vehicle comes away from the subject vehicle when the other vehicle lights a winker at an opposite side to the first lane.

3. The travel control method according to claim 1, comprising:

detecting a vehicle speed or acceleration of the other vehicle as the travel state of the other vehicle; and

estimating whether or not the other vehicle comes away from the subject vehicle on a basis of the vehicle speed or acceleration of the other vehicle.

4. The travel control method according to claim 1, wherein, when the other vehicle traveling ahead of the subject vehicle is estimated to come away from the subject vehicle, the correction is performed to reduce the first range from ahead or increase the second range frontward.

5. The travel control method according to claim 1, wherein, when the other vehicle traveling behind the subject vehicle is estimated to come away from the subject vehicle, the correction is performed to reduce the first range from behind or increase the second range rearward.

6. The travel control method according to claim 1, wherein, even when the other vehicle is estimated to come away from the subject vehicle, the correction is performed to increase the first range or reduce the second range in at least one case among a case in which the second lane is obstructed ahead, a case in which an emergency vehicle is approaching, a case in which a parking vehicle exists ahead in the second lane, a case in which a vehicle speed of the other vehicle traveling ahead in the second lane is lower than a vehicle speed of the subject vehicle, and a case in which a vehicle speed of the other vehicle traveling behind in the second lane is higher than the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle.

7. The travel control method according to claim 1, comprising:

estimating whether or not the other vehicle traveling in the second lane comes close to the subject vehicle on the basis of the travel state of the other vehicle; and

performing correction to increase the first range or reduce the second range when the other vehicle is estimated to come close to the subject vehicle.

8. The travel control method according to claim 1, comprising:

estimating the second range after a predetermined time; and

permitting the subject vehicle to change lanes when the second range after the predetermined time includes the first range.

9. A travel control apparatus that autonomously controls travel of a vehicle, the travel control apparatus comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect an obstacle around a subject vehicle traveling in a first lane;

a second sensor configured to detect a second lane adjacent to the first lane; and

a controller configured to;

set a first range at a target position for lane change in the second lane, the first range having a size equal to or larger than a size which the subject vehicle occupies on a road surface;

detect a range in the second lane as a second range, the range in the second lane being located at a side of the subject vehicle, the obstacle being absent in the range in the second lane;

autonomously control the subject vehicle to change lanes when the second the controller being further configured to;

estimate whether or not another vehicle traveling in the second lane comes away from the subject vehicle after a predetermined time on a basis of a travel state of the other vehicle; and

perform correction to reduce the first range or increase the second range when the other vehicle is estimated to come away from the subject vehicle after the predetermined time.