Vehicle driving assistance apparatus and vehicle driving assistance method

• US 10,406,977 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshitomi, Naoto, Hu, Jian, Satomura, Shota, Fujimaki, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gordon, Mathew Franklin
• Application Number:
  US15/166,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20160347318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/20 Direction indicator values
• 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 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

In a vehicle driving assistance apparatus, an initial action determiner determines the presence or absence of an initial action taken to start laterally moving, and a lateral movement determiner determines whether or not the own vehicle has laterally moved from a rearward position to a lateral position relative to a preceding vehicle. If the own vehicle has laterally moved after the initial action, based on at least one of a lateral distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle and a relative speed of the own vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle, a passing driving state determiner determines whether or not the own vehicle is in a passing driving state enabling the own vehicle to pass the preceding vehicle. If it is determined that the own vehicle is in the passing driving state, the own vehicle is likely to pass the preceding vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving assistance apparatus that is installed on an own vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an initial action determiner configured to determine, using a central processing unit, the presence or absence of an initial action taken by the own vehicle to start laterally moving from a rearward position to a lateral position relative to a preceding vehicle ahead of the own vehicle such that the own vehicle can accelerate from the lateral position to pass the preceding vehicle;

a lateral movement determiner configured to determine, using the central processing unit, whether or not the own vehicle has laterally moved from the rearward position to the lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle;

a passing driving state determiner configured to determine, using the central processing unit, whether or not the own vehicle is in a passing driving state enabling the own vehicle to pass the preceding vehicle, in response to the own vehicle moving laterally from the rearward position to the lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle after the initial action has been taken, the passing driving state determiner determining whether or not the own vehicle is in a passing driving state based on a lateral distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle and a relative speed of the own vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle;

a passing driving determiner configured to determine, using the central processing unit, that the own vehicle is likely to pass the preceding vehicle, in response to the passing driving state determiner determining that the own vehicle is in the passing driving state;

a no-passing zone determiner configured to determine, using the central processing unit, whether or not the own vehicle is traveling in a no-passing zone of a road where passing a preceding vehicle while traveling within the no-passing zone of the road is restricted; and

an alert controller configured to withhold a warning regarding the no-passing zone, via an alert device to a driver of the own vehicle, in response to the no-passing zone determiner determining that the own vehicle is traveling in the no-passing zone, the initial action determiner determining that the initial action has been taken, and the lateral movement determiner determining that the own vehicle has laterally moved from the rearward position to the lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle, the alert controller withholding the warning until the passing driving determiner determines that the own vehicle is in the passing driving state, which enables the own vehicle to pass the preceding vehicle,

wherein the lateral movement determiner is configured to determine that the own vehicle has laterally moved from the rearward position to the lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle in response to a lateral distance from the own vehicle to the preceding vehicle resulting from lateral movement of the own vehicle is within a predetermined range.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the initial action determiner is configured to, upon occurrence of a turn signal on an opposite hand side to a hand of traffic, determine that the initial action has been taken to start laterally moving from the rearward position to the lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passing driving state determiner is configured to, if a speed of the own vehicle exceeds that of the preceding vehicle by a predetermined value or more, determine that the own vehicle is in the passing driving state.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passing driving determiner is configured to set a passing flag ON to indicate that the own vehicle is in the passing driving state in response to the passing driving state determiner determining that the own vehicle is in the passing driving state.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lateral movement determiner is configured to set a lane change flag ON in response to determining that the own vehicle has laterally moved from the rearward position to the lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the no-passing zone determiner is configured to determine whether or not the own vehicle is traveling in a no-passing zone based on image data of a traffic sign indicative of the no-passing zone that is captured by an imaging unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the no-passing zone determiner is configured to determine whether or not the own vehicle is traveling in a no-passing zone based on no-passing zone information included in navigation information.

8. A vehicle driving assistance method comprising:

a step of, in the presence of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of an own vehicle, determining the presence or absence of an initial action taken to start laterally moving from a rearward position to a lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle such that the own vehicle can accelerate from the lateral position to pass the preceding vehicle;

a step of determining whether or not the own vehicle has laterally moved from the rearward position to the lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle;

a step of determining whether or not the own vehicle is in a passing driving state enabling the own vehicle to pass the preceding vehicle, in response to determining that the own vehicle has laterally moved from the rearward position to the lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle after the initial action has been taken, based on a lateral distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle and a relative speed of the own vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle; and

a step of determining that the own vehicle is likely to pass the preceding vehicle, in response to determining that the own vehicle is in the passing driving state;

a step of determining whether or not the own vehicle is traveling in a no-passing zone of a road where passing a preceding vehicle while traveling in the no-passing zone of the road is restricted; and

a step of, withholding a warning regarding the no-passing zone, via an alert to a driver of the own vehicle, even if it is determined in response to determining that the own vehicle is traveling in the no-passing zone, determining that the initial action has been taken, and determining the own vehicle has laterally moved from the rearward position to the lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle, the warning regarding the no-passing zone being withheld until it is determined that the own vehicle is likely to pass the preceding vehicle in the passing driving state, which enables the own vehicle to pass the preceding vehicle,

wherein the step of determining whether or not the own vehicle has laterally moved includes, determining that the own vehicle has laterally moved from the rearward position to the lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle in response to a lateral distance from the own vehicle to the preceding vehicle resulting from lateral movement of the own vehicle being within a predetermined range.

9. A vehicle driving assistance apparatus that is installed on an own vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an initial action determiner configured to determine, using a central processing unit the presence or absence of an initial action taken by the own vehicle to start laterally moving from a rearward position to a lateral position relative to a preceding vehicle ahead of the own vehicle such that the own vehicle can accelerate from the lateral position to pass the preceding vehicle;

a passing driving determiner configured to determine, using the central processing unit, whether or not the own vehicle is likely to pass the preceding vehicle, based on a lateral distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle and a relative speed of the own vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle;

a no-passing zone determiner configured to determine, using the central processing unit, whether or not the own vehicle is traveling in a no-passing zone; and

an alert controller configured to withhold a warning regarding the no-passing zone, via an alert to a driver of the own vehicle, in response to the no-passing zone determiner determining that the own vehicle is traveling in the no-passing zone and the initial action determiner determining that the initial action has been taken, the alert controller withholding the warning until the passing driving determiner determines that the own vehicle is likely to pass the preceding vehicle.