Driving assist system for vehicle

• US 20030163240A1
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Egami, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,124,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/021 with means for providing feel, e.g. by changing pedal force characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle driving assist system comprises a condition recognition device that detects a vehicle condition and a traveling environment around a subject vehicle; a reactive force application device that applies a reactive force, in conformance to the vehicle condition and the travelling environment around the subject vehicle, to an operation device; a condition change detection device that detects a condition change occurring around the subject vehicle; and a reactive force variation device that adjusts the reactive force applied by the reactive force application device in a period of time, when the condition change detection device detects that a condition around the subject vehicle has changed discontinuously.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving assist system comprising:

a condition recognition device that detects a vehicle condition and a traveling environment around a subject vehicle;

a reactive force application device that applies a reactive force, in conformance to the vehicle condition and the travelling environment around the subject vehicle detected by the condition recognition device, to an operation device through which a travel command for the subject vehicle is issued;

a condition change detection device that detects a condition change occurring around the subject vehicle based upon the vehicle condition and the traveling environment around the subject vehicle detected by the condition recognition device; and

a reactive force variation device that adjusts the reactive force applied by the reactive force application device in a period of time, when the condition change detection device detects that a condition around the subject vehicle has changed discontinuously.

2. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the reactive force variation device adjusts the reactive force applied by the reactive force application device in pulse shape.

3. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the reactive force variation device adjusts the reactive force applied by the reactive force application device so that the reactive force is allowed to change at a constant degree when the condition change detection device detects that the condition around the subject vehicle has changed.

4. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the condition recognition device detects a relative velocity and a distance between the subject vehicle and a preceding vehicle as the vehicle condition and the traveling environment and

the condition change detection device determines whether the condition around the subject vehicle has changed discontinuously based upon the relative velocity and the vehicle distance detected by the condition recognition device.

5. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the reactive force application device calculates a target reactive force to be applied to the operation device based upon the vehicle condition and the traveling environment around the subject vehicle, and

the reactive force variation device adds an additional force to the target reactive force if a change of the target reactive force due to the condition change is smaller than a predetermined value, when the condition change detection device detects that the condition around the subject vehicle has changed discontinuously.

6. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the reactive force application device calculates a target reactive force to be applied to the operation device based upon the vehicle condition and the traveling environment around the subject vehicle, and

the reactive force variation device adds an additional force for regulating a change of the reactive force applied to the operation device at a constant degree, to the target reactive force if a change of the target reactive force due to the condition change is smaller than a predetermined value and the target reactive force after the condition change is greater than the target reactive force before the condition change, when the condition change detection device detects that the condition around the subject vehicle has changed discontinuously.

7. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 5, wherein:

the reactive force variation device sets substantially 0 to the additional force when the change of the target force due to the condition change is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

8. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 6, wherein:

the reactive force variation device sets substantially 0 to the additional force when the change of the target force due to the condition change is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

9. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 5, wherein:

the condition recognition device detects a relative velocity and a distance between the subject vehicle and a preceding vehicle and a velocity of the subject vehicle as the vehicle condition and the traveling environment and

the reactive force application device calculates the target reactive force based upon the relative velocity, the vehicle distance and the subject vehicle velocity detected by the condition recognition device.

10. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 6, wherein:

the condition recognition device detects a relative velocity and a distance between the subject vehicle and a preceding vehicle and a velocity of the subject vehicle as the vehicle condition and the traveling environment and

the reactive force application device calculates the target reactive force based upon the relative velocity, the vehicle distance and the subject vehicle velocity detected by the condition recognition device.

11. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 5, wherein:

the reactive force variation device adds the additional force to the target reactive force over a predetermined time period.

12. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 6, wherein:

the reactive force variation device adds the additional force to the target reactive force over a predetermined time period.

13. A vehicle driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the operation device is an accelerator pedal and

the reactive force application device applies the reactive force to the accelerator pedal.

14. A vehicle driving assist system comprising:

a condition recognition means for detecting a vehicle condition and a traveling environment around a subject vehicle;

a reactive force application means for applying a reactive force in conformance to the vehicle condition and the travelling environment around the subject vehicle detected by the condition recognition means to an operation means for issuing a travel command for the subject vehicle;

a condition change detection means for detecting a condition change occurring around the subject vehicle based upon the vehicle condition and the traveling environment around the subject vehicle detected by the condition recognition means; and

a reactive force variation means for adjusting the reactive force applied by the reactive force application means for a period of time, when the condition change detection means detects that a condition around the subject vehicle has changed discontinuously.

15. A vehicle driving assist method comprising:

detecting a vehicle condition and a traveling environment around a subject vehicle;

applying a reactive force in conformance to the vehicle condition and the travelling environment around the subject vehicle to an operation device thorough which a travel command for the subject vehicle is issued;

detecting a condition change occurring around the subject vehicle based upon the vehicle condition and the traveling environment around the subject vehicle; and

adjusting the reactive force applied to the operation device in a period of time, when it is detected that a condition around the subject vehicle has changed discontinuously.

16. A vehicle comprising:

an operation device through which a travel command for the vehicle is issued;

a condition recognition device that detects a vehicle condition and a traveling environment around the vehicle;

a reactive force application device that applies a reactive force to the operation device in conformance to the vehicle condition and the travelling environment around the vehicle detected by the condition recognition device;

a condition change detection device that detects a condition change occurring around the vehicle based upon the vehicle condition and the traveling environment around the vehicle detected by the condition recognition device; and

a reactive force variation device that adjusts the reactive force applied by the reactive force application device in a period of time, when the condition change detection device detects that a condition around the vehicle has changed discontinuously.