Vehicle drive assist device

• US 20060235598A1
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Kudo, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/026 combined with automatic distance control, i.e. electronic tow bar
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

Follow-up steering control is executed in a vehicle speed region where vehicle speed V0 is less than V1, and for a vehicle speed region to the higher speed side, a target yaw rate γt for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current positions of a preceding vehicle and the vehicle, and a power steering instructed current value ic for following up the preceding vehicle is calculated based on the target yaw rate γt and output to an electrical power steering control unit. On the other hand, for a vehicle speed region to the lower speed side, a target steering angle St for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current positions of the preceding vehicle and the vehicle, and a power steering instructed current value ic for following up the preceding vehicle is calculated based on the target steering angle St.

Claims

1. A drive assist device for a vehicle, comprising:

vehicle travel information detecting means for detecting travel information of a vehicle;

preceding vehicle information detecting means for recognizing a preceding vehicle and detecting the preceding vehicle information;

target yaw rate calculating means for, when vehicle speed is in previously set first vehicle speed region, calculating a yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle according to the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle;

first steering control amount calculating means for calculating a first steering control amount to follow up the preceding vehicle based on the yaw rate made the target;

target steering angle calculating means for, when the vehicle speed is in a previously set second vehicle speed region, calculating a steering angle to be made a target for the vehicle based on current position of the preceding vehicle and current position of the vehicle; and

second steering control amount calculating means for calculating a second steering control amount for following up the preceding vehicle based on the steering angle made the target.

2. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 1, wherein hysteresis is provided between the first vehicle speed region and the second vehicle speed region, so that the case of a transition from a state where the first steering control amount has been calculated by the first steering amount calculating means to a state where the second steering amount is calculated by the second steering control amount calculating means, it is different to the case of a transition from a state where the second steering control amount has been calculated by the second steering amount calculating means to a state where the first steering amount is calculated by the first steering control amount calculating means.

3. The drive assist device for the vehicle, as disclosed in claim 1, including lane detecting means for detecting a lane, wherein when the lane is detected steering control along the lane is executed with priority.

4. The drive assist device for the vehicle, as disclosed in claim 2, including lane detecting means for detecting a lane, wherein when the lane is detected steering control along the lane is executed with priority.

5. The drive assist device for the vehicle, as disclosed in claim 1, including lane detecting means for detecting a lane, and in a situation where a preceding vehicle is not detected, when the lane is detected steering control along the lane is executed with priority.

6. The drive assist device for the vehicle, as disclosed in claim 2, including lane detecting means for detecting a lane, and in a situation where a preceding vehicle is not detected, when the lane is detected steering control along the lane is executed with priority.

7. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 1, including obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle, wherein when the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the preceding vehicle, the yaw rate made a target and the steering angle made a target are calculated corrected as necessary to avoid the obstacle.

8. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 2, including obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle, wherein when the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the preceding vehicle, the yaw rate made a target and the steering angle made a target are calculated corrected as necessary to avoid the obstacle.

9. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 3, including obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle, wherein when the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the preceding vehicle, the yaw rate made a target and the steering angle made a target are calculated and corrected as necessary to avoid the obstacle.

10. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 4, including obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle, wherein when the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the preceding vehicle, the yaw rate made a target and the steering angle made a target are calculated and corrected as necessary to avoid the obstacle.

11. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 1, wherein, even in the first vehicle speed region, when a target path of the vehicle is regarded as a straight line, a steering angle to be made a target of the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, and when the target path is regarded as a curved path, yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle.

12. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 2, wherein, even in the first vehicle speed region, when a target path of the vehicle is regarded as a straight line, a steering angle to be made a target of the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, and when the target path is regarded as a curved path, yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle.

13. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 3, wherein, even in the first vehicle speed region, when a target path of the vehicle is regarded as a straight line, a steering angle to be made a target of the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, and when the target path is regarded as a curved path, yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle.

14. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 4, wherein, even in the first vehicle speed region, when a target path of the vehicle is regarded as a straight line, a steering angle to be made a target of the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, and when the target path is regarded as a curved path, yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle.

15. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 5, wherein, even in the first vehicle speed region, when a target path of the vehicle is regarded as a straight line, a steering angle to be made a target of the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, and when the target path is regarded as a curved path, yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle.

16. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 6, wherein, even in the first vehicle speed region, when a target path of the vehicle is regarded as a straight line, a steering angle to be made a target of the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, and when the target path is regarded as a curved path, yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle.

17. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 7, wherein, even in the first vehicle speed region, when a target path of the vehicle is regarded as a straight line, a steering angle to be made a target of the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, and when the target path is regarded as a curved path, yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle.

18. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 8, wherein, even in the first vehicle speed region, when a target path of the vehicle is regarded as a straight line, a steering angle to be made a target of the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, and when the target path is regarded as a curved path, yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle.

19. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 9, wherein, even in the first vehicle speed region, when a target path of the vehicle is regarded as a straight line, a steering angle to be made a target of the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, and when the target path is regarded as a curved path, yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle.

20. The drive assist device for the vehicle as disclosed in claim 10, wherein, even in the first vehicle speed region, when a target path of the vehicle is regarded as a straight line, a steering angle to be made a target of the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, and when the target path is regarded as a curved path, yaw rate to be made a target for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current position of the preceding vehicle and the current position of the vehicle.