DRIVING SUPPORT DEVICE, DRIVING SUPPORT METHOD, AND DRIVING SUPPORT PROGRAM

• US 20090240413A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: TAKEUCHI, Atsushi, KODAMA, Hiroyuki, KOTO, Hideaki, MARUYAMA, Masaki, OGAWA, Fumiharu, MIYAJIMA, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A target vehicle speed at a predetermined position ahead of a host vehicle is obtained, and a plurality of deceleration patterns with different deceleration schemes is obtained for decelerating the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed. Based on a driving operation for controlling speed of the host vehicle, a deceleration pattern is selected from the plurality of deceleration patterns. Using the selected deceleration pattern as a reference, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is reduced to the target vehicle speed before the host vehicle reaches the predetermined position.

Claims

1. A driving support device comprising:

a target vehicle speed obtaining unit that obtains a target vehicle speed at a predetermined position ahead of a host vehicle;

a deceleration pattern obtaining unit that obtains a plurality of deceleration patterns with different deceleration schemes for decelerating the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed;

a deceleration pattern selecting unit that selects a deceleration pattern from the plurality of deceleration patterns, based on a driving operation for controlling speed of the host vehicle; and

a deceleration control unit that reduces the vehicle speed of the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed before the host vehicle reaches the predetermined position, in accordance with the selected deceleration pattern.

2. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein

the deceleration pattern selecting unit selects a deceleration pattern with a higher rate of deceleration when an accelerator pedal is depressed as compared to that deceleration pattern selected when the accelerator pedal is not depressed.

3. The driving support device according to claim 2, wherein

the deceleration control unit refers to reference vehicle speeds respectively set for respective, spaced reference positions up to the predetermined position in the deceleration pattern to determine whether a current vehicle speed of the host vehicle is faster than the reference vehicle speed at a reference position;

and if the current vehicle speed is faster than the reference vehicle speed at a reference position, then an automatic speed reduction control is executed.

4. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein

the deceleration control unit refers to reference vehicle speeds respectively set for respective, spaced reference positions up to the predetermined position in the deceleration pattern to determine whether a current vehicle speed of the host vehicle is faster than the reference vehicle speed at a reference position;

and if the current vehicle speed is faster than the reference vehicle speed at a reference position, then an automatic speed reduction control is executed.

5. A driving support method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a target vehicle speed at a predetermined position ahead of a host vehicle;

obtaining a plurality of deceleration patterns with different deceleration schemes for decelerating the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed;

selecting a deceleration pattern from the plurality of deceleration patterns, based on a driving operation for controlling speed of the host vehicle; and

reducing the vehicle speed of the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed before the host vehicle reaches the predetermined position in accordance with the selected deceleration pattern.

6. A computer-readable medium having, encoded thereon, a driving support program for causing a computer to perform the functions of:

obtaining a target vehicle speed at a predetermined position ahead of a host vehicle;

obtaining a plurality of deceleration patterns with different deceleration schemes for decelerating the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed;

selecting a deceleration pattern from the plurality of deceleration patterns, based on a driving operation for controlling speed of the host vehicle; and

reducing the vehicle speed of the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed before the host vehicle reaches the predetermined position in accordance with the selected deceleration pattern.