LANE CHANGE ASSIST SYSTEM

• US 20140074356A1
• Filed: 05/20/2011
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bone, Sven, Winner, Hermann, Habenicht, Stefan, Gayko, Jens
• Application Number:
  US14/113,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074356A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A lane change assist system allows a vehicle driver to change lanes with minimum effort and stress by offering appropriate lane change options depending on the conditions of an ego vehicle and surrounding vehicles. The system includes a driving assessment device (6) configured to determine one of a plurality of driving alternatives according to signals from an ego vehicle sensing device (4), an object vehicle sensing device (2) and a driver intention detecting device (5), the driving alternatives including at least staying on a current lane, changing lanes before the object vehicle and changing lanes behind the object vehicle. The system further comprises a lane change program selection device (7) configured to select one of a plurality of pre-set lane change programs according to the determined driving alternative and other data.

Claims

1. A lane change assist system, comprising:

an ego vehicle sensing device (4) configured to detect a velocity of an ego vehicle;

an object vehicle sensing device (2) configured to detect at least a distance to the ego vehicle and a velocity of a surrounding vehicle;

a driver intention detecting device (5) configured to detect a driver'"'"'s intention to change lanes;

a driving assessment device (6) configured to determine one of a plurality of driving alternatives according to signals from the ego vehicle sensing device, object vehicle sensing device and driver intention detecting device, the driving alternatives including at least staying on a current lane, changing lanes before the object vehicle and changing lanes behind the object vehicle;

a lane change program selection device (7) configured to select one of a plurality of lane change programs according to signals from the ego vehicle sensing device, object vehicle sensing device and driver intention detecting device, the lane change programs including at least a no lane change program, a lane change without acceleration or deceleration, a lane change with acceleration program and a lane change with deceleration; and

an output device (8) configured to indicate the lane change program selected by the lane change program selection device.

2. The lane change assist system according to claim 1, wherein the output device comprises at least one of an audio indicator, a visual indicator and a haptic indicator to indicate the lane change program selected by the lane change program.

3. The lane change assist system according to claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a steering reaction torque generator that preferentially assists a driver'"'"'s steering effort according to the selected lane change program.

4. The lane change assist system according to claim 1, wherein the driving alternatives further comprise merging between two object vehicles.

5. The lane change assist system according to claim 1, wherein the lane change program selection device is further configured to compute a time period for which the vehicle driver is required to wait before safely changing lanes.

6. The lane change assist system according to claim 1, wherein the lane change program selection device is further configured to compute a time period remaining for the vehicle driver to safely change lanes.

7. The lane change assist system according to claim 5, wherein the output device is configured to indicate the time period audibly, visually or haptically.

8. The lane change assist system according to claim 6, wherein the output device is configured to indicate the time period audibly, visually or haptically.