DRIVING ASSISTANCE DEVICE

• US 20140188365A1
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,449,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/34 Blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• 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

A speed zone computation unit that computes a speed zone of a host vehicle; a target speed computation unit that computes a target speed of the host vehicle based on a speed zone; a driving assistance starting point computation unit that computes a driving assistance starting point determined by a state of the host vehicle at the time when a driving assistance is started; and a target speed modification unit that modifies a target speed, when the driving assistance starting point is within the speed zone, are included. The target speed computation unit sets a speed lower than the speed zone in the reference position as the target speed. The target speed modification unit sets a value higher than a value computed by the target speed computation unit as a new target speed, in speed in the reference position.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device comprising:

a blind spot recognition unit that recognizes a blind spot of a driver in a progressing direction of a host vehicle;

a mobile object information setting unit that sets mobile object information including at least an assumed speed of a mobile object, as information on the mobile object having a possibility of appearing suddenly from the blind spot;

a speed zone computation unit that computes a speed zone of the host vehicle having a possibility that the host vehicle will come into contact with the mobile object when progressing in the progressing direction, based on the mobile object information set by the mobile object information setting unit;

a target speed computation unit that computes a target speed of the host vehicle based on the speed zone;

a driving assistance starting point computation unit that computes a driving assistance starting point determined by a state of the host vehicle at the time when driving assistance is started; and

a target speed modification unit that modifies the target speed, when the driving assistance starting point is within the speed zone,

wherein the speed zone is determined by a relationship between a speed of the host vehicle, and a distance of the host vehicle with respect to a reference position in a place forming the blind spot,

wherein the driving assistance starting point is determined by the speed of the host vehicle at the time when the driving assistance is started, and the distance of the host vehicle with respect to the reference position at the time when the driving assistance is started,

wherein the target speed computation unit sets a speed lower than the speed zone in the reference position as the target speed, and

wherein the target speed modification unit sets a value higher than a value computed by the target speed computation unit as a new target speed, in speed in the reference position.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the target speed modification unit sets a minimum value in a speed higher than the speed zone at the reference position as a first modification target speed, and sets a value of the speed at the driving assistance starting point as a second modification target speed,

wherein the target speed modification unit sets the first modification target speed as the new target speed, when a deceleration rate for being set as the first modification target speed between the driving assistance starting point and the reference position is within a predetermined range, and

wherein the target speed modification unit sets the second modification target speed as the new target speed, when the deceleration rate is outside the predetermined range.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the target speed modification unit sets a minimum value in a speed higher than the speed zone at the reference position as a first modification target speed, and sets a value of the speed at the driving assistance starting point as a second modification target speed, and

wherein the target speed modification unit sets any one of values between the first modification target speed and the second modification target speed as the new target speed, based on gravity acting on the host vehicle.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driving assistance control unit that controls the driving assistance,

wherein when the target speed modification unit modifies the target speed, and the driver steps on the brake, the driving assistance control unit suppresses the braking force.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driving assistance control unit that controls the driving assistance,

wherein when the target speed modification unit modifies the target speed, and the driver steps on the brake, the driving assistance control unit notifies the driver to the effect that it is better not to decelerate.