COLLISION MITIGATION APPARATUS

• US 20140343749A1
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Minemura, Akitoshi, Tsuchida, Norio
• Granted Patent: US 9,650,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0062 Adapting control system settings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4026 Cycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

A collision mitigation apparatus includes an object detecting section for detecting a collision object present in front of an own vehicle on which the collision mitigation apparatus is mounted, a drive assisting section that performs drive assist for avoiding a collision between the collision object detected by the object detecting section and the own vehicle or mitigates damage to the own vehicle due to the collision, an operation state detecting section for detecting an operation state of the own vehicle, and a timing setting section for setting start timing to start the drive assist by the drive assisting section in accordance with the operation state detected by the operation state detecting section.

Claims

1. A collision mitigation apparatus comprising:

an object detecting section for detecting a collision object present in front of an own vehicle on which the collision mitigation apparatus is mounted;

a drive assisting section that performs drive assist for avoiding a collision between the collision object detected by the object detecting section and the own vehicle, or mitigates damage to the own vehicle due to the collision;

an operation state detecting section for detecting an operation state of the own vehicle; and

a timing setting section for setting start timing to start the drive assist by the drive assisting section in accordance with the operation state detected by the operation state detecting section.

2. The collision mitigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing setting section sets the start timing late when the operation state detecting section detects that the own vehicle is in a not-straight running state where the own vehicle is operated so as not to run straight compared to when the operation state detecting section detects that the own vehicle is in a straight running state where the own vehicle is operated so as to run straight.

3. The collision mitigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the operation state detecting section determines that the own vehicle is in the not-straight running state if an amount of variation per unit time of a steering angle of the own vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold, or the steering angle exceeds a predetermined threshold, or an increase or decrease rate of the steering angle exceeds a predetermined threshold.

4. The collision mitigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing setting section sets the start timing to be later when at least one of a blinker of the own vehicle and a brake device of the own vehicle is in operation compared to when neither of the blinker and the brake device is in operation.

5. The collision mitigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a running state detecting section for detecting a running state of the own vehicle,

the timing setting section being configured to set the start timing taking into account the running state of the own vehicle detected by the running state detecting section.

6. The collision mitigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object detecting section detects a positional relationship between the own vehicle and the collision object,

the timing setting section being configured to set the start timing taking into account the positional relationship detected by the object detecting section.

7. The collision mitigation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the object detecting section detects a lateral positional relationship between the own vehicle and the collision object and a lateral length of the collision object,

the timing setting section being configured to set the start timing taking into account the lateral positional relationship and the lateral length detected by the object detecting section.