APPARATUS AND PROGRAM FOR ASSISTING DRIVE OF VEHICLE

• US 20150344034A1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: NIINO, HIROAKI, OOOKA, MASAO, FUKUDA, SHOTARO, NARITA, TAKAHIRO
• Granted Patent: US 9,878,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• 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 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"

Abstract

In an apparatus, a first obtainer obtains a first travelling-condition parameter of a target vehicle. The first travelling-condition parameter shows one or more conditions under which the target vehicle is travelling on the road. A second obtainer obtains a second travelling-condition parameter of a preceding vehicle travelling on the road immediately ahead of the target vehicle. The second travelling-condition parameter shows one or more conditions under which the preceding vehicle is travelling on the road. A deviation calculator calculates a deviation between the first and second travelling-condition parameters. A behavior determiner determines a recommended behavior of the target vehicle in response to the calculated deviation. A controller controls a device, which is associated with a behavior of the target vehicle, according to the recommended behavior.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting drive of a target vehicle travelling on a road by use of a device associated with a behavior of the target vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a first obtaining unit that obtains a first travelling-condition parameter of the target vehicle, the first travelling-condition parameter showing one or more conditions under which the target vehicle is travelling on the road;

a second obtaining unit that obtains a second travelling-condition parameter of a preceding vehicle travelling on the road immediately ahead of the target vehicle, the second travelling-condition parameter showing one or more conditions under which the preceding vehicle is travelling on the road;

a deviation calculator that calculates a deviation between the first travelling-condition parameter and the second travelling-condition parameter;

a behavior determiner that determines a recommended behavior of the target vehicle in response to the calculated deviation; and

a controller that controls the device according to the recommended behavior.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the behavior determiner is configured to:

determine whether the deviation between the first travelling-condition parameter and the second travelling-condition parameter is more than a predetermined threshold while the target vehicle is travelling at a speed higher than a predetermined reference speed;

determine a first recommended behavior of the target vehicle for overtaking the preceding vehicle when it is determined that the deviation between the first travelling-condition parameter and the second travelling-condition parameter is more than the predetermined threshold; and

determine a second recommended behavior of the target vehicle for tracking the preceding vehicle when it is determined that the deviation between the first travelling-condition parameter and the second travelling-condition parameter is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the first obtaining unit is configured to obtain, as the first travelling-condition parameter, at least one of a slope and a curvature of the road at a current location of the target vehicle; and

the second obtaining unit is configured to obtain, as the second travelling-condition parameter, at least one of a slope and a curvature of the road at a current location of the preceding vehicle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the first obtaining unit further comprises a first location obtaining unit that obtains a current location of the target vehicle travelling on the road; and

the second obtaining unit further comprises a second location obtaining unit that obtains a relative location of the preceding vehicle with respect to the current location of the target vehicle,

the second obtaining unit being configured to;

obtain a current location of the preceding vehicle according to the relative location of the preceding vehicle, and

obtain a parameter indicative of a state of the road at and around the current location of the preceding vehicle as the second travelling-condition parameter.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second obtaining unit is configured to predict a value of the second travelling-condition parameter of the preceding vehicle travelling on the road at a future location where the preceding vehicle will be travelling at a future time, the future time being defined by lapse of a predetermined time since a current travelling time of the preceding vehicle.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the behavior determiner is configured to determine the recommended behavior of the target vehicle such that a rate of the reduction of the target vehicle or an inter-vehicle distance of the target vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle increases as'"'"' the deviation between the first travelling-condition parameter and the second travelling-condition parameter increases.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device is an informing device, and the controller is configured to control the informing device to give, to a driver of the target vehicle, a suggestion that guides the driver to drive the target vehicle in accordance with the recommended behavior.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device is a behavior controlling device, and the controller is configured to control the behavior controlling device to control the behavior of the target vehicle in accordance with the recommended behavior.

9. A computer program product for an apparatus for assisting drive of a target vehicle traveling on a road using a device associated with a behavior of the target vehicle, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; and

a set of computer program instructions embedded in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the instructions causing a computer to carry out;

a first step of obtaining a first travelling-condition parameter of the target vehicle, the first travelling-condition parameter showing one or more conditions under which the target vehicle is travelling on the road;

a second step of obtaining a second travelling-condition parameter of a preceding vehicle travelling on the road immediately ahead of the target vehicle, the second travelling-condition parameter showing one or more conditions under which the preceding vehicle is travelling on the road;

a third step of calculating a deviation between the first travelling-condition parameter and the second travelling-condition parameter,

a fourth step of determining a recommended behavior of the target vehicle in response to the calculated deviation; and

a fifth step of controlling a device associated with a behavior of the target vehicle according to the recommended behavior.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the fourth step is configured to:

determine whether the deviation between the first travelling-condition parameter and the second travelling-condition parameter is more than a predetermined threshold while the target vehicle is travelling at a speed higher than a predetermined reference speed;

determine a first recommended behavior of the target vehicle for overtaking the preceding vehicle when it is determined that the deviation between the first travelling-condition parameter and the second travelling-condition parameter is more than the predetermined threshold; and

determine a second recommended behavior of the target vehicle for tracking the preceding vehicle when it is determined that the deviation between the first travelling-condition parameter and the second travelling-condition parameter is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold.

11. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein:

the first step is configured to obtain, as the first travelling-condition parameter, at least one of a slope and a curvature of the road at a current location of the target vehicle; and

the second step is configured to obtain, as the second travelling-condition parameter, at least one of a slope and a curvature of the road at a current location of the preceding vehicle.

12. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein:

the first step further comprises a step of obtaining a current location of the target vehicle travelling on the road; and

the second step further comprises a step of obtaining a relative location of the preceding vehicle with respect to the current location of the target vehicle,

the second step being configured to;

obtain a current location of the preceding vehicle according to the relative location of the preceding vehicle, and

obtain a parameter indicative of a state of the road at and around the current location of the preceding vehicle as the second travelling-condition parameter.

13. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the second step is configured to predict a value of the second travelling-condition parameter of the preceding vehicle travelling on the road at a future location where the preceding vehicle will be travelling at a future time, the future time being defined by lapse of a predetermined time since a current travelling time of the preceding vehicle.

14. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the fourth step is configured to determine the recommended behavior of the target vehicle such that a rate of the reduction of the target vehicle or an inter-vehicle distance of the target vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle increases as the deviation between the first travelling-condition parameter and the second travelling-condition parameter increases.

15. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the device is an informing device, and the fifth step is configured to control the informing device to give, to a driver of the target vehicle, a suggestion that guides the driver to drive the target vehicle in accordance with the recommended behavior.

16. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the device is a behavior controlling device, and the fifth step is configured to control the behavior controlling device to control the behavior of the target vehicle in accordance with the recommended behavior.