APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE

• US 20160214619A1
• Filed: 01/20/2016
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HL Klemove Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mando Corporation
• Inventors: Na, Hyuck Min
• Granted Patent: US 9,849,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling a vehicle are disclosed. A method for controlling a vehicle by monitoring a driver'"'"'s state includes: a region setting step for establishing a first steering control region, a first steering warning region, a braking control region, and a first braking warning region of the vehicle; a driver state decision step for determining the driver state by monitoring a state of the driver; and a region resetting step for including, if the driver state is in an abnormal state in the driver state decision step, resetting a first steering control region of the vehicle, a first steering warning region, and a first braking warning region in the region setting region, and thus setting a second steering control region, a second steering warning region, and a second braking warning region.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle by monitoring a driver'"'"'s state, comprising:

a region setting step for establishing a first steering control region, a first steering warning region, a braking control region, and a first braking warning region of the vehicle;

a driver state decision step for determining the driver state by monitoring a state of the driver; and

a region resetting step for including, if the driver state is in an abnormal state in the driver state decision step, resetting a first steering control region of the vehicle, a first steering warning region, and a first braking warning region in the region setting region, and thus setting a second steering control region, a second steering warning region, and a second braking warning region.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the second steering control region is larger in size than the first steering control region, the second steering warning region is larger in size than the first steering warning region, and the second braking warning region is larger in size than the first braking warning region.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a steering control region entry decision step in which the vehicle enters the second steering control region established in the region resetting step;

a steering control step in which, if the vehicle enters the second steering control region in the steering control region entry decision step, steering the vehicle;

a steering warning region entry decision step in which the vehicle enters the second steering warning region established in the region resetting step;

a steering warning step to warn the vehicle driver that the vehicle has entered the second steering warning region in the steering warning region entry decision step;

a braking warning region entry decision step to determine whether the vehicle enters the second braking warning region established in the region resetting step;

a braking warning step to warn the vehicle driver that the vehicle has entered the second braking warning region in the braking warning region entry decision step;

a braking control region entry decision step to determine whether the vehicle enters the braking control region established in the region setting step; and

a braking control step to perform braking of the vehicle when the vehicle has entered the braking control region in the braking control region entry decision step.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the first steering control region, the first steering warning region, the second steering warning control region, and the second steering warning region are formed along a vehicle lane;

the first steering control region is larger in width than the first steering warning region; and

the second steering control region is larger in width than the second steering warning region.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the first steering control region, the first steering warning region, the second steering control region, and the second steering warning region are formed along a lane;

the second steering warning region is larger in width than the first steering control region; and

the first steering control region is larger in width than the first steering warning region.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the braking control region, the first braking warning region, and the second braking warning region are formed on the basis of a distance to a front vehicle;

a distance of the first braking warning region is shorter than a distance to the second braking warning region; and

a distance of the braking control region is shorter than a distance of the first braking warning region.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

the first braking warning region includes a plurality of sections according to respective distances; and

the second braking warning region includes a plurality of sections according to respective distances in response to the first braking warning region composed of the plurality of sections.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

the first braking warning region includes a first warning region, a second warning region, and a third warning region; and

the second braking warning region includes a first early warning region and a second early warning region, wherein a warning start time of the first early warning region is earlier than that of the first warning region and a warning start time of the second early warning region is earlier than that of the second warning region.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the distance of the braking control region is identical to the distance of the third warning region.

10. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle by monitoring a driver'"'"'s state, comprising:

a sensor unit configured to detect at least two of a steering angle, a steering-angle speed, lateral acceleration, and vehicle speed;

a front camera configured to capture a front-view image of the vehicle;

a driver camera configured to capture an image of the driver;

a driver state decision unit configured to determine a state of the driver according to the image captured by the driver camera;

a controller configured to control steering and braking of the vehicle according to the determined result of the driver state decision unit; and

a warning unit configured to warn the driver of a dangerous state according to a control signal of the controller,

wherein a steering control region for determining steering control of the vehicle, a steering warning region for determining steering warning of the vehicle, a braking control region for determining braking control of the vehicle, and a braking warning region for determining braking warning of the vehicle are established in the controller, and the controller performs resetting of the steering control region, the steering warning region, and the braking warning region according to the determined result of the driver state decision unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the controller, if the driver is in an abnormal state according to the determined result of the driver state decision unit, performs resetting of respective regions in a manner that the steering control region, the steering warning region, and the braking warning region are extended in size.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

the braking warning region includes a first warning region, a second warning region, and a third warning region according to a distance to a front vehicle; and

the controller, if the driver is in the abnormal state according to the determined result of the driver state decision unit, performs resetting in a manner that the first warning region and the second warning region are extended in size.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the driver state decision unit, if at least two of the detected steering angle, the detected steering angle speed, the detected lateral acceleration, and the detected vehicle speed are higher than a predetermined threshold value, determines that the driver is in the abnormal state.