LANE CHANGE ASSISTANCE APPARATUS

• US 20160311464A1
• Filed: 04/11/2016
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: YAMAOKA, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,682,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle

Abstract

The apparatus includes: a lane change assistance unit configured to perform the lane change assistance after elapse of a margin time set in advance from the time when a direction indicator at the adjacent lane side is switched to an ON-state by a driver of the vehicle; and a determination unit configured to determine whether or not an amount of steering to the adjacent lane side by the driver during the margin time is equal to or greater than a steering amount threshold value, or to determine whether or not the vehicle moves to the adjacent lane side due to a driver'"'"'s steering during the margin time by a lateral distance set in advance.

Claims

1. A lane change assistance apparatus that is configured to perform a lane change assistance for controlling a vehicle such that it changes lane toward an adjacent lane from a travelling lane, the apparatus comprising:

a lane change assistance unit configured to perform the lane change assistance after elapse of a margin time set in advance, from the time when a direction indicator at the adjacent lane side is switched to an ON-state by an operation of a driver of the vehicle; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not an amount of steering to the adjacent lane side by the driver during the margin time is equal to or greater than a steering amount threshold value, or to determine whether or not the vehicle moves to the adjacent lane side due to a driver'"'"'s steering during the margin time by a lateral distance set in advance,

wherein, in a case where it is determined by the determination unit that the amount of steering during the margin time is equal to or greater than the steering amount threshold value, or in a case where it is determined by the determination unit that the vehicle has moved to the adjacent lane side during the margin time by the lateral distance, the lane change assistance unit is configured to start the lane change assistance before the elapse of the margin time.

2. The lane change assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, in a case where it is determined by the determination unit that the amount of steering during the margin time is equal to or greater than the steering amount threshold value, or in a case where it is determined by the determination unit that the vehicle has moved to the adjacent lane side during the margin time by the lateral distance, the lane change assistance unit is configured to perform the lane change assistance of which the movement time of the vehicle is shorter than that in a case where it is not determined by the determination unit that the amount of steering during the margin time is equal to or greater than the steering amount threshold value, and in a case where it is not determined by the determination unit that the vehicle has moved to the adjacent lane side during the margin time by the lateral distance.