Vehicle steering control system including corrections for map position and inter-vehicle distance

• US 5,878,361 A
• Filed: 08/03/1998
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sekine, Hiroshi, Asanuma, Nobuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US09/127,933
• Time in Patent Office: 211 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/41, 701/45, 701/48, 701/96, 701/301, 180/443, 180/178, 340/903
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles

Abstract

An azimuth change quantity θ of a road during traveling of a vehicle for a time δt is calculated based on road data provided by a navigation system and a vehicle speed provided by a vehicle speed sensor (at step S3 in FIG. 2). On the other hand, an azimuth change quantity Θ of the vehicle is calculated by integrating a yaw rate γ obtained from a yaw rate sensor over the time δt (at step S5). A deviation D between the azimuth change quantity θ of the road and the azimuth change quantity Θ of the vehicle is calculated (at step S6). When the deviation D becomes equal to or larger than a reference value β, it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will depart from the road (at step S9), and a predetermined steering torque is applied to a steering device, so that the deviation is converged into zero (at steps S10 and S11).

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a map information outputting means for outputting map information including a road on which a subject vehicle travels;

a subject-vehicle position detecting means for detecting a subject-vehicle position on a map;

a traveling state detecting means for detecting a traveling state of the vehicle;

a steering means for steering a steering control wheel of the vehicle;

a steering-torque applying means for applying a steering torque to the steering means;

a steerage control means for determining a steering-torque application quantity based on the traveling state of the vehicle and a shape of a road ahead of the subject-vehicle position on the map, and for controlling said steering-torque applying means based on said steering-torque application quantity;

an ahead-traveling vehicle detecting means for detecting at least one of a distance between the subject vehicle and an ahead-traveling vehicle and a relative speed of the subject vehicle relative to said ahead-traveling vehicle;

a follow-up travel control means for controlling the subject vehicle to adjust the distance between the subject vehicle and said ahead-traveling vehicle to allow the subject vehicle to travel while following said ahead-traveling vehicle in accordance with at least one of the distance between the subject vehicle and said ahead-traveling vehicle and the relative speed of the subject vehicle relative to said ahead-traveling vehicle; and

a control switch-over means which discontinues a steerage control by said steerage control means when a follow-up travel control by said follow-up travel control means is started during the steerage control, and which starts the steerage control by said steerage control means when said vehicle control system fails to detect said ahead-traveling vehicle during the follow-up travel control by said follow-up travel control means.

2. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, further including means for stopping operation of said steering-torque applying means when it is detected that said subject vehicle is controlled by said follow-up travel control means to travel while following said ahead-traveling vehicle.

3. A vehicle control system comprising:

a map information outputting means for outputting map information including a road on which the subject vehicle travels;

a subject-vehicle position detecting means for detecting a subject-vehicle position on a map;

vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a vehicle speed;

a passability determining means for determining whether the vehicle can pass through a road ahead of the subject-vehicle position on the map, based on the vehicle speed and a shape of the road ahead of the subject-vehicle position;

a vehicle speed control means for controlling the vehicle speed based on the determination by said passability determining means;

an ahead-traveling vehicle detecting means for detecting at least one of a distance between a subject vehicle and an ahead-traveling vehicle and a relative speed of the subject vehicle relative to said ahead-traveling vehicle;

a follow-up travel control means for controlling the subject vehicle to adjust the distance between the subject vehicle and said ahead-traveling vehicle to allow the subject vehicle to travel while following said-ahead traveling vehicle in accordance with at least one of the distance between the subject vehicle and said ahead-traveling vehicle and the relative speed of the subject vehicle relative to said ahead-traveling vehicle; and

a control switch-over means for discontinuing a vehicle speed control by said vehicle speed control means when a follow-up travel control by said follow-up travel control means is started during said vehicle speed control by said vehicle speed control means, and which starts the vehicle speed control by said vehicle speed control means when said vehicle control system fails to detect said ahead-traveling vehicle during the follow-up travel control by said follow-up travel control means.