Travel safety system for vehicle
First Claim
1. A travel safety system for a vehicle, comprising:
- an object detecting means for detecting an object existing in the direction of movement of the vehicle;
a vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
a correlation calculating means for recognizing an on-coming vehicle based upon detection by the object detecting means and the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means, and for calculating a correlation including a relative position, a relative distance and a relative speed between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle;
an appropriate course determining means for determining an appropriate course for the vehicle based upon the relative position, the relative distance and a preset appropriate lateral distance, for permitting the vehicle to pass the on-coming vehicle;
a contact time point estimating means for estimating a contact time point when the vehicle will come into contact with the on-coming vehicle, based upon the relative distance and the relative speed;
a contact position estimating means for estimating a contact position at which the vehicle will come into contact with the on-coming vehicle at the contact time point, based upon the relative position, the relative distance, the relative speed and the vehicle speed of the vehicle; and
a contact determining means for comparing the contact position with the appropriate course and for determining the possibility of contact between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle, wherein the contact determining means calculates a lateral deviation between the appropriate course determined by the appropriate course determining means and the contact position estimated by the contact position estimating means, and compares the lateral deviation with a contact determining reference value for determining the possibility of contact between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lateral deviation δd which is a lateral distance between an intrinsic appropriate course R for a vehicle Ai and a contact position P at which the vehicle Ai will come into contact with an on-coming vehicle Ao, is calculated based on a relative angle θ, a relative distance L and a relative speed Vs which are detected by a radar device, and based on a vehicle speed Vi of the vehicle Ai detected by vehicle speed sensors. When the lateral deviation δd is in a range of δdn<δd<δdx, it is determined that there is the possibility that the vehicle Ai will collide frontally with the on-coming vehicle Ao. The lateral deviation δd can be calculated based on the relative angle θ, the relative distance L and the relative speed Vs provided in one cycle of transmission and reception of beam by the radar device. Therefore, the possibility of collision can be determined immediately at a time point when the on-coming vehicle Ao is recognized, without continuous detection of the correlation between the vehicle Ai and the on-coming vehicle Ao by the radar device.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A travel safety system for a vehicle, comprising:
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an object detecting means for detecting an object existing in the direction of movement of the vehicle;
a vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
a correlation calculating means for recognizing an on-coming vehicle based upon detection by the object detecting means and the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means, and for calculating a correlation including a relative position, a relative distance and a relative speed between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle;
an appropriate course determining means for determining an appropriate course for the vehicle based upon the relative position, the relative distance and a preset appropriate lateral distance, for permitting the vehicle to pass the on-coming vehicle;
a contact time point estimating means for estimating a contact time point when the vehicle will come into contact with the on-coming vehicle, based upon the relative distance and the relative speed;
a contact position estimating means for estimating a contact position at which the vehicle will come into contact with the on-coming vehicle at the contact time point, based upon the relative position, the relative distance, the relative speed and the vehicle speed of the vehicle; and
a contact determining means for comparing the contact position with the appropriate course and for determining the possibility of contact between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle, wherein the contact determining means calculates a lateral deviation between the appropriate course determined by the appropriate course determining means and the contact position estimated by the contact position estimating means, and compares the lateral deviation with a contact determining reference value for determining the possibility of contact between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A travel safety system for a vehicle, comprising:
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an object detecting means for detecting an object existing in the direction of movement of a vehicle;
a vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
a vehicle yaw rate detecting means for detecting the yaw rate of the vehicle;
a correlation calculating means for recognizing an on-coming vehicle based upon the detection by the object detecting means and the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means, and for calculating a relative position, a relative speed and a relative distance between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle;
a turning movement determining means for determining that the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle are being turned;
a vehicle turning-locus calculating means for calculating a locus of turning movement for the vehicle, based upon the vehicle speed and the yaw rate of the vehicle;
an on-coming vehicle turning-locus calculating means for calculating a locus of turning movement for the on-coming vehicle, based upon (i) a preset appropriate lateral distance for permitting the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle to pass each other appropriately during turning movement thereof, (ii) the relative position, and (iii) the relative distance;
a danger degree calculating means for comparing the locus of turning movement for the vehicle with the locus of turning movement for the on-coming vehicle and for calculating a degree of danger of contact between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle based upon the comparison; and
a contact avoiding means for allowing the vehicle to perform a contact avoiding motion in accordance with the calculated degree of danger wherein the contact of the vehicle with the on-coming vehicle is avoided. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A travel safety system for a vehicle, comprising:
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an object detecting means for detecting an object existing in the direction of movement of a vehicle;
a vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
a correlation calculating means for recognizing an on-coming vehicle, based upon the detection by the object detecting means and the vehicle speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detecting means, and for calculating a correlation comprising a relative position, a relative distance and a relative speed between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle;
an appropriate course determining means for determining an appropriate course for the vehicle for allowing the vehicle to pass the on-coming vehicle, based upon the relative position, the relative distance and a preset appropriate lateral distance;
a contact position estimating means for estimating a contact position at which the vehicle will come into contact with the on-coming vehicle at a contact time point, based upon the relative position, the relative distance, the relative speed and the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
a contact-possibility determining means for comparing the contact position with the appropriate course to determine the possibility of contact between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle;
a steering control means for automatically steering the steering device of the vehicle to avoid the contact, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact by the contact-possibility determining means;
a reference steering amount determining means for determining a reference steering amount based upon the variation in vehicle behavior of the vehicle generated by the steering operation;
a required lateral movement amount calculating means for calculating the required lateral movement amount for avoiding the contact based upon the lateral deviation between the appropriate course and the contact position; and
a steering amount outputting means, for comparing of the reference lateral movement amount determined by the reference steering amount determining means with the required lateral movement amount calculated by the required lateral movement amount calculating means and for outputting a target steering amount to the steering control means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A travel safety system for a vehicle including a steering device, comprising:
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an object detecting means for detecting an object existing in the direction of movement of the vehicle;
a vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
a correlation calculating means for recognizing an on-coming vehicle based upon the detection by the object detecting means and the vehicle speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detecting means, and for calculating a correlation comprising a relative position, a relative distance and a relative speed between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle;
a contact-possibility determining means for determining the possibility of contact between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle, based upon the correlation calculated by the correlation calculating means;
a steering control means for automatically steering the steering device in order to avoid contact, when the contact-possibility determining means determines that there is the possibility of contact;
a vehicle behavior detecting means for detecting the magnitude of the vehicle behavior of the vehicle;
a vehicle behavior margin amount determining means for determining a margin amount of vehicle behavior which can be generated by the spontaneous steering operation provided by a driver;
a vehicle behavior estimating means for estimating the magnitude of the vehicle behavior of the vehicle, when the steering device is steered by the steering control means;
a vehicle motion state calculating means for calculating the motion state of the vehicle when the steering device is steered by the steering control means, based upon outputs from the vehicle behavior detecting means, the vehicle behavior margin amount determining means and the vehicle behavior estimating means; and
a steering amount correcting means for correcting the steering amount provided to the steering device by the steering control means, when the vehicle motion state calculated by the vehicle motion state calculating means exceeds a predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
an appropriate course determining means for determining an appropriate course for the vehicle for allowing the vehicle to pass the on-coming vehicle appropriately, based upon the correlation calculated by the correlation calculating means and the previously determined appropriate lateral distance;
a contact position estimating means for estimating a contact presuming position in which the vehicle will come into contact with the on-coming vehicle, based upon the correlation and the vehicle speed of the vehicle; and
wherein the contact-possibility determining means compares the contact presuming position with the appropriate course and determines the possibility of contact between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle.
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29. A travel safety system for a vehicle according to claim 27 or 28, wherein the predetermined range is an acceptable steering amount determined in accordance with the vehicle speed of the vehicle, and wherein when the steering amount calculated by the vehicle motion state calculating means exceeds the maximum value of the acceptable steering amount, the steering amount correcting means corrects the steering amount to the maximum value.
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30. A travel safety system for a vehicle according to claim 27 or 28, wherein the predetermined range is an acceptable lateral acceleration determined in accordance with the vehicle speed of the vehicle, and wherein when the lateral acceleration calculated by the vehicle motion state calculating means exceeds the maximum value of the acceptable lateral acceleration, the steering amount correcting means decreases the steering amount.
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31. A travel safety system for a vehicle according to claim 30, wherein the acceptable lateral acceleration is determined based upon a value of lateral acceleration when the rate of increase in the steering amount is suddenly increased with respect to an increase in lateral acceleration in a vehicle turning characteristic.
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32. A travel safety system for a vehicle according to claim 27 or 28, wherein the predetermined range is an acceptable lateral acceleration determined in accordance with the driving wheel torque of the vehicle, and wherein when the lateral acceleration calculated by the vehicle motion state calculating means exceeds the maximum value of the acceptable lateral acceleration, and the steering amount correcting means decreases the steering amount.
Specification