Curve approach control apparatus

• US 6,298,296 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2000
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/633,119
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/72, 701/75, 701/78, 701/79, 701/93, 701/94, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0066 responsive to vehicle path curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/064 Degree of grip
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models

Abstract

A curve approach control apparatus of the present invention comprises a front road attribute calculation/storage unit 24 judging whether a node represents an exit/entrance road from/to the main road. The control execution decision unit 31 judges whether the node Pt on a curve in front of the vehicle which is subject to the control represents an exit/entrance road. When the node Pt represents the exit/entrance road, the control execution decision unit 31 inhibits the alarm control and the deceleration control for the curve.

Claims

1. A curve approach control apparatus comprising:

a front road attribute calculation/storage unit for setting a variety of road attribute information for each node on the basis of node information representing a road of vehicle travel, the information being supplied from a navigation device;

a control unit for performing alarm control or deceleration control for curve calculated on basis of the road attribute information; and

a decision unit for inhibiting the alarm control and the deceleration control when the curve is on an exit/entrance road connecting to a main road.

2. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

and

wherein said front road attribute calculation/storage unit judges whether the road represented by the node is the main road based on the road kind information and the road width information, judges whether an intersection exists on the main road based on the intersection information when it is decided that the road represented by the node is the main road, and sets a road segment following the intersection as an exit road from the main road when an intersection exists on the main road and node intervals for the nodes following the intersection are and continue to be less than a predetermined multiple of the road width of the main road.

3. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said front road attribute calculation/storage unit judges whether the road represented by the node is the main road based on the road kind information and the road width information, judges whether an intersection exists on the main road based on the intersection information when the road represented by the node is the main road, and sets a road segment following the intersection as an exit road from the main road when an intersection exists on the main road and road widths at the nodes following the intersection are and continue to be less than a road width of a node immediately preceding the intersection.

4. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said front road attribute calculation/storage unit judges whether an intersection exists at the node position based on the intersection information, judges whether a road following the node where it is decided that an intersection exists is a main road based on the road kind information and the road width information, and sets the road segment preceding the intersection as an entrance road to the main road when the judge finds that the main road exists following the intersection and that node intervals preceding the intersection are and continue to be less than a predetermined multiple of the road widths at nodes following the intersection.

5. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said front road attribute calculation/storage unit judges whether an intersection exists at the node position based on the intersection information and judges whether a road following the node where it is decided that an intersection exists is a main road based on the road kind information and the road width information, and sets the road segment preceding the intersection as an entrance road to the main road when the judge finds that the main road exists following the intersection and that road widths at nodes preceding the intersection are and continue to be less than road widths at nodes following the intersection.

6. A curve approach control apparatus comprising:

a front road attribute calculation/storage unit for setting a variety of road attribute information for each node on the basis of node information representing a road of vehicle travel, the information being supplied from a navigation device;

a control unit for comparing allowable approach speed with vehicle speed in a predetermined manner and performing alarm control or deceleration control for curve calculated on basis of the road attribute information; and

a setting unit for setting the allowable approach speed for the node higher than allowable approach speeds for other nodes when the node represents an exit/entrance road connecting to a main road.

7. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

and

wherein said front road attribute calculation/storage unit judges whether the road represented by the node is the main road based on the road kind information and the road width information, judges whether an intersection exists on the main road based on the intersection information when it is decided that the road represented by the node is the main road, and sets a road segment following the intersection as an exit road from the main road when an intersection exists on the main road and node intervals for the nodes following the intersection are and continue to be less than a predetermined multiple of the road width of the main road.

8. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said front road attribute calculation/storage unit judges whether the road represented by the node is the main road based on the road kind information and the road width information, judges whether an intersection exists on the main road based on the intersection information when the road represented by the node is the main road, and sets a road segment following the intersection as an exit road from the main road when an intersection exists on the main road and road widths at the nodes following the intersection are and continue to be less than a road width of a node immediately preceding the intersection.

9. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said front road attribute calculation/storage unit judges whether an intersection exists at the node position based on the intersection information, judges whether a road following the node where it is decided that an intersection exists is a main road based on the road kind information and the road width information, and sets the road segment preceding the intersection as an entrance road to the main road when the judge finds that the main road exists following the intersection and that node intervals preceding the intersection are and continue to be less than a predetermined multiple of the road widths at nodes following the intersection.

10. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said front road attribute calculation/storage unit judges whether an intersection exists at the node position based on the intersection information and judges whether a road following the node where it is decided that an intersection exists is a main road based on the road kind information and the road width information, and sets the road segment preceding the intersection as an entrance road to the main road when the judge finds that the main road exists following the intersection and that road widths at nodes preceding the intersection are and continue to be less than road widths at nodes following the intersection.

11. A method for curve approach control, comprising:

(i) setting a variety of road attribute information for each node on the basis of node information representing a road of vehicle travel, the information being supplied from a navigation device;

performing alarm control or deceleration control for curve calculated on basis of the road attribute information; and

inhibiting the alarm control and the deceleration control when the curve is on an exit/entrance road connecting to a main road.

12. The method for curve approach control according to claim 11, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

and

wherein said setting step(i) comprises;

judging whether the road represented by the node is the main road based on the road kind information and the road width information;

judging whether an intersection exists on the main road based on the intersection information when it is decided that the road represented by the node is the main road; and

setting a road segment following the intersection as an exit road from the main road when an intersection exists on the main road and node intervals for the nodes following the intersection are and continue to be less than a predetermined multiple of the road width of the main road.

13. The method for curve approach control according to claim 11, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said setting step(i) comprises;

judging whether the road represented by the node is the main road based on the road kind information and the road width information;

judging whether an intersection exists on the main road based on the intersection information when the road represented by the node is the main road; and

setting a road segment following the intersection as an exit road from the main road when an intersection exists on the main road and road widths at the nodes following the intersection are and continue to be less than a road width of a node immediately preceding the intersection.

14. The method for curve approach control according to claim 11, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said setting step(i) comprising;

judging whether an intersection exists at the node position based on the intersection information;

judging whether a road following the node where it is decided that an intersection exists is a main road based on the road kind information and the road width information; and

setting the road segment preceding the intersection as an entrance road to the main road when the judge finds that the main road exists following the intersection and that node intervals preceding the intersection are and continue to be less than a predetermined multiple of the road widths at nodes following the intersection.

15. The method for curve approach control according to claim 11, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said setting step(i) comprises;

judging whether an intersection exists at the node position based on the intersection information;

judges whether a road following the node where it is decided that an intersection exists is a main road based on the road kind information and the road width information; and

setting the road segment preceding the intersection as an entrance road to the main road when the judge finds that the main road exists following the intersection and that road widths at nodes preceding the intersection are and continue to be less than road widths at nodes following the intersection.

16. A method for curve approach control, comprising:

(i) setting a variety of road attribute information for each node on the basis of node information representing a road of vehicle travel, the information being supplied from a navigation device;

comparing allowable approach speed with vehicle speed in a predetermined manner;

performing alarm control or deceleration control for curve calculated on basis of the road attribute information; and

setting the allowable approach speed for the node higher than allowable approach speeds for other nodes when the node represents an exit/entrance road connecting to a main road.

17. The method for curve approach control according to claim 16, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

and

wherein said setting step(i) comprises;

judging whether the road represented by the node is the main road based on the road kind information and the road width information;

judging whether an intersection exists on the main road based on the intersection information when it is decided that the road represented by the node is the main road; and

setting a road segment following the intersection as an exit road from the main road when an intersection exists on the main road and node intervals for the nodes following the intersection are and continue to be less than a predetermined multiple of the road width of the main road.

18. The method for curve approach control according to claim 16, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said setting step(i) comprises;

judging whether the road represented by the node is the main road based on the road kind information and the road width information;

judging whether an intersection exists on the main road based on the intersection information when the road represented by the node is the main road; and

setting a road segment following the intersection as an exit road from the main road when an intersection exists on the main road and road widths at the nodes following the intersection are and continue to be less than a road width of a node immediately preceding the intersection.

19. The method for curve approach control according to claim 16, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said setting step(i) comprising;

judging whether an intersection exists at the node position based on the intersection information;

judging whether a road following the node where it is decided that an intersection exists is a main road based on the road kind information and the road width information; and

setting the road segment preceding the intersection as an entrance road to the main road when the judge finds that the main road exists following the intersection and that node intervals preceding the intersection are and continue to be less than a predetermined multiple of the road widths at nodes following the intersection.

20. The method for curve approach control according to claim 16, wherein the node information supplied from a navigation device includes at least road kind information and road width information on the road made up of nodes and intersection information indicating whether an intersection exists at each node position;

wherein said setting step(i) comprises;

judging whether an intersection exists at the node position based on the intersection information;

judges whether a road following the node where it is decided that an intersection exists is a main road based on the road kind information and the road width information; and

setting the road segment preceding the intersection as an entrance road to the main road when the judge finds that the main road exists following the intersection and that road widths at nodes preceding the intersection are and continue to be less than road widths at nodes following the intersection.