Curve approach control apparatus

• US 6,401,023 B1
• Filed: 09/06/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/655,836
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/72, 701/45, 701/207, 701/93, 340/438, 340/441
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

The front road attribute calculation/storage unit checks whether a node on the set path is the one representing an exit road from the main road. The control execution decision unit checks the actual yaw rate as the car passes through the branch node between the main road and the exit road to see if the possibility is high that the car has veered from the set path and traveled straight on and that the navigation device 11 has erroneously recognized the car travel path following the branch node. When that possibility is decided to be high, the alarm control and the deceleration control are temporarily inhibited.

Claims

1. A curve approach control apparatus comprising:

a front road attribute calculation/storage unit for setting a variety of road attribute information for a road in front of a vehicle on the basis of road map data stored in a navigation device;

a decision output unit for performing at least one of alarm control and deceleration control for a curve calculated on basis of the road attribute information; and

a control execution decision unit for inhibiting the alarm control and the deceleration control when a predetermined running state of the vehicle is detected while the vehicle passes through a branch point between a main road and an exit road branched from the main road.

2. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said control execution decision unit inhibits an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when a vehicle speed for passing through the branch point is higher than a predetermined value.

3. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said control execution decision unit inhibits an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the navigation device has recognized the exit road as the vehicle path after the vehicle passed the branch point.

4. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said control execution decision unit inhibits an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when said control execution decision unit decides that vehicle is traveling on the main road, based on a comparison between one of yaw rate, lateral acceleration and steering wheel angle for the vehicle passing through the branch point and a preset value.

5. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the preset value is set variable according to the vehicle speed.

6. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said control execution decision unit resets the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when a predetermined time is elapsed after said control execution decision unit inhibited an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control.

7. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said control execution decision unit resets the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the vehicle passes a predetermined distance after said control execution decision unit inhibited an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control.

8. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said control execution decision unit resets the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the running state of the vehicle is detected to be similar to a running state estimated from the vehicle travel path recognized by the navigation device after said control execution decision unit inhibited an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control.

9. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said control execution decision unit resets the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the actual yaw rate detected as the vehicle passes through a curve is within a predetermined range of estimated yaw rate estimated from the same curve that was recognized by the navigation device after said control execution decision unit inhibited an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control.

19. A vehicle containing the curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1.

10. A method for curve approach control comprising:

setting a variety of road attribute information for a road in front of a vehicle on the basis of road map data in a navigation device,

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

inhibiting the alarm control and the deceleration control when a predetermined running state of the vehicle is detected while the vehicle passes through a branch point between a main road and an exit road branched from the main road.

11. The method for curve approach control according to claim 10, wherein

said inhibiting step comprises inhibiting an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when a vehicle speed for passing through the branch point is higher than a predetermined value.

12. The method for curve approach control according to claim 10, wherein

said inhibiting step comprises inhibiting an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the navigation device has recognized the exit road as the vehicle path after the vehicle passed the branch point.

13. The method for curve approach control according to claim 10, wherein

said inhibiting step comprises inhibiting an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when said control execution decision unit decides that vehicle is traveling on the main road, based on a comparison between one of yaw rate, lateral acceleration and steering wheel angle for the vehicle passing through the branch point and a preset value.

14. The method for curve approach control according to claim 13, wherein the preset value is set variable according to the vehicle speed.

15. The method for curve approach control according to claim 10, wherein

said inhibiting comprises resetting the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when a predetermined time is elapsed after an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control is inhibited.

16. The method for curve approach control according to claim 10, wherein

said inhibiting comprises resetting the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the vehicle passes a predetermined distance after an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control is inhibited.

17. The method for curve approach control according to claim 10, wherein

said inhibiting comprises resetting the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the running state of the vehicle is detected to be similar to a running state estimated from the vehicle travel path recognized by the navigation device after an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control is inhibited.

18. The method for curve approach control according to claim 10, wherein

said inhibiting comprises resetting the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the actual yaw rate detected as the vehicle passes through a curve is with a predetermined range of the estimated yaw rate estimated from the same curve that was recognized by the navigation device after an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control is inhibited.

20. A curve approach control apparatus comprising:

a navigation device for storing a road map data in front of a vehicle and for recognizing a vehicle traveling road,

a front road attribute calculation/storage unit for setting a variety of road attribute information for a road in front of a vehicle based on the road map data;

a decision output unit for performing at least one of alarm control and deceleration control for a curve calculated on the basis of the road attribute information;

a control execution decision unit for inhibiting the alarm control and the deceleration control when there is a possibility of erroneously recognizing the vehicle traveling road by said navigation device after the vehicle passes through a branch point between a main road and a branch road from the main road.

21. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

said control execution decision unit judges the possibility of erroneously recognizing the vehicle traveling road by navigation device based on the vehicle running state at the branch point.

22. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

said control execution decision unit judges the navigation device erroneously recognizing the vehicle traveling road when a vehicle traveling speed is higher than a predetermined traveling speed.

23. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

said control execution decision unit judges said navigation device erroneously recognizing the vehicle traveling road based on a comparison between one of yaw rate, lateral acceleration and steering wheel angle at the branch point and a preset value.

24. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

said control execution decision unit judges said navigation device erroneously recognizing the vehicle traveling road when said navigation device recognizes the vehicle traveling on the branch road without vehicle traveling state for entering the branch road.

25. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

said control execution decision unit resets the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when a predetermined time is elapsed after said control execution decision unit inhibits an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control.

26. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

said control execution decision unit resets the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the vehicle passes a predetermined distance after said control execution decision unit inhibits an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control.

27. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said control execution decision unit resets the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the running state of the vehicle is detected to be similar to a running state estimated from the vehicle travel path recognized by the navigation device after said control execution decision unit inhibits an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control.

28. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

said control execution decision unit resets the inhibition of execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control when the actual yaw rate detected as the vehicle passes through a curve is within a predetermined range of estimated yaw rate estimated from the same curve that was recognized by the navigation device after said control execution decision unit inhibits an execution of the alarm control and the deceleration control.