Vehicle operation assist control system

• US 6,574,560 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Abe, Masato, Furukawa, Yoshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/985,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/208, 342/70, 342/71, 180/167, 180/169, 340/436, 303/146
• US Class Current: 701/301
• 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 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• 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 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

In a vehicle operation assist control system for assisting a vehicle operator to operate a vehicle, a distance to the obstacle and a width of the obstacle are detected by a radar or the like, and, when an obstacle is detected, the system determines an evasion path and accordingly modifies the map information available to the system. Therefore, the system, being aware of the situation, would not interfere with the vehicle operator taking an evasive action. The evasive path may be defined as a curvature which changes as a sinusoidal mathematical function of the position of the vehicle along the path. The control system may be based on a yaw rate control or a vehicle side slip angle control.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation assist control system for assisting a vehicle operator to operate a vehicle, comprising:

map information means for providing map information of a road ahead of the vehicle;

vehicle operation assist means for assisting the vehicle operator to operate the vehicle; and

obstacle information acquiring means for acquiring information on an obstacle which lies ahead of the vehicle, said information including a distance to the obstacle and a width of the obstacle;

the vehicle operation assist means being adapted to determine an evasion path, when an obstacle is detected by the obstacle information acquiring mean, and modifying the map information provided by the map information means, according to the distance to the obstacle and the width of the obstacle detected by the obstacle information acquiring means.

2. A vehicle operation assist control system according to claim 1, wherein the evasive path is defined as a curvature which changes as a sinusoidal mathematical function of the position of the vehicle along the path.

3. A vehicle operation assist control system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle operation assist means is based on a yaw rate control.

4. A vehicle operation assist control system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle operation assist means is based on a vehicle side slip angle control.