Vehicle drive assist system

• US 7,191,049 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2004
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Yajima, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/792,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20040176900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 701/24, 701/70, 701/96, 701/93, 701300-302, 701/23, 180167-170, 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/901, 340/903
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/12 Motorcycles, Trikes; Quads; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

When an own vehicle makes a follow-up traveling control targeting a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle, in case where the widthwise movement of the preceding is detected and a second preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the preceding vehicle is detected, the preceding vehicle is regarded as undertaking to pass the second preceding vehicle and acceleration of the own vehicle is inhibited. Further, in a situation where the preceding vehicle and the second preceding vehicle run in parallel, these vehicles can be recognized discriminatingly from each other based on the memorized widths of theses vehicle and the direction of the widthwise movement of the preceding vehicle. Further, when it is judged that the preceding vehicle travels faster than the second preceding vehicle, the target of the follow-up traveling control is changed to the second preceding vehicle.

Claims

1. A drive assist system for a driver'"'"'s own vehicle at least having a solid object detecting unit for detecting frontal solid objects including a first preceding vehicle traveling ahead of said own vehicle and a second preceding vehicle traveling ahead of said first preceding vehicle and a traveling control unit including a constant speed traveling control unit for controlling a vehicle speed of said own vehicle so as to travel at a constant speed and a follow-up traveling control unit for establishing said preceding vehicle as a follow-up object and for controlling traveling of said own vehicle so as to follow said preceding vehicle, comprising;

means for inhibiting an acceleration of said own vehicle following said first preceding vehicle according to said follow-up traveling control unit when a first state is detected where said first preceding vehicle undertakes to pass said second preceding vehicle;

means for continuing to establish said first preceding vehicle as said follow-up object until a second state is detected where said first preceding vehicle travels in parallel with said second preceding vehicle;

means for changing said follow-up object from said first preceding vehicle to said second preceding vehicle when said second state changes to a third state where the speed of said first preceding vehicle is larger than that of said second preceding vehicle, and means for continuing to establish said first preceding vehicle as said follow-up object when said second state changes to a fourth state where the speed of said first preceding vehicle is smaller than that of said second preceding vehicle.

2. The drive assist system according to claim 1, wherein said solid object detecting unit includes means for calculating at least one of widths of said first preceding vehicle and said second preceding vehicle and means for discriminatingly recognizing said first preceding vehicle and said second preceding vehicle based on the direction of the first preceding vehicle passing the second preceding vehicle and said widths.

3. The drive assist system according to claim 1, wherein said traveling control unit includes means for raising an alarm when it is judged that said second preceding vehicle is a stationary object.

4. The drive assist system according to claim 1, wherein said first state is detected by such judgment that an intervehicle distance between said first preceding vehicle and said second preceding vehicle decreases.

5. The drive assist system according to claim 1, wherein said first state is detected by such judgment that said first preceding vehicle moves sideways and said second preceding vehicle is detected.

6. The drive assist system according to claim 1, wherein said second state is detected by such judgment that a distance to said first preceding vehicle and a distance to said second preceding vehicle is approximately equal.

7. The drive assist system according to claim 1, wherein said first preceding vehicle is a two-wheel vehicle.

8. A drive assist system for a driver'"'"'s own vehicle comprising:

a solid object detecting unit for detecting frontal said objects including a first preceding vehicle ahead of said own vehicle and a second preceding vehicle ahead of said first preceding vehicle;

a traveling control unit for establishing a follow-up object and for controlling said own vehicle so as to follow said follow-up object; and

an inhibiting unit for inhibiting an acceleration of said own vehicle;

wherein said inhibiting unit inhibits acceleration of said own vehicle when said traveling control unit establishes said first preceding vehicle as said follow-up object and controls said own vehicle so as to follow said first preceding vehicle and when a first state is detected where said first preceding vehicle undertakes to pass said second preceding vehicle.

9. The drive assist system according to claim 8, wherein said first state is detected by such judgment that an intervehicle distance between said first preceding vehicle and said second preceding vehicle decreases.

10. The drive assist system according to claim 8, wherein

said first state is detected by such judgment that said first preceding vehicle moves sideways and said second preceding vehicle is detected.

11. The drive assist system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a follow-up continuing unit for continuing to establish said first preceding vehicle as said follow-up object;

wherein said follow-up continuing unit continues to establish said first preceding vehicle as said follow-up object until a second state is detected where said first preceding vehicle travels in parallel with said second preceding vehicle.

12. The drive assist system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a follow-up object changing unit for changing said follow-up object from said first preceding vehicle to said second preceding vehicle;

wherein said follow-up object changing unit changes said follow-up object from said first preceding vehicle to said second preceding vehicle when the speed of said first preceding vehicle is larger than that of the said second preceding vehicle.

13. The drive assist system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a follow-up continuing unit for continuing to establish said first preceding vehicle as said follow-up object;

wherein said follow-up continuing unit continues to establish said first preceding vehicle as said follow-up object when the speed of the first preceding vehicle is smaller than that of said second preceding vehicle.

14. The drive assist system according to claim 11, wherein

said second state is detected by such judgment that a distance to said first preceding vehicle and a distance to said second preceding vehicle is approximately equal.

15. The drive assist system according to claim 8,

wherein said solid object detecting unit comprises:

a calculating unit for calculating at least one of widths of said first preceding vehicle and said second preceding vehicle; and

a recognizing unit for discriminatingly recognizing said first preceding vehicle and said second preceding vehicle;

wherein said recognizing unit recognizes said first preceding vehicle and said second preceding vehicle discriminatingly according to the direction of the first preceding vehicle passing the second preceding vehicle and said widths.

16. The drive assist system according to claim 8, wherein said traveling control unit includes means for raising an alarm when it is judged that said second preceding vehicle is a stationary object.

17. The drive assist system according to claim 8, wherein said first preceding vehicle is a two-wheel vehicle.