Driving operation support system and method

• US 7,391,304 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kataoka, Hiroaki, Iwazaki, Katsuhiko, Rattapon, Chumsamutr, Niwa, Satoru, Kawakami, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US11/138,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/522, 340/575, 340/576, 701/36, 701/41, 701/42, 701/45, 180/199, 180/204
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/087 using active steering actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system

Abstract

In deviation prevention support ECU 10 in driving operation support system 1, an applied torque by steering torque applier 17 is set based on a vehicle speed of a vehicle. The applied torque is set to increase with increase of the vehicle speed. An upper limit according to the vehicle speed is set for this applied torque. Furthermore, in a Start interval in application of the applied torque, a rate of increasing to reach a maximum is determined according to the maximum of the applied torque. In a Close interval, the applied torque is decreased at a rate different from that in the Start interval, and the absolute rate of increasing the torque in the Start interval is set to be larger than the absolute rate of decreasing the torque in the Close interval.

Claims

1. A driving operation support system for, when lane deviation estimating means estimates that a moving vehicle will deviate from a lane, applying a warning torque to the vehicle to prevent a deviation from the lane.

wherein a pattern of application of the warning torque to the vehicle is determined according to a vehicle speed, and the warning torque is increased with increase in the vehicle speed when estimating that the vehicle will deviate from the lane,

when applying a maximum warning torque, the warning torque increases to its maximum at a specified rate, and

the rate of increasing the warning torque is so set that a time necessary to reach the maximum warning torque is kept constant.

2. A driving operation support system for, when lane deviation estimating means estimates that a moving vehicle will deviate from a lane, applying a warning torque to the vehicle to prevent a deviation from the lane.

wherein a pattern of application of the warning torque to the vehicle is determined according to a vehicle speed, and the warning torque is increased with increase in the vehicle speed when estimating that the vehicle will deviate from the lane,

in an operation of decreasing the warning torque that was increased after increasing the warning torque, the warning torque is decreased at an absolute rate different from an absolute rate during the increase of the warning torque, and

in an operation of increasing the warning torque to a maximum, a rate of the increasing the warning torque in a predetermined first increase period from a start of the increase is set larger than a rate of increasing the warning torque in a second increase period subsequent to the first increase period.

3. A driving operation support method for, when estimating that a moving vehicle will deviate from a lane, applying a warning torque to the vehicle to prevent a deviation from the lane,

wherein a pattern of application of the warning torque to the vehicle is determined according to a vehicle speed, and the warning torque is increased with increase in the vehicle speed when estimating that the vehicle will deviate from the lane,

when applying a maximum waning torque, the warning torque increases to its maximum at a specified rate, and

the rate of increasing the warning torque is so set that a time necessary to reach the maximum warning torque is kept constant.

4. A driving operation support method for, when estimating that a moving vehicle will deviate from a lane, applying a warning torque to the vehicle to prevent a lane deviation,

wherein in an operation of increasing the warning torque to a maximum, a rate of increasing the warning torque in a predetermined first increase period from a start of the increase is set larger than a rate of increasing the warning torque in a second increase period subsequent to the first increase period, and

in an operation of decreasing the warning torque from the maximum, a rate of decreasing the warning torque in a predetermined first decrease period from a start of the decrease is set larger than a rate of decreasing the warning torque in a second decrease period subsequent to the first decrease period.

5. The driving operation support method according to claim 4, wherein an absolute rate of increasing the warning torque in the first increase period is smaller than an absolute rate of decreasing the warning torque in the first decrease period.

6. The driving operation support method according to claim 4, wherein a process of preventing the lane deviation by an application of the warning torque is set to be terminated by a steering operation, and

wherein when the process is terminated by the steering operation, the warning torque is decreased at the rate of decreasing the warning torque in the second decrease period from the start of the decrease.

7. A driving operation support method for, when estimating that a moving vehicle will deviate from a lane, applying a warning torque to the vehicle to prevent a deviation from the lane,

wherein a pattern of application of the warning torque to the vehicle is determined according to a vehicle speed, and the warning torque is increased with increase in the vehicle speed when estimating that the vehicle will deviate from the lane,

in an operation of decreasing the warning torque that was increased after increasing the warning torque, the warning torque is decreased at an absolute rate different from an absolute rate during the increase of the warning torque, and

in an operation of increasing the warning torque to a maximum, a rate of increasing the warning torque in a predetermined first increase period from a start of the increase is set larger than a rate of increasing the warning torque in a second increase period subsequent to the first increase period.