Lane departure prevention apparatus

• US 7,444,224 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ozaki, Masahiro, Uemura, Yoshitaka, Sadano, On
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olsen; Lin B
• Application Number:
  US10/960,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20050107939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 701/91, 701/92, 701/116, 701/158
• US Class Current: 701/80
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/083 using active brake actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17557 specially adapted for lane departure prevention road vehicle drive control systems for lane keeping otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/12
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0244 using reflecting strips

Abstract

A lane departure prevention apparatus is configured to conduct a course correction in a lane departure avoidance direction when the controller determines that there is a potential for a vehicle to depart from a driving lane. The lane departure prevention apparatus has a driving road detecting section and a lane departure avoidance control section. The driving road detecting section is configured to determine at least one of a road slope direction and a road curvature direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling. The lane departure avoidance control section is configured to start lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and at least one of a road slope direction and a road curvature direction detected by the driving road detecting section.

Claims

1. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

a driving road detecting section configured to determine a road slope direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

a lane departure avoidance control section configured to start lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road slope direction detected by the driving road detecting section,

the lane departure avoidance control section being further configured to control a braking force to decelerate the host vehicle in addition to imparting a yaw moment in a direction avoiding departure of the host vehicle from a driving lane.

2. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

a driving road detecting section configured to determine a road slope direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling;

a lane departure avoidance control section configured to start lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road slope direction detected by the driving road detecting section;

a yaw control amount calculating section configured to calculate a first braking force control amount such that a braking yaw moment is generated in a direction avoiding departure of the host vehicle from a driving lane; and

a braking control amount calculating section configured to calculate a second braking force control amount such that a braking deceleration force is produced to decelerate the host vehicle,

the lane departure avoidance control section being configured to set deceleration by the second braking force control amount based on the road slope direction of the driving road.

3. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the lane departure avoidance control section is configured to set a start timing earlier when the road slope direction is a lateral cant with the host vehicle tending to depart on a downward sloping side of the road slope direction.

4. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

a driving road detecting section configured to determine a road slope direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

a lane departure avoidance control section configured to start lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road slope direction detected by the driving road detecting section,

the lane departure avoidance control section being further configured to set a start timing later when the host vehicle tends to depart on an upward sloping side of the road slope direction.

5. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

a driving road detecting section configured to determine a road slope direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

a lane departure avoidance control section configured to start lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road slope direction detected by the driving road detecting section,

the lane departure avoidance control section being further configured to maintain the deceleration of the host vehicle between a predetermined time or a predetermined distance when the road slope direction is a downhill slope with respect to a driving direction of the host vehicle and the host vehicle is decelerating downhill.

6. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

a driving road detecting section configured to determine a road slope direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

a lane departure avoidance control section configured to start lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road slope direction detected by the driving road detecting section,

the lane departure avoidance control section being further configured to control lane departure avoidance by setting vehicle deceleration that is calculated based on a lateral movement of the host vehicle with respect to the driving road and the road slope direction of the driving road.

7. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the lane departure avoidance control section is configured to set the vehicle deceleration to a smaller value when the road slope direction is an uphill slope with respect to a driving direction of the host vehicle.

8. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the lane departure avoidance control section is configured to set the vehicle deceleration to a larger value when the road slope direction is a downhill slope with respect to a driving direction of the host vehicle.

9. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

a driving road detecting section configured to determine a road curvature direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

a lane departure avoidance control section configured to start lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and a road curvature direction detected by the driving road detecting section,

the lane departure avoidance control section being configured to change lane departure-avoidance control in accordance with that a lane departure direction towards an inside direction or an outside direction of the road curvature direction of the driving road, and impart at least one of a yaw moment to the host vehicle by a braking control and a deceleration braking force that decelerates the host vehicle to prevent the host vehicle from departing from a driving lane when the host vehicle tends to depart from the driving lane,

the lane departure avoidance control section being further configured to decelerate the host vehicle after contributing the yaw moment to the host vehicle and avoiding the host vehicle from departing by imparting the yaw moment when the host vehicle tends to depart towards the inside direction of the road curvature direction of the driving road as well as when a nearby vehicle traveling in approximately the same direction as the host vehicle is located at the rear of the host vehicle.

10. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

a driving road detecting section configured to determine a road curvature direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

a lane departure avoidance control section configured to start lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road curvature direction detected by the driving road detecting section,

the lane departure avoidance control section being further configured to change a magnitude of a contribution of a yaw moment to the host vehicle in accordance with a lane departure direction towards an inside direction or an outside direction of the road curvature direction of the driving road,

the lane departure avoidance control section being further configured to suppress the contribution of the yaw moment to the host vehicle upon determining that the lane departure direction is towards the inside direction of the road curvature direction of the driving road.

11. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the lane departure avoidance control section is configured to impart at least one of the yaw moment to the host vehicle by a braking control and a deceleration braking force that decelerates the host vehicle to prevent the host vehicle from departing from a driving lane when the host vehicle tends to depart from the driving lane.

12. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

driving road detecting means for determining a road slope direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

lane departure-avoidance control means for starting lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road slope direction detected by the driving road detecting means,

the lane departure-avoidance control means further controlling a braking force to decelerate the host vehicle in addition to imparting a yaw moment in a direction avoiding departure of the host vehicle from a driving lane.

13. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

a driving road detecting section configured to determine a road curvature direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

a lane departure avoidance control section configured to start lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and a road curvature direction detected by the driving road detecting section,

the lane departure avoidance control section being configured to change lane departure-avoidance control in accordance with a lane departure direction towards an inside direction or an outside direction of the road curvature direction of the driving road, impart at least one of a yaw moment to the host vehicle by a braking control and a deceleration braking force that decelerates the host vehicle to prevent the host vehicle from departing from a driving lane when the host vehicle tends to depart from the driving lane,

the lane departure avoidance control section being further configured to prohibit the contribution of the yaw moment to the host vehicle when the host vehicle tends to depart towards the inside direction of the road curvature direction of the driving road.

14. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the lane departure avoidance control section is configured to prohibit the contribution of the yaw moment to the host vehicle when the host vehicle tends to depart towards the inside direction of the road curvature direction of the driving road as well as when no nearby vehicle traveling in approximately the same direction as the host vehicle is located at the rear of the host vehicle.

15. A method of avoiding lane departure of a host vehicle comprising:

determining a road curvature direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

starting lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road curvature direction detected by the determining the road curvature direction,

the determining of the road curvature direction including determining whether the driving road has an inside/outside road curvature direction, and changing a magnitude of a contribution of a yaw moment to the host vehicle based a lane departure direction of the host vehicle with respect to the inside/outside road curvature direction,

the changing of the magnitude of the contribution of the yaw moment to the host vehicle further including suppressing the contribution of the yaw moment to the host vehicle upon determining that the lane departure direction of the host vehicle is towards the inside road curvature direction.

16. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

driving road detecting means for determining a road curvature direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

lane departure-avoidance control means for starting lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road curvature direction detected by the driving road detecting means,

the lane departure-avoidance control means including changing a magnitude of a contribution of a yaw moment to the host vehicle in accordance with a lane departure direction towards an inside direction or an outside direction of the road curvature direction of the driving road,

the lane departure-avoidance control means further including suppressing the contribution of the yaw moment to the host vehicle upon determining the lane departure direction is towards the inside direction of the road curvature direction of the driving road.

17. A method of avoiding lane departure of a host vehicle comprising:

determining a road slope direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling;

starting lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road slope direction detected by the determining the road slope direction; and

controlling a braking force to decelerate the host vehicle in addition to imparting a yaw moment in a direction avoiding departure of the host vehicle from a driving lane.

18. A method of avoiding lane departure of a host vehicle comprising:

determining a road slope direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

starting lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road slope direction detected by the determining the road slope direction,

the determining of the road slope direction including determining whether the driving road has a lateral cant of the driving road, and controlling the lane departure avoidance control based on the lateral cant.

19. A method of avoiding lane departure of a host vehicle comprising:

determining a road slope direction of a driving road upon which a host vehicle is traveling; and

starting lane departure avoidance control based on a driving direction of the host vehicle and the road slope direction detected by the determining the road slope direction,

the determining of the road slope direction including determining whether the driving road has an uphill/downhill inclination with respect to a driving direction of the host vehicle, and controlling the lane departure avoidance control by setting vehicle deceleration that is calculated based on a lateral movement of the host vehicle with respect to the driving road and the uphill/downhill inclination.