Driving control apparatus and method having a lane keep function and a lane departure warning function

• US 7,542,840 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Shelley
• Application Number:
  US11/136,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301
• US Class Current: 701/93
• 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 15/026 combined with automatic distance control, i.e. electronic tow bar
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system

Abstract

A driving control apparatus of the present invention has a driving road keeping device for providing a torque to a steering mechanism so as to keep a vehicle traveling at a predetermined position on a driving road; a driving road departure warning device for issuing a warning of a departure from the driving road on the basis of a position of the vehicle relative to the driving road; and a setting device for setting a need or no need for execution of a control of the driving road keeping device or the driving road departure warning device. Where the setting device sets a need for execution of the control, the control of the driving road keeping device is executed when an activation condition of the driving road keeping device is met and when a cruise control device is active. Where the setting device sets a need for execution of the control, the control of the driving road departure warning device is executed when the activation condition of the driving road keeping device is not met or when the cruise control device is inactive. According to the present invention, a lane departure warning function and a lane-keep assist function are selectively executed in conjunction with activation/deactivation of the cruise control device and the activation condition of the driving road keeping device, whereby, even with an automatic stop of operation of either one of the functions, the other function can prevent the vehicle from departing from the lane.

Claims

1. A driving control apparatus comprising:

driving road keeping means for providing a torque to a steering mechanism so as to keep a vehicle traveling at a predetermined position on a driving road;

driving road departure warning means for providing a warning of a departure from the driving road on the basis of a position of the vehicle relative to the driving road; and

setting means for setting a need or no need for execution of a control of the driving road keeping means or the driving road departure warning means,

wherein in a case where the setting means sets a need for execution of the control, the control of the driving road keeping means is executed when (1) an activation condition of the driving road keeping means is met and when (2) cruise control means for controlling a driving force or speed of the vehicle so as to keep the vehicle in a predetermined driving state is active;

wherein in a case where the setting means sets a need for execution of the control, the control of the driving road departure warning means is executed when an activation condition of the driving road warning means is met and when (1) the activation condition of the driving road keeping means is not met or when (2) the cruise control means is inactive,

wherein the activation condition of the driving road keeping means is whether the vehicle speed is within an activation speed region of the driving road keeping means, such that the activation condition of the driving road keeping means is met when the vehicle speed is within the activation speed region of the driving road keeping means, and the activation condition of the driving road keeping means is not met when the vehicle speed is not within the activation speed region of the driving road keeping means,

wherein the activation condition of the driving road departure warning means is whether the vehicle speed is within an activation speed region of the driving road departure warning means, such that the activation condition of the driving road departure warning means is met when the vehicle speed is within the activation speed region of the driving road departure warning means, and the activation condition of the driving road departure warning means is not met when the vehicle speed is not within the activation speed region of the driving road departure warning means,

wherein the activation speed region of the driving road departure warning means is wider than the activation speed region of the driving road keeping means, and

wherein in a case where (1) the setting means sets a need for execution of the control and (2) the vehicle speed is within the activation speed region of the driving road departure warning means, the execution of the driving road keeping means and the driving road departure warning means is automatically switched from one to the other based on whether the vehicle speed is within the activation speed region of the driving road keeping means and whether the cruise control means is active.

2. The driving control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an occasion in which the cruise control means is inactive is an occasion in which a setting switch for setting a need or no need for activation of the cruise control means is off.

3. The driving control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an occasion in which the cruise control means is inactive is an occasion in which a target speed of the cruise control means is off an activation speed region.