Vehicle deviation preventing control device

• US 7,557,732 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• 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, Kawakami, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Application Number:
  US11/887,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933
• US Class Current: 340/933
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A vehicle speed V is compared with a threshold Vth; when V is less than Vth, TLC is set to an initial value t₀; when V is not less than Vth, TLC is set shorter with increase in V. Then TLC is compared with a predetermined value t th, and when TLC is less than t th, TLC is replaced by t th being a lower limit. This improves compatibility between a reduction in an occurrence frequency of needless warnings and a guarantee of a deviation margin time.

Claims

1. A vehicle deviation prevention control apparatus comprising:

driving lane detecting means for detecting a driving lane on which a vehicle is driving; and

deviation determining means for determining whether the vehicle will deviate from the driving lane after a lapse of a predetermined time; and

adapted to issue a warning to a driver, with a determination of a deviation,

the vehicle deviation prevention control apparatus having means for acquiring lane width information of a road on which the vehicle is driving,

wherein the deviation determining means sets the predetermined time, based on the acquired lane width information.

2. The vehicle deviation prevention control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is set smaller with decrease in the lane width.

3. The vehicle deviation prevention control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is set taking account of a control delay.

4. The vehicle deviation prevention control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lower limit larger than 0 is set for the predetermined time.