Vehicle derailing prevention device

• US 7,688,186 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• 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): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US11/887,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20090009305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/575, 340/576, 180/169, 180/204, 701/1, 701/41, 701/45
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A vehicle speed V is read (step S1), V is compared with a first threshold Vth1 (step S2), and, when V is not less than Vth1, a warning torque is set smaller with increase in V (step S3). When V is less than Vth1, V is further compared with a second threshold Vth2 (step S4), and when V is less than Vth2, the warning torque is set approximately in proportion to the vehicle speed (step S5); when V is not less than Vth2 and is less than Vth1, the warning torque is set at a predetermined constant value (step S6).

Claims

1. A vehicle deviation preventing apparatus comprising:

deviation determining means for detecting a driving lane on which a host vehicle is driving, and for determining whether the host vehicle will deviate from the driving lane, based on a positional relation between the driving lane and the host vehicle; and

warning means for applying to a steering wheel a torque for issuing a warning to a driver, with a determination of a deviation;

the vehicle deviation preventing apparatus having a vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a vehicle speed,

wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, smaller when the detected vehicle speed is high than when the detected vehicle speed low, and

wherein the torque applied by the warning means is set based on a yaw motion property of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, smaller when the detected vehicle speed is larger than a predetermined vehicle speed, than the torque applied at the predetermined vehicle speed.

3. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the warning means decreases the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, with increase in the vehicle speed, when the vehicle speed is not less than the predetermined vehicle speed.

4. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the torque applied by the warning means is set smaller with increase in a time change rate of the torque.

17. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting of the torque by the warning means is at least either setting of a peak value of the torque for issuing the warning to the driver or setting of a time change rate in a rise thereof.

5. A vehicle deviation preventing a apparatus comprising:

deviation determining means for detecting a driving lane on which a host vehicle is driving, and for determining whether the host vehicle will deviate from the driving lane, based on a positional relation between the driving lane and the host vehicle; and

warning means for applying to a steering wheel a torque for issuing a warning to a driver, with a determination of a deviation;

the vehicle deviation preventing apparatus having a driving environment grasping means for grasping a road driving environment,

wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, based on the grasped road driving environment, and

wherein the road driving environment grasped by the driving environment grasping means is information about a lane width.

6. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, smaller when the lane width is narrow than when the lane width is wide.

15. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the setting of the torque by the warning means is at least either setting of a peak value of the torque for issuing the warning to the driver or setting of a time change rate in a rise thereof.

16. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a minimum value is set for the peak value and the time change rate of the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, set by the warning means.

7. A vehicle deviation preventing a apparatus comprising:

deviation determining means for detecting a driving lane on which a host vehicle is driving, and for determining whether the host vehicle will deviate from the driving lane, based on a positional relation between the driving lane and the host vehicle; and

warning means for applying to a steering wheel a torque for issuing a warning to a driver, with a determination of a deviation;

the vehicle deviation preventing apparatus having driving environment grasping means for grasping a road driving environment,

wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, based on the grasped road driving environment, and

wherein the road driving environment grasped by the driving environment grasping means is inclination information of a road surface in a direction intersecting a driving direction.

8. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, smaller when a deviation direction is an upward direction of inclination of the road surface than when the deviation direction is a downward direction.

18. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the setting of the torque by the warning means is at least either setting of a peak value of the torque for issuing the warning to the driver or setting of a time change rate in a rise thereof.

9. A vehicle deviation preventing apparatus comprising:

deviation determining means for detecting a driving lane on which a host vehicle is driving, and for determining whether the host vehicle will deviate from the driving lane, based on a positional relation between the driving lane and the host vehicle; and

warning means for applying to a steering wheel a torque for issuing a warning to a driver, with a determination of a deviation;

the vehicle deviation preventing apparatus having obstacle grasping means for grasping obstacle information around the vehicle,

wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, based on the grasped obstacle information.

10. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, smaller when a deviation direction is a direction in which the vehicle moves away from the grasped obstacle than when the deviation direction is a direction in which the vehicle approaches the grasped obstacle.

19. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the setting of the torque by the warning means is at least either setting of a peak value of the torque for issuing the warning to the driver or setting of a time change rate in a rise thereof.

11. A vehicle deviation preventing apparatus comprising:

deviation determining means for detecting a driving lane on which a host vehicle is driving, and for determining whether the host vehicle will deviate from the driving lane, based on a positional relation between the driving lane and the host vehicle; and

warning means for applying to a steering wheel a torque for issuing a warning to a driver, with a determination of a deviation;

wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, according to a braking force or a driving force generated on a steered wheel.

12. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the steered wheel is a driving wheel and wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, based on control information of a driving source.

13. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, based on control information of a braking system.

14. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a steered wheel is a driving wheel, the vehicle deviation preventing apparatus further comprising means for detecting a road slope, wherein the warning means sets the torque for issuing the warning to the driver, according to the detected road slope.

20. The vehicle deviation preventing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the setting of the torque by the warning means is at least either setting of a peak value of the torque for issuing the warning to the driver or setting of a time change rate in a rise thereof.