Steering assist system and steering assist method

• US 8,118,126 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Rattapon, Chumsamutr, Kawakami, Seiji, Iwazaki, Katsuhiko, Kataoka, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): WALTERS, JOHN DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US12/310,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20090194350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,645 Days
• Field of Search: 180/168, 180/169, 180/443, 180/446, 180/167, 701/41, 701/42, 701/43
• US Class Current: 180/168
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/286 Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention

Abstract

A steering assist system for applying a steering torque reduces the influence of a time-dependent steering control amount on an assist steering torque when a predetermined driving operation by a driver is detected. Thus, the influence of the time-dependent steering control amount on the applied steering torque, which increases when the period of time over which actual moving state deviates from the target moving state increases is reduced when the driver makes the predetermined driving operation. Thus, it is possible to avoid the problem where steering feel degrades because the steering torque increases over time.

Claims

1. A steering assist system comprising:

a roadway acquisition module that acquires a shape of a roadway on which a vehicle is moving;

a target moving state determining module that determines a target moving state for the vehicle based on the shape of the roadway;

an actual moving state acquisition module that acquires an actual moving state of the vehicle;

a time-dependent steering control amount acquisition module that acquires a time-dependent steering control amount, the time-dependent steering control amount being a steering control amount based on which a steering torque to be applied to the vehicle is determined and which depends on time, and the time-dependent steering control amount increases as a time period over which the actual moving state deviates from the target moving state increases, in order to reduce the deviation between the actual moving state and the target moving state;

a time-independent steering control amount acquisition module that acquires a time-independent steering control amount, the time-independent steering control amount being a steering control amount based on which a steering torque to be applied to the vehicle is determined and which does not depend on time, in order to reduce the deviation between the actual moving state and the target moving state;

a steering torque application module that applies a steering torque based on the time-dependent steering control amount and the time-independent steering control amount;

a driving operation detection module that detects a predetermined driving operation by a driver; and

a control module that reduces an influence of the time-dependent steering control amount on the steering torque to be applied when the predetermined driving operation by the driver is detected, while maintaining an influence of the time-independent steering control amount on the steering torque.

2. The steering assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the control module decreases the time-dependent steering control amount when the predetermined driving operation by the driver is detected.

3. The steering assist system according to claim 2, wherein:

the control module resets the time-dependent steering amount to zero when the predetermined driving operation by the driver is detected.

4. The steering assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the control module reduces the influence of the time-dependent steering amount on the steering torque to be applied by applying a gain to the time-dependent steering amount, before applying the steering torque.

5. The steering assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined driving operation is a driving operation that causes the actual moving state to deviate from the target moving state.

6. The steering assist system according to claim 5, wherein:

the control module reduces the influence of the time-dependent steering amount when the driving operation that causes the actual moving state to deviate from the target moving state detected by the driving operation detection module continues for at least a predetermined time.

7. The steering assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the control module reduces the influence of the time-dependent steering control amount on the steering torque to be applied for a continuous period of time that starts when the predetermined driving operation is detected and lasts until a differential between a target lateral position, which indicates the target moving state of the vehicle, and an actual lateral position, which indicates the actual moving state of the vehicle, falls below a predetermined threshold.

8. The steering assist system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an offset amount acquisition module that calculates an offset amount of the vehicle from the target moving state; and

an integral acquisition module that calculates an integral of the offset amount with respect to time, as the time-dependent steering control amount.

9. The steering assist system according to claim 1, wherein:

the time-independent steering control amount is acquired based on at least one of a lane offset from a center line of the roadway, a yaw angle, a curvature of the roadway, and a vehicle speed.

10. A steering assist method comprising:

acquiring a shape of a roadway on which a vehicle is moving;

acquiring a target moving state for the vehicle based on the shape of the roadway;

determining an actual moving state of the vehicle;

acquiring a time-dependent steering control amount, the time-dependent steering control amount being a steering control amount based on which a steering torque to be applied to the vehicle is determined and which depends on time, and the time-dependent steering control amount increases as a time period over which the actual moving state deviates from the target moving state increases, in order to reduce the deviation between the actual moving state and the target moving state;

acquiring a time-independent steering control amount, the time-independent steering control amount being a steering control amount based on which a steering torque to be applied to the vehicle is determined and which does not depend on time, in order to reduce the deviation between the actual moving state and the target moving state;

applying a steering torque based on the time-dependent steering control amount and the time-independent steering control amount;

detecting a predetermined driving operation by a driver; and

reducing an influence of the time-dependent steering control amount on the steering torque to be applied when the predetermined driving operation by the driver is detected, while maintaining an influence of the time-independent steering control amount on the steering torque.

11. The steering assist method according to claim 10, wherein:

the influence of the time-dependent steering control amount on the steering torque is reduced by decreasing the time-dependent steering control amount.

12. The steering assist method according to claim 11, wherein:

the influence of the time-dependent steering control amount on the steering torque is reduced by resetting the time-dependent steering control amount to zero.

13. The steering assist method according to claim 10, wherein:

the influence of the time-dependent steering control amount on the steering torque is reduced by applying a gain to the time-dependent steering control amount.

14. The steering assist method according to claim 10, wherein:

the time-independent steering control amount is acquired based on at least one of a lane offset from a center line of the roadway, a yaw angle, a curvature of the roadway, and a vehicle speed.

15. A steering assist system comprising:

a roadway acquisition module that acquires a shape of a roadway on which a vehicle is moving;

a target moving state determining module that determines a target moving state for the vehicle based on the shape of the roadway;

an actual moving state acquisition module that acquires an actual moving state of the vehicle;

a time-dependent steering control amount acquisition module that acquires a time-dependent steering control amount, the time-dependent steering control amount being a steering control amount based on which a steering torque to be applied to the vehicle is determined and which depends on time, and the time-dependent steering control amount increases as a time period over which the actual moving state deviates from the target moving state increases, in order to reduce the deviation between the actual moving state and the target moving state;

a steering torque application module that applies a steering torque based on at least the time-dependent steering control amount;

a driving operation detection module that detects a predetermined driving operation by a driver, the predetermined driving operation being a driving operation that causes the actual moving state to deviate from the target moving state; and

a control module that reduces an influence of the time-dependent steering control amount on the steering torque to be applied when the predetermined driving operation by the driver is detected, wherein

the control module reduces the influence of the time-dependent steering amount when the driving operation that causes the actual moving state to deviate from the target moving state detected by the driving operation detection module continues for at least a predetermined time.