Driving assistance apparatus and driving assistance method

• US 8,972,076 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahne, Kevin P
• Application Number:
  US13/666,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096 provided with indicators in which a mark progresses showing the time elapsed, e.g. of green phase
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

A driving assistance apparatus that assists driving of a vehicle, includes: a vehicle speed sensor; a communication unit that obtains traffic light information relating to a change in a display condition of a traffic light disposed in an advancement direction of the vehicle; a position calculation unit that calculates relative position information between the vehicle and a traffic light location where the traffic light is disposed; and a passage assistance control unit. The passage assistance control unit detects an operating condition of the vehicle at an intersection location before the traffic light, calculates a corrected vehicle speed on the basis of the operating condition and a current vehicle speed, and determines whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location on the basis of the corrected vehicle speed, the relative position information between the vehicle and the traffic light location, and the traffic light information.

Claims

1. A driving assistance apparatus that assists driving of a vehicle, comprising:

circuitry configured to;

calculate relative position information between the vehicle and a traffic light location where a traffic light, disposed in an advancement direction of the vehicle, is disposed;

detect an operating condition of the vehicle at an intersection location before the traffic light, the intersection location being a location within an immediately preceding predetermined distance of the vehicle to a current position of the vehicle and the operating condition including a right turn or a left turn at the intersection location;

calculate a corrected vehicle speed on the basis of the operating condition and a current vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor;

determine whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location on the basis of the corrected vehicle speed, the relative position information between the vehicle and the traffic light location, and traffic light information relating to a change in a display condition of the traffic light;

when the right turn or the left turn at the intersection location is detected, calculate, as the corrected vehicle speed, a vehicle speed obtained by adding a predetermined vehicle speed to the current vehicle speed; and

output information corresponding to the determination as to whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location to at least one of a display, an audio output, and an automatic operating condition control of the vehicle.

2. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when a steering angle, detected by a steering angle sensor, during passage through the intersection location equals or exceeds a steering angle threshold, the circuitry is configured to determine that the right turn or the left turn has been performed at the intersection location.

3. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the operating condition includes a stop at the intersection location; and

when a stop at the intersection location is detected, the circuitry is configured to calculate, as the corrected vehicle speed, a vehicle speed obtained by adding a predetermined vehicle speed to the current vehicle speed.

4. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that a vehicle speed at the intersection location equals or exceeds a vehicle speed threshold, the circuitry is configured to calculate the current vehicle speed as the corrected vehicle speed.

5. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intersection location includes a location where a road forks and a location where a stop line is provided.

6. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when it is determined that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location, the circuitry is configured to set a vehicle speed region in which the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location as a target vehicle speed region; and

the circuitry is configured to control the notification of the target vehicle speed region.

7. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location on the basis of at least one of an accelerated corrected vehicle speed generated when the vehicle accelerates from the corrected vehicle speed at an allowable acceleration and a decelerated corrected vehicle speed generated when the vehicle decelerates from the corrected vehicle speed at an allowable deceleration.

8. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to predict an arrival timing at which the vehicle arrives at the traffic light location after traveling at the corrected vehicle speed and an accelerated arrival timing at which the vehicle arrives at the traffic light location after accelerating from the corrected vehicle speed at the allowable acceleration, and determine that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location when a permission display period displayed by the traffic light to indicate that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location is included between the accelerated arrival timing and the arrival timing.

9. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to predict an arrival timing at which the vehicle arrives at the traffic light location after traveling at the corrected vehicle speed and a decelerated arrival timing at which the vehicle arrives at the traffic light location after decelerating from the corrected vehicle speed at the allowable deceleration, and determine that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location when a permission display period displayed by the traffic light to indicate that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location is included between the arrival timing and the decelerated arrival timing.

10. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle is able to pass through the traffic light location within a permission display period displayed by the traffic light to indicate that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location.

11. A driving assistance method that assists driving of a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle using a vehicle speed sensor;

obtaining traffic light information relating to a change in a display condition of a traffic light disposed in an advancement direction of the vehicle;

calculating relative position information between the vehicle and a traffic light location where the traffic light is disposed;

detecting an operating condition of the vehicle at an intersection location before the traffic light, the intersection location being a location within an immediately preceding predetermined distance of the vehicle to a current position of the vehicle and the operating condition including a right turn or a left turn at the intersection location;

calculating a corrected vehicle speed on the basis of the operating condition and a current vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor;

determining whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location on the basis of the corrected vehicle speed, the relative position information between the vehicle and the traffic light location, and the traffic light information;

when the right turn or the left turn at the intersection location is detected, calculating, as the corrected vehicle speed, a vehicle speed obtained by adding a predetermined vehicle speed to the current vehicle speed; and

outputting information corresponding to the determination as to whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location to at least one of a display, an audio output, and an automatic operating condition control of the vehicle.

12. A driving assistance apparatus that assists driving of a vehicle, comprising:

circuitry configured to;

calculate relative position information between the vehicle and a traffic light location where a traffic light, disposed in an advancement direction of the vehicle, is disposed;

detect an operating condition of the vehicle at an intersection location before the traffic light, the intersection location being a location within an immediately preceding predetermined distance of the vehicle to a current position of the vehicle and the operating condition including a stop at the intersection location;

calculate a corrected vehicle speed on the basis of the operating condition and a current vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor;

determine whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location on the basis of the corrected vehicle speed, the relative position information between the vehicle and the traffic light location, and traffic light information relating to a change in a display condition of the traffic light;

when the stop at the intersection location is detected, calculate, as the corrected vehicle speed, a vehicle speed obtained by adding a predetermined vehicle speed to the current vehicle speed; and

output information corresponding to the determination as to whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location to at least one of a display, an audio output, and an automatic operating condition control of the vehicle.

13. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, when it is determined that a vehicle speed at the intersection location equals or exceeds a vehicle speed threshold, the circuitry is configured to calculate the current vehicle speed as the corrected vehicle speed.

14. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the intersection location includes a location where a road forks and a location where a stop line is provided.

15. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

when it is determined that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location, the circuitry is configured to set a vehicle speed region in which the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location as a target vehicle speed region; and

the circuitry is configured to control the notification of the target vehicle speed region.

16. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location on the basis of at least one of an accelerated corrected vehicle speed generated when the vehicle accelerates from the corrected vehicle speed at an allowable acceleration and a decelerated corrected vehicle speed generated when the vehicle decelerates from the corrected vehicle speed at an allowable deceleration.

17. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the circuitry is configured to predict an arrival timing at which the vehicle arrives at the traffic light location after traveling at the corrected vehicle speed and an accelerated arrival timing at which the vehicle arrives at the traffic light location after accelerating from the corrected vehicle speed at the allowable acceleration, and determine that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location when a permission display period displayed by the traffic light to indicate that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location is included between the accelerated arrival timing and the arrival timing.

18. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the circuitry is configured to predict an arrival timing at which the vehicle arrives at the traffic light location after traveling at the corrected vehicle speed and a decelerated arrival timing at which the vehicle arrives at the traffic light location after decelerating from the corrected vehicle speed at the allowable deceleration, and determine that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location when a permission display period displayed by the traffic light to indicate that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location is included between the arrival timing and the decelerated arrival timing.

19. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle is able to pass through the traffic light location within a permission display period displayed by the traffic light to indicate that the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location.

20. A driving assistance method that assists driving of a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle using a vehicle speed sensor;

obtaining traffic light information relating to a change in a display condition of a traffic light disposed in an advancement direction of the vehicle;

calculating relative position information between the vehicle and a traffic light location where the traffic light is disposed;

detecting an operating condition of the vehicle at an intersection location before the traffic light, the intersection location being a location within an immediately preceding predetermined distance of the vehicle to a current position of the vehicle and the operating condition including a stop at the intersection location;

calculating a corrected vehicle speed on the basis of the operating condition and a current vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor;

determining whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location on the basis of the corrected vehicle speed, the relative position information between the vehicle and the traffic light location, and the traffic light information;

when the stop at the intersection location is detected, calculating, as the corrected vehicle speed, a vehicle speed obtained by adding a predetermined vehicle speed to the current vehicle speed; and

outputting information corresponding to the determination as to whether or not the vehicle is permitted to pass through the traffic light location to at least one of a display, an audio output, and an automatic operating condition control of the vehicle.