Driving assistance device

• US 9,449,519 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whittington, Jess
• Application Number:
  US14/237,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/34 Blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A speed zone computation unit that computes a speed zone of a host vehicle; a target speed computation unit that computes a target speed of the host vehicle based on a speed zone; a driving assistance starting point computation unit that computes a driving assistance starting point determined by a state of the host vehicle at the time when a driving assistance is started; and a target speed modification unit that modifies a target speed, when the driving assistance starting point is within the speed zone, are included. The target speed computation unit sets a speed lower than the speed zone in the reference position as the target speed. The target speed modification unit sets a value higher than a value computed by the target speed computation unit as a new target speed, in speed in the reference position.

Claims

1. A host vehicle including a driving assistance device comprising:

an interior and exterior;

an electronic control unit including a CPU, ROM and RAM, the electronic control unit configured to perform a control of the driving assistance device, and the electronic control unit, further comprising;

a blind spot recognition unit that recognizes a blind spot of a driver proximate to the exterior of the host vehicle in a progressing direction of the host vehicle;

a mobile object information setting unit that sets mobile object information including at least an assumed speed of a mobile object as information on the mobile object;

a speed zone computation unit that computes a danger zone of the host vehicle having a possibility that the host vehicle will come into contact with the mobile object when progressing in the progressing direction, based on the mobile object information set by the mobile object information setting unit;

a target speed computation unit that computes a target speed of the host vehicle based on the danger zone;

a driving assistance starting point computation unit that computes a driving assistance starting point determined by a state of the host vehicle at the time when driving assistance is started; and

a target speed modification unit that modifies the target speed, when the driving assistance starting point is within the danger zone,

wherein the danger zone is determined by a relationship between a speed of the host vehicle, and a distance of the host vehicle with respect to a reference position in a place forming the blind spot,

wherein the driving assistance starting point is determined by the speed of the host vehicle at the time when the driving assistance is started, and the distance of the host vehicle with respect to the reference position at the time when the driving assistance is started,

wherein the target speed computation unit sets a speed as the target speed,

wherein the target speed modification unit sets a first modification target speed as the new target speed, when a deceleration rate is within a predetermined range which is measured between the driving assistance starting point and the reference position, and

wherein the target speed modification unit sets a second modification target speed as the new target speed, when the deceleration rate is outside the predetermined range.

2. The host vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the target speed modification unit sets any one of values between a first modification target speed and a second modification target speed as the new target speed, based on gravity acting on the host vehicle.

3. The host vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driving assistance control unit that controls the driving assistance,

wherein when the target speed modification unit modifies the target speed, and when the driver steps on the brake, the driving assistance control unit suppresses the braking force.

4. The host vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driving assistance control unit that controls the driving assistance,

wherein when the target speed modification unit modifies the target speed, and when the driver steps on the brake, the driving assistance control unit warns the driver not to decelerate.

5. A host vehicle including a driving assistance device comprising:

an interior and exterior;

an electronic control unit including a CPU, ROM and RAM, the electronic control unit configured to perform a control of the driving assistance device, and the electronic control unit, further comprising;

a blind spot recognition unit that recognizes a blind spot of a driver proximate to the exterior of the host vehicle in a progressing direction of the host vehicle;

a mobile object information setting unit that sets mobile object information including at least an assumed speed of a mobile object as information on the mobile object;

a speed zone computation unit that computes a danger zone of the host vehicle having a possibility that the host vehicle will come into contact with the mobile object when progressing in the progressing direction, based on the mobile object information set by the mobile object information setting unit;

a target speed computation unit that computes a target speed of the host vehicle based on the danger zone;

a driving assistance starting point computation unit that computes a driving assistance starting point determined by a state of the host vehicle at the time when driving assistance is started; and

a target speed modification unit that modifies the target speed, when the driving assistance starting point is within the danger zone,

wherein the danger zone is determined by a relationship between a speed of the host vehicle, and a distance of the host vehicle with respect to a reference position in a place forming the blind spot,

wherein the driving assistance starting point is determined by the speed of the host vehicle at the time when the driving assistance is started, and the distance of the host vehicle with respect to the reference position at the time when the driving assistance is started,

wherein the target speed computation unit sets a speed as the target speed, and

wherein the target speed modification unit sets any one of values between a first modification target speed and a second modification target speed as the new target speed, based on gravity acting on the host vehicle.

6. The host vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the target speed modification unit sets a first modification target speed as the new target speed, when a deceleration rate is within a predetermined range which is measured between the driving assistance starting point and the reference position, and

wherein the target speed modification unit sets a second modification target speed as the new target speed, when the deceleration rate is outside the predetermined range.

7. The host vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising:

a driving assistance control unit that controls the driving assistance,

wherein when the target speed modification unit modifies the target speed, and when the driver steps on the brake, the driving assistance control unit suppresses the braking force.

8. The host vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising:

a driving assistance control unit that controls the driving assistance,

wherein when the target speed modification unit modifies the target speed, and when the driver steps on the brake, the driving assistance control unit warns the driver not to decelerate.