Drive assistance apparatus

• US 9,679,488 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US15/012,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20160225261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36, 701 41, 701 48, 701301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/12 Lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/20 Direction indicator values
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/24 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 : Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 : Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 : Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 : Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 : Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A drive assistance apparatus includes a target trajectory setting unit configured to set a target trajectory in a lane change assistance based on a movement time taken for a vehicle of which the direction indicator is continued to be in ON-state to move a lateral distance set in advance to the adjacent lane side from an operation start lateral position, and a lane change assistance unit configured to execute the lane change assistance for causing the vehicle to change lane along the target trajectory in a case where the lateral position of the vehicle of which the direction indicator is continued to be in ON-state reaches the assistance start lateral position set in advance in the travelling lane from the setting of the target trajectory by the target trajectory setting unit.

Claims

1. A drive assistance apparatus configured to perform lane change assistance for changing lane to an adjacent lane from a travelling lane by controlling a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an electronic control unit (ECU) programmed to;

set a target trajectory in the lane change assistance based on a lateral position of the vehicle at a time when a direction indicator at the adjacent lane side is in an ON-state, and a movement time taken for the vehicle of which the direction indicator is continued to be in ON-state to move a lateral distance set in advance to the adjacent lane side from an operation start lateral position which is a lateral position of the vehicle when an amount of steering by a driver of the vehicle toward the adjacent lane side is equal to or greater than a steering amount threshold value in a state in which the direction indicator at the adjacent lane side is in an ON-state; and

execute the lane change assistance for causing the vehicle to change lane along the target trajectory in a case where the lateral position of the vehicle of which the direction indicator is continued to be in ON-state reaches the assistance start lateral position set in advance in the travelling lane from the setting of the target trajectory,

wherein the ECU is configured to set the target trajectory which is shorter in length when the movement time becomes shorter, or

wherein, in a case where the movement time is shorter than a movement time threshold value, the ECU is configured to set the target trajectory which is shorter in length compared to that in a case where the movement time is equal to or longer than the movement time threshold value.

2. The drive assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a position in the travelling lane separated from the operation start lateral position to the adjacent lane side by the lateral distance is set to be the assistance start lateral position.

3. A drive assistance apparatus configured to perform lane change assistance for changing lane toward an adjacent lane from a travelling lane by controlling a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an electronic control unit (ECU) programmed to;

set a target trajectory in the lane change assistance based on a lateral speed of the vehicle at a time when the lateral position of the vehicle of which a direction indicator at the adjacent lane side is in an ON-state reaches an assistance start lateral position set in the travelling lane in advance; and

execute the lane change assistance for causing the vehicle to change lane along the target trajectory in a case where the ECU sets the target trajectory,

wherein the ECU is configured to set the target trajectory which is shorter in length when the lateral speed becomes higher, or

wherein, in a case where the lateral speed is equal to higher than a lateral speed threshold value, the ECU is configured to set the target trajectory which is shorter in length compared to that in a case where the lateral speed is lower than the lateral speed threshold value.