Overtaking assistant system for notifying a driver that it is safe to overtake another vehicle

• US 9,682,712 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Kubo, Tomoki
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US14/899,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20160129919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 340435, 340436, 340441, 340901, 340903, 701 1, 701301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/105 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

An overtaking assistant system includes a speed detector that detects a speed of a host vehicle, a preceding vehicle detector capable of relative distances and relative speeds of a first vehicle traveling along a slow lane before the host vehicle and a second vehicle traveling along a passing lane before the host vehicle with respect to the host vehicle while the host vehicle travels along the slow lane, a first speed comparison unit that compares speeds between the first and second vehicles, an overtaking decision making unit that determines that the host vehicle is allowed to overtake the first vehicle when the speed of the host vehicle is higher than the first vehicle, and the speed of the second vehicle is higher than the speed of the first vehicle, and a notification unit that notifies a driver of the host vehicle that the host vehicle is allowed to overtake the first vehicle when the overtaking decision making unit determines that the host vehicle is allowed to overtake the first vehicle.

Claims

1. An overtaking assistant system for notifying a driver whether or not a host vehicle is allowed to overtake a first vehicle traveling along a slow lane before the host vehicle when the host vehicle travels along the slow lane, the overtaking assistant system comprising:

a speed detector configured to detect a speed of the host vehicle;

a preceding vehicle detector configured to detect relative distances and relative speeds of the first vehicle and a second vehicle, the second vehicle traveling along a passing lane and is in front of the host vehicle;

a forward-looking camera configured to capture a forward image of the host vehicle, said forward-looking camera being configured to recognize vehicle types including a type of the first vehicle, an entire length of the first vehicle is a preset value depending on the type of the first vehicle;

a speed comparison unit configured to compare speeds of the first and second vehicles;

a following vehicle detector configured to detect a relative distance and a relative speed of a third vehicle, the third vehicle traveling along the passing lane behind the host vehicle with respect to the host vehicle;

an overtaking decision making unit configured to determine that the host vehicle is allowed to overtake the first vehicle if the speed of the host vehicle is higher than a speed of the first vehicle and a speed of the second vehicle is higher than the speed of the first vehicle, said overtaking decision making unit configured to determine that the host vehicle is allowed to overtake the first vehicle if the third vehicle does not catch up with the host vehicle while the host vehicle overtakes the first vehicle having a preset length by assuming that the host vehicle and the first and third vehicles continuously run as they are; and

a notification unit configured to notify the driver of the host vehicle that the host vehicle is allowed to overtake the first vehicle when said overtaking decision making unit determines that the host vehicle is allowed to overtake the first vehicle.

2. The overtaking assistant system according to claim 1, wherein:

said following vehicle detector is configured to detect the relative distances and the relative speeds of the third vehicle and a fourth vehicle, the fourth vehicle traveling along the slow lane behind the host vehicle with respect to the host vehicle; and

said overtaking decision making unit is configured to determine that the host vehicle is allowed to overtake the first vehicle if the speed of the host vehicle is higher than a speed of the fourth vehicle.

3. The overtaking assistant system according to claim 2,

further comprising a lateral vehicle detector configured to detect a fifth vehicle, the fifth vehicle traveling along the passing lane in a lateral direction of the host vehicle;

and

wherein said overtaking decision making unit is configured to determine that the host vehicle is allowed to overtake the first vehicle if the fifth vehicle is not detected.