Lane departure prevention apparatus

• US 20050096828A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Uemura, Yoshitaka, Sugano, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,269,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/082 using alarm actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17557 specially adapted for lane departure prevention road vehicle drive control systems for lane keeping otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/12

Abstract

A lane departure prevention apparatus is provided to improve safety while preventing lane departure. The lane departure prevention apparatus determines whether or not the driver is holding the steering wheel steady, determines whether or not the host vehicle has a tendency to depart from its driving lane, and, on the basis of these determination results, outputs a warning and performs braking control for avoiding the lane departure of the host vehicle when the host vehicle has a tendency to depart from its driving lane, and the driver is not holding the steering wheel steady.

Claims

1. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

a holding state detection section configured to detect whether a driver is holding the steering wheel steady;

a warning output section configured to output a warning;

a lane departure tendency detection section configured to detect a lane departure tendency of a host vehicle from its driving lane; and

a lane departure-avoidance control section configured to output the warning from the warning output section prior to performing lane departure avoidance braking control when the lane departure tendency detection section detects the lane departure tendency and the holding state detection section detects that the driver is not holding the steering wheel steady.

2. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the lane departure-avoidance control section is further configured to impart a yaw moment by performing the lane departure avoidance braking control to the host vehicle to avoid the lane departure of the host vehicle, with the yaw moment being imparted at a later timing and increased when the driver is not holding the steering wheel steady in comparison to when the driver is holding the steering wheel steady, and the yaw moment being increased.

3. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the lane departure-avoidance control section is further configured to prohibit the lane departure avoidance braking control to the host vehicle to avoid the lane departure of the host vehicle, upon determining the driver is not holding the steering wheel steady and the host vehicle is traveling around a curve.

4. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the warning output section is further configured to output an audible sound as the warning.

5. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the warning output section is further configured to make the audible sound louder upon determining the driver is not holding the steering wheel steady in comparison to when the driver is holding the steering wheel steady.

6. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the warning output section is further configured to make the audible sound louder as a departure time of the host vehicle departing from the driving lane is estimated to become shorter.

7. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the warning output section is further configured to make the audible sound louder as a departure time of the host vehicle departing from the driving lane is estimated to become shorter.

8. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the lane departure-avoidance control section is further configured to prohibit the lane departure avoidance braking control to the host vehicle to avoid the lane departure of the host vehicle, upon determining the driver is not holding the steering wheel steady and the host vehicle is traveling around a curve.

9. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the warning output section is further configured to output an audible sound as the warning.

10. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the warning output section is further configured to make the audible sound louder upon determining the driver is not holding the steering wheel steady in comparison to when the driver is holding the steering wheel steady.

11. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the warning output section is further configured to make the audible sound louder as a departure time of the host vehicle departing from the driving lane is estimated to become shorter.

12. The lane departure prevention apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the warning output section is further configured to make the audible sound louder as a departure time of the host vehicle departing from the driving lane is estimated to become shorter.

13. A lane departure prevention apparatus comprising:

holding state detection means for detecting whether a driver is holding the steering wheel steady;

warning output section means for outputting a warning;

lane departure tendency detection means for detecting a lane departure tendency of a host vehicle from its driving lane; and

lane departure avoidance control means for performing a lane departure avoidance braking control and for controlling the outputting of the warning prior to performing the lane departure avoidance braking control when the lane departure tendency detection means detects the lane departure tendency and the holding state detection means detects that the driver is not holding the steering wheel steady.

14. A method of avoiding lane departure of a host vehicle comprising:

detecting whether a driver is holding the steering wheel steady;

detecting a lane departure tendency of a host vehicle from its driving lane; and

outputting a warning and then performing lane departure avoidance braking control upon detecting the lane departure tendency and detecting that the driver is not holding the steering wheel steady.