Vehicle running control method for avoiding that a vehicle collides with an obstacle

• US 20080281521A1
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Shirato, Ryota
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• 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 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/52 Radar, Lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/207 Steering angle of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A vehicle controller selects a collision avoidance route corresponding to steering of a vehicle by a driver, to control the vehicle so that the vehicle runs based on the selected collision avoidance route. Accordingly, it can be prevented that a vehicle operation being performed by the driver is disturbed, in other words, a reaction of the driver is disturbed by collision avoidance control and the driver feels discomfort with respect to the collision avoidance control.

Claims

1. A vehicle running control method comprising:

a process of detecting an obstacle in front of an own vehicle;

a process of detecting a dynamic state of the own vehicle;

a process of generating a plurality of collision avoidance routes for avoiding a collision of the own vehicle with the obstacle based on the dynamic state of the own vehicle;

a process of detecting an operation of the own vehicle by a driver;

a process of selecting a collision avoidance route corresponding to the operation of the own vehicle, from the collision avoidance routes; and

a process of performing running control of the own vehicle based on the selected collision avoidance route.

2. The vehicle running control method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of collision avoidance routes include at least two types of collision avoidance routes, that is, a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a steering operation to the right, and a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by the steering operation to the left.

3. The vehicle running control method according to claim 2, wherein in the process of selecting,

when the steering operation to the right by the driver has been detected, a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by the steering operation to the right is selected, and

when the steering operation to the left by the driver has been detected, a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by the steering operation to the left is selected.

4. The vehicle running control method according to claim 1, wherein

an operation amount is detected by the process of detecting the operation of the own vehicle, and

when the operation amount is insufficient for the selected collision avoidance route, running control of the own vehicle is performed so that the selected collision avoidance route is achieved, and when the operation amount exceeds the selected collision avoidance route, the running control is suppressed, by the process of performing running control of the own vehicle.

5. The vehicle running control method according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of collision avoidance routes include at least three types of collision avoidance routes, added with a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a braking operation, and

in the selecting process, when the braking operation by the driver has been detected, the collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by the braking operation is selected.

6. The vehicle running control method according to claim 1, wherein in the process of selecting the collision avoidance route, when it is determined that there is no collision avoidance route corresponding to the operation of the own vehicle by the driver, a collision avoidance route on which a point for starting a collision avoidance control is closest to an operation starting point is selected.

7. The vehicle running control method according to claim 1, wherein in the process of detecting the operation of the own vehicle, the operation amount is detected,

in the process of selecting the collision avoidance route, it is determined whether a running route of the own vehicle by the driver'"'"'s operation overlaps on the selected collision avoidance route, and

in the process of performing running control of the own vehicle, a running control mode is changed based on a result of the determination.

8. The vehicle running control method according to claim 1, wherein in the process of detecting the operation of the own vehicle, the operation amount is detected,

in the process of selecting the collision avoidance route, it is determined whether an operation start point by the driver is closer to the obstacle than a control start point on the selected collision avoidance route, and

in the process of performing running control of the own vehicle, the running control mode is changed based on a result of the determination.

9. The vehicle running control method according to claim 1, further comprising a process of correcting the selected collision avoidance route so that when the operation of the own vehicle by the driver has been detected before the own vehicle reaches a collision-avoidance-control start point on the selected collision avoidance route, the collision avoidance control is started from a point where the operation of the own vehicle by the driver has been detected.

10. The vehicle running control method according to claim 1, further comprising a process of determining whether the own vehicle has reached a point where the vehicle has advanced toward the obstacle by a predetermined distance from the collision-avoidance-control start point farthest from the obstacle, among the collision-avoidance-control start points on the collision avoidance routes, and generating an alarm when the vehicle has reached the point.

11. A vehicle running control apparatus comprising:

an obstacle detector that detects an obstacle in front of an own vehicle;

a vehicle dynamic state detector that detects a dynamic state of the own vehicle;

an avoidance route generating unit that generates a plurality of collision avoidance routes for avoiding a collision of the own vehicle with the obstacle by referring to the dynamic state of the own vehicle detected by the vehicle dynamic state detector;

an operation detector that detects an operation of the own vehicle by a driver;

an avoidance route selecting unit that selects a collision avoidance route corresponding to the operation of the own vehicle, from the collision avoidance routes; and

a vehicle dynamics control unit that performs running control of the own vehicle based on the collision avoidance route selected by the avoidance route selecting unit.

12. The vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of collision avoidance routes include at least two types of collision avoidance routes, that is, a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a steering operation to the right, and a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by the steering operation to the left.

13. The vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the avoidance route selecting unit selects a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by the steering operation to the right, when the steering operation to the right by the driver has been detected, and

when the steering operation to the left by the driver has been detected, selects a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by the steering operation to the left.

14. The vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the operation detector detects an operation amount, and

when the operation amount is insufficient for the selected collision avoidance route, the vehicle dynamics control unit performs running control of the own vehicle so that the selected collision avoidance route is achieved, and when the operation amount exceeds the selected collision avoidance route, the running control is suppressed.

15. The vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the plurality of collision avoidance routes include at least three types of collision avoidance routes, added with a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a braking operation, and

when the braking operation by the driver has been detected, the avoidance route selecting unit selects the collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by the braking operation.

16. The vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when it is determined that there is no collision avoidance route corresponding to the operation of the own vehicle by the driver, the avoidance route selecting unit selects a collision avoidance route on which a point for starting a collision avoidance control is closest to an operation starting point.

17. The vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein operation detector detects the operation amount,

the avoidance route selecting unit determines whether a running route of the own vehicle by the driver'"'"'s operation overlaps on the selected collision avoidance route, and

the vehicle dynamics control unit changes a running control mode based on a determination result by the avoidance route selecting unit.

18. The vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the operation detector detects the operation amount,

the avoidance route selecting unit determines whether an operation start point by the driver is closer to the obstacle than a control start point on the selected collision avoidance route, and

the vehicle dynamics control unit changes the running control mode based on a determination result by the avoidance route selecting unit.

19. The vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a correcting unit that corrects the selected collision avoidance route so that when the operation of the own vehicle by the driver has been detected before the own vehicle reaches a collision-avoidance-control start point on the selected collision avoidance route, the collision avoidance control is started from a point where the operation of the own vehicle by the driver has been detected.

20. The vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising an alarm unit that determines whether the own vehicle has reached a point where the vehicle has advanced toward the obstacle by a predetermined distance from the collision-avoidance-control start point farthest from the obstacle, among the collision-avoidance-control start points on the collision avoidance routes, and generates an alarm when the vehicle has reached the point.