VEHICLE OPERATING CONDITION DETERMINING SYSTEM, DRIVING ASSIST SYSTEM, AND OPERATING CONDITION DETERMINING METHOD

• US 20130197713A1
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshihama, Yuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,180,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/202 Steering torque
• 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 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/286 Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/021 Determination of steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/003 Backup systems, e.g. for manual steering B62D5/30 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle operating condition determining system determines, when a turning angle of wheels or a steering angle of a steering wheel changes, that the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to a driver'"'"'s intention, under a condition that the magnitude of steering torque applied to a steering device is kept equal to or larger than a threshold value after the torque reaches a peak, for a period of time equal to or longer than a reference time.

Claims

1. A vehicle operating condition determining system, wherein, when a turning angle of wheels or a steering angle of a steering wheel changes due to a driver turning a steering wheel, it is determined whether the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to the driver'"'"'s intention, based on a magnitude of steering torque applied to a steering device or a magnitude of a physical quantity correlated with the steering torque, which is measured after the steering torque or the physical quantity reaches a peak,

wherein it is determined whether the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to the driver'"'"'s intention, using a change in the magnitude of the steering torque or the physical quantity measured after the steering torque or the physical quantity reaches the peak,

said vehicle operating condition determining system further comprising:

detecting means for detecting the steering torque or the physical quantity when the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes;

measuring means for measuring a length of time for which the magnitude of the steering torque or the physical quantity detected by the detecting means is kept equal to or larger than a threshold value after the magnitude of the steering torque or the physical quantity reaches the peak; and

determining means for determining that the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to the driver intentionally turning the steering wheel, when the length of time measured by the measuring means is equal to or longer than a reference time, and for determining that the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to the driver not intentionally turning the steering wheel, when the length of time measured by the measuring means is shorter than the reference time.

2. The vehicle operating condition determining system according to claim 1, wherein the determining means determines that the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to the driver'"'"'s intention, when the peak of the magnitude of the steering torque or the physical quantity detected by the detecting means is equal to or larger than a reference peak value that is larger than the threshold value, and the length of time measured by the measuring means is equal to or longer than the reference time.

3. A vehicle driving assist system comprising the vehicle operating condition determining system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when it is determined by the determining means that the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to the driver intentionally turning the steering wheel, execution of a driving assisting process is restricted.

4. A method of determining an operating condition of a vehicle, comprising:

determining, when an operation amount of an operating device operated by a driver changes, whether the operation amount changes due to a driver'"'"'s intention, based on a magnitude of steering torque applied to the operating device or a magnitude of a physical quantity correlated with the steering torque, which is measured after the steering torque or the physical quantity reaches a peak,

wherein it is determined whether the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to the driver'"'"'s intention, using a change in the magnitude of the steering torque or the physical quantity measured after the steering torque or the physical quantity reaches the peak,

said method further comprising the steps of;

detecting the steering torque or the physical quantity when the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes;

measuring a length of time for which the magnitude of the steering torque or the physical quantity detected by the detecting means is kept equal to or larger than a threshold value after the magnitude of the steering torque or the physical quantity reaches the peak; and

determining that the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to the driver intentionally turning the steering wheel, when the length of time measured by the measuring means is equal to or longer than a reference time, and determining that the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to the driver not intentionally turning the wheel, when the length of time measured by the measuring means is shorter than the reference time.