VEHICLE AUTOMATIC STEERING CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20130197758A1
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Tominaga, Motonori, Tsuruta, Tomohiko, Hatoh, Takeshi, Ueda, Yusuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• 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: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus that for automatic steering control that reduces occupant discomfort and stress is provided. A lane width of a subject lane and a current in-lane ratio are detected. If an off-lane obstacle which may place stress on the occupant is present within a prescribed area, a relative position between each off-lane obstacle and the vehicle is determined. A target in-lane ratio is determined based on the relative position. Specifically, when the off-lane obstacles are present on both the left and right sides of the subject lane, the target in-lane ratio is such that lateral distances to both off-lane obstacles are equal. When the off-lane obstacle is present on only one of either the left or right of the subject lane, the target in-lane ratio is set such that a lateral position away from the off-lane obstacle by a lateral distance set in advance is the target lateral position.

Claims

1. A vehicle automatic steering control apparatus, comprising:

a lane detecting means for detecting a cruising lane in which an own vehicle is traveling;

an off-lane obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle positioned outside of the cruising lane, including a vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane;

a relative position calculating means for determining a relative position of the off-lane obstacle in relation to the own vehicle;

an in-lane ratio calculating means for calculating an in-lane ratio expressing the ratio of distances from both left and right edges of the cruising lane at which the own vehicle should travel based on the relative position of the off-lane obstacle;

a traveling trajectory calculating means for calculating an expected traveling trajectory on which the own vehicle should travel based on the in-lane ratio; and

an automatic steering means for performing steering control such that the vehicle travels in adherence to the expected traveling trajectory determined by the travelling trajectory calculating means.

2. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes

a parameter generating means for generating at least one of i) a stress level parameter indicating the amount of stress experienced by an occupant in the own vehicle, ii) a stress sensitivity parameter indicating susceptibility stress of the occupant to stress, and iii) a stress causing parameter indicating the probability of stress being induced in the occupant;

wherein the in-lane ratio calculating means calculates the in-lane ratio such that the own vehicle is moved farther away from the off-lane obstacle or prevented from approaching the off-lane obstacle, the greater the parameter generated by the parameter generating means.

3. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes

a parameter generating means for generating at least one of i) a stress level parameter indicating the amount of stress experienced by an occupant in the own vehicle, ii) a stress sensitivity parameter indicating susceptibility of the occupant to stress, and iii) a stress causing parameter indicating the possibility of stress being induced in the occupant;

wherein the in-lane ratio calculating means operates when the parameter generated by the parameter generating means is a threshold value set in advance or greater.

4. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes

a history information storage means for storing history information associating the in-lane ratio calculated by the in-lane ratio calculating means and the relative position used to calculate the in-lane ratio;

and

a history readout means for reading out, from the history information storage means, the in-lane ratio associated with the relative position based on the relative position calculated by the relative position calculating means;

wherein the traveling trajectory calculating means performs calculation using the in-lane ratio read out from the history information storage means when the in-lane ratio associated with the relative position calculated by the relative position calculating means is stored in the history information storage means.

5. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes

a history information storage means for storing history information associating the in-lane ratio calculated by the in-lane ratio calculating means and the relative position used to calculate the in-lane ratio;

and

a history readout means for reading out, from the history information storage means, the in-lane ratio associated with the relative position based on the relative position calculated by the relative position calculating means;

wherein the traveling trajectory calculating means performs calculation using the in-lane ratio read out from the history information storage means when the in-lane ratio associated with the relative position calculated by the relative position calculating means is stored in the history information storage means.

6. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes an eye-level height estimating means for estimating an eye-level height of the occupant from vehicle information related to the height of the own vehicle, and the parameter generating means uses the eye-level height estimated by the eye-level height estimating means as the stress sensitivity parameter.

7. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes a vehicle state detecting means for detecting at least the speed or the acceleration of the own vehicle, and the parameter generating means generates the stress sensitivity parameter based on the detection result from the vehicle state detecting means.

8. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the parameter generating means generates the stress causing parameter for each obstacle detected by the off-lane obstacle detecting means, and the in-lane ratio calculating means calculates the in-lane ratio such that the own vehicle moves away from or is prevented from approaching the off-lane obstacle having the greater stress causing parameter.

9. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes a state presenting means for presenting the calculation result by the in-lane ratio calculating means to the occupant.

10. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes an instruction input means for receiving instruction input regarding whether or not the driver will use the in-lane ratio calculated by the in-lane ratio calculating means,

wherein the traveling trajectory calculating means changes the in-lane ratio used to calculate the expected traveling trajectory based on the content of the instruction from the instruction input means.

11. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the in-lane ratio calculating means calculates the in-lane ratio such that the own vehicle is moved farther away from the off-lane obstacle or prevented from approaching the off-lane obstacle, the greater the parameter generated by the parameter generating means.

12. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes

a biological signal detecting means for detecting a biological signal of the occupant, and

the parameter generating means generates the stress level parameter based on the biological signal detected by the biological signal detecting means.

13. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes an eye-level height estimating means for estimating an eye-level height of the occupant from vehicle information related to the height of the own vehicle, and the parameter generating means uses the eye-level height estimated by the eye-level height estimating means as the stress sensitivity parameter.

14. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes a vehicle state detecting means for detecting at least the speed or the acceleration of the own vehicle, and the parameter generating means generates the stress sensitivity parameter based on the detection result from the vehicle state detecting means.

15. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the parameter generating means generates the stress causing parameter for each obstacle detected by the off-lane obstacle detecting means, and the in-lane ratio calculating means calculates the in-lane ratio such that the own vehicle moves away from or is prevented from approaching the off-lane obstacle having the greater stress causing parameter.

16. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes an eye-level height estimating means for estimating an eye-level height of the occupant from vehicle information related to the height of the own vehicle, and the parameter generating means uses the eye-level height estimated by the eye-level height estimating means as the stress sensitivity parameter.

17. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes a vehicle state detecting means for detecting at least the speed or the acceleration of the own vehicle, and the parameter generating means generates the stress sensitivity parameter based on the detection result from the vehicle state detecting means.

18. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the parameter generating means generates the stress causing parameter for each obstacle detected by the off-lane obstacle detecting means, and the in-lane ratio calculating means calculates the in-lane ratio such that the own vehicle moves away from or is prevented from approaching the off-lane obstacle having the greater stress causing parameter.

19. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes a state presenting means for presenting the calculation result by the in-lane ratio calculating means to the occupant.

20. The vehicle automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the vehicle automatic steering apparatus further includes an instruction input means for receiving instruction input regarding whether or not the driver will use the in-lane ratio calculated by the in-lane ratio calculating means,

wherein the traveling trajectory calculating means changes the in-lane ratio used to calculate the expected traveling trajectory based on the content of the instruction from the instruction input means.