INTER-VEHICLE DISTANCE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20130226433A1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Tominaga, Motonori, Tsuruta, Tomohiko, Ueda, Yusuke, Hatoh, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

An inter-vehicle distance control device is provided. A typical embodiment of the device comprises, i) an inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting an inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle, ii) a laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means for detecting another vehicle present beside the own vehicle, iii) a cut-in detecting means for judging whether or not a cut-in by the other vehicle detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means is likely to occur, before the other vehicle cuts in between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle, iv) an inter-vehicle distance adjusting means for performing inter-vehicle distance extension adjustment to increase the inter-vehicle distance when the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, and v) an inter-vehicle distance control means for controlling the inter-vehicle distance based on information from the inter-vehicle distance adjusting means.

Claims

1. An inter-vehicle distance control device, comprising:

an inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting an inter-vehicle distance between an own vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle;

a laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means for detecting another vehicle present beside the own vehicle;

a cut-in detecting means for judging whether or not a cut-in by the other vehicle detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means is likely to occur, before the, other vehicle cuts in between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle;

an inter-vehicle distance adjusting means for performing inter-vehicle distance extension adjustment to increase the inter-vehicle distance when the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur; and

an inter-vehicle distance control means for controlling the inter-vehicle distance based on information from the inter-vehicle distance adjusting means.

2. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 1, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes,

a successive cut-in detecting means for judging whether or not a successive cut-in is likely to occur after the cut-in by the other vehicle is completed, based on the presence of another vehicle detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means, wherein

the inter-vehicle distance adjusting means performs inter-vehicle distance shortening adjustment to reduce the inter-vehicle distance, when the successive cut-in detecting means judges that a successive cut-in is likely to occur.

3. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 2, wherein the inter-vehicle distance adjusting means performs inter-vehicle distance returning adjustment to return the inter-vehicle distance to an inter-vehicle distance set in advance, when the successive cut-in detecting means detects that a successive cut-in is unlikely to occur.

4. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 3, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a lateral position adjusting means for offsetting a lateral position to a direction away from the other vehicle, the lateral position being a traveling position of the own vehicle in a lateral direction within a cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, when the lateral position can be adjusted and the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur;

and

a lateral position control means for controlling the traveling position of the own vehicle based on information from the lateral position adjusting means.

5. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 4, wherein the lateral position adjusting means performs lateral position returning adjustment to return the lateral position to the original lateral position when the cut-in by the other vehicle is completed.

6. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 5, wherein the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur when a point at which the other vehicle is detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means is a meeting point.

7. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 6, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a luminance change detecting means for detecting changes in luminance in a cruising lane adjacent to the cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling;

and

a direction indication signal detecting means for judging whether or not a direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking based on the changes in luminance detected by the luminance change detecting means, wherein

the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the direction indication signal detecting means judges that the direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking.

8. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 7, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a relative velocity detecting means for detecting a relative velocity of the other vehicle in relation to the own vehicle, based on results of a plurality of detection operations performed by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means, wherein

the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the relative velocity detected by the relative velocity detecting means is greater than a threshold value set in advance.

9. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 8, wherein

the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means is capable of measuring the distance to the other vehicle;

and

the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the distance to the other vehicle is becoming shorter based on results of a plurality of detection operations performed by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means.

10. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 9, wherein

the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means is capable of measuring the distance to the other vehicle;

a drift detecting means is included for judging whether or not the other vehicle is drifting, depending on whether or not fluctuation in the distance to the other vehicle is greater than a threshold value set in advance, based on results of a plurality of detection operations performed by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means; and

the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the drift detecting means judges that the other vehicle is drifting.

11. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 10, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a control status presenting means for presenting the driver with status related to vehicle control.

12. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 11, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

an input means for enabling the driver to indicate whether or not to perform the vehicle control based on the status related to the vehicle control presented by the control status presenting means.

13. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 1, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a lateral position adjusting means for offsetting a lateral position to a direction away from the other vehicle, the lateral position being a traveling position of the own vehicle in a lateral direction within a cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, when the lateral position can be adjusted and the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur;

and

a lateral position control means for controlling the traveling position of the own vehicle based on information from the lateral position adjusting means.

14. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 13, wherein the lateral position adjusting means performs lateral position returning adjustment to return the lateral position to the original lateral position when the cut-in by the other vehicle is completed.

15. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 14, wherein the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur when a point at which the other vehicle is detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means is a meeting point.

16. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 15, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a luminance change detecting means for detecting changes in luminance in a cruising lane adjacent to the cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling;

and

a direction indication signal detecting means for judging whether or not a direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking based on the changes in luminance detected by the luminance change detecting means, wherein

the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the direction indication signal detecting means judges that the direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking.

17. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 2, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a lateral position adjusting means for offsetting a lateral position to a direction away from the other vehicle, the lateral position being a traveling position of the own vehicle in a lateral direction within a cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, when the lateral position can be adjusted and the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur;

and

a lateral position control means for controlling the traveling position of the own vehicle based on information from the lateral position adjusting means.

18. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 17, wherein the lateral position adjusting means performs lateral position returning adjustment to return the lateral position to the original lateral position when the cut-in by the other vehicle is completed.

19. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 18, wherein the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur when a point at which the other vehicle is detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means is a meeting point.

20. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 19, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a luminance change detecting means for detecting changes in luminance in a cruising lane adjacent to the cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling;

and

a direction indication signal detecting means for judging whether or not a direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking based on the changes in luminance detected by the luminance change detecting means, wherein

the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the direction indication signal detecting means judges that the direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking.