APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A CRASH PREVENTION CONTROL FUNCTIONALITY FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20140188366A1
• Filed: 05/28/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: SHIN, Min Yong, LEE, Si Hyoung
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• 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: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

An apparatus for providing crash prevention control functionality to a vehicle includes: a dangerous situation determining unit determining whether a dangerous situation is developing with respect to a side approaching vehicle based on information relating to the vehicle approaching from a side direction; a lane keeping assist system (LKAS) control area calculation unit calculating a control area to apply to a LKAS so as to avoid the approaching vehicle when the approaching vehicle is causing a dangerous situation; a smart cruise control (SCC) control value calculation unit calculating a control value to apply to an SCC system so as to avoid the approaching vehicle when the approaching vehicle is causing a dangerous situation; and a drive control unit configured to output a control signal to at least one of the LKAS and the SCC system according to the calculation results.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing crash prevention control functionality to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a dangerous situation determining unit configured to determine whether a dangerous situation is developing with respect to a side approaching vehicle based on information relating to the side approaching vehicle approaching the vehicle from a side direction;

a lane keeping assist system (LKAS) control area calculation unit configured to calculate a control area to apply to an LKAS so as to cause the vehicle to move in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of the vehicle while remaining in a current lane of the vehicle to avoid the side approaching vehicle when it is determined that the side approaching vehicle is causing a dangerous situation according to the determination result;

a smart cruise control (SCC) control value calculation unit configured to calculate a control value to apply to an SCC system so as to avoid the side approaching vehicle when it is determined that the side approaching vehicle is causing a dangerous situation according to the determination result; and

a drive control unit configured to output a control signal to at least one of the LKAS and the SCC system according to the calculation results.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the LKAS control area calculation unit and the SCC control value calculation unit respectively calculate the control area and the control value based on at least one of:

a velocity of the vehicle in a longitudinal direction, a distance between the vehicle and the side approaching vehicle, and a relative velocity of the vehicles.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the LKAS control area calculation unit expands the control area for the vehicle in a range that does not extend beyond boundaries of a current lane of the vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the LKAS control area calculation unit calculates an expansion value to expand the control area in a direction in which the side approaching vehicle approaches the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the SCC control value calculation unit increases or decreases a SCC set speed for the vehicle according to the relative location of the approaching vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the SCC control value calculation unit decreases the SCC set speed when the approaching vehicle approaches in a sideways direction from a front of the vehicle, and increases the SCC set speed when the dangerous vehicle approaches in a sideways direction from a rear of the vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the SCC control value calculation unit increases or decreases a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle according to the relative location of the approaching vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the SCC control value calculation unit increases the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle when the approaching vehicle approaches in a sideways direction from the front and decreases the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle when the approaching vehicle approaches in a sideways direction from the rear.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive control unit outputs the control signal based on the control area calculated for the LKAS in situations in which a degree of danger presented by the approaching vehicle is equal to or less than a reference value.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive control unit outputs the control signal based on the control area calculated for the LKAS and the control value calculated for the SCC system when a degree of danger presented by the approaching vehicle exceeds a reference value.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the LKAS control area calculation unit calculates the control area based on a distance between the vehicle and the side approaching vehicle, and a relative velocity of the vehicles.

11. A method for providing crash prevention control functionality to a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining whether a dangerous situation is developing with respect to a side approaching vehicle based on information relating to the side approaching vehicle approaching the vehicle from a side direction;

calculating a control area to apply to a lane keeping assist system (LKAS) so as to cause the vehicle to move in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of the vehicle while remaining in a current lane of the vehicle, and a control value to apply to a smart cruise control (SCC) system, so as to avoid the side approaching vehicle when it is determined that the side approaching vehicle is causing a dangerous situation according to the determination result; and

outputting a control signal to at least one of the LKAS and the SCC system according to the calculated result.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating the control area and the control value comprises calculating the control area and the control value based on at least one of:

a velocity of the vehicle in a longitudinal direction, a distance between the vehicle and the side approaching vehicle, and a relative velocity of the vehicles.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating the control area comprises expanding the control area of the LKAS in a range that does not extend beyond boundaries of a current lane of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein calculating the control area comprises calculating an expansion value to expand the control area in a direction in which the side approaching vehicle approaches the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating the control area comprises increasing or decreasing the SCC set speed for the vehicle according to the relative location of the approaching vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating the control area comprises increasing or decreasing a distance between a preceding vehicle and the vehicle according to the relative location of the approaching vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein outputting the control signal comprises outputting the control signal based on the control area calculated for the LKAS when a degree of danger presented by the approaching vehicle is equal to or less than a reference value, and outputting the control signal based on the control area calculated for the LKAS and the control value calculated for the SCC system when a degree of danger presented by the approaching vehicle exceeds the reference value.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating the control area to apply to the LKAS comprises calculating the control area based on a distance between the vehicle and the side approaching vehicle, and a relative velocity of the vehicles.