VEHICLE TRAVEL CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20170305422A1
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: ITO, Tatsuya, NOHARA, Takayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,065,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/803 Relative lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/10 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/40 Relative lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/50 Relative longitudinal speed
• 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: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

In a vehicle travel control apparatus configured to determine a target acceleration of an own vehicle based on an inter-vehicle distance to a predicted cutting-in vehicle predicted to cut in between the own vehicle and a following target vehicle as well as an inter-vehicle distance to the following target vehicle, it is necessary to notify a driver of the presence of the predicted cutting-in vehicle at an appropriate timing. A cutting-in probability, which is a probability that the predicted cutting-in vehicle carries out the cutting in, is acquired, and information on the predicted cutting-in vehicle is notified to the driver from a time point when a state where the cutting-in probability is higher than a start probability threshold has continued for a predetermined period to a time point when a state where the cutting-in probability is lower than an end probability threshold has continued for a predetermined period.

Claims

1. A vehicle travel control apparatus, comprising:

following target vehicle detection means for detecting a following target vehicle traveling ahead of an own vehicle;

predicted cutting-in vehicle detection means for detecting a predicted cutting-in vehicle predicted to carry out cutting-in of merging between the own vehicle and the following target vehicle;

first acceleration acquisition means for acquiring, as a first acceleration, an acceleration of the own vehicle required to cause an inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the following target vehicle to be a first inter-vehicle distance;

second acceleration acquisition means for acquiring, as a second acceleration, an acceleration of the own vehicle required to cause an inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the predicted cutting-in vehicle to be a second inter-vehicle distance;

target acceleration acquisition means for acquiring a target acceleration of the own vehicle based on the first acceleration and the second acceleration;

travel control means for controlling a driving force and a braking force of the own vehicle such that an actual acceleration of the own vehicle approaches the target acceleration;

cutting-in probability acquisition means for acquiring a cutting-in probability, which is a probability that the predicted cutting-in vehicle carries out the cutting-in; and

information notification means for notifying a driver of the own vehicle of an intention of the cutting-in of the predicted cutting-in vehicle from a time point when a notification start condition that a state where the cutting-in probability is higher than a predetermined start probability threshold has continued for a predetermined period is satisfied to a time point when a notification end condition that a state where the cutting-in probability is lower than a predetermined end probability threshold has continued for a predetermined period is satisfied.

2. A vehicle travel control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information notification means is configured to:

acquire a smoothed probability acquired by smoothing a change in the cutting-in probability with respect to time;

determine that the notification start condition is satisfied when the smoothed probability transitions from a state where the smoothed probability is lower than the start probability threshold to a state where the smoothed probability is higher than the start probability threshold; and

determine that the notification end condition is satisfied when the smoothed probability transitions from a state where the smoothed probability is higher than the end probability threshold to a state where the smoothed probability is lower than the end probability threshold.

3. A vehicle travel control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information notification means is configured to:

determine a merging direction of the predicted cutting-in vehicle based on a movement direction of the predicted cutting-in vehicle in a vehicle width direction of the own vehicle with respect to the own vehicle when the notification start condition is satisfied; and

notify the driver of the merging direction when the intention of the cutting-in of the predicted cutting-in vehicle is notified to the driver.

4. A vehicle travel control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information notification means is configured to:

determine a merging direction of the predicted cutting-in vehicle based on a movement direction of the predicted cutting-in vehicle in a vehicle width direction of the own vehicle with respect to the own vehicle when the notification start condition is satisfied; and

notify the driver of the merging direction when the intention of the cutting-in of the predicted cutting-in vehicle is notified to the driver.