Steering assist system in a vehicle
First Claim
1. A steering assist system in a vehicle having a lane change function during forward traveling of the vehicle, comprising a steering means connected to a steered wheel and also connected to a steering wheel to be able to transmit a torque from said steering wheel, a driving means for operating said steering means, and a control unit having, means for detecting a reference lane on which the vehicle is now traveling forward, based on information of a road ahead of the vehicle to substantially set a reference target course within said reference lane, and applying, to said steering means, a reference induction force determined in accordance with the magnitude and direction of a deviation of the subject vehicle from said reference target course, thereby controlling the operation of said driving means to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said reference lane, wherein said control unit includes a means for substantially setting a second target course in a second lane along which the vehicle will be traveling forward after the lane change, a means for determining a second induction force to be applied to said steering means in order to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said second lane, in accordance with the magnitude and direction of the deviation of the subject vehicle from said second target course, and a means for connecting said reference target course and said second target course by a connection course with a force applied from said driving means to said steering, means during the lane change being substantially equal to "0".
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Accused Products
Abstract
A steering assist system in a vehicle, wherein the traveling of a vehicle along a reference lane can be realized by applying a reference induction force determined in accordance with the magnitude and direction of a deviation of the subject vehicle from a reference target course (zone) established within the reference lane, and moreover, the lane change can be easily and naturally performed by a driver. A second target course (zone) is established in a second lane along which the vehicle travels after the lane change. A second induction force applied to a steering means to realize the traveling of the vehicle along the second lane is set in accordance with the magnitude and direction of a deviation of the subject vehicle from the second target course (zone). The reference target course (zone) and the second target course (zone) are connected in a connection course (zone) in which the force applied from a driving means to the steering means during the lane change is substantially "0".
65 Citations
53 Claims
- 1. A steering assist system in a vehicle having a lane change function during forward traveling of the vehicle, comprising a steering means connected to a steered wheel and also connected to a steering wheel to be able to transmit a torque from said steering wheel, a driving means for operating said steering means, and a control unit having, means for detecting a reference lane on which the vehicle is now traveling forward, based on information of a road ahead of the vehicle to substantially set a reference target course within said reference lane, and applying, to said steering means, a reference induction force determined in accordance with the magnitude and direction of a deviation of the subject vehicle from said reference target course, thereby controlling the operation of said driving means to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said reference lane, wherein said control unit includes a means for substantially setting a second target course in a second lane along which the vehicle will be traveling forward after the lane change, a means for determining a second induction force to be applied to said steering means in order to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said second lane, in accordance with the magnitude and direction of the deviation of the subject vehicle from said second target course, and a means for connecting said reference target course and said second target course by a connection course with a force applied from said driving means to said steering, means during the lane change being substantially equal to "0".
- 2. A steering assist system in a vehicle having a lane change function during forward traveling of the vehicle, comprising a steering means connected to a steered wheel and also connected to a steering wheel to be able to transmit a torque from said steering wheel, a driving means for operating said steering means, and a control unit having means for detecting a reference lane on which the vehicle is now traveling forward, based on an information of a road ahead of the vehicle to substantially set a reference target course within said reference lane, and applying, to said steering means, a reference induction force determined in accordance with the magnitude and direction of a deviation of the subject vehicle from said reference target course, thereby controlling the operation of said driving means to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said reference lane, wherein said control unit includes a lane change confirming means for confirming the substantial execution, non-execution and completion of the lane change while the vehicle is traveling forward, a means for substantially setting a second target course in a second lane along which the vehicle will be traveling forward after the lane change, a means for determining a second induction force to be applied to said steering means in order to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said second lane, in accordance with the magnitude and direction of the deviation of the subject vehicle from said second target course, and a means for connecting said reference target course and said second target course by a connection course with a force applied from said driving means to said steering means during the lane change being substantially equal to "0" and for changing said connection course in accordance with the result of the confirmation by said lane change confirming means.
- 3. A steering assist system in a vehicle having a lane change function during forward traveling of the vehicle, comprising a steering means connected to a steered wheel and also connected to a steering wheel to be able to transmit a torque from said steering wheel, a driving means for operating said steering means, and a control unit having means for detecting at least a reference lane on which the vehicle is now traveling forward, based on an information of a road ahead of the vehicle to substantially set a reference target course within said reference lane, and applying, to said steering means, a reference induction force determined in accordance with the magnitude and direction of a deviation of the subject vehicle from said reference target course, thereby controlling the operation of said driving means to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said reference lane, wherein said control unit includes a means for substantially setting a second target course in a second lane along which the vehicle will be traveling forward after the lane change, a means for determining a second induction force to be applied to said steering means in order to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said second lane, in accordance with the magnitude and direction of the deviation of the subject vehicle from said second target course, and a means for weakening at least one of said reference induction force and said second induction force on said second lane during the lane change.
- 4. A steering assist system in a vehicle having a lane change function during forward traveling of the vehicle, comprising a steering means connected to a steered wheel and also connected to a steering wheel to be able to transmit a torque from said steering wheel, a driving means for operating said steering means, and a control unit having means for detecting at least a reference lane on which the vehicle is now traveling forward, based on an information of a road ahead of the vehicle to substantially set a reference target course within said reference lane, and applying, to said steering means, a reference induction force determined in accordance with the magnitude and direction of a deviation of the subject vehicle from said reference target course, thereby controlling the operation of said driving means to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said reference lane, wherein said control unit includes a lane change confirming means for confirming the substantial execution, non-execution and completion of the lane change, while the vehicle is traveling forward a means for substantially setting a second target course in a second lane along which the vehicle will be traveling forward after the lane change, a means for determining a second induction force to be applied to said steering means in order to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said second lane, in accordance with the magnitude and direction of the deviation of the subject vehicle from said second target course, and a means for weakening at least one of said reference induction force and said second induction force on said second lane during the lane change and for changing the situation of said weakening of the induction force in accordance with the result of said confirmation provided by said lane change confirming means.
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21. A steering assist system in a vehicle according to 1 or 2, wherein said control unit is arranged to increase said second induction force at least on said reference lane after a lapse of a predetermined time from the establishment of said connection course.
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53. A steering assist system in a vehicle having a lane change function during forward traveling of the vehicle, comprising a steering means for steering the vehicle by applying an induction force, and a control unit for applying to said steering means a reference induction force for causing the vehicle to travel along a reference lane while the vehicle is traveling forward, said control unit having means for determining a lane-change induction force to be applied to said steering for causing the vehicle to change lanes to travel forward along a new lane, in accordance with the magnitude and direction of the deviation of the vehicle from said new lane, said control unit having means for controlling said reference induction force and said lane-change induction force for allowing a driver of the vehicle to manually steer the vehicle from the reference lane to the new lane while traveling forward without a force above a predetermined level being applied on said steering means by said reference induction force and said lane-change induction force.
Specification