Travel safety system for vehicle

• US 6,256,584 B1
• Filed: 08/16/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kodaka, Kenji, Shinmura, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US09/375,219
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/300, 701/23, 701/28, 701/36, 701/41, 701/96, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/901, 340/903, 340/454, 340/904, 180/167, 180/168, 180/169, 342/70, 342/71, 342/109, 342/115, 342/179
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/09 Complex systems; Conjoint control of two or more vehicle active control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93

Abstract

A relative lateral deviation calculating device calculates a relative lateral deviation between a vehicle and an on-coming vehicle, based on the state of the on-coming vehicle detected by an object detecting device and a future locus of movement for the vehicle estimated by a movement locus estimating device. When the relative lateral deviation is in a predetermined range, a contact-possibility determining device determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle will come into contact with the on-coming vehicle. Even when the relative lateral deviation is not in the predetermined range, if a steering-state detecting device has detected an involuntary steering operation by a driver, a contact avoiding device increases the steering reaction force of the steering wheel to inhibit the steering operation by the driver in a direction for the vehicle to approach the on-coming vehicle.

Claims

1. A travel safety system for a vehicle, comprising:

an object detecting means for detecting an object existing in the direction of movement of the vehicle;

a movement locus estimating means for estimating a future locus of movement for the vehicle;

a relative lateral deviation calculating means for calculating a relative lateral deviation between the vehicle and an on-coming vehicle, based on the result of the detection by said object detecting means and the future locus of movement for the vehicle;

a contact-possibility determining means for determining whether there is a possibility that the vehicle will come into contact with the on-coming vehicle, based on the relative lateral deviation calculated by said relative lateral deviation calculating means;

a steering-state detecting means for detecting an involuntary steering operation by a driver in a direction for the vehicle to approach the on-coming vehicle; and

a contact avoiding means for automatically carrying out a contact avoiding operation;

wherein said contact-possibility determining means determines that there is a possibility of contact, when the relative lateral deviation is in a predetermined range, or when the relative lateral deviation is not in a predetermined range and said steering-state detecting means has detected an involuntary steering operation by the driver in the direction for the vehicle to approach the on-coming vehicle,

wherein said contact avoiding means carries out a contact avoiding operation when the relative lateral deviation is not in the predetermined range and said steering-state detecting means has detected an involuntary steering operation by the driver in the direction for the vehicle to approach the on-coming vehicle,

wherein said contact avoiding means inhibits said involuntary steering operation by the driver in the direction for the vehicle to approach the on-coming vehicle, and

wherein said contact avoiding means decreases the steering assisting force generated by the steering device, as the degree of approach of the vehicle to the on-coming vehicle due to the involuntary steering operation by the driver becomes larger.

2. A travel safety system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said contact avoiding means decreases the steering assisting force generated by the steering device, as the relative distance between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle becomes smaller, or as the relative speed between the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle becomes larger.

3. A travel safety system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said steering-state detecting means detects an involuntary steering operation by the driver, when the time-variation rate in steering torque and the time-variation rate in steering angle inputted to the steering wheel by the driver, are equal to or less than predetermined values.