Vehicle safety running control system

• US 6,259,992 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1998
• 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: Sugimoto, Yoichi, Urai, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US09/324,735
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 701/96, 701/300, 701/301, 701/70, 340/436, 340/903, 340/435, 340/933, 180/169, 180/271, 180/170
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A system for controlling safety running of a vehicle, including obstacle detecting means such as a laser radar for detecting an obstacle (e.g., other vehicle) present ahead on a course of travel of the vehicle, and operating means for operating a braking system of the vehicle to avoid contact with the obstacle. In the system, if it is found that the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting means is lost, the operating means operates the braking system based on at least an estimated possibility of contact or degree of certainty of obstacle. With the arrangement, the system can appropriately cope with a situation in which an obstacle, once detected, is lost during braking operation, without degrading the driving feeling or comfort and without causing the vehicle driver to experience annoyance, while ensuring obstacle avoidance without fail.

Claims

1. A system for controlling safety running of a vehicle, comprising:

obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle present ahead on a course of travel of the vehicle;

a braking system for braking the vehicle;

vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a speed of the vehicle;

relative distance determining means for determining a distance of the obstacle relative to the vehicle based on a detection result of the obstacle detecting means;

relative speed detecting means for determining a speed of the obstacle relative to the vehicle based on a detection result of the obstacle detecting means;

contact possibility determining means for determining possibility of contact with the obstacle based on the determined relative distance and relative speed; and

braking system operating means for operating the braking system to brake the vehicle at the deceleration based on the determined possibility of contact;

wherein, if the obstacle is lost when the braking system is being operated, the contact possibility determining means determines the possibility of contact based on a detection result of the obstacle detecting means obtained before the obstacle was lost.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein, if the obstacle is lost when the braking system is being operated, the contact possibility determining means determines the possibility of contact, determines the relative distance based on the detection result of the obstacle detecting means obtained before the obstacle was lost, and when the determined relative distance is not more than a first predetermined value, determines the possibility of contact to be great.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein, if the obstacle is lost when the braking system is being operated, the contact possibility determining means determines the possibility of contact, determines the relative distance based on the detection result of the obstacle detecting means obtained before the obstacle was lost, and when the determined relative distance is not more than a second predetermined value and when the relative speed is not less than a third predetermined value, determines the possibility of contact to be great.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the braking system operating means increases the deceleration by an amount with respect to time when the possibility of contact is determined to be great.

5. A system according to claim 1, further including;

steer determining means for determining whether the steering is operated;

and wherein the braking system operating means terminates increasing the deceleration when the steering determining means determines that the steering is operated.

6. A system according to claim 1, further including;

steer determining means for determining whether the steering is operated;

and wherein the braking system operating means decreases a rate of increasing the deceleration when the steering determining means determines that the steering is operated.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein, if the obstacle is lost when the braking system is being operated, the contact possibility determining means determines the possibility of contact, determines the relative distance based on the detection result of the obstacle detecting means obtained before the obstacle was lost, and when the determined relative distance is not more than a fourth predetermined value, determines the possibility of contact to be small.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein, if the obstacle is lost when the braking system is being operated, the contact possibility determining means determines the possibility of contact, determines the relative distance based on the detection result of the obstacle detecting means obtained before the obstacle was lost, and when the relative speed is not more than a fifth predetermined value, determines the possibility of contact to be small.

9. A system according to claim 1, further including:

a lateral relative position determining means for determining a position of the obstacle relative to the vehicle in a vehicle-width direction;

and wherein, if the obstacle is lost when the braking system is being operated, the contact possibility determining means determines the possibility of contact, determines the lateral relative position based on the detection result of the lateral relative position determining means obtained before the obstacle was lost, and if it is determined that the vehicle has avoided the obstacle based on the determined relative position, determines the possibility of contact to be small.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the braking system operating means decreases the deceleration by an amount with respect to time when the possibility of contact is determined to be small.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the braking system operating means terminates operation of the braking system when the deceleration is not more than a prescribed value.

12. A system for controlling safety running of a vehicle, including:

obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle present ahead on a course of travel of the vehicle;

vehicle device operating means for operating a device of the vehicle to avoid contact with the obstacle;

degree of certainty determining means for determining a degree of certainty of obstacle to determine whether the detected by the obstacle detecting means is, in fact, the obstacle, when the detected obtained by the obstacle detecting means is lost;

braking system operating means for operating a braking system to brake the vehicle at a deceleration based on the determined degree of certainty; and

information estimating means for estimating information concerning at least one of a position and a speed of the obstacle, if the detected is lost when the braking system is being operated, based on the detection result of the obstacle detecting means obtained before the detected was lost,

wherein the braking system operates the braking system based on the information when the degree of certain is determined to be great, if the detected is lost during operating the braking system, and

wherein the vehicle device operating means controls operation of the device based on the determined degree of certainty.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the braking system operating means operates the braking system for a time which decreases with decreasing degree of certainty.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein the braking system operating means operates the braking system to change a rate of the deceleration based on the degree of certainty.

15. A system for controlling safety running of a vehicle, including:

obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle present ahead on a course of travel of the vehicle;

vehicle device operating means for operating a device of the vehicle to avoid contact with the obstacle;

degree of certainty determining means for determining a degree of certainty of obstacle to determine whether the detected by the obstacle detecting means is, in fact, the obstacle, when the detected obtained by the obstacle detecting means is lost;

braking system operating means for operating a braking system based on the determined degree of certainty such that the vehicle decelerates; and

information estimating means for estimating information concerning at least one of a position and a speed of the obstacle, if the detected is lost when the braking system is being operated, based on a detecting result of the obstacle detecting means obtained before the detected was lost,

wherein the braking system operating means operates the braking system based on the degree of certainty when the degree of certain is determined to be small, if the detected is lost during operation of the braking system and

wherein the vehicle device operating means controls operation of the device based on the determined degree of certainty.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the braking system operating means operates the braking system for a time which decreases with decreasing degree of certainty.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein the braking system operating means operates the braking system to change a rate of the deceleration based on the degree of certainty.