Curve approach control apparatus

• US 6,725,145 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2000
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US09/659,057
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/70, 701/72, 340/438, 340/437, 340/441, 340/466, 340/467, 303/140, 303/189
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0075 responsive to vehicle steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0083 responsive to centrifugal force acting on vehicle due to the path it is following
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/18 including a device to audibly, visibly, or otherwise signal the existence of unusual or unintended speed to the driver of the vehicle devices primarily intended for indicating speed to other traffic B60Q1/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

In a curve approach control apparatus that uses road information from the navigation device to perform an alarm control or a deceleration control on a curve in front, when it is decided that the driver is going to travel straight as he or she passes through the curve, the alarm control or the deceleration control is inhibited.

Claims

1. A curve approach control apparatus comprising:

vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting a vehicle running condition as the vehicle approaches a curve on a road where the driver has a choice of going straight or turning into the curve and where a set path for the vehicle is for turning into the curve,

a controlling unit for controlling said vehicle based on at least said vehicle running condition so as to enable said vehicle to safely pass through a curve in front of said vehicle in the event the driver decides to turn into the curve instead of traveling straight on said road;

comparing means for comparing an actual measured value of a turning motion parameter of said vehicle and an estimated value of a turning motion parameter estimated from said vehicle speed and a curve'"'"'s radius of curvature, and

deciding means for determining a driver'"'"'s intention based on said comparing means whether the driver intends to travel straight on the road or to turn into the curve in front of said vehicle based on said vehicle running condition, and for determining that the driver intends to travel straight when the actual measured value of a turning motion parameter of said vehicle is less than or equal to the estimated value of the turning motion parameter of the vehicle thereby indicating that a straight travel state is decided by the driver.

wherein said controlling unit, based on said deciding means determining a straight travel state, inhibits unnecessary execution of alarm or deceleration for controlling said vehicle in order to enable said vehicle to safely travel straight on said road when said deciding means determines that the driver intends to travel straight on said road and not enter the curve and when said controlling unit determines from running conditions of said vehicle that the driver intends to turn into the curve, said controlling unit permits alarm control and deceleration control.

2. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the turning motion parameter is a yaw rate.

3. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the turning motion parameter is a lateral acceleration.

4. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the turning motion parameter is a steering wheel angle.

5. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said deciding means determines the driver intention to travel straight when said vehicle is in an accelerating state at a predetermined range in front of the curve.

6. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said deciding means determines whether the driver intends to travel straight without turning at an intersection.

7. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a navigation device for storing road map information and for navigating a driver whether said vehicle travels straight or into the curve,

wherein said controlling unit inhibits an execution of alarm or deceleration for controlling said vehicle when said deciding means determines that the driver intends to travel straight even if said navigation device guides the driver to drive into the curve.

8. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said controlling unit executes at least one of an alarm control and a deceleration control for the curve in front of the vehicle.

9. A method for curve approach control for a driver of a vehicle comprising:

detecting a vehicle running condition on a road approaching an intersection of a curve and a straight road;

controlling the performing of at least one of an alarm control and a deceleration control for a curve in front of a vehicle; and

deciding a driver'"'"'s intention whether the driver intends to travel straight on said straight road or to turn into the curve based on said vehicle running condition,

said deciding a driver'"'"'s intention to travel straight is carried out by comparing an actual measured value of a turning motion parameter of said vehicle and an estimated value of a turning motion estimated from said vehicle speed and a curve'"'"'s radius of curvature and determining that the driver intends to travel straight when the actual measured value of a turning motion parameter of said vehicle is less than or equal to the estimated value of the turning motion parameter of the vehicle thereby indicating that a straight travel state is decided by the driver,

wherein said controlling, based on determining a straight travel state, inhibits an execution of at least one of the alarm control and the deceleration control when it is determined that the driver intends to travel straight.

10. A curve approach control apparatus mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a running condition detecting means for detecting a running condition of said vehicle;

a controlling unit for performing at least one of an alarm control and a deceleration control for a curve in front of said vehicle based on at least said vehicle running condition so as to enable the vehicle to turn into the curve safely;

intersection detecting means for detecting an intersection in the road in front of said vehicle;

deciding means for determining whether a driver intends to travel straight through the intersection or to turn at the intersection by detecting a straight travel state of said vehicle based on said vehicle running condition;

and for determining that the driver intends to travel straight when a straight travel state of said vehicle is detected,

said deciding means determines said straight travel state by comparing an actual measured value of a turning motion parameter of said vehicle and an estimated value of a turning motion parameter estimated from said vehicle speed and a curve'"'"'s radius of curvature and for determining that the driver intends to travel straight when the actual measured value of a turning motion parameter of said vehicle is less than or equal to the estimated value of the turning motion parameter of the vehicle thereby indicating that a straight travel state is decided by the driver,

wherein said controlling unit, based on said deciding means determining a straight travel state, inhibits the execution of said alarm or deceleration for controlling said vehicle when the driver intends to travel straight through said intersection.

11. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said intersection detecting means includes

a navigation device for storing road information within a set range of vehicle travel route in front of said vehicle and for directing the driver,

wherein said controlling unit inhibits an execution of controlling said vehicle when said deciding means determines that the driver intends to travel straight through said intersection even if said navigation device directs the driver to turn at said intersection instead of going straight.

12. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

said straight travel state is detected by comparing an actual detected value of turning motion parameter of an estimated value of turning motion estimated based on said vehicle running condition and a curve'"'"'s radius of said intersection calculated based on the road map information.

13. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

said deciding means determines that the driver intends to travel straight through the intersection when said vehicle is in an accelerating state at a predetermined range in front of the intersection.

14. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

said deciding means determines that the driver intends to travel straight through the intersection based on said straight travel state and when said vehicle is in an accelerating state at a perdetermined range in front of the intersection,

wherein said straight travel state is detected by comparing an actual detected value of turning motion parameter of an estimated value of turning motion estimated based on said vehicle running condition and a radius of said curve of said intersection calculated based on the road map information.

15. The curve approach control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said intersection detecting means includes

a navigation device for storing road information within a set range of vehicle travel route in front of said vehicle and for directing the driver,

a road shape detection device for detecting road shape including at least a position of an intersection ahead of said vehicle by processing an image of the road in front of said vehicle taken by a pair of cameras,

wherein said deciding means determines whether the driver intends to travel straight through said intersection or to turn at said intersection when the output information about the intersection from both said navigation device and the road shape detection device coincides with each other.