Lane keep control apparatus and method for automotive vehicle

• US 7,603,215 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Shinji, Tange, Satoshi, Shimakage, Masayasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US11/001,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/70, 701/43, 701/71, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/084 using suspension control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/087 using active steering actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

In lane keep control apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, a deviation tendency detecting section detects whether the vehicle has a tendency of a deviation from a traveling traffic lane and a deviation avoidance controlling section performs a control for the vehicle to travel on a road surface which is parallel to the traveling traffic lane when the deviation tendency detecting section detects that the vehicle has the tendency of the deviation from the traveling traffic lane and, thereafter, performs a control to prevent a yaw angle of the vehicle with respect to the traveling traffic lane from increasing in a direction in which the tendency of the deviation becomes large.

Claims

1. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a deviation estimation value calculating section configured to calculate a deviation estimation value based on a position relationship between the vehicle and a traveling traffic lane;

a deviation tendency detecting section configured to receive the deviation estimation value and to detect whether the vehicle has a tendency of a deviation from a traveling traffic lane based on the deviation estimation value;

a yaw angle detection section configured to detect yaw angle of the vehicle with respect to the traveling traffic lane;

a deviation avoidance controlling section configured to provide yaw moment to the vehicle based on the deviation estimation value until the yaw angle becomes a predetermined value, wherein the predetermined value is zero or substantially zero; and

a yaw moment estimation section configured to calculate a yaw moment estimation value in a direction in which the tendency of the deviation is detected, when the deviation tendency detecting section detects the tendency of the deviation that has been made by the vehicle,

wherein the deviation avoidance controlling section is configured to control yaw moment of the vehicle in order for only the yaw moment in the direction of the deviation from the traffic lane to be canceled on a basis of the yaw moment estimation value calculated by the yaw moment estimation section, after the yaw angle becomes equal to the predetermined value, so as to allow a vehicle operator to steer the vehicle back to the traveling traffic lane without any assistance from the lane keep control apparatus.

2. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deviation avoidance controlling section comprises:

a deviation reduction controlling section that is configured to generate a yaw moment in a direction in which the yaw angle of the vehicle with respect to the traffic lane in the deviation direction of the vehicle from the traffic lane becomes small; and

a vehicular direction maintenance controlling section that is configured to generate the yaw moment which enables a prevention of the increase of the yaw angle in the deviation direction of the vehicle from the traffic lane when the yaw angle of the vehicle can be deemed to be zero.

3. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lane keep control apparatus further comprises:

a steering quantity detecting section that is configured to detect a steering quantity of the vehicle; and

a steering yaw moment estimating section that is configured to estimate a steering yaw moment developed on the vehicle according to the steering quantity detected by the steering quantity detecting section,

wherein the vehicular direction maintenance controlling section generates the yaw moment to cancel the steering yaw moment in the deviation direction of the vehicle from the traffic lane estimated by the steering yaw moment estimating section.

4. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lane keep control apparatus further comprises a road surface recess-and-convex portion detecting section that detects whether the vehicle is traveling on a road surface recess-and-convex portion disposed on a traffic lane block line and wherein the vehicular direction maintenance controlling section generates the yaw moment which enables the prevention of the increase of the yaw angle in the deviation direction of the vehicle from the traffic lane when the road surface recess-and-convex portion section detects that the vehicle is traveling on the road surface-and-convex portion and when the yaw angle of the vehicle can be doomed to be zero.

5. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lane keep control apparatus further comprises a road surface recess-and-convex portion detecting section that detects whether the vehicle is traveling on a road surface recess-and-convex portion disposed in a proximity along a traffic lane block line and wherein the vehicular direction maintenance controlling section generates the yaw moment which enables the prevention of the increase of the yaw angle in the deviation direction of the vehicle from the traffic lane when the road surface recess-and-convel portion detecting section detects that the vehicle is traveling in the road surface recess-and-convex portion and when the yaw angle of the vehicle can be deemed to be zero.

6. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lane keep control apparatus further comprises a road wheel velocity detecting section that detects road wheel velocities of the vehicle and wherein the road surface recess-and-convex portion detecting section detects whether the vehicle is traveling on the recess-and-convex portion on the basis of the road wheel velocities detected by the road wheel velocity detecting section.

7. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed is claim 6, wherein the road wheel velocity detecting section detects the road wheel velocities of left and right road wheels of the vehicles and wherein the road surface recess-and-convex portion detecting section detects that the vehicle is traveling on the road surface recess-and-convex portion when only one of the road velocities of the left and right road wheels is varied.

8. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the road wheel velocity detecting section detects the road wheel velocities of front left and right road wheels of the vehicle and wherein the road surface recess-and-convex portion detecting section detects that the vehicle is traveling on the road surface recess-and-convex portion when only one of the read wheel velocities of the front left and right road wheels is varied.

9. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the road surface recess-and-convex portion detecting section detects that the vehicle is traveling on the road surface recess-and-convex portion when one of the road wheel velocities of the vehicle is varied at a period preset in accordance with a traveling speed of the vehicle.

10. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lane keep control apparatus further comprises a suspension state detecting section that detects a state of a verticle movement of a vehicular suspension and wherein the road surface recess-and-convex portion detecting section detects whether the vehicle is traveling on the road surface recess-and-convex portion on the basis of the state of the vertical movement of the vehicular suspension detected by the suspension state detecting section.

11. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lane keep control apparatus further comprises:

a photographing section that is configured to photograph an image in a forward direction of the vehicle; and

a traffic lane block line detecting section that is configured to detect a traffic lane block line from the image photographed by the photographing section,

wherein the deviation tendency detecting section detects a deviation quantity of the vehicle from the traveling traffic lane on the basis of the deviation quantity and detects whether the vehicle has the tendency of the deviation from the traveling traffic lane on the basis of the detected deviation quantity.

12. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lane keep control apparatus further comprises:

a lateral displacement estimation traveling state detecting section that is configured to detect a traveling speed of the vehicle, the yaw angle of the vehicle with respect to the traveling traffic lane, a lateral displacement of the vehicle with respect to the traveling traffic lane, and a curvature of the traveling traffic lane on which the vehicle is traveling,

wherein the deviation tendency, detecting section estimates a future lateral displacement of the vehicle with respect to the traveling traffic lane as the deviation quantity on the basis of a result of detection by the lateral displacement estimation traveling state detecting section and detects that the vehicle has the tendency of the deviation from the traveling traffic lane when the future lateral displacement of the vehicle with respect to the traveling traffic lane is equal to or larger than a preset lateral displacement limitation value.

13. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the deviation avoidance controlling section is configured to maintain the vehicle on the road surface which is parallel to the traveling traffic lane by the deviation avoidance controlling section until a vehicle operator steers the vehicle back to the traveling traffic lane or to another traffic lane.

14. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the road surface which is parallel to the traveling traffic lane includes the traveling traffic lane and an adjacent traffic lane or road shoulder.

15. A lane keep control apparatus for an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is maintained in a substantially straight traveling direction on the road surface which is parallel to the traveling traffic lane by the deviation avoidance controlling section.