Vehicle steering control device and vehicle steering control method

• US 7,809,483 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Norihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/866,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 180/167, 318/586
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/008 Changing the transfer ratio between the steering wheel and the steering gear by variable supply of energy, e.g. by using a superposition gear
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle steering control device capable of executing automatic steering and manual steering includes: an automatic control amount-setting device that sets a target automatic control amount based on information about vehicle behavior and ambient environment; a steering control amount-setting device that sets a target steering amount based on a manual steering amount input by a driver and the set target automatic control amount; and a steering device that steers based on the set target steering amount. When the target automatic control amount contributes more in the setting of the target steering amount than the manual steering amount does, the steering control amount-setting device sets the target steering amount so as to better the responsiveness in the lateral shift of the vehicle relatively to the responsiveness in the turning of the vehicle, in comparison with when the target automatic amount does not contribute more than the manual steering amount.

Claims

1. A vehicle steering control device configured to execute automatic steering and manual steering, comprising:

an automatic control amount-setting device that sets a target automatic control amount based on information about a behavior of a vehicle and about an ambient environment;

a steering control amount-setting device that sets a target steering amount based on a manual steering amount input by a driver and the target automatic control amount set by the automatic steering amount-setting device; and

a steering device that steers the vehicle based on the target steering amount set by the steering control amount-setting device,

wherein when a contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount, the steering control amount-setting device sets the target steering amount so as to raise a responsiveness in a lateral shift of the vehicle relative to the responsiveness in turning of the vehicle, in contrast with when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is equal to or smaller in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

2. The vehicle steering control device according to claim 1, wherein the automatic control amount-setting device sets the target automatic control amount so that a predetermined vehicle speed is maintained.

3. The vehicle steering control device according to claim 2, wherein, when the target automatic control amount is set so that the predetermined vehicle speed is maintained, the steering control amount-setting device determines that the contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

4. The vehicle steering control device according to claim 1, wherein the automatic control amount-setting device sets the target automatic control amount so that an inter-vehicle distance to a preceding vehicle is kept at a predetermined value.

5. The vehicle steering control device according to claim 4, wherein, when the target automatic control amount is set so that the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle is kept at the predetermined value, the steering control amount-setting device determines that the contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

6. The vehicle steering control device according to claim 1, wherein the automatic control amount-setting device sets the target automatic control amount so that the vehicle runs in a predetermined lane.

7. The vehicle steering control device according to claim 6, wherein, when the target automatic control amount is set so that the vehicle runs in a predetermined lane, the steering control amount-setting device determines that the contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

8. The vehicle steering control device according to claim 1, wherein when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in the setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount, the steering control amount-setting device sets the target steering amount so that a phase delay of a lateral acceleration of the vehicle relative to the steering amount becomes smaller than when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is equal to or smaller in the setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

9. The vehicle steering control device according to claim 1, wherein the steering control amount-setting device raises the responsiveness in a lateral shift of the vehicle relative to the responsiveness in turning of the vehicle by changing a control map at a time when the automatic steering is executed.

10. The vehicle steering control device according to claim 1, wherein the steering device steers a front wheel and a rear wheel individually based on the target steering amount, and when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in the setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount, the steering control amount-setting device sets the target steering amount so that the steering amount of the rear wheel becomes larger than when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is equal to or smaller in the setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

11. The vehicle steering control device according to claim 1, wherein the responsiveness in a lateral shift of the vehicle relatively to the responsiveness in turning of the vehicle is bettered when automatic control is executed by the automatic control amount-setting device than when manual control is executed by the driver.

12. A vehicle steering control method configured to execute automatic steering and manual steering, comprising:

setting a target automatic control amount based on information about behavior of a vehicle and about ambient environment;

setting a target steering amount based on a manual steering amount input by a driver and the set target automatic control amount set; and

steering based on the set target steering amount,

wherein when a contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount, the target steering amount is set so as to raise a responsiveness in a lateral shift of the vehicle relative to the responsiveness in turning of the vehicle, in contrast with when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is equal to or smaller in the setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

13. The vehicle steering control method according to claim 12, wherein the target automatic control amount is set so that a predetermined vehicle speed is maintained.

14. The vehicle steering control method according to claim 13, wherein, when the target automatic control amount is set so that the predetermined vehicle speed is maintained, it is determined that the contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

15. The vehicle steering control method according to claim 12, wherein the target automatic control amount is set so that an inter-vehicle distance to a preceding vehicle is kept at a predetermined value.

16. The vehicle steering control method according to claim 15, wherein, when the target automatic control amount is set so that the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle is kept at the predetermined value, it is determined that the contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

17. The vehicle steering control method according to claim 12, wherein the target automatic control amount is set so that the vehicle runs in a predetermined lane.

18. The vehicle steering control method according to claim 17, wherein, when the target automatic control amount is set so that the vehicle runs in a predetermined lane, it is determined that the contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

19. The vehicle steering control method according to claim 12, wherein when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in the setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount, the target steering amount is set so that a phase delay of a lateral acceleration of the vehicle relative to the steering amount becomes smaller than when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is equal to or smaller in the setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

20. The vehicle steering control method according to claim 12, wherein the responsiveness in a lateral shift of the vehicle is raised relative to the responsiveness in turning of the vehicle by changing a control map at the time when the automatic steering is executed.

21. The vehicle steering control method according to claim 12, wherein a front wheel and a rear wheel are individually steered based on the target steering amount, and wherein when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in the setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount, the target steering amount is set so that the steering amount of the rear wheel becomes larger than when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is equal to or smaller in the setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount.

22. The vehicle steering control method according to claim 12, wherein the responsiveness in a lateral shift of the vehicle relatively to the responsiveness in turning of the vehicle is bettered when automatic control is executed than when manual control is executed.

23. A vehicle steering control device configured to execute automatic steering and manual steering, comprising:

an automatic control amount-setting device that sets a target automatic control amount based on information about a behavior of a vehicle and about an ambient environment;

a steering control amount-setting device that sets a target steering amount based on a manual steering amount input by a driver and the target automatic control amount set by the automatic steering amount-setting device; and

a steering device that steers the vehicle based on the target steering amount set by the steering control amount-setting device,

wherein when a contribution of the target automatic control amount is larger in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount, the steering control amount-setting device sets the target steering amount so as to raise a responsiveness in a lateral shift of the vehicle relative to the responsiveness in turning of the vehicle, in contrast with when the contribution of the target automatic control amount is equal to or smaller in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount, and

wherein when a contribution of the target automatic control amount is equal to or smaller in setting of the target steering amount than the contribution of the manual steering amount, the steering control amount-setting device sets the target steering amount so that the responsiveness in the lateral shift of the vehicle substantially equals the responsiveness in the turning of the vehicle.