Vehicle driving operation support apparatus/process and restraint control

• US 8,386,119 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Yosuke, Takigawa, Yoshifumi, Murata, Toshiyuki, Tange, Satoshi, Oida, Tomoaki, Suzuki, Taku, Chai, Yuwun, Hosaka, Motoaki, Kikuchi, Hironobu, Kimura, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, MAJDI A
• Application Number:
  US12/710,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 701/36, 701/41, 701/65, 701/70, 701/96, 701300-302, 340/576, 340/435, 340/436, 340/903, 180167-170
• US Class Current: 701/29.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/10 Acceleration; Deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/823 Obstacle sensing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/845 Darkness
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/847 Sunshine; Light
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/508 Scissors-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/544 Compression or tension springs B60N2/542 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/22 Suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/025 related to comfort of drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 : Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/008 : Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications

Abstract

A vehicle driving operation support apparatus for a vehicle, includes a sensing section to sense a traveling condition of the vehicle including a surrounding condition inclusive of an obstacle around the vehicle, and a control section to calculate a risk potential for the vehicle in accordance with the traveling condition. The control section performs a support control to support the driver in accordance with the risk potential, and performs an assist control to restrain disturbance (such as vibration from a road) transmitted to the driver in accordance with the risk potential.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving operation support apparatus comprising:

a vehicle condition sensing section configured to sense a vehicle condition of a vehicle;

an obstacle condition sensing section configured to monitor a surrounding condition including an obstacle around the vehicle;

an operation input section configured to allow a driver to input a driving operation to operate the vehicle;

a motion regulating section configured to regulate a movement transmitted to the driver; and

a control section configured to;

calculate a risk potential for the obstacle in accordance with the vehicle condition and the surrounding condition,

provide an operational reaction to the driving operation in accordance with the risk potential, and

perform an assist control to restrain transmission of disturbances to the driver in accordance with the risk potential by controlling the motion regulating section.

2. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a road condition sensing section configured to sense a road condition,

wherein the motion regulating section is configured to regulate a vertical movement transmitted to the driver, and

wherein the control section is configured to perform the assist control to selectively transmit and suppress transmission of disturbances to the driver in accordance with the risk potential and the road condition.

3. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an operational reaction imparting section configured to impart the operational reaction to the driving operation of the driver,

wherein the control section comprises;

a risk potential calculating section configured to calculate the risk potential for the obstacle in accordance with the vehicle condition and the surrounding condition,

a support controlling section configured to control the operational reaction to the driving operation in accordance with the risk potential by controlling the operational reaction imparting section, and

an assist controlling section configured to perform the assist control to control transmission of movement caused by vehicle behavior to the driver in accordance with the risk potential by controlling the motion regulating section.

4. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control section is configured to restrain transmission of a vehicle behavior to the driver, by controlling at least one of (i) an operational reaction in a vehicle longitudinal direction and (ii) an operational reaction in a vehicle lateral direction, in the operational reaction imparting section and the motion regulating section, in accordance with the risk potential.

5. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control section is configured to increase a degree of restraint for restraining a transmission of vehicle behavior to the driver as the risk potential becomes higher.

6. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control section is configured to vary a degree of restraint for restraining a transmission of vehicle behavior to the driver in accordance with a stability of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control section is configured to increase the degree of restraint for restraining the transmission of vehicle behavior to the driver as the stability of the vehicle decreases.

8. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control section is configured to decrease the degree of restraint for restraining the transmission of vehicle behavior to the driver as the stability of the vehicle decreases.

9. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control section is configured to increase the degree of restraint for restraining the disturbance transmitted to the driver with increase of the risk potential when the risk potential is higher than a first risk potential threshold.

10. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control section is configured to decrease the degree of restraint for restraining the disturbance transmitted to the driver from a higher value with increase of the risk potential when the risk potential is higher than a first risk potential threshold.

11. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motion regulating section includes a suspension device, and the control section is configured to perform the assist control to restrain transmission of disturbances to the driver in accordance with the risk potential by controlling the suspension device.

12. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the suspension device is disposed between a vehicle body and a wheel of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the suspension device is disposed between a driver'"'"'s seat and a vehicle body.

14. A vehicle comprising the vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

20. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motion regulating section is configured to regulate vibration in a vertical direction of the vehicle, and the control section is configured to restrain vibration transmitted to the driver by controlling the motion regulating section in accordance with the risk potential.

15. A vehicle driving operation support apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a sensing section configured to sense a traveling condition of the vehicle including a surrounding condition inclusive of an obstacle around the vehicle; and

a control section configured to;

calculate a risk potential for the vehicle in accordance with the traveling condition,

perform a support control to support the driver in accordance with the risk potential, and

perform an assist control to restrain transmission of disturbances to the driver in accordance with the risk potential.

16. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

an actuating section to control the vehicle for supporting the driver of the vehicle in accordance with the traveling condition,

wherein the control section is configured to perform the assist control to restrain movement transmitted to the driver by controlling the actuating section in accordance with the risk potential.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

as a part of the support control, the control section produces a reaction of the vehicle influencing the driver in response to a change in the risk potential, by controlling the actuating section, and

as a part of the assist control, the control section varies a degree of restraint for restraining transmission of the disturbance to the driver.

18. The vehicle driving operation support apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

the actuating section includes a reaction regulating section configured to produce a reaction of the vehicle, and a motion regulating section configured to regulate a movement transmitted to the driver, and

the control section is configured to (i) perform the support control by producing a reaction of the vehicle influencing the driver in response to an increase in the risk potential by controlling the reaction regulating section of the actuating section, and (ii) perform the assist control of varying the degree of restraint for restraining transmission of the movement to the driver by controlling the motion regulating section of the actuating section.

19. A vehicle driving operation support process for a vehicle, comprising:

sensing a traveling condition of the vehicle including a surrounding condition inclusive of an obstacle around the vehicle;

calculating a risk potential for the vehicle in accordance with the traveling condition;

performing a support control to support the driver in accordance with the risk potential; and

performing an assist control to restrain transmission of disturbances to the driver in accordance with the risk potential.