Inter-vehicle distance control device

• US 9,002,614 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Tominaga, Motonori, Tsuruta, Tomohiko, Ueda, Yusuke, Hatoh, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Worden, Tommy
• Application Number:
  US13/775,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/96, 340435-436, 340/903
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

An inter-vehicle distance control device is provided. In this control device, an inter-vehicle distance detecting section detects an inter-vehicle distance between an own vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle. A laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section detects another vehicle present beside the own vehicle. A cut-in detecting section judges whether or not a cut-in by the other vehicle detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section is likely to occur, before the other vehicle cuts in between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle. An inter-vehicle distance adjusting section performs an inter-vehicle distance extension adjustment to increase the inter-vehicle distance when the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur. An inter-vehicle distance control section controls the inter-vehicle distance based on information from the inter-vehicle distance adjusting section.

Claims

1. An inter-vehicle distance control device, comprising:

an inter-vehicle distance detecting section for detecting an inter-vehicle distance between an own vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle;

a laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section for detecting an other vehicle present beside the own vehicle;

a cut-in detecting section for judging whether or not a cut-in by the other vehicle detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section is likely to occur, before the other vehicle cuts in between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle;

an inter-vehicle distance adjusting section for performing inter-vehicle distance extension adjustment to increase the inter-vehicle distance when the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur;

an inter-vehicle distance control section for controlling the inter-vehicle distance based on information from the inter-vehicle distance adjusting section; and

a successive cut-in detecting section for judging whether or not a successive cut-in is likely to occur after the cut-in by the other vehicle is completed, based on the presence of a new vehicle detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section;

wherein the inter-vehicle distance adjusting section performs inter-vehicle distance shortening adjustment to reduce the inter-vehicle distance, when the successive cut-in detecting section judges that a successive cut-in is likely to occur.

2. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 1, wherein the inter-vehicle distance adjusting section performs inter-vehicle distance returning adjustment to return the inter-vehicle distance to an inter-vehicle distance set in advance, when the successive cut-in detecting section detects that a successive cut-in is unlikely to occur.

3. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 2, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a lateral position adjusting section for offsetting a lateral position to a direction away from the other vehicle, the lateral position being a traveling position of the own vehicle in a lateral direction within a cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, when the lateral position can be adjusted and the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur;

and

a lateral position control section for controlling the traveling position of the own vehicle based on information from the lateral position adjusting section.

4. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 3, wherein the lateral position adjusting section performs a lateral position returning adjustment to return the lateral position to the original lateral position when the cut-in by the other vehicle is completed.

5. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 4, wherein the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur when a point at which the other vehicle is detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section is a meeting point.

6. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 5, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a luminance change detecting section for detecting a change in luminance in an adjacent cruising lane adjacent to the cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling;

and

a direction indication signal detecting section for judging whether or not a direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking based on the change in luminance detected by the luminance change detecting section, wherein

the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the direction indication signal detecting section judges that the direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking.

7. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 6, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a relative velocity detecting section for detecting a relative velocity of the other vehicle in relation to the own vehicle, based on results of a plurality of detection operations performed by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section, wherein

the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the relative velocity detected by the relative velocity detecting section is greater than a threshold value set in advance.

8. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 7, wherein

the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section is capable of measuring a distance to the other vehicle;

and

the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the distance to the other vehicle is becoming shorter based on results of the plurality of detection operations performed by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section.

9. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 8, wherein

a drift detecting section is included for judging whether or not the other vehicle is drifting, depending on whether or not fluctuation in the distance to the other vehicle is greater than a threshold value set in advance, based on results of a plurality of detection operations performed by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section;

and

the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the drift detecting section judges that the other vehicle is drifting.

10. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 9, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a control status presenting section for presenting a driver with a status related to a vehicle control.

11. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 10, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

an input section for enabling the driver to indicate whether or not to perform the vehicle control based on the status related to the vehicle control presented by the control status presenting section.

12. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 1, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a lateral position adjusting section for offsetting a lateral position to a direction away from the other vehicle, the lateral position being a traveling position of the own vehicle in a lateral direction within a cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, when the lateral position can be adjusted and the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur;

and

a lateral position control section for controlling the traveling position of the own vehicle based on information from the lateral position adjusting section.

13. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 12, wherein the lateral position adjusting section performs a lateral position returning adjustment to return the lateral position to the original lateral position when the cut-in by the other vehicle is completed.

14. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 13, wherein the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur when a point at which the other vehicle is detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section is a meeting point.

15. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 14, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a luminance change detecting section for detecting a change in luminance in a cruising lane adjacent to the cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling;

and

a direction indication signal detecting section for judging whether or not a direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking based on the change in luminance detected by the luminance change detecting section, wherein

the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the direction indication signal detecting section judges that the direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking.

16. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 1, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a lateral position adjusting section for offsetting a lateral position to a direction away from the other vehicle, the lateral position being a traveling position of the own vehicle in a lateral direction within a cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, when the lateral position can be adjusted and the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur;

and

a lateral position control section for controlling the traveling position of the own vehicle based on information from the lateral position adjusting section.

17. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 16, wherein the lateral position adjusting section performs a lateral position returning adjustment to return the lateral position to the original lateral position when the cut-in by the other vehicle is completed.

18. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 17, wherein the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur when a point at which the other vehicle is detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting section is a meeting point.

19. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 18, wherein the inter-vehicle distance control device further includes

a luminance change detecting section for detecting a change in luminance in a cruising lane adjacent to the cruising lane in which the own vehicle is traveling;

and

a direction indication signal detecting section for judging whether or not a direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking based on the change in luminance detected by the luminance change detecting section, wherein

the cut-in detecting section judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, when the direction indication signal detecting section judges that the direction indicator of the other vehicle is blinking.

20. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 1, wherein the successive cut-in detecting section judges whether or not a successive cut-in is likely to occur only after the cut-in by the other vehicle is completed.

21. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 1, wherein the successive cut-in detecting section judges whether or not a successive cut-in is likely to occur immediately after the cut-in by the other vehicle is completed.