Preceding vehicle selection apparatus

• US 9,580,072 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sudou, Takuma, Kurumisawa, Jin, Nozawa, Toyohito, Namikiri, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHUDY, ANGELINA M
• Application Number:
  US14/504,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 701/94, 701/96, 701/300, 180167-170, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0022 Gains, weighting coefficients or weighting functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0054 Cut-off filters, retarders, delaying means, dead zones, threshold values or cut-off frequency
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/50 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target

Abstract

A preceding vehicle selection apparatus estimates a curvature of a traveling road on which an own vehicle is traveling, detects an object ahead of the own vehicle, and determines a relative position in relation to the own vehicle, for each object ahead. Based on the estimated curvature and the determined relative position, an own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value for each object ahead is repeatedly determined. An own vehicle lane probability is determined by performing a filter calculation on the calculated own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value. Based on the determined own vehicle lane probability, a preceding vehicle is selected. Characteristics of the filter calculation are set such that an object ahead associated with a preceding vehicle selected in a previous processing cycle is relatively less affected by the own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value than an object ahead associated with an object other than the preceding vehicle.

Claims

1. A preceding vehicle selection apparatus comprising:

curvature estimating means that estimates a curvature of a traveling road on which an own vehicle is traveling;

object position detecting means that detects an object ahead of the own vehicle, and determines a relative position in relation to the own vehicle, for each obiect ahead;

instantaneous probability calculating means that repeatedly determines an own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value for each object ahead, based on the estimated curvature estimated by the curvature estimating means and the relative position determined by the object position detecting means, the own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value being an instantaneous value of a probability of an obiect ahead being present in the same vehicle lane as the own vehicle;

filter calculating means that determines an own vehicle lane probability by performing a filter calculation on the own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value calculated by the instantaneous probability calculating means;

preceding vehicle selecting means that selects a preceding vehicle based on the own vehicle lane probability determined by the filter calculating means; and

filter characteristics setting means that sets characteristics of the filter calculation such that an object ahead associated with a preceding vehicle selected by the preceding vehicle selecting means in a previous processing cycle is relatively less affected by the own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value than an object ahead associated with an object other than the preceding vehicle, wherein;

the filter characteristics setting means changes the characteristics of the filter calculation based on an inter-vehicle time indicating a time required for the own vehicle to reach a detection position of the object ahead, so as to be more affected by the own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value as the inter-vehicle time to the object ahead is shorter;

the filter calculating means

determines a present value of the own vehicle lane probability in a present processing cycle by performing the filter calculation to calculate, using a weight, a weighted average of (i) the own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value and (ii) a previous value of the own vehicle lane probability determined in a previous processing cycle by the filter calculating means, and

changes the weight for calculating the weighted average based on an inter-vehicle time indicating a time required for the own vehicle to reach a detection position of the object ahead; and

the own vehicle lane probability is determined by

2. The preceding vehicle selection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the curvature of the traveling road is estimated by

3. A preceding vehicle selection method comprising:

estimating, by a preceding vehicle selection apparatus, a curvature of a traveling road on which an own vehicle is traveling;

detecting, by the preceding vehicle selection apparatus, an object ahead of the own vehicle, and determining a relative position in relation to the own vehicle, for each obiect ahead;

repeatedly determining, by the preceding vehicle selection apparatus, an own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value for each object ahead, based on the estimated curvature and the determined relative position, the own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value being an instantaneous value of a probability of an obiect ahead being present in the same vehicle lane as the own vehicle;

determining, by the preceding vehicle selection apparatus, an own vehicle lane probability by performing a filter calculation on the calculated own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value;

selecting, by the preceding vehicle selection apparatus, a preceding vehicle based on the determined own vehicle lane probability; and

setting, by the preceding vehicle selection apparatus, characteristics of the filter calculation such that an object ahead associated with a preceding vehicle selected in a previous processing cycle is relatively less affected by the own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value than an object ahead associated with an object other than the preceding vehicle, wherein;

the characteristics of the filter calculation is changed based on an inter-vehicle time indicating a time required for the own vehicle to reach a detection position of the object ahead, so as to be largely affected by the own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value as the inter-vehicle time to the obiect ahead is shorter;

a present value of the own vehicle lane probability in a present processing cycle is determined by performing the filter calculation to calculate, using a weight, a weighted average of (i) the own vehicle lane probability instantaneous value and (ii) a previous value of the own vehicle lane probability determined in a previous processing cycle by the filter calculating means, and

the weight for calculating the weighted average is changed based on an inter-vehicle time indicating a time required for the own vehicle to reach a detection position of the obiect ahead; and

the own vehicle lane probability is determined by

4. The preceding vehicle selection method according to claim 3, wherein

the curvature of the traveling road is estimated by