Driving support system

Abstract

A driving support system includes a lane detecting unit for detecting lanes around a vehicle, a route correcting unit for correcting a route along which the vehicle is expected to travel taking into consideration an obstacle on the route after the route has been recognized by lanes detected by the lane detecting unit, and a control unit for controlling the vehicle on the basis of the positional relation between the corrected route determined by the route correcting unit and the vehicle.

1 . A driving support system comprising:
 a lane detecting unit for detecting lanes around a vehicle;   a route correcting unit for correcting a route along which the vehicle is expected to travel taking into consideration an obstacle on the route after the route has been recognized by lanes detected by the lane detecting unit; and   a control unit for controlling the vehicle on the basis of the positional relation between the corrected route determined by the route correcting unit and the vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The driving support system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit starts controlling the vehicle when it is decided that the vehicle changes the route from a lane in which the vehicle is traveling at present to another lane in which a obstacle lies on the basis of information about the obstacle while the vehicle is traveling in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling at present. 
     
     
         3 . The driving support system according to  claim 1 , wherein the detecting unit includes imaging devices for forming images of matters around the vehicle, and a lane recognizing device for recognizing lanes by images of lane markings or road boundaries formed by the imaging devices. 
     
     
         4 . A driving support system comprising:
 a line generating unit capable of generating first lines for guiding a vehicle to a desired route along which a vehicle is expected to travel, and second lines for preventing the vehicle from coming into contact with an obstacle; and   a control unit for controlling the vehicle on the basis of the positional relation between the vehicle and at least one of the first and the second lines.   
     
     
         5 . A driving support system comprising:
 a lane detecting unit for detecting lanes around a vehicle;   a line generating unit capable of determining a route along which the vehicle is expected to travel on the basis of lanes detected by the lane detecting unit, of generating first lines for guiding the vehicle so as to travel along the determined route, and of generating second lines for preventing the vehicle coming into contact with an obstacle on the basis of the first lines; and   a control unit capable of controlling the vehicle on the basis of the positional relation between the vehicle, and the first and the second lines.   
     
     
         6 . The driving support system according to  claim 4 , wherein the line generating unit generates the first lines on the basis of detected lane markings around the vehicle or detected road boundaries, and generates the second lines on the basis of positions of detected road boundaries or an obstacle around the vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The driving support system according to  claim 4 , wherein different control gains and different actuators are used respectively for controlling motions of the vehicle based on the positional relation between the vehicle and the first lines, and motions of the vehicle based on the positional relation between the vehicle and the second lines. 
     
     
         8 . The driving support system according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one of shape, color, number of lane markings, intervals between lane markings and legal meanings of lane markings is determined, and at least one of a route to which the vehicle is to be guided, values of controlled variables of the vehicle, and giving information to a driver driving the vehicle is adjusted according to a result of the determination. 
     
     
         9 . The driving support system according to  claim 1 , wherein the obstacle is at least one of other vehicles, pedestrians, animals, objects dropped on roads, road shoulders, ditches, embankments and guardrails, and at least one of a route for avoiding contact between the vehicle and the obstacle, values of controlled variables for controlling motions of the vehicle, and a method giving a driver driving the vehicle information is changed according to the type of the obstacle. 
     
     
         10 . The driving support system according to  claim 4 , wherein the line generating unit generates the second lines on the basis of at least one of data on traveling speed, acceleration, overall width, overall length, tread and wheelbase of the vehicle, yawing moment generating capacity of the vehicle, braking capacity of the vehicle, friction coefficient representing frictional property of the road, gradient of the road, radius of curvature of a curve, distance and angle allowing lane detection, and distance and angle allowing obstacle detection. 
     
     
         11 . The driving support system according to  claim 4 , wherein the line generating unit generates the second lines on the basis of values of controlled variables for controlling motions of the vehicle determined on the basis of the positional relation between the vehicle and the first lines or information given to a driver driving the vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The driving support system according to  claim 4 , wherein the second lines are a right second line and a left second line, the first line is corrected when the left second line is on the right side of the first line so that the left second line is on the right side of the first line or the first line is corrected when the right second line is on the left side of the first line so that the first line is on the left side of the second line. 
     
     
         13 . The driving support system according to  claim 4 , wherein the second lines are a right second line and a left second line, and the control unit decelerates the vehicle when the right and the left second line intersect each other. 
     
     
         14 . A driving support system comprising:
 a lane detecting unit for detecting lanes around a vehicle;   a route correcting unit for correcting a route along which the vehicle is expected to travel taking into consideration an obstacle on the route after the route has been recognized by lanes detected by the lane detecting unit; and   an information output unit for giving information about the route based on the positional relation between the corrected route corrected by the route correcting unit and the vehicle to a driver driving the vehicle.