Vehicle running control method for avoiding that a vehicle collides with an obstacle

Abstract

A vehicle running control method includes detecting an obstacle in front of a vehicle; detecting a dynamic state of the vehicle; detecting an operation of the vehicle, the step of detecting including detecting at least a first steering operation amount of a driver; generating a collision avoidance route; calculating a second steering operation amount, the second steering operation amount being a steering operation amount necessary to be added to the first steering operation amount for following the generated collision avoidance route; and performing running control of the vehicle based on the generated collision avoidance route. When the vehicle is in a state of avoiding a collision, if the first steering operation amount is insufficient for following the generated collision avoidance route, the running control of the vehicle is implemented such that the second steering operation amount is used to compensate for the insufficiency of the first steering operation amount.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A vehicle running control method comprising:
 detecting an obstacle in front of a vehicle;   detecting a dynamic state of the vehicle;   detecting an operation of the vehicle, the step of detecting an operation of the vehicle including detecting at least a first steering operation amount of a driver;   generating a collision avoidance route for avoiding a collision of the vehicle with the obstacle based on the detected obstacle and the dynamic state of the vehicle;   calculating a second steering operation amount, the second steering operation amount being a steering operation amount necessary to be added to the first steering operation amount for following the generated collision avoidance route; and   performing running control of the vehicle based on the generated collision avoidance route,   wherein, when the vehicle is in a state of avoiding a collision, if the first steering operation amount is insufficient for following the generated collision avoidance route, the running control of the vehicle is implemented such that the second steering operation amount is used to compensate for the insufficiency of the first steering operation amount.   
     
     
         22 . The vehicle running control method according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 a plurality of collision avoidance routes are generated for avoiding a collision of the vehicle with the obstacle based on the detected obstacle and the dynamic state of the vehicle, and   the method further comprises:
 selecting a collision avoidance route corresponding to the detected operation of the vehicle, from the plurality of collision avoidance routes, 
 wherein, in the process of selecting, when the first steering operation is a steering operation to the right, a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a steering operation to the right is selected, and 
 wherein, in the process of selecting, when the first steering operation is a steering operation to the left, a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a steering operation to the left is selected. 
   
     
     
         23 . The vehicle running control method according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 when the first steering operation amount is insufficient for following the selected collision avoidance route, the running control of the vehicle is performed so that the selected collision avoidance route is achieved, and   when the first steering operation amount exceeds the selected collision avoidance route, the running control is suppressed.   
     
     
         24 . The vehicle running control method according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 the plurality of collision avoidance routes include at least three types of collision avoidance routes, the at least three types of collision avoidance routes including:
 the collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a steering operation to the right, 
 the collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a steering operation to the left, and 
 a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a braking operation, and 
   in the selecting step, when the braking operation by the driver has been detected, the collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by the braking operation is selected.   
     
     
         25 . The vehicle running control method according to  claim 22 , wherein, in the process of selecting the collision avoidance route, when it is determined that there is no collision avoidance route corresponding to the operation of the vehicle by the driver, a collision avoidance route on which a point for starting a collision avoidance control is closest to an operation starting point is selected. 
     
     
         26 . The vehicle running control method according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 in the step of selecting the collision avoidance route, it is determined whether a running route of the vehicle by the driver's operation overlaps on the selected collision avoidance route, and   in the step of performing running control of the vehicle, a running control mode is changed based on a result of the determination.   
     
     
         27 . The vehicle running control method according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 in the process of selecting the collision avoidance route, it is determined whether an operation start point by the driver is closer to the obstacle than a control start point on the selected collision avoidance route, and   in the process of performing running control of the vehicle, a running control mode is changed based on a result of the determination.   
     
     
         28 . The vehicle running control method according to  claim 22 , further comprising correcting the selected collision avoidance route so that when the operation of the vehicle by the driver has been detected before the vehicle reaches a collision-avoidance-control start point on the selected collision avoidance route, the collision avoidance control is started from a point where the operation of the vehicle by the driver has been detected. 
     
     
         29 . The vehicle running control method according to  claim 22 , further comprising:
 determining whether the vehicle has reached a point where the vehicle has advanced toward the obstacle by a predetermined distance from the collision-avoidance-control start point farthest from the obstacle, among collision-avoidance-control start points on the collision avoidance routes, and   generating an alarm when the vehicle has reached the point where the vehicle has advanced toward the obstacle by the predetermined distance.   
     
     
         30 . A vehicle running control apparatus comprising:
 an obstacle detector configured to detect an obstacle in front of a vehicle;   a vehicle dynamic state detector configured to detect a dynamic state of the vehicle;   an operation detector configured to detect an operation of the vehicle, the detection of the operation of the vehicle including at least a detection of a first steering operation amount of a driver;   an avoidance route generating unit configured to generate a collision avoidance route for avoiding a collision of the vehicle with the obstacle based on the detected obstacle and the dynamic state of the vehicle detected by the vehicle dynamic state detector;   a calculating unit configured to calculate a second steering operation amount, the second steering operation amount being a steering operation amount necessary to be added to the first steering operation amount for following the generated collision avoidance route;   a vehicle dynamics control unit configured to perform running control of the vehicle based on the collision avoidance route generated by the avoidance route generating unit,   wherein, when the vehicle is in a state of avoiding a collision, if the first steering operation amount is insufficient for following the generated collision avoidance route, the running control of the vehicle is implemented such that the second steering operation amount is used to compensate for the insufficiency of the first steering operation amount.   
     
     
         31 . The vehicle running control apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein:
 a plurality of collision avoidance routes are generated for avoiding a collision of the vehicle with the obstacle based on the detected obstacle and the dynamic state of the vehicle, and   the apparatus further comprises:
 an avoidance route selecting unit configured to select a collision avoidance route corresponding to the detected operation of the vehicle, from the plurality of collision avoidance routes, 
 wherein, the avoidance route selecting unit is configured such that, when the first steering operation is a steering operation to the right, the avoidance route selecting unit selects a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a steering operation to the right, and 
 wherein, the avoidance route selecting unit is configured such that, when the first steering operation is a steering operation to the left, the avoidance route selecting unit selects a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a steering operation to the left. 
   
     
     
         32 . The vehicle running control apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein:
 when the first steering operation is insufficient for following the selected collision avoidance route, the vehicle dynamics control unit performs running control of the vehicle so that the selected collision avoidance route is achieved, and   when the first steering operation amount exceeds the selected collision avoidance route, the running control is suppressed.   
     
     
         33 . The vehicle running control apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein:
 the plurality of collision avoidance routes include at least three types of collision avoidance routes, the at least three types of collision avoidance routes including:
 the collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a steering operation to the right, 
 the collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a steering operation to the left, and 
 a collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by a braking operation, and 
   the avoidance route selecting unit is configured such that, when the braking operation by the driver has been detected, the avoidance route selecting unit selects the collision avoidance route for avoiding the collision with the obstacle by the braking operation.   
     
     
         34 . The vehicle running control apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein the avoidance route selecting unit is configured such that, when it is determined that there is no collision avoidance route corresponding to the operation of the vehicle by the driver, the avoidance route selecting unit selects a collision avoidance route on which a point for starting a collision avoidance control is closest to an operation starting point. 
     
     
         35 . The vehicle running control apparatus according to  claim 31 ,
 the avoidance route selecting unit is configured to determine whether a running route of the vehicle by the driver's operation overlaps on the selected collision avoidance route, and   the vehicle dynamics control unit is configured to change a running control mode based on the determination by the avoidance route selecting unit.   
     
     
         36 . The vehicle running control apparatus according to  claim 31 ,
 the avoidance route selecting unit is configured to determine whether an operation start point by the driver is closer to the obstacle than a control start point on the selected collision avoidance route, and   the vehicle dynamics control unit is configured to change a running control mode based on the determination by the avoidance route selecting unit.   
     
     
         37 . The vehicle running control apparatus according to  claim 31 , further comprising a correcting unit configured to correct the selected collision avoidance route so that when the operation of the vehicle by the driver has been detected before the vehicle reaches a collision-avoidance-control start point on the selected collision avoidance route, the collision avoidance control is started from a point where the operation of the vehicle by the driver has been detected. 
     
     
         38 . The vehicle running control apparatus according to  claim 31 , further comprising:
 an alarm unit configured to
 determine whether the vehicle has reached a point where the vehicle has advanced toward the obstacle by a predetermined distance from the collision-avoidance-control start point farthest from the obstacle, among collision-avoidance-control start points on the collision avoidance routes, and 
 generate an alarm when the vehicle has reached the point where the vehicle has advanced toward the obstacle by the predetermined distance.