US 12,304,480 B2
Vehicle drive assist apparatus
Masashi Okano, Tokyo (JP); and Kazuki Takahashi, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to SUBARU CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by SUBARU CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jul. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/866,916.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-123449 (JP), filed on Jul. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0031839 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 30/12 (2020.01); B60W 10/20 (2006.01); B60W 40/04 (2006.01); B62D 15/02 (2006.01)
CPC B60W 30/12 (2013.01) [B60W 10/20 (2013.01); B60W 40/04 (2013.01); B62D 15/021 (2013.01); B62D 15/025 (2013.01); B60W 2420/403 (2013.01); B60W 2420/408 (2024.01); B60W 2510/202 (2013.01); B60W 2540/18 (2013.01); B60W 2710/202 (2013.01); B60W 2710/207 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle drive assist apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the vehicle drive assist apparatus being configured to execute at least lane keeping traveling control for causing the vehicle to travel along a traveling lane and lane departure prevention control for suppressing departure of the vehicle from the traveling lane, the vehicle drive assist apparatus comprising:
a surrounding situation information acquisition device including a camera, the surrounding situation information acquisition device being configured to acquire surrounding situation information of the vehicle;
a steering torque sensor configured to detect a steering torque applied by using a steering mechanism of the vehicle;
a steering angle sensor configured to detect a steering angle and a steering direction of the vehicle; and
a traveling controller configured to:
execute traveling control involving steering assist control to control the vehicle to travel along a first target lane keeping traveling path based on information output from the surrounding situation information acquisition device, information output from the steering torque sensor, and information output from the steering angle sensor;
detect the steering torque indicating a first direction that causes the vehicle to deviate from the first target lane keeping traveling path, based on one of the information from the steering torque sensor and the information from the steering angle sensor;
upon detecting that the steering torque that causes the vehicle to deviate from the first target lane keeping traveling path, determine that the detected steering toque is greater than a reference value;
upon detecting that the detected steering torque is not greater than the reference value, create a second target lane keeping traveling path deviated from the first target lane keeping traveling path in the first direction, based on the detected steering torque, the detected steering angle, and the detected steering direction of the vehicle;
upon detecting that the detected steering torque is greater than the reference value, create a target lane departure prevention traveling path that is different from the second target lane keeping traveling path based on the detected steering torque, the detected steering angle, and the detected steering direction of the vehicle;
detect the steering torque indicating the first direction based on the one of the information output from the steering torque sensor and the information output from the steering angle sensor again within a predetermined period;
upon detecting the steering torque again within the predetermined period, set either the created second target lane keeping traveling path or the created target lane departure prevention traveling path for the lane keeping traveling control;
upon setting the created second target lane keeping traveling path, execute the traveling control along the created second target lane keeping traveling path; and
upon setting the created target lane departure prevention traveling path, execute the traveling control along the created target lane departure prevention traveling path.