Vehicle and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017057504-A1
Application number	US-201514947475-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2015
Publication date	Mar 2, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle chooses a target vehicle based on a position of a preceding vehicle and information about a visual line of a driver, both of which are acquired by respective detection units provided in the vehicle, and controls a traveling speed of the vehicle of the driver in relation with the target vehicle. The vehicle includes: a preceding-vehicle detection unit to detect other vehicle located in front of the vehicle of a driver to acquire a position of the other vehicle; a driver visual line detection unit to acquire information about a visual line of the driver; and a control unit to choose a target vehicle based on the information of the other vehicle and the information about the visual line of the driver and control a traveling speed of the vehicle which the driver drives such that an inter-vehicle distance from the target vehicle becomes a preset distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a preceding-vehicle detection unit configured to detect at least one other vehicle located in front of the vehicle of a driver and to acquire information about a position of the at least one other vehicle; a driver visual line detection unit configured to acquire information about a visual line of the driver; and a control unit configured to choose a target vehicle based on the information about the position of the at least one other vehicle which is acquired by the preceding-vehicle detection unit and the information about the visual line of the driver which is acquired by the driver visual line detection unit, and configured to control a traveling speed of the vehicle which the driver drives such that an inter-vehicle distance from the target vehicle becomes a preset distance.

2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the preceding-vehicle detection unit is configured to detect the at least one other vehicle located in front of the same lane as the vehicle which the driver drives, other vehicle entering the lane, and the other vehicle deviating from the lane.

3 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the preceding-vehicle detection unit is configured to detect an angle between the vehicle which the driver drives and the at least one other vehicle and a distance at which the at least one other vehicle is located to acquire the information about the position of the at least one other vehicle.

4 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the driver visual line detection unit is configured to detect an angle of a direction in which a face of the driver is directed or an angle of a direction in which pupils of the driver look to acquire the information about the visual line of the driver.

5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to compare an angle between the vehicle of the driver and the at least one other vehicle which is acquired by the preceding-vehicle detection unit with an angle of a direction in which a face of the driver is directed, the angle of the direction in which the face of the driver is directed being acquired by the driver visual line detection unit.

6 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to compare an angle between the vehicle of the driver and the at least one other vehicle which is acquired by the preceding-vehicle detection unit with an angle of a direction in which pupils of the driver look, the angle of the direction in which the pupils of the driver look being acquired by the driver visual line detection unit.

7 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when an angle between the vehicle of the driver and the at least one other vehicle is matched with an angle of a direction in which a face of the driver is directed, the control unit is configured to choose the at least one other vehicle as the target vehicle.

8 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when an angle between the vehicle of the driver and the at least one other vehicle is matched with an angle of a direction in which pupils of the driver look, the control unit is configured to choose the at least one other vehicle as the target vehicle.

9 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the traveling speed of the vehicle of the driver such that a distance between the vehicle of the driver and the target vehicle which is acquired by the preceding-vehicle detection unit becomes a preset distance.

10 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to reduce the traveling speed of the vehicle of the driver when a distance between the vehicle of the driver and the target vehicle is less than a preset distance; and
the control unit is configured to increase the traveling speed of the vehicle of the driver when a distance between the vehicle of the driver and the target vehicle is equal to or more than a preset distance.

11 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage unit configured to store the information of the position of the at least one other vehicle which is acquired by the preceding-vehicle detection unit, the information of the visual line of the driver which is acquired by the driver visual line detection unit, and the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle of the driver and the at least one other vehicle.

12 . A method for controlling a vehicle, comprising:
detecting at least one other vehicle located in front of the vehicle of a driver and acquiring information related to a position of the at least one other vehicle; acquiring information related to a visual line of the driver; choosing a target vehicle based on the acquired information about the position of the at least one other vehicle and the acquired information about the visual line of the driver; and controlling a traveling speed of the vehicle of the driver such that an inter-vehicle distance from the target vehicle becomes a preset distance.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the acquiring of the information about the position of the at least one other vehicle includes recognizing the at least one other vehicle located in front of the same lane as the vehicle which the driver drives, other vehicle entering the lane, and other vehicle deviating from the lane.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the acquiring of the information about the position of the at least one other vehicle includes detecting an angle between the vehicle which the driver drives and the at least one other vehicle and a distance at which the at least one other vehicle is located.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the acquiring of the information about the visual line of the driver includes detecting an angle of a direction in which a face of the driver is directed or an angle of a direction in which pupils of the driver look.

16 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the choosing of the target vehicle includes comparing an acquired angle between the vehicle of the driver and the at least one other vehicle with an acquired angle of a direction in which a face of the driver is directed.

17 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the choosing of the target vehicle includes comparing an acquired angle between the vehicle of the driver and the at least one other vehicle with an acquired angle of a direction in which pupils of the driver look.

18 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the choosing of the target vehicle includes choosing the at least one other vehicle as the target vehicle when an angle between the vehicle of the driver and the at least one other vehicle is matched with an angle of a direction in which a face of the driver is directed.

19 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the choosing of the target vehicle includes choosing the at least one other vehicle as the target vehicle when an angle between the vehicle of the driver and the at least one other vehicle is matched with an angle of a direction in which pupils of the driver look.

20 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the controlling of the traveling speed of the vehicle of the driver includes controlling the traveling speed of the vehicle of the driver such that an acquired distance between the vehicle of the driver and the target vehicle becomes a preset distance.

21 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the controlling of the traveling speed of the vehicle of the dr

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sihyoung

Classifications

• B60W2554/80

  Spatial relation or speed relative to objects · CPC title

• B60W30/16 Primary

  Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle · CPC title

• B60W30/143 Primary

  Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60W2554/804

  Relative longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title