Vehicle driving assistance apparatus and vehicle driving assistance method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9852626-B2
Application number	US-201615166767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

In a driving assistance apparatus, a start determiner determines whether or not during travel in a no-passing zone an own vehicle has laterally moved from a rearward position to a lateral position relative to the preceding vehicle, and if the own vehicle has laterally moved, then determine that the own vehicle has started passing driving. If the own vehicle has started passing driving in the no-passing zone, an alert controller starts alerting using an alert device at a start of passing driving. A situation determiner determines whether or not a change of situation from a blocking situation to a non blocking situation has occurred after the start of passing driving. If the change of situation from the blocking situation to the non blocking situation has occurred, an alerting stopper stops alerting using the alert device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driving assistance apparatus comprising:
a start determiner configured to determine whether or not during travel in a no-passing zone an own vehicle that is a vehicle carrying the apparatus has laterally moved from a rearward position to a lateral position relative to a preceding vehicle such that the own vehicle can accelerate from the lateral position to pass the preceding vehicle, and if it is determined that the own vehicle has laterally moved from the rearward position to the lateral position, then determine that the own vehicle has started passing driving;
an alert controller configured to, if it is determined by the start determiner that the own vehicle has started passing driving in the no-passing zone, start alerting using an alert device at a start of passing driving;
a situation determiner configured to determine whether or not a change of situation from a blocking situation to a non blocking situation has occurred after the start of passing driving, the blocking situation being a situation where passing driving is blocked, the non blocking situation being a situation where blocking the passing driving is unnecessary; and
an alerting stopper configured to, if it is determined by the situation determiner that the change of situation from the blocking situation to the non blocking situation has occurred, stop alerting using the alert device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a sensed information acquirer configured to acquire sensed information of traffic signs;
the start determiner is configured to, based on sensed information of a no-passing sign included in the sensed information of traffic signs, determine that passing driving in the no-passing zone has been started,
the situation determiner is configured to, if, after passing driving in the no-passing zone has been started, sensed information of an end-of-no-passing sign is included in the sensed information of the traffic signs, determine that the change of situation from the blocking situation to the non blocking situation has occurred.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the apparatus is operatively connected to an indicator controller configured to recognize traffic signs and display the recognized traffic signs on a display unit visible to a driver of the own vehicle, and then erase display of each recognized traffic sign in response to a predefined erase condition, and
the situation determiner is configured to, if, after the start of passing driving, a no-passing sign as one of the traffic signs displayed on the display unit has been erased, determine that the change of situation from the blocking situation to the non blocking situation has occurred.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predefined erase condition includes the own vehicle having turned or the own vehicle having traveled a predetermined distance since the start of display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the situation determiner is configured to, if, after the start of passing driving, a speed of the own vehicle falls below that of the preceding vehicle by the predetermined value or more, determine that the change of situation from the blocking situation to the non blocking situation has occurred.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the situation determiner is configured to, if, after the start of passing driving, the preceding vehicle has left the lateral position relative to the own vehicle, determine that the change of situation from the blocking situation to the non blocking situation has occurred.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the situation determiner is configured to, if, after the start of passing driving, a predetermined amount of time has passed since start of alerting using the alert device, determine that the change of situation from the blocking situation to the non blocking situation has occurred.

8. A vehicle driving assistance method comprising:
a step of determining whether or not during travel in a no-passing zone an own vehicle has laterally moved from a rearward position to a lateral position relative to a preceding vehicle such that the own vehicle can accelerate from the lateral position to pass the preceding vehicle, and if it is determined that the own vehicle has laterally moved from the rearward position to the lateral position, then determining that the own vehicle has started passing driving;
a step of, if it is determined that the own vehicle has started passing driving in the no-passing zone, starting alerting using an alert device at start of passing driving;
a step of determining whether or not a change of situation from a blocking situation to a non blocking situation has occurred after the start of passing driving, the blocking situation being a situation where passing driving is blocked, the non blocking situation being a situation where blocking the passing driving is unnecessary; and
a step of, if it is determined that the change of situation from the blocking situation to the non blocking situation has occurred, stopping alerting using the alert device.

Assignees

• Denso Corp
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshitomi Naoto
• Hu Jian
• Satomura Shota
• Fujimaki Yusuke

Classifications

• G08G1/09626

  where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map · CPC title

• B60Q9/00

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title

• G08G1/09623 Primary

  Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle (G08G1/0967 takes precedence) · CPC title