Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Denso Corporation

Hiroshi Sekine

Nobuyoshi Asanuma

Shohei Matsuda

Kazuya Tamura

Hirotaka Takiguchi

Yoichi Sugimoto

Takuji Harayama

Makoto Otabe

Yutaka Mochizuki

Ayumi Nakajima

Masanori Tokoi

Shuichi Kitazawa

Yasuo Shimizu

Daisuke Kondo

Yutaka Horiuchi

Takayuki Watanabe

Yoshikazu Tsuchiya

Yorihisa Yamamoto

Hiroyuki Tokunaga

Kiyoshi Tsurumi

Go Suzaki

Yuji Sakaki

Hideki Kubonoya

Ichiro Harada

Ryohei Kanamori

Kazuo Itoh

Kazuhiko Narita

Shintaro Yokoyama

Hiroyuki Kamiya

Koji Hara

Yukio Matsumoto

Hideki Hiratsuka

Atsushi Itakagi

Masanori Tanuma

Yasuyuki Ohsuga

A road information learning device acquires a map extraction curve and a measurement curve for a traveling curve along which a vehicle travels, determines whether the map extraction curve and the measurement curve correspond to an identical traveling curve, and registers the measurement curve as a definitive registration curve when the map extraction curve and the measurement curve correspond to the identical traveling curve, and a predetermined definitive registration condition is satisfied.

Road information learning device

A driving assist apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a curve detection unit that detects a curve ahead of a vehicle, a driving operation assistance unit that, based on the curve detection result, provides driving operation assistance to enable the vehicle to properly pass through the curve, a diversion determination unit that determines whether the vehicle position is diverted from the curve during curve passage, a diversion-confirmed curve storage unit that, when the vehicle position is diverted from the curve, memorizes the curve as a diversion-confirmed curve, and an assistance suppression unit that, when the curve detected by the curve detection unit is the diversion-confirmed curve, suppresses the driving operation assistance by the driving operation assistance unit. When the vehicle position returns to the curve after diverting from the curve, the diversion determination unit determines that the vehicle position is not diverted from the curve.

Driving assist apparatus and driving assist method

A cruise control apparatus includes a current speed detector detects a current speed of a vehicle; a target speed setting unit sets a target speed of the vehicle; an acceleration and deceleration operation amount acquisition unit acquires an operation amount of acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle by a driver; and a cruise controller performs cruise control of the vehicle so that the current speed follows the target speed. The target speed setting unit monitors i) the operation amount or ii) change in the current speed detected by the current speed detector to performs a first determination of if the driver intends to maintain the vehicle speed at an intended speed different from the target speed, and if the first determination is positive, updates the target speed to the intended vehicle speed.

Adaptive cruise control apparatus

A driving assistance control apparatus includes an own-vehicle position acquiring unit that acquires the position of an own vehicle; a curve information acquiring unit that acquires curve information on a driving course; a continuous curves detecting unit that detects a first curve ahead of the own vehicle and a second curve that exists at a far side of the own vehicle with respect to the first curve and that is continuous to the first curve, based on the acquired position of the own vehicle and the acquired curve information; and a curve alert control unit that controls a curve alerting unit that alerts the presence of the second curve before an entrance of the second curve. The curve alert control unit sets the alert timing of the second curve in accordance with the curve information about the first curve.

Driving assistance control apparatus

Provided is a reaction force control device for reducing discomfort experienced by the driver operating the accelerator pedal when continuous curves are being traveled, and setting the characteristics of the reaction force on the accelerator pedal in accordance with the curves. In the case that the target reaction force, which has been set prior to entering a subsequently traveled second curve, is greater than the current reaction force acting on the acceleration pedal and being generated during the turn through the first curve, a reaction force controller controls the operation so as to reduce the target reaction force imparted on the second curve until the vehicle leaves the first curve.

Reaction force control device

A traveling safety device for a vehicle of the present invention includes a brake device, a brake operation detecting device, a storage device, a present vehicle position detecting device, a vehicle state detecting device, a road shape recognizing device, a proper vehicle state setting device, a comparing device, a brake assist control device, a brake assist control device. The brake assist control device calculates an initial brake assist pressure based on a comparison result of the comparing device, and changes a brake assist pressure in proportion to the brake operation of the driver when a change in the brake operation by the driver has been detected after start of brake assist control based on the initial brake assist pressure.

Traveling safety device for vehicle

This vehicle travel safety device improves the recognition accuracy of road shapes while preventing an extreme increase in the computation amount required for correction of road data. An inactive determination portion determines that the operating portion is inactive when a safety device does not operate for an estimated curve that is estimated by a curve estimating portion and also deceleration of a predetermined amount or more occurs by a deceleration operation of the driver before entering the estimated curve or while traveling through it, or when a safety device does not operate for an estimated curve that is estimated by a road shape estimating portion and also the vehicle condition of the self-vehicle is not in the proper vehicle condition to be able to properly pass the estimated curve. The data correcting portion changes the road data of the storage portion that is used in the detection of the recognized curve shape that corresponds to this estimated curve so as to facilitate operation of the operating portion at the estimated curve where the operating portion is determined to be inactive by the inactive determination portion, or adds new road data to the storage portion.

Vehicle travel safety device

A traveling safety device for a vehicle of the present invention includes a storage device, a present vehicle position detecting device, a vehicle state detecting device, a curve recognizing device, a proper vehicle state setting device, a comparing device, an operating device, an improper operation determining device that determines whether or not the operation of the operating device for a recognized curve is improper operation, an improper operation curve storage device that stores the recognized curve for which the operation of the operation device is determined to be improper operation by the improper operation determining device, and a suppressing device that suppresses the operation of the operating device for the recognized curve stored by the improper operation curve storage device.

A vehicular brake system includes a brake actuator that enables brake assist to be carried out, the brake assist increasing a braking force exhibited by wheel brakes in response to a braking operation input by a vehicle driver in comparison with the braking force when it is unassisted. The system further includes braking operation detection means for detecting a braking operation by the driver; emergency avoidance steering operation detection means for detecting an emergency avoidance steering operation by the driver, and actuator control means for controlling operation of the brake actuator so as to carry out the brake assist in response to the detection means detecting a braking operation while an emergency avoidance steering operation is being detected by the detection means or during a period from the detection of the emergency avoidance steering operation by the detection means to the time when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the detection has ended.

Vehicular brake system

In a vehicle safety running apparatus, when a route guidance by a navigation system is not in operation, a determination on passableness is carried out as a target on a branch road of a plurality of branch roads branched from an intersection ahead of the subject vehicle which has lowest with respect to the degree of difficulty in running or a branch road having a smallest intersection angle formed by a road on which the subject vehicle is advancing and the branch road and a curve on the branch road, whereby an automatic deceleration control can be performed or an alarm can be given to the driver even when the route guidance is not in operation, and moreover the automatic deceleration control and/or alarming the driver is prevented from being performed unnecessarily, thereby making it possible to suppress to a minimum level the physical disorder that the driver may feel.

Vehicle safety running apparatus

Vehicle control apparatus enables a vehicle to positively and safely pass a curve present in a forward road ahead of the vehicle, irrespective of any error in road data used by the apparatus and any error in a detected vehicle position. The apparatus calculates a predicted passing speed for a curve on the basis of a vehicle speed and a vehicle position, and compares same with a maximum passable speed for the curve which is calculated on the basis of map information and the vehicle position to thereby determine whether the vehicle can positively and safely pass the curve. If the apparatus determines that the vehicle cannot positively and safely pass the curve, warning, automatic deceleration and/or automatic steering is executed by a control mechanism of the apparatus. At this time, the apparatus compares an actual transverse acceleration or an actual yaw rate detected by a transverse acceleration sensor or a yaw rate sensor with a reference transverse acceleration or a reference yaw rate presumed from a road shape determined by a passage-state decision quantity calculating mechanism, and a regulating mechanism regulates a controlled variable and a control timing for effecting the warning, the automatic deceleration and/or the automatic steering, thereby compensating for any error in the road data and any error in the vehicle position.

Vehicle control apparatus

A vehicle control system controls vehicle speed and provides a warning by deciding whether or not the prevailing vehicle speed allows the vehicle to pass a curve in the road ahead in accordance with the surrounding environment of the vehicle. The system calculates a gaze angle, .theta. which is made between a direction a of a vehicle in its actual position P.sub.0 and a segment b joining the actual position P.sub.0 and a prospective position P.sub.n. The vehicle speed control or warning is performed when the gaze angle .theta. exceeds a reference gaze angle. This reference gaze angle varies with the angle of view of the driver. At high-speed travel or at night where the drivers visibility angle is reduced, the reference gaze angle is set to a small value so that the vehicle control may be advanced. At low-speed travel or in the daytime where the driver's visibility angle is increased, the reference gaze angle is set to a large value so that the vehicle control may be delayed.

Vehicle control system

A vehicle control system reduces the arithmetic operations for deciding the passableness of the vehicle through an upcoming curve and also avoids unnecessarily effecting automatic deceleration and warning, which are not completely indispensable in a system for performing the warning or automatic deceleration, so that the vehicle may pass through a curve at a proper vehicle speed and with minimum distraction to the vehicle occupants. Assuming that the driver performs a voluntary deceleration at a predetermined deceleration from the current vehicle speed, the system calculates an estimated passage speed of a tentative position N.sub.k, as set on a road ahead of an actual position P.sub.0. The system then sets a passable zone Z.sub.1, a warning zone Z.sub.2 and an automatic deceleration zone Z.sub.3 on the basis of turnable radii R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, at which a predetermined transverse acceleration is established at the estimated passage speed, as well as an arc C.sub.1 ' defining a range of a predetermined distance from the tentative position N.sub.k. The driver is warned by the system, when any of nodes N.sub.k+1, - - - , and soon ahead of the tentative position N.sub.k is present in the warning zone Z.sub.2, and the vehicle is automatically decelerated by the system when any of the nodes is present in the automatic deceleration zone Z.sub.3.

Vehicle control system for controlling vehicle based on road shape

A vehicle control system enables the passableness of a vehicle through an upcoming section of road to be properly decided, by compensating the influences which are exerted upon the passableness decision by the detection errors of the actual position of the vehicle. Assuming that a deceleration is performed by the vehicle driver at a predetermined reference deceleration .beta. from a vehicle speed V.sub.0 at an actual position P.sub.0, the system calculates passable vehicle speeds of a plurality of tentative positions N.sub.k which are set on a road ahead of the actual position P.sub.0. On the basis of the passable vehicle speeds corresponding to the individual tentative positions N.sub.k, a passable zone Z.sub.1, a warning zone Z.sub.2 and an automatic deceleration zone Z.sub.3 are set by the system so that a warning to the driver is performed, if any of nodes N.sub.k+1, - - - , and so on ahead of the tentative position N.sub.k is present in the warning zone Z.sub.2, and the automatic deceleration of the vehicle is performed if any of the nodes are present in the automatic deceleration zone Z.sub.3. In order that the decision error of the passableness, as accompanying the detection error of the actual position P.sub.0, may be compensated, the reference deceleration .beta. is corrected in accordance with the magnitude of the vehicle speed V.sub.0 or the radius of curvature of the road.

An image of a road area ahead of a vehicle is formed based on road data read from a navigation system, or based on an image shot by a camera means such as a video camera. A temperature profile ahead of the vehicle detected by a temperature detecting means such as an infrared camera is superposed on the image of the road area. As a result, if a low-temperature zone is detected on the road area, it is determined that there is snow or ice existing on the road area, or if a high-temperature zone is detected, it is determined that there is a person or animal existing on the road area, thereby informing a driver by an alarm means or a display means to avoid such an obstruction or hazard. Thus, it is possible to perceive snow, ice, a person and an animal existing on a road ahead of the vehicle without relying on a driver's visual judgment, and to give an alarm so that the driver may timely take an appropriate countermeasure to avoid the obstruction or hazardous situation.

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Wako, Japan

Hiroshi Sekine