Lane keeping traveling support apparatus

Abstract

A lane keeping traveling support apparatus includes a driving support ECU. The driving support ECU is configured to determine a lane departure prevention torque in such a manner that a magnitude of the lane departure prevention torque becomes smaller or to stop performing a lane departure prevention control, when the lane departure prevention control is performed in place of a lane keeping assist control and a specific operation of a steering wheel is performed by a driver so as to have a direction of an own vehicle head to a lane departure direction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention[0001]The present invention relates to a lane keeping traveling support apparatus which controls a steering assist torque in such a manner that a vehicle (own vehicle) does not deviate from a lane where the own vehicle is traveling.2. Description of the Related Art[0002]A lane keeping traveling support apparatus, which has been conventionally known, recognizes lane markers such as a white line or a yellow line on a road by using a camera sensor mounted on an own vehicle to control a steering assist torque in such a manner that the own vehicle travels at an appropriate position within a “traveling lane (lane) specified by the recognized lane markers” (for example, refer to WO 2011 / 064825). Hereinafter, the conventional lane keeping traveling support apparatus is also referred to as a “conventional apparatus”. A lane keeping assist control and a lane departure prevention control are known as a control to realize a typical lane keepin...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention relates to a control system for vehicles that prevents the vehicle from leaving its current lane of travel. When the vehicle is likely to leave the lane, the system automatically activates a lane departure prevention system to prevent the driver from steering the vehicle in that direction. The system determines the amount of force needed to keep the vehicle in its current lane and adjusts the amount of force needed to prevent it from leaving so that it is comfortable for the driver. When the driver performs a steering operation, the system reduces the amount of force needed to prevent the vehicle from leaving the lane, making it more comfortable for the driver. The system also reduces the amount of force needed for a lane keeping assist control that helps the vehicle stay in its current lane, making it easier for the driver to change lanes. Overall, the system improves the driver's experience and makes it safer to travel on the road.

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, for example, in a situation where the speed of the vehicle traveling in a curve section is excessively high, and / or in a situation where a disturbance (a cross / side wind, a road surface inclination, and the like) is excessively serious, a case may arise where the steering assist torque by the lane keeping assist control reaches the upper limit value.

When the steering assist torque reaches the upper limit value, the conventional apparatus can not keep a traveling position of the own vehicle close to the target traveling line by the lane keeping assist control.

As a result, a case arises where the own vehicle deviates from the traveling lane.

However, since a steering direction of the steering assist torque is opposite to a steering direction of the driver's intentional steering operation to cause the own vehicle to deviate from the traveling lane, the lane departure prevention control does not follow (is not along with) the driver's intention.

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