Drive assist apparatus

A drive assist apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the drive assist apparatus comprising:

• a surrounding situation recognition device configured to recognize a surrounding situation of a first vehicle that is the vehicle to be applied with the drive assist apparatus;
• a surrounding situation determination processor configured to determine the surrounding situation of the first vehicle on a basis of a result of recognition performed by the surrounding situation recognition device;
• a steering-wheel holding state recognizer configured to recognize a steering-wheel holding state that is a state in which a driver who drives the first vehicle is holding a steering wheel of the first vehicle;
• a steering-wheel holding state determination processor configured to determine the steering-wheel holding state on a basis of a result of recognition performed by the steering-wheel holding state recognizer;
• and
• a traveling control device configured to perform a traveling control of the first vehicle on a basis of a result of determination performed by the surrounding situation determination processor or the steering-wheel holding state determination processor,
• the traveling control device being configured to execute a traveling control for emergency in a case where the result of the determination performed by the surrounding situation determination processor or the steering-wheel holding state determination processor indicates that the first vehicle or the driver of the first vehicle is unable to maintain normal traveling,
• wherein the steering-wheel holding state recognizer includes a steering torque sensor and a steering-wheel touch sensor, the steering torque sensor being provided on a steering shaft, the steering-wheel touch sensor provided on the steering wheel,
• wherein the steering-wheel holding state determination processor is configured to determine that the driver of the first vehicle is unable to maintain the normal traveling, in a case where a steering device receives no interference from the driver of the first vehicle in a period in which a predetermined time elapses or in which the first vehicle travels a predetermined distance, and where the steering-wheel holding state recognizer detects no steering-wheel holding state, and
• wherein the traveling control device is configured to:
• in a case where the result of the determination performed by the steering-wheel holding state determination processor indicates that the driver of the first vehicle is unable to maintain the normal traveling, stop a traveling assist control being currently executed by the first vehicle, and perform a first steering-wheel holding state determination process after stopping the traveling assist control, the first steering-wheel holding state determination process being a process of detecting an output from the steering-wheel touch sensor or the steering torque sensor of the steering-wheel holding state recognizer;
• in a case where the output from the steering-wheel touch sensor or the steering torque sensor is detected in the first steering-wheel holding state determination process, cause the traveling assist control to be resumed;
• in a case where the output from the steering-wheel touch sensor or the steering torque sensor is not detected in the first steering-wheel holding state determination process, perform a second steering-wheel holding state determination process after an elapse of a predetermined time or after the first vehicle travels a predetermined distance, the second steering-wheel holding state determination process being a process of detecting only the output from the steering torque sensor of the steering-wheel holding state recognizer;
• and
• in a case where the output from the steering torque sensor is detected and where a value of the output from the steering torque sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold in the second steering-wheel holding state determination process, cause the traveling assist control to be resumed.

A drive assist apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the drive assist apparatus comprising:

• a surrounding situation sensor configured to recognize a surrounding situation of a first vehicle that is the vehicle to be applied with the drive assist apparatus;
• a steering-wheel holding state sensor configured to recognize a steering-wheel holding state that is a state in which a driver who drives the first vehicle is holding a steering wheel of the first vehicle;
• and
• circuitry configured to
• determine the surrounding situation of the first vehicle on a basis of a result of recognition performed by the surrounding situation sensor,
• determine the steering-wheel holding state on a basis of a result of recognition performed by the steering-wheel holding state sensor, and
• perform a traveling control of the first vehicle on a basis of a result of determination of the surrounding situation or a result of determination of the steering-wheel holding state,
• the circuitry being configured to execute a traveling control for emergency in a case where the result of the determination of the surrounding situation or the result of the determination of the steering-wheel holding state indicates that the first vehicle or the driver of the first vehicle is unable to maintain normal traveling,
• wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
• set a set traveling lane on which the first vehicle is to travel, on a basis of information of the surrounding situation of the first vehicle,
• set a target traveling position at which the first vehicle is to travel within the set traveling lane set by the traveling lane setting processor,
• determine, when the first vehicle is traveling on the set traveling lane, whether the first vehicle is to depart from the set traveling lane,
• selectively execute each of:
• a lane departure prevention control including a steering assist control to be executed in a case where the first vehicle is determined as being to depart from the set traveling lane;
• and
• an emergency lane keeping control including a steering assist control to be executed in a case where a second vehicle is recognized and where the first vehicle is determined as being to depart from the set traveling lane, the second vehicle being a vehicle opposing the first vehicle or traveling in a rear-side region of the first vehicle in a direction same as a traveling direction of the first vehicle,
• in a case where both the lane departure prevention control and the emergency lane keeping control are in an activated state, perform switching from the emergency lane keeping control to the lane departure prevention control at a timing when the second vehicle becomes no longer detected in a period in which the first vehicle is caused to travel along a lane line of the set traveling lane without crossing the lane line, and execute a first emergency lane keeping control, the first emergency lane keeping control being a control of performing a traveling control that causes a traveling position of the first vehicle to return from a position at which the first vehicle is prevented from crossing the lane line of the set traveling lane to the target traveling position, and
• in a case where the lane departure prevention control is in a non-activated state and the emergency lane keeping control is in the activated state, execute a second emergency lane keeping control of ending the emergency lane keeping control, at a timing when the second vehicle becomes no longer detected in a period in which the first vehicle is caused to travel along the lane line of the set traveling lane without crossing the lane line and is thereafter caused to travel along a lane end within the set traveling lane.