Lane keeping assist system and method for improving safety in preceding vehicle follower longitudinal control

A lane keeping assist method comprising:

• if a lane keeping assist system configured to perform lane keeping using information about a lane and peripheral vehicle is turned on, detecting a forward lane of a host vehicle;
• controlling a traveling route of the host vehicle such that the host vehicle follows a traveling route within the detected lane if the lane is detected, or generating a virtual lane if the lane is not detected such that the host vehicle travels in a center part of the virtual lane;
• detecting a preceding vehicle located in a forward region of the host vehicle;
• and
• deactivating the lane keeping assist system if the preceding vehicle is not detected, or controlling a traveling direction of the host vehicle if the preceding vehicle is detected such that the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle according to movement of the preceding vehicle.

A lane keeping assist system comprising:

• an image sensor configured to detect a lane and a preceding vehicle ahead of a host vehicle;
• and
• an electronic control unit comprising a non-volatile memory and a processor, and configured to:
• receive information relating to the lane and the preceding vehicle from the image vehicle sensor,
• determine whether a lane or a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle are recognized,
• perform, if a lane ahead of the host vehicle is recognized, lane keeping control based on the recognized lane,
• generate, if a lane ahead of the host vehicle is not recognized, a virtual lane based on a final lane recognition information and information relating to motion of the host vehicle,
• determine, if a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle is recognized, a position of the recognized preceding vehicle within the virtual lane,
• perform, if a lateral distance, up to which the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle based on the preceding vehicle follower control, of the recognized preceding vehicle is less than a threshold based on the virtual lane, preceding vehicle follower control such that the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, and
• deactivate lane keeping control if no preceding vehicle is recognized ahead of the host vehicle or if the lateral distance of recognized preceding vehicle is greater than the threshold.

A lane keeping assist system comprising:

• an image sensor configured to detect a forward lane and a preceding vehicle with respect to a host vehicle;
• and
• an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to control a traveling direction of the host vehicle by:
• performing lane keeping control, if a lane ahead of the host vehicle is recognized, based on the recognized lane, or if no lane ahead of the host vehicle is recognized, using preceding vehicle follower control based a recognized preceding vehicle that is within a lateral distance up to which the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle based on the preceding vehicle follower control, and
• deactivating lane keeping control if no lane ahead of the host vehicle is recognized and no preceding vehicle is recognized ahead of the host vehicle, or the lateral distance of the recognized preceding vehicle is greater than a threshold.