Lane departure prevention apparatus

A lane departure prevention apparatus for a host vehicle comprising:

• a lane departure tendency determining section configured to determine a lane departure tendency indicative of a tendency of the host vehicle to depart from a driving lane;
• a running condition determining section configured to determine a running condition of the host vehicle;
• a braking force control section configured to control a braking force in response to determinations by the lane departure tendency determining section and the running condition determining section to selectively produce at least one of a yaw moment on the host vehicle in accordance with the lane departure tendency of the host vehicle to avoid departure of the host vehicle from the driving lane, and a deceleration on the host vehicle in accordance with the running condition of the host vehicle, the braking force control section further configured to control the braking force by detecting conditions indicating whether a driver intention exists to change lanes;
• and
• a departure avoidance ON/OFF operating section configured to allow the driver to selectively switch the braking control operation for avoiding departure to an ON position and an OFF position,
• the braking force control section being further configured to override the departure avoidance ON/OFF operating section when at least one predetermined condition exists, even when the departure avoidance ON/OFF operating section has been switched to the OFF position.

A lane departure prevention apparatus for a host vehicle comprising:

• a lane departure tendency determining section configured to determine a lane departure tendency indicative of a tendency of the host vehicle to depart from a driving lane;
• a running condition determining section configured to determine a running condition of the host vehicle;
• and
• a braking force control section configured to control a braking force in response to determinations by the lane departure tendency determining section and the running condition determining section to selectively produce at least one of a yaw moment on the host vehicle in accordance with the lane departure tendency of the host vehicle to avoid departure of the host vehicle from the driving lane, and a deceleration on the host vehicle in accordance with the running condition of the host vehicle, the braking force control section further configured to control the braking force by detecting conditions indicating whether a driver intention exists to change lanes,
• the braking force control section being further configured to determine that the driver intention does not exist based on whether the driver having performed a driving operation when no need exists for the driver to perform the driving operation in view of a state of forward objects and a state of the host vehicle.

A lane departure prevention apparatus for a host vehicle comprising:

• a lane departure tendency determining section configured to determine a lane departure tendency indicative of a tendency of the host vehicle to depart from a driving lane;
• a running condition determining section configured to determine a driving environment of the host vehicle;
• a braking force control section configured to control a braking force in response to determinations by the lane departure tendency determining section and the running condition determining section to selectively produce a yaw moment on the host vehicle in accordance with the lane departure tendency of the host vehicle to avoid departure of the host vehicle from the driving lane, and a deceleration on the host vehicle in accordance with the driving environment of the host vehicle;
• a vehicle velocity determining section configured to determine a host vehicle velocity;
• a setting section configured to set a yaw moment contribution and a deceleration contribution based on the lane departure tendency detected by the lane departure tendency determining section and the host vehicle velocity determined by the vehicle velocity determining section;
• a target yaw moment calculation section configured to calculate a target yaw moment to selectively avoid departure from the driving lane of the host vehicle based on the yaw moment contribution that has been set by the setting section;
• a deceleration control amount calculation section configured to calculate a deceleration control amount based on the deceleration contribution that has been set by the setting section;
• and
• a timing setting section configured to set the predetermined timing based on the comparison result of magnitudes of the host vehicle velocity and the first threshold, and the comparison result of magnitudes of the lane departure tendency and the second threshold,
• the braking force control section being configured to apply the braking force such that priority is given to decelerate the host vehicle over producing the yaw moment when at least one of a host vehicle velocity is determined to be greater than a first threshold or a lane departure time is determined to be greater than a second threshold, and
• the braking force control section being further configured to control the braking force based on the target yaw moment calculated by the target yaw moment calculation section and the deceleration control amount calculated by the deceleration control amount calculation section with a predetermined timing, when the lane departure tendency determining section detects the lane departure tendency.

A lane departure prevention apparatus for a host vehicle comprising:

• lane departure tendency determining means for determining a lane departure tendency indicative of a tendency of the host vehicle to depart from a driving lane;
• running condition determining means for determining a driving environment of the host vehicle;
• braking force control means for controlling a braking force in response to determinations by the lane departure tendency determining means and the running condition determining means to selectively produce a yaw moment on the host vehicle in accordance with the lane departure tendency of the host vehicle to avoid departure of the host vehicle from the driving lane, and a deceleration on the host vehicle in accordance with the driving environment of the host vehicle;
• setting means for setting a yaw moment contribution and a deceleration contribution based on the lane departure tendency detected by the lane departure tendency determining means and a direction information indicating at least one of right and left directions in which a level of risk is high with respect to the driving lane, the direction information being determined based on the driving environment that is determined by the running condition determining means;
• target yaw moment calculation means for calculating a target yaw moment to selectively avoid departure from the driving lane of the host vehicle based on the yaw moment contribution that has been set by the setting means;
• and
• deceleration control amount calculation means for calculating a deceleration control amount based on the deceleration contribution that has been set by the setting means,
• the braking force control means further selectively controlling the braking force based on the target yaw moment calculated by the target yaw moment calculation means and the deceleration control amount calculated by the deceleration control amount calculation means, when the lane departure tendency is determined by the lane departure tendency determining means.

A method of preventing lane departure of a host vehicle comprising:

• determining a lane departure tendency indicative of a tendency of the host vehicle to depart from a driving lane;
• determining a driving environment of the host vehicle;
• controlling a braking force in response to determinations of the lane departure tendency and the driving environment to selectively produce a yaw moment on the host vehicle in accordance with the lane departure tendency of the host vehicle to avoid departure of the host vehicle from the driving lane, and a deceleration on the host vehicle in accordance with the driving environment of the host vehicle;
• setting a yaw moment contribution and a deceleration contribution based on the lane departure tendency and a direction information indicating at least one of right and left directions in which a level of risk is high with respect to the driving lane, the direction information being determined based on the driving environment;
• calculating a target yaw moment to selectively avoid departure from the driving lane of the host vehicle based on the yaw moment contribution;
• and
• calculating a deceleration control amount based on the deceleration contribution,
• the controlling the braking force further including selectively controlling the braking force based on the target yaw moment and the deceleration control amount upon determining the lane departure tendency.