Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-08
2001-07-03
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
C701S065000, C701S072000, C701S084000, C180S197000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256561
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vehicle steering control system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The assignee proposes, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 7 (1995)-47970, a vehicle steering control system which calculates a desired running behavior of the vehicle, more specifically a desired yaw rate of the vehicle based on the detected vehicle speed and steering angle with the use of a yaw rate model, and calculates a desired course of travel based on the calculated desired yaw rate such that the steering torque (steering force) is assisted in response to an error between the desired course of travel and the actual course of travel determined from the detected yaw rate.
In addition to the above, the assignee proposes in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 5(1993)-197423 and Hei 9(1997)-221054 etc. vehicle steering control systems which photo-sense and output image signals of the road ahead of the vehicle to detect white lines (defining lane boundaries of the road) and provide steering angle assistance such that the vehicle runs along the detected white lines.
By providing fine steering assistance while preventing vehicle lane wandering, these technologies greatly reduce the burden on the vehicle driver, which tends to increase particularly during long, high-speed driving on an expressway or the like.
Aside from the above, the range of navigation systems extends to embrace everything from simple orientation aids to guidance systems featuring automatic route determination. The navigation system has a road-map memory stored in a CD ROM or the like, and detects the instantaneous vehicle position by, for example, the GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite position system, and provides directional information on a road map including the detected instantaneous vehicle position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is therefore to provide a vehicle steering control system which utilizes the navigation information and calculates the desired vehicle turning behavior (i.e., the desired yaw rate of the vehicle) based on the aforesaid yaw rate model, thereby enabling to conduct the aforesaid lane-keeping-steering torque assist control in a more appropriate manner.
In conducting such a steering assist control, however, if the vehicle driver expresses a positive intention to steer the vehicle by himself, for example, so as to avoid an obstacle present on the road, it will be preferable to meet the wishes of the vehicle driver.
A second object of this invention is therefore to provide a vehicle steering control system which utilizes the navigation information to conduct the lane-keeping-steering assist torque assist control in a more appropriate manner, and which, if the vehicle driver expresses a positive intention to steer the vehicle by himself, for example, so as to avoid an obstacle present on the road, can meet the wishes of the vehicle driver.
Further, although such a steering assistance control will greatly reduce the burden on the vehicle driver, the vehicle driver might sometimes rely upon this control to an excessive extent.
A third object of this invention is therefore to provide a vehicle steering control system which utilizes the navigation information to conduct the lane-keeping-steering torque assist control in a more appropriate manner, and which monitors the steering of the vehicle driver to prevent the vehicle driver from relying upon this steering assist control to an excessive extent.
In order to achieve this object, there is provided a system for controlling steering of a vehicle, comprising: an actuator which steers driven wheels of the vehicle; vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting running conditions of the vehicle including at least a turning behavior of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle and a steering angle of the vehicle; steering torque detecting means for detecting a steering torque inputted by a driver of the vehicle; road detecting means for detecting a road ahead of the vehicle on which the vehicle is running; road condition information outputting means for outputting information of conditions of the road including at least a curvature of the road; steering angle correcting means for correcting the detected steering angle based on the detected road and the outputted information of the conditions of the road; desired vehicle turning behavior determining means for determining a desired turning behavior of the vehicle based on at least the corrected steering angle and the detected vehicle speed using a preset model; assist torque determining means for determining an error between the desired vehicle turning behavior and the detected vehicle turning behavior and for determining an assist torque for causing the vehicle to run along the road based on the determined error; and; manipulated variable determining means for determining a manipulated variable to be supplied to the actuator based on the determined assist torque.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5243526 (1993-09-01), Ito et al.
patent: 5255192 (1993-10-01), Ito et al.
patent: 5276624 (1994-01-01), Ito et al.
patent: 5-197423 (1993-08-01), None
patent: 7-47970 (1995-02-01), None
patent: 9-221054 (1997-08-01), None
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Arthur Gertrude
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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