Apparatus and method for lane following assist

1 . An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

set, based on a driving tendency of a driver of a vehicle, a reference position in a lane as a customized reference position for a lane keeping assistance for the driver, wherein the customized reference position is deviated, within a predetermined range, from a center of the lane, and wherein the driving tendency is determined based on accumulated past driving records;

determine whether the vehicle deviates from the customized reference position; and

while the driver is driving the vehicle, assist steering of the vehicle such that the vehicle follows the lane along the customized reference position.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

obtain a driving position of the vehicle to determine a deviation degree of the driving position from the center of the lane;

determine, based on the deviation degree, the driving tendency; and

automatically set, based on the deviation degree of the driving tendency, the reference position in the lane as the customized reference position.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine whether the driver has a driving tendency to drive along the reference position in the lane, and store the reference position in the memory.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine one or more driving tendencies of the driver for each road type.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

set, based on an input via a user setting menu (USM), a second reference position in a second lane for a lane keeping assistance; and

adjust the second reference position by an offset value input via the USM.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the offset value is restricted within a range of 5% of a width of the second lane.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine a type of a road on which the vehicle is currently traveling using road information of a navigation device in the vehicle.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to change, based on a predetermined condition being satisfied, the reference position to the center of the lane by overriding a setting of the customized reference position.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined condition comprises at least one of: a first condition that a width of the lane is less than or equal to a predetermined width, a second condition that the vehicle is determined to be oversteered or understeered by a predetermined amount during a curved section of the lane, a third condition that a navigation device in the vehicle does not recognize a type of a road where the vehicle is traveling or that the vehicle is in an inoperable area of a global positioning system, or a fourth condition that a predetermined type of a vehicle is driving on a neighboring lane.

10 . A method performed by a vehicle, the method comprising:

setting, based on a driving tendency of a driver of the vehicle, a reference position in a lane as a customized reference position for a lane keeping assistance for the driver, wherein the customized reference position is deviated, within a predetermined range, from a center of the lane, and wherein the driving tendency is determined based on accumulated past driving records;

determining whether the vehicle deviates from the customized reference position; and

while the driver is driving the vehicle, assisting steering of the vehicle such that the vehicle follows along the customized reference position.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the setting the reference position in the lane as the customized reference position comprises:

obtaining a driving position of the vehicle to determine a deviation degree of the driving position from the center of the lane;

determining, based on the deviation degree, the driving tendency; and

automatically setting, based on the deviation degree of the driving tendency, the reference position in the lane as the customized reference position.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining whether the driver has a driving tendency to drive along the reference position in the lane, and storing the reference position in a memory.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining one or more driving tendencies of the driver for each road type.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

setting, based on an input via a user setting menu (USM), a second reference position in a second lane for a lane keeping assistance; and

adjusting the second reference position by an offset value input via the USM.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the offset value is restricted within a range of 5% of a width of the second lane.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining a type of a road on which the vehicle is currently traveling using road information of a navigation device in the vehicle.

17 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising changing, based on a predetermined condition being satisfied, the reference position to the center of the lane by overriding a setting of the customized reference position.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the predetermined condition comprises at least one of: a first condition that a width of the lane is less than or equal to a predetermined width, a second condition that the vehicle is determined to be oversteered or understeered by a predetermined amount during a curved section of the lane, a third condition that a navigation device in the vehicle does not recognize a type of a road where the vehicle is traveling or that the vehicle is in an inoperable area of a global positioning system, or a fourth condition that a predetermined type of a vehicle is driving on a neighboring lane.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a vehicle to perform the method of claim 10 .

20 . A method performed by a vehicle, the method comprising:

setting, based on a driving tendency of a driver of the vehicle, a reference position in a lane as a customized reference position for a lane keeping assistance for the driver, wherein the customized reference position is deviated, within a predetermined range, from a center of the lane;

determining a type of a road on which the vehicle is currently traveling using road information of a navigation device in the vehicle;

determining whether the vehicle deviates from the customized reference position; and

while the driver is driving the vehicle, assisting steering of the vehicle such that the vehicle follows along the customized reference position.