Apparatus for assisting driving of vehicle and method thereof

1 . An apparatus for assisting driving of a vehicle, comprising:

a camera installed in the vehicle, having a rear field of view of the vehicle, and obtaining image data; and

a controller configured to process the image data;

a memory configured to store the image data, a first reference time and a second reference time, the second reference time being smaller than the first reference time,

wherein the controller is configured to:

identify a rear object that interferes with a driving of the vehicle and determine at least one of a size and a weight of the rear object based on processing the image data,

adaptively adjust at least one of the first reference time and the second reference time based on the determined the size or the weight of the rear object,

wherein the adaptively adjust comprises increasing at least one of the first reference time and the second reference time when it is determined that either the size or the weight of the rear object is relatively larger or heavier, in response to an increased risk of damage associated with the relatively larger or heavier rear object,

control at least one of a display device and an audio device of the vehicle to output a message for inducing a lane change of the vehicle based on an expected collision time remaining until a collision between the vehicle and the rear object being less than or equal to the adaptively adjusted first reference time, and

control a steering device of the vehicle to apply a first torque for performing the lane change of the vehicle based on the expected collision time being less than or equal to the adaptively adjusted second reference time that is smaller than the first reference time.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to apply the first torque without outputting the message for inducing the lane change of the vehicle based on the expected collision time being less than or equal to the second reference time.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the steering device of the vehicle to apply a second torque greater than the first torque based on the expected collision time being less than or equal to a third reference time that is smaller than the second reference time.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

identify a free space on which the vehicle may travel in response to that the expected collision time is less than or equal to the first reference time, and

control at least one of the display device and the audio device of the vehicle to output the message for inducing the lane change toward the free space.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to control the steering device of the vehicle to apply the first torque for performing the lane change toward the free space in response to that the expected collision time is less than or equal to the second reference time.

6 . A method of assisting driving of a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining image data by a camera installed in the vehicle, the camera having a rear field of view of the vehicle;

identifying a rear object that interferes with a driving of the vehicle and determining at least one of a size and a weight of the rear object based on processing the image data;

adaptively adjusting at least one of a first reference time and a second reference time, stored in a memory, based on the determined the size or the weight of the rear object,

wherein the adaptively adjusting comprises increasing the first reference time and the second reference time when it is determined that either the size or the weight of the rear object is relatively larger or heavier, in response to an increased risk of damage associated with the relatively larger or heavier rear object;

outputting a message for inducing a lane change of the vehicle based on an expected collision time remaining until a collision between the vehicle and the rear object being less than or equal to the adaptively adjusted first reference time; and

applying a first torque for performing the lane change of the vehicle based on the expected collision time being less than or equal to the adaptively adjusted second reference time.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein applying of the first torque further comprises:

applying the first torque without outputting the message for inducing the lane change of the vehicle based on the expected collision time being less than or equal to the second reference time.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprises:

applying a second torque greater than the first torque based on the expected collision time being less than or equal to a third reference time that is smaller than the second reference time.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein outputting the message further comprises:

identifying a free space on which the vehicle may travel in response to that the expected collision time is less than or equal to the first reference time, and

outputting the message for inducing the lane change towards the free space.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein applying the first torque further comprises:

applying the first torque for performing the lane change toward the free space in response to that the expected collision time is less than or equal to the second reference time.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

obtaining image data by a camera installed in a vehicle and having a rear field of view of the vehicle;

identifying a rear object that interferes with a driving of the vehicle and determining at least one of a size and a weight of the rear object based on processing the image data;

adaptively adjusting at least one of a first reference time and a second reference time based on the determined the size or the weight of the rear object,

wherein the adaptively adjusting comprises increasing at least one of the first reference time and the second reference time when it is determined that either the size or the weight of the rear object is relatively larger or heavier, in response to an increased risk of damage associated with the relatively larger or heavier rear object;

outputting a message for inducing a lane change of the vehicle based on an expected collision time remaining until a collision between the vehicle and the rear object being less than or equal to the adaptively adjusted first reference time; and

applying a first torque for performing the lane change of the vehicle based on the expected collision time being less than or equal to the adaptively adjusted second reference time that is smaller than the first reference time.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 11 , wherein the instruction further comprises applying the first torque without outputting the message for inducing the lane change of the vehicle based on the expected collision time being less than or equal to the second reference time.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 11 , wherein the instruction further comprises applying a second torque greater than the first torque based on the expected collision time being less than or equal to a third reference time that is smaller than the second reference time.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 11 , wherein the instruction further comprises:

identifying a free space on which the vehicle may travel in response to that the expected collision time is less than or equal to the first reference time, and

outputting the message for inducing the lane change towards the free space.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises applying the first torque for performing the lane change toward the free space in response to that the expected collision time is less than or equal to the second reference time.