IP Library › Granted Patent US 12679369
Granted Patent B2
US 12679369 · App. 18/224,117 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Driving assistance apparatus for vehicle

Inventors: Motohiro Hidaka (Tokyo, JP); Katsuyuki Umezawa (Tokyo, JP); Hiroaki Kuramochi (Tokyo, JP); Satoshi Nakano (Tokyo, JP); Shuhei Dairokuno (Tokyo, JP); Tatsuro Suzuki (Tokyo, JP); Masashi Okano (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
B60W30/18159B60W2552/05
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12679369
App. No.
18/224,117
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A driving assistance apparatus for a vehicle includes an environment information acquisitor, a vehicle position estimator, a target route setter, and a controller. The environment information acquisitor acquires environment information in front of the vehicle. The vehicle position estimator estimates a position of the vehicle on a road. The target route setter sets a target route of the vehicle. The controller causes the vehicle to travel along the target route. The controller includes an intersection determiner, a right-left turn determiner, a route generator, and an intervention controller. The intersection determiner determines whether an intersection is in front of the vehicle based on the environment information. The right-left turn determiner determines whether the vehicle turns right or left at the intersection. The route generator generates correct and erroneous routes. The intervention controller executes intervention control to return a traveling direction of the vehicle toward the correct route from the erroneous route.

Claims (58)

1 . A driving assistance apparatus for a vehicle, the driving assistance apparatus comprising:

a camera unit comprising a camera, the camera unit being configured to acquire environment information in front of the vehicle;

a vehicle position estimator comprising a sensor, the vehicle position estimator being configured to estimate a position of the vehicle on a road; and

a controller configured to set a target route of the vehicle and cause the vehicle to travel along the target route, the controller being further configured to:

determine whether there is an intersection in front of the vehicle based on the acquired environment information;

determine whether the vehicle turns right or left at the intersection in response to determining that there is the intersection;

in response to determining that the vehicle turns right or left, generate a correct route and an erroneous route in the intersection before the vehicle enters the intersection, the correct route coupling the target route set to a traveling lane of the vehicle before the vehicle entering the intersection and the target route set to a traveling lane of the vehicle after the vehicle making a right turn or left turn at the intersection, the erroneous route coupling the target route set to the traveling lane of the vehicle before the vehicle entering the intersection and a target route generated to an opposite lane of the traveling lane of the vehicle after the vehicle making the right turn or left turn at the intersection; and

execute intervention control to return a traveling direction of the vehicle to the correct route to prevent the vehicle from entering the opposite lane, in response to determining that the vehicle is traveling on the erroneous route in the intersection based on the position of the vehicle estimated by the vehicle position estimator.

2 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to set the target route set in the intersection as the correct route.

3 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the correct route with a curvature between two points coupling an end point on the target route set to the traveling lane of the vehicle before the vehicle entering the intersection at which the vehicle faces the intersection, and an end point on the target route set to the traveling lane of the vehicle after the vehicle making the right turn or left turn at the intersection which faces the intersection.

4 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the erroneous route with a curvature between two points coupling an end point on the target route set to the traveling lane of the vehicle before the vehicle entering the intersection at which the vehicle faces the intersection, and an end point on the target route generated to the opposite lane of the traveling lane of the vehicle after the vehicle making the right turn or left turn at the intersection which faces.

5 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the erroneous route with a curvature between two points coupling an end point on the target route set to the traveling lane of the vehicle before the vehicle entering the intersection at which the vehicle faces the intersection, and an end point on the target route generated to the opposite lane of the traveling lane of the vehicle after the vehicle making the right turn or left turn at the intersection which faces the intersection.

6 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the erroneous route with the curvature between two points coupling an end point on the target route set to the traveling lane of the vehicle before the vehicle entering the intersection at which the vehicle faces the intersection, and an end point on the target route generated to the opposite lane of the traveling lane of the vehicle after the vehicle making the right turn or left turn at the intersection which faces the intersection.

7 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to set a dead zone between the correct route and the erroneous route.

8 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to set a dead zone between the correct route and the erroneous route.

9 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to set a dead zone between the correct route and the erroneous route.

10 . A driving assistance apparatus for a vehicle, the driving assistance apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to:

acquire environment information in front of the vehicle;

estimate a position of the vehicle on a road;

set a target route of the vehicle;

cause the vehicle to travel along the target route;

determine whether there is an intersection in front of the vehicle based on the environment information;

determine whether the vehicle turns right or left at the intersection upon determining that there is the intersection;

upon determining that the vehicle turns right or left, generate a correct route and an erroneous route in the intersection before the vehicle enters the intersection, the correct route coupling the target route set to a traveling lane of the vehicle before the vehicle entering the intersection and the target route set to a traveling lane of the vehicle after the vehicle making a right turn or left turn at the intersection, the erroneous route coupling the target route set to the traveling lane of the vehicle before the vehicle entering the intersection and a target route generated to an opposite lane of the traveling lane of the vehicle after the vehicle making the right turn or left turn at the intersection; and

execute intervention control to return a traveling direction of the vehicle to the correct route to prevent the vehicle from entering the opposite lane, upon determining that the vehicle is traveling on a side of the erroneous route in the intersection based on the position of the vehicle.

11 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

calculate a first lateral position distance between the position of the vehicle and the correct route and a second lateral position distance between the position of the vehicle and the erroneous route;

determine whether the first lateral position distance is equal to or greater than the second lateral position distance; and

in response to the first lateral position distance being equal to or greater than the second lateral position distance, compare the first lateral position distance with a first threshold; and

in response to the first lateral position distance being equal to or less than the first threshold, execute the intervention control comprising execute steering control to return the traveling direction of the vehicle to the correct route in response to determining that the vehicle is traveling on the erroneous route in the intersection based on the position of the vehicle estimated by the vehicle position estimator.

12 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

calculate a first lateral position distance between the position of the vehicle and the correct route and a second lateral position distance between the position of the vehicle and the erroneous route;

determine whether the first lateral position distance is equal to or greater than the second lateral position distance; and

in response to the first lateral position distance being equal to or greater than the second lateral position distance, compare the first lateral position distance with a first threshold; and

in response to the first lateral position distance being greater than the first threshold, execute the intervention control comprising execute steering control and braking control to return the traveling direction of the vehicle to the correct route in response to determining that the vehicle is traveling on the erroneous route in the intersection based on the position of the vehicle estimated by the vehicle position estimator.

13 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

compare the first lateral position distance with a second threshold, the second threshold being greater than the first threshold;

in response to the first lateral position distance being equal to or less than the second threshold, execute the braking control comprising execute a first intervention control; and

in response to the first lateral position distance being greater than the second threshold, execute the braking control comprising execute a second intervention control,

wherein the second intervention control has a more braking force than the first intervention control.

14 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

calculate a first lateral position distance between the position of the vehicle and the correct route and a second lateral position distance between the position of the vehicle and the erroneous route;

determine whether the first lateral position distance is equal to or greater than the second lateral position distance; and

in response to the first lateral position distance being equal to or greater than the second lateral position distance, compare the first lateral position distance with a first threshold; and

in response to the first lateral position distance being equal to or less than the first threshold, execute the intervention control comprising execute steering control to return the traveling direction of the vehicle to the correct route in response to determining that the vehicle is traveling on the erroneous route in the intersection based on the position of the vehicle estimated by the circuitry.

15 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

calculate a first lateral position distance between the position of the vehicle and the correct route and a second lateral position distance between the position of the vehicle and the erroneous route;

determine whether the first lateral position distance is equal to or greater than the second lateral position distance; and

in response to the first lateral position distance being equal to or greater than the second lateral position distance, compare the first lateral position distance with a first threshold; and

in response to the first lateral position distance being greater than the first threshold, execute the intervention control comprising execute steering control and braking control to return the traveling direction of the vehicle to the correct route in response to determining that the vehicle is traveling on the erroneous route in the intersection based on the position of the vehicle estimated by the circuitry.

16 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

compare the first lateral position distance with a second threshold, the second threshold being greater than the first threshold;

in response to the first lateral position distance being equal to or less than the second threshold, execute the braking control comprising execute a first intervention control; and

in response to the first lateral position distance being greater than the second threshold, execute the braking control comprising execute a second intervention control,

wherein the second intervention control has more braking force than the first intervention control.

17 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the correct route and the erroneous route based on a number of lanes on each side of a road after the right turn or left turn at the intersection and whether there is an opposite lane on the road after the right turn or left turn at the intersection.

18 . The driving assistance apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the correct route and the erroneous route based on a number of lanes on each side of a road after the right turn or left turn at the intersection and whether there is an opposite lane on the road after the right turn or left turn at the intersection.