Driving assist apparatus and driving assist method

1. A driving assist apparatus which activates a safety device for avoiding a collision of an own vehicle with a target present around the own vehicle for reducing damage from the collision, when there is a possibility that the own vehicle will collide with the target,

the driving assist apparatus comprising:

an operation determination means for determining whether a collision avoidance operation has been started by a driver, when the target is present around the own vehicle;

a delaying means for performing a delaying process for delaying an activation timing at which the safety device is activated, when it is determined that the collision avoidance operation has been started, the delaying process setting the activation timing to a timing later than a timing that would be set when it is not determined that the collision avoidance operation has been started;

an activation determination means for determining, based on the activation timing, whether to activate the safety device; and

a subject selection means for selecting, among a plurality of the targets present around the own vehicle, a subject target that is subject to the delaying process based on a steering operation, wherein

the delaying means continuously performs the delaying process until a predetermined time period elapses after the collision avoidance operation has been started,

the collision avoidance operation includes the steering operation, and

the delaying means ends the delaying process when the subject selection means switches the subject target.

2. The driving assist apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the collision avoidance operation includes an accelerator operation for reducing an accelerator opening degree that is an operation amount of an accelerator.

3. The driving assist apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the delaying means ends the delaying process when an operation for increasing the accelerator opening degree is performed while the delaying process is continuously performed.

4. The driving assist apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when, before the predetermined time period elapses after the steering operation has finished, the steering operation is performed again, the delaying means performs the delaying process until the predetermined time period elapses after the steering operation has been performed again.

5. The driving assist apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a deceleration determination means for determining whether a deceleration operation has been performed as the collision avoidance operation, wherein

the delaying means performs the delaying process when the steering operation has been started and the deceleration operation has been performed.

6. The driving assist apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the collision avoidance operation further includes a brake operation for increasing a depression amount, that is an operation amount of a brake pedal; and

when it is determined that the brake operation has been performed, the delaying means performs the delaying process and continuously performs the delaying process until the predetermined time period elapses after the brake operation has finished.

7. A driving assist apparatus, which activates a safety device for avoiding a collision of an own vehicle with a target present around the own vehicle for reducing damage from the collision, when there is a possibility that the own vehicle will collide with the target,

the driving assist apparatus comprising:

an operation determination means for determining whether a collision avoidance operation has been performed by a driver, when the target is present around the own vehicle;

a delaying means for performing a delaying process for delaying an activation timing at which the safety device is activated, when it is determined that the collision avoidance operation has been performed, the delaying process setting the activation timing to a timing later than a timing that would be set when it is not determined that the collision avoidance operation has been performed;

an activation determination means for determining, based on the activation timing, whether to activate the safety device; and

a subject selection means for selecting, among a plurality of the targets present around the own vehicle, a subject target that is subject to the delaying process based on a steering operation, wherein

the delaying means continuously performs the delaying process until a predetermined time period elapses after the collision avoidance operation has finished,

the collision avoidance operation includes the steering operation, and

the delaying means ends the delaying process when the subject selection means switches the subject target.

8. The driving assist apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein, when, before the predetermined time period elapses after the collision avoidance operation has finished, the collision avoidance operation is performed again, the delaying means continuously performs the delaying process until the predetermined time period elapses after the collision avoidance operation has finished.

9. The driving assist apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the collision avoidance operation includes a brake operation for increasing a depression amount that is an operation amount of a brake pedal.

10. The driving assist apparatus according to claim 7 wherein:

the collision avoidance operation further includes an accelerator operation for reducing an accelerator opening degree, which is an operation amount of an accelerator; and

when it is determined that the steering operation or the accelerator operation has been started, the delaying means performs the delaying process and continuously performs the delaying process until the predetermined time period elapses.

11. The driving assist apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a collision prediction means for calculating time to collision, based on a relative distance between the own vehicle and the target and a relative velocity or a relative acceleration between the own vehicle and the target, the time to collision being the time remaining until the own vehicle collides with the target, wherein

the activation determination means activates the safety device based on a result of a comparison between the activation timing and the time to collision.

12. A driving assist method that is performed by a driving assist apparatus which activates a safety device for avoiding a collision of an own vehicle with a target present around the own vehicle for reducing damage from the collision, when there is a possibility that the own vehicle will collide with the target,

the driving assist apparatus performing the steps of:

determining whether a collision avoidance operation has been started by a driver, when the target is present around the own vehicle;

performing a delaying process for delaying an activation timing at which the safety device is activated, when it is determined that the collision avoidance operation has been started, the delaying process setting the activation timing to a timing later than a timing that would be set when it is not determined that the collision avoidance operation has been started;

determining, based on the activation timing, whether to activate the safety device; and

selecting, among a plurality of the targets present around the own vehicle, a subject target that is subject to the delaying process based on a steering operation, wherein

at the delaying step, the delaying process is continuously performed until a predetermined time period elapses after the collision avoidance operation has been started,

the collision avoidance operation includes the steering operation, and

at the delaying step, the delaying process ends when the subject target is switched at the selecting step.

13. A driving assist method that is performed by a driving assist apparatus which activates a safety device for avoiding a collision of an own vehicle with a target present around the own vehicle for reducing damage from the collision, when there is a possibility that the own vehicle will collide with the target,

the driving assist apparatus performing the steps of:

determining whether a collision avoidance operation has been performed by a driver, when the target is present around the own vehicle;

performing a delaying process for delaying an activation timing at which the safety device is activated, when it is determined that the collision avoidance operation has been performed, the delaying process setting the activation timing to a timing later than a timing that would be set when it is not determined that the collision avoidance operation has been performed;

determining, based on the activation timing, whether to activate the safety device; and

selecting, among a plurality of the targets present around the own vehicle, a subject target that is subject to the delaying process based on a steering operation, wherein

at the delaying step, the delaying process is continuously performed until a predetermined time period elapses after the collision avoidance operation has finished,

the collision avoidance operation includes the steering operation, and

at the delaying step, the delaying process ends when the subject target is switched at the selecting step.

14. A driving assist apparatus, which activates a safety device for avoiding a collision of an own vehicle with a target present around the own vehicle for reducing damage from the collision, when there is a possibility that the own vehicle will collide with the target,

the driving assist apparatus comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicable to the memory; and

a set of computer-executable instructions stored on the memory that cause the processor to implement:

determining whether a collision avoidance operation has been started by a driver, when the target is present around the own vehicle;

performing a delaying process for delaying an activation timing at which the safety device is activated, when it is determined that the collision avoidance operation has been started, the delaying process setting the activation timing to a timing later than a timing that would be set when it is not determined that the collision avoidance operation has been started;

determining, based on the activation timing, whether to activate the safety device; and

selecting, among a plurality of the targets present around the own vehicle, a subject target that is subject to the delaying process based on a steering operation, wherein

the processor continuously performs the delaying process until a predetermined time period elapses after the collision avoidance operation has been started,

the collision avoidance operation includes the steering operation, and

the processor ends the delaying process when it switches the subject target.

15. A driving assist apparatus, which activates a safety device for avoiding a collision of an own vehicle with a target present around the own vehicle or reducing damage from the collision, when there is a possibility that the own vehicle will collide with the target,

the driving assist apparatus comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicable to the memory; and

a set of computer-executable instructions stored on the memory that cause the processor to implement:

determining whether a collision avoidance operation has been performed by a driver, when the target is present around the own vehicle;

performing a delaying process for delaying an activation timing at which the safety device is activated, when it is determined that the collision avoidance operation has been performed, the delaying process setting the activation timing to a timing later than a timing that would be set when it is not determined that the collision avoidance operation has been performed;

determining, based on the activation timing, whether to activate the safety device; and

selecting, among a plurality of the targets present around the own vehicle, a subject target that is subject to the delaying process based on a steering operation, wherein

the processor continuously performs the delaying process until a predetermined time period elapses after the collision avoidance operation has finished,

the collision avoidance operation includes the steering operation, and

the processor ends the delaying process when it switches the subject target.