Vehicle contact avoidance assist system

1. A vehicle contact avoidance assist system for providing assistance in avoiding an obstacle located ahead of or otherwise adjacent to an own vehicle, comprising:

a steering device including a steering actuator for steering a steerable wheel of the vehicle according to a steering input applied to a steering wheel of the vehicle;

an obstacle acquisition unit configured to acquire an obstacle located ahead of the vehicle;

a contact avoidance control unit configured to perform an obstacle avoidance operation upon detecting the obstacle located ahead of the vehicle by the obstacle acquisition unit, the obstacle avoidance operation including a steering of the steerable wheel via the steering actuator so as to avoid the obstacle;

a steering wheel gripping state detection unit configured to detect a gripping state of the steering wheel by a vehicle operator;

wherein the contact avoidance control unit is configured to apply a restriction on the obstacle avoidance operation depending on the detected gripping state,

wherein the gripping state includes a both-hands gripping state where the vehicle operator grips the steering wheel with both hands, and a one-hand gripping state where the vehicle operator grips the steering wheel with a single hand, the restriction applied by the contact avoidance control unit being of a higher level in the one-hand gripping state than in the both-hands gripping state,

wherein the one-hand gripping state includes a left-hand gripping state where the vehicle operator grips the steering wheel only with a left hand, and a right-hand gripping state where the vehicle operator grips the steering wheel only with a right hand, the restriction applied by the contact avoidance control unit in the left-hand gripping state being of a higher level when the steering wheel turns in a clockwise direction than when the steering wheel turns in a counter-clockwise direction, the restriction applied by the contact avoidance control unit in the right-hand gripping state being of a higher level when the steering wheel turns in the counter-clockwise direction than when the steering wheel turns in the clockwise direction.

2. The vehicle contact avoidance assist system according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction includes limiting a steering torque of the steering actuator.

3. The vehicle contact avoidance assist system according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction includes limiting a steering angular speed of the steering actuator.

4. The vehicle contact avoidance assist system according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction includes limiting a steering angle of the steering actuator.

5. The vehicle contact avoidance assist system according to claim 1 , wherein the gripping state includes a neither-hand gripping state where the vehicle operator grips the steering wheel with neither hand, the restriction applied by the contact avoidance control unit being of a higher level in the one-hand gripping state and the both-hands gripping state than in the neither-hand gripping state.

6. The vehicle contact avoidance assist system according to claim 1 , wherein the contact avoidance control unit is configured to transmit a signal to the vehicle operator via the steering wheel when the one-hand gripping state is detected immediately before the obstacle avoidance operation is initiated and/or during execution of the obstacle avoidance operation.

7. The vehicle contact avoidance assist system according to claim 6 , wherein the signal to be transmitted to the vehicle operator comprises a cyclic angular movement of the steering wheel.

8. A vehicle contact avoidance assist system for providing assistance in avoiding an obstacle located ahead of or otherwise adjacent to an own vehicle, comprising:

a steering device including a steering actuator for steering a steerable wheel of the vehicle according to a steering input applied to a steering wheel of the vehicle;

an obstacle acquisition unit configured to acquire an obstacle located ahead of the vehicle;

a contact avoidance control unit configured to perform an obstacle avoidance operation upon detecting the obstacle located ahead of the vehicle by the obstacle acquisition unit, the obstacle avoidance operation including a steering of the steerable wheel via the steering actuator so as to avoid the obstacle;

a steering wheel gripping state detection unit configured to detect a gripping state of the steering wheel by a vehicle operator;

wherein the contact avoidance control unit is configured to apply a restriction on the obstacle avoidance operation depending on the detected gripping state,

wherein the gripping state includes a both-hands gripping state where the vehicle operator grips the steering wheel with both hands, and a one-hand gripping state where the vehicle operator grips the steering wheel with a single hand, the restriction applied by the contact avoidance control unit being of a higher level in the one-hand gripping state than in the both-hands gripping state,

wherein the contact avoidance control unit is configured to transmit a signal to the vehicle operator via the steering wheel when the one-hand gripping state is detected immediately before the obstacle avoidance operation is initiated and/or during execution of the obstacle avoidance operation,

wherein the signal to be transmitted to the vehicle operator comprises a cyclic angular movement of the steering wheel,

wherein the cyclic angular movement of the steering wheel is performed in such a manner that an angular speed of the steering wheel in a direction of a movement of the steerable wheel in avoiding the obstacle is greater than an angular speed of the steering wheel in an opposite direction.