Vehicle drive assist apparatus

1. A vehicle drive assist apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the vehicle drive assist apparatus being configured to execute at least lane keeping traveling control for causing the vehicle to travel along a traveling lane and lane departure prevention control for suppressing departure of the vehicle from the traveling lane, the vehicle drive assist apparatus comprising:

a surrounding situation information acquisition device configured to acquire surrounding situation information of the vehicle, the surrounding situation information acquisition device comprising a camera or a radar sensor;

a steering angle sensor configured to detect a steering angle and a steering direction of the vehicle; and

a traveling controller configured to centrally control the vehicle, the traveling controller comprising a steering assist controller configured to execute traveling control involving steering assist control based on information output from the surrounding situation information acquisition device and information output from the steering angle sensor,

wherein the steering assist controller is configured to

recognize, based on the information output from the surrounding situation information acquisition device, an oncoming vehicle in an oncoming lane adjacent to the traveling lane of the vehicle and an avoidance target on a road shoulder side of the traveling lane of the vehicle,

estimate an avoidance priority level of the oncoming vehicle and an avoidance priority level of the avoidance target, and

set a new target lane keeping traveling path of the vehicle based on the avoidance priority level of the oncoming vehicle and the avoidance priority level of the avoidance target.

2. The vehicle drive assist apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the steering assist controller is further configured to

determine whether the vehicle is likely to depart from the traveling lane based on the information output from the surrounding situation information acquisition device and the information output from the steering angle sensor, and

upon determining that the vehicle is likely to depart from the traveling lane, set a new target lane departure prevention traveling path of the vehicle based on the avoidance priority level of the oncoming vehicle and the avoidance priority level of the avoidance target.

3. The vehicle drive assist apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the avoidance priority level of the oncoming vehicle is estimated based on a lateral distance between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle and a relative speed between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, and

wherein the avoidance priority level of the avoidance target is estimated based on a height of the avoidance target relative to a height of an outer rearview mirror of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle drive assist apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the avoidance priority level of the oncoming vehicle is estimated based on a lateral distance between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle and a relative speed between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, and

wherein the avoidance priority level of the avoidance target is estimated based on a height of the avoidance target relative to a height of an outer rearview mirror of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle drive assist apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein either one of the new target lane keeping traveling path and a new target lane departure prevention traveling path is set at a position where the vehicle keeps distance in a lateral direction from either one of the oncoming vehicle and the avoidance target, the avoidance priority level of the either one being higher.

6. The vehicle drive assist apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein either one of the new target lane keeping traveling path and the new target lane departure prevention traveling path is set at a position where the vehicle keeps distance in a lateral direction from either one of the oncoming vehicle and the avoidance target, the avoidance priority level of the either one being higher.

7. A vehicle drive assist apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the vehicle drive assist apparatus being configured to execute at least lane keeping traveling control for causing the vehicle to travel along a traveling lane and lane departure prevention control for suppressing departure of the vehicle from the traveling lane, the vehicle drive assist apparatus comprising:

a surrounding situation information acquisition device configured to acquire surrounding situation information of the vehicle, the surrounding situation information acquisition device comprising a camera or a radar sensor;

a steering angle sensor configured to detect a steering angle and a steering direction of the vehicle; and

circuitry configured to

centrally control the vehicle,

execute traveling control involving steering assist control based on information output from the surrounding situation information acquisition device and information output from the steering angle sensor,

recognize, based on the information output from the surrounding situation information acquisition device, an oncoming vehicle in an oncoming lane adjacent to the traveling lane of the vehicle and an avoidance target on a road shoulder side of the traveling lane of the vehicle,

estimate an avoidance priority level of the oncoming vehicle and an avoidance priority level of the avoidance target, and

set a new target lane keeping traveling path of the vehicle based on the avoidance priority level of the oncoming vehicle and the avoidance priority level of the avoidance target.