Vehicle Lane Change Control Using Steering Torque and Deviation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle traveling control systems face challenges in accurately estimating a driver's intention to stop lane change control, leading to a strong feeling of strangeness due to high required steering torque and difficulties in applying techniques to lane change control.
Innovation Solution
A traveling control apparatus that includes a traveling controller, position detector, and steering torque detector, which calculates deviation from an imaginary curve and varies thresholds based on steering torque and deviation to accurately determine and execute the driver's intention for lane change control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a high steering torque threshold is used to stop lane change control, then the system can prevent false triggering from minor steering inputs, but it causes a strong feeling of strangeness and requires excessive steering torque from the driver
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters used for detecting driver intention from relying solely on steering torque magnitude to incorporating steering torque variation rate and deviation from target course. This allows the system to detect driver intention with smaller steering torques by considering how quickly the torque changes and how the vehicle position deviates from the planned path, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliable detection and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring vehicle position relative to the target course and using this information to adjust the lane change control stopping decision. The deviation calculator provides feedback about position offset, and the steering torque variation rate provides feedback about driver input dynamics, enabling the system to accurately detect intention without requiring excessive torque
2Device complexity
If the lane change control stops based on fixed steering torque threshold, then the control logic is simple, but it cannot accurately estimate driver's intention in various driving scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the detection criteria adaptive rather than fixed. The system calculates the variation rate of steering torque and the variation rate of deviation from target course, allowing the detection thresholds to effectively adapt to different driving scenarios. This dynamic approach improves measurement precision while maintaining relatively simple control logic through systematic calculation methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary calculations of steering torque variation rate and deviation variation rate before making the lane change control stopping decision. By pre-calculating these parameters and establishing their relationship with driver intention, the system achieves accurate intention estimation without complex real-time decision logic
Data Source
AI summary
A traveling control apparatus of vehicle includes a traveling controller, a position detector, and a steering torque detector. Where a steering torque, upon operation of a steering wheel to orient a vehicle in a first direction parallel to a width direction of a first lane, is a positive value, and the steering torque, upon operation of the steering wheel to orient the vehicle in a second direction opposite to the first direction, is a negative value, a lane change controller of the traveling controller stops a lane change control when the steering torque is equal to or greater than a positive first threshold or is equal to or less than a negative second threshold. The traveling controller varies the first and the second thresholds in accordance with a deviation that is an amount in which the vehicle is shifted from an imaginary curve related to a target course.