Patent ID: 11884322
Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 1:
2. A drive assist apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the drive assist apparatus comprising:
a surrounding situation recognition device configured to recognize a surrounding situation of a first vehicle that is the vehicle to be applied with the drive assist apparatus;
a surrounding situation determination processor configured to determine the surrounding situation of the first vehicle on a basis of a result of recognition performed by the surrounding situation recognition device;
a steering-wheel holding state recognizer configured to recognize a steering-wheel holding state that is a state in which a driver who drives the first vehicle is holding a steering wheel of the first vehicle;
a steering-wheel holding state determination processor configured to determine the steering-wheel holding state on a basis of a result of recognition performed by the steering-wheel holding state recognizer; and
a traveling control device configured to perform a traveling control of the first vehicle on a basis of a result of determination performed by the surrounding situation determination processor or the steering-wheel holding state determination processor,
the traveling control device being configured to execute a traveling control for emergency in a case where the result of the determination performed by the surrounding situation determination processor or the steering-wheel holding state determination processor indicates that the first vehicle or the driver of the first vehicle is unable to maintain normal traveling,
wherein the steering-wheel holding state recognizer includes a steering torque sensor and a steering-wheel touch sensor, the steering torque sensor being provided on a steering shaft, the steering-wheel touch sensor provided on the steering wheel,
wherein the steering-wheel holding state determination processor is configured to determine that the driver of the first vehicle is unable to maintain the normal traveling, in a case where a steering device receives no interference from the driver of the first vehicle in a period in which a predetermined time elapses or in which the first vehicle travels a predetermined distance, and where the steering-wheel holding state recognizer detects no steering-wheel holding state, and
wherein the traveling control device is configured to:
in a case where the result of the determination performed by the steering-wheel holding state determination processor indicates that the driver of the first vehicle is unable to maintain the normal traveling, stop a traveling assist control being currently executed by the first vehicle, and perform a first steering-wheel holding state determination process after stopping the traveling assist control, the first steering-wheel holding state determination process being a process of detecting an output from the steering-wheel touch sensor or the steering torque sensor of the steering-wheel holding state recognizer;
in a case where the output from the steering-wheel touch sensor or the steering torque sensor is detected in the first steering-wheel holding state determination process, cause the traveling assist control to be resumed;
in a case where the output from the steering-wheel touch sensor or the steering torque sensor is not detected in the first steering-wheel holding state determination process, perform a second steering-wheel holding state determination process after an elapse of a predetermined time or after the first vehicle travels a predetermined distance, the second steering-wheel holding state determination process being a process of detecting only the output from the steering torque sensor of the steering-wheel holding state recognizer; and
in a case where the output from the steering torque sensor is detected and where a value of the output from the steering torque sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold in the second steering-wheel holding state determination process, cause the traveling assist control to be resumed.