Patent ID: 6092619
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: B60T,B60W,B62D,G05D

Abstract:
A steering assist system in a vehicle having a lane change function during forward traveling of the vehicle, comprising a steering means connected to a steered wheel and also connected to a steering wheel to be able to transmit a torque from said steering wheel, a driving means for operating said steering means, and a control unit having, means for detecting a reference lane on which the vehicle is now traveling forward, based on information of a road ahead of the vehicle to substantially set a reference target course within said reference lane, and applying, to said steering means, a reference induction force determined in accordance with the magnitude and direction of a deviation of the subject vehicle from said reference target course, thereby controlling the operation of said driving means to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said reference lane, wherein said control unit includes a means for substantially setting a second target course in a second lane along which the vehicle will be traveling forward after the lane change, a means for determining a second induction force to be applied to said steering means in order to realize the forward traveling of the vehicle along said second lane, in accordance with the magnitude and direction of the deviation of the subject vehicle from said second target course, and a means for connecting said reference target course and said second target course by a connection course with a force applied from said driving means to said steering, means during the lane change being substantially equal to ""0"".