Patent Description:
There has recently been ongoing development regarding autonomous driving technologies for minimizing driver intervention, including ADAS systems for assisting drivers' driving. Autonomous driving technologies have a problem in that the same are easy to implement if the driving environment can be clearly recognized, and if there is sufficient peripheral space (for example, in the case of wide roads having clearly defined lanes), but the same are implemented in a limited manner in the case of narrow roads (for example, alleys), requiring manual manipulation by the drivers, and inexperienced drivers who have insufficient judgement regarding vehicle widths cause accidents frequently.

<CIT> discloses a vehicle control device including a first recognizer recognizing one or more other vehicles present in the vicinity of a subject vehicle, a second recognizer recognizing that a road on which the subject vehicle is running is a road having no center line, an estimator estimating a state of a driver of an oncoming vehicle facing the subject vehicle among the one or more other vehicles recognized by the first recognizer, a
determiner determining whether the oncoming vehicle is a vehicle executing manual driving, and a controller decelerating the subject vehicle to a speed equal to or lower than a predetermined speed on the basis of the state of the driver of the oncoming vehicle in a case in which the oncoming vehicle is a vehicle executing manual driving, and the road on which the subject vehicle is running is a road having no center line.

The present invention is advantageous in that it is possible to travel on a narrow road regardless of whether the same has lanes or not, and even if there are obstacles (for example, parked vehicles) on the narrow road, it is possible to safely travel while avoiding the same. In addition, even an inexperienced driver can safely travel in a narrow and congested road environment.

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:.

<FIG> illustrates a configuration of a vehicle driving system <NUM> of the present invention. The vehicle driving system according to the present invention includes: a sensor <NUM> configured to monitor an environment outside a vehicle; and a controller <NUM> configured to recognize an oncoming traveling object through the sensor <NUM>, derive the width of a travelable road between the traveling object and the vehicle, determine priority between the traveling object and the vehicle when the width of the travelable road is smaller than the sum of the widths of the traveling object and the vehicle, and, when it is determined that the traveling object has priority, control traveling of the vehicle such that a space through which the traveling object can pass is ensured in the lateral direction of the vehicle.

Specifically, the present invention relates to a traveling system for controlling traveling of a vehicle on a narrow road, in particular, a narrow road on which two vehicles traveling in different directions cannot simultaneously travel due to parked vehicles or other obstacles on the narrow road.

The sensor <NUM> (e.g., an ultrasonic sensor, a radar, a LiDAR, a camera, etc.), which is an element for the system, monitors an environment outside the vehicle. Specifically, the sensor <NUM> may monitor whether there is a traveling object (e.g., an oncoming vehicle, a bicycle, etc.) in front of the vehicle, whether there is a lane around the vehicle, or whether there is an obstacle (e.g., a parked or stopped vehicle, etc.) around the vehicle.

When it is determined, based on the outside environment by the sensor <NUM>, that there is a traveling object in front of the vehicle, the controller <NUM> sums the transverse width of the traveling object in front of the vehicle and the transverse width of the vehicle, compares the sum with the transverse width of a travelable road, and then determines priority regarding which of the traveling object and the vehicle can first pass through the travelable road.

<FIG> is a view provided for helping to understand the present invention. Three parked or stopped vehicles P are on a road, and a traveling object O and a vehicle M have different traveling directions. The traveling object O and the vehicle M need to travel while passing through a space between the parked or stopped vehicles, and the space between the parked or stopped vehicles becomes a travelable road. Since the traveling object has been recognized by the sensor <NUM>, the controller <NUM> sums the transverse width of the traveling object O and the transverse width of the vehicle M, and then compares the sum with the width W of the travelable road. In <FIG>, the width W of the travelable road is smaller than the sum of the transverse widths of the traveling object O and the vehicle M, and thus the traveling object and the vehicle cannot simultaneously travel on the travelable road. Therefore, subsequently, the controller <NUM> prioritizes the traveling object O and the vehicle M to determine which of the traveling object O and the vehicle M is given priority to travel on the travelable road and which of the traveling object O and the vehicle M needs to yield. For example, when the traveling object O is determined to have priority, the controller <NUM> may control traveling of the vehicle M to provide a space such that the traveling object O can safely pass by the vehicle M.

At this time, the vehicle M may be controlled to make way for the traveling object O, and, for example, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, may be controlled to provide a traveling space to the traveling object O.

Specific control to determine which of the vehicle M and the traveling object O has priority is as follows.

The controller <NUM> may derive an expected collision site (S) of the vehicle M and the traveling object O, and may determine that one of the vehicle M and the traveling object O, which requires a less time to reach the expected collision site (S), has priority over the other.

Specifically, the controller <NUM> may derive the expected collision site (S) through the speeds of the vehicle M and the traveling object O and the distance therebetween. When the collision site (S) is derived, the controller <NUM> fixes the collision site, and determines which of the vehicle M and the traveling object O will reach the collision site (S) first, that is, which of the vehicle M and the traveling object O requires a less time to reach the collision site (S). For example, referring to <FIG>, after the collision site (S) is derived, when the speed of the vehicle M is not changed and when the speed of the traveling object O increases, the traveling object O first reaches the collision site (S). Therefore, it is determined that the traveling object O has priority. On the contrary, after the collision site (S) is derived, when the speed of the vehicle M is not changed and when the speed of the traveling object O decreases, the vehicle M first reaches the collision site (S). Therefore, it is determined that the vehicle M has priority.

The controller <NUM> may derive a time to collision (TTC) between the vehicle M and the traveling object O, and when the TTC is less than a reference value, may determine that one of the vehicle M and the traveling object O, which has a higher speed or higher acceleration, has priority.

Specifically, the controller <NUM> may derive an expected collision time, that is, the time that remains until collision therebetween, through the speeds of the vehicle M and the traveling object O and the distance therebetween. At this time, the controller <NUM> derives a TTC, and then, when the TTC is less than the reference value, may determine that the vehicle M and the traveling object O are in danger of colliding with each other on a travelable road, and may determine that one of the vehicle M and the traveling object O, which has a higher speed or higher acceleration, has priority. If the TTC is greater than the reference value, much time remains until collision, and thus the vehicle M and the traveling object O are considered to have a much time to avoid each other, whereby the vehicle M may speed up and first pass through travelable road.

The controller <NUM> may derive an expected collision site (S) of the vehicle M and the traveling object O, and may determine that one of the vehicle M and the traveling object O, which first passes through any one of two sites (S') spaced a predetermined distance apart from the expected collision site (S) and facing each other, has priority.

Specifically, referring to <FIG>, the controller <NUM> may derive an expected collision site (S) through the speeds of the vehicle M and the traveling object O and the distance therebetween. When the collision site (S) is derived, the controller <NUM> may fix the collision site (S), may configure two imaginary sites (S') spaced the same distance apart from the collision site (S) interposed therebetween, and may determine that one of the vehicle M and the traveling object O, which first passes through any one of the two sites (S'), has priority. For example, when the traveling object O first passes through an imaginary site (S'), the traveling object O has priority, and when the vehicle M first passes through an imaginary site (S'), the vehicle M has priority.

When the traveling object O is recognized as having an intention to travel, the controller <NUM> may determine that the traveling object O has priority.

When the vehicle driving system <NUM> of the present invention is included in both the vehicle M and the traveling object O, the vehicle M and the traveling object O can travel on a narrow road even under the above condition. However, if the traveling object O does not include the vehicle driving system <NUM>, even when it is determined that the vehicle M has priority, the vehicle M and the traveling object O are in danger of colliding with each other provided that the traveling object O has an intention to travel. Thus, in this case, the traveling object O may be considered to have priority.

Specifically, when the traveling object O does not decelerate, the controller <NUM> may recognize the traveling object O as having an intention to travel. Referring to <FIG>, in a situation in which the vehicle M has been determined to have priority, when the traveling object O does not decelerate, the controller <NUM> may consider the traveling object O to have an intention to travel, and may re-determine that the traveling object O has priority.

Further, when the rate of change in a forward heading angle of the traveling object O is less than a reference value, the controller <NUM> may recognize the traveling object O as having an intention to travel.

Specifically, referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, in the situation in which the vehicle M has been determined to have priority, the traveling object O needs to change the traveling direction thereof in order to avoid the vehicle. Therefore, if the traveling object O has an intention to yield, the heading angle is changed as illustrated in <FIG>. However, if the traveling object O has no intention to yield, the heading angle is not changed even while the traveling object O travels as illustrated in <FIG>. Therefore, when the rate of change in the heading angle of the traveling object O is less than the reference value, the controller <NUM> may re-determine that the traveling object O has an intention to travel and the traveling object O has priority.

In a situation in which the vehicle M and the traveling object O stop, when the traveling object O does not make way for a predetermined time, the traveling object O may be recognized as having an intention to travel.

Specifically, referring to <FIG>, in a situation in which the vehicle M has been determined to have priority, the traveling object O needs to yield to the vehicle such that the vehicle can pass. In a situation in which both the traveling object O and the vehicle M stop, the controller <NUM> controls the vehicle M such that the vehicle M stands by for a predetermined time. When the traveling object does not make way for a predetermined time, the controller <NUM> may determine that the traveling object O has an intention to travel, and may re-determine that the traveling object O has priority, whereby the vehicle M may travel backward on a traveling path to make way for the traveling object O.

Referring to <FIG>, a method for controlling the vehicle driving system includes: a step S100 of recognizing an oncoming traveling object through a sensor; a step S200 of deriving the width of a travelable road between the traveling object and a vehicle; a step of S300 of determining priority between the traveling object and the vehicle when the width of the travelable road is smaller than the sum of the widths of the traveling object and the vehicle; and a step S400 of controlling, when the traveling object is determined to have priority, traveling of the vehicle such that a space through which the traveling object can pass is ensured in the lateral direction of the vehicle.

In the step S300 of determining priority, an expected collision site of the vehicle and the traveling object may be derived, and one of the vehicle and the traveling object, which requires a less time to reach the expected collision site, may be determined to have priority.

For example, when the traveling object requires the less time to reach the expected collision site, the traveling object may be determined to have priority, and the traveling of the vehicle may be controlled such that the traveling object can pass through a travelable road.

After the step S300 of determining priority, the method may further include a step S500 of determining whether the traveling object has an intention to travel, and it may be determined that the traveling object has priority when the traveling object is recognized as having an intention to travel.

For example, even when the vehicle has been determined to have priority, if the traveling object is determined to have an intention to travel, the traveling of the vehicle may be controlled such that the traveling object can first pass through the travelable road.

The controller <NUM> may include a processor or a microprocessor. Optionally, the controller <NUM> may also include a memory. The aforementioned operations/functions of the controller <NUM> can be embodied as computer readable code/algorithm/software stored on the memory thereof which may include a non-transitory computer readable recording medium. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by the processor or the microprocessor. Examples of the computer readable recording medium include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a silicon disc drive (SDD), read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, etc. The processor or the microprocessor may perform the above described operations/functions of the controller <NUM>, by executing the computer readable code/algorithm/software stored on the non-transitory computer readable recording medium.

Claim 1:
A vehicle driving system (<NUM>) comprising:
a sensor (<NUM>) configured to monitor an environment outside a vehicle; and
a controller (<NUM>) configured to recognize an oncoming traveling object through the sensor, derive a width of a travelable road between the traveling object and the vehicle, determine priority between the traveling object and the vehicle when the width of the travelable road is smaller than a sum of widths of the traveling object and the vehicle, and, when the traveling object is determined to have the priority, control traveling of the vehicle to provide a space in a lateral direction of the vehicle to allow the traveling object to pass,
wherein the controller (<NUM>) is configured to derive an expected collision site of the vehicle and the traveling object, and determine that one of the vehicle and the traveling object, which requires a less time to reach the expected collision site, has the priority, or
wherein the controller (<NUM>) is configured to derive a time to collision, TTC, between the vehicle and the traveling object, and when the TTC is less than a reference value, determine that one of the vehicle and the traveling object, which has a higher speed or higher acceleration, has the priority, or
wherein the controller (<NUM>) is configured to derive an expected collision site of the vehicle and the traveling object, and determine that one of the vehicle and the traveling object, which first passes through one of two sites spaced a predetermined distance apart from the expected collision site and facing each other, has the priority.