Patent ID: 7680569

Claim:
An automotive lane deviation prevention (LDP) apparatus, comprising: (a) a lane marking detection section configured to detect a lane marking line of a driving lane of a host vehicle, based on a picture image in front of the host vehicle; (b) a lateral displacement estimation section configured to estimate, based on the lane marking line, a future lateral displacement of the host vehicle relative to the host vehicle's driving lane; (c) a road surface irregularities detection section configured to determine whether the host vehicle is traveling on predetermined road surface irregularities formed on or close to the lane marking line; and (d) a vehicle yawing motion control section configured to execute vehicle yawing motion control by which the host vehicle returns toward a central position of the host vehicle's driving lane; wherein the vehicle yawing motion control section initiates the vehicle yawing motion control when all following conditions occur: (1) when the host vehicle is traveling on predetermined road surface irregularities; (2) while the lane marking detection section cannot recognize or detect the lane marking line; and (3) an absolute value of the future lateral displacement, immediately before the lane marking detection section cannot recognize or detect the lane marking line, is greater than or equal to a predetermined lateral displacement criterion.