Patent ID: 7236884

Claim:
An automotive lane deviation prevention apparatus comprising: a picture image pick-up device that captures a picture image in front of a host vehicle; a lane marking line detector that detects a lane marking line based on the picture image captured by the picture image pick-up device; and a processor programmed to perform the following: execute vehicle yawing motion control by which the host vehicle yaws away from a side position of a driving lane, when the host vehicle is traveling on predetermined irregularities formed on or close to either one of a left-hand side lane marking line and a right-hand side lane marking line of the driving lane that produce vibratory motion input into the host vehicle; determine, based on the lane marking line detected, whether the host vehicle tends to deviate from the driving lane; execute lane deviation prevention (LDP) control by which the host vehicle's lane deviation tendency is avoided, in presence of the host vehicle's lane-deviation tendency; wherein the apparatus is adapted to provide the host vehicle a first desired yaw-moment controlled variable to avoid deviating from the driving lane in the event that the apparatus cannot detect a lane marking line and the vehicle is traveling on the predetermined irregularities formed on or in close proximity to either one of the left-hand side lane marking line and the right-hand side lane marking line of the driving lane; wherein the apparatus is adapted to provide a second desired yaw-moment controlled variable to avoid deviating from the driving lane in response to the host vehicle's lane deviation tendency detected based on lane marking line detection; and wherein the apparatus is adapted to correct the second desired yaw-moment controlled variable to a large value when the vehicle is traveling on the predetermined irregularities formed on or close to either one of a left-hand side lane marking line and a right-hand side lane marking line of the driving lane.