Vehicle control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10843706-B2
Application number	US-201715839013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2017
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control apparatus capable of making a vehicle run by automated driving. The vehicle control apparatus can include a notification unit configured to notify a course change inside and/or outside the vehicle, and a control unit. The control unit can switch the control of the notification unit stepwise in a case in which the course change is necessary before a predetermined point during the automated driving. At a first stage, the notification unit can notify the course change on condition that the state in which the course change is enabled is set. At a second stage at which the vehicle is closer to the predetermined point than at the first stage, the notification unit can notify the course change without condition that the state in which the course change is enabled is set.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle control apparatus capable of making a vehicle run by automated driving, comprising:
a notification unit configured to notify a course change of the vehicle outside the vehicle; and
a control unit configured to control the notification unit,
wherein the control unit switches the control of the notification unit stepwise in a case in which the course change of the vehicle is necessary before a predetermined point during the automated driving,
at a first stage, the notification unit is caused to notify the course change on condition that a state in which the course change of the vehicle is enabled is set, and
at a second stage at which the vehicle is closer to the predetermined point than at the first stage, the notification unit is caused to notify the course change even if the course change of the vehicle is unable to occur due to a position of the vehicle relative to an adjacent vehicle, the notification unit starts to notify the course change following a shift in the position in a travelling direction from the adjacent vehicle which runs on a destination lane of the course change, and the shift occurring when a front end of the adjacent vehicle is positioned relative to a rear side of a front end of the vehicle in the traveling direction by at least ¼ of the total length of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to acquire information regarding crowding of neighboring vehicles and switches the control from the first stage to the second stage based on the information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to change a notification manner of the notification unit depending on whether the state in which the course change of the vehicle is enabled is set at the second stage.

4. A vehicle control apparatus capable of making a vehicle run by automated driving, comprising:
a direction indicator configured to notify a course change of the vehicle outside the vehicle; and
a control circuit including at least one processor, the control circuit being configured to control the direction indicator,
wherein the control circuit switches the control of the direction indicator stepwise in a case in which the course change of the vehicle is necessary before a predetermined point during the automated driving,
at a first stage, the direction indicator is caused to notify the course change on condition that a state in which the course change of the vehicle is enabled is set, and
at a second stage at which the vehicle is closer to the predetermined point than at the first stage, the direction indicator is caused to notify the course change even if the course change of the vehicle is unable to occur due to a position of the vehicle relative to an adjacent vehicle, the direction indicator starts to notify the course change following a shift in the position in a travelling direction from the adjacent vehicle which runs on a destination lane for the course change, and the shift occurring when a front end of the adjacent vehicle is positioned relative to a rear side of a front end of the vehicle in the traveling direction by at least ¼ of a total length of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Honda Shigehiro
• Tsuji Kanta
• Ibuka Jun
• Harada Riho

Classifications

• B60Q1/346

  with automatic actuation · CPC title

• B60W30/18163

  Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres · CPC title

• B60W2540/215

  Selection or confirmation of options · CPC title

• B60W30/18 Primary

  Propelling the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W50/14 Primary

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title