Vehicle control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11084497-B2
Application number	US-201616468974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

The vehicle control device according to the present invention is a device that automatically controls the travel of a vehicle at least partially, the vehicle control device comprising: a traveling environment acquisition unit that acquires a traveling environment of the vehicle when the travel control is performed; and a vehicle control unit that performs state change control to change a state of the vehicle on the basis of the traveling environment acquired by the traveling environment acquisition unit, when the travel control is transitioned from automatic to manual or when such a transition is predicted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle control device configured to perform travel control of a host vehicle at least partially automatically, comprising one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the vehicle control device to:
acquire a travel environment of the host vehicle when the travel control is performed;
perform state changing control for changing a state of the host vehicle when the travel control is taken over or predicted to be taken over from automated driving to manual driving, on a basis of the travel environment; and
perform a request operation for requesting a driver of the host vehicle to perform takeover to the manual driving,
wherein the one or more processors acquire the travel environment at a predicted point where the host vehicle is predicted to travel in future,
wherein the one or more processors perform the state changing control before the takeover request unit performs the request operation, and
wherein if the host vehicle has passed the predicted point but the takeover request unit has not yet performed the request operation, the vehicle control unit is configured to cancel changing by the state changing control.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors determine an influence degree of the travel environment on a driver,
wherein if the one or more processors have determined that the influence degree is high, the one or more processors perform the state changing control for changing the state to a state where the driver performs the manual driving easily.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the one or more processors determine the influence degree on a basis of intensity of visual stimulus or audio stimulus applied to the driver; and
the one or more processors perform the state changing control for weakening the visual stimulus or audio stimulus relatively.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein if the one or more processors have determined that a state where the influence degree is high is canceled before the takeover is completed, the one or more processors stop the request operation.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein even if the one or more processors have determined that a state where the influence degree is high is canceled before the takeover is completed, the one or more processors continue the request operation.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the travel control includes inter-vehicle distance control for another vehicle near the host vehicle; and
the one or more processors perform the state changing control for setting an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle to a value larger than a setting value in the inter-vehicle distance control in a case where the state changing control is not performed.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the travel control includes vehicle speed control for the host vehicle; and
the one or more processors perform, as the state changing control, the vehicle speed control for setting speed of the host vehicle to be lower than a setting value in the vehicle speed control in a case where the state changing control is not performed.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the travel control includes accelerating control or decelerating control for the host vehicle; and
the one or more processors perform, as the state changing control, the accelerating control or the decelerating control for setting acceleration or deceleration of the host vehicle to be lower than a setting value in the accelerating control or the decelerating control in a case where the state changing control is not performed.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the travel control includes lane changing control for the host vehicle; and
if the host vehicle currently travels in a multilane road including a travel lane and an overtaking lane, the one or more processors perform, as the state changing control, the lane changing control for changing a lane from the overtaking lane to the travel lane.

10. A vehicle control device configured to perform travel control of a host vehicle at least partially automatically, comprising one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the vehicle control device to:
acquire a travel environment of the host vehicle when the travel control is performed;
perform state changing control for changing a state of the host vehicle when the travel control is taken over or predicted to be taken over from automated driving to manual driving, on a basis of the travel environment; and
perform a request operation for requesting a driver of the host vehicle to perform takeover to the manual driving,
wherein the one or more processors acquire the travel environment at a predicted point where the host vehicle is predicted to travel in future,
wherein the one or more processors perform the state changing control before the takeover request unit performs the request operation, and
wherein if the host vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance since a starting time of the state changing control and/or a predetermined time has elapsed since the starting time but the one or more processors have not yet performed the request operation, the one or more processors cancel changing by the state changing control.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ibuka Jun
• Tanaka Jun
• MUKAI Takuyuki
• Honda Shigehiro
• Harada Riho

Classifications

• B60W50/14

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

• B60W2710/20

  Steering systems · CPC title

• B60W2720/106

  Longitudinal acceleration · CPC title

• B60W60/00182

  in response to weather conditions · CPC title

• B60W30/18163

  Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres · CPC title