Vehicle control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225251-B2
Application number	US-201816174888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 6, 2017
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

The vehicle control device includes a start determination unit configured to determine whether or not the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle has become equal to or greater than a start threshold greater in value than the stop threshold, and a vehicle control unit configured to start the host vehicle based on a preset speed profile after the start determination unit determines that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the start threshold and maintain the stopped state of the host vehicle until the start determination unit determines that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the start threshold after the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle stop.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle control device configured to stop a host vehicle when an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle becomes equal to or less than a stop threshold, the vehicle control device comprising:
an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to:
determine whether the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle has become equal to or greater than a start threshold, the start threshold being greater in value than the stop threshold, as a result of a starting of the preceding vehicle;
start the host vehicle after the ECU determines that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the start threshold, and maintain a stopped state of the host vehicle until the ECU determines that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the start threshold, after the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle stop; and

perform a stop control on the host vehicle when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than the stop threshold.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the ECU is further configured to:
determine whether a lighting signal of a first traffic signal is a passage permission signal, when the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle are stopped in front of the first traffic signal, and
set the value of the start threshold to be larger when the ECU does not determine that the lighting signal of the first traffic signal is the passage permission signal, as compared to when the ECU determines that the lighting signal of the first traffic signal is the passage permission signal.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the ECU is further configured to determine whether a surrounding vehicle in front of the first traffic signal travels in an adjacent lane having the same progress direction as a traveling lane of the host vehicle when the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle are stopped in front of the first traffic signal, and
set the value of the start threshold to be larger when the ECU determines that the surrounding vehicle does not travel in the adjacent lane having the same progress direction as the traveling lane of the host vehicle, as compared to when the ECU determines that the surrounding vehicle travels in the adjacent lane having the same progress direction as the traveling lane of the host vehicle.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the ECU is further configured to determine whether an oncoming vehicle in front of a second traffic signal of an opposite lane travels in the opposite lane with respect to a traveling lane of the host vehicle when the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle are stopped in front of the first traffic signal, and
set the value of the start threshold to be larger when the ECU determines that the oncoming vehicle does not travel in the opposite lane with respect to the traveling lane of the host vehicle, as compared to when the ECU determines that the oncoming vehicle travels in the opposite lane with respect to the traveling lane of the host vehicle.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the ECU is further configured to:
determine whether a surrounding vehicle in an adjacent lane having the same progress direction as a traveling lane of the host vehicle, and
set the value of the start threshold to be larger when the ECU determines that the surrounding vehicle does not travel in an adjacent lane having the same progress direction as a traveling lane of the host vehicle, as compared to when the ECU determines that the surrounding vehicle travels in an adjacent lane having the same progress direction as a traveling lane of the host vehicle.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5 , wherein the surrounding vehicle is a vehicle in front of a traffic signal traveling in an adjacent lane having the same progress direction as a traveling lane of the host vehicle, when the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle are stopped in front of the traffic signal.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 , wherein the ECU is further configured to set the start threshold based on a leading surrounding vehicle that is a surrounding vehicle closest to a traffic signal, when a plurality of surrounding vehicles travel in an adjacent lane.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the ECU is further configured to:
determine whether an oncoming vehicle, in front of a traffic signal of an opposite lane travels in the opposite lane with respect to a traveling lane of the host vehicle, when the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle are stopped in front of the traffic signal, and
set the value of the start threshold to be larger when the ECU determines that the oncoming vehicle does not travel in the opposite lane with respect to the traveling lane of the host vehicle, as compared to when the ECU determines that the oncoming vehicle travels in the opposite lane with respect to the traveling lane of the host vehicle.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the ECU is further configured to start the host vehicle based on a preset speed profile generated for acceleration faster than creep torque-based creep traveling.

10. A control method of a vehicle control device configured to stop a host vehicle when an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle becomes equal to or less than a stop threshold, the method comprising:
determining whether the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle has become equal to or greater than a start threshold, the start threshold being greater in value than the stop threshold, as a result of a starting of the preceding vehicle,
starting the host vehicle after determining that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the start threshold, and maintain a stopped state of the host vehicle until determining that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the start threshold, after the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle stop; and
performing a stop control on the host vehicle when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than the stop threshold.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program of a vehicle control device configured to stop a host vehicle when an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle becomes equal to or less than a stop threshold, the program executing the steps comprising:
determining whether the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle has become equal to or greater than a start threshold, the start threshold being greater in value than the stop threshold, as a result of a starting of the preceding vehicle,
starting the host vehicle after determining that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the start threshold, and maintain a stopped state of the host vehicle until determining that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the start threshold, after the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle stop; and
performing a stop control on the host vehicle when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than the stop threshold.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakaguchi Eiji

Classifications

• G06V20/584 Primary

  of vehicle lights or traffic lights · CPC title

• B60W30/17 Primary

  with provision for special action when the preceding vehicle comes to a halt, e.g. stop and go · CPC title

• G06V20/58

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title

• B60W2555/60

  Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way · CPC title

• B60W30/18154

  Approaching an intersection · CPC title