Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11447131-B2
Application number	US-201916598069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2019
Priority date	Dec 26, 2018
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle control device includes a recognizer configured to recognize a surrounding situation of a vehicle; a driving control unit configured to control steering and a speed of the vehicle based on a recognition result of the recognizer irrespective of an operation by an occupant; and a communication unit configured to communicate with an external device. When the communication unit receives a pickup request for requesting the vehicle to move from a parking area and causing the occupant to get into the vehicle in a stopping area, the driving control unit causes the vehicle to move from the parking area to the stopping area and changes a condition for the vehicle to leave the stopping area based on the surrounding situation recognized by the recognizer near the stopping area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle control device comprising:
at least one memory storing instructions, and
at least one processor configured to execute the instructions,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
recognize a surrounding situation of a vehicle;
control steering and a speed of the vehicle based on a recognition result of the surrounding situation irrespective of an operation by an occupant;
when a communication device configured to communicate with an external device receives a pickup request for requesting the vehicle to move from a parking area and causing the occupant to get into the vehicle in a stopping area, causes the vehicle to move from the parking area to the stopping area;
cause the vehicle to leave the stopping area when a first time has passed after arrival at the stopping area;
change the first time based on a result determined based on the surrounding situation;
when another vehicle arriving at the stopping area later than the vehicle waits in front of the stopping area in a motorcade, recognize a length of the motorcade or a number of vehicles in the motorcade; and
change the first time based on the length of the motorcade or the number of vehicles in the motorcade.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the vehicle to move and wait in a temporary evacuation area different from the parking area after the driving control unit causes the vehicle to leave the stopping area.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the vehicle to move to the parking area again when the driving control unit causes the vehicle to move and then wait in the temporary evacuation area and a second time has passed.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the vehicle to move to the parking area when the number of times the vehicle is caused to leave the stopping area reaches a predetermined number of times after the reception of the pickup request.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the vehicle to move to the parking area rather than the temporary evacuation area when it is recognized that the temporary evacuation area is full during the movement of the vehicle to the temporary evacuation area.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication device receives a reservation situation including a reservation time and whether to make a reservation for another vehicle to use the stopping area, and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to correct the first time based on a difference between the reservation time received by the communication device and a residence time in the stopping area.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication device notifies the external device of an area for which the vehicle heads or whether the vehicle stops.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to the driving control unit causes the vehicle to leave the stopping area before the first time passes after the arrival at the stopping area when the vehicle waits for the occupant in the stopping area and lines of sight of people equal to or greater than a given number of people seeing an own vehicle other than the occupant is detected.

9. A vehicle control method using an in-vehicle computer, comprising:
recognizing a surrounding situation of a vehicle;
controlling steering and a speed of the vehicle based on a recognition result of the surrounding situation;
receiving a pickup request that is transmitted by a communication terminal used by an occupant, and allows the occupant to get into the vehicle and allows the vehicle to leave a parking lot;
causing the vehicle to move from a parking area to a stopping area when the pickup request is received;
causing the vehicle to leave the stopping area when a first time has passed after arrival at the stopping area;
changing the first time based on a result determined based on the surrounding situation;
when another vehicle arriving at the stopping area later than the vehicle waits in front of the stopping area in a motorcade, recognizing a length of the motorcade or a number of vehicles in the motorcade; and
changing the first time based on the length of the motorcade or the number of vehicles in the motorcade.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a vehicle control program causing an in-vehicle computer to:
recognize a surrounding situation of a vehicle;
control steering and a speed of the vehicle based on a recognition result of the surrounding situation;
receive a pickup request that is transmitted by a communication terminal used by an occupant, and allows the occupant to get into the vehicle and allows the vehicle to leave a parking lot;
cause the vehicle to move from a parking area to a stopping area when the pickup request is received;
cause the vehicle to leave the stopping area when a first time has passed after arrival at the stopping area;
change the first time based on a result determined based on the surrounding situation;
when another vehicle arriving at the stopping area later than the vehicle waits in front of the stopping area in a motorcade, recognize a length of the motorcade or a number of vehicles in the motorcade, and
change the first time based on the length of the motorcade or the number of vehicles in the motorcade.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mimura Yoshitaka
• Shoda Yasushi
• Noguchi Junpei
• Hara Yuki
• Yamanaka Hiroshi
• Taguchi Ryoma
• Takada Yuta
• Sugihara Chie
• Motegi Yuki
• Shibauchi Tsubasa

Classifications

• B60W60/00253

  Taxi operations · CPC title

• B60W10/04

  including control of propulsion units · CPC title

• G08G1/096725

  where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control · CPC title

• B60W2554/406

  Traffic density · CPC title

• B60W30/18 Primary

  Propelling the vehicle · CPC title