Notification device and vehicle control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11610488-B2
Application number	US-201916719085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 28, 2018
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

A notification device includes a recognition unit configured to recognize a plurality of surrounding vehicles, a notification unit configured to provide information as a notification toward an outside of a vehicle, a determination unit configured to determine whether or not at least one of the plurality of surrounding vehicles recognized by the recognition unit is an entering vehicle going to pass in front of the vehicle, and a notification control unit configured to cause the notification unit to notify the entering vehicle of a recognition result of the recognition unit when the determination unit determines that at least one of the plurality of surrounding vehicles is the entering vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A notification device which is provided in a vehicle having a front display device, a rear display device, and a side display device, and the notification device provides information as a notification with respect to surrounding vehicles present around the vehicle, the notification device comprising:
a recognition unit configured to recognize a plurality of the surrounding vehicles;
a notification unit configured to provide the information as a notification toward an outside of the vehicle;
a determination unit configured to determine whether or not at least one of the plurality of surrounding vehicles recognized by the recognition unit is an entering vehicle going to pass in front of the vehicle; and
a notification control unit configured to select one or more of the front display device, the rear display device, and the side display device of the vehicle to display the notification based on a distance between the vehicle and the entering vehicle, and cause the notification unit to notify the entering vehicle of a recognition result of the recognition unit when the determination unit determines that at least one of the plurality of surrounding vehicles is the entering vehicle by displaying the notification on the selected one or more of the front display device, the rear display device, and the side display device of the vehicle, wherein:
the entering vehicle is a surrounding vehicle going to cross a traveling lane of the vehicle and enter an opposite lane opposite to the traveling lane,
a first travel direction of the vehicle traveling in the traveling lane is opposite to a second travel direction of the surrounding vehicle traveling in the opposite lane, and
the notification control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to notify the entering vehicle of at least one of information on a surrounding vehicle traveling behind the vehicle and information on a surrounding vehicle traveling in the opposite lane.

2. The notification device according to claim 1 , comprising an object determination unit configured to determine whether or not the surrounding vehicle is present in a blind spot region corresponding to the entering vehicle,
wherein the notification control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to notify the entering vehicle of information on the surrounding vehicle present in the blind spot region when the object determination unit determines that the surrounding vehicle is present in the blind spot region.

3. The notification device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to notify the surrounding vehicle traveling in the opposite lane in front of the vehicle of information on the entering vehicle.

4. The notification device according to claim 3 , wherein the notification control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to notify the surrounding vehicle traveling behind the vehicle of information on the entering vehicle.

5. The notification device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to notify the surrounding vehicle traveling behind the vehicle of information on the entering vehicle.

6. A vehicle control device causing a vehicle having a front display device, a rear display device, and a side display device, to travel by automatic driving, the vehicle control device comprising:
a recognition unit configured to recognize a plurality of surrounding vehicles present around the vehicle;
a notification unit configured to provide information as a notification toward an outside of the vehicle;
a determination unit configured to determine whether or not at least one of the plurality of surrounding vehicles recognized by the recognition unit is an entering vehicle going to pass in front of the vehicle;
an automatic driving unit configured to determine whether or not to prioritize traveling of the entering vehicle over traveling of the vehicle when the determination unit determines that at least one of the plurality of surrounding vehicles is the entering vehicle; and
a notification control unit configured to select one or more of the front display device, the rear display device, and the side display device of the vehicle to display the notification based on a distance between the vehicle and the entering vehicle, and cause the notification unit to notify the entering vehicle of a recognition result of the recognition unit when the automatic driving unit determines that traveling of the entering vehicle is prioritized over traveling of the vehicle by displaying the notification on the selected one or more of the front display device, the rear display device, and the side display device of the vehicle, wherein:
the entering vehicle is a surrounding vehicle going to cross a traveling lane of the vehicle and enter an opposite lane opposite to the traveling lane,
a first travel direction of the vehicle traveling in the traveling lane is opposite to a second travel direction of the surrounding vehicle traveling in the opposite lane, and
the notification control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to notify the entering vehicle of at least one of information on a surrounding vehicle traveling behind the vehicle and information on a surrounding vehicle traveling in the opposite lane.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morimura Junichi
• Kuriyama Tomoyuki

Classifications

• G08G1/167

  Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection · CPC title

• B60W50/14

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

• G08G1/166 Primary

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• B60W2050/143

  Alarm means · CPC title

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title