Autonomous driving device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11645917-B2
Application number	US-202117325901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2021
Priority date	Nov 6, 2017
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

An autonomous driving device 100 is configured to set a target route to merge into a first main line L11 from a branch line L20 based on waypoints P set in a lane. If it is determined by the merge determination unit 14 that the merge is not easy, the target route setting unit 15 is configured to select the waypoint P on the branch line L20 set at the position on an end edge E side of the branch line L20 as the end edge waypoint Pa closest to the end edge E side on the branch line L20 to be selected for setting the target route, compared to a case where it is determined that the merge is easy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous driving device comprising:
a processor configured to:
set a first target route for a host vehicle to merge into a main line from a branch line toward a destination set in advance;
recognize a position of a host vehicle on a map;
determine whether a merge point has been reached by the host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling on the branch line of the merge point based on the position of the host vehicle and map information; and
based on the merge point being reached by the host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling on the branch line of the merge point:
recognize, based on an external sensor, at least one of: a current actual amount of free space in the main line or a current actual relative speed of one or more vehicles in the main line;
determine whether at least one of the recognized current actual amount of free space in the main line is less than a predetermined free space threshold, or the current actual relative speed of the one or more vehicles is greater than a predetermined relative speed threshold;
determine whether the host vehicle is a motorcycle or a car;
based on determining that the recognized current actual amount of free space in the main line is not less than the predetermined free space threshold, and the recognized current actual relative speed of the one or more vehicles is not greater than the predetermined relative speed threshold, control the host vehicle to autonomously travel along the first target route; and
based on determining that: (i) at least one of the recognized current actual amount of free space in the main line is less than the predetermined free space threshold, or the recognized current actual relative speed of the one or more vehicles is greater than the predetermined relative speed threshold, and (ii) the host vehicle is the motorcycle or car, control the host vehicle to autonomously travel along a second target route that is different from the first target route, wherein the second target route passes through a waypoint closer to an end edge side of the branch line than the first target route.

2. An autonomous driving method comprising:
setting a first target route for a host vehicle to merge into a main line from a branch line toward a destination set in advance;
recognizing a position of a host vehicle on a map;
determining whether a merge point has been reached by the host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling on the branch line of the merge point based on the position of the host vehicle and map information; and
based on the merge point being reached by the host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling on the branch line of the merge point:
recognizing, based on an external sensor, at least one of: a current actual amount of free space in the main line or a current actual relative speed of one or more vehicles in the main line;
determining whether at least one of the recognized current actual amount of free space in the main line is less than a predetermined free space threshold, or the current actual relative speed of the one or more vehicles is greater than a predetermined relative speed threshold;
determining whether the host vehicle is a motorcycle or a car;
based on determining that the recognized current actual amount of free space in the main line is not less than the predetermined free space threshold, and the recognized current actual relative speed of the one or more vehicles is not greater than the predetermined relative speed threshold, controlling the host vehicle to autonomously travel along the first target route; and
based on determining that: (i) at least one of the recognized current actual amount of free space in the main line is less than the predetermined free space threshold, or the recognized current actual relative speed of the one or more vehicles is greater than the predetermined relative speed threshold, and (ii) the host vehicle is the motorcycle or car; controlling the host vehicle to autonomously travel along a second target route that is different from the first target route, wherein the second target route passes through a waypoint closer to an end edge of the branch line than the first target route.

3. An autonomous driving method comprising:
setting a first target route for a host vehicle to merge into a main line from a branch line toward a destination set in advance;
recognizing a position of a host vehicle on a map;
determining whether a merge point has been reached by the host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling on the branch line of the merge point based on the position of the host vehicle and map information; and
based on the merge point being reached by the host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling on the branch line of the merge point:
recognizing, based on an external sensor, at least one of: a current actual amount of free space in the main line or a current actual relative speed of one or more vehicles in the main line;
determining whether at least one of the recognized current actual amount of free space in the main line is less than a predetermined free space threshold, or the current actual relative speed of the one or more vehicles is greater than a predetermined relative speed threshold;
determining whether the one or more vehicles in the main line is a motorcycle or a car;
based on determining that the recognized current actual amount of free space in the main line is not less than the predetermined free space threshold, and the recognized current actual relative speed of the one or more vehicles is not greater than the predetermined relative speed threshold, controlling the host vehicle to autonomously travel along the first target route; and
based on determining that: (i) at least one of the recognized current actual amount of free space in the main line is less than the predetermined free space threshold, or the recognized current actual relative speed of the one or more vehicles is greater than the predetermined relative speed threshold, and (ii) the host vehicle is the motorcycle or car; controlling the host vehicle to autonomously travel along a second target route that is different from the first target route, wherein the second target route passes through a waypoint closer to an end edge of the branch line than the first target route.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakaguchi Eiji

Classifications

• B60W60/001

  Planning or execution of driving tasks · CPC title

• B60W2554/80

  Spatial relation or speed relative to objects · CPC title

• B60W60/0011

  involving control alternatives for a single driving scenario, e.g. planning several paths to avoid obstacles · CPC title

• G08G1/052

  with provision for determining speed or overspeed {(speed measuring in general G01P)} · CPC title

• B60W30/18163

  Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres · CPC title