Traveling lane planning device, medium storing computer program for traveling lane planning, and traveling lane planning method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12097860-B2
Application number	US-202217691228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2022
Priority date	Mar 30, 2021
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A traveling lane planning device comprises a processor configured to select multiple spaces on an adjacent lane which allow the vehicle to move from the traveling lane, to calculate an evaluation value for each space based on a distance from a current location of the vehicle to a movement completion location where movement to the adjacent lane is to be complete, as determined based on terrain restrictions, a length of the space, a positional relationship between the current location of the vehicle and the space, a size of acceleration or deceleration estimated to take place with the vehicle while it travels from the current location to the location along the space, and a first speed difference between a space speed and a target speed of the vehicle, and to set one space to be a destination from among multiple spaces based on the evaluation value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A travel lane planning device for a vehicle, the travel lane planning device comprising:
a communication interface configured to be connected to an in-vehicle network, the in-vehicle network connected to:
an object detector including:
a camera on the vehicle; and
a LiDAR sensor on the vehicle;

a map information storage device storing terrain restrictions for a plurality of travel lanes;
a vehicle control device that automatically controls a steering wheel actuator of the vehicle, an accelerator of the vehicle, and a brake of the vehicle; and

a processor programmed to:
receive, via the communication interface, location and speed information for each of a plurality of surrounding vehicles detected by the object detector and traveling in the travel direction of the vehicle;
based on the received location and speed information for each of the surrounding vehicles, define multiple spaces on a lane adjacent to a travel lane of the vehicle that are within a predetermined distance from a current location of the vehicle and which allow the vehicle to move from the travel lane to the adjacent lane, each of the multiple spaces being defined by:
defining a length of the space based on a distance between a one of the surrounding vehicles that is in front of the space in the traveling direction and a one of the surrounding vehicles that is behind the space in the traveling direction; and
defining a speed of the space based on the received speed information for the one of the surrounding vehicles that is in front of the space in the traveling direction and the received speed information for the one of the surrounding vehicles that is behind the space in the traveling direction;

access, via the communication interface, a terrain restriction for the travel lane from the map information storage device;
based on the accessed terrain restriction, set a movement completion location where movement to the adjacent lane is to be complete;
calculate a distance from the current location of the vehicle to the set movement completion location;
estimate for each defined space, an amount of acceleration or deceleration required for the vehicle to travel into the defined space;
calculate a positional relationship between the current location of the vehicle and each defined space based on:
the position of each surrounding vehicle relative to the defined space;
the position of the vehicle relative to the defined space;
the speed of each surrounding vehicle relative to the defined speed of the defined space; and
the speed of the vehicle relative to the defined speed of the defined space;

calculate for each defined space a speed difference between the defined speed of the defined space and a target travel speed of the vehicle;
calculate an evaluation value for each defined space based on:
the calculated distance from the current location of the vehicle to the movement completion location;
the defined length of the defined space;
the calculated positional relationship between the current location of the vehicle and the defined space,
the estimated amount of acceleration or deceleration required for the vehicle to travel into the defined space; and
a first speed difference between the defined speed of the defined space and a target speed which is the target for traveling of the vehicle;

compare the calculated evaluation values;
set a one of the defined spaces having the highest evaluation value a destination space; and
instruct, via the communication interface, the vehicle control device to automatically guide the vehicle into the set destination space.

2. The travel lane planning device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to calculate the evaluation value for each defined space also based on a parallel running point distance in which the vehicle travels in the travel lane until the point where the vehicle runs parallel to the defined space on the adjacent lane.

3. The travel lane planning device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to:
set the destination space for each of a previous timing and a current timing, and
calculate the evaluation value for each defined space based on information representing whether or not the destination space set at the previous timing matches the defined space at the current timing.

4. The travel lane planning device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to calculate the evaluation value for each defined space based on a parallel running point time required for the vehicle to travel from the current location to a location next to the defined space.

5. The travel lane planning device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to calculate the evaluation value for each defined space based on a starting distance required to travel on the travel lane to a start location where movement of the vehicle from the travel lane to the adjacent lane is physically and legally possible.

6. The travel lane planning device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to calculate the evaluation value for each defined space based on a second speed difference which is a difference between the speed of the vehicle and the defined speed of the defined space.

7. The travel lane planning device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programed to calculate the evaluation value for each defined space based on a third speed difference which is a difference between the speed of the vehicle and a speed of another vehicle located ahead of or behind the defined space, on the adjacent lane.

8. The travel lane planning device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to calculate the evaluation value for each defined space based on an inter-vehicular distance between a location of another vehicle located ahead or behind the vehicle, and the current location of the vehicle, on the travel lane.

9. The travel lane planning device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to calculate the evaluation value for each space based on a fourth speed difference which is a difference between the speed of the vehicle and a speed of another vehicle located ahead of or behind the vehicle, on the travel lane.

10. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program for traveling lane planning, wherein the computer program causes a processor to execute a process, the process comprising:
receiving, via a communication interface, location and speed information for each of a plurality of surrounding vehicles detected by an object detector and traveling in the travel direction of the vehicle, the communication interface configured to be connected to an in-vehicle network, the in-vehicle network connected to the object detector, which includes a camera on the vehicle and a LiDAR sensor on the vehicle;
based on the received location and speed information for each of the surrounding vehicles, defining multiple spaces on a lane adjacent to a travel lane of the vehicle that are within a predetermined distance from a current location of the vehicle and which allow the vehicle to move from the travel lane to the adjacent lane in which the vehicle is traveling, each of the multiple spaces being defined by:
defining a length of the space based on a distance between a one of the surrounding vehicles that is in front of the space in the traveling direction and a one of the surrounding vehicles that is behind the space in the traveling direction; and
defining a speed of the space based on the received speed information for the one of the surrounding vehicles that is in front of the space in the traveling direction and the received speed information for

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kitagawa Eiki
• Hashimoto Ryo

Classifications

• B60W2520/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W2554/802

  Longitudinal distance · CPC title

• B60W2555/60

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

• B60W2554/804

  Relative longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W2520/105

  Longitudinal acceleration · CPC title