Driving controller for determining a risk level of a vehicle and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12151675-B2
Application number	US-202117325673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2021
Priority date	Sep 28, 2020
Publication date	Nov 26, 2024
Grant date	Nov 26, 2024

Abstract

A driving controller for a vehicle includes a detector that obtains driving information of a preceding vehicle and information about the road and a controller that determines a risk level of the preceding vehicle based on the driving information of the preceding vehicle and determines whether to perform avoidance control depending on the risk level. When it is determined that a breakdown or risk occurs in the preceding vehicle, the driving controller provides corresponding logic capable of avoiding the preceding vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driving controller for a vehicle, the driving controller comprising:
a detector configured to obtain driving information of a preceding vehicle and information about a road on which the vehicle and the preceding vehicle are traveling, wherein the driving information includes information for determining whether regulation is obeyed and information for determining behavior of the preceding vehicle; and
a controller configured to
determine a risk level of the preceding vehicle based on the driving information of the preceding vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to i) determine a driving state of the preceding vehicle based on regulations including autonomous driving regulations and a behavior state of the preceding vehicle and ii) determine the risk level based on the driving state of the preceding vehicle,
determine whether to perform an avoidance control based on the risk level, and
when i) the preceding vehicle is an autonomous vehicle and ii) the risk level is not normal level, transmit driving state information of the preceding vehicle to a server.

2. The driving controller of claim 1 , wherein when the preceding vehicle is the autonomous vehicle, the controller is further configured to:
select autonomous driving regulations and road traffic regulations included in the regulations, and
determine the driving state of the preceding vehicle based on the autonomous driving regulations, the road traffic regulations, and the behavior state of the preceding vehicle.

3. The driving controller of claim 1 , wherein when the preceding vehicle is not the autonomous vehicle, the controller is configured to:
determine a driving state of the preceding vehicle based on road traffic regulations and a behavior state of the preceding vehicle, and
determine the risk level based on the driving state of the preceding vehicle.

4. The driving controller of claim 1 , wherein when the risk level of the preceding vehicle is a caution level, the controller is further configured to output a warning to a driver of the vehicle and guide the driver to select whether to perform the avoidance control.

5. The driving controller of claim 1 , wherein when the risk level of the preceding vehicle is a critical level, the controller is further configured to perform the avoidance control.

6. The driving controller of claim 2 , wherein when the preceding vehicle is the autonomous vehicle, the controller is further configured to determine the driving state of the preceding vehicle based on at least one of a time at which the preceding vehicle makes a lane change, a turn signal direction, a turn signal operation time, an emergency steering function operation, or whether a minimum risk maneuver (MRM) operates, which is included in the autonomous driving regulations.

7. The driving controller of claim 2 , wherein when the preceding vehicle is the autonomous vehicle, the controller is further configured to determine the driving state of the preceding vehicle based on at least one of whether the preceding vehicle disobeys a traffic light, whether the preceding vehicle makes a lane change on a solid line area, whether the preceding vehicle does not obey a specified driving direction on a lane, or whether the preceding vehicle operates brake lights upon deceleration, which is included in the road traffic regulations.

8. The driving controller of claim 2 , wherein when the preceding vehicle is the autonomous vehicle, the controller is further configured to determine the driving state of the preceding vehicle based on at least one of whether the preceding vehicle departs from a lane, whether the preceding vehicle performs a sudden deceleration or a sudden acceleration greater than a certain range, whether the preceding vehicle does not operate a turn signal upon a lane change, or whether the preceding vehicle makes lane changes above a certain number of times within a certain time, which is included in the behavior state.

9. A driving control method for a vehicle, the driving control method comprising:
obtaining, by a detector, driving information of a preceding vehicle, wherein the driving information includes information for determining whether regulation is obeyed and information for determining behavior of the preceding vehicle;
determining, by a controller, a risk level of the preceding vehicle based on the driving information of the preceding vehicle, including i) in response to determining, based on an indication received from the preceding vehicle, that the preceding vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, determining a driving state of the preceding vehicle based on regulations including autonomous driving regulations and a behavior state of the preceding vehicle and ii) determining the risk level based on the driving state of the preceding vehicle;
determining, by the controller, whether to perform an avoidance control based on the risk level; and
when i) the preceding vehicle is an autonomous vehicle and ii) the risk level is not normal level, transmitting, by the controller, driving state information of the preceding vehicle to a server.

10. The driving control method of claim 9 , further comprising:
when the preceding vehicle is the autonomous vehicle, selecting, by the controller, autonomous driving regulations and road traffic regulations included in the regulations, and
determining, by the controller, the driving state of the preceding vehicle based on the autonomous driving regulations, the road traffic regulations, and the behavior state of the preceding vehicle.

11. The driving control method of claim 9 , wherein determining the risk level of the preceding vehicle includes:
when the preceding vehicle is not the autonomous vehicle,
determining, by the controller, a driving state of the preceding vehicle based on road traffic regulations and a behavior state of the preceding vehicle, and
determining, by the controller, the risk level based on the driving state of the preceding vehicle.

12. The driving control method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether to perform the avoidance control based on the risk level includes:
when the risk level of the preceding vehicle is a caution level, outputting a warning to a driver and guiding the driver to select whether to perform the avoidance control.

13. The driving control method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether to perform the avoidance control based on the risk level includes:
when the risk level of the preceding vehicle is a critical level, performing the avoidance control.

14. The driving control method of claim 10 , further comprising:
when the preceding vehicle is the autonomous vehicle, determining, by the controller, the driving state of the preceding vehicle based on at least one of a time at which the preceding vehicle makes a lane change, a turn signal direction, a turn signal operation time, an emergency steering function operation, or whether a minimum risk maneuver (MRM) operates, which is included in the autonomous driving regulations.

15. The driving control method of claim 10 , further comprising:
when the preceding vehicle is the autonomous vehicle, determining, by the controller, the driving state of the preceding vehicle based on at least one of whether the preceding vehicle disobeys a traffic light, whether the preceding vehicle makes a lane change on a solid line area, whether the preceding vehicle does not obey a specified driving direction on a lane, or whether the preceding vehicle operates brake lights upon deceleration, which is included in the road traffic regulations.

16. The driving control method

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Pyun Rosali Sun
• Jeong Jin Su
• Choi Eun Young
• Seong Ki Seok
• Yu Min Sang
• Ham Hyeong Jin
• Yang Dong Il
• Kim Woo Jin

Classifications

• B60W50/14

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

• B60W2756/10

  Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W2554/4046

  Behavior, e.g. aggressive or erratic · CPC title

• B60W2555/60

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

• B60W30/0956 Primary

  the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters · CPC title