Vehicle controller and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12252135-B2
Application number	US-202117398849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2021
Priority date	Nov 26, 2020
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle controller and a method thereof are provided. The vehicle controller includes a processor that determines whether a driver has an intention to make a lane change using at least one of a steering angle condition, a gaze condition of the driver, or a driving pattern condition of the driver. The processor shares lane change information with a surrounding vehicle, when it is determined that the driver has the intention to make the lane change. The controller also has a storage storing data and an algorithm run by the processor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle controller of a host vehicle, comprising:
a processor configured to
determine whether a driver has an intention to make a lane change using at least one of a steering angle condition, a gaze condition of the driver, or a driving pattern condition of the driver and share lane change information with a surrounding vehicle, when it is determined that the driver has the intention to make the lane change, and
change driving control of the host vehicle in response to lane change information of the surrounding vehicle; and

a storage storing data and an algorithm run by the processor,
wherein the processor is configured to reduce and apply a predetermined time of the steering angle condition in which a road curvature is corrected, when one of the gaze condition of the driver or the driving pattern condition of the driver is met.

2. The vehicle controller of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication device configured to transmit the lane change information to the surrounding vehicle and receive the lane change information of the surrounding vehicle.

3. The vehicle controller of claim 1 , wherein the processor determines whether a gaze of the driver moves to a side mirror or a window above a predetermined number of times during a predetermined time to determine whether the driver has the intention to make the lane change.

4. The vehicle controller of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a change in acceleration is greater than or equal to a predetermined value or whether a braking control signal is generated above a predetermined number of times or is detected above a certain amount of change to determine whether the driver has the intention to make the lane change.

5. The vehicle controller of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a lane change direction is identical to an existing guidance route or ON information of a turn signal, when the driver has the intention to make the lane change and shares the lane change information with the surrounding vehicle, when the lane change direction is identical to the existing guidance route or the ON information of the turn signal.

6. The vehicle controller of claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera configured to detect a gaze of the driver;
a steering angle sensor configured to sense a steering angle of the host vehicle; and
an acceleration sensor configured to sense a change in acceleration of the host vehicle.

7. A vehicle control method, comprising:
determining, by a host vehicle, whether a driver has an intention to make a lane change using at least one of a steering angle condition, a gaze condition of the driver, or a driving pattern condition of the driver;
sharing, by the host vehicle, lane change information with a surrounding vehicle, when it is determined that the driver has the intention to make the lane change;
changing, by the surrounding vehicle, driving guidance information based on lane change information and changing driving control of the host vehicle, when receiving lane change information from the surrounding vehicle; and
reducing and applying, by the host vehicle, a predetermined time of the steering angle condition in which a road curvature is corrected, when one of the gaze condition of the driver or the driving pattern condition of the driver is met.

8. The vehicle control method of claim 7 , wherein determining, by the host vehicle, whether the driver has the intention to make the lane change further includes:
determining whether a gaze of the driver moves to a side mirror or a window above a predetermined number of times during a predetermined time to determine whether the driver has the intention to make the lane change; and
determining whether a change in acceleration is greater than or equal to a predetermined value or whether a braking control signal is generated above a predetermined number of times or is detected above a certain amount of change to determine whether the driver has the intention to make the lane change.

9. The vehicle control method of claim 7 , sharing the lane change information with the surrounding vehicle includes:
determining, by the host vehicle, whether a lane change direction is identical to a previous guidance route or ON information of a turn signal, when the driver has the intention to make the lane change; and
sharing, by the host vehicle, the lane change information with the surrounding vehicle, when the lane change direction is identical to the previous guidance route or the ON information of the turn signal.

10. The vehicle control method of claim 7 , wherein sharing the driving guidance information and changing the driving control of the host vehicle include:
displaying, by the surrounding vehicle, that a vehicle which is a target of the lane change information is a lane change vehicle as a real image;
displaying, by the surrounding vehicle, a lane change direction of the lane change vehicle; and
displaying words for providing a notification of the lane change.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Lee Ki Won

Classifications

• B60W2756/10

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

• B60W2556/10

  Historical data · CPC title

• B60W2552/30

  Road curve radius · CPC title

• B60W2540/12

  Brake pedal position · CPC title

• B60K2360/5915

  Inter vehicle communication · CPC title