Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12291205-B2
Application number	US-201917771337-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2019
Priority date	Nov 29, 2019
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

A control switching unit inquires of a remote control center via a communication unit as to presence or absence of another vehicle traveling within a predetermined range including a host vehicle and being switchable from remote driving control to follow-up driving control when a communication quality detected by a communication quality detecting unit becomes less than a predetermined communication quality during the control of the driving of the host vehicle by a remote driving control unit. The control switching unit causes the remote driving control unit to continuously control the driving of the host vehicle when there is a response indicating presence of the another vehicle, and causes a follow-up driving control unit to control the driving of the host vehicle when there is a response indicating absence of another vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle control device, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to
communicate with a remote control center and receive remote control information for remotely controlling a first vehicle from the remote control center;
detect communication quality;
control driving of the first vehicle based on remote driving control using the remote control information;
control the driving of the first vehicle based on follow-up driving control so as to travel following a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the first vehicle; and
take control of the driving of the first vehicle by switching the remote driving control and the follow-up driving control,
wherein the processing circuitry inquires of the remote control center via the communication as to presence or absence of a second vehicle traveling within a predetermined range including the first vehicle, the second vehicle being switchable from the remote driving control to the follow-up driving control, when the detected communication quality becomes less than a predetermined communication quality during the control of the driving of the first vehicle based on the remote driving control, and
the processing circuitry continuously controls the driving of the first vehicle based on the remote driving control when there is a response indicating absence of the second vehicle, and
the processing circuitry controls the driving of the first vehicle based on the follow-up driving control when there is a response indicating presence of the second vehicle.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry inquires of the remote control center via the communication as to presence or absence of the second vehicle traveling within the predetermined range and being switchable from the remote driving control to the follow-up driving control when the detected communication quality before controlling the driving of the first vehicle based on the remote driving control is less than the predetermined communication quality, and
the processing circuitry controls the driving of the first vehicle based on the remote driving control when there is a response indicating presence of the corresponding second vehicle, and
the processing circuitry controls the driving of the first vehicle based on the follow-up driving control when there is a response indicating absence of the corresponding second vehicle.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the processing circuitry receives an instruction to switch from the remote driving control to the follow-up driving control, the instruction being transmitted from the remote control center during the control of the driving of the first vehicle based on the remote driving control, and the preceding vehicle is present, the processing circuitry controls the driving of the first vehicle based on the follow-up driving control and notifies the remote control center of switching completion, and
when the processing circuitry receives the instruction, and the preceding vehicle is not present, the processing circuitry continuously controls the driving of the first vehicle based on the remote driving control and notifies the remote control center of unswitchability.

4. A vehicle control method of a vehicle control device including: processing circuitry configured to communicate with a remote control center and receive remote control information for remotely controlling a first vehicle from the remote control center; detect communication quality; control driving of the first vehicle based on remote driving control using the remote control information; control the driving of the first vehicle based on follow-up driving control so as to travel following a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the first vehicle; and take control of the driving of the first vehicle by switching the remote driving control or the follow-up driving control, the vehicle control method comprising:
inquiring of the remote control center via the communication as to presence or absence of a second vehicle traveling within a predetermined range including the first vehicle, the second vehicle being switchable from the remote driving control to the follow-up driving control, when the detected communication quality becomes less than a predetermined communication quality during the control of the driving of the first vehicle based on the remote driving control;
continuously controlling the driving of the first vehicle based on the remote driving control when there is a response indicating presence of the second vehicle; and
controlling the driving of the first vehicle based on the follow-up driving control when there is a response indicating absence of the second vehicle.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication quality indicates a maximum transmission time.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Kono Takuya

Classifications

• G05D1/00

  Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) · CPC title

• B60W2556/45

  External transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title

• G05D1/0022

  characterised by the communication link (data switching networks in general H04L12/00) · CPC title

• B60W30/165 Primary

  Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar" · CPC title

• G05D1/0027 Primary

  involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00) · CPC title