Vehicle controller, method, and computer program for vehicle control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12583445-B2
Application number	US-202318234944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2023
Priority date	Aug 23, 2022
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A vehicle controller includes a processor configured to sense trouble with a first sensor among sensors that are capable of detecting objects around a host vehicle and whose sensing areas at least partially overlap, detect another vehicle traveling in an area around the host vehicle, based on sensor signals from the respective sensors, and decelerate the host vehicle at first deceleration in the case where trouble with the first sensor is sensed and where the other vehicle is detected on the basis of a sensor signal from a second sensor having lower priority than the first sensor in sensing the other vehicle cutting in front of the host vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle controller comprising:
a processor configured to: set a trouble flag associated with a first sensor among sensors that are capable of detecting objects around a host vehicle and whose sensing areas at least partially overlap in response to one or more cases being true: in a first case: detect another vehicle traveling in an area around the host vehicle, based on sensor signals from the respective sensors, and decelerate the host vehicle at a first deceleration where the other vehicle is detected on a basis of a sensor signal from a second sensor having lower priority than the first sensor in sensing the other vehicle cutting in front of the host vehicle among the sensors, in a second case: detect predetermined objects including the other vehicle, based on the sensor signals obtained from the first sensor, and where a frequency of detection of the predetermined objects in a most recent predetermined period is less than an expected value of the frequency of detection of the predetermined objects from the sensor signals that are time-series signals obtained from the first sensor in the predetermined period by more than a predetermined amount.

2 . The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store an area included in the sensing area of the second sensor and including a position at which the other vehicle collides with the host vehicle at a cut-in of the other vehicle, the area including a subarea of a measurement area of a range sensor spreading from a front of the vehicle to a side of the vehicle, wherein
where the position of the other vehicle is within the area, the processor is further configured to decelerate the host vehicle at a second deceleration greater in magnitude than the first deceleration until the other vehicle travels as fast as the host vehicle; and where the position of the other vehicle is outside the area, the processor is further configured to decelerate the host vehicle at the first deceleration.

3 . The vehicle controller according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to decelerate the host vehicle at the first deceleration after a speed of the host vehicle falls below a speed of the other vehicle in the area.

4 . A method for vehicle control, comprising:
setting a trouble flag associated with a first sensor among sensors that are capable of detecting objects around a host vehicle and whose sensing areas at least partially overlap in response to one or more cases being true: in a first case: detecting another vehicle traveling in an area around the host vehicle, based on sensor signals from the respective sensors; and decelerating the host vehicle at a first deceleration where the other vehicle is detected on a basis of a sensor signal from a second sensor having lower priority than the first sensor in sensing the other vehicle cutting in front of the host vehicle among the sensors; in a second case: detecting predetermined objects including the other vehicle, based on the sensor signals obtained from the first sensor; and where a frequency of detection of the predetermined objects in a most recent predetermined period is less than an expected value of the frequency of detection of the predetermined objects from the sensor signals that are time-series signals obtained from the first sensor in the predetermined period by more than a predetermined amount.

5 . A non-transitory recording medium that stores a computer program for vehicle control, the computer program causing a processor mounted on a host vehicle to execute a process comprising:
setting a trouble flag associated with a first sensor among sensors that are capable of detecting objects around a host vehicle and whose sensing areas at least partially overlap in response to one or more cases being true: in a first case: detecting another vehicle traveling in an area around the host vehicle, based on sensor signals from the respective sensors; and decelerating the host vehicle at a first deceleration where the other vehicle is detected on a basis of a sensor signal from a second sensor having lower priority than the first sensor in sensing the other vehicle cutting in front of the host vehicle among the sensors; in a second case: detecting predetermined objects including the other vehicle, based on the sensor signals obtained from the first sensor; and where a frequency of detection of the predetermined objects in a most recent predetermined period is less than an expected value of the frequency of detection of the predetermined objects from the sensor signals that are time-series signals obtained from the first sensor in the predetermined period by more than a predetermined amount.

6 . The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor includes a camera that has priority over the second sensor among the sensors of the host vehicle.

7 . The vehicle controller according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to set the trouble flag where the first sensor cannot generate an image as well as a decrease in an accuracy of detection caused by an environment around the host vehicle, the environment corresponding to the camera taking images against the light and also in which a field of view of the camera is obstructed.

8 . The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to set the trouble flag when the processor does not receive an image from the first sensor within a predetermined period of time or receives a signal from the first sensor.

9 . The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to input an image obtained from the first sensor into a classifier to detect the other vehicle.

10 . The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control a speed of the host vehicle and keep a predetermined distance from traveling vehicles, including the other vehicle, around the host vehicle.

11 . The vehicle controller according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to set the trouble flag associated with the second sensor, and
in a case where the processor is configured to not set the trouble flag associated with the first sensor and set the trouble flag associated with the second sensor, the processor is further configured to notify a driver of the host vehicle of a transition demand via a user interface provided in the host vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kuroda Ryusuke
• Aoki Kenichiro
• Okubo Tadashi

Classifications

• B60W30/0956

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

• B60W2050/0215

  Sensor drifts or sensor failures · CPC title

• B60W2554/4041

  Position · CPC title

• B60W50/0205

  Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models · CPC title

• B60W2720/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title