Moving body configured to lead a vehicle based on sensing a region around the vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12596382-B2
Application number	US-202418631519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2024
Priority date	Apr 24, 2023
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

A moving body capable of autonomously traveling and having a function of leading a first vehicle that travels while following the moving body, the moving body comprises a first sensor that detects an obstacle; and a controller configured to execute sensing of a region around the first vehicle by the first sensor before the moving body starts leading the first vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A moving body capable of autonomously traveling and having a function of leading a first vehicle that travels while following the moving body, the moving body comprising:
a communication unit that receives a first sensing result from the first vehicle, the first sensing result being associated with one or more regions from a plurality of predetermined regions around the first vehicle; a first sensor that is configured to detect an obstacle; and a controller configured to use a predetermined threshold to determine a reliability of detecting the obstacle from the plurality of regions around the first vehicle by the first sensor before the moving body starts leading the first vehicle, wherein in response to the determined reliability being above the predetermined threshold, the controller causes the moving body to autonomously travel ahead of the first vehicle and transmit instruction information to the first vehicle so that the first vehicle travels based on the received instruction information.

2 . The moving body according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller
determines whether or not the first vehicle can start traveling on a basis of the first sensing result that is a result of sensing of the one or more regions around the first vehicle by the first sensor, and
starts leading the first vehicle by causing the transmission of the instruction information, in a case where it is determined that the first vehicle can start traveling.

3 . The moving body according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller
receives, from the first vehicle, a second sensing result which is a result of sensing of the one or more regions around the first vehicle by a second sensor mounted on the first vehicle and which includes information regarding the one or more regions for which sensing is executed by the second sensor among the plurality of regions around the first vehicle, and
determines a partial region to be sensed by the first sensor among the one or more regions around the first vehicle on a basis of the second sensing result.

4 . The moving body according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller
receives, from the first vehicle, a third sensing result which is a result of sensing of the one or more regions around the first vehicle by a second sensor mounted on the first vehicle and which includes information regarding a type of the second sensor, and
senses the one or more regions for which sensing is executed by the second sensor using the first sensor that is a sensor of a type different from the type of the second sensor on a basis of the third sensing result.

5 . The moving body according to claim 4 ,
wherein the controller
calculates the reliability of detecting the obstacle using the second sensor in respective partial regions constituting the plurality of regions around the first vehicle on a basis of the third sensing result received from the first vehicle, and
senses the partial region for which the reliability is lower than the predetermined threshold using the first sensor that is the sensor of the type different from the type of the second sensor.

Assignees

• Toyota Jidosha Kk

Inventors

• Yaegashi Kazuo
• Izu Hiroki

Classifications

• G05D1/6985

  using a lead vehicle, e.g. primary-secondary arrangements · CPC title

• G05D2111/17

  Coherent light, e.g. laser signals · CPC title

• G05D2111/20

  Acoustic signals, e.g. ultrasonic signals · CPC title

• B60W60/0015

  specially adapted for safety · CPC title

• B60W60/001 Primary

  Planning or execution of driving tasks · CPC title