Electronic control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024001962-A1
Application number	US-202118253625-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2021
Priority date	Nov 24, 2020
Publication date	Jan 4, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic control device mounted on a vehicle includes: an information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding an environmental element around the vehicle, the environmental element including at least a road surface obstacle that is passable by the vehicle on a road surface; a risk map generation unit that generates a risk map representing a degree of traveling risk of the vehicle at each position around the vehicle based on the information; and a traveling control planning unit that determines a traveling track for traveling control for the vehicle based on the risk map, in which the traveling control planning unit determines the traveling track based on the degree of traveling risk due to the road surface obstacle on the risk map through which a wheel track of the vehicle in the traveling track passes.

First claim

1 . An electronic control device mounted on a vehicle, the electronic control device comprising:
an information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding an environmental element around the vehicle, the environmental element including at least a road surface obstacle that is passable by the vehicle on a road surface; a risk map generation unit that generates a risk map representing a degree of traveling risk of the vehicle at each position around the vehicle based on the information; and a traveling control planning unit that determines a traveling track for traveling control for the vehicle based on the risk map, wherein the traveling control planning unit determines the traveling track based on the degree of traveling risk due to the road surface obstacle on the risk map through which a wheel track of the vehicle in the traveling track passes.

2 . The electronic control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the information includes obstacle information regarding an obstacle that is not passable by the vehicle and road surface obstacle information regarding the road surface obstacle, and the risk map generation unit includes: an obstacle risk map generation unit that generates an obstacle risk map representing the degree of traveling risk related to a vehicle body of the vehicle at each position around the vehicle based on the obstacle information; and a road surface risk map generation unit that generates a road surface risk map representing the degree of traveling risk related to a wheel of the vehicle at each position around the vehicle based on the road surface obstacle information.

3 . The electronic control device according to claim 2 , wherein the traveling control planning unit generates a plurality of traveling track candidates, and determines the traveling track based on the degree of traveling risk on the obstacle risk map through which the vehicle body of the vehicle passes in each traveling track candidate and the degree of traveling risk on the road surface risk map through which the wheel of the vehicle passes in each traveling track candidate.

4 . The electronic control device according to claim 2 , further comprising a road surface risk estimation unit that estimates a degree of influence of the road surface obstacle on traveling of the vehicle based on a characteristic of the road surface obstacle indicated by the information and a traveling state of the vehicle,
wherein the road surface risk map generation unit determines the degree of traveling risk in the road surface risk map based on the degree of influence estimated by the road surface risk estimation unit.

5 . The electronic control device according to claim 4 , wherein the road surface risk estimation unit calculates the degree of influence based on a speed of the vehicle.

6 . The electronic control device according to claim 4 , wherein the road surface risk estimation unit calculates the degree of influence based on a height of a step in a case where the road surface obstacle has the step.

7 . The electronic control device according to claim 4 , wherein the road surface risk estimation unit calculates the degree of influence based on a material of a step in a case where the road surface obstacle has the step.

8 . The electronic control device according to claim 2 , further comprising a road surface risk estimation unit that estimates a degree of influence on a periphery of the vehicle when the vehicle travels over the road surface obstacle based on a characteristic of the road surface obstacle indicated by the information and a peripheral situation of the vehicle,
wherein the road surface risk map generation unit determines the degree of traveling risk in the road surface risk map based on the degree of influence estimated by the road surface risk estimation unit.

9 . The electronic control device according to claim 8 , wherein the road surface risk estimation unit sets the degree of influence high in a case where the road surface obstacle is a puddle and a pedestrian exists near the road surface obstacle.

10 . The electronic control device according to claim 8 , wherein the road surface risk estimation unit sets the degree of influence high in a case where the road surface obstacle is a puddle and the road surface obstacle is positioned near a sidewalk.

11 . The electronic control device according to claim 3 , wherein the traveling control planning unit determines the traveling track by prioritizing avoidance of the traveling risk on the obstacle risk map by the vehicle body of the vehicle over avoidance of the traveling risk on the road surface risk map by the wheel of the vehicle.

12 . The electronic control device according to claim 11 , wherein the traveling control planning unit determines the traveling track by distinguishing a priority of avoidance of the traveling risk on the road surface risk map by a front wheel of the vehicle and a priority of avoidance of the traveling risk on the road surface risk map by a rear wheel of the vehicle.

13 . The electronic control device according to claim 2 , further comprising a detected information identification unit that classifies the information acquired by the information acquisition unit as the obstacle information or the road surface obstacle information.

14 . The electronic control device according to claim 13 , wherein
the information includes detected information generated by detecting the environmental element by a sensor mounted on the vehicle, and the detected information identification unit determines that the environmental element corresponding to the detected information is the road surface obstacle in a case where it is determined that the environmental element is crossable by the vehicle, and otherwise, the detected information identification unit determines that the environmental element is the obstacle, and the detected information identification unit classifies the detected information as the obstacle information or the road surface obstacle information.

Assignees

• Hitachi Astemo Ltd

Inventors

• Horita Yuki
• Toyoda Hidehiro

Classifications

• B60W60/0011 Primary

  involving control alternatives for a single driving scenario, e.g. planning several paths to avoid obstacles · CPC title

• B60W60/0015

  specially adapted for safety · CPC title

• B60W30/09

  Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering · CPC title

• B60W30/0956

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

• B60W40/06

  Road conditions · CPC title