Vehicle control device, storage medium for storing computer program for vehicle control, and method for controlling vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024132116-A1
Application number	US-202318375611-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 1, 2023
Priority date	Oct 19, 2022
Publication date	Apr 25, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle control device has a processor configured to estimate an amount of rainfall per unit time based on an acoustic signal acquired by an acoustical sensor mounted on a vehicle, determine whether a present operation mode of the vehicle is a first operation mode with a lower level to which a driver is contributing to driving or a second operation mode with a higher level to which the driver is contributing to driving than the first operation mode, and decide a first time until the operation mode of the vehicle is transferred from the first operation mode to the second operation mode based on the amount of rainfall, when the operation mode of the vehicle is the first operation mode.

First claim

1 . A vehicle control device comprising:
a processor configured to
estimate an amount of rainfall per unit time based on an acoustic signal acquired by an acoustical sensor mounted on a vehicle,
determine whether a present operation mode of the vehicle is a first operation mode with a lower level to which a driver is contributing to driving or a second operation mode with a higher level to which the driver is contributing to driving than the first operation mode, and
decide a first time until the operation mode of the vehicle is transferred from the first operation mode to the second operation mode based on the amount of rainfall, when the operation mode of the vehicle is the first operation mode.

2 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a second time until reliability of detecting an environment around the vehicle by other sensor detecting the environment around the vehicle becomes equal to or less than a predetermined reference reliability based on the amount of rainfall, and decide the first time to be shorter than the second time.

3 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the second time based on the amount of rainfall and speed of the vehicle.

4 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the second time based on the amount of rainfall and a direction of the other sensor.

5 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to decide the first time so that at least time required for the driver to approve a transfer of the operation mode of the vehicle from the first operation mode to the second operation mode is shorter than the second time.

6 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to notify the driver via a notification unit that it is planned to transfer the operation mode of the vehicle from the first operation mode to the second operation mode after the first time has elapsed.

7 . A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program for vehicle control, which causes a processor execute a process, and the process comprising:
estimating an amount of rainfall per unit time based on an acoustic signal acquired by an acoustical sensor mounted on a vehicle; determining whether a present operation mode of the vehicle is a first operation mode with a lower level to which a driver is contributing to driving or a second operation mode with a higher level to which the driver is contributing to driving than the first operation mode; and deciding a first time until the operation mode of the vehicle is transferred from the first operation mode to the second operation mode based on the amount of rainfall, when the operation mode of the vehicle is the first operation mode.

8 . A method for controlling a vehicle carried out by a vehicle control device, and the method comprising:
estimating an amount of rainfall per unit time based on an acoustic signal acquired by an acoustical sensor mounted on a vehicle; determining whether a present operation mode of the vehicle is a first operation mode with a lower level to which a driver is contributing to driving or a second operation mode with a higher level to which the driver is contributing to driving than the first operation mode; and deciding a first time until the operation mode of the vehicle is transferred from the first operation mode to the second operation mode based on the amount of rainfall, when the operation mode of the vehicle is the first operation mode.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawashima Wataru
• Hata Ryosuke

Classifications

• B60W60/0053

  from vehicle to occupant · CPC title

• B60W2556/20

  Data confidence level · CPC title

• B60W2555/20

  Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain · CPC title

• B60W2420/54

  Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound · CPC title

• B60W60/0057 Primary

  Estimation of the time available or required for the handover · CPC title