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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024253638-A1
Application number	US-202418421126-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 24, 2024
Priority date	Jan 26, 2023
Publication date	Aug 1, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle control device has a processor configured to detect collision sound produced by collision between a vehicle and an object based on a sound signal acquired from a sound sensor and calculate reliability of the detected collision sound, determine whether the reliability is at or above a first reference value, determine whether a driving mode of the vehicle is a first driving mode in which a degree to which a driver participates in driving is low, or a second driving mode in which the degree to which the driver participates in driving is higher than the first driving mode, and decide to transfer the driving mode of the vehicle to the second driving mode when it has been determined that the reliability is at or above the first reference value and it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode.

First claim

1 . A vehicle control device comprising:
a processor configured to
detect collision sound produced by collision between a vehicle and an object based on a sound signal acquired from a sound sensor, and calculate reliability of the detected collision sound,
determine whether the reliability is at or above a first reference value,
determine whether a driving mode of the vehicle is a first driving mode in which a degree to which a driver participates in driving is low, or a second driving mode in which the degree to which the driver participates in driving is higher than the first driving mode, and
decide to transfer the driving mode of the vehicle to the second driving mode when it has been determined that the reliability is at or above the first reference value and it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode.

2 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to
determine whether the reliability is at or above a second reference value that is larger than the first reference value, and decide to decelerate the vehicle when it has been determined that the reliability is at or above the first reference value, it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode, and it has been determined that the reliability of the collision sound is at or above the second reference value.

3 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to
determine whether intensity of the collision sound is at or above a third reference value based on the sound signal acquired from the sound sensor, and decide to deploy an airbag or to move the front hood from the stop position to a lifted position when it has been determined that the reliability is at or above the first reference value, it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode, and it has been determined that the intensity of the collision sound is at or above the third reference value.

4 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to
determine whether intensity of the collision sound is at or below the fourth reference value based on the sound signal acquired from the sound sensor, and decide to transfer the driving mode of the vehicle to the second driving mode when it has been determined that the reliability is at or above the first reference value, it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode, and it has been determined that the intensity of the collision sound is at or below the fourth reference value.

5 . A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program for controlling a vehicle which causes a processor to execute a process, the process comprising:
detecting collision sound produced by collision between a vehicle and an object based on a sound signal acquired from a sound sensor, and calculating reliability of the detected collision sound; determining whether the reliability is at or above a first reference value;
determining whether a driving mode of the vehicle is a first driving mode in which a degree to which a driver participates in driving is low, or a second driving mode in which the degree to which the driver participates in driving is higher than the first driving mode; and
deciding to transfer the driving mode of the vehicle to the second driving mode when it has been determined that the reliability is at or above the first reference value and it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode.

6 . A method for controlling a vehicle carried out by a vehicle control device, and the method comprising:
detecting collision sound produced by collision between a vehicle and an object based on a sound signal acquired from a sound sensor, and calculating reliability of the detected collision sound; determining whether the reliability is at or above a first reference value;
determining whether a driving mode of the vehicle is a first driving mode in which a degree to which a driver participates in driving is low, or a second driving mode in which the degree to which the driver participates in driving is higher than the first driving mode; and
deciding to transfer the driving mode of the vehicle to the second driving mode when it has been determined that the reliability is at or above the first reference value and it has been determined that the driving mode of the vehicle is the first driving mode.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawashima Wataru

Classifications

• B60W60/0053 Primary

  from vehicle to occupant · CPC title

• B60W30/08

  Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences · CPC title

• B60W2030/082

  Vehicle operation after collision · CPC title

• B60W2050/0043

  Signal treatments, identification of variables or parameters, parameter estimation or state estimation · CPC title

• B60W50/0098

  Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for · CPC title