Vehicle traveling control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9884625-B2
Application number	US-201615098795-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2015
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle traveling control device includes an acquisition unit that acquires surrounding information on the vehicle; an external situation determination unit that determines whether there is space, into which the vehicle will enter, in the adjacent lane based on the surrounding information on the vehicle; and a vehicle control unit that causes the vehicle to change the lane along a traveling trajectory predetermined to change the lane from the traveling lane to the adjacent lane. The vehicle control unit is configured to move the vehicle along the traveling trajectory and place the vehicle in a waiting state at a waiting position if the external situation determination unit determines that there is not the space, and is configured to move the vehicle from the waiting position to the space if the external situation determination unit determines that there is the space while the vehicle is placed in the waiting state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle traveling control device that causes a vehicle traveling in a traveling lane to change the lane to an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the traveling lane and is congested, comprising:
an electronic control unit programmed to:
acquire surrounding information on the vehicle;
determine whether there is space, into which the vehicle will enter, in the adjacent lane based on the surrounding information on the vehicle;
based upon a determination that there is space for the vehicle to enter in the adjacent lane, generate a traveling trajectory from the traveling lane to the space and cause the vehicle to change the lane along the traveling trajectory from the traveling lane to the space;
based upon a determination that there is no space for the vehicle to enter in the adjacent lane, generate a traveling trajectory from the traveling lane to the adjacent lane and move the vehicle along the traveling trajectory and place the vehicle in a waiting state at a waiting position on a lane boundary between the traveling lane and the adjacent lane or at a waiting position within a predetermined distance from the lane boundary in the traveling lane, and
move the vehicle from the waiting position to the space if the electronic control unit determines that there is the space while the vehicle is placed in the waiting state.

2. The vehicle traveling control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is further programmed to determine whether a predetermined lane changing stop condition is satisfied based on the surrounding information on the vehicle while the vehicle is placed in the waiting state, and
move the vehicle from the waiting position to a predetermined position in the traveling lane if the electronic control unit does not determine that there is the space while the vehicle is placed in the waiting state and determines that the lane changing stop condition is satisfied.

3. The vehicle traveling control device according to claim 2 , wherein the electronic control unit is further programmed to determine that the lane changing stop condition is satisfied if a predetermined number or more of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane in parallel have passed the vehicle.

4. The vehicle traveling control device according to claim 2 , wherein the electronic control unit is further programmed to determine that the lane changing stop condition is satisfied if an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle is equal to or longer than a first distance and if an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a following vehicle is equal to or shorter than a second distance, the preceding vehicle being a vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in the traveling lane, the following vehicle being a vehicle traveling behind the vehicle in the traveling lane.

5. The vehicle traveling control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is further programmed to determine whether a predetermined lane changing stop condition is satisfied based on the surrounding information on the vehicle while the vehicle is placed in the waiting state, and
terminate a traveling control of the vehicle if the electronic control unit does not determine that there is the space while the vehicle is placed in the waiting state and determines that the lane changing stop condition is satisfied.

6. The vehicle traveling control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is further programmed to:
determine whether a predetermined lane changing stop condition is satisfied based on the surrounding information on the vehicle while the vehicle is placed in the waiting state; and
issue a warning to a driver of the vehicle if the electronic control unit does not determine that there is the space while the vehicle is placed in the waiting state and determines that the lane changing stop condition is satisfied.

7. The vehicle traveling control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is further programmed to determine validity of a reception of a response from another vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane or from a driver of the other vehicle, wherein the vehicle is moved from the waiting position to the space if there is the space and the electronic control unit determines that the response is received.

8. The vehicle traveling control device according to claim 7 , wherein the electronic control unit is further programmed to determine that the determination that a response is received is valid if at least one of conditions is valid, the conditions including that a length of the space is not decreasing over time at a rate equal to or larger than a predetermined value, that the other vehicle is stationary or is decelerating, that a predetermined signal such as sounds a horn or blinks a light is received from the other vehicle, that a hand signal is received from a driver of the other vehicle, and that the driver's face of the other vehicle is directed toward the vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Taira Tetsuya
• Watanabe Yoshinori

Classifications

• B60W2554/804

  Relative longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title

• B60W2554/801

  Lateral distance · CPC title

• B60W2554/4041

  Position · CPC title

• B60W10/04

  including control of propulsion units · CPC title