Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program with restraining handover of driving mode

• US 10,336,345 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hatano, Kunimichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Boomer, Jeffrey C
• Application Number:
  US15/424,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20170240186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/087 where the control system corrects or modifies a request from the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0055 only part of driving tasks shifted to occupants

Abstract

A vehicle control device includes the following components. An action plan generating unit generates an action plan of a vehicle. An automated driving control unit carries out a first driving mode in which at least one of acceleration/deceleration and steering of the vehicle is automatically controlled based on the action plan. An operation device accepts an operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle. A handover control unit instructs shifting to a second driving mode, in which the degree of automated driving is lower than in the first driving mode, when the occupant operates the operation device to instruct one or both of acceleration/deceleration and steering in the first driving mode. A restraint control unit generates an estimated path of the vehicle to be taken based on the operation and restrains shifting to the second driving mode if the estimated path contradicts the action plan.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising:

an action plan generating unit that generates an action plan of a vehicle to a destination such that the vehicle travels along a route to the destination;

an automated driving controller that carries out a first driving mode in which at least one of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle is automatically controlled in accordance with the action plan generated by the action plan generating unit;

an operation device that receives an operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle;

a handover controller that instructs the automated driving controller to perform shifting to a second driving mode when the occupant of the vehicle performs an operation on the operation device to instruct one of or both of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle while the automated driving controller is carrying out the first driving mode, the second driving mode being a mode in which a degree of automated driving is lower than in the first driving mode;

a restraint controller that generates an estimated path of the vehicle to be taken caused by the operation performed by the occupant of the vehicle to instruct one of or both of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle and restrains the handover controller from instructing shifting from the first driving mode to the second driving mode if the generated estimated path contradicts the action plan generated by the action plan generating unit; and

a path generating unit that generates an expected target path of the vehicle on the basis of a traveling mode determined by the action plan generating unit,

wherein the restraint controller determines whether the generated estimated path contradicts the action plan generated by the action plan generating unit by using the expected target path generated by the path generating unit and the generated estimated path,

wherein the path generating unit generates the expected target path by sampling target locations expected to be reached by the vehicle at respective time points at a predetermined interval, and

wherein the restraint controller;

calculates, for each of the time points at the predetermined interval, a deviation between the target location determined by the path generating unit for the time point and an estimated location for the time point estimated on the basis of the operation performed by the occupant of the vehicle to instruct one of or both of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle, and

determines whether the estimated path contradicts the action plan by comparing a value based on the calculated deviation with a threshold.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the action plan is classified at least on the basis of whether lane changing is to be performed.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the restraint controller does not restrain the handover controller from instructing shifting from the first driving mode to the second driving mode if the value based on the deviation exceeds an upper-limit threshold even in a case where it is determined that the estimated path contradicts the action plan.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the restraint controller performs control such that the handover controller does not instruct shifting from the first driving mode to the second driving mode if the value based on the deviation is smaller than or equal to a lower-limit threshold.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein the restraint controller performs control to restrain an operation performed by the occupant of the vehicle by applying an operation reaction force to the operation device if the value based on the deviation is larger than the lower-limit threshold and is smaller than or equal to the upper-limit threshold.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, further comprising:

an output unit that outputs information,

wherein the restraint controller restrains an operation by the operation device if the value based on the deviation is larger than the lower-limit threshold and is smaller than or equal to the upper-limit threshold and causes the output unit to output information indicating that the operation is restrained.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the restraint controller determines whether an action of the vehicle according to the generated estimated path contradicts the action plan generated by the action plan generating unit, and if so, the restraint controller restrains the handover controller from instructing the shifting.

8. A vehicle control method performed by a computer mounted in a vehicle, comprising steps of:

(i) generating, by the computer, an action plan of the vehicle to a destination such that the vehicle travels along a route to the destination;

(ii) carrying out, by the computer, a first driving mode in which at least one of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle is automatically controlled in accordance with the generated action plan;

(iii) instructing, by the computer, shifting to a second driving mode when an occupant of the vehicle performs an operation on an operation device to instruct one of or both of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle while the first driving mode is carried out, the second driving mode being a mode in which a degree of automated driving is lower than in the first driving mode, the operation device being a device that receives an operation performed by the occupant of the vehicle;

(iv) generating, by the computer, an expected target path of the vehicle on the basis of a traveling mode, by sampling target locations expected to be reached by the vehicle at respective time points at a predetermined interval; and

(v) generating, by the computer, an estimated path of the vehicle to be taken caused by the operation performed by the occupant of the vehicle to instruct one of or both of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle, and restraining, by the computer, shifting from the first driving mode to the second driving mode if the generated estimated path contradicts the action plan,

wherein the step (v) comprises determining whether the generated estimated path contradicts the action plan by using the generated expected target path and the generated estimated path,

wherein the step (v) further comprises;

calculating, for each of the time points at the predetermined interval, a deviation between the target location for the time point and an estimated location for the time point estimated on the basis of the operation performed by the occupant of the vehicle to instruct one of or both of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle, and

determining whether the estimated path contradicts the action plan by comparing a value based on the calculated deviation with a threshold.

9. The vehicle control method according to claim 8, further comprising determining by the computer whether an action of the vehicle according to the generated estimated path contradicts the action plan generated by the action plan generating unit, and if so, restraining shifting from the first driving mode to the second driving mode.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a vehicle control program that causes an onboard computer to execute a process, the process comprising steps of:

(i) generating an action plan of the vehicle to a destination such that the vehicle travels along a route to the destination;

(ii) carrying out a first driving mode in which at least one of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle is automatically controlled in accordance with the generated action plan;

(iii) instructing shifting to a second driving mode when an occupant of the vehicle performs an operation on an operation device to instruct one of or both of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle while the first driving mode is carried out, the second driving mode being a mode in which a degree of automated driving is lower than in the first driving mode, the operation device being a device that receives an operation performed by the occupant of the vehicle;

(iv) generating, by the computer, an expected target path of the vehicle on the basis of a traveling mode, by sampling target locations expected to be reached by the vehicle at respective time points at a predetermined interval; and

(v) generating an estimated path of the vehicle to be taken caused by the operation performed by the occupant of the vehicle to instruct one of or both of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle, and restraining shifting from the first driving mode to the second driving mode if the generated estimated path contradicts the action plan,

wherein the step (v) comprises determining whether the generated estimated path contradicts the action plan by using the generated expected target path and the generated estimated path,

wherein the step (v) further comprises;

calculating, for each of the time points at the predetermined interval, a deviation between the target location for the time point and an estimated location for the time point estimated on the basis of the operation performed by the occupant of the vehicle to instruct one of or both of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the vehicle, and

determining whether the estimated path contradicts the action plan by comparing a value based on the calculated deviation with a threshold.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, the process further comprising determining whether an action of the vehicle according to the generated estimated path contradicts the action plan generated by the action plan generating unit, and if so, restraining shifting from the first driving mode to the second driving mode.