Vehicle control device mounted on vehicle and method for controlling the vehicle

• US 10,378,943 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Daebum, Park, Sangmin, Yoon, Jonghwa, Leem, Chaehwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Rodney P
• Application Number:
  US15/648,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20180106654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 701123
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0401 arrangements for automatically fuelling vehicles, i.e. without human intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/3245 relating to the transfer method
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/023 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A vehicle control device for a vehicle includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a communication device located at a gas station, and a processor configured to control the vehicle to perform at least one of autonomous driving or autonomous fueling based on information received from the communication device. In addition, a control method for controlling a vehicle includes communicating with a communication device located at a gas station, and controlling a vehicle to perform an operation based on information received from the communication device.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device for a vehicle, comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with a communication device located at a gas station; and

a processor configured to control the vehicle to perform autonomous driving and autonomous fueling based on information received from the communication device,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

transmit control of the vehicle to the communication device based on the vehicle entering into a region communicable with the communication device,

drive the vehicle to one region of the gas station based on a control command received from the communication device when the autonomous fueling of the vehicle is completed, and

receive the control of the vehicle from the communication device based on a completion of a required payment for the gas station in a state in which the vehicle is stopped at the one region of the gas station.

2. The vehicle control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit,

wherein the processor is configured to, based on the vehicle entering a region communicable with the communication device, receive information from the communication device and transmit the received information to the display unit, the information being an inquiry on whether or not to perform autonomous driving within the gas station.

3. The vehicle control device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to transmit a control signal for operating the vehicle to the communication device based on an autonomous driving mode being selected through the display unit.

4. The vehicle control device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to transmit one of a first screen information for selecting a fueling amount or a fueling cost or a second screen information for selecting a fueling position within the gas station that is displayed on the display unit based on an autonomous fueling mode being selected through the display unit.

5. The vehicle control device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the control signal for operating the vehicle to the communication device based on a completion of payment for the selected fueling amount or the fueling cost.

6. The vehicle control device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to allow the vehicle to perform autonomous driving within the gas station based on a control command received from the communication device.

7. The vehicle control device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to, based on the vehicle starting autonomous driving, cause to be displayed on the display unit a route information that the vehicle will follow during autonomous driving within the gas station.

8. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, based on the vehicle arriving at a fueling position within the gas station, control the vehicle to open or close a fueling port of the vehicle according to information received from the communication device.

9. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause to be displayed on the display unit a screen information of a service that can be selected via a display unit and carried out during fueling according to information received from the communication device.

10. The vehicle control device of claim 9, wherein the screen information is displayed on the display unit based on a fueling time exceeding a predetermined period of time for a completion of fueling.

11. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, based on no fueling space being available in the gas station, cause to be displayed on the display unit a screen information of at least one of a waiting time or an available service during the waiting according to information received from the communication device.

12. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, based on the control signal being received, (i) cause to be displayed on the display unit a screen information indicating that a manual operation of the vehicle is allowed and (ii) control the vehicle according to a user'"'"'s driving operation.

13. The vehicle control device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of a camera or a sensing unit,

wherein the processor is configured to generate a first control command that allows the vehicle to perform autonomous driving within the gas station based on information received from at least one of the camera or the sensing unit,

wherein a server associated with the gas station is configured to generate a second control command that is communicated through the communication device, and

wherein the processor is configured to allow the vehicle to perform autonomous driving based on at least one of the first control command or the second control command.

14. The vehicle control device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to (i) allow the vehicle to perform autonomous fueling based on the second control command received from the communication device and (ii) control the vehicle according to the first control command based on the first control command being different from the second control command.

15. A vehicle comprising the vehicle control device according to claim 1.

16. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the communication unit is located at the vehicle.

17. A control method for controlling a vehicle, the control method comprising:

communicating with a communication device located at a gas station;

controlling a vehicle to perform an operation based on information received from the communication device;

transmitting control of the vehicle to the communication device based on the vehicle entering into a region communicable with the communication device;

driving the vehicle to one region of the gas station based on a control command received from the communication device when fueling of the vehicle is completed; and

receiving the control of the vehicle from the communication device based on a completion of a required payment for the gas station in a state in which the vehicle is stopped in the one region of the gas station.

18. The control method of claim 17, wherein transmitting the control of the vehicle to the communication device comprises:

displaying an information on a display unit of the vehicle, the information being an inquiry of whether or not to perform autonomous driving within the gas station based on the vehicle entering a region communicable with the communication device;

transmitting a control signal for operating the vehicle to the communication device based on an autonomous driving mode being selected through the display unit; and

allowing the vehicle to perform autonomous driving within the gas station based on a control command received from the communication device.

19. The control method of claim 17, wherein communicating with the communication device comprises communicating between a communication unit located at the vehicle and the communication device located at the gas station.