Vehicle control device

• US 10,435,031 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibata, Teppei
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US15/267,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20170088144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 701 41
• 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 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A vehicle control device can be mounted in a vehicle. A receiver receives information from a wireless device mounted in another vehicle. A determiner determines whether or not to switch an automatic steering mode to a manual steering mode on the basis of the information received by the receiver. A notifier prompts a driver of the vehicle to switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode in a case where the determiner determines to switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a first vehicle, comprising:

at least one of a camera or a radar provided on the first vehicle that detects within a sensing area around the first vehicle, the sensing area being detectable by the at least one of the camera or the radar,

a processor that, when executing a program, performs operations including;

receiving a result of detection of the at least one of the camera or the radar;

receiving positional information from a wireless device mounted in a second vehicle outside the sensing area, the positional information including a current position of the second vehicle, a traveling direction of the second vehicle, and a traveling speed of the second vehicle;

determining whether or not to switch an automatic steering mode to a manual steering mode on the basis of the result of detection of the at least one of the camera or the radar and the positional information; and

prompting a driver of the first vehicle to manually switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode before the second vehicle enters the sensing area.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the receiving, the processor further receives event information from the wireless device mounted in the second vehicle, and

wherein, in the determining, the processor determines whether or not to switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode on the basis of the event information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor further performs generating travelling schedule information of the first vehicle in the automatic steering mode on the basis of the result of detection of the at least one of the camera or the radar and the positional information before it is determined whether or not to switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processor further performs operations including:

transmitting, by broadcast, the generated travelling schedule information, and

receiving a result, which indicates whether or not an other vehicle approves of the transmitted travelling schedule information.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, in the determining, the processor further determines to switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode when the received result indicates that the other vehicle does not approve of the travelling schedule information.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an I/O interface through which the processor receives the result of detection of the at least one of the camera or the radar and the positional information.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display,

wherein, in the prompting, the processor causes the display to display a message prompting the driver to switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a switch,

wherein the processor further performs operations including:

receiving a switching signal from the switch, when the switch is operated by the driver, and

switching the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode, when the switching signal is received after the message is displayed on the display.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processor further performs operations including:

measuring a travelling period or a travelling distance from when the message is displayed on the display, and

determining whether to stop the first vehicle based on the traveling period or the travelling distance, when the switching signal is not received.

10. An apparatus for a first vehicle, comprising:

at least one of a camera or a radar provided on the first vehicle that detects within a sensing area around the first vehicle, the sensing area being detectable by the at least one of the camera or the radar,

a processor that, when executing a program, performs operations including;

receiving positional information from a wireless device mounted in a second vehicle outside the sensing area, the positional information including a current position of the second vehicle, a traveling direction of the second vehicle, and a traveling speed of the second vehicle;

determining whether or not to switch an automatic steering mode to a manual steering mode on the basis of the positional information; and

prompting a driver of the first vehicle to manually switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode before the second vehicle enters the sensing area.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, in the receiving, the processor further receives event information from the wireless device mounted in the second vehicle, and

wherein, in the determining, the processor determines whether or not to switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode on the basis of the event information.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the processor further performs generating travelling schedule information of the first vehicle in the automatic steering mode on the basis of the positional information before it is determined whether or not to switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor further performs operations including:

transmitting, by broadcast, the generated travelling schedule information, and

receiving a result, which indicates whether or not an other vehicle approves of the transmitted travelling schedule information.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, in the determining, the processor further determines to switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode when the received result indicates that the other vehicle does not approve of the travelling schedule information.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an I/O interface through which the processor receives the positional information.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a display,

wherein, in the prompting, the processor causes the display to display a message prompting the driver to switch the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a switch,

wherein the processor further performs operations including:

receiving a switching signal from the switch, when the switch is operated by the driver, and

switching the automatic steering mode to the manual steering mode, when the switching signal is received after the message is displayed on the display.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processor further performs operations including:

measuring a travelling period or a travelling distance from when the message is displayed on the display, and

determining whether to stop the first vehicle based on the traveling period or the travelling distance, when the switching signal is not received.