Vehicle system, vehicle controller, and method of controlling vehicle

• US 10,518,776 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Te-Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/408,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20180201270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• 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 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/06 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• 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: B62D 15/025 : Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 : Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle includes a plurality of wheels. A vehicle steering controller controls a heading of the vehicle by controlling at least one of the plurality of wheels. A heading sensor detects the heading of the vehicle. A processor is coupled to the vehicle steering controller and the heading sensor, and the processor is programmed to receive a lane change signal that requests a lane change. Then, the processor determines the heading of the vehicle from the heading sensor. Based on this determination, the processor instructs the vehicle steering controller to reduce the heading of the vehicle to prior to executing the requested lane change. As a result, the lane change may be executed from a similar state each time.

Claims

1. A vehicle system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle including a plurality of wheels;

a vehicle steering controller, coupled to the plurality of wheels, that controls a heading of the vehicle by controlling at least one of the plurality of wheels;

a heading sensor that detects the heading of the vehicle; and

a processor coupled to the vehicle steering controller and the heading sensor, wherein

the processor is programmed to

receive a lane change signal that requests a lane change,

upon receiving the lane change signal, determine the heading of the vehicle from the heading sensor,

compare an absolute value of the determined heading with a heading threshold, and

if the absolute value of the determined heading of the vehicle is above the heading threshold, instruct the vehicle steering controller to reduce the absolute value of the heading of the vehicle to below the heading threshold prior to executing the requested lane change, wherein

the heading is defined as an angle between a travel direction of the vehicle in a lane along which the vehicle is traveling and an imaginary line that extends along the lane, and

the heading threshold is automatically determined based on a travel speed of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising

a lane position sensor that detects a lane position of the vehicle, the lane position defining a relative position between the vehicle and a lane in which the vehicle is travelling within, wherein

upon receiving the lane change signal, the processor determines the lane position of the vehicle, and

if the determined lane position of the vehicle is displaced from a center of the lane by more than a distance threshold, the processor instructs the vehicle steering controller to position the vehicle within the distance threshold from the center of the lane prior to executing the requested lane change.

3. The vehicle system of claim 2, wherein

the distance threshold is automatically determined based on a travel speed of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle speed controller that controls a travel speed of the vehicle, the processor being coupled to the vehicle speed controller; and

a speed sensor that detects a travel speed of the vehicle, wherein

upon receiving the lane change signal, the processor determines the travel speed of the vehicle, and

if the determined travel speed of the vehicle is different from a target speed by more than a speed threshold, the processor instructs the vehicle drive controller to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle toward the target speed to within the speed threshold prior to executing the requested lane change.

5. The vehicle system of claim 4, wherein

the speed threshold is set as a percentage of the travel speed of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle system of claim 4, wherein

the target speed is automatically set by detecting a travel speed of other vehicles in a destination lane of the requested lane change.

7. The vehicle system of claim 4, wherein

the target speed is automatically set by detecting a speed limit of a road on which the vehicle is travelling.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein

the lane along which the vehicle is traveling is a curved lane, and

the requested lane change is executed in the curved lane.

9. A vehicle controller for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

a central processing unit,

a memory coupled to the central processing unit, and

a vehicle steering controller coupled to the central processing unit that controls a heading of the vehicle, wherein

the central processing unit is programmed to

receive a lane change signal that requests a lane change,

upon receiving the lane change signal, determine the heading of the vehicle from a heading sensor that detects the heading of the vehicle, and

if the determined heading of the vehicle is has an absolute value above a heading threshold, instruct the vehicle steering controller to reduce the absolute value of the heading of the vehicle to below the heading threshold prior to executing the requested lane change, wherein

the heading is defined as an angle between a travel direction of the vehicle in a lane along which the vehicle is traveling and an imaginary line that extends along the lane, and

the heading threshold is automatically determined based on a travel speed of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle controller of claim 9, wherein

the central processing unit is further programmed to:

upon receiving the lane change signal, determine a lane position of the vehicle from a lane position sensor, the lane position sensor detecting the lane position of the vehicle, the lane position defining a relative position between the vehicle and a lane in which the vehicle is travelling within, and

if the determined lane position of the vehicle is displaced from a center of the lane by more than a distance threshold, instruct the vehicle steering controller to position the vehicle within the distance threshold from the center of the lane prior to executing the requested lane change.

11. The vehicle controller of claim 10, wherein

the distance threshold is automatically determined based on a travel speed of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle controller of claim 9, further comprising:

a vehicle speed controller that controls a travel speed of the vehicle, the central processing unit being coupled to the vehicle speed controller, and

the central processing unit is further programmed to;

upon receiving the lane change signal, determine a travel speed of the vehicle from a speed sensor that detects the travel speed of the vehicle, and

if the determined travel speed of the vehicle is different from a target speed by more than a speed threshold, instruct the vehicle drive controller to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle toward the target speed to within the speed threshold prior to executing the requested lane change.

13. The vehicle controller of claim 12, wherein

the speed threshold is set as a percentage of the travel speed of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle controller of claim 12, wherein

the target speed is automatically set by detecting a travel speed of other vehicles in a destination lane of the requested lane change.

15. The vehicle controller of claim 12, wherein

the target speed is automatically set by detecting a speed limit of a road on which the vehicle is travelling.

16. The vehicle computer of claim 9, wherein

the lane along which the vehicle is traveling is a curved lane, and

the requested lane change is executed in the curved lane.

17. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:

receiving, with a processor, a lane change signal that requests a lane change;

upon receiving the lane change signal, determining, with the processor, a heading of the vehicle based on the output of a heading sensor;

if the determined heading of the vehicle has an absolute value above a heading threshold, instructing, with the processor, a vehicle steering controller to reduce the heading of the vehicle to below the heading threshold; and

after the absolute value of the heading of the vehicle is reduced to below the heading threshold, automatically executing, with the processor, the requested lane change, wherein

the heading is defined an angle between a travel direction of the vehicle in a lane along which the vehicle is traveling and an imaginary line that extends along the lane, and

the heading threshold is automatically determined based on a travel speed of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein

the processor is remote from the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein

the lane along which the vehicle is traveling is a curved lane, and

the requested lane change is executed in the curved lane.