Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program

• US 10,691,123 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2016
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Abe, Masaaki, Hatano, Kunimichi, Asakura, Masahiko, Sen, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US16/090,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20190113914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• 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 2510/202 Steering torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/40 High definition maps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• 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 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: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 : from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 : from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 : for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

A vehicle control system including: an acquisition unit that is configured to acquire a traffic situation of an advancing direction destination of a subject vehicle; a prediction unit is configured to predict a future state related to the subject vehicle or the periphery of the subject vehicle with reference to the traffic situation that is acquired by the acquisition unit; and a control unit that is configured to perform vehicle control, and is configured to suppress switching or release of the vehicle control in a case where the prediction unit is configured to predict that the vehicle control will return to a state before the switching or the release is performed within a predetermined period or within a predetermined travel distance after the switching or the release of the vehicle control is performed.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system, comprising:

a memory that stores executable components; and

a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising;

an acquirer configured to acquire information regarding a traffic situation of an advancing direction destination of a host vehicle;

a predictor configured to generate a trajectory candidate defining a trajectory for approaching the advancing direction destination, and to predict a future state related to the host vehicle or a periphery of the host vehicle with reference to the traffic situation if the trajectory candidate were to be implemented; and

a controller configured to perform vehicle control, and, in response to a determination by the predictor that switching or release of the vehicle control to implement the trajectory candidate will require the host vehicle to transition from a first state to a second state and to return to the first state due to the traffic situation at a specific site, suppress the switching or release of the vehicle control.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein suppression of the switching or release of the vehicle control by the controller in response to the determination by the predictor comprises delaying a planned lane change until the host vehicle moves past the specific site.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to switch or release the vehicle control based on a speed condition, and

suppression of the switching or release of the vehicle control by the controller in response to the determination by the predictor comprises suppressing a speed variation that satisfies the speed condition.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to

perform an automated driving mode in which at least one of acceleration or steering of the host vehicle is automatically controlled,

switch from the automated driving mode to a manual driving mode in response to detection of a defined situation, and

suppress switching from the manual driving mode to the automated driving mode in response to a prediction by the predictor that the defined situation will recur within a defined time after switching from the manual driving mode to the automated driving mode.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the executable components further comprise an outputter configured to output information indicating that the controller has suppressed the switching or release of the vehicle control.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the executable components further comprise a communicator that is configured to perform communication with an outside of the host vehicle, and

the predictor is configured to predict whether the vehicle control will return to a state prior to the switching or release based on information received by the communicator.

7. A vehicle control system, comprising:

a memory that stores executable components; and

a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising;

an acquirer configured to acquire a traffic situation of an advancing direction destination of a host vehicle;

a predictor configured to determine a trajectory candidate defining a trajectory for approaching the advancing direction destination, and to predict a future state related to the host vehicle or the periphery of the host vehicle with reference to the traffic situation for a scenario in which the trajectory candidate is implemented; and

a controller configured to

selectively perform any one of a plurality of automated driving modes that differ in a degree of periphery monitoring required of a vehicle occupant during automated driving, and

in response to a determination by the predictor that switching or release of one of the automatic driving modes to implement the trajectory candidate will cause the host vehicle to transition from a first state to a second state and to return, within a defined period or a defined distance after the switching or release, to the first state due to the traffic situation, suppress the switching or release of the one of the automated driving modes.

8. A vehicle control method, comprising:

generating, by a system comprising a processor, a trajectory candidate defining a trajectory for approaching an advancing direction destination of a host vehicle, wherein implementation of the trajectory candidate involves switching or release of automated vehicle control by a controller;

predicting, by the system based on a detected traffic situation of the advancing direction destination, a future state of the host vehicle or a periphery of the host vehicle if the trajectory candidate were to be implemented; and

in response to predicting, based on the future state, that the switching or release of the automated vehicle control to implement the trajectory candidate will cause the host vehicle to transition from a first state to a second state and to return to the first state due to the traffic situation, suppressing, by the system, the switching or release of the automated vehicle control by changing a trajectory along which the host vehicle travels.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause an in-vehicle computer to perform operations, the operations comprising:

generating a trajectory candidate defining a trajectory for approaching an advancing direction destination of a host vehicle, wherein implementation of the trajectory candidate involves switching or release of automated vehicle control by a controller;

predicting a future state of the host vehicle or a periphery of the host vehicle if the trajectory candidate were to be implemented with reference to a detected traffic situation of the advancing direction destination; and

in response to predicting, based on the future state, that the switching or release of the automated vehicle control to implement the trajectory candidate will cause the host vehicle to transition from a first state to a second state and to return to the first state due to the traffic situation, suppressing the switching or release of the automated vehicle control by changing a trajectory along which the host vehicle travels.

10. A vehicle control method comprising:

generating, by an in-vehicle computer comprising a processor, a trajectory candidate defining a trajectory for a host vehicle to approach an advancing destination;

predicting, by the in-vehicle computer based on a detected traffic situation of the advancing destination of the host vehicle, a future state that will be experienced by the host vehicle or the periphery of the host vehicle if the trajectory candidate is implemented;

selectively switching, by the in-vehicle computer, between a plurality of automated driving modes that differ in a degree of periphery monitoring required of a vehicle occupant during automated driving; and

in response to predicting, based on the future state, that switching or releasing an automated driving mode, of the plurality of automated driving modes, to implement the trajectory candidate will cause the host vehicle to transition from a first state to a second state and to return, due to the traffic situation, to the first state within a defined period of time or a defined travel distance after the switching or releasing, suppressing, by the in-vehicle computer, the switching or releasing of the automated driving mode.

11. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a vehicle control program that is configured to cause an in-vehicle computer to perform operations, the operations comprising:

generating a trajectory candidate defining a trajectory for a host vehicle to approach an advancing destination;

predicting, based on a detected traffic situation of the advancing destination of the host vehicle, a future state that will be experienced by the host vehicle or the periphery of the host vehicle if the trajectory candidate is implemented;

selectively switching between a plurality of automated driving modes that differ in a degree of periphery monitoring required of a vehicle occupant during automated driving; and

in response to predicting, based on the future state, that switching or releasing an automated driving mode, of the plurality of automated driving modes, to implement the trajectory candidate will cause the host vehicle to transition from a first state to a second state and to return, due to the traffic situation, to the first state within a defined period of time or a defined travel distance after the switching or releasing, suppressing, by the in-vehicle computer, the switching or releasing of the automated driving mode.