Own-Vehicle-Path Determining Method and Own-Vehicle-Path Determining Apparatus

• US 20090012703A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Aso, Kazuaki, Kindo, Toshiki
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

An own-vehicle-path determining method includes calculating a first evaluation value of each of plural predicted own-vehicle-path candidates, calculating a second evaluation value of each of the plural own-vehicle-path candidates, selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high first evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates, selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high second evaluation values as appropriate own-vehicle-path candidates from the selected own-vehicle-path candidates, and selecting any one of the appropriate own-vehicle-path candidates as an own-vehicle path.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. An own-vehicle-path determining method comprising:

calculating a first evaluation value of each of plural predicted own-vehicle-path candidates;

calculating a second evaluation value of each of the plural own-vehicle-path candidates;

selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high first evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates;

selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high second evaluation values as appropriate own-vehicle-path candidates from the selected own-vehicle-path candidates; and

selecting any one of the appropriate own-vehicle-path candidates as an own-vehicle path.

24. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 23, wherein

own-vehicle-path candidates with the first evaluation values higher than a predetermined value are selected in the selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high first evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates.

25. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 23, wherein

an own-vehicle-path candidate with the second evaluation value higher than a predetermined value is selected in the selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high second evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates.

26. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 23, wherein

the first evaluation value is a value indicating an evaluation of safety of the own vehicle.

27. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 23, wherein

the second evaluation value is a value indicating an evaluation of driving efficiency of the own vehicle.

28. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 24, further comprising

inputting and setting the predetermined value.

29. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 28, wherein

the predetermined value is set variably in the inputting and setting the predetermined value.

30. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 29, wherein

the predetermined value is set variably so as to increase according to a tread amount of an accelerator pedal in the inputting and setting the predetermined value.

31. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 29, wherein

the predetermined value is set variably so as to decrease according to a tread amount of a break pedal in the inputting and setting the predetermined value.

32. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 29, wherein

the predetermined value is set variably according to an operation of a mode-selecting switch related with a driving mode in the inputting and setting the predetermined value.

33. An own-vehicle-path determining method comprising:

calculating a first evaluation value of each of plural predicted own-vehicle-path candidates;

calculating a second evaluation value of each of the plural own-vehicle-path candidates;

selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high first evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates; and

selecting an own-vehicle-path candidate with a highest second evaluation value as a drivable path of an own vehicle from the selected own-vehicle-path candidates.

34. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 33, wherein

own-vehicle-path candidates with the first evaluation values higher than a predetermined value are selected in the selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high first evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates.

35. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 33, wherein

the first evaluation value is a value indicating an evaluation of safety of the own vehicle.

36. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 33, wherein

the second evaluation value is a value indicating an evaluation of driving efficiency of the own vehicle.

37. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 34, further comprising

inputting and setting the predetermined value.

38. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 37, wherein

the predetermined value is set variably in the inputting and setting the predetermined value.

39. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 38, wherein

the predetermined value is set variably so as to increase according to a tread amount of an accelerator pedal in the inputting and setting the predetermined value.

40. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 38, wherein

the predetermined value is set variably so as to decrease according to a tread amount of a break pedal in the inputting and setting the predetermined value.

41. The own-vehicle-path determining method according to claim 38, wherein

the predetermined value is set variably according to an operation of a mode-selecting switch related with a driving mode in the inputting and setting the predetermined value.

42. An own-vehicle-path determining apparatus comprising:

a first calculator that calculates a first evaluation value of each of plural predicted own-vehicle-path candidates;

a second calculator that calculates a second evaluation value of each of the plural own-vehicle-path candidates; and

a selector that selects own-vehicle-path candidates with high first evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates, selects own-vehicle-path candidates with high second evaluation values as appropriate own-vehicle-path candidates from the selected own-vehicle-path candidates, and selects any one of the appropriate own-vehicle-path candidates as an own-vehicle path.

43. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 42, wherein

the selector selects, when selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high first evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates, own-vehicle-path candidates with the first evaluation values higher than a predetermined value.

44. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 42, wherein

the selector selects, when selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high second evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates, own-vehicle-path candidates with the second evaluation values higher than a predetermined value.

45. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 42, wherein

the first evaluation value is a value indicating an evaluation of safety of the own vehicle.

46. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 42, wherein

the second evaluation value is a value indicating an evaluation of driving efficiency of the own vehicle.

47. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 43, further comprising

a predetermined value input unit that inputs and sets the predetermined value.

48. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 47, wherein

the predetermined value input unit sets the predetermined value variably.

49. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 48, wherein

the predetermined value input unit sets the predetermined value variably so that the predetermined value increases according to a tread amount of an accelerator pedal.

50. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 48, wherein

the predetermined value input unit sets the predetermined value variably so that the predetermined value decreases according to a tread amount of a break pedal.

51. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 48, wherein

the predetermined value input unit sets the predetermined value variably according to an operation of a mode-selecting switch related with a driving mode.

52. An own-vehicle-path determining apparatus comprising:

a first calculator that calculates a first evaluation value of each of plural predicted own-vehicle-path candidates;

a second calculator that calculates a second evaluation value of each of the plural own-vehicle-path candidates;

a selector that selects own-vehicle-path candidates with high first evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates, and selects an own-vehicle-path candidate with a highest second evaluation value as a drivable path of an own vehicle from the selected own-vehicle-path candidates.

53. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 52, wherein

the selector selects, when selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high first evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates, own-vehicle-path candidates with the first evaluation values higher than a predetermined value.

54. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 52, wherein

the first evaluation value is a value indicating an evaluation of safety of the own vehicle.

55. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 52, wherein

the second evaluation value is a value indicating an evaluation of driving efficiency of the own vehicle.

56. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 53, further comprising

a predetermined value input unit that inputs and sets the predetermined value.

57. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 56, wherein

the predetermined value input unit sets the predetermined value variably.

58. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 57, wherein

the predetermined value input unit sets the predetermined value variably so that the predetermined value increases according to a tread amount of an accelerator pedal.

59. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 57, wherein

the predetermined value input unit sets the predetermined value variably so that the predetermined value decreases according to a tread amount of a break pedal.

60. The own-vehicle-path determining apparatus according to claim 57, wherein

the predetermined value input unit sets the predetermined value variably according to an operation of a mode-selecting switch related with a driving mode.