RUNNING PLAN CREATING APPARATUS

• US 20090037088A1
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: TAGUCHI, Koji
• Application Number:
  US12/182,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037088A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A running plan creating apparatus for creating a running plan including position information of a vehicle at each time comprises road information acquiring means for acquiring road information concerning a running path for the vehicle to run, action predicting means for predicting positions and speeds of other vehicles running about the vehicle at each time by utilizing the road information, characteristic information acquiring means for acquiring characteristic information in each of the other vehicles, risk degree estimating means for estimating respective degrees of risk of the other vehicles by utilizing the characteristic information, risk degree distribution setting means for setting a risk degree distribution at each time on the running path by utilizing the road information and the positions and degrees of risk of the other vehicles, and running plan creating means for creating the running plan of the vehicle by utilizing the risk degree distribution.

Claims

1. A running plan creating apparatus for creating a running plan including position information of a vehicle at each time;

the apparatus comprising;

road information acquiring means for acquiring road information concerning a running path for the vehicle to run;

action predicting means for predicting positions and speeds of other vehicles running about the vehicle at each time by utilizing the road information;

characteristic information acquiring means for acquiring characteristic information in each of the other vehicles;

risk degree estimating means for estimating respective degrees of risk of the other vehicles by utilizing the characteristic information;

risk degree distribution setting means for setting a risk degree distribution at each time on the running path by utilizing the road information and the positions and degrees of risk of the other vehicles; and

running plan creating means for creating the running plan of the vehicle by utilizing the risk degree distribution.

2. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information acquiring means acquires a weight of the other vehicle as the characteristic information;

and

wherein the risk degree estimating means estimates the degree of risk to be higher as a kinetic energy based on the weight and speed of the other vehicle is higher.

3. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information acquiring means acquires a relative relationship between the other vehicle and a vehicle thereabout as the characteristic information.

4. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the characteristic information includes at least a desirable headway time or time to collision of the other vehicle with respect to a vehicle thereabout;

and

wherein the risk degree estimating means estimates the degree of risk to be higher as the desirable headway time or time to collision is shorter.

5. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information acquiring means acquires a blind spot area to become a blind spot for the driver of the other vehicle as the characteristic information;

and

wherein the risk degree estimating means estimates the degree of risk of each of the other vehicles by providing the blind spot area with a predetermined value.

6. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

running condition setting means for setting a running condition of the vehicle;

running plan temporarily creating means for temporarily creating a running plan of the vehicle achieving the running condition;

integrated value computing means for computing an integrated value of degree of risk of the vehicle running according to the temporarily created running plan by utilizing the risk degree distribution; and

urgency degree determining means for determining a degree of urgency of the running condition;

wherein the running plan creating means creates such a running plan as to reduce the integrated value of degree of risk according to the degree of urgency.

7. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising threshold selecting means for selecting a higher threshold as the degree of urgency is higher;

wherein the running plan creating means creates such a running plan as to reduce the integrated value of the degree of risk when the integrated value exceeds the threshold.

8. A running plan creating apparatus for creating a running plan including position information of a vehicle at each time;

the apparatus comprising;

a road information acquiring unit adapted to acquire road information concerning a running path for the vehicle to run; and

a control unit;

wherein the control unit comprises;

an action predicting part configured to predict positions and speeds of other vehicles running about the vehicle at each time by utilizing the road information;

a characteristic information acquiring part configured to acquire characteristic information in each of the other vehicles;

a risk degree estimating part configured to estimate respective degrees of risk of the other vehicles by utilizing the characteristic information;

a risk degree distribution setting part configured to set a risk degree distribution at each time on the running path by utilizing the road information and the positions and degrees of risk of the other vehicles; and

a running plan creating part configured to create the running plan of the vehicle by utilizing the risk degree distribution.

9. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the characteristic information acquiring part acquires a weight of the other vehicle as the characteristic information;

and

wherein the risk degree estimating part estimates the degree of risk to be higher as a kinetic energy based on the weight and speed of the other vehicle is higher.

10. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the characteristic information acquiring part acquires a relative relationship between the other vehicle and a vehicle thereabout as the characteristic information.

11. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the characteristic information includes at least a desirable headway time or time to collision of the other vehicle with respect to a vehicle thereabout;

and

wherein the risk degree estimating part estimates the degree of risk to be higher as the desirable headway time or time to collision is shorter.

12. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the characteristic information acquiring part acquires a blind spot area to become a blind spot for the driver of the other vehicle as the characteristic information;

and

wherein the risk degree estimating part estimates the degree of risk of each of the other vehicles by providing the blind spot area with a predetermined value.

13. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the control unit further comprises:

a running condition setting part configured to set a running condition of the vehicle;

a running plan temporarily creating part configured to temporarily create a running plan of the vehicle achieving the running condition;

an integrated value computing part configured to compute an integrated value of degree of risk of the vehicle running according to the temporarily created running plan by utilizing the risk degree distribution; and

an urgency degree determining part configured to determine a degree of urgency of the running condition; and

wherein the running plan creating part creates such a running plan as to reduce the integrated value of degree of risk according to the degree of urgency.

14. A running plan creating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit further comprises a threshold selecting part configured to select a higher threshold as the degree of urgency is higher;

and

wherein the running plan creating part creates such a running plan as to reduce the integrated value of the degree of risk when the integrated value exceeds the threshold.