VEHICLE CONTROLLER, CONTROL METHOD FOR VEHICLE AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

• US 20120123659A1
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Yoh, Kadowaki, Yoshinori, Kagawa, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 9,150,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4042 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

An ECU of a vehicle control device selects a system-mounted vehicle traveling ahead of a system-mounted vehicle as a cooperating vehicle and controls the inter-vehicle distance between the selected system-mounted vehicle and the system-mounted vehicle, or the like to control the traffic volume of a road in the vicinity of the system-mounted vehicles, such that traffic jams can be prevented effectively as compared with a case where the system-mounted vehicle performs travel control independently. Furthermore, the ECU determines whether or not to select the system-mounted vehicle as a cooperating vehicle based on the relative speed of the system-mounted vehicle and the system-mounted vehicle a regardless of whether or not the system-mounted vehicle that is selected as the cooperating vehicle is traveling in the same lane as the system-mounted vehicle, such that it is possible to select the cooperating system-mounted vehicle without being influenced by the accuracy of recognizing the lane in which the system-mounted vehicle travels.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A vehicle control device, comprising:

a cooperating vehicle selecting unit that selects each of separate vehicles traveling ahead of and behind a host vehicle as a cooperating vehicle that travels in cooperation with the host vehicle; and

a traffic volume control unit that controls at least one of a distance between each of the cooperating vehicles selected by the cooperating vehicle selecting unit and the host vehicle, a relative speed of each of the cooperating vehicles and the host vehicle, and a speed of each of the cooperating vehicles and the host vehicle to control traffic volume of a road on which each of the cooperating vehicles and the host vehicle travel,

wherein the cooperating vehicle selecting unit determines whether or not to select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle based on the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the host vehicle, and

each of the cooperating vehicles selected by the cooperating vehicle selecting unit is any one of n or more separate vehicles that sequentially cooperate with each other among vehicles traveling either ahead of or behind the host vehicle with respect to the number of lanes n of the road on which the host vehicle travels, and in regard to the n or more separate vehicles that cooperate with each other, at least one of a distance between the separate vehicles, a relative speed of the separate vehicles, and a speed of the separate vehicles is controlled to control the traffic volume of the road on which the separate vehicles travel.

28. The vehicle control device according to claim 22,

wherein when the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the cooperating vehicle selecting unit selects the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle.

30. The vehicle control device according to claim 22,

wherein the cooperating vehicle selecting unit selects a separate vehicle, which is closest to the host vehicle among the separate vehicles traveling either ahead of or behind the host vehicle, as the cooperating vehicle.

23. A vehicle control device, comprising:

a cooperating vehicle selecting unit that selects a separate vehicle traveling either ahead of or behind a host vehicle as a cooperating vehicle that travels in cooperation with the host vehicle; and

a traffic volume control unit that controls at least one of a distance between the cooperating vehicle that is selected by the cooperating vehicle selecting unit and the host vehicle, a relative speed of the cooperating vehicle and the host vehicle, and a speed of the cooperating vehicle and the host vehicle to control traffic volume of a road on which the cooperating vehicle and the host vehicle travel,

wherein the cooperating vehicle selecting unit

determines whether or not to select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle based on the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the host vehicle,

determines whether or not to select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle based on either an acceleration and deceleration history of the separate vehicle or a lane change history of the separate vehicle, and

when either the number of accelerations and decelerations of the separate vehicle within a predetermined time or the number of lane changes of the separate vehicle within a predetermined time is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value, does not select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle.

29. The vehicle control device according to claim 23,

wherein when the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the cooperating vehicle selecting unit selects the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle.

31. The vehicle control device according to claim 23,

wherein the cooperating vehicle selecting unit selects a separate vehicle, which is closest to the host vehicle among the separate vehicles traveling either ahead of or behind the host vehicle, as the cooperating vehicle.

24. A vehicle control method, comprising:

a cooperating vehicle selection process of selecting each of separate vehicles traveling ahead of and behind a host vehicle as a cooperating vehicle that travels in cooperation with the host vehicle; and

a traffic volume control process of controlling at least one of a distance between each of the cooperating vehicles selected in the cooperating vehicle selection process and the host vehicle, a relative speed of each of the cooperating vehicles and the host vehicle, and a speed of each of the cooperating vehicles and the host vehicle to control traffic volume of a road on which each of the cooperating vehicles and the host vehicle travel,

wherein in the cooperating vehicle selection process, it is determined whether or not to select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle based on the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the host vehicle, and

each of the cooperating vehicles selected in the cooperating vehicle selection process is any one of n or more separate vehicles that sequentially cooperate with each other among vehicles traveling either ahead of or behind the host vehicle with respect to the number of lanes n of the road on which the host vehicle travels, and in regard to the n or more separate vehicles that cooperate with each other, any one of a distance between the separate vehicles, a relative speed of the separate vehicles, and a speed of the separate vehicles is controlled to control the traffic volume of the road on which the separate vehicles travel.

32. The vehicle control method according to claim 24,

wherein in the cooperating vehicle selection process, when the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the separate vehicle is selected as the cooperating vehicle.

34. The vehicle control method according to claim 24,

wherein in the cooperating vehicle selection process, a separate vehicle, which is closest to the host vehicle among the separate vehicles traveling either ahead of or behind the host vehicle, is selected as the cooperating vehicle.

25. A vehicle control method, comprising:

a cooperating vehicle selection process of selecting a separate vehicle traveling either ahead of or behind a host vehicle as a cooperating vehicle that travels in cooperation with the host vehicle; and

a traffic volume control process of controlling at least one of a distance between the cooperating vehicle that is selected in the cooperating vehicle selection process and the host vehicle, a relative speed of the cooperating vehicle and the host vehicle, and a speed of the cooperating vehicle and the host vehicle to control traffic volume of a road on which the cooperating vehicle and the host vehicle travel,

wherein in the cooperating vehicle selection process,

it is determined whether or not to select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle based on the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the host vehicle,

it is determined whether or not to select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle based on either an acceleration and deceleration history of the separate vehicle or a lane change history of the separate vehicle, and

when either the number of accelerations and decelerations of the separate vehicle within a predetermined time or the number of lane changes of the separate vehicle within a predetermined time is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value, the separate vehicle is not selected as the cooperating vehicle.

33. The vehicle control method according to claim 25,

wherein in the cooperating vehicle selection process, when the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the host vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the separate vehicle is selected as the cooperating vehicle.

35. The vehicle control method according to claim 25,

wherein in the cooperating vehicle selection process, a separate vehicle, which is closest to the host vehicle among the separate vehicles traveling either ahead of or behind the host vehicle, is selected as the cooperating vehicle.

26. A vehicle control system, comprising:

a cooperating vehicle selecting unit that selects each of separate vehicles traveling ahead of and behind one vehicle as a cooperating vehicle that travels in cooperation with the one vehicle; and

a traffic volume control unit that controls at least one of a distance between each of the cooperating vehicles selected by the cooperating vehicle selecting unit and the one vehicle, a relative speed of each of the cooperating vehicles and the one vehicle, and a speed of each of the cooperating vehicles and the one vehicle to control traffic volume of a road on which each of the cooperating vehicles and the one vehicle travel,

wherein the cooperating vehicle selecting unit determines whether or not to select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle based on the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the one vehicle,

each of the cooperating vehicles selected by the cooperating vehicle selecting unit is any one of n or more separate vehicles that sequentially cooperate with each other among vehicles traveling either ahead of or behind the one vehicle with respect to the number of lanes n of the road on which the one vehicle travels, and

in regard to the n or more separate vehicles that cooperate with each other, the traffic volume control unit controls any one of a distance between the separate vehicles, a relative speed of the separate vehicles, and a speed of the separate vehicles to control the traffic volume of the road on which the separate vehicles travel.

36. The vehicle control system according to claim 26,

wherein when the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the one vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the cooperating vehicle selecting unit selects the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle.

38. The vehicle control system according to claim 26,

wherein the cooperating vehicle selecting unit selects a separate vehicle, which is closest to the one vehicle among the separate vehicles traveling either ahead of or behind the one vehicle, as the cooperating vehicle.

27. A vehicle control system, comprising:

a cooperating vehicle selecting unit that selects a separate vehicle traveling either ahead of or behind one vehicle as a cooperating vehicle that travels in cooperation with the one vehicle; and

a traffic volume control unit that controls at least one of a distance between the cooperating vehicle that is selected by the cooperating vehicle selecting unit and the one vehicle, a relative speed of the cooperating vehicle and the one vehicle, and a speed of the cooperating vehicle and the one vehicle to control traffic volume of a road on which the cooperating vehicle and the one vehicle travel,

wherein the cooperating vehicle selecting unit

determines whether or not to select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle based on the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the one vehicle,

determines whether or not to select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle based on either an acceleration and deceleration history of the separate vehicle or a lane change history of the separate vehicle, and

when either the number of accelerations and decelerations of the separate vehicle within a predetermined time or the number of lane changes of the separate vehicle within a predetermined time is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value, does not select the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle.

37. The vehicle control system according to claim 27,

wherein when the relative speed of the separate vehicle and the one vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the cooperating vehicle selecting unit selects the separate vehicle as the cooperating vehicle.

39. The vehicle control system according to claim 27,

wherein the cooperating vehicle selecting unit selects a separate vehicle, which is closest to the one vehicle among the separate vehicles traveling either ahead of or behind the one vehicle, as the cooperating vehicle.