IN-VEHICLE APPARATUS

• US 20140148994A1
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ando, Motonori
• Granted Patent: US 9,275,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

An in-vehicle apparatus and method generates a pseudo-travel locus that is used to perform a driving support control. The in-vehicle apparatus has a pseudo-locus generator for generating the pseudo-travel locus of a subject vehicle and a communication controller for controlling a transmitter to transmit the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle. The pseudo-travel locus is generated from a travel locus of a lead vehicle and a current position of the subject vehicle. Therefore, a portion of the travel locus of the subject vehicle is similar to an actual travel locus of the subject vehicle. Thus, when the pseudo-travel locus is transmitted as a travel locus of the subject vehicle, nearby vehicles may perform a driving support control based on the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle. As a result, the subject vehicle the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle is not disclosed.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle apparatus to perform a locus-based travel support control of a subject vehicle based on an actual travel locus of the subject vehicle, the in-vehicle apparatus comprising:

a transmitter that transmits a travel locus of the subject vehicle;

a receiver that receives a travel locus of a nearby vehicle from among a plurality of nearby vehicles;

a position obtainer that obtains a current position of the subject vehicle;

a lead vehicle recognizer that recognizes one of the plurality of nearby vehicles as a lead vehicle;

a first pseudo-locus generator that generates a pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle based on (i) a travel locus of the lead vehicle that is received by the receiver of the subject vehicle, and (ii) the current position of the subject vehicle; and

a communication controller transmits, through the transmitter, the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle as the travel locus of the subject vehicle.

2. The in-vehicle apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a bearing angle determiner that determines a bearing angle of the subject vehicle, wherein

the first pseudo-locus generator generates the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle based on (i) travel locus points of the lead vehicle that are behind the subject vehicle, which are defined based on the current position of the subject vehicle and the bearing angle of the subject vehicle, and (ii) the current position of the subject vehicle.

3. The in-vehicle apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a second pseudo-locus generator that generates the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle from the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle, wherein

the communication controller has (i) a pseudo-locus mode in which the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle is transmitted and (ii) an actual locus mode in which the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle is transmitted,

the communication controller transmits the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle for a predetermined amount of travel time of the subject vehicle, when the communication controller operates in the actual locus mode,

the second pseudo-locus generator generates the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle from the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle for an amount of time that is less than the predetermined amount of travel time of the subject vehicle, when the travel locus of the lead vehicle does not include travel locus points of the lead vehicle that are behind the subject vehicle, and

the communication controller transmits the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle when the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle is generated by either of the first or second pseudo-locus generator and when the communication controller operates in the pseudo-locus mode.

4. The in-vehicle apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a mode switching unit that selects one of the pseudo-locus mode or the actual locus mode, wherein

the communication controller transmits (i) the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle when the communication controller operates in the pseudo-locus mode, and (ii) the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle when the Communication controller operates in the actual locus mode.

5. The in-vehicle apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the communication controller has (i) a pseudo-locus mode in which the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle is transmitted and (ii) an actual locus mode in which an actual travel locus of the subject vehicle is transmitted,

the communication controller operates in the pseudo-locus mode, from a turning ON of an ignition switch, for a predetermined amount of travel time or a predetermined travel distance, and is automatically switched to the actual locus mode after an elapse of the predetermined amount of travel time or a passing of the predetermined travel distance, and

the communication controller transmits (i) the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle when the communication controller operates in the pseudo-locus mode, and (ii) the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle when the communication controller operates in the actual locus mode.

6. A method for performing a locus-based travel support control of a subject vehicle based on an actual travel locus of the subject vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a travel locus of a nearby vehicle from among a plurality of nearby vehicles;

obtaining a current position of the subject vehicle;

recognizing one of the plurality of nearby vehicles as a lead vehicle;

generating a pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle based on (i) a travel locus of the lead vehicle that is received by the subject vehicle, and (ii) the current position of the subject vehicle; and

transmitting the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle as the travel locus of the subject vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a bearing angle of the subject vehicle, wherein

the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle is generated based on (i) travel locus points of the lead vehicle that are behind the subject vehicle, which are defined based on the current position of the subject vehicle and the bearing angle of the subject vehicle, and (ii) the current position of the subject vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle from the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle from (i) a pseudo-locus mode in which the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle is transmitted or (ii) an actual locus mode in which the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle is transmitted;

transmitting the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle for a predetermined amount of travel time of the subject vehicle, when generating the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle in the actual locus mode;

generating the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle from the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle for an amount of time that is less than the predetermined amount of travel time of the subject vehicle, when the travel locus of the lead vehicle does not include travel locus points of the lead vehicle that are behind the subject vehicle; and

the communication controller controls the transmitter to transmit the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle when the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle is generated by either of the first or second pseudo-locus generator and when generating the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle in the pseudo-locus mode.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

selecting one of the pseudo-locus mode or the actual locus mode; and

transmitting (i) the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle when generating the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle in the pseudo-locus mode, or (ii) the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle when generating the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle in the actual locus mode.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle from the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle from (i) a pseudo-locus mode in which the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle is transmitted or (ii) an actual locus mode in which the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle is transmitted;

operating in the pseudo-locus mode, from a turning ON of an ignition switch, for a predetermined amount of travel time or a predetermined travel distance, and automatically switching to the actual locus mode after an elapse of the predetermined amount of travel time or a passing of the predetermined travel distance; and

transmitting (i) the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle when generating the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle in the pseudo-locus mode, or (ii) the actual travel locus of the subject vehicle when generating the pseudo-travel locus of the subject vehicle in the actual locus mode.