VEHICLE CONTROLLER, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE, AND COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20140350815A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nidec Elesys Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nidec Elesys Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: KAMBE, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US14/279,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20140350815A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads

Abstract

A vehicle controller includes: an on-vehicle outside sensing unit configured to detect a target based on characteristics of the outside of a vehicle; an operation unit that operates the vehicle; a decision section configured to determine a first operation mode upon non-operation of the operation unit or a second operation mode different from the first operation mode upon operation of the operation unit; and a control unit configured to determine, upon decision section determining the second operation mode, an obstacle based on the target detected by the on-vehicle outside sensing unit in a shorter time than required upon decision section determining the first operation mode and to control the vehicle in accordance with the obstacle determined.

Claims

1. A vehicle controller comprising:

an on-vehicle outside sensing unit configured to detect a target based on characteristics of the outside of a vehicle;

an operation unit configured to operate the vehicle;

a decision section configured to determine a first operation mode upon non-operation of the operation unit or a second operation mode different from the first operation mode upon operation of the operation unit; and

a control unit configured to determine, upon decision section determining the second operation mode, as an obstacle the target detected by the on-vehicle outside sensing unit in a shorter time than required upon decision section determining the first operation mode and to control the vehicle in response to the obstacle determined.

2. The vehicle controller according to claim 1,

wherein the operation unit comprises at least one of a steering wheel for directing a driving direction of the vehicle and a turn signal lamp for indicating a driving direction of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle controller according to claim 1,

wherein the target detected by the on-vehicle outside sensing unit is represented by target information, and

wherein the target information comprises:

a distance from the vehicle to the target;

a relative speed of the target with respect to the vehicle; and

a direction of the target with respect to the vehicle.

4. The vehicle controller according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit obtains in the first operation mode an estimated locus of the vehicle based on a speed of the vehicle and an angular velocity of a steering wheel,

wherein the control unit determines whether or not the target is the obstacle based on the estimated locus;

and

wherein the control unit obtains in the second operation mode a moving direction of the target to determine whether or not the target is the obstacle based on the moving direction.

5. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls braking of the vehicle to avoid a collision of the vehicle against the obstacle determined.

6. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the vehicle for keeping constant a distance between the vehicle and the obstacle determined.

7. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the on-vehicle outside sensing unit comprises a radar unit to irradiate radio waves on the obstacle, receive reflected waves, and detect the target based on the reflected waves.

8. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, further comprising a camera section mounted on the vehicle for outputting video signals representing an image of the front of the vehicle,

wherein the control unit determines the obstacle based on both target data output from the on-vehicle outside sensing unit and obstacle data output from the camera section.

9. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the on-vehicle outside sensing unit comprises a camera section mounted on the vehicle for outputting video signals representing an image in front of the vehicle.

11. A computer readable storage medium storing a program executed to operate a computer as the vehicle controller according to claim 1.

12. The vehicle controller according to claim 2,

wherein the target detected by the on-vehicle outside sensing unit is represented by target information and the target information comprises:

a distance from the vehicle to the target;

a relative speed of the target with respect to the vehicle; and

a direction of the target with respect to the vehicle.

13. The vehicle controller according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit obtains in the first operation mode an estimated locus of the vehicle based on a speed of the vehicle and an angular velocity of a steering wheel,

wherein the control unit determines whether or not the target is the obstacle based on the estimated locus;

and

wherein the control unit obtains in the second operation mode a moving direction of the target to determine whether or not the target is the obstacle based on the moving direction.

14. The vehicle controller according to claim 3,

wherein the control unit obtains in the first operation mode an estimated locus of the vehicle based on a speed of the vehicle and an angular velocity of a steering wheel,

wherein the control unit determines whether or not the target is the obstacle based on the estimated locus;

and

wherein the control unit obtains in the second operation mode a moving direction of the target to determine whether or not the target is the obstacle based on the moving direction.

15. The vehicle controller according to claim 2, wherein the on-vehicle outside sensing unit comprises a camera section mounted on the vehicle for outputting video signals representing an image in front of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle controller according to claim 3, wherein the on-vehicle outside sensing unit comprises a camera section mounted on the vehicle for outputting video signals representing an image in front of the vehicle.

17. The vehicle controller according to claim 4, wherein the on-vehicle outside sensing unit comprises a camera section mounted on the vehicle for outputting video signals representing an image in front of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle controller according to claim 5, wherein the on-vehicle outside sensing unit comprises a camera section mounted on the vehicle for outputting video signals representing an image in front of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle controller according to claim 6, wherein the on-vehicle outside sensing unit comprises a camera section mounted on the vehicle for outputting video signals representing an image in front of the vehicle.

10. A method for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

a decision step of determining a first operation mode upon non-operation of the vehicle or a second operation mode upon operation of the vehicle;

a determination step of determining as an obstacle a target detected by an on-vehicle outside sensing unit mounted on the vehicle by using first determination criteria depending on the first operation mode determined in the decision step or second determination criteria depending on the second operation mode, wherein the first determination criteria are different from the second determination criteria; and

a control step of controlling the vehicle in response to the obstacle determined in the determination step.