TRAVEL CONTROL APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE

• US 20160121906A1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: MATSUNO, Koji, OYAMA, Hajime, TAKASO, Yasushi, MIZOGUCHI, Masato, HORIGUCHI, Harunobu, NAGASE, Takayuki, SHIRAISHI, Eiichi, EZOE, Shiro, AKIYAMA, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 9,764,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0215 Sensor drifts or sensor failures
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/007 Emergency override Handing over between remote control and on-board control or handing over between remote control arrangements G05D1/227
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00

Abstract

In a travel control apparatus for a vehicle, a travel environment information acquisition unit acquires travel environment information, and a travel information detector detects travel information relating to the vehicle. The apparatus executes automatic driving control based on such information pieces. A vehicle peripheral object detector detects an object around the vehicle, separately to the travel environment information acquisition unit. An environment information acquisition failure detector detects an acquisition failure in the travel environment information acquisition unit. Upon an acquisition failure of the travel environment information, an evacuation controller executes evacuation control by evacuating the vehicle to the roadside through automatic driving based on the travel environment information detected most recently before the acquisition failure and the travel information, and activates the vehicle peripheral object detector and, when an object is detected on the periphery around the vehicle, executes the evacuation control.

Claims

1. A travel control apparatus for a vehicle, the travel control apparatus having a travel environment information acquisition unit that acquires travel environment information relating to a travel environment in which the vehicle travels, and a travel information detector that detects travel information relating to the vehicle, whereby the travel control apparatus executes automatic driving control on the basis of the travel environment information and the travel information relating to the vehicle, the travel control apparatus comprising:

a vehicle peripheral object detector that detects an object on a periphery of the vehicle, separately to the travel environment information acquisition unit;

an environment information acquisition failure detector that detects an acquisition failure in the travel environment information acquisition unit; and

an evacuation controller that executes evacuation control, when an acquisition failure of the travel environment information is detected, by setting a travel path on which to evacuate the vehicle to a roadside as a target travel path on the basis of the travel environment information detected most recently before the acquisition failure of the travel environment information and the travel information and then evacuating the vehicle to the roadside through automatic driving, and that activates the vehicle peripheral object detector and, when the vehicle peripheral object detector detects an object on the periphery of the vehicle, executes the evacuation control on the basis of information relating to the object on the periphery of the vehicle, the travel information, and the travel environment information detected most recently before the acquisition failure of the travel environment information.

2. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the evacuation controller cancels the evacuation control when a driver performs a driving operation.

3. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the evacuation control executed by the evacuation controller involves deceleration control performed by setting a target deceleration in accordance with a travel distance of the vehicle and a visibility limit included in the travel environment information detected most recently before the acquisition failure of the travel environment information.

4. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the evacuation control executed by the evacuation controller involves deceleration control performed by setting a target deceleration in accordance with a travel distance of the vehicle and a visibility limit included in the travel environment information detected most recently before the acquisition failure of the travel environment information.

5. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, when the vehicle stops as a result of the deceleration control performed during the evacuation control executed by the evacuation controller, the automatic driving control is reactivated.

6. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, when the vehicle stops as a result of the deceleration control performed during the evacuation control executed by the evacuation controller, the automatic driving control is reactivated.

7. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, when information indicating an object on the periphery of the vehicle is detected by the vehicle peripheral object detector, the evacuation control executed by the evacuation controller involves steering control for maintaining a predetermined distance between the detected object on the periphery of the vehicle and the vehicle.

8. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein, when information indicating an object on the periphery of the vehicle is detected by the vehicle peripheral object detector, the evacuation control executed by the evacuation controller involves steering control for maintaining a predetermined distance between the detected object on the periphery of the vehicle and the vehicle.

9. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, when information indicating an object on the periphery of the vehicle is detected by the vehicle peripheral object detector, the evacuation control executed by the evacuation controller involves steering control for maintaining a predetermined distance between the detected object on the periphery of the vehicle and the vehicle.

10. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, when information indicating an object on the periphery of the vehicle is detected by the vehicle peripheral object detector, the evacuation control executed by the evacuation controller involves steering control for maintaining a predetermined distance between the detected object on the periphery of the vehicle and the vehicle.

11. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, when information indicating an object on the periphery of the vehicle is detected by the vehicle peripheral object detector, the evacuation control executed by the evacuation controller involves steering control for maintaining a predetermined distance between the detected object on the periphery of the vehicle and the vehicle.

12. The travel control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein, when information indicating an object on the periphery of the vehicle is detected by the vehicle peripheral object detector, the evacuation control executed by the evacuation controller involves steering control for maintaining a predetermined distance between the detected object on the periphery of the vehicle and the vehicle.