Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program

• US 7,756,640 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sakata, Masao, Ueyama, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Shelley
• Application Number:
  US11/839,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200
• US Class Current: 701/221
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard

Abstract

A vehicle control system includes a route setting unit for setting a route from a start point to a destination; an information obtaining unit for obtaining from a memory position information of at least one base point and at least one control point existing in the route set by the setting unit; a base point recognition unit for recognizing that a current position of a vehicle reaches a position of the base point obtained by the obtaining unit; a running situation monitoring unit for determining as a predetermined distance a running distance from the base point most lately recognized by the recognition unit; and a control unit for executing an advanced control to the vehicle if the predetermined distance obtained by the monitoring unit is shorter than any of first and second threshold distances, when the current position reaches a position of the control point obtained by the obtaining unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a route setting unit configured to set a route from a start point to a destination;

an information obtaining unit configured to obtain from a memory position information of at least one base point and at least one control point existing in the route set by the route setting unit;

a base point recognition unit configured to recognize that a current position of a vehicle reaches a position of the base point obtained by the information obtaining unit;

a running situation monitoring unit configured to determine as a predetermined distance a running distance from the base point most lately recognized by the base point recognition unit; and

a control unit configured to execute a control to the vehicle if the predetermined distance determined by the running situation monitoring unit is shorter than any of a first threshold distance and a second threshold distance, when the current position of the vehicle reaches a position of the control point obtained by the information obtaining unit, wherein the first threshold distance is shorter than the second threshold distance, and wherein vehicle control that needs a higher position accuracy is executed before a first threshold distance is reached.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the information obtaining unit obtains a plurality of the base points and a plurality of the control points, and the control unit executes vehicle controls at the control points a plurality of times.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the information obtaining unit obtains the position information of the base point and the control point from a navigation system mounted on the vehicle.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein when the predetermined distance is shorter than the second threshold distance, the control unit detects a current position of the vehicle according to an autonomous navigation, and wherein when the predetermined distance is equal to or longer than the second threshold distance, the control unit detects a current position of the vehicle according to a hybrid navigation.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the base point recognition unit recognizes the vehicle arriving at a position of a base point through a ground object photographed by a video camera mounted on the vehicle.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the base point recognition unit recognizes the vehicle arriving at a position of a base point through a radio wave received from a beacon near the vehicle.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls at least one of a stop at a stop line, a speed change, a deceleration before a curve, a turn signal, and a following of a preceding vehicle.

8. A vehicle control method through a computer in a vehicle control system including a route setting unit, an information obtaining unit, a base point recognition unit, a running situation monitoring unit, and a control unit, the vehicle control method comprising the steps of

the route setting unit setting a route from a start point to a destination;

the information obtaining unit obtaining from a memory position information of at least one base point and at least one control point existing in the route set by the route setting unit;

the base point recognition unit recognizing that a current position of a vehicle reaches a position of the base point obtained by the information obtaining unit;

the running situation monitoring unit determining as a predetermined distance a running distance from the base point most lately recognized by the base point recognition unit; and

the control unit executing a control to the vehicle if the predetermined distance determined by the running situation monitoring unit is shorter than any of a first threshold distance and a second threshold distance, when the current position of the vehicle reaches a position of the control point obtained by the information obtaining unit, wherein the first threshold distance is shorter than the second threshold distance, and wherein vehicle control that needs a higher position accuracy is executed before a first threshold distance is reached.

9. A vehicle control program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for a vehicle control system including a route setting unit, an information obtaining unit, a base point recognition unit, a running situation monitoring unit, and a control unit, the vehicle control program making a computer execute the steps of:

the route setting unit setting a route from a start point to a destination;

the information obtaining unit obtaining from a memory position information of at least one base point and at least one control point existing in the route set by the route setting unit;

the base point recognition unit recognizing that a current position of a vehicle reaches a position of the base point obtained by the information obtaining unit;

the running situation monitoring unit determining as a predetermined distance a running distance from the base point most lately recognized by the base point recognition unit; and

the control unit executing a control to the vehicle if the predetermined distance determined by the running situation monitoring unit is shorter than any of a first threshold distance and a second threshold distance, when the current position of the vehicle reaches a position of the control point obtained by the information obtaining unit, wherein the first threshold distance is shorter than the second threshold distance, and wherein vehicle control that needs a higher position accuracy is executed before a first threshold distance is reached.