Vehicle control device and method for controlling vehicle

• US 7,774,138 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Matsui, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/730,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701207-208, 701300-302, 340/425.5, 340435-436
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/24 Wear-indicating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/24 Curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/103 Side slip angle of vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A vehicle control device includes: a first memory for storing a road condition data; a position detector for detecting a position of a vehicle; a first controller for detecting and controlling unusual behavior of the vehicle; a driving condition detector for detecting a driving condition; an information acquiring element for acquiring weather information; a second memory for storing a driving data; a data acquiring element for acquiring the driving condition, the road condition data at an attention point, and the weather information; a memory controller for memorizing the attention spot in the second memory; a first optimum mode determining element for determining an optimum vehicle control mode based on the driving condition, the road condition data and the weather information; and a second controller for controlling the vehicle to coincide the driving condition with the optimum vehicle control mode before or at the attention spot.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising:

a first memory for storing a road condition data, which includes a map data, a curve radius of a road and a road inclination angle of the road;

a position detector for detecting a position of a vehicle;

a first controller for detecting unusual behavior of the vehicle and for controlling the vehicle in response to the unusual behavior;

a driving condition detector for detecting a driving condition of the vehicle;

an information acquiring element for acquiring weather information;

a second memory for storing a driving data;

a data acquiring element for acquiring the driving condition as a compensation data, for acquiring the road condition data at a point where the first controller controls the vehicle in response to the unusual behavior, and for acquiring the weather information;

a memory controller for operating the second memory to store the point as an attention spot in the second memory, the point where the first controller controls the vehicle in response to the unusual behavior;

a first optimum mode determining element for determining an optimum vehicle control mode based on the compensation data at the attention spot, the road condition data and the weather information; and

a second controller for controlling the vehicle in such a manner that the driving condition of the vehicle coincides with the optimum vehicle control mode when the vehicle runs through the attention spot or before the vehicle runs through the attention spot.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the second controller controls the vehicle in such a manner that the driving condition of the vehicle coincides with the optimum vehicle control mode when the vehicle runs through a spot similar to the attention spot or before the vehicle runs through the spot similar to the attention spot.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notification element; and

a notification element controller for controlling the notification element to notify a position of the attention spot in the map data when the vehicle runs through the attention spot or before the vehicle runs through the attention spot, wherein

the position of the attention spot is stored in the second memory.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notification element;

a driving characteristics determining element for determining driving characteristics of a driver of the vehicle at the attention spot based on the driving condition, the road condition data and the weather information; and

a notification element controller for controlling the notification element to notify the driving characteristics.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notification element;

a second optimum mode determining element for determining an optimum vehicle control information for the driver based on the optimum vehicle control mode and a vehicle speed, wherein the vehicle speed is detected by the driving condition detector when the vehicle runs through the attention spot or before the vehicle runs through the attention spot; and

a notification element controller for controlling the notification element to notify the optimum vehicle control information.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notification element;

a tire wearing detector for determining a wearing degree of a tire in the vehicle; and

a notification element controller for controlling the notification element to notify the wearing degree of the tire.

7. A vehicle control device comprising:

a first memory for storing a road condition data, which includes a map data, a curve radius of a road and a road inclination angle of the road;

a position detector for detecting a position of a vehicle;

a first controller for detecting unusual behavior of the vehicle and for controlling the vehicle in response to the unusual behavior;

a driving condition detector for detecting a driving condition of the vehicle;

an information acquiring element for acquiring weather information;

a second memory for storing a driving data;

a data acquiring element for acquiring the driving condition as a compensation data, for acquiring the road condition data at a point where the first controller controls the vehicle in response to the unusual behavior, and for acquiring the weather information;

a memory controller for operating the second memory to store the point as an attention spot in the second memory, the point where the first controller controls the vehicle in response to the unusual behavior; and

a notification element for notifying the point of the attention spot in the map data.

8. A method for controlling a vehicle comprising:

storing a road condition data in a first memory, wherein the road condition data includes a map data, a curve radius of a road and a road inclination angle of the road;

detecting a position of the vehicle;

detecting unusual behavior of the vehicle and controlling the vehicle in response to the unusual behavior;

detecting a driving condition of the vehicle;

acquiring weather information;

storing a driving data in a second memory;

acquiring the driving condition as a compensation data, the road condition data at a point where the vehicle is controlled in response to the unusual behavior, and the weather information;

operating the second memory to store the point as an attention spot in the second memory, the point where the vehicle is controlled in response to the unusual behavior;

determining an optimum vehicle control mode based on the compensation data at the attention spot, the road condition data and the weather information; and

controlling the vehicle in such a manner that the driving condition of the vehicle coincides with the optimum vehicle control mode when the vehicle runs through the attention spot or before the vehicle runs through the attention spot.