Support control device

• US 8,271,174 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Kiyokazu, Nakamura, Motohiro, Suzuki, Hidenobu, Nakamura, Masaki, Hasunuma, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US12/300,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/70, 701300-302, 701/93, 701/96, 701/701, 701/15, 340/901, 340/903, 340/425.5, 340435-436
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching

Abstract

An accuracy error for measuring the position of an own vehicle is calculated based on the information of an execution history of map matching and the information of an update history of a map database. In addition, a predetermined map is referred to based on the calculated accuracy error, and an accuracy error level for performing positioning is specified from among plural stepwise levels. Then, the control level of assist control executed according to the position of the own vehicle is changed so as to correspond to the specified accuracy error level.

Claims

1. An assist control device of a vehicle, comprising:

a positioning unit that measures a position of the vehicle;

an assist control execution unit that executes assist control according to the position of the vehicle measured by the positioning unit;

an accuracy error calculation unit that calculates an accuracy error that is caused when the position of the vehicle is measured by the positioning unit, the accuracy error being accumulated as the vehicle moves; and

a control level change unit that changes a control level of the assist control executed by the assist control execution unit so as to correspond to the accuracy error calculated by the accuracy error calculation unit.

2. The assist control device according to claim 1, wherein

the assist control has plural assist modes corresponding to the control level.

3. The assist control device according to claim 1, wherein

the control level change unit expedites execution start timing of the assist control executed by the assist control execution unit when the accuracy error calculated by the accuracy error calculation unit is larger.

4. The assist control device according to claim 1, wherein

the assist control performs driving assist that causes the vehicle to stop at a stop position.

5. The assist control device according to claim 1, wherein

the assist control performs driving assist that prevents the vehicle from colliding into a crossing vehicle.

6. The assist control device according to claim 1, wherein

the positioning unit including a dead reckoning unit that generates a driving locus of the vehicle and a map matching unit that matches map data to the driving locus to calculate the position of the vehicle, and

the accuracy error calculation unit calculates the accuracy error based on a movement distance of the vehicle after the map matching calculates the position of the vehicle based on the map data and recognition of a feature from an image picked up by a camera.

7. The assist control device according to claim 1, wherein

the positioning unit including a dead reckoning unit that generates a driving locus of the vehicle and a map matching unit that matches map data to the driving locus to calculate the position of the vehicle, and

the accuracy error calculation unit calculates the accuracy error based on a movement distance of the vehicle after the map matching unit calculates the position of the vehicle based on the map data, recognition of a feature from an image picked up by a camera, and an elapsed time after an update of a map database that stores the map data.

8. The assist control device according to claim 2, wherein

the control level change unit expedites execution start timing of the assist control executed by the assist control execution unit when the accuracy error calculated by the accuracy error calculation unit is larger.

9. The assist control device according to claim 2, wherein

the assist control performs driving assist that causes the vehicle to stop at a stop position.

10. The assist control device according to claim 3, wherein

the assist control performs driving assist that causes the vehicle to stop at a stop position.

11. The assist control device according to claim 8, wherein

the assist control performs driving assist that causes the vehicle to stop at a stop position.

12. The assist control device according to claim 2, wherein

the assist control performs driving assist that prevents the vehicle from colliding into a crossing vehicle.

13. The assist control device according to claim 3, wherein

the assist control performs driving assist that prevents the vehicle from colliding into a crossing vehicle.

14. The assist control device according to claim 8, wherein

the assist control performs driving assist that prevents the vehicle from colliding into a crossing vehicle.

15. The assist control device according to claim 1, wherein

the positioning unit including a dead reckoning unit that generates a driving locus of the vehicle and a map matching unit that matches map data to the driving locus to calculate the position of the vehicle, and

the dead reckoning unit generates the driving locus based on a GPS sensor, a vehicle yaw sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and an acceleration sensor.

16. The assist control device according to claim 1, wherein

the positioning unit including a dead reckoning unit that generates a driving locus of the vehicle and a map matching unit that matches map data to the driving locus to calculate the position of the vehicle,

a camera is on a rear portion of the vehicle, and

the map matching unit corrects the position of the vehicle based on the feature recognized from the image by matching the feature to the map data.

17. An assist control device of a vehicle, comprising:

a positioning unit that measures a position of the vehicle, the positioning unit including a dead reckoning unit that generates a driving locus of the vehicle and a map matching unit that matches map data to the driving locus to calculate the position of the vehicle;

an assist control execution unit that executes assist control according to the position of the vehicle measured by the positioning unit;

an accuracy error calculation unit that calculates an accuracy error that is caused when the position of the vehicle is measured by the positioning unit, the accuracy error being accumulated as the vehicle moves; and

a control level change unit that changes a control level of the assist control executed by the assist control execution unit so as to correspond to the calculated accuracy error.