Control device for vehicle

• US 8,494,741 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takamatsu, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHUONG P
• Application Number:
  US10/991,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20050131587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,168 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/70, 701/91, 701/93, 701/200, 701/201, 340/937, 180/170, 348/113, 348/143
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18063 Creeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links

Abstract

A vehicle control device performs a program including the step of obtaining a target point for movement based on information from a vehicle exterior camera, the step of obtaining a distance X to the target point, the step of resetting a distance counter, the step of causing the vehicle to enter accelerated running at set acceleration, the step of causing the vehicle to change from the accelerated running to constant-speed running when the distance counter reaches X, and the step of causing the vehicle to change from the constant-speed running to decelerated running when the distance counter reaches X.

Claims

1. A control device for a vehicle causing a vehicle to move by a small distance, comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether movement by the small distance is necessary;

an acquisition unit, when it is determined that said movement by the small distance is necessary, configured to acquire positional information on a control start position where said movement by the small distance is to be started and positional information on a control finish position where said movement by the small distance is to be finished, said positional information on a control start position being acquired from a navigation unit; and

a control unit configured to control a driving device and a braking device mounted to said vehicle, based on said acquired positional information, to move said vehicle from said control start position to said control finish position;

said determination unit including

a first determination unit configured to determine whether movement by the small distance is necessary, based on information on an external environment of the vehicle acquired by an external information acquisition unit acquiring information on the external environment of said vehicle and information on an obstacle blocking a driver'"'"'s view that is stored in advance in association with said information on the external environment, and

a second determination unit configured to determine whether movement by the small distance is necessary, based on information on motions of a driver of said vehicle and said information on an obstacle blocking a driver'"'"'s view that is stored in advance in association with said information on motions.

2. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control unit controls acceleration during said movement by the small distance.

3. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said control unit calculates a required driving force for producing predetermined acceleration from said control start position, and controls said driving device and said braking device in an integrated manner based on said required driving force.

4. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said control device calculates a required driving force for producing predetermined deceleration from a position ahead of said control finish position, and controls said driving device and said braking device in an integrated manner based on said required driving force.

5. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said external information acquisition unit acquires said information on the external environment of said vehicle based on information acquired by at least one of a navigation device, a radar device, a camera, and communication with the outside of said vehicle.

6. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an internal information acquisition unit acquires said information on the motions of the driver based on information acquired by at least one of a vehicle driving manipulation unit and a vehicle interior camera.

7. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said vehicle driving manipulation unit is one of an accelerator manipulation member, a brake manipulation member, and a small distance movement requesting manipulation member.

8. A control device for a vehicle causing a vehicle to move by a small distance, comprising:

determination means for determining whether movement by the small distance is necessary;

acquisition means, when it is determined that said movement by the small distance is necessary, for acquiring positional information on a control start position where said movement by the small distance is to be started and positional information on a control finish position where said movement by the small distance is to be finished, said positional information on a control start position being acquired from a navigation unit; and

control means for controlling a driving device and a braking device mounted to said vehicle, based on said acquired positional information, to move said vehicle from said control start position to said control finish position;

said determination means including

a first determination means for determining whether movement by the small distance is necessary, based on information on an external environment of the vehicle acquired by external information acquisition means acquiring information on the external environment of said vehicle and information on an obstacle blocking a driver'"'"'s view that is stored in advance in association with said information on the external environment, and

second determination means for determining whether movement by the small distance is necessary, based on information on motions of a driver of said vehicle and said information on an obstacle blocking a driver'"'"'s view that is stored in advance in association with said information on motions.

9. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said control means includes means for controlling acceleration during said movement by the small distance.

10. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said control means includes means for calculating a required driving force for producing predetermined acceleration from said control start position, and controlling said driving device and said braking device in an integrated manner based on said required driving force.

11. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said control means includes means for calculating a required driving force for producing predetermined deceleration from a position ahead of said control finish position, and controlling said driving device and said braking device in an integrated manner based on said required driving force.

12. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said external information acquisition means includes means for acquiring said information on the external environment of said vehicle based on information acquired by at least one of a navigation device, a radar device, a camera, and communication with the outside of said vehicle.

13. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein an internal information acquisition means includes means for acquiring said information on the motions of the driver based on information acquired by at least one of a vehicle driving manipulation unit and a vehicle interior camera.

14. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said vehicle driving manipulation unit is one of an accelerator manipulation member, a brake manipulation member, and a small distance movement requesting manipulation member.

15. A control device for a vehicle causing a vehicle to move by a small distance, comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether movement by the small distance is necessary;

an acquisition unit, when it is determined that said movement by the small distance is necessary, configured to acquire positional information on a control start position where said movement by the small distance is to be started and positional information on a control finish position where said movement by the small distance is to be finished, based on information of said vehicle itself and information of surroundings of said vehicle;

a control unit configured to control a driving device and a braking device mounted to said vehicle, based on said acquired positional information, to move said vehicle from said control start position to said control finish position; and

an external information acquisition unit configured to acquire information on an external environment of said vehicle,

wherein said determination unit configured to determine that start of said movement by the small distance is necessary when said vehicle approaches an intersection, based on said information on the external environment.

16. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said control unit controls acceleration during said movement by the small distance.

17. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 16, wherein said control unit calculates a required driving force for producing predetermined acceleration from said control start position, and controls said driving device and said braking device in an integrated manner based on said required driving force.

18. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 16, wherein said control device calculates a required driving force for producing predetermined deceleration from a position ahead of said control finish position, and controls said driving device and said braking device in an integrated manner based on said required driving force.

19. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said external information acquisition unit acquires said information on the external environment of said vehicle based on information acquired by at least one of a navigation device, a radar device, a camera, and communication with the outside of said vehicle.