Vehicle control device

• US 9,123,243 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Taguchi, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US13/522,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,055 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/25, 701/410, 701/421, 701/429, 701/467, 701/411, 701/416
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle control device capable of reducing calculation time while securing precision of a traveling plan in an arbitrary section. The vehicle control device controls a vehicle along a traveling plan calculated in accordance with a traveling path to a destination of the vehicle. The vehicle control device includes a traveling path setting unit which sets the traveling path from the current position of the vehicle to the destination, a traveling path division unit which divides the traveling path into a first section and a second section, and a traveling plan calculation unit which calculates a first traveling plan according to the first section and a second traveling plan according to the second section. The traveling plan calculation unit coarsens calculation granularity in the second traveling plan compared to calculation granularity in the first traveling plan.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device which controls a vehicle along a traveling plan calculated in accordance with a traveling path to a destination of the vehicle, the vehicle control device comprising:

a traveling path setting unit which sets the traveling path to the destination;

a traveling path division unit which divides the traveling path into a first section and a second section;

a traveling plan calculation unit which calculates a first traveling plan according to the first section and a second traveling plan according to the second section; and

a recalculation condition determination unit which determines whether a difference between an actual measurement value of a traveling state of the vehicle and a vehicle control target value of the first traveling plan is within an allowable range,

wherein the traveling plan calculation unit sets a recalculation start point, which is a point along the traveling path at a predetermined distance from a location of the vehicle, the vehicle reaches so as to start re-division of the traveling path by the traveling path division unit and recalculation of the traveling plan by the traveling plan calculation unit to the first section, and coarsens calculation granularity in the second traveling plan compared to calculation granularity in the first traveling plan, and

wherein, when the recalculation condition determination unit determines that the difference is not within the allowable range, a recalculation condition is satisfied and the traveling plan division unit again divides the traveling path and the traveling plan calculation unit again calculates the first traveling plan and the second traveling plan.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,

wherein the traveling path division unit includes a section of the traveling path at a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle in the first section.

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

a curved section setting unit which sets a section having a curvature equal to or greater than a predetermined value in the traveling path as a curved section,

wherein the traveling path division unit includes the curved section in the first section.

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

a gradient-changing section setting unit which sets a section of the traveling path having a gradient change ratio equal to or greater than a predetermined value as a gradient-changing section,

wherein the traveling path division unit includes the gradient-changing section in the first section.

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

an another-vehicle detection unit which detects another vehicle around the vehicle; and

an another-vehicle approach point calculation unit which calculates an another-vehicle approach point where the margin time to collision between another vehicle detected by the another-vehicle detection unit and the vehicle is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value,

wherein the traveling path division unit includes the another-vehicle approach point in the first section.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,

wherein the traveling plan calculation unit changes the calculation condition of the second traveling plan in accordance with a vehicle control policy set in advance.