Vehicle control device

• US 9,409,575 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sawamoto, Kiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRUSHABER, FREDERICK M
• Application Number:
  US14/433,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20150258992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/04 Vehicle stop
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/17 with provision for special action when the preceding vehicle comes to a halt, e.g. stop and go
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A vehicle control device includes: a camera unit and a radar device that detect objects in front of the vehicle; and a travel control device that recognizes an object detected by the camera unit and the radar device as an object to be controlled, and performs travel control in accordance with the object to be controlled. The travel control device, when starting travel control from when the own vehicle is in a stopped state, recognizes the object to be controlled when a determination has been made that the own vehicle has moved from a stopped state to a travel state.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising:

an object detection device configured to detect an object in front of an own vehicle;

a processor configured to recognize the object detected by the object detection device as an object requiring the vehicle to be controlled, and perform travel control in accordance with the object requiring the vehicle to be controlled; and

a travel control switch which a driver of the own vehicle manually operates with intention to start or stop the travel control,

wherein

the processor is configured, when starting the travel control from when the own vehicle is in a stopped state with the travel control switch in an ON state, to recognize the object requiring the vehicle to be controlled when a determination has been made that the own vehicle has moved from the stopped state to a travel state, and

the travel state is at least one of a state in which the own vehicle has moved a predetermined distance from the stopped state and a state in which a predetermined time has elapsed since the own vehicle started traveling.

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

the processor is configured, until a determination has been made that the own vehicle has transitioned from the stopped state to the travel state, not to recognize the object detected by the object detection device as the object requiring the vehicle to be controlled if the object is determined to be a stationary object, and to recognize the object as the object requiring the vehicle to be controlled if the object is determined to be a moving object.

3. A vehicle control device comprising:

an object detection device configured to detect an object in front of an own vehicle;

a travel control switch which a driver of the own vehicle manually operates with intention to start or stop the travel control;

a processor configured to

start the travel control from a time when the own vehicle is in a stopped state and the travel control switch in is an ON state;

recognize the object detected by the object detection device as an object requiring the vehicle to be controlled when the processor has determined that the own vehicle has moved from a stopped state to a travel state;

perform travel control of the own vehicle by controlling an acceleration actuator or a deceleration actuator; and

output a current control state to a control state notification unit,

wherein

the travel state is at least one of a state in which the own vehicle has moved a predetermined distance from the stopped state and a state in which a predetermined time has elapsed since the own vehicle started traveling.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein

the processor is further configured to

not recognize the object detected by the object detection device, as the object requiring the vehicle to be controlled, if the object is determined to be a stationary object, and

recognize the object as the object requiring the vehicle to be controlled if the object is determined to be a moving object.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein the object recognized as the object requiring the vehicle to be controlled is a vehicle in front of the own vehicle.