Vehicle control system and method

• US 9,507,345 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takamatsu, Yoshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLEINMAN, LAIL A
• Application Number:
  US14/249,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20150293534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• 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 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris

Abstract

A vehicle control system and method employs a sensing system and a controller. The sensing system is disposed on a host vehicle and configured to sense a visual condition of a driver of the host vehicle. The controller is configured to control an autonomous vehicle control system on board the host vehicle to stop the host vehicle at a stopping location based on the visual condition and at least one point of interest external to the host vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a sensing system disposed on a host vehicle and configured to sense an eye location of an eye of driver of the host vehicle within a passenger compartment of the host vehicle; and

a controller configured to estimate a field of view of the driver based on the eye location, determine whether a point of interest external to the host vehicle is expected to reside within the field of view of the driver at an expected stopping location of the host vehicle based on the eye location and a location of the point of interest, control an autonomous vehicle control system on board the host vehicle to stop the host vehicle at the expected stopping location upon determining that the point of interest is expected to reside within the field of view of the driver at the expected stopping location, and control the autonomous vehicle control system to stop the host vehicle at an adjusted stopping location that is different from the expected stopping location upon determining that the point of interest is expected to reside outside the field of view of the driver at the expected stopping location.

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

the controller is configured to determine the adjusted stopping location as a location at which the controller determines that the point of interest is expected to reside within the field of view of the driver.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to determine the adjusted stopping location as a location at which the controller determines at least one of the following:

a visual system on board the host vehicle is expected to present to the driver an image representing the point of interest; and

the point of interest is expected to reside within the field of view of the driver.

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

the visual system includes at least one of a visual display and a mirror.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to determine the adjusted stopping location based on a traveling condition of the host vehicle.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the point of interest corresponds to a location of a traffic device.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to control the autonomous vehicle control system on board the host vehicle to stop the host vehicle at the expected stopping location based on the eye location and respective locations of a plurality of additional points of interest upon determining that the point of interest and all of the additional points of interests are expected to reside within the field of view of the driver at the expected stopping location.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein

the controller is further configured to control the autonomous vehicle control system to stop the host vehicle at the adjusted stopping location upon determining that any of the additional points of interest is expected to reside outside the field of view of the driver at the expected stopping location.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 8, wherein

the controller is configured to determine the adjusted stopping location as a location at which a visual system on board the host vehicle is expected to present to the driver an image representing a first group of the additional points of interest while a second group of the additional points of interest is expected to reside within the field of view of the driver.

10. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the sensing system is further configured to sense at least one operating condition of the host vehicle;

and

the controller is further configured to control the autonomous vehicle control system to stop the host vehicle at the expected location based on the eye location, the point of interest and the at least one operating condition.

11. The vehicle control system according to claim 10, wherein

the at least one operating condition includes at least one of a speed and a steering angle of the host vehicle.

12. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the sensing system is further configured to sense a location of at least one remote vehicle relative to a location of the host vehicle;

and

the controller is further configured to control the autonomous vehicle control system to stop the host vehicle at the stopping location based on the visual condition eye location, the point of interest and the location of the at least one remote vehicle.

13. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the sensing system is further configured to sense a present location of the host vehicle;

and

the controller is further configured to control the autonomous vehicle control system to stop the host vehicle at the stopping location based on the eye location, the point of interest and the present location of the host vehicle.

14. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the point of interest corresponds to a location of a remote vehicle.

15. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the point of interest corresponds to a location of a pedestrian.

16. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the point of interest corresponds to a location of a traffic sign.

17. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the point of interest corresponds to a location of a marking on a road upon which the host vehicle is travelling.