Vehicle operation device and method

• US 9,983,020 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakuma, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US15/124,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20170016738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A vehicle operation device is used in an autonomous vehicle autonomously controlled to drive along a determined driving route, and includes: a destination setting circuit configured to set a destination to a wide area for determining the driving route; a route setting circuit configured to allot a provisional destination on the boundary of the area of the destination according to route search conditions including a current position and the destination, so as to determine the driving route passing through the provisional destination; and a presenting circuit configured to provide a user with a task indicated by an item operated by the user while the autonomous vehicle is moving along the driving route toward the provisional destination, so that the task is executed in the area of the destination after reaching the provisional destination.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation device used in an autonomous vehicle autonomously controlled to drive along a determined driving route, the vehicle operation device comprising:

a destination setting circuit configured to set a destination to a wide area for determining the driving route;

a route setting circuit configured to allot a provisional destination on a boundary of the area of the destination according to route search conditions including a current position and the destination, so as to determine the driving route passing through the provisional destination; and

a presenting circuit configured to provide a user with a task indicated by an item operated by the user while the autonomous vehicle is moving along the driving route toward the provisional destination, so that the task is executed in the area of the destination after reaching the provisional destination.

2. The vehicle operation device according to claim 1, further comprising a task estimation circuit configured to estimate a task suggested to the user according to at least one of a history of tasks selected by the user, a time zone in which the task is executed, a history of driving toward the destination, and facility information in the area of the destination,

wherein the presenting circuit indicates an item operated by the user denoting the task estimated by the task estimation circuit.

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

an information acquisition circuit configured to acquire user information via a network from a server that holds the user information including at least one of registration information of the user, a submission history, and an activity history; and

a task estimation circuit configured to estimate a task suggested to the user according to the user information acquired by the information acquisition circuit,

wherein the presenting circuit indicates an item operated by the user denoting the task estimated by the task estimation circuit.

4. The vehicle operation device according to claim 2, wherein, when the task is uniquely estimated, the route setting circuit determines the driving route such that the task is executed after reaching the area of the destination.

5. The vehicle operation device according to claim 2, wherein, when the task is not uniquely estimated but there are other tasks, the route setting circuit determines a traveling route as the driving route along which the tasks are sequentially executed after reaching the area of the destination.

6. The vehicle operation device according to claim 1, wherein, when the user does not select any task, the route setting circuit determines a traveling route as the driving route along which the tasks are sequentially executed after reaching the area of the destination.

7. The vehicle operation device according to claim 5, further comprising a notifying circuit configured to notify the user of approach to places at which the tasks are executed while the autonomous vehicle drives along the driving route,

wherein the presenting circuit provides the user with each task indicated by an item operated by the user each time the notifying circuit notifies the user of the approach to the place at which the task is executed.

8. The vehicle operation device according to claim 1, wherein the presenting circuit indicates an item operated by the user denoting a task for determining a final destination executed in the area of the destination after reaching the provisional destination.

9. A vehicle operation device used in an autonomous vehicle autonomously controlled to drive along a determined driving route, the vehicle operation device comprising:

a destination setting circuit configured to set an area that is parking sections in a parking lot as a destination for determining the driving route to an optional area in the parking lot;

a route setting circuit configured to determine the driving route to the area according to route search conditions including a current position and the destination; and

a parking controlling circuit configured to control the autonomous vehicle to park at one of the parking sections in the area.

10. The vehicle operation device according to claim 9, further comprising a parking frame detection circuit configured to detect an available parking frame located around the autonomous vehicle so that the autonomous vehicle can be parked therein,

wherein the parking frame detection circuit detects the available parking frame after reaching the area, and

the parking controlling unit circuit controls the autonomous vehicle to park in the available parking frame in the area.

11. The vehicle operation device according to claim 10, further comprising a presenting circuit configured to provide the user with a task indicated by an item operated by the user while the autonomous vehicle is moving along the driving route toward the area, so that the task is executed in the area after reaching the area,

wherein the parking frame detection circuit detects the available parking frame around the autonomous vehicle while the autonomous vehicle is moving toward the destination in the parking lot,

the presenting circuit provides the user with an item operated when the user determines whether to park the autonomous vehicle in the available parking frame outside the area,

the route setting circuit changes the driving route when the user operates the item denoting that the autonomous vehicle is parked in the available parking frame, and

the parking controlling circuit controls the autonomous vehicle to park in the available parking frame outside the area.

12. The vehicle operation device according to claim 10, further comprising a presenting circuit configured to provide the user with a task indicated by an item operated by the user while the autonomous vehicle is moving along the driving route toward the area, so that the task is executed in the area after reaching the area,

wherein the presenting circuit provides the user with a section indicated by an item operated by the user and preliminarily shown in a layout of the parking lot, and

the destination setting circuit sets the item operated by the user as the destination.

13. The vehicle operation device according to claim 12, wherein the layout is externally obtained via communication.

14. The vehicle operation device according to claim 10, further comprising a presenting circuit configured to provide the user with a task indicated by an item operated by the user while the autonomous vehicle is moving along the driving route toward the area, so that the task is executed in the area after reaching the area,

wherein the route setting circuit determines, as the driving route, a route of a longest passage in the parking lot when the user does not select any item,

the parking frame detection circuit detects the available parking frame around the autonomous vehicle while the autonomous vehicle is moving along the passage in the parking lot,

the presenting circuit provides the user with an item operated when the user determines whether to park the autonomous vehicle in the available parking frame,

the route setting circuit changes the driving route when the user operates the item denoting that the autonomous vehicle is parked in the available parking frame, and

the parking controlling circuit controls the autonomous vehicle to park in the available parking frame outside the area.

15. The vehicle operation device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a presenting circuit configured to provide the user with a task indicated by an item operated by the user while the autonomous vehicle is moving along the driving route toward the area, so that the task is executed in the area after reaching the area; and

a sensor configured to detect surrounding information of the autonomous vehicle,

wherein the presenting circuit indicates a region operated by the user as a section defined depending on front, right, and left directions and distances based on a position of the autonomous vehicle,

the destination setting circuit determines the region operated by the user as the destination, and

the route setting circuit successively generates driving routes according to the surrounding information detected by the sensor.

16. A vehicle operation method for an autonomous vehicle autonomously controlled to drive along a determined driving route, the vehicle operation method comprising the steps of:

setting a destination to a wide area for determining the driving route;

allotting a provisional destination on a boundary of the area of the destination according to route search conditions including a current position and the destination, so as to determine the driving route passing through the provisional destination; and

providing a user with a task indicated by an item operated by the user while the autonomous vehicle is moving along the driving route toward the provisional destination, so that the task is executed in the area of the destination after reaching the provisional destination.

17. A vehicle operation method for an autonomous vehicle autonomously controlled to drive along a determined driving route, the vehicle operation method comprising the steps of:

setting an area that is parking sections in a parking lot as a destination for determining the driving route;

determining the driving route to the area according to route search conditions including a current position and the destination; and

controlling the autonomous vehicle to park at one of the parking sections in the area.