Occlusion control device

• US 9,988,007 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshihira, Masanori, Watanabe, Seigo, Kishi, Norimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Frank
• Application Number:
  US15/568,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20180118144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

An occlusion control device includes: a map obtaining unit that obtains map data with a close observation detecting criterion set in each of one or more close observation regions in which presence or absence of a moving object should be closely observed; a proportion calculator that calculates proportion of a blind spot for a host vehicle with respect to the close observation detecting criterion; and a behavior determining unit that selects coping behavior of the host vehicle based on the proportion.

Claims

1. An occlusion control device comprising:

a map obtaining circuit that obtains map data in which one or more close observation detecting criterion set in advance and in which presence or absence of a moving object should be closely observed;

a proportion calculator that calculates proportion of a blind spot for a host vehicle with respect to the close observation detecting criterion;

a behavior determining circuit that determines coping behavior of the host vehicle based on the proportion; and

a vehicle controller that performs traveling control of the host vehicle according to the determined coping behavior, wherein

the vehicle controller controls a speed of the host vehicle based on the proportion.

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

the close observation detecting criterion is a close observation point group including a plurality of close observation points, and

the proportion calculator calculates proportion of the number of the close observation points that overlap with the blind spot for the host vehicle with respect to the number of all the close observation points included in each close observation point group.

3. The occlusion control device according to claim 1, wherein

the close observation detecting criterion includes one or more close observation line segments, and

the proportion calculator calculates proportion of lengths of the close observation line segments that overlap with the blind spot for the host vehicle with respect to the total value of the lengths of all the close observation line segments.

4. The occlusion control device according to claim 1, wherein

the close observation detecting criterion includes one or more close observation frames, and

the proportion calculator calculates proportion of areas of the close observation frames that overlap with the blind spot for the host vehicle with respect to the areas of all the close observation frames.

5. The occlusion control device according to claim 1, wherein

the close observation detecting criterion includes weighting that changes according to a position on a map, and

proportion of the blind spot for the host vehicle with respect to the close observation detecting criterion is changed according to the weighting applied to a position on the map that overlaps with the blind spot for the host vehicle.

6. The occlusion control device according to claim 1, wherein

when the proportion becomes greater than a predetermined starting threshold, the behavior determining circuit decides to start coping behavior that takes account of the blind spot for the host vehicle.

7. The occlusion control device according to claim 6, wherein the starting threshold is set smaller as a speed of the host vehicle is higher.

8. The occlusion control device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein

the behavior determining circuit determines whether the proportion becomes smaller than a predetermined ending threshold, and

the vehicle controller allows the host vehicle to move until the proportion becomes smaller than the predetermined ending threshold, and thereafter allows the host vehicle to stop.

9. The occlusion control device according to claim 1, wherein

the close observation detecting criterion is changed according to a date and time, an environment around the host vehicle, or a way of motion of a moving object present around the host vehicle.