Vehicle control apparatus

• US 8,958,929 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Okamura, Ryuji, Sobue, Yuka, Hiei, Yu, Morimoto, Chika
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US13/982,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• 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 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

In a vehicle control apparatus which performs a remote operation of a vehicle using a remote control, a remote operation of the vehicle which is not intended by a driver is prevented.

When traveling control of a vehicle is performed through a remote operation from a remote control 3, a stop position of a vehicle 2 is set by a stop position setting device 9, and a movement course of the vehicle 2 is calculated by the vehicle course calculation device 10. In addition, the vehicle 2 is moved along the calculated movement course in response to a driving operation from the remote control 3, but if a driving operation from inside of the vehicle and a driving operation from the remote control 3 come into conflict, the driving operation from the remote control 3 is canceled, and the driving operation from inside of the vehicle is prioritized.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus which performs vehicle control of a vehicle through direct operations of the vehicle performed from inside of the vehicle and remote operations of the vehicle performed from a wireless terminal, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a stop position setting device which sets a stop position of the vehicle by operation from inside of the vehicle;

a vehicle course calculation device which calculates a course of the vehicle from a current position of the vehicle to the stop position, and calculates a traveling plan such that the vehicle travels along the course; and

a control unit which performs traveling control of the vehicle through a remote operation from a wireless terminal on the basis of the course and the traveling plan when the stop position of the vehicle is set by the stop position setting device and the course and the traveling plan are calculated by the vehicle course calculation device,

wherein, even if the stop position of the vehicle is set by the stop position setting device and the course and the traveling plan are calculated by the vehicle course calculation device, the control unit prioritizes driving operations from inside of the vehicle by canceling remote operations from the wireless terminal if movement conditions for moving the vehicle through the remote operations from the wireless terminal are not satisfied and the driving operations from inside of the vehicle are not performed.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement conditions include a driver'"'"'s seat being in a taken state.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit prioritizes the driving operations from the wireless terminal if driving operations other than stopping and deceleration operations are performed from inside of the vehicle and driving operations of stopping and deceleration operations are performed from the wireless terminal.