Vehicle traveling controller

• US 9,352,779 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kindo, Toshiki, Aso, Kazuaki, Harada, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US12/738,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,786 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701 23- 27, 701/41, 701/44, 701/48, 701/77, 701117-119, 701300-302, 340/435, 340/436, 340/903
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A vehicle traveling controller performs emergency evacuation traveling in the case of an emergency. The vehicle traveling controller determines whether a vehicle traveling in accordance with a normal traveling rule is not dangerous and becomes proper traveling or not based on environmental information around the vehicle, when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the normal traveling rule becomes proper traveling, executes normal traveling control for instructing the vehicle to travel in accordance with the normal traveling rule, and when the vehicle traveling in accordance with the normal traveling rule does not become proper traveling, executes emergency evacuation traveling control for instructing the vehicle to perform emergency evacuation traveling not in accordance with the normal traveling rule. Therefore, emergency evacuation traveling with high safety can be performed, compared with vehicle traveling in accordance with the normal traveling rule, so safety of vehicle traveling can be improved.

Claims

1. A vehicle traveling controller comprising:

an electronic control unit, including a memory, configured to;

store a plurality of traffic rules defined by traffic laws;

instruct a vehicle to travel in accordance with at least one stored traffic rule;

determine whether or not the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is proper traveling on the basis of environmental information around the vehicle;

select a proper emergency evacuation route in accordance with the environmental information around the vehicle and instruct the vehicle to perform emergency evacuation traveling that is not in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is not proper traveling; and

not select the proper emergency evacuation route and instruct the vehicle not to perform the emergency evacuation traveling when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is proper traveling.

2. The vehicle traveling controller according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to:

determine whether or not the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule exceeds a degree of danger set in advance on the basis of the environmental information, and

determine that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is not proper traveling and instruct the vehicle to perform the emergency evacuation traveling that is not in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule exceeds the degree of danger set in advance.

3. The vehicle traveling controller according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to:

instruct the vehicle to travel in accordance with the plurality of stored traffic rules,

determine whether or not the vehicle traveling in accordance with all of the plurality of stored traffic rules is proper traveling on the basis of the environmental information around the vehicle, and

instruct the vehicle to perform the emergency evacuation traveling that is not in accordance with the plurality of stored traffic rules on the basis of a priority set for each of the plurality of stored traffic rules when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with all of the plurality of stored traffic rules is not proper traveling.

4. The vehicle traveling controller according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to:

instruct the vehicle to travel in accordance with the plurality of stored traffic rules,

determine whether or not the vehicle traveling in accordance with all of the plurality of stored traffic rules is proper traveling on the basis of the environmental information around the vehicle, and

instruct the vehicle to perform the emergency evacuation traveling that is not in accordance with the plurality of stored traffic rules on the basis of a priority set for each of the plurality of stored traffic rules when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with all of the plurality of stored traffic rules is not proper traveling.

7. The vehicle traveling controller according to claim 3, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to instruct the vehicle to perform the emergency evacuation traveling that is not in accordance with a first stored traffic rule of the plurality of stored traffic rules having a priority lower than that of another stored traffic rule of the plurality of stored traffic rules.

8. The vehicle traveling controller according to claim 4, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to instruct the vehicle to perform the emergency evacuation traveling that is not in accordance with a first stored traffic rule of the plurality of stored traffic rules having a priority lower than that of another stored traffic rule of the plurality of stored traffic rules.

9. The vehicle traveling controller according to claim 1, wherein the emergency evacuation traveling is traveling that is not in accordance with a stored traffic rule of observance of do not enter.

10. The vehicle traveling controller according to claim 1, wherein the emergency evacuation traveling is traveling that is not in according with a stored traffic rule of observance of no passing.

11. The vehicle traveling controller according to claim 1, wherein the emergency evacuation traveling is traveling that is not in accordance with a stored traffic rule of observance of minimum speed.

12. The vehicle travelling controller according to claim 1, wherein the emergency evacuation traveling is traveling that is not in accordance with a stored traffic rule of observance of a signal indication, observance of slow at a place with a blocked view, observance of stop, observance of do not enter, observance of stop with a space on a roadside, observance of no stray, observance of a minimum speed, or observance of a speed limit.

5. A vehicle traveling controller comprising:

an electronic control unit, including a memory, configured to;

store a plurality of traffic rules defined by traffic laws;

instruct a vehicle to travel in accordance with at least one stored traffic rule;

determine whether or not the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is proper traveling on the basis of environmental information around the vehicle;

change a traveling rule to be observed at a place where the vehicle is currently traveling and instruct the vehicle to perform emergency evacuation traveling that is not in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is not proper traveling, and

not change the traveling rule to be observed and instruct the vehicle not to perform the emergency evacuation traveling when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is proper traveling.

6. The vehicle traveling controller according to claim 5, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to:

determine whether or not the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule exceeds a degree of danger set in advance on the basis of the environmental information, and

determine that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is not proper traveling and instruct the vehicle to perform the emergency evacuation traveling that is not in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule exceeds the degree of danger set in advance.

13. A vehicle traveling controller comprising:

an electronic control unit, including a memory, configured to;

store a plurality of traffic rules defined by traffic laws;

instruct a vehicle to travel in accordance with at least one stored traffic rule;

determine whether or not the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is proper traveling on the basis of environmental information around the vehicle;

select a proper emergency evacuation route in accordance with the environmental information around the vehicle and instruct the vehicle to perform emergency evacuation traveling that is not in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is not proper traveling; and

not select the proper emergency evacuation route, and instruct the vehicle not to perform the emergency evacuation traveling when it is determined that the vehicle traveling in accordance with the at least one stored traffic rule is proper traveling,

wherein emergency evacuation traveling is traveling that is not in accordance with a stored traffic rule of observance of a signal indication, observance of slow at a place with a blocked view, observance of stop, observance of do not enter, observance of stop with a space on a roadside, observance of no stray, observance of a minimum speed, or observance of a speed limit.