Autonomous driving device

• US 9,884,528 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hara, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney A
• Application Number:
  US15/202,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/06 Ball-and-socket hitches , e.g. constructional details, auxiliary devices, their arrangement on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/24 characterised by arrangements for particular functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/485 mounted by means of transversal members attached to the frame of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/00 Steering specially adapted for trailers combined traction and steering hitches B60D
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16

Abstract

An autonomous driving device including: vehicle side surroundings information detecting sensors; a left-right pair of extensions provided to a towing device, the extensions extending further to a vehicle width direction outside than a vehicle width direction outside end portion of the towed vehicle; a left-right pair of device side surroundings information detecting sensors, the device side surroundings information detecting sensors being respectively provided to the left-right pair of extensions and detecting surroundings information; and a control device controlling travelling of the autonomous vehicle based on detection results of the vehicle side surroundings information detecting sensors, and, in cases in which the device side surroundings information detecting sensors are electrically connected to the control device, controlling travelling of the autonomous vehicle based on the surroundings information detected by the device side surroundings information detecting sensors in addition to surroundings information detected by the vehicle side surroundings information detecting sensors.

Claims

1. An autonomous driving device comprising:

a plurality of vehicle side surroundings information detecting sensors that are provided to an autonomous vehicle, and that detect surroundings information;

a left-right pair of extensions that are fixed to a rear end section of the autonomous vehicle, that are provided to a towing device towing a towed vehicle, and that extend further to a vehicle width direction outside than a vehicle width direction outside end portion of the towed vehicle;

a left-right pair of device side surroundings information detecting sensors that are respectively provided to the left-right pair of extensions, that are disposed further outside than the vehicle width direction outermost portions of the towed vehicle, and that detect surroundings information; and

a control device that is provided to the autonomous vehicle, that electrically connects to the vehicle side surroundings information detecting sensors, and that controls travelling of the autonomous vehicle based on detection results of the vehicle side surroundings information detecting sensors, the control device also, in cases in which the device side surroundings information detecting sensors are electrically connected to the control device, controlling travelling of the autonomous vehicle based on the surroundings information detected by the device side surroundings information detecting sensors in addition to surroundings information detected by the vehicle side surroundings information detecting sensors.

2. The autonomous driving device of claim 1, further comprising:

a device side connector provided to an electrical line that transmits detection signals of the device side surroundings information detecting sensors; and

a vehicle side connector, the vehicle side connector being provided to a rear end section of the autonomous vehicle, being detachably connected to the device side connector, and being electrically connected to the control device.

3. The autonomous driving device of claim 2, wherein:

the towing device includes a cross member extending in the vehicle width direction;

an extending end portion of the cross member configures the extension to which the device side surroundings information detecting sensors are provided; and

the electrical line is laid out within a cross-section of the cross member.

4. The autonomous driving device of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of vehicle side surroundings information detecting sensors include

a first surroundings information detecting sensor provided to a vehicle width direction central portion of a front end section of a vehicle upper portion of the autonomous driving device, and

a second surroundings information detecting sensor provided to a vehicle width direction central portion of a rear end section of a vehicle upper portion of the autonomous vehicle.

5. The autonomous driving device of claim 4, wherein

behavior of the towed vehicle is detected by the second surroundings information detecting sensor of the autonomous vehicle and the surroundings information detecting sensor of the towing device, and the control device controls travelling of the autonomous vehicle based on the detection result.