IP Library › Granted Patent US 12691875
Granted Patent B2
US 12691875 · App. 18/692,574 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and vehicle control system

Inventors: Tatsuya Iba (Hitachinaka, JP); Kentaro Ueno (Hitachinaka, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
B60W30/10B60W2510/20B60W2520/10B60W2552/30B60W2552/40B60W2554/802B60W2554/804
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691875
App. No.
18/692,574
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to an aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control system acquire a setting condition including at least one of information related to a driving environment of a driving road on which a vehicle travels and information related to a state of the vehicle; set, based on the setting condition, an interval between trajectory points representing a target trajectory along which the vehicle is caused to travel; and output a control command that causes the vehicle to travel along the target trajectory. This makes it possible to prevent the driving performance of a vehicle from decreasing even when the conditions surrounding the vehicle change.

Claims (71)

1 . A vehicle control device provided in a vehicle, the vehicle control device comprising:

a control unit that outputs a calculation result based on input information,

wherein the control unit is configured to:

set a target travel course that is represented by trajectory points that are arranged at a predetermined travel distance, each of the trajectory points indicating a location at which the vehicle is to arrive; and

output a control command that causes the vehicle to travel in accordance with information on a target trajectory, the information including a target speed and target acceleration set for each predetermined sampling time and the target travel course, and

wherein the control unit:

acquires a setting condition including at least one of information related to a driving environment of a driving road on which the vehicle travels and information related to a state of the vehicle, and

variably sets, based on the setting condition, an interval between trajectory points that are set with the predetermined travel distance.

2 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit acquires, as the setting condition, the information related to the driving environment.

3 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit acquires, as the information related to the driving environment, information related to a road shape of the driving road.

4 . The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit:

acquires, as the information related to the road shape is, information related to a curvature of a travel course on which the vehicle travels; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the curvature increases.

5 . The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit:

acquires, as the information related to the road shape is, information related to a road width of the travel course on which the vehicle travels; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the road width decreases.

6 . The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit:

acquires, as the information related to the road shape, information related to a curvature change of the travel course on which the vehicle travels; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the curvature change increases.

7 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit:

acquires, as the information related to the driving environment, information related to a distance from an obstacle located ahead of the vehicle on the driving road on which the vehicle travels; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the distance from the obstacle decreases.

8 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit

acquires, as the information related to the driving environment, information related to a friction coefficient of a road surface of the driving road on which the vehicle travels; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the friction coefficient decreases.

9 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit:

acquires, as the information related to the driving environment, information related to a distance from a leading vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle on the driving road on which the vehicle travels; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the distance from the leading vehicle decreases.

10 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit:

acquires, as the information related to the driving environment, information related to a relative speed of the vehicle relative to a leading vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle on the driving road on which the vehicle travels; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the relative speed increases.

11 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit:

acquires, as the information related to the driving environment, information related to a distance from the vehicle to each location on the driving road on which the vehicle travels; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance at a location closer to the vehicle.

12 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit acquires, as the setting condition, at least one of information related to a distance from an obstacle located ahead of the vehicle on the driving road on which the vehicle travels, information related to a friction coefficient of a road surface of the driving road on which the vehicle travels, information related to a distance from a leading vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle on the driving road on which the vehicle travels, information related to a relative speed of the vehicle relative to a leading vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle on the driving road on which the vehicle travels, information related to a distance from the vehicle to each point on the driving road on which the vehicle travels, information related to a road width of the driving road on which the vehicle travels, information related to a curvature change of the driving road on which the vehicle travels, information related to a lateral jerk of the vehicle, and information related to a recognition accuracy of an environment recognition unit that is provided at the vehicle and acquires the information related to the driving environment of the driving road.

13 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit acquires, as the setting condition, information related to a motion state of the vehicle that is the information related to the state of the vehicle.

14 . The vehicle control device according to claim 13 , wherein the control unit:

acquires, as the information related to the motion state of the vehicle, information related to a speed of the vehicle; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the speed of the vehicle decreases.

15 . The vehicle control device according to claim 13 , wherein the control unit:

acquires, as the information related to the motion state of the vehicle, information related to a lateral jerk of the vehicle; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the lateral jerk of the vehicle increases.

16 . The vehicle control device according to claim 13 , wherein the control unit:

acquires, as the information related to the motion state of the vehicle is, information related to a steering angle of the vehicle; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the steering angle increases.

17 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the vehicle includes an environment recognition unit that acquires the information related to the driving environment of the driving road; and

the control unit:

acquires, as the setting condition, information related to a recognition accuracy of the environment recognition unit that is the information related to the state of the vehicle; and

decreases the interval between trajectory points set with the predetermined travel distance as the recognition accuracy decreases.

18 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit:

acquires multiple different setting conditions as the setting condition, and

sets the interval between trajectory points based on the multiple different setting conditions.

19 . A vehicle control method performed by a control unit provided in a vehicle, the vehicle control method comprising:

setting a target travel course that is represented by trajectory points that are arranged at a predetermined travel distance, each of the trajectory points indicating a location at which the vehicle is to arrive; and

outputting a control command that causes the vehicle to travel in accordance with information on a target trajectory, the information including a target speed and target acceleration set for each predetermined sampling time and the target travel course, wherein

the setting the target travel course includes:

acquiring a setting condition including at least one of information related to a driving environment of a driving road on which the vehicle travels and information related to a state of the vehicle; and

variably setting, based on the setting condition, an interval between trajectory points that are set with the predetermined travel distance.

20 . A vehicle control system comprising:

an environment recognition unit that acquires information related to a driving environment of a driving road on which a vehicle travels;

a vehicle state acquisition unit that acquires information related to a state of the vehicle;

a control unit that outputs a calculation result based on input information; and

an actuator unit,

wherein the control unit is configured to:

set a target travel course that is represented by trajectory points that are arranged at a predetermined travel distance, each of the trajectory points indicating a location at which the vehicle is to arrive; and

output a control command that causes the vehicle to travel in accordance with information on a target trajectory, the information including a target speed and target acceleration set for each predetermined sampling time and the target travel course, and

wherein the control unit:

acquires a setting condition including at least one of the information related to the driving environment of a driving road on which the vehicle travels and the information related to the state of the vehicle, and

variably sets, based on the setting condition, an interval between trajectory points that are set with the predetermined travel distance, and

wherein the actuator unit controls a motion state of the vehicle based on the control command.