IP Library Granted Patent US 10,942,517
Granted Patent B2
US 10,942,517 · App. 15/560,525 · Granted Mar 9, 2021

Autonomous driving assistance device, control method, program and storage medium

Inventors: Takeshi Koda (Saitama, JP); Kenji Mito (Saitama, JP); Kazuhiro Nakao (Kanagawa, JP); Makoto Hatano (Saitama, JP)
Assignees: PIONEER CORPORATION; INCREMENT P CORPORATION
G05D1/0088B60W50/082G01C21/3461G08G1/09685G08G1/096827G08G1/096838G08G1/096866B60W2540/043B60W2556/50B60W2556/65
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,942,517
App. No.
15/560,525
Granted
Mar 9, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A driving assistance device 1 performs autonomous driving based on an output from a sensor unit 13 that acquires information on surroundings of a vehicle or information on the state of the vehicle. The driving assistance device 1 stores an autonomous driving determination table Tj based on autonomous driving compatibility information 24 . By referring to the autonomous driving determination table Tj based on sensor information 23 on the sensor unit 13 and road element information Ie on a predetermined road section, the driving assistance device 1 determines a set of an autonomous driving function Fc and an automation level Lv that can be performed in the predetermined road section.

Claims (78)

1. An autonomous driving assistance device, comprising:

a processor configured by program code, stored on a non-transitory data storage in communication with said processor and executable by said processor, said program code, upon execution by said processor, causing the driving assistance device to:

acquire first information regarding a type and a capability of an external sensor, the external sensor configured to acquire surroundings information regarding surroundings of a vehicle,

acquire second information regarding a road, and

determine, based on the first information and the second information, i) a function regarding autonomous driving of the vehicle that the vehicle can perform and ii) a level of said function during the autonomous driving, and generate an output for controlling the vehicle.

2. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the level is determined using table information, recorded in the data storage, that includes information of a condition regarding the second information with respect to each level of the function.

3. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 2 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

an autonomous driving control unit that performs the autonomous driving of the vehicle based on said surroundings information acquired by a peripheral information acquisition unit,

wherein the second information is information regarding an object to be detected by the peripheral information acquisition unit for the autonomous driving of the vehicle by the peripheral information acquisition unit.

4. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the second information is acquired for a section of the road corresponding to a present position of the vehicle, and

wherein a level is determined with respect to each of a plurality of functions regarding autonomous driving in the section of road corresponding to the present position of the vehicle, and

wherein the autonomous driving control unit determines, on a basis of the determined levels for the plurality of functions, the function and corresponding level to be performed for autonomously driving the vehicle.

5. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 3 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

a route search unit that searches for candidates of a route to a specified destination for the vehicle, and

a recommended route determination unit that selects a recommended route from the candidates,

wherein the second information is acquired corresponding to each section of road included in the candidates,

wherein a level is determined with respect to each section of road included in the candidates, and

wherein the recommended route determination unit selects the recommended route based on the levels determined for the sections of road included in the candidates.

6. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 2 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

an autonomous driving control unit that performs autonomous driving of the vehicle based on said surroundings information acquired by a peripheral information acquisition unit,

wherein the second information is acquired for a section of the road corresponding to a present position of the vehicle, and

wherein a level is determined with respect to each of a plurality of functions regarding autonomous driving in the section of road corresponding to the present position of the vehicle, and

wherein the autonomous driving control unit determines, on a basis of the determined levels for the plurality of functions, the function and corresponding level to be performed for autonomously driving the vehicle.

7. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 6 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

a route search unit that searches for candidates of a route to a specified destination for the vehicle, and

a recommended route determination unit that selects a recommended route from the candidates,

wherein the second information is acquired corresponding to each section of road included in the candidates,

wherein a level is determined with respect to each section of road included in the candidates, and

wherein the recommended route determination unit selects the recommended route based on the levels determined for the sections of road included in the candidates.

8. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 2 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

a route search unit that searches for candidates of a route to a specified destination for the vehicle, and

a recommended route determination unit that selects a recommended route from the candidates,

wherein the second information is acquired corresponding to each section of road included in the candidates,

wherein a level is determined with respect to each section of road included in the candidates, and

wherein the recommended route determination unit selects the recommended route based on the levels determined for the sections of road included in the candidates.

9. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 1 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

an autonomous driving control unit that performs the autonomous driving of the vehicle based on said surroundings information acquired by a peripheral information acquisition unit,

wherein the second information is information regarding an object to be detected by the peripheral information acquisition unit for the autonomous driving of the vehicle by the peripheral information acquisition unit.

10. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 9 ,

wherein the second information is acquired for a section of the road corresponding to a present position of the vehicle, and

wherein a level is determined with respect to each of a plurality of functions regarding autonomous driving in the section of road corresponding to the present position of the vehicle, and

wherein the autonomous driving control unit determines, on a basis of the determined levels for the plurality of functions, the function and corresponding level to be performed for autonomously driving the vehicle.

11. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 10 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

a route search unit that searches for candidates of a route to a specified destination for the vehicle, and

a recommended route determination unit that selects a recommended route from the candidates,

wherein the second information is acquired corresponding to each section of road included in the candidates,

wherein a level is determined with respect to each section of road included in the candidates, and

wherein the recommended route determination unit selects the recommended route based on the levels determined for the sections of road included in the candidates.

12. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 9 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

a route search unit that searches for candidates of a route to a specified destination for the vehicle, and

a recommended route determination unit that selects a recommended route from the candidates,

wherein the second information is acquired corresponding to each section of road included in the candidates,

wherein a level is determined with respect to each section of road included in the candidates, and

wherein the recommended route determination unit selects the recommended route based on the levels determined for the sections of road included in the candidates.

13. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 1 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

an autonomous driving control unit that performs autonomous driving of the vehicle based on said surroundings information acquired by a the peripheral information acquisition unit,

wherein the second information is acquired for a section of the road corresponding to a present position of the vehicle, and

wherein a level is determined with respect to each of a plurality of functions regarding autonomous driving in the section of road corresponding to the present position of the vehicle, and

wherein the autonomous driving control unit determines, on a basis of the determined levels for the plurality of functions, a function and corresponding level to be performed for autonomously driving the vehicle.

14. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 13 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

a route search unit that searches for candidates of a route to a specified destination for the vehicle, and

a recommended route determination unit that selects a recommended route from the candidates,

wherein the second information is acquired corresponding to each section of road included in the candidates,

wherein a level is determined with respect to each section of road included in the candidates, and

wherein the recommended route determination unit selects the recommended route based on the levels determined for the sections of road included in the candidates.

15. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 1 , said program code further causing the driving assistance device to operate as:

a route search unit that searches for candidates of a route to a specified destination for the vehicle, and

a recommended route determination unit that selects a recommended route from the candidates,

wherein the second information is acquired corresponding to each section of road included in the candidates,

wherein a level is determined with respect to each section of road included in the candidates, and

wherein the recommended route determination unit selects the recommended route based on the levels determined for the sections of road included in the candidates.

16. The autonomous driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein, if the vehicle can perform multiple functions regarding the autonomous driving, the processor determines the level that the vehicle can perform with respect to each of the multiple functions.

17. A control method executed by an autonomous driving assistance device, comprising:

a determination process to determine, based on a first information and a second information, i) a function regarding autonomous driving of a vehicle that the vehicle can perform, and ii) a level of said function during the autonomous driving, the first information indicating information regarding a type and a capability of an external sensor, said external sensor configured to acquire information regarding surroundings of the vehicle, and the second information indicating information regarding a road; and applying the determined function and level for controlling the vehicle.

18. A program stored on a non-transitory storage medium and comprised of program code executable by a computer, said program, upon execution by the computer, causing the computer to function as

a determination unit configured to determine, based on a first information and a second information, i) a function regarding autonomous driving of a vehicle that the vehicle can perform, and ii) a level of said function during the autonomous driving, the first information indicating information regarding a type and a capability of an external sensor, said external sensor configured to acquire information regarding surroundings of the vehicle, and the second information indicating information regarding a road, and a control unit configured to apply the determined function and level for controlling the vehicle.

Assignments (6)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY DATA PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 058358 FRAME: 0964. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jul 17, 2023
From: PIONEER CORPORATION
To: PIONEER CORPORATION (50% PART INTEREST); PIP HOLDINGS K.K. (50% PART INTEREST)
Reel/Frame 064278/0068 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 31, 2022
From: INCREMENT P CORPORATION
To: GEOTECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 061590/0253 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 25, 2022
From: PIP HOLDINGS K.K.
To: INCREMENT P CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059099/0246 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2021
From: PIONEER CORPORATION
To: PIP HOLDINGS K.K.
Reel/Frame 058358/0964 →
MERGER Recorded Aug 18, 2021
From: PIONEER CORPORATION; INCREMENT P CORPORATION
To: PIONEER CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057211/0102 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2017
From: KODA, TAKESHI; MITO, KENJI; NAKAO, KAZUHIRO; HATANO, MAKOTO
To: PIONEER CORPORATION; INCREMENT P CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043858/0146 →
Priority Claims (1)
WO PCT/2015/058881 · Mar 24, 2015 · international
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180113460A1 · Apr 26, 2018