IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,941,985
Granted Patent B2
US 11,941,985 · App. 17/453,775 · Granted Mar 26, 2024

Vehicular environment estimation device

Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai (Hadano, JP); Hiromitsu Urano (Susono, JP); Toshiki Kindo (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G08G1/161G08G1/166
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,941,985
App. No.
17/453,775
Granted
Mar 26, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicular environment estimation device capable of accurately estimating a travel environment around own vehicle on the basis of a predicted route of a mobile object or the like, which is moving in a blind area. A vehicular environment estimation device that is mounted in the own vehicle detects a behavior of another vehicle in the vicinity of the own vehicle, and estimates a travel environment, which affects the traveling of another vehicle, on the basis of the behavior of another vehicle. For example, the presence of another vehicle, which is traveling in a blind area, is estimated on the basis of the behavior of another vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to estimate a vehicle travel environment that cannot be recognized by the own vehicle but can be recognized by another vehicle in the vicinity of the own vehicle.

Claims (25)

1. A vehicular environment estimation device comprising:

a sensor disposed on a vehicle and configured to detect a mobile object in a surrounding of the vehicle; and

an electronic control unit disposed on the vehicle and configured to estimate an environment of a blind area of the vehicle on the basis of the mobile object detected by the sensor,

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

detect a behavior of the mobile object in the surroundings of the vehicle on the basis of an information of the mobile object;

estimate a plurality of behaviors of an undetected object other than the mobile object of the blind area of the vehicle;

estimate a plurality of behaviors of the mobile object based upon the plurality of behaviors of the undetected object other than the mobile object of the blind area of the vehicle;

predict a route of the mobile object on the basis of the detected behavior of the mobile object and the estimated behaviors of the mobile object; and

carry out a drive assistance control to a driver of the vehicle on the basis of the predicted route of the mobile object.

2. The vehicular environment estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to provide the driver with a warning or notification on the basis of the predicted route of the mobile object as the drive assistance control.

3. A method of vehicular environment estimation for a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a sensor disposed on a vehicle and configured to detect a mobile object in a surrounding of the vehicle, and an electronic control unit disposed on the vehicle and configured to estimate an environment of a blind area of the vehicle on the basis of the mobile object detected by the sensor, the method comprising:

detecting a behavior of the mobile object in the surroundings of the vehicle on the basis of an information of the mobile object;

estimating a plurality of behaviors of an undetected object other than the mobile object of the blind area of the vehicle;

estimating a plurality of behaviors of the mobile object based upon the plurality of behaviors of the undetected object other than the mobile object of the blind area of the vehicle;

predicting a route of the mobile object on the basis of the detected behavior of the mobile objection and the estimated behaviors of the mobile object; and

carrying out a drive assistance control to a driver of the vehicle on the basis of the predicted route of the mobile object.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising providing the driver with a warning or notification on the basis of the predicted route of the mobile object as the drive assistance control.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

detect a behavior of a mobile object in the surroundings of a vehicle on the basis of an information of the mobile object;

estimate a plurality of behaviors of an undetected object other than the mobile object of a blind area of the vehicle;

estimate a plurality of behaviors of the mobile object based upon the plurality of behaviors of the undetected object other than the mobile object of the blind area of the vehicle;

predict a route of the mobile object on the basis of the detected behavior of the mobile object and the estimated behaviors of the mobile object; and

carry out a drive assistance control to a driver of the vehicle on the basis of the predicted route of the mobile object.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 5 , wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to:

provide the driver with a warning or notification on the basis of the predicted route of the mobile object as the drive assistance control.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2009-120015 · May 18, 2009 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15293674 · Oct 14, 2016
Continuation 13320706
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