IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,214,823
Granted Patent B2
US 12,214,823 · App. 17/978,510 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and non-transitory storage medium

Inventors: Kentaro Takahashi (Susono, JP); Naoyuki Muramatsu (Susono, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B62D15/0255
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,214,823
App. No.
17/978,510
Granted
Feb 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle control device includes a processor. The processor is configured to: detect a mobile body located in a region that is not a host vehicle lane in which a host vehicle is traveling, out of regions that are adjacent to an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the host vehicle lane; detect entry operation of the mobile body to enter the adjacent lane; and when the processor detects the entry operation, perform steering control for the host vehicle such that a travel position of the host vehicle within the host vehicle lane in a width direction of the host vehicle lane is moved in a direction away from the adjacent lane before the entry operation is completed.

Claims (37)

1. A vehicle control device comprising a processor configured to:

detect a mobile body located in a region that is not a host vehicle lane in which a host vehicle is traveling, out of regions that are adjacent to an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the host vehicle lane;

detect entry operation of the mobile body to enter the adjacent lane; and

when the processor detects the entry operation, perform steering control for the host vehicle such that a travel position of the host vehicle within the host vehicle lane in a width direction of the host vehicle lane is moved in a direction away from the adjacent lane before the entry operation is completed.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the region that is not the host vehicle lane is a lane that is adjacent to the adjacent lane.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the region that is not the host vehicle lane is a merging path to be merged with the adjacent lane.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the region that is not the host vehicle lane is an entry and exit path for a facility that faces the adjacent lane.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the steering control includes correcting a target travel trajectory for the host vehicle in a direction away from the adjacent lane, and moving the host vehicle onto the corrected target travel trajectory.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to render an amount of movement of the host vehicle in a direction away from the adjacent lane in the steering control larger as a lateral speed of the mobile body in the entry operation is higher.

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

the processor is configured to predict an initial predicted position at a time before start of the steering control, the initial predicted position being a predicted position of the mobile body at a time when the entry operation is completed;

the processor is configured to determine whether the initial predicted position is included in a control execution area determined in advance with reference to a host vehicle position;

the processor is configured to perform the steering control when the processor has determined that the initial predicted position is included in the control execution area; and

the processor is configured not to perform the steering control when the processor has determined that the initial predicted position is not included in the control execution area.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to:

set a predicted travel trajectory that is a predicted trajectory for travel of the mobile body; and

predict the initial predicted position based on the predicted travel trajectory and a target travel trajectory for the host vehicle.

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

the processor is configured to acquire a size of the mobile body in a lateral direction;

the processor is configured to determine whether the size in the lateral direction is more than a predetermined threshold;

the processor is configured to perform the steering control when the processor has determined that the size in the lateral direction is more than the predetermined threshold; and

the processor is configured not to perform the steering control when the processor has determined that the size in the lateral direction is not more than the predetermined threshold.

10. The vehicle control device according to claim 9 , wherein the predetermined threshold is smaller as a lane width of the host vehicle lane is smaller.

11. The vehicle control device according to claim 9 , wherein the predetermined threshold is smaller as a lane width of the adjacent lane is smaller.

12. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to perform cancellation steering control when the entry operation is canceled at a time during execution of the steering control or after completion of the steering control, the cancellation steering control being performed to control steering of the host vehicle such that the travel position of the host vehicle in the width direction of the host vehicle lane is returned to a position before start of the steering control.

13. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

predict a during-execution predicted position at a time during execution of the steering control or after completion of the steering control, the during-execution predicted position being a predicted position of the mobile body at a time of completion of the entry operation;

determine whether the during-execution predicted position is included in a control continuation area determined in advance with reference to a host vehicle position; and

perform cancellation steering control when the processor has determined that the during-execution predicted position is not included in the control continuation area, the cancellation steering control being performed to control steering of the host vehicle such that the travel position of the host vehicle in the width direction of the host vehicle lane is returned to a position before start of the steering control.

14. A vehicle control method executed by a computer, the vehicle control method comprising:

detecting a mobile body located in a region that is not a host vehicle lane in which a host vehicle is traveling, out of regions that are adjacent to an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the host vehicle lane;

detecting entry operation of the mobile body to enter the adjacent lane; and

when the entry operation is detected, performing steering control for the host vehicle such that a travel position of the host vehicle within the host vehicle lane in a width direction of the host vehicle lane is moved in a direction away from the adjacent lane before the entry operation is completed.

15. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors and that cause the one or more processors to perform functions comprising:

detecting a mobile body located in a region that is not a host vehicle lane in which a host vehicle is traveling, out of regions that are adjacent to an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the host vehicle lane;

detecting entry operation of the mobile body to enter the adjacent lane; and

when the entry operation is detected, performing steering control for the host vehicle such that a travel position of the host vehicle within the host vehicle lane in a width direction of the host vehicle lane is moved in a direction away from the adjacent lane before the entry operation is completed.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2022
From: TAKAHASHI, KENTARO; MURAMATSU, NAOYUKI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 061627/0084 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-208800 · Dec 22, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230192190A1 · Jun 22, 2023
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Cited By (1)
US 12,679,376