Granted Patent B2

US 12,377,855 · App. 18/280,484 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Inventors: Koji Abe (Tokyo, JP); Hiroyuki Tokunaga (Tokyo, JP)

Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.

B60W30/182B60W30/143B60W50/082B60W50/14B60W2050/0083B60W2050/143B60W2050/146B60W2520/10B60W2540/106B60W2540/12

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A vehicle control device comprising a processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions to perform:

deciding on a start and a cancelation of a travel mode in which a vehicle travels at or below a target speed set according to an operation performed on an operation unit by a driver of the vehicle; and

controlling traveling of the vehicle in the travel mode in accordance with a decision result,

wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

setting a state of the cancelation of the travel mode as a deferred state when an operation amount of a brake operation on a brake pedal of the vehicle is less than or equal to a threshold value if a cancelation operation of canceling the travel mode is performed according to the brake operation when the start of the travel mode is decided on in accordance with a first start operation of starting the travel mode and controlling the traveling in the travel mode,

deciding to continue the travel mode when a second start operation different from the first start operation is performed in the deferred state, and

deciding to cancel the travel mode when the operation amount exceeds the threshold value, when no operation is performed within a prescribed period, which is at least one of a period until a prescribed period of time elapses from the time when the cancelation operation is performed and a period until traveling of a prescribed distance is performed, in the deferred state, or when the cancelation operation is performed again in the deferred state.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first start operation includes at least an instruction operation of issuing an instruction to start the travel mode and a setting operation of setting the target speed, and

wherein the second start operation includes one or more operations among an accelerator operation on an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, the instruction operation, and the setting operation.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

making the prescribed period for determining whether the second start operation has been performed different between the accelerator operation and the instruction operation and the setting operation.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

making the prescribed period for determining whether the second start operation has been performed according to the accelerator operation shorter than the prescribed period for determining whether the second start operation has been performed according to the instruction operation and the setting operation.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

deciding to continue the travel mode when a travel speed of the vehicle corresponding to an accelerator operation on an accelerator pedal of the vehicle in the deferred state has reached a speed-related threshold value close to the target speed.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

deciding to continue the travel mode when a depression amount of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle or a depression speed of the accelerator pedal in the deferred state has reached an accelerator-operation-related threshold value.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

deciding to continue the travel mode when a travel speed of the vehicle has reached the target speed in the deferred state.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

causing a notification of operation content of the second start operation to be provided by a notifier when the cancelation of the travel mode corresponding to the cancelation operation is deferred.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

causing a notification of operation content of the first start operation to be provided by the notifier when it is determined to cancel the travel mode.

10. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

controlling a travel speed of the vehicle so that the travel speed of the vehicle is similar to a travel speed before the cancelation operation is performed when the cancelation of the travel mode is deferred.

11. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

controlling a deceleration amount of the travel speed of the vehicle so that the deceleration amount of the travel speed of the vehicle is smaller than a deceleration amount corresponding to a depression amount of a brake pedal of the vehicle when the cancelation of the travel mode is deferred.

12. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the travel mode is a travel mode in which the vehicle travels while tracking another vehicle traveling forward at or below the target speed.

13. A vehicle control method comprising:

deciding, by a computer mounted in a vehicle, on a start of a travel mode in accordance with a first start operation of starting the travel mode when the start and a cancelation of the travel mode in which the vehicle travels at or below a target speed set according to an operation performed on an operation unit by a driver of the vehicle are decided on;

setting, by the computer, a state of the cancelation of the travel mode as a deferred state when an operation amount of a brake operation on a brake pedal of the vehicle is less than or equal to a threshold value if a cancelation operation of canceling the travel mode is performed according to the brake operation while the vehicle is traveling in the travel mode;

deciding, by the computer, to continue the travel mode when a second start operation different from the first start operation is performed in the deferred state;

deciding, by the computer, to cancel the travel mode when the operation amount exceeds the threshold value, when no operation is performed within a prescribed period, which is at least one of a period until a prescribed period of time elapses from the time when the cancelation operation is performed and a period until traveling of a prescribed distance is performed, in the deferred state, or when the cancelation operation is performed again in the deferred state; and

controlling, by the computer, traveling of the vehicle in the travel mode in accordance with a decision result.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer mounted in a vehicle to:

decide on a start of a travel mode in accordance with a first start operation of starting the travel mode when the start and a cancelation of the travel mode in which the vehicle travels at or below a target speed set according to an operation performed on an operation unit by a driver of the vehicle are decided on;

set a state of the cancelation of the travel mode as a deferred state when an operation amount of a brake operation on a brake pedal of the vehicle is less than or equal to a threshold value if a cancelation operation of canceling the travel mode is performed according to the brake operation while the vehicle is traveling in the travel mode;

decide to continue the travel mode when a second start operation different from the first start operation is performed in the deferred state;

decide to cancel the travel mode when the operation amount exceeds the threshold value, when no operation is performed within a prescribed period, which is at least one of a period until a prescribed period of time elapses from the time when the cancelation operation is performed and a period until traveling of a prescribed distance is performed, in the deferred state, or when the cancelation operation is performed again in the deferred state; and

control traveling of the vehicle in the travel mode in accordance with a decision result.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (14)