IP Library Granted Patent US 12,415,529
Granted Patent B2
US 12,415,529 · App. 18/113,102 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Control device, control method, and storage medium

Inventor: Nozomu Hirosawa (Wako, JP)
Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
B60W50/082B60Q1/346B60W30/18163B60W50/14B60W2420/403B60W2540/18B60W2540/20
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,415,529
App. No.
18/113,102
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

At least one processor detects whether a steering wheel is being gripped by a user who operates a mobile object, executes first movement control that is executable with the steering wheel not being gripped, and second movement control that is executable with the steering wheel being gripped, notifies the user, by using an outputter, that the user is requested to grip the steering wheel when gripping of the steering wheel is not detected after an operator for operating a direction indicator is operated while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped, and continues the first movement control without shifting to the second movement control when the gripping is not detected after the notification is made.

Claims (44)

1. A control device comprising:

a storage medium configured to store computer-readable instructions; and

at least one processor connected to the storage medium,

wherein the at least one processor executes the computer-readable instructions, thereby

detecting whether a steering wheel is being gripped by a user who operates a mobile object,

executing first movement control that is executable with the steering wheel not being gripped, and second movement control that is executable with the steering wheel being gripped,

notifying the user, by using an outputter, that the user is requested to grip the steering wheel when gripping of the steering wheel is not detected after an operator for operating a direction indicator is operated by the user while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped,

continuing the first movement control without shifting to the second movement control when the gripping is not detected after the notification is made,

wherein, after the operator for operating the direction indicator is operated by the user while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped, the at least one processor causes the mobile object to change lanes to a lane adjacent to a traveling lane by causing the direction indicator to light or blink from a turned off state of the direction indicator when (i) gripping of the steering wheel is detected and (ii) lane change conditions are satisfied, and

after the operator for operating the direction indicator is operated by the user while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped, the at least one processor does not cause the mobile object to change lanes to a lane adjacent to a traveling lane without causing the direction indicator to light or blink from a turned off state of the direction indicator when (i) gripping of the steering wheel is not detected or (ii) lane change conditions are not satisfied.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor stops the first movement control and executes the second movement control when gripping of the steering wheel is detected after the operator for operating the direction indicator is operated while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped.

3. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the second movement control is control that causes the mobile object to change lanes according to an operation of the operator.

4. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor stops the second movement control and resumes the first movement control when the lane change is completed.

5. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor notifies that the first movement control will be started before the starting first movement control when the at least one processor starts the first movement control when the first movement control is not being executed.

6. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor notifies that the second movement control will be started before starting the second movement control when the processor starts the second movement control when the second movement control is not being executed.

7. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the first movement control is control that causes the mobile object to move without depending on an operation of the user so that the mobile object does not deviate from a traveling lane with the steering wheel not being gripped, and

the second movement control is control that causes the mobile object to change lanes, without depending on an operation of the user, to a lane adjacent to the traveling lane from the traveling lane with the steering wheel being gripped.

8. The control device according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor determines whether the user is monitoring the front on the basis of an image captured by a camera that captures an image of the user,

executes the first movement control when the user is monitoring the front, and

does not execute the first movement control or stops the first movement control that is being executed when the user is not monitoring the front.

9. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor causes the direction indicator to light or blink according to an operation of the operator after the operator for operating the direction indicator is operated while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped, notifies the user that the user is requested to grip the steering wheel after the operation is performed, and continues the first movement control and returns the direction indicator to a state before the operation without shifting to the second movement control when the gripping is not detected after the notification is made.

10. A control method comprising:

by a control device,

processing of detecting whether a steering wheel is being gripped by a user who operates a mobile object;

processing of executing first movement control that is executable with the steering wheel not being gripped and second movement control that is executable with the steering wheel being gripped;

processing of notifying the user, by using an outputter, that the user is requested to grip the steering wheel when gripping of the steering wheel is not detected after an operator for operating a direction indicator is operated by the user while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped;

processing of continuing the first movement control without shifting to the second movement control when the gripping is not detected after the notification is made;

after the operator for operating the direction indicator is operated by the user while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped, processing of causing the mobile object to change lanes to a lane adjacent to a traveling lane by causing the direction indicator to light or blink from a turned off state of the direction indicator when (i) gripping of the steering wheel is detected and (ii) lane change conditions are satisfied; and

after the operator for operating the direction indicator is operated by the user while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped, processing of not causing the mobile object to change lanes to a lane adjacent to a traveling lane without causing the direction indicator to light or blink from a turned off state of the direction indicator when (i) gripping of the steering wheel is not detected or (ii) lane change conditions are not satisfied.

11. A non-transitory computer storage medium that has stored a program causing a control device to execute

processing of detecting whether a steering wheel is being gripped by a user who operates a mobile object;

processing of executing first movement control that is executable with the steering wheel not being gripped and second movement control that is executable with the steering wheel being gripped;

processing of notifying the user, by using an outputter, that the user is requested to grip the steering wheel when gripping of the steering wheel is not detected after an operator for operating a direction indicator is operated by the user while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped;

processing of continuing the first movement control without shifting to the second movement control when the gripping is not detected after the notification is made;

after the operator for operating the direction indicator is operated by the user while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped, processing of causing the mobile object to change lanes to a lane adjacent to a traveling lane by causing the direction indicator to light or blink from a turned off state of the direction indicator when (i) gripping of the steering wheel is detected and (ii) lane change conditions are satisfied; and

after the operator for operating the direction indicator is operated by the user while the first movement control is being executed with the steering wheel not being gripped, processing of not causing the mobile object to change lanes to a lane adjacent to a traveling lane without causing the direction indicator to light or blink from a turned off state of the direction indicator when (i) gripping of the steering wheel is not detected or (ii) lane change conditions are not satisfied.

12. A control device comprising:

a storage medium configured to store computer-readable instructions; and

at least one processor connected to the storage medium,

wherein the at least one processor executes the computer-readable instructions, thereby

detecting whether a steering wheel is being gripped by a user who operates a mobile object, and

executing first movement control which is a control that causes the mobile object to move without depending on an operation of the user so that the mobile object does not deviate from a traveling lane with the steering wheel not being gripped, second movement control which is a control that causes the mobile object to change lanes, without depending on an operation of the user, to a lane adjacent to the traveling lane from the traveling lane with the steering wheel being gripped, and third movement control which is a control that causes the mobile object to move without depending on an operation of the user so that the mobile object does not deviate from a traveling lane with the steering wheel being gripped,

notifying the user, by using an outputter, that the user is requested to grip the steering wheel when gripping of the steering wheel is not detected after an operator for operating a direction indicator is operated while the first movement control is being executed, and

continuing the first movement control when the gripping is not detected after the notification is made.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 23, 2023
From: HIROSAWA, NOZOMU
To: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062775/0715 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-047337 · Mar 23, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230303100A1 · Sep 28, 2023
References Cited (29)
US 20170240172A1 · Nishiguchi · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180345964A1 · Fujii et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180348779A1 · Oniwa · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180373250A1 · Nakamura · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190071099A1 · Nishiguchi · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200207355A1 · Ishioka · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200231159A1 · Tsuji et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200307595A1 · Kato et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200369281A1 · Sato · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200398849A1 · Kanoh · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210146962A1 · Kaji · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220097709A1 · Adam · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220234607A1 · Hata et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
JP H11189071 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018114930 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018203119 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019123299 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019142246 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019168814 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020114699 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020125026 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020147217 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020163907 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020189543 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
JP 2021091282 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
JP 2021102436 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO 2020230312A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Japanese Notice Of Allowance for Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-047337 mailed Jan. 9, 2024. [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action for Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-047337 mailed Oct. 10, 2023. [cited by applicant]