IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,441,343
Granted Patent B2
US 12,441,343 · App. 18/236,963 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

Inventor: Takao Tamura (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
B60W50/082B60W2420/403B60W2520/10B60W2556/40B60W2710/20B60W2720/106
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,441,343
App. No.
18/236,963
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a vehicle control device configured to acquire a camera image obtained by imaging a peripheral situation of a vehicle, control steering and acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle on the basis of the camera image and map information irrespective of an operation of a driver of the vehicle, determine a driving mode of the vehicle to be any of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, calculate a margin for the vehicle to continue traveling in the second driving mode on the basis of a speed of the vehicle and a distance to an intersection between a map road centerline indicated in the map information and any one of map road partition lines on both sides, and determine whether to cause the vehicle to continue the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline on the basis of the margin when the vehicle is traveling in the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline.

Claims (31)

1. A vehicle control device comprising:

a storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored therein; and

a processor connected to the storage medium,

wherein the processor executes the computer-readable instructions, to thereby

acquire a camera image obtained by imaging a peripheral situation of a vehicle,

control steering and acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle on the basis of the camera image and map information irrespective of an operation of a driver of the vehicle,

determine a driving mode of the vehicle to be any of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode and change the driving mode of the vehicle to a more task-intensive driving mode in a case where a task related to the determined driving mode is not executed by the driver, the second driving mode being a driving mode in which a task imposed on the driver is lighter than in the first driving mode, and some of the plurality of driving modes including at least the second driving mode being controlled irrespective of the operation of the driver of the vehicle,

calculate a margin for the vehicle to continue traveling in the second driving mode on the basis of a speed of the vehicle and a distance to an intersection between a map road centerline indicated in the map information and any one of map road partition lines on both sides, and

determine whether the processor causes the vehicle to continue the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline on the basis of the margin when the vehicle is traveling in the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the margin is less than a first threshold, the processor changes the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline to the first driving mode referring to a camera road partition line shown in the camera image.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the margin is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the processor causes the vehicle to continue the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the margin is equal to or greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold, the processor changes the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline on the basis of the camera image and the map information.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein, in a case where the margin is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, and a camera road partition line shown in the camera image and the map road partition line match at least on one side, the processor changes the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline to the second driving mode referring to the camera road partition line.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein, in a case where the margin is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, and a camera road partition line shown in the camera image and the map road partition line do not match on either side, the processor changes the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline to the first driving mode referring to the camera road partition line.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein, in a case where the margin is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, a camera road partition line on one side is not detected from the camera image, and a camera road partition line on the other side and the map road partition line do not match, the processor changes the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline to the first driving mode referring to the camera road partition line.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein, in a case where the margin is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, and camera road partition lines on both sides are not detected from the camera image, the processor changes the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline to the first driving mode referring to the camera road partition lines obtained in an immediately preceding control cycle.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 8 , wherein, in a case where a state in which the camera road partition lines on both sides are not detected continues for a predetermined period of time, the processor changes the first driving mode referring to the camera road partition line to manual driving.

10. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode in which a task for grasping an operator that accepts a steering operation of the vehicle is not imposed on the driver, and

the first driving mode is a driving mode in which a task for grasping the operator that accepts at least the driver's steering operation is imposed on the driver.

11. A vehicle control method comprising causing a computer to:

acquire a camera image obtained by imaging a peripheral situation of a vehicle;

control steering and acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle on the basis of the camera image and map information irrespective of an operation of a driver of the vehicle;

determine a driving mode of the vehicle to be any of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode and change the driving mode of the vehicle to a more task-intensive driving mode in a case where a task related to the determined driving mode is not executed by the driver, the second driving mode being a driving mode in which a task imposed on the driver is lighter than in the first driving mode, and some of the plurality of driving modes including at least the second driving mode being performed by controlling the steering and acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle irrespective of the operation of the driver of the vehicle;

calculate a margin for the vehicle to continue traveling in the second driving mode on the basis of a speed of the vehicle and a distance to an intersection between a map road centerline indicated in the map information and any one of map road partition lines on both sides; and

determine whether to cause the vehicle to continue the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline on the basis of the margin when the vehicle is traveling in the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline.

12. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium having a program stored therein, the program causing a computer to:

acquire a camera image obtained by imaging a peripheral situation of a vehicle;

control steering and acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle on the basis of the camera image and map information irrespective of an operation of a driver of the vehicle;

determine a driving mode of the vehicle to be any of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode and change the driving mode of the vehicle to a more task-intensive driving mode in a case where a task related to the determined driving mode is not executed by the driver, the second driving mode being a driving mode in which a task imposed on the driver is lighter than in the first driving mode, and some of the plurality of driving modes including at least the second driving mode being performed by controlling the steering and acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle irrespective of the operation of the driver of the vehicle;

calculate a margin for the vehicle to continue traveling in the second driving mode on the basis of a speed of the vehicle and a distance to an intersection between a map road centerline indicated in the map information and any one of map road partition lines on both sides; and

determine whether to cause the vehicle to continue the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline on the basis of the margin when the vehicle is traveling in the second driving mode referring to the map road centerline.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2023
From: TAMURA, TAKAO
To: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064673/0303 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-142942 · Sep 8, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240083447A1 · Mar 14, 2024
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