IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,491,918
Granted Patent B2
US 12,491,918 · App. 18/769,087 · Granted Dec 9, 2025

Automobile and control method for automobile

Inventor: Tomonori Nonami (Toyota, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B60W60/0055B60W10/18B60W50/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,491,918
App. No.
18/769,087
Granted
Dec 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An automobile configured to control a drive device, a brake device, a steering device such that traveling is performed in a driving mode selected by a driver from a full-autonomous driving mode, a semi-autonomous driving mode, and a manual driving mode, using information from a periphery recognition device that acquires information about the periphery of a vehicle, and a control method for the automobile are provided. An electronic control unit included in the automobile is configured to permit an override request due to an accelerator operation by the driver, when the driver has selected the semi-autonomous driving mode, and to restrict the override request due to the accelerator operation by the driver, when the driver has selected the full-autonomous driving mode, compared to when the driver has selected the semi-autonomous driving mode.

Claims (17)

1 . An automobile comprising an electronic control unit configured to control a drive device, a brake device, and a steering device such that traveling is performed in a driving mode selected by a driver from a full-autonomous driving mode, a semi-autonomous driving mode, and a manual driving mode, using information from a periphery recognition device that acquires information about a periphery of a vehicle, wherein:

the electronic control unit is configured to permit an override request due to an accelerator operation by the driver, when the driver has selected the semi-autonomous driving mode; and

the electronic control unit is configured to restrict the override request due to the accelerator operation by the driver, when the driver has selected the full-autonomous driving mode, compared to when the driver has selected the semi-autonomous driving mode.

2 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to restrict the override request due to the accelerator operation by the driver by controlling the brake device, when the driver has selected the full-autonomous driving mode, compared to when the driver has selected the semi-autonomous driving mode.

3 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to prohibit the override request due to the accelerator operation by the driver, when the driver has selected the full-autonomous driving mode.

4 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to restrict override caused by the accelerator operation by the driver, when the driver has selected the full-autonomous driving mode.

5 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the brake device by setting a required torque to a value resulting from subtracting a predetermined value from a manual driving torque, when the manual driving torque exceeds an autonomous driving torque by the predetermined value or more.

6 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the brake device by setting a required torque to a value resulting from multiplying a manual driving torque by a coefficient smaller than one, when the value resulting from multiplying the manual driving torque by the coefficient exceeds an autonomous driving torque.

7 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein:

the electronic control unit is configured to execute an automatic selection by which one of the full-autonomous driving mode and the semi-autonomous driving mode is selected without the selection by the driver, depending on a situation; and

the electronic control unit is configured to restrict the override request due to the accelerator operation by the driver at a time of the traveling in the driving mode selected by the driver, compared to the override request due to the accelerator operation by the driver at a time of the traveling in the driving mode by the automatic selection.

8 . The automobile according to claim 7 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to restrict the override request due to the accelerator operation by the driver at the time of the traveling in the driving mode selected by the driver, by controlling the brake device, compared to the override request due to the accelerator operation by the driver at the time of the traveling in the driving mode by the automatic selection.

9 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to permit an override request due to a brake operation by the driver, regardless of whether the driver has selected the semi-autonomous driving mode or the full-autonomous driving mode.

10 . A control method for an automobile, comprising:

controlling a drive device, a brake device, and a steering device such that traveling is performed in a driving mode selected by a driver from a full-autonomous driving mode, a semi-autonomous driving mode, and a manual driving mode, using information from a periphery recognition device that acquires information about a periphery of a vehicle;

permitting an override request due to an accelerator operation by the driver, when the driver has selected the semi-autonomous driving mode; and

restricting the override request due to the accelerator operation by the driver, when the driver has selected the full-autonomous driving mode, compared to when the driver has selected the semi-autonomous driving mode.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2024
From: NONAMI, TOMONORI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 068234/0410 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2024
From: NONAMI, TOMONORI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 068037/0442 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2023-132983 · Aug 17, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250058805A1 · Feb 20, 2025
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