Granted Patent B2

US 12,623,665 · App. 17/875,024 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: Hiroki Marumo (Tokyo, JP); Fumiya Sato (Tokyo, JP); Mika Suzuki (Tokyo, JP); Tomohiro Abe (Tokyo, JP)

Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION

B60W40/02B60W30/09B60W30/18172B60W2552/15B60W2552/40B60W2555/20

Abstract

Claims (92)

1 . A drive assist apparatus configured to set a drive condition of a vehicle, the drive assist apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories connected to the one or more processors and configured to store instructions causing the one or more processors to:

obtain information on a surrounding environment of the vehicle;

obtain information on an external environmental factor, the information on the external environmental factor including information on a road surface friction state ahead of the vehicle;

determine first risk values of a risk object, wherein the first risk values are is determined without using the information on the road surface friction state, despite the one or more processors having the information on the road surface friction state indicating that there is an area where wheel slippage is likely to occur, wherein the first risk values are distributed on a horizontal two-dimensional plane, wherein the first risk values range between a predetermined minimum value and a predetermined maximum value, and wherein when viewed from above the two-dimensional plane, a whole of the risk object is contained within a first range in which the first risk values are greater than the predetermined minimum value;

generate a first risk map, which represents a distribution of the first risk values on the two-dimensional plane, based on the information on the surrounding environment and the first risk values, without using the information on the road surface friction state;

generate a first target track for the vehicle to travel to avoid the risk object based on the first risk map, the first target track being set such that the vehicle passes through a first point on the two-dimensional plane corresponding to a position of minimum risk determined from the first risk map;

based on the first target track, determine a first drive condition for causing the vehicle to travel along the first target track, the first drive condition including control parameters for a steering angle and a speed of the vehicle;

evaluate, only after determining the first drive condition, whether the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the first target track toward the risk object based on the road surface friction state when controlled according to the first drive condition;

in response to determining that the vehicle is not predicted to deviate from the first target track toward the risk object, control the vehicle based on the first drive condition;

in response to determining that the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the first target track toward the risk object,

(1) perform correction, using the information on the road surface friction state, to expand the first range of the first risk values to obtain second risk values of the risk object that have a second range in which the second risk values are greater than the predetermined minimum value, the second range being wider than the first range,

(2) generate a second risk map based on the surrounding environment and the second risk values, and

(3) generate a second target track more distant from the risk object than the first target track, the second target track being set such that the vehicle passes through a second point on the two-dimensional plane corresponding to a position of minimum risk determined from the second risk map, the second point being located farther from the risk object than the first point;

based on the second target track, determine a second drive condition for causing the vehicle to travel along the second target track, the second drive condition including the control parameters for the steering angle and the speed; and

control the vehicle based on the second drive condition.

2 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the information on the external environmental factor further includes wind information on a wind speed and a wind direction, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine whether the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the first target track due to an influence of the wind speed and the wind direction indicated by the wind information; and

determine the second risk values using the wind information in addition to the information on the road surface friction state.

3 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the information on the external environmental factor further includes information on a road slope, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine whether the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the first target track due to an influence of the road slope; and

determine the second risk values using the information on the road slope in addition to the information on the road surface friction state.

4 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the one or more memories stores driver information on driver's sensitivity to potential risk objects, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust the setting range of the second risk values of the risk object based on the driver information.

5 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the one or more memories stores driver information on driver's sensitivity to potential risk objects, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust the setting range of the second risk values of the risk object based on the driver information.

6 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the information on the external environmental factor further includes information on a road slope, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine whether the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the first target track due to an influence of the road slope; and

determine the second risk values using the information on the road slope in addition to the information on the road surface friction state.

7 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 6 ,

wherein the one or more memories stores driver information on driver's sensitivity to potential risk objects, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust the setting range of the second risk values of the risk object based on the driver information.

8 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more memories stores driver information on driver's sensitivity to potential risk objects, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust the setting range of the second risk values of the risk object based on the driver information.

9 . A drive assist apparatus configured to set a drive condition of a vehicle, the drive assist apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories connected to the one or more processors and configured to store instructions causing the one or more processors to:

obtain information on a surrounding environment of the vehicle;

obtain information on an external environmental factor, the information on the external environmental factor including wind information on a wind speed and a wind direction;

determine first risk values of a risk object, wherein the first risk values are determined without using the wind information, despite the one or more processors having the information on the wind speed and the wind direction, wherein the first risk values are distributed on a horizontal two-dimensional plane, wherein the first risk values range between a predetermined minimum value and a predetermined maximum value, and wherein when viewed from above the two-dimensional plane, a whole of the risk object is contained within a first range in which the first risk values are greater than the predetermined minimum value;

generate a first risk map, which represents a distribution of the first risk values on the two-dimensional plane, based on the information on the surrounding environment and the first risk values, without using the wind information;

generate a first target track for the vehicle to travel to avoid the risk object based on the first risk map, the first target track being set such that the vehicle passes through a first point on the two-dimensional plane corresponding to a position of minimum risk determined from the first risk map;

based on the first target track, determine a first drive condition for causing the vehicle to travel along the first target track, the first drive condition including control parameters for a steering angle and a speed of the vehicle;

evaluate, only after determining the first drive condition, whether the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the first target track toward the risk object due to the wind speed and the wind direction when controlled according to the first drive condition;

in response to determining that the vehicle is not predicted to deviate from the first target track toward the risk object, control the vehicle based on the first drive condition;

in response to determining that the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the first target track toward the risk object,

(1) perform correction, using the wind information, to expand the first range of the first risk values to obtain second risk values of the risk object that have a second range in which the second risk values are greater than the predetermined minimum value, the second range being wider than the first range,

(2) generate a second risk map based on the surrounding environment and the second risk values, and

(3) generate a second target track more distant from the risk object than the first target track, the second target track being set such that the vehicle passes through a second point on the two-dimensional plane corresponding to a position of minimum risk determined from the second risk map, the second point being located farther from the risk object than the first point;

based on the second target track, determine a second drive condition for causing the vehicle to travel along the second target track, the second drive condition including the control parameters for the steering angle and the speed; and

control the vehicle based on the second drive condition.

10 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein the information on the external environmental factor further includes information on a road slope, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine whether the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the first target track due to an influence of the road slope; and

determine the second risk values using the information on the road slope in addition to the wind information.

11 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the one or more memories stores driver information on driver's sensitivity to potential risk objects, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust the setting range of the second risk values of the risk object based on the driver information.

12 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein the one or more memories stores driver information on driver's sensitivity to potential risk objects, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust the setting range of the second risk values potential of the risk object based on the driver information.

13 . A drive assist apparatus configured to set a drive condition of a vehicle, the drive assist apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories connected to the one or more processors and configured to store instructions causing the one or more processors to:

obtain information on a surrounding environment of the vehicle;

obtain information on an external environmental factor, the information on the external environmental factor including information on a road slope;

determine first risk values of a risk object, wherein the first risk values are is determined without using the information on the road slope, despite the one or more processors having the information on the road slope, wherein the first risk values are distributed on a horizontal two-dimensional plane, wherein the first risk values range between a predetermined minimum value and a predetermined maximum value, and wherein when viewed from above the two-dimensional plane, a whole of the risk object is contained within a first range in which the first risk values are greater than the predetermined minimum value;

generate a first risk map, which represents a distribution of the first risk values on the two-dimensional plane, based on the information on the surrounding environment and the first risk values, without using the information on the road slope;

generate a first target track for the vehicle to travel to avoid the risk object based on the first risk map, the first target track being set such that the vehicle passes through a first point on the two-dimensional plane corresponding to a position of minimum risk determined from the first risk map;

based on the first target track, determine a first drive condition for causing the vehicle to travel along the first target track, the first drive condition including control parameters for a steering angle and a speed of the vehicle;

evaluate, only after determining the first drive condition, whether the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the first target track toward the risk object due to the road slope when controlled according to the first drive condition;

in response to determining that the vehicle is not predicted to deviate from the first target track toward the risk object, control the vehicle based on the first drive condition;

in response to determining that the vehicle is predicted to deviate from the first target track toward the risk object,

(1) perform correction, using the information on the road slope, to expand the first range of the first risk values to obtain second risk values of the risk object that have a second range in which the second risk values are greater than the predetermined minimum value, the second range being wider than the first range,

(2) generate a second risk map based on the surrounding environment and the second risk values, and

(3) generate a second target track more distant from the risk object than the first target track, the second target track being set such that the vehicle passes through a second point on the two-dimensional plane corresponding to a position of minimum risk determined from the second risk map, the second point being located farther from the risk object than the first point;

based on the second target track, determine a second drive condition for causing the vehicle to travel along the second target track, the second drive condition including the control parameters for the steering angle and the speed; and

control the vehicle based on the second drive condition.

14 . The drive assist apparatus according to claim 13 ,

wherein the one or more memories stores driver information on driver's sensitivity to potential risk objects, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust the setting range of the second risk values of the risk object based on the driver information.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (22)