IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,643,566
Granted Patent B2
US 12,643,566 · App. 18/566,175 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Vehicle control device and autonomous driving system

Inventor: Qixian Quan (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
B60W60/001B60W30/16B60W50/0098G01C21/3461B60W2420/403B60W2520/10B60W2552/20B60W2556/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,643,566
App. No.
18/566,175
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a vehicle control device 100 , a rough-road travel unit 1008 determines whether or not there is a rough road within a predetermined range in front of a vehicle based on a position of the vehicle estimated by a position estimation unit 1001 and a position of a rough road acquired by a map information acquisition unit 1011 , and determines whether or not the rough road has been detected based on road surface information acquired by an outside environment information acquisition unit 1002 . When it is determined that there is the rough road within the predetermined range in front of the vehicle based on the position of the vehicle estimated by the position estimation unit 1001 and the position of the rough road acquired by the map information acquisition unit 1011 , and it is determined that the rough road is not detected based on the road surface information acquired by the outside environment information acquisition unit 1002 , a rough-road detection-omission determination unit 1006 determines whether or not rough-road detection is omitted based on the position of the rough road and a detectable section of a stereo camera 200.

Claims (27)

1 . A vehicle control device, comprising:

a microcomputer configured to estimate a position of a vehicle;

acquire outside environment information including road surface information based on an image captured by an in-vehicle camera that captures an image of a front of the vehicle;

acquire map information including a position of a rough road;

adjust at least one of a suspension and a vehicle speed of the vehicle and travels on the rough road;

determine whether or not there is the rough road within a predetermined range in front of the vehicle based on the estimated position of the vehicle and the acquired position of the rough road, and determine whether or not the rough road has been detected based on the acquired road surface information; and

determine whether or not rough-road detection is omitted based on the acquired position of the rough road and a detectable section of the in-vehicle camera, when it is determined that there is the rough road within the predetermined range in front of the vehicle based on the position of the estimated vehicle and the acquired position of the rough road, and it is determined that the rough road is not detected based on the acquired road surface information.

2 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a sensor that acquires vibration of the vehicle; and

wherein the microcomputer is configured to calibrate a vehicle speed based on the vibration of the vehicle acquired by the sensor when the vehicle travels on the rough road.

3 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the microcomputer is configured to determine a distance to be maintained from a preceding vehicle so that a detectable section of the in-vehicle camera is not blocked by a preceding vehicle.

4 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , further comprising a memory that stores the calibrated vehicle speed, as a learned value of the vehicle speed, in association with the position of the rough road.

5 . The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein, when it is determined that there is the rough road within the predetermined range in front of the vehicle based on the estimated position of the vehicle and the acquired position of the rough road microcomputer adjusts the vehicle speed based on the learned value of the vehicle speed stored in the memory.

6 . The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein memory stores an adjustment value of the adjusted suspension, as a learned value of suspension adjustment, in association with the position of the rough road.

7 . The vehicle control device according to claim 6 , wherein the microcomputer is configured to, upon determining that rough-road detection has been omitted, adjust the suspension of the vehicle based on the learned value of the suspension adjustment stored in the memory.

8 . The vehicle control device according to claim 6 , further comprising a communication control unit that controls transmission of the learned value of the vehicle speed and the learned value of the suspension adjustment, which are stored in the memory, to an external server, and reception of the learned value of the vehicle speed and the learned value of the suspension adjustment, which are stored in the external server.

9 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the microcomputer is configured to

acquire lane information included in the map information, and

cause the vehicle to travel to a lane without the rough road based on the lane information and the acquired position of the rough road.

10 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the microcomputer is configured to generate a travel route to a destination, and

a generate a travel route for avoiding the rough road based on the position of the acquired rough road.

11 . An autonomous driving system comprising:

a vehicle on which the vehicle control device described in claim 1 is mounted; and

an external server configured to be able to communicate with the vehicle, wherein

the external server includes

a communication unit that communicates with the vehicle, and

a memory configured to store the learned value of the vehicle speed and the learned value of the suspension adjustment, which are received by the communication unit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2023
From: QUAN, QIXIAN
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 065730/0795 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-153263 · Sep 21, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240246565A1 · Jul 25, 2024
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