IP Library Granted Patent US 12,643,597
Granted Patent B2
US 12,643,597 · App. 18/431,343 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

Inventor: Kosei Omori (Toyota, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B62D6/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,643,597
App. No.
18/431,343
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle control device executes a lateral position control to control. In the lateral position control a lateral position of a vehicle in a travel area is controlled to maintain a predetermined target lateral position. An electronic control device of the vehicle control device controls, in the lateral position control, a controlled variable that is able to control the lateral position of the vehicle so as to match a target controlled variable acquired so that the lateral position maintains the target lateral position, controls the target controlled variable to be smaller than when the vehicle is traveling on a motorway, when the vehicle is traveling on a local road other than the motorway, and executes the lateral position control even when the vehicle is traveling on the local road.

Claims (53)

1 . A vehicle control device configured to execute a lateral position control wherein, by the lateral position control, a lateral position of a vehicle traveling in a travel area is controlled to maintain a predetermined target lateral position, the vehicle control device comprising:

an electronic control device that is, in executing the lateral position control, configured to:

control a controlled variable, by which the lateral position of the vehicle is controlled, to match a target controlled variable;

determine that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is a local road;

control the target controlled variable based on determining that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is the local road; and

execute the lateral position control based on the target controlled variable that is controlled based on determining that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is the local road.

2 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the travel area is of the local road, and

the electronic control device is further configured to control the target controlled variable based on a sharpness of a road curvature in a curved section of the travel area.

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

a camera configured to acquire a front image by photographing an area in front of the vehicle, wherein

the electronic control device is further configured to:

recognize, based on the front image, a white line, wherein recognizing the white line based on the front image comprises recognizing the white line as a boundary of the travel area;

acquire the target lateral position based on the white line; and

control the target controlled variable based on a white line reliability representing a certainty of recognizing the white line.

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

a camera configured to acquire a front image by photographing an area in front of the vehicle, wherein

the electronic control device is further configured to:

recognize, based on the front image, a white line as a boundary of the travel area;

acquire the target lateral position based on the white line;

control the target controlled variable based on a sharpness of a road curvature in a curved section of the travel area; and

control the target controlled variable based on a white line reliability representing a certainty of recognizing the white line.

5 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control device is further configured to:

determine, as the vehicle is traveling on the local road, whether a control direction, in which the vehicle is moved by the lateral position control, does not match an intended direction in which a driver of the vehicle intends to move the vehicle; and

controlled variable based on determining whether the control direction does not match the intended direction.

6 . A vehicle control method of a lateral position control executed by an electronic control device mounted on a vehicle, wherein, by the lateral position control, a lateral position of the vehicle traveling in a travel area is controlled to maintain a predetermined target lateral position, and

the vehicle control method, executed by the electronic control device,

comprises:

controlling, in the lateral position control, a controlled variable, by which the lateral position of the vehicle is controlled, to match a target controlled variable;

determining that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is a local road;

controlling the target controlled variable based on determining that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is the local road, and

executing the lateral position control based on the target controlled variable that is controlled based on determining that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is the local road.

7 . A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors and that cause the one or more processors to perform functions, the one or more processors being mounted on a vehicle and configured to execute a lateral position control, wherein, in the lateral position control, a lateral position of the vehicle traveling in a travel area is controlled to maintain a predetermined target lateral position, the functions comprising:

controlling, in the lateral position control, a controlled variable, by which the lateral position of the vehicle is controlled, to match a target controlled variable;

determining that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is a local road;

controlling the target controlled variable based on determining that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is the local road; and

executing the lateral position control based on the target controlled variable that is controlled based on determining that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is the local road.

8 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control device is further configured to:

reduce the target controlled variable based on determining that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is the local road and is not the motorway,

wherein controlling the target control variable is further based on determining a curve of the local road, a white line reliability of a white line of the local road, and an intention of a driver of the vehicle.

9 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control device is further configured to maintain the lateral position at the target lateral position by controlling the controlled variable to match the target controlled variable.

10 . The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the electronic control device is further configured to:

determine an increase in the sharpness of the road curvature; and

control the target controlled variable by increasing a gain of the target controlled variable based on the increase in the sharpness of the road curvature.

11 . The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein the electronic control device is further configured to:

determine an increase in the certainty of recognizing the white line; and

control the target controlled variable by increasing a gain of the target controlled variable based on the increase in the certainty of recognizing the white line.

12 . The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein the electronic control device is further configured to:

determine an increase in the sharpness of the road curvature;

control the target controlled variable by increasing a gain of the target controlled variable based on the increase in the sharpness of the road curvature;

determine an increase in the certainty of recognizing the white line; and

control the target controlled variable by increasing a gain of the target controlled variable based on the increase in the certainty of recognizing the white line.

13 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein determining that the travel area, in which the vehicle is traveling, is the local road is further based on determining a width of the travel area.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2024
From: OMORI, KOSEI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 066423/0527 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2023-016577 · Feb 7, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240262414A1 · Aug 8, 2024
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