IP Library Granted Patent US 12,741,663
Granted Patent B2
US 12,741,663 · App. 18/945,528 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Control device for vehicle

Inventor: Tatsuya Kishimoto (Susono, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B60W50/14B60W30/143B60W2050/146B60W2540/215B60W2552/15
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,741,663
App. No.
18/945,528
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A processor of an ECU includes: an uphill road determination unit that determines whether or not there is an uphill road continuing for a certain distance or more forward of a vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether or not a reaching time or a reaching distance required for the vehicle to enter the uphill road from a present position is equal to or lower than a predetermined value; and a notification unit that notifies, when the reaching time or the reaching distance becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined value, a driver of an activation proposal of activating a speed maintaining function.

Claims (16)

1 . A control device for a vehicle, the control device comprising:

a processor configured to:

determine whether or not there is an uphill road continuing for a certain distance or more forward of the vehicle;

determine, in response to determining that there is the uphill road forward of the vehicle, whether or not a reaching time or a reaching distance required for the vehicle to enter the uphill road from a present position is equal to or lower than a predetermined value;

notify, in response to the reaching time or the reaching distance becoming equal to or lower than the predetermined value, a driver of an activation proposal of activating a speed maintaining function of the vehicle;

receive a response of the driver with respect to the activation proposal; and

end notification of the activation proposal in response to determining that the vehicle has entered the uphill road without reception of the response,

wherein

the processor is further configured to not notify, in response to the uphill road not continuing for the certain distance, the driver of the activation proposal.

2 . The control device according to claim 1

wherein the processor is further configured to activate the speed maintaining function in response to receiving the response indicating acceptance of the activation proposal.

3 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to, only when the uphill road has a slope of a predetermined value or more and continues for the certain distance or more, determine that the uphill road continuing for the certain distance or more forward of the vehicle exists.

4 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to activate, in response to receiving the response indicating acceptance of the activation proposal and before a speed of the vehicle is reduced on the uphill road, the speed maintaining function.

5 . The control device according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to the uphill road having a slope of a predetermined value or more and continuing for the certain distance or more, determine that the uphill road continuing for the certain distance or more forward of the vehicle exists.

6 . The control device according to claim 5 , further comprising a memory storing map information, wherein the processor is further configured to acquire the slope of the uphill road from the map information.

7 . The control device according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to acquire the slope of the uphill road based on a present position of the vehicle and a scheduled traveling route.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2024
From: KISHIMOTO, TATSUYA
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 069241/0148 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2024-005172 · Jan 17, 2024 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250229796A1 · Jul 17, 2025
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