# US 10,501,084 B2 · Vehicle control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,084 B2 - Document ID: US10501084B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/535,203 - Filed: 2015-11-27 - Published: 2017-11-30 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-26 - Assignees: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. - Applicants: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. - Inventors: Toshiharu Sugawara; Taisetsu Tanimichi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501084B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/18163: {Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres} - B60R 21/00: Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks (safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19) - B60W 30/08: {Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences} - B60W 30/095: Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision - B60W 30/18145: {Cornering} - B60W 40/105: Speed - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - G01S 13/931: of land vehicles - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G08G 1/09623: {Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle (G08G1/0967 takes precedence)} - G08G 1/09626: {where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map} - G08G 1/16: Anti-collision systems (road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08) - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection} - B60W 2050/021: {Means for detecting failure or malfunction} - B60W 2400/00: Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2552/53: Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - B60W 2554/801: Lateral distance - B60W 2555/60: Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way - B60W 2556/10: Historical data - B60W 2720/106: Longitudinal acceleration - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract A vehicle control system includes an external recognition means, a limit-distance calculation means, a relative-speed calculation means, and a required detection distance calculation means. When it is determined that the detectable limit distance is smaller than the required detection distance, the driver is notified that the lane change cannot be performed. When it is determined that the detectable limit distance is larger than the required detection distance, an automatic lane change of the vehicle is performed. The limit-distance calculation means detects a plurality of objects, which are sequentially detectable from the vehicle, and, based on the objects, the detectable limit distance is set in a vicinity of a farthest object. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle control system of a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle controller; an external recognition means for detecting a lane marker of a lane in which the vehicle is traveling and/or detecting another vehicle in a surrounding area of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle control system is configured to determine a detectable limit distance of the external recognition means, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to calculate a speed relative to a hypothetical vehicle present outside the detectable limit distance when no other vehicle is present within the detectable limit distance, the vehicle controller is also configured to determine a required detection distance of the external recognition means required for the vehicle to change lanes on the basis of the relative speed, when it is determined that the detectable limit distance is smaller than the required detection distance, the driver is notified that the lane change cannot be performed, when it is determined that the detectable limit distance is larger than the required detection distance, an automatic lane change of the vehicle is performed, and the vehicle control system is also configured to detect a plurality of objects, which are sequentially detectable from the vehicle, and, based on the objects, the detectable limit distance is set in a vicinity of a farthest object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the detectable limit distance is smaller than the required detection distance, the vehicle is accelerated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller calculates the speed relative to the hypothetical vehicle based on a speed limit of the lane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller calculates the speed relative to the hypothetical vehicle based on traveling speed history data of the lane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control system is also configured to extract objects having brightness equal to or lower than a predetermined value from the objects, and sets the detectable limit distance based on one of the objects having brightness equal to or lower than the predetermined value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined the detectable limit distance is smaller than the required detection distance, timing to turn on a direction indicator is set earlier. ### Claim 7 A vehicle control system of a vehicle, comprising: an external recognition unit configured to detect outside environment information of the vehicle; a vehicle controller that is configured to calculate a relative speed between a hypothetical vehicle outside a detectable area and the vehicle when any other vehicle is not recognized in the detectable area by the external recognition unit; and a notification unit configured to determine whether or not a right turn, a left turn, or a lane change can be performed based on the relative speed calculated by the vehicle controller and notify the driver of the determination result, wherein when it is determined that the detectable limit distance is larger than the required detection distance, an automatic lane change of the vehicle is performed, and the vehicle control system is also configured to detect a plurality of objects, which are sequentially detectable from the vehicle, and, based on the objects, the detectable limit distance is set in a vicinity of a farthest object. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller is also configured to calculate an area detectable by the external recognition unit; and further comprising an another vehicle recognition unit configured to recognize another vehicle based on whether or not there is any other vehicle in the detectable area calculated by the vehicle controller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller is also configured to calculate a required detection distance of the external recognition unit required for the lane change by the vehicle, based on the relative speed calculated by the relative speed calculation unit, wherein, when it is determined that the required detection distance is smaller than a limit of the detectable area of the external recognition unit, the notification unit notifies the driver that the lane change cannot be performed or is risky. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller is also configured to calculate a required detection distance of the external recognition unit required for the lane change by the vehicle, based on the relative speed calculated by the relative speed calculation unit; and further comprising a lane change control unit configured to automatically perform the lane change of the vehicle when it is determined that the required detection distance is larger than a limit of the detectable area of the external recognition unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller is also configured to calculate a required detection distance of the external recognition unit required for the lane change by the vehicle based on the relative speed calculated by the relative speed calculation unit; and control to accelerate the vehicle when it is determined that the required detection distance is larger than a limit of the detectable area of the external recognition unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller is also configured to control to accelerate the vehicle when it is determined that the lane change can be performed based on the relative speed calculated by the vehicle controller. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller calculates the relative speed between the hypothetical vehicle and the vehicle based on a speed limit of the lane. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller calculates the relative speed between the hypothetical vehicle and the vehicle based on a traveling speed history of the lane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein among recognition targets recognized by the external recognition unit, a vicinity of a farthest recognition target is set as a limit of the detectable area of the external recognition unit, and it is determined whether or not a lane change can be performed, based on a limit of the detectable area of the external recognition unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller is also configured to calculate a required detection distance of the external recognition unit required for the lane change by the vehicle, based on the relative speed calculated by the relative speed calculation unit, wherein among recognition targets recognizable by the external recognition unit, a vicinity of a farthest recognition target is set as a limit of the detectable area of the external recognition unit, and when it is determined that the required detection distance is larger than a limit of the detectable area of the external recognition unit, it is determined that the vehicle can change the lane. ### Claim 17 A vehicle control system of a vehicle, comprising: an external recognition unit configured to detect outside environment information of the vehicle; a vehicle controller that is configured to calculate a relative speed between another vehicle and the vehicle when the external recognition unit recognizes the another vehicle; and a notification unit configured to determine whether or not a right turn, a left turn, or a lane change can be performed based on the relative speed calculated by the vehicle controller and notify the determination result to the driver of the vehicle, wherein when it is determined that the detectable limit distance is larger than the required detection distance, an automatic lane change of the vehicle is performed, and the vehicle control system is also configured to detect a plurality of objects, which are sequentially detectable from the vehicle, and, based on the objects, the detectable limit distance is set in a vicinity of a farthest object. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The vehicle control system according to claim 17, wherein, when the external recognition unit does not recognize any other vehicle in the detectable area, a relative speed between a hypothetical vehicle outside the detectable area and the vehicle is calculated, it is determined whether or not a lane change can be performed based on the calculated relative speed, and the determination result is notified to the driver.