# US 10,864,912 B2 · Vehicle state determination device and vehicle state determination method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,912 B2 - Document ID: US10864912B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/080,440 - Filed: 2017-02-13 - Published: 2019-02-28 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-29 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Satoshi Fukumoto; Takafumi Tokuhiro; Ichiro Yamane - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864912B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters} - G08G 1/005: including pedestrian guidance indicator - 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 30/18154: {Approaching an intersection} - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - 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) - G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads - G08G 1/01: Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled (G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence) - 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 1/163: {involving continuous checking} - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - 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 - 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}) - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A vehicle state determination device includes an input unit and a controller. The input unit receives sidewalk information indicating a state of a sidewalk region which a moving body passes through and roadway information indicating a state of a roadway region adjacent to the sidewalk region. The controller determines whether or not a sidewalk entering operation is possible based on the sidewalk information and the roadway information. The sidewalk entering operation is an operation in which a vehicle trying to enter the roadway region by crossing the sidewalk region enters the sidewalk region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle state determination device, comprising: an input configured to receive sidewalk information indicating a state of a sidewalk region through which a moving body passes and roadway information indicating a state of a roadway region, the sidewalk region extending along and adjacent the roadway region and being between a position where a vehicle is present and the roadway region; and a controller configured to determine whether or not a sidewalk entering operation is possible based on the sidewalk information and the roadway information, the sidewalk entering operation being an operation in which the vehicle enters the sidewalk region for entering the roadway region by crossing the sidewalk region, wherein the controller is configured to determine, based on the roadway information indicating the state of the roadway region, with the roadway region being on an opposite side of the position of the vehicle through the sidewalk region, whether or not an estimated crossing time is less than or equal to a first threshold, and determine that the sidewalk entering operation is possible under a condition that the estimated crossing time is less than or equal to the first threshold, the estimated crossing time being an estimation value of a minimum time from entry of the vehicle to the sidewalk region until exit from the sidewalk region, and wherein the controller is configured to output at least one of a control signal that controls an operation of the vehicle or information that urges or avoids the sidewalk entering operation depending on whether the sidewalk entering operation is possible, the information that urges or avoids the sidewalk entering operation being output to at least one of a display or a speaker. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the sidewalk information indicates a location, a moving direction, and a moving speed of the moving body located in the sidewalk region, and the roadway information indicates at least one of a location, a moving direction, and a moving speed of each of one or a plurality of other vehicles located in the roadway region, distances between each of the one or the plurality of the other vehicles, a density of the one or the plurality of the other vehicles, and an indication state of a traffic signal disposed in the roadway region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle state determination device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether or not a state of the roadway region indicated by the roadway information corresponds to a predetermined roadway state pattern in which the estimated crossing time is estimated to exceed the first threshold, and determine that the estimated crossing time is less than or equal to the first threshold under a condition that the state of the roadway region does not correspond to the predetermined roadway state pattern. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vehicle state determination device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the estimated crossing time based on the roadway information, and determine whether or not the sidewalk entering operation is possible by comparing the estimated crossing time with the first threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle state determination device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate, based on the sidewalk information, an estimated number of arriving bodies arriving at a passing scheduled region of the vehicle in the sidewalk region while the vehicle crosses the sidewalk region without stopping, and determine that the sidewalk entering operation is possible under a condition that the estimated number of the arriving bodies is less than or equal to a second threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The vehicle state determination device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate, based on the sidewalk information, an estimated number of waiting bodies arriving at a passing scheduled region of the vehicle in the sidewalk region during a time from entry of the vehicle to the sidewalk region until lapse of the estimated crossing time, and determine that the sidewalk entering operation is possible under a condition that the estimated number of the waiting bodies is less than or equal to a second threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The vehicle state determination device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate, based on the sidewalk information, an estimated number of waiting bodies arriving at a passing scheduled region of the vehicle in the sidewalk region during a time from entry of the vehicle to the sidewalk region until lapse of the estimated crossing time, and change the first threshold depending on the estimated number of the waiting bodies. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate an average time of intervals during which other vehicles pass an entry location to the roadway region, the entry location being on the opposite side of the position of the vehicle through the sidewalk region, and the controller is configured to determine whether the sidewalk entering operation is possible based on the average time of the intervals during which the other vehicles pass the entry location. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate an average time of intervals during which other vehicles pass an entry location to the roadway region, the entry location being on the opposite side of the position of the vehicle through the sidewalk region, and the controller is configured to determine the estimated crossing time based on the average time of the intervals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle state determination device according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to increase the estimated crossing time as the average time of the intervals decreases. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle state determination device according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to decrease the estimated crossing time as the average time of the intervals increases. ### Claim 12 A vehicle state determination method, comprising: receiving sidewalk information indicating a state of a sidewalk region through which a moving body passes and roadway information indicating a state of a roadway region, the sidewalk region extending along and adjacent the roadway region and being between a position where a vehicle is present and the roadway region; and determining whether or not a sidewalk entering operation is possible based on the sidewalk information and the roadway information, the sidewalk entering operation being an operation in which the vehicle enters the sidewalk region for entering the roadway region by crossing the sidewalk region, wherein, in the determining, whether or not an estimated crossing time is less than or equal to a first threshold is determined based on the roadway information indicating the state of the roadway region, with the roadway region being on an opposite side of the position of the vehicle through the sidewalk region, and the sidewalk entering operation is determined to be possible under a condition that the estimated crossing time is less than or equal to the first threshold, the estimated crossing time being an estimation value of a minimum time from entry of the vehicle to the sidewalk region until exit from the sidewalk region, and the vehicle state determination method further comprises outputting at least one of a control signal that controls an operation of the vehicle or information that urges or avoids the sidewalk entering operation depending on whether the sidewalk entering operation is possible, the information that urges or avoids the sidewalk entering operation being output to at least one of a display or a speaker.