# US 11,027,722 B2 · Yeilding action assistance system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,027,722 B2
- Document ID: US11027722B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/848,600
- Filed: 2020-04-14
- Published: 2020-07-30
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-19
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Junya Mizuno; Ayumu Sagawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027722B2

## CPC

- B60W 30/00: Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
- B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units
- B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems
- B60W 30/18163: {Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres}
- B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
- B60W 50/16: Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
- 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)
- B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems
- B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means}
- B60W 2050/146: {Display means}
- B60W 2400/00: Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
- B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed
- B60W 2540/10: Accelerator pedal position
- B60W 2540/12: Brake pedal position
- B60W 2540/18: Steering angle
- B60W 2540/30: Driving style
- B60W 2552/05: Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
- B60W 2552/10: Number of lanes
- B60W 2552/20: Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
- B60W 2552/30: Road curve radius
- 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 2556/45: External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
- B60W 2710/18: Braking system
- B60W 2710/202: Steering torque
- B60W 2710/207: Steering angle of wheels
- B60W 2720/10: Longitudinal speed
- 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
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

A yielding action assistance system for assisting a vehicle driver to take an appropriate action in yielding to a passing emergency vehicle. The yielding action assistance system comprises: a detector that detects a proximity of the emergency vehicle; an information collector that collects a road information and information about the emergency vehicle and other vehicle; a target zone determiner that sets and updates a target zone to pull over the vehicle based on the information about the other vehicle and the road; and a notifier that informs a driver about the target zone.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A yielding action assistance system that assists a vehicle to yield to a passing emergency vehicle, comprising:
a detector that detects a proximity of the emergency vehicle to the vehicle;
an information collector that collects information about a road on which the vehicle travels, and information about the emergency vehicle and other vehicle travelling on the same road with the vehicle;
a target zone determiner that sets a target zone to pull over the vehicle to clear the way for the emergency vehicle based on the information about the other vehicle and the road, and that updates the target zone continuously based at least on the information about the other vehicle; and
a notifier that informs a driver about the target zone,
wherein the information collector is configured to collect information about the emergency vehicle and the vehicle, and
wherein the target zone determiner is configured to update the target zone until the emergency vehicle overtakes the vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The yielding action assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the target zone determiner is further configured to set the target zone in a shoulder of the road at a site at which a width of the target zone can be maintained wider than a width of the emergency vehicle, and a distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle to be stopped in an oncoming lane is maintained longer than a length of the emergency vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The yielding action assistance system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first drive force controller that changes a drive force to increase a deceleration force when the driver pulls over the vehicle to the target zone indicated by the notifier.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The yielding action assistance system according to claim 2, further comprising:
a first drive force controller that changes a drive force to increase a deceleration force when the driver pulls over the vehicle to the target zone indicated by the notifier.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The yielding action assistance system according to claim 3, wherein the first drive force controller is configured to:
calculate a distance between the vehicle and the target zone; and
change the drive force when the distance between the vehicle and the target zone is reduced to a threshold value.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The yielding action assistance system according to claim 4, wherein the first drive force controller is configured to:
calculate a distance between the vehicle and the target zone; and
change the drive force when the distance between the vehicle and the target zone is reduced to a threshold value.

### Claim 7

A yielding action assistance system that assists a vehicle to yield to a passing emergency vehicle, comprising:
a detector that detects a proximity of the emergency vehicle to the vehicle;
an information collector that collects information about a road on which the vehicle travels, and information about the emergency vehicle and other vehicle travelling on the same road with the vehicle;
a target zone determiner that sets a target zone to pull over the vehicle to clear the way for the emergency vehicle based on the information about the other vehicle and the road, and that updates the target zone continuously based at least on the information about the other vehicle; and
a notifier that informs a driver about the target zone,
wherein the target zone determiner is further configured to set the target zone in a shoulder of the road at a site at which a width of the target zone can be maintained wider than a width of the emergency vehicle, and a distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle to be stopped in an oncoming lane is maintained longer than a length of the emergency vehicle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The yielding action assistance system according to claim 7, further comprising:
a first drive force controller that changes a drive force to increase a deceleration force when the driver pulls over the vehicle to the target zone indicated by the notifier.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The yielding action assistance system according to claim 8, wherein the first drive force controller is configured to;
calculate a distance between the vehicle and the target zone; and
change the drive force when the distance between the vehicle and the target zone is reduced to a threshold value.

### Claim 10

A yielding action assistance system that assists a vehicle to yield to a passing emergency vehicle, comprising:
a detector that detects a proximity of the emergency vehicle to the vehicle;
an information collector that collects information about a road on which the vehicle travels, and information about the emergency vehicle and other vehicle travelling on the same road with the vehicle;
a target zone determiner that sets a target zone to pull over the vehicle to clear the way for the emergency vehicle based on the information about the other vehicle and the road, and that updates the target zone continuously based at least on the information about the other vehicle;
a notifier that informs a driver about the target zone; and
a first drive force controller that changes a drive force to increase a deceleration force when the driver pulls over the vehicle to the target zone indicated by the notifier,
wherein the first drive force controller is further configured to:
calculate a distance between the vehicle and the target zone;
change the drive force when the distance between the vehicle and the target zone is reduced to a threshold value;
detect a speed of the vehicle; and
increase the threshold value with an increase in the speed of the vehicle.

### Claim 11

A yielding action assistance system that assists a vehicle to yield to a passing emergency vehicle, comprising:
a detector that detects a proximity of the emergency vehicle to the vehicle;
an information collector that collects information about a road on which the vehicle travels, and information about the emergency vehicle and other vehicle travelling on the same road with the vehicle;
a target zone determiner that sets a target zone to pull over the vehicle to clear the way for the emergency vehicle based on the information about the other vehicle and the road, and that updates the target zone continuously based at least on the information about the other vehicle;
a notifier that informs a driver about the target zone; and
a first drive force controller that changes a drive force to increase a deceleration force when the driver pulls over the vehicle to the target zone indicated by the notifier,
wherein the first drive force controller is further configured to:
calculate a distance between the vehicle and the target zone; and
change the drive force to increase the deceleration force with a reduction in the distance between the vehicle and the target zone.

### Claim 12

A yielding action assistance system that assists a vehicle to yield to a passing emergency vehicle, comprising:
a detector that detects a proximity of the emergency vehicle to the vehicle;
an information collector that collects information about a road on which the vehicle travels, and information about the emergency vehicle and other vehicle travelling on the same road with the vehicle;
a target zone determiner that sets a target zone to pull over the vehicle to clear the way for the emergency vehicle based on the information about the other vehicle and the road, and that updates the target zone continuously based at least on the information about the other vehicle; and
a notifier that informs a driver about the target zone, wherein the target zone determiner is further configured to set the target zone in a lane other than an innermost lane while avoiding interference with the other vehicle, in a case that the vehicle travels on a multi-lane road, and
wherein the yielding action assistance system further comprises a second drive force controller that changes a drive force to increase a deceleration force after the vehicle arrives at the target zone.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The yielding action assistance system according to claim 12, further comprising:
a first drive force controller that changes a drive force to increase a deceleration force when the driver pulls over the vehicle to the target zone indicated by the notifier.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The yielding action assistance system according to claim 13, wherein the first drive force controller is configured to;
calculate a distance between the vehicle and the target zone; and
change the drive force when the distance between the vehicle and the target zone is reduced to a threshold value.