# US 11,299,157 B2 · Vehicle travel assist device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,299,157 B2 - Document ID: US11299157B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/424,714 - Filed: 2019-05-29 - Published: 2020-01-30 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-26 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tomomichi Nakamura; Yoshihiko Kosegaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299157B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/18: Propelling the vehicle - B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units - B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems - B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems - B62D 15/0285: {Parking performed automatically} - B60W 30/06: Automatic manoeuvring for parking - B60W 2400/00: Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors - B60W 2530/20: Tyre data - B60W 2552/00: Input parameters relating to infrastructure - B60W 2552/35: Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes - B60W 2710/06: Combustion engines, Gas turbines - B60W 2710/08: Electric propulsion units - B60W 2710/18: Braking system - B60W 2710/20: Steering systems - 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 - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) ## Abstract A vehicle travel assist device installed on a vehicle includes: a vehicle travel control device that controls travel of the vehicle; and a travel state acquisition device that acquires travel state information indicating a travel state of the vehicle. The vehicle travel control device: detects that a first wheel of the vehicle climbs over a difference-in-level, based on the travel state information; acquires a first driving force required for the first wheel to climb over the difference-in-level or a change in the travel state when the first wheel passes the difference-in-level, as reference information, based on the travel state information; estimates a second driving force required for a second wheel of the vehicle to climb over the difference-in-level, based on the reference information; and generates the estimated second driving force when the second wheel passes the difference-in-level after the first wheel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle travel assist device installed on a vehicle, comprising: a processor programmed to: control travel of the vehicle; acquire travel state information indicating a travel state of the vehicle; detect that a first wheel of the vehicle stops at a difference-in-level and then climbs over the difference-in-level, based on the acquired travel state information; acquire a first driving force required for the first wheel to climb over the difference-in-level or a change in the travel state when the first wheel passes the difference-in-level, as reference information, based on the acquired travel state information; estimate a second driving force required for a second wheel of the vehicle to climb over the difference-in-level, based on the reference information; generate the estimated second driving force when the second wheel passes the difference-in-level after the first wheel; when the first wheel reaches and stops at the difference-in-level, increase a driving force at a first increase rate; and when the second wheel reaches and stops at the difference-in-level, increase the driving force to the second driving force at a second increase rate higher than the first increase rate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle travel assist device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to estimate the second driving force before the second wheel reaches the difference-in-level. ### Claim 3 A vehicle travel assist device installed on a vehicle, comprising: a processor programmed to: control travel of the vehicle; acquire travel state information indicating a travel state of the vehicle; detect that a first wheel of the vehicle climbs over a difference-in-level, based on the acquired travel state information; acquire a first driving force required for the first wheel to climb over the difference-in-level or a change in the travel state when the first wheel passes the difference-in-level, as reference information, based on the acquired travel state information; acquire difference-in-level position information indicating a position of the difference-in-level; estimate a second wheel that reaches the difference-in-level after the first wheel, based on the difference-in-level position information and the acquired travel state information; estimate a second driving force required for the second wheel of the vehicle to climb over the difference-in-level based on the reference information; and generate the estimated second driving force when the second wheel passes the difference-in-level after the first wheel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle travel assist device according to claim 3, wherein the acquired travel state information includes vehicle position information indicating a position of each wheel of the vehicle, and the processor is further programmed to: detect that two wheels of the vehicle pass the difference-in-level, based on the acquired travel state information; acquire respective positions of the two wheels when passing the difference-in-level as a first passing position and a second passing position, based on the vehicle position information; and assume a position of a line connecting the first passing position and the second passing position as the position of the difference-in-level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The vehicle travel assist device according to claim 3, wherein a first load is a load applied to the first wheel concurrently passing the difference-in-level, a second load is a load applied to the second wheel concurrently passing the difference-in-level, and the processor is further programmed to: estimate the second wheel and the second load based on the difference-in-level position information and the acquired travel state information; and estimate the second driving force based on the reference information, the first load, and the second load. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle travel assist device according to claim 5, wherein the acquired travel state information includes travel control information indicating a driving force for controlling the vehicle, and when the first wheel reaches and stops at the difference-in-level, the processor is further programmed to: increase the driving force; acquire the first driving force required for the first wheel to climb over the difference-in-level, as the reference information, based on the travel control information; and estimate the second driving force based on the first driving force and a ratio of the first load and the second load. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The vehicle travel assist device according to claim 5, wherein the acquired travel state information includes vehicle state information indicating a speed of the vehicle, and when the first wheel passes the difference-in-level without stopping, the processor is further programmed to: acquire a change in the speed when the first wheel passes the difference-in-level, based on the vehicle state information; estimate a height of the difference-in-level based on the first load and the change in the speed; and estimate the second driving force based on the height of the difference-in-level and the second load.