# US 11,440,539 B2 · Vehicle control device, method and computer program product

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- Number: US 11,440,539 B2
- Document ID: US11440539B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/819,232
- Filed: 2020-03-16
- Published: 2020-10-22
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-19
- Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation
- Applicants: Mazda Motor Corporation
- Inventors: Hiroshi Ohmura; Takashi Nakagami; Xi Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440539B2

## CPC

- B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
- B60T 7/22: initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle {, or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle}
- B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems
- B60W 30/0953: {the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters}
- B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters}
- B60W 30/18154: {Approaching an intersection}
- B60W 30/18159: {Traversing an intersection}
- B60W 40/04: Traffic conditions
- 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 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection}
- B60T 2201/022: Collision avoidance systems
- B60T 2201/024: Collision mitigation systems
- B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means}
- B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
- B60W 2554/4041: Position
- B60W 2554/4042: Longitudinal speed
- B60W 2554/804: Relative longitudinal speed
- B60W 2754/50: Relative 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
- B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- 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 device includes an oncoming vehicle detection sensor that detects an oncoming vehicle approaching an own vehicle; and a controller configured to automatically apply brakes to the own vehicle to avoid a collision with the oncoming vehicle, detected by the oncoming vehicle detection sensor, under a condition that the own vehicle is at least partially in an opposite lane or a planned path of the own vehicle is at least partially in the opposite lane. The controller is further configured to set, between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, a virtual area that moves with the oncoming vehicle and that extends toward the own vehicle using a rear end of the oncoming vehicle as a base point, and automatically brake the own vehicle to avoid the own vehicle coming into contact with the virtual area to avoid the collision between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle control device comprising:
an oncoming vehicle detection sensor configured to detect an oncoming vehicle that approaches an own vehicle; and
a controller configured to automatically apply brakes to the own vehicle to avoid a collision with the oncoming vehicle, detected by the oncoming vehicle detection sensor, under a condition that the own vehicle is at least partially in an opposite lane or a planned path of the own vehicle is at least partially in the opposite lane, wherein
the controller is configured to
set, between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, a virtual area that moves with the oncoming vehicle and that extends toward the own vehicle using a rear end of the oncoming vehicle as a base point, wherein the virtual area advances towards the own vehicle as the oncoming vehicle advances, and extends in the advancing direction of the oncoming vehicle,
set a rear end of the virtual area at a position of the rear end of the oncoming vehicle, and
automatically brake the own vehicle to avoid the own vehicle coming into contact with the virtual area to avoid the collision between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the rear end of the virtual area is set on an oncoming, vehicle side of the rear end of the oncoming vehicle, and the controller is configured to
set a front end of the virtual area on an own vehicle side based on a position of a front end of the oncoming vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to set the front end of the virtual area at a position separated from a front end of the oncoming vehicle by a distance that corresponds to a relative speed of the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to set the front end of the virtual area at the position separated from the front end of the oncoming vehicle by a distance obtained by multiplying the relative speed by a time required for the own vehicle to finish passing through the opposite lane.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to set the virtual area along a center line of a road on which the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle travel.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to acquire a travel locus of the own vehicle traversing the opposite lane, and when the travel locus of the own vehicle traversing the opposite lane is present in the virtual area, the controller acquires a time to collision remaining until the own vehicle collides with the virtual area, and
if the time to collision is less than a predetermined time, the controller operates an automatic brake so that the own vehicle is slowed down to avoid a collision with the virtual area.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein when the travel locus of the own vehicle traversing the opposite lane is not present in the virtual area, the controller does not operate the automatic brake.

### Claim 8

A vehicle control method comprising:
detecting with an oncoming vehicle detection sensor an oncoming vehicle that approaches an own vehicle; and
automatically applying brakes to the own vehicle to avoid a collision with the oncoming vehicle, detected by the oncoming vehicle detection sensor, under a condition that the own vehicle is at least partially in an opposite lane or a planned path of the own vehicle is at least partially in the opposite lane, the automatically applying brakes includes
setting, between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, a virtual area that moves with the oncoming vehicle and that extends toward the own vehicle using a rear end of the oncoming vehicle as a base point, wherein the virtual area advances towards the own vehicle as the oncoming vehicle advances, and extends in the advancing direction of the oncoming vehicle,
setting a rear end of the virtual area at a position of the rear end of the oncoming vehicle, and
automatically braking the own vehicle to avoid the own vehicle coming into contact with the virtual area to avoid the collision between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The vehicle control method according to claim 8, wherein the rear end of the virtual area is set on an oncoming vehicle side of the rear end of the oncoming vehicle, and the setting includes
setting a front end of the virtual area on an own vehicle side based on a position of a front end of the oncoming vehicle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The vehicle control method according to claim 9, wherein the setting includes setting the front end of the virtual area at a position separated from a front end of the oncoming vehicle by a distance that corresponds to a relative speed of the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vehicle control method according to claim 10, wherein the setting includes setting the front end of the virtual area at the position separated from the front end of the oncoming vehicle by a distance obtained by multiplying the relative speed by a time required for the own vehicle to finish passing through the opposite lane.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The vehicle control method according to claim 8, wherein the setting includes setting the virtual area along a center line of a road on which the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle travel.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The vehicle control method according to claim 8, further comprising:
acquiring a travel locus of the own vehicle traversing the opposite lame, and when the travel locus of the own vehicle traversing the opposite lane is present in the virtual area, acquiring a time to collision remaining until the own vehicle collides with the virtual area, and
if the time to collision is less than a predetermined time, operating an automatic brake so that the own vehicle is slowed down to avoid a collision with the virtual area.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The vehicle control method according to claim 13, wherein when the travel locus of the own vehicle traversing the opposite lane is not present in the virtual area, the automatic brake is not operated.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer readable storage including computer readable instructions that when executed by a controller cause the controller to execute a vehicle control method, the method comprising:
detecting with an oncoming vehicle detection sensor an oncoming vehicle that approaches an own vehicle; and
automatically applying brakes to the own vehicle to avoid a collision with the oncoming vehicle, detected by the oncoming vehicle detection sensor, under a condition that the own vehicle is at least partially in an opposite lane or a planned path of the own vehicle is at least partially in the opposite lane, the automatically applying brakes includes
setting, between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, a virtual area that moves with the oncoming vehicle and that extends toward the own vehicle using a rear end of the oncoming vehicle as a base point, wherein the virtual area advances towards the own vehicle as the oncoming vehicle advances, and extends in the advancing direction of the oncoming vehicle,
setting a rear end of the virtual area at a position of the rear end of the oncoming vehicle, and
automatically braking the own vehicle to avoid the own vehicle coming into contact with the virtual area to avoid the collision between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable storage according to claim 15, wherein the rear end of the virtual area is set on an oncoming vehicle side of the rear end of the oncoming vehicle, and the setting includes
setting a front end of the virtual area on an own vehicle side based on a position of a front end of the oncoming vehicle.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable storage according to claim 16, wherein the setting includes setting the front end of the virtual area at a position separated from a front end of the oncoming vehicle by a distance that corresponds to a relative speed of the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer readable storage according to claim 17, wherein the setting includes setting the front end of the virtual area at the position separated from the front end of the oncoming vehicle by a distance obtained by multiplying the relative speed by a time required for the own vehicle to finish passing through the opposite lane.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable storage according to claim 15, the method further comprising:
acquiring a travel locus of the own vehicle traversing the opposite lane, and when the travel locus of the own vehicle traversing the opposite lane is present in the virtual area, acquiring a time to collision remaining until the own vehicle collides with the virtual area, and
if the time to collision is less than a predetermined time, operating an automatic brake so that the own vehicle is slowed down to avoid a collision with the virtual area.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer readable storage according to claim 19, wherein when the travel locus of the own vehicle traversing the opposite lane is not present in the virtual area, the automatic brake is not operated.