# US 11,440,550 B2 · Vehicle control device and vehicle control meihod > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,550 B2 - Document ID: US11440550B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/190,008 - Filed: 2021-03-02 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-04 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd - Inventors: Daichi Kato; Mo Zhang; Chihiro Oguro; Nozomu Hirosawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440550B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/18163: {Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres} - B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems - B60W 30/143: {Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence)} - B60W 40/06: Road conditions - B60W 2520/10: 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 ## Abstract On a road on which a first lane, a second lane, and a third lane or a road shoulder are adjacent to each other, a vehicle control device executes an automatic lane change from the first lane to the second lane. In the case that a traffic regulating object that regulates passage of traffic in the third lane or on the road shoulder is placed in the third lane or on the road shoulder, and an external environment recognition unit recognizes the traffic regulating object, a lane change control unit restricts the automatic lane change. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle control device, comprising: an external environment recognition unit that recognizes a situation of a surrounding periphery of a user's own vehicle; a lane change control unit that executes an automatic lane change by controlling a travel speed and steering of the user's own vehicle, based on a recognition result of the external environment recognition unit, wherein on a road on which a first lane and a second lane are adjacent to each other, the second lane and a third lane or a road shoulder are adjacent to each other, and the first lane and the third lane or the road shoulder are positioned on opposite sides of the second lane, the vehicle control device executes the automatic lane change from the first lane to the second lane; and in a case that a pylon or a smoke candle that regulates passage of traffic is placed in the third lane or on the road shoulder and the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle, the lane change control unit cancels the automatic lane change from the first lane to the second lane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the automatic lane change includes: a first lane change which is executed regardless of an intention of a driver; and a second lane change in which lane change is executed in accordance with the intention of the driver of the user's own vehicle, and even in the case that the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle is recognized, if the automatic lane change is the second lane change, the lane change control unit executes the second lane change. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising a control state setting unit that selects and sets, from among a plurality of driving modes, a state of automation of control of the travel speed or the steering of the user's own vehicle, wherein the plurality of driving modes include a first mode in which gripping of a steering wheel is required, and a second mode in which gripping of the steering wheel is not required, and wherein in a case that the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle in a state in which the control state setting unit sets the second mode, the control state setting unit switches the driving mode from the second mode to a first mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein in a case that the external environment recognition unit no longer recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle after the driving mode has been switched from the second mode to the first mode, the control state setting unit returns the driving mode from the first mode to the second mode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein, in a case that the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle in a state in which the control state setting unit sets the first mode, the control state setting unit does not switch the driving mode from the first mode to the second mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the pylon or the smoke candle is provided in plural, and the plurality of pylons or smoke candles are arranged at regular intervals along a direction in which the road extends. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylons based on height, pattern, and color information. ### Claim 8 A vehicle control method, comprising: an external environment recognition step of recognizing a situation of a surrounding periphery of a user's own vehicle; a lane change control step of executing an automatic lane change by controlling a travel speed and steering of the user's own vehicle, based on a recognition result in the external environment recognition step, wherein on a road on which a first lane and a second lane are adjacent to each other, the second lane and a third lane or a road shoulder are adjacent to each other, and the first lane and the third lane or the road shoulder are positioned on opposite sides of the second lane, the vehicle control method comprises executing the automatic lane change from the first lane to the second lane; and in a case that a pylon or a smoke candle that regulates passage of traffic is placed in the third lane or on the road shoulder, and the pylon or a smoke candle is recognized in the external environment recognition step, canceling the automatic lane change from the first lane to the second lane in the lane change control step. ### Claim 9 A vehicle control device, comprising: an external environment recognition unit that recognizes a situation of a surrounding periphery of a user's own vehicle; a lane change control unit that executes an automatic lane change by controlling a travel speed and steering of the user's own vehicle, based on a recognition result of the external environment recognition unit, wherein on a road on which a first lane and a second lane are adjacent to each other, the second lane and a third lane or a road shoulder are adjacent to each other, and the first lane and the third lane or the road shoulder are positioned on opposite sides of the second lane, the lane change control unit cancels the automatic lane change from the first lane to the second lane in a case that a pylon or a smoke candle that regulates passage of traffic is placed in the third lane or on the road shoulder and the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle: and the lane change control unit is capable of executing the automatic lane change other than the automatic lane change from the first lane to the second lane regardless of whether the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle control device according to claim 9, wherein the automatic lane change includes: a first lane change which is executed regardless of an intention of a driver; and a second lane change in which lane change is executed in accordance with the intention of the driver of the user's own vehicle, and even in the case that the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle is recognized, if the automatic lane change is the second lane change, the lane change control unit executes the second lane change. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The vehicle control device according to claim 9, further comprising a control state setting unit that selects and sets, from among a plurality of driving modes, a state of automation of control of the travel speed or the steering of the user's own vehicle, wherein the plurality of driving modes include a first mode in which gripping of a steering wheel is required, and a second mode in which gripping of the steering wheel is not required, and wherein in a case that the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle in a state in which the control state setting unit sets the second mode, the control state setting unit switches the driving mode from the second mode to a first mode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle control device according to claim 11, wherein in a case that the external environment recognition unit no longer recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle after the driving mode has been switched from the second mode to the first mode, the control state setting unit returns the driving mode from the first mode to the second mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The vehicle control device according to claim 11, wherein, in a case that the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylon or the smoke candle in a state in which the control state setting unit sets the first mode, the control state setting unit does not switch the driving mode from the first mode to the second mode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The vehicle control device according to claim 9, wherein the pylon or the smoke candle is provided in plural, and the plurality of pylons or smoke candles are arranged at regular intervals along a direction in which the road extends. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle control device according to claim 14, wherein the external environment recognition unit recognizes the pylons based on height, pattern, and color information.