# US 12,594,969 B2 · Vehicle controller, method, and program for steering reaction during manual driving for returning to a preset route

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- Number: US 12,594,969 B2
- Document ID: US12594969B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/522,696
- Filed: 2023-11-29
- Published: 2024-06-27
- Granted: 2026-04-07
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-27
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Yusuke Hayashi; Taichi Kawanai; Daichi Hotta; Sadayuki Abe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594969B2

## CPC

- B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant}
- B60W 2540/18: Steering angle
- B60W 2710/202: Steering torque
- 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

The vehicle controller of the present disclosure acquires a preset operation route, and causes the vehicle to travel along the preset operation route in one of an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode. The autonomous driving mode is a mode in which the vehicle is operated by autonomous driving. The manual driving mode is a mode in which the vehicle is operated by manual driving in which at least steering is manually performed. The vehicle controller of the present disclosure generates steering torque in a direction of returning the vehicle to the preset operation route in response to detection of steering toward a road deviating from the preset operation route during operation in the manual driving mode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A controller for controlling a vehicle, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing a plurality of executable instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to execute acquiring a preset operation route;
causing the vehicle to travel along the preset operation route in one of an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle is operated by autonomous driving and a manual driving mode in which the vehicle is operated by manual driving in which at least steering is manually performed;
determining whether a driving mode of the vehicle is the manual driving mode;
upon determination that the driving mode of the vehicle is the manual driving mode, determining whether a preset time has elapsed since a previous intervention by the driver in the steering of the vehicle;
upon determination that the preset time has elapsed since the previous intervention by the driver in the steering of the vehicle, acquiring a steering amount of a steering wheel of the vehicle;
calculating an expected value of the steering amount based on a road shape of the operation route and a current attitude of the vehicle;
comparing the steering amount of the vehicle to the expected value of the steering amount;
upon determination that the steering amount of the vehicle is smaller than the expected value of the steering amount, generating torque for guiding the steering operation of the vehicle so that the vehicle follows the operation route; and
upon determination that the steering amount of the vehicle is larger than the expected value of the steering amount, generating torque acting as steering resistance so that the vehicle follows the operation route.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The controller according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of executable instructions is configured to cause the at least one processor to further execute:
switching from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode in response to detection of intervention in steering by a driver during operation in the autonomous driving mode, and suppressing generation of the steering torque in the direction of returning the vehicle to the preset operation route until a preset time elapses from the detection of the intervention or until the vehicle moves a preset distance from the detection of the intervention.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The controller according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of executable instructions is configured to cause the at least one processor to further execute:
acquiring the preset operation route from a server communicably connected by wireless communication.

### Claim 4

A method for controlling a vehicle by a computer, the method comprising:
acquiring a preset operation route;
causing the vehicle to travel along the preset operation route in one of an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle is operated by autonomous driving and a manual driving mode in which the vehicle is operated by manual driving in which at least steering is manually performed;
determining whether a driving mode of the vehicle is the manual driving mode;
upon determination that the driving mode of the vehicle is the manual driving mode, determining whether a preset time has elapsed since a previous intervention by the driver in the steering of the vehicle;
upon determination that the preset time has elapsed since the previous intervention by the driver in the steering of the vehicle, acquiring a steering amount of a steering wheel of the vehicle;
calculating an expected value of the steering amount based on a road shape of the operation route and a current attitude of the vehicle;
comparing the steering amount of the vehicle to the expected value of the steering amount;
upon determination that the steering amount of the vehicle is smaller than the expected value of the steering amount, generating torque for guiding the steering operation of the vehicle so that the vehicle follows the operation route; and
upon determination that the steering amount of the vehicle is larger than the expected value of the steering amount, generating torque acting as steering resistance so that the vehicle follows the operation route.

### Claim 5

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute processing for controlling a vehicle, the processing comprising:
acquiring a preset operation route;
causing the vehicle to travel along the preset operation route in one of an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle is operated by autonomous driving and a manual driving mode in which the vehicle is operated by manual driving in which at least steering is manually performed;
determining whether a driving mode of the vehicle is the manual driving mode;
upon determination that the driving mode of the vehicle is the manual driving mode, determining whether a preset time has elapsed since a previous intervention by the driver in the steering of the vehicle;
upon determination that the preset time has elapsed since the previous intervention by the driver in the steering of the vehicle, acquiring a steering amount of a steering wheel of the vehicle;
calculating an expected value of the steering amount based on a road shape of the operation route and a current attitude of the vehicle;
comparing the steering amount of the vehicle to the expected value of the steering amount;
upon determination that the steering amount of the vehicle is smaller than the expected value of the steering amount, generating torque for guiding the steering operation of the vehicle so that the vehicle follows the operation route; and
upon determination that the steering amount of the vehicle is larger than the expected value of the steering amount, generating torque acting as steering resistance so that the vehicle follows the operation route.