# US 2021/0241028 A1 · Vehicle control device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0241028 A1 - Document ID: US20210241028A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/159,175 - Filed: 2021-01-27 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-05 - Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation; NXP B.V. - Applicants: Mazda Motor Corporation; NXP B.V. - Inventors: Eiichi HOJIN; Kiyoyuki TSUCHIYAMA; Masato ISHIBASHI; Daisuke HAMANO; Tomotsugu FUTA; Daisuke HORIGOME; Atsushi TASAKI; Yosuke HASHIMOTO; Yusuke KIHARA; Arnaud VAN DEN BOSSCHE; Ray MARSHAL; Leonardo SURICO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210241028A1 ## CPC - B60W 30/14: {Adaptive} cruise control - B60W 30/143: {Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence)} - B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers - B60W 50/0205: {Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models} - G06F 18/21: Design or setup of recognition systems or techniques; Extraction of features in feature space; Blind source separation - G06V 10/764: using classification, e.g. of video objects - G06V 10/955: {using specific electronic processors} - G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - B60W 2555/00: Input parameters relating to exterior conditions, not covered by groups B60W2552/00, B60W2554/00 - 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 - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A vehicle control device includes: a signal processing IC unit that outputs image processing data; a recognition processing IC unit that performs recognition processing of the external environment of a vehicle to output external environment data obtained through the recognition processing; a judgment processing IC unit that performs judgment processing for cruise control of the vehicle; a power management unit capable of controlling an on or off state of a recognition function of the external environment of the vehicle in the recognition processing IC unit according to the conditions of the vehicle; and a bypass path for enabling data communications from the signal processing IC unit to the judgment processing IC unit without performing the recognition processing of the external environment of the vehicle by the recognition processing IC unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle control device mounted in a vehicle and capable of performing cruise control of the vehicle according to an external environment of the vehicle, the device comprising: a first integrated circuit (IC) unit mounted in the vehicle, and for performing image processing on an output from a camera for capturing the external environment of the vehicle to output image processing data obtained through the image processing; a second IC unit different from the first IC unit, and for performing recognition processing of the external environment of the vehicle based on the image processing data to output external environment data obtained through the recognition processing; a third IC unit different from the first and second IC units, and for performing judgment processing for the cruise control of the vehicle based on the image processing data or the external environment data; a power management unit capable of controlling an on or off state of a recognition function of the external environment of the vehicle in the second IC unit according to a condition of the vehicle; and a bypass path for enabling data communication from the first IC unit to the third IC unit without performing the recognition processing of the external environment of the vehicle by the second IC unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the second IC unit is configured to perform the recognition processing of the external environment using deep learning techniques based on the image processing data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle control device of claim 2, wherein the bypass path is configured as a communication line bypassing the second IC unit to connect the first IC unit to the third IC unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicular control device of claim 3, further comprising a switch capable of selecting an on or off state of the recognition function of the second IC unit according to an intention of an occupant of the vehicle, wherein if the switch selects turning off the recognition function of the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicular control device of claim 4, further comprising: an abnormality determiner for determining presence or absence of an abnormality in the second IC unit, wherein if the abnormality determiner determines that there is an abnormality in the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit regardless of a condition of the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the bypass path is configured as a communication line bypassing the second IC unit to connect the first IC unit to the third IC unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a switch capable of selecting an on or off state of the recognition function of the second IC unit according to an intention of an occupant of the vehicle, wherein if the switch selects turning off the recognition function of the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising: an abnormality determiner for determining presence or absence of an abnormality in the second IC unit, wherein if the abnormality determiner determines that the abnormality is detected in the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit regardless of a condition of the vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The vehicle control device according to claim 2, further comprising: a switch capable of selecting an on or off state of the recognition function of the second IC unit according to an intention of an occupant of the vehicle, wherein if the switch selects turning off the recognition function of the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The vehicle control device according to claim 2, further comprising: an abnormality determiner for determining presence or absence of an abnormality in the second IC unit, wherein if the abnormality determiner determines that the abnormality is detected in the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit regardless of a condition of the vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The vehicle control device according to claim 3, further comprising: an abnormality determiner for determining presence or absence of an abnormality in the second IC unit, wherein if the abnormality determiner determines that the abnormality is detected in the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit regardless of a condition of the vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The vehicle control device according to claim 6, further comprising: a switch capable of selecting an on or off state of the recognition function of the second IC unit according to an intention of an occupant of the vehicle, wherein if the switch selects turning off the recognition function of the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The vehicle control device according to claim 6, further comprising: an abnormality determiner for determining presence or absence of an abnormality in the second IC unit, wherein if the abnormality determiner determines that the abnormality is detected in the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit regardless of a condition of the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The vehicle control device according to claim 7, further comprising: an abnormality determiner for determining presence or absence of an abnormality in the second IC unit, wherein if the abnormality determiner determines that the abnormality is detected in the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit regardless of a condition of the vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The vehicle control device according to claim 9, further comprising: an abnormality determiner for determining presence or absence of an abnormality in the second IC unit, wherein if the abnormality determiner determines that the abnormality is detected in the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit regardless of a condition of the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The vehicle control device according to claim 12, further comprising: an abnormality determiner for determining presence or absence of an abnormality in the second IC unit, wherein if the abnormality determiner determines that the abnormality is detected in the second IC unit, the power management unit turns off the recognition function of the second IC unit regardless of a condition of the vehicle.