# US 2021/0276560 A1 · Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

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- Number: US 2021/0276560 A1
- Document ID: US20210276560A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/190,054
- Filed: 2021-03-02
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-04
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Nozomu HIROSAWA; Yoshifumi NAKAMURA; Takuma KOBAYASHI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276560A1

## CPC

- B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units
- B60W 30/18163: {Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres}
- B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems
- B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems
- B60W 30/143: {Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence)}
- B60W 40/09: Driving style or behaviour
- B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
- B62D 1/286: {Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention}
- B62D 15/025: {Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence)}
- B62D 15/0255: {Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle}
- B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
- B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
- B60W 2540/10: Accelerator pedal position
- B60W 2540/12: Brake pedal position
- B60W 2540/18: Steering angle
- B60W 2540/20: Direction indicator values
- B60W 2540/22: Psychological state; Stress level or workload
- B60W 2540/221: Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
- B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
- B60W 2556/65: Data transmitted between vehicles
- 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 control device includes an external environment recognition unit that recognizes a situation of a surrounding periphery of a user's own vehicle, and 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. The automatic lane change includes a first lane change (third mode) which is executed regardless of an intention of a driver, and a second lane change (first mode) which is executed in accordance with the intention of the driver. In the case that a request to make the second lane change is detected during execution of the first lane change, the lane change control unit switches the automatic lane change to be executed from the first lane change to the second lane change.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle control device, comprising:
one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory,
wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the vehicle control device to:
recognize a situation of a surrounding periphery of a user's own vehicle;
execute an automatic lane change by controlling a travel speed and steering of the user's own vehicle based on a recognition result; and
in a case that a request to make a second lane change, which is executed in accordance with an intention of a driver, is detected during execution of a first lane change, which is executed regardless of the intention of the driver, switch the automatic lane change to be executed from the first lane change to the second lane change.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors cause the vehicle control device to:
set a predetermined standby time period before start of a vehicle operation in relation to making the first lane change; and
in a case of switching from the first lane change to the second lane change, shorten the standby time period.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein:
in the first lane change, a first standby time period is set before start of a vehicle operation in relation to making the lane change;
in the second lane change, a second standby time period is set before the start of the vehicle operation in relation to making the lane change; and
the second standby time period is shorter than the first standby time period.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein, in a case that a request to make the second lane change is detected after elapse of the first standby time period, the one or more processors cause the vehicle control device not to accept the request to make the second lane change.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein:
the intention of the driver is indicated by operation of a turn signal lever;
the turn signal lever is configured to be operated in one direction and another direction about a neutral position;
an operating range of the turn signal lever includes a first operating range centered about the neutral position, and a second operating range that exceeds the first operating range; and
the one or more processors cause the vehicle control device to execute the second lane change in a case that the turn signal lever is held by the driver in the first operating range for a predetermined time period or longer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein:
in a case that a direction of lateral movement of the first lane change and a direction of lateral movement indicated by the turn signal lever are identical, the one or more processors cause the vehicle control device to switch the lane change to be executed from the first lane change to the second lane change; and
in a case that the direction of lateral movement of the first lane change and the direction of lateral movement indicated by the turn signal lever are opposite, the one or more processors cause the vehicle control device to cancel the first lane change.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, in a case that a decision to cancel the first lane change is made, the one or more processors cause the vehicle control device not to execute the second lane change even if the driver requests the second lane change within a predetermined time period after the decision to cancel.

### Claim 8

A vehicle control method, comprising:
recognizing a situation of a surrounding periphery of a user's own vehicle;
executing an automatic lane change by controlling a travel speed and steering of the user's own vehicle based on a recognition result; and
in a case that a request to make a second lane change, which is executed in accordance with an intention of a driver, is detected during execution of a first lane change, which is executed regardless of the intention of the driver, switching the automatic lane change to be executed from the first lane change to the second lane change.