Vehicle and control method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle and a control method thereof. A vehicle may include: a sensor configured to detect an object near the vehicle; a driver state detector configured to identify a driver state of a driver of the vehicle; and a controller operably coupled to the sensor and the driver state detector, the controller being configured to determine whether the driver is unable to control the vehicle based on the identified driver state, and to determine a travel stop position and a travel stop timing based on at least one of the type of road the vehicle is traveling on and the driving environment of the vehicle when it is determined that the driver is unable to control the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a vehicle capable of automatically making an emergency stop in consideration of traffic conditions, road types, etc., and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the recent popularity of vehicles, traffic congestion has worsened, especially in high-density areas (e.g., South Korea). At the same time, many modern vehicles are equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which can actively provide information about vehicle conditions, driver conditions, and information about the surrounding environment, thereby reducing the burden on the driver and improving user convenience. Typical ADAS may include smart cruise control systems, lane keeping assist systems, lane tracking assist, lane departure warning systems, forward collision avoidance (FCA), and automatic emergency braking (AEB).

[0003] Some implementations of ADAS can assist the driver to avoid collisions by identifying the risk of collision with oncoming vehicles or merging vehicles and emergency braking, maintaining distance from the vehicle in front, and / or preventing the vehicle from leaving the lane. In addition, the system may include a driver status warning that monitors the driver's status to detect whether the driver is inattentive or drowsy. According to these methods, it is necessary to automatically perform an emergency stop when the driver is unable to drive for various reasons. Summary of the invention

[0004] Therefore, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle capable of emergency stopping in consideration of traffic conditions, road types, etc. when a driver is unable to drive, and a control method thereof.

[0005] Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle may include: a sensor configured to detect objects near the vehicle; a driver state detector configured to identify the driver state of the driver of the vehicle; and a controller operably coupled to the sensor and the driver state detector, the controller being configured to determine whether the driver is unable to control the vehicle based on the identified driver state, and to determine a driving stop position and a driving stop timing based on the type of road the vehicle is traveling on and at least one of the driving environment of the vehicle when it is determined that the driver is unable to control the vehicle.

[0007] The driver state detector may acquire gaze information of the driver, and the controller may determine a risk of the driver's inattention to a road ahead of the vehicle based on the acquired gaze information, and determine the driver's vehicle control state based on the determined risk.

[0008] The vehicle may further include: an imager configured to image the road on which the vehicle is traveling, wherein the controller may determine whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a highway or an ordinary road based on map information of the road on which the vehicle is traveling or imaged road information generated by the imager.

[0009] The controller may identify the driving environment of the vehicle based on at least one of a traffic congestion condition of a road on which the vehicle is driving and a shape of a road on which the vehicle is driving.

[0010] The controller may detect traffic congestion based on whether the number of other vehicles near the vehicle as detected by the sensor is greater than or equal to a preselected number, and determine a travel stop control timing of the vehicle based on the detected traffic congestion.

[0011] The controller can perform vehicle travel stop control when the number of other vehicles near the vehicle is greater than or equal to a preselected number, and determine the timing of vehicle travel stop control based on the shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling when the number of other vehicles near the vehicle is less than a preselected number.

[0012] The controller may determine whether a curvature of a road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than a preselected curvature, and perform travel stop control of the vehicle when the curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than the preselected curvature.

[0013] The controller may perform travel stop control of the vehicle when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is an ordinary road, causing the vehicle to stop at an intersection.

[0014] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a vehicle may include: using a sensor to detect objects near the vehicle; using a driver state detector to identify the driver state of the driver of the vehicle; and, by a controller operably coupled to the sensor and the driver state detector, determining whether the driver is unable to control the vehicle based on the identified driver state, and, when it is determined that the driver is unable to control the vehicle, by the controller determining a driving stop position and a driving stop timing based on the type of road the vehicle is traveling on and at least one of the driving environment of the vehicle.

[0015] The method may further include: using a driver state detector to obtain the driver's gaze information; and determining, by the controller, the risk of the driver's inattention to the road ahead of the vehicle based on the obtained gaze information, and determining the driver's vehicle control state based on the determined risk.

[0016] The method may further include: using an imager to image the road on which the vehicle is traveling; and determining, by a controller, whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a highway or an ordinary road based on map information of the road on which the vehicle is traveling or imaged road information generated by the imager.

[0017] The method may further include: identifying, by the controller, a driving environment of the vehicle based on at least one of a traffic congestion condition of a road on which the vehicle is driving and a shape of the road on which the vehicle is driving.

[0018] The method may further include detecting, by the controller, traffic congestion based on whether the number of other vehicles near the vehicle as detected by the sensor is greater than or equal to a preselected number, and determining, by the controller, a travel stop control timing of the vehicle based on the detected traffic congestion.

[0019] The method may further include: the controller executing the vehicle's driving stop control when the number of other vehicles near the vehicle is greater than or equal to a preselected number, and the controller determining the timing of the vehicle's driving stop control based on the shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling when the number of other vehicles near the vehicle is less than a preselected number.

[0020] The method may further include determining, by a controller, whether a curvature of a road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than a preselected curvature, and performing, by the controller, a travel stop control of the vehicle when the curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than the preselected curvature.

[0021] The method may further include: executing, by the controller, a travel stop control of the vehicle when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is an ordinary road, causing the vehicle to stop at an intersection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] These and / or other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent and more readily understood from the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 A view of a vehicle with a sensor and a rear outboard sensor is provided for illustration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 2 is a view illustrating an interior configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 3 is a control block diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 4A and 4B is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 5 A diagram illustrating a situation in which a driver state sensor acquires driver's gaze information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6 A diagram illustrating recognition of driver fatigue while driving according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 7 and 8 A diagram illustrating controlling a vehicle to make an emergency stop on a highway according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0030] Fig. 9 and 10 It is a diagram illustrating controlling a vehicle to make an emergency stop on a normal road according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] It should be understood that the drawings cited above are not necessarily to scale, and provide a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure. Specific design features of the present disclosure include, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, and will be determined in part by the environment of specific intended application and use.

[0032] List of reference numerals:

[0033] 1: Vehicle

[0034] 70: Speed ​​regulator

[0035] 80: Speed ​​detector

[0036] 90: Memory

[0037] 100: Controller

[0038] 200: Sensor

[0039] 303: Display

[0040] 304: Indicator

[0041] 318: Input

[0042] 331: Driver status detector

[0043] 350: Imager DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Hereafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Further, throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0045] In the following description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout the specification. Well-known functions or structures are not described in detail because they will obscure one or more exemplary embodiments with unnecessary details. Terms such as "unit", "module", "component", "block" can be embodied as hardware or software. According to an embodiment, multiple "units", "modules", "components", and "blocks" can be implemented as a single component, or a single "unit", "module", "component", and "block" can include multiple components.

[0046] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it can be directly or indirectly connected to the other element, wherein the indirect connection includes “connection via a wireless communication network”.

[0047] In addition, when a component “includes” or “comprises” an element, unless there is a particular contrary description, the component may further include other elements, and does not exclude other elements.

[0048] It will be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, the elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

[0049] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0050] The identification codes are used to facilitate the description and are not intended to illustrate the order of the steps. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, each step may be implemented in an order different from the order shown.

[0051] It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicle-like" or other similar terms as used herein include conventional motor vehicles (such as passenger cars including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles), ships including various ships and vessels, aircraft, etc., and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels obtained from resources other than petroleum). As mentioned herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle having two or more power sources, for example, a vehicle having both gasoline power and electric power.

[0052] Additionally, it is understood that one or more of the following methods, or various aspects thereof, may be performed by at least one controller. The term "controller" may refer to a hardware device including a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store program instructions, and the processor is specifically programmed to run the program instructions, thereby performing one or more processes further described below. As described herein, a controller may control the operation of a unit, module, component, device, etc. In addition, it is understood that, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the following methods may be performed by a device including a controller and one or more other components.

[0053] Furthermore, the controller of the present disclosure may be embodied as a non-volatile computer-readable medium containing executable program instructions executed by a processor. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disk (CD)-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash drive, smart card, and optical data storage device. The computer-readable recording medium can also be distributed over a computer network so that the program instructions are stored and executed in a distributed manner, such as by a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN).

[0054] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0055] Figure 1 A view of a vehicle with a sensor and a rear outboard sensor is provided for illustration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 It is a view illustrating an interior configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a control block diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4A and 4B A flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Hereinafter, for the convenience of description, Figure 1 As illustrated in , the direction in which the vehicle 1 moves forward may be defined as the front side, and the left and right may be defined with respect to the front side. When the front side is the 12 o'clock direction, the 3 o'clock direction or its surroundings may be defined as the right side, and the 9 o'clock direction or its surroundings may be defined as the left side. The direction opposite to the front side may be defined as the rear side. The bottom direction with respect to the vehicle 1 may be defined as the lower side, and the direction opposite to the lower side may be defined as the upper side. The surface placed on the front side may be defined as the front surface, the surface placed on the rear side may be defined as the rear surface, and the surface placed on the outside may be defined as the side surface. The side surface on the left may be defined as the left surface, and the side surface on the right may be defined as the right surface.

[0057] See also Figure 1, a sensor 200 may be provided in the vehicle 1 , wherein the sensor 200 is configured to detect an object in front of the vehicle 1 and acquire at least one of position information and driving speed information of the identified object.

[0058] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensor 200 may acquire at least one of position information and driving speed information of an object, wherein the object is near the vehicle 1 relative to the vehicle 1. That is, the sensor 200 may obtain coordinate information that changes as the object moves in real time, and detect the distance between the vehicle 1 and the object.

[0059] The controller 100 described later (see Figure 3 ) can calculate the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle 1 and the object based on the position and speed information of the object obtained by the sensor 200, and thus, the controller 100 can calculate the collision time (TTC) between the vehicle 1 and the object based on the obtained relative distance and relative speed.

[0060] As in Figure 1 As illustrated in , the sensor 200 may be installed at a position suitable for identifying a front side, an outside side, or a front outside object, such as another vehicle. According to an embodiment, the sensor 200 may be installed at all of the front side, the left side, and the right side of the vehicle 1 to identify objects at all of the front side of the vehicle 1, the direction between the left side and the right side of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, referred to as the "left front side"), and the direction between the right side and the front side of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, referred to as the "right front side").

[0061] For example, the first sensor 200a may be installed as a part of the radiator grille 6 (e.g., inside the radiator grille 6), or, alternatively, the first sensor 200a may be installed in any position of the vehicle 1 suitable for detecting another vehicle located in front of the vehicle 1. However, according to the embodiment, it will be described that the first sensor 200a is installed in the center of the front of the vehicle. The second sensor 200b may be installed on the left side of the vehicle 1, and the third sensor 200c may be installed on the right side of the vehicle 1.

[0062] The sensor 200 may include a rear outer sensor 201 configured to detect a pedestrian or other vehicle that appears in the rear side, the outer side, or a direction between the outer side and the rear side (hereinafter referred to as the rear outer side), or a pedestrian or other vehicle that approaches from the rear side, the outer side, or the rear outer side. Figure 1 As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the rear outboard sensor 201 may be installed at a position suitable for identifying an outboard, rearward, or rear-outward object (eg, another vehicle).

[0063] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the rear outer sensor 201 may be installed in the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 to identify objects in all directions in the direction between the left side and the rear side of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, referred to as the "left rear side") and the direction between the right side and the rear side of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, referred to as the "right rear side"). For example, the first rear outer sensor 201a or the second rear outer sensor 201b may be provided on the left side of the vehicle 1, and the third rear outer sensor 201c or the second rear outer sensor 201d may be provided on the right side of the vehicle 1.

[0064] The sensor 200 can be implemented by using various devices, for example, a radar using millimeter waves or microwaves, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) using pulsed lasers, a visual sensor using visible light, an infrared sensor using infrared light, or an ultrasonic sensor using ultrasonic waves. The sensor 200 can be implemented by using any one of radar, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a visual sensor, an infrared sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor or by combining them. When a plurality of sensors 200 are provided in a single vehicle 1, each sensor 200 can be implemented by using the same type of sensor or a different type of sensor. The implementation of the sensor 200 is not limited thereto, and the sensor 200 can be implemented by using various devices and combinations thereof considered by the designer.

[0065] As in Figure 2 As illustrated in FIG. 1 , at least one imager 350 may be provided inside the vehicle 1. When the vehicle 1 is driving or when the vehicle 1 is stopped, the imager 350 may acquire a surrounding image of the vehicle 1, detect an object near the vehicle 1, and acquire information related to the type of the object and the position information of the object. The objects acquired near the vehicle 1 may include other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles, and may include moving objects or stationary obstacles.

[0066] The imager 350 may image an object around the vehicle 1 and obtain the shape of the object by recognizing the imaged object using image recognition, and the imager 350 may transmit the obtained information to the controller 100 .

[0067] In addition, the imager 350 can image the road on which the vehicle 1 travels and acquire shape information of the road.

[0068] Figure 2 The imager 350 is illustrated as being disposed around the interior mirror 340, but is not limited thereto. Therefore, the imager 350 may be disposed in any position as long as image information can be acquired by imaging the interior or exterior of the vehicle 1.

[0069] The imager 350 may include at least one camera, and the imager 350 may include a three-dimensional space recognition sensor, a radar sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor to acquire a more accurate image.

[0070] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 3 , an interior 300 of a vehicle, a driver's seat 301 , a passenger seat 302 , a dashboard 310 and a steering wheel 320 , and an instrument panel 330 may be provided.

[0071] The dash panel 310 may refer to a panel configured to divide the interior of the vehicle 1 into the interior and the engine compartment of the vehicle 1, and in which various components required for driving are installed. The dash panel 310 may be provided in front of the driver's seat 301 and the passenger seat 302. The dash panel 310 may include an upper panel, a center fascia 311, and a gearbox 315.

[0072] In the upper panel of the dash panel 310, a display 303 may be installed. The display 303 may provide various information to the driver or passenger of the vehicle 1, forming an image. Further, the display 303 may provide a warning according to danger to the driver or passenger. In particular, when the vehicle 1 changes its lane, the display 303 may provide a warning to the driver, which changes according to the risk. The display 303 may be implemented by using a commonly used navigation system.

[0073] In addition, the display 303 may output an image of an object behind the vehicle 1 detected by the rear outer sensor 201. In particular, an image of an object behind the vehicle 1 imaged by a rear imager (not shown) provided behind the vehicle 1 may be provided to the driver through the display 303.

[0074] In the dash panel 310, various devices, such as a processor, a communication module, a GPS receiving module, and a memory may be installed. The processor installed in the vehicle 1 may be configured to control the electronic devices installed in the vehicle 1, and as mentioned above, the processor may be provided to perform the functions of the controller 100. The above-mentioned devices may be implemented by using various components, such as a semiconductor chip, a switch, an integrated circuit, a resistor, a volatile or nonvolatile memory, or a printed circuit board.

[0075] The central control 311 may be provided in the center of the front panel 310 and may be provided with inputs 318a to 318c for receiving various commands related to the vehicle. The inputs 318a to 318c may be implemented using physical buttons, knobs, touch pads, touch screens, stick-type operators, or trackballs. The driver may control various operations of the vehicle 1 by operating the inputs 318a to 318c.

[0076] A gearbox 315 may be provided between the driver's seat 301 and the passenger seat 302 in the lower end of the center console 311. In the gearbox 315, a gear 316, an operation console 317, and various inputs 318d to 318e may be provided. The inputs 318d to 318e may be implemented using physical buttons, knobs, touch pads, touch screens, stick-type operators, or trackballs. According to an embodiment, the operation console 317 and the inputs 318d to 318e may be omitted.

[0077] A steering wheel 320 and an instrument panel 330 may be provided in a direction of a driver's seat of the dash panel 310 .

[0078] The steering wheel 320 may be rotatable in a certain direction corresponding to the operation of the driver, and the front wheels or rear wheels of the vehicle 1 may be rotated corresponding to the rotation direction of the steering wheel 320 so that the vehicle 1 turns. In the steering wheel 320, a spoke 321 connected to a rotation shaft and a hand wheel 322 coupled to the spoke 321 may be provided. At the rear side of the steering wheel 320, a turn indicator input 318f may be provided. The user may input a signal to change the driving direction or lane via the turn indicator input 318f during driving the vehicle 1.

[0079] The dashboard 330 may be configured to provide various information related to the vehicle to the driver, wherein the various information may include the speed of the vehicle 1, the engine speed, the remaining fuel, the engine oil temperature, or whether the turn signal indicator light is flashing. According to an embodiment, the dashboard 330 may be implemented using a lighting lamp or a dial plate, or may be implemented using a display panel. When the dashboard 330 is implemented using a display panel, the dashboard 330 may display more various information to the driver, such as fuel consumption, whether various devices installed on the vehicle 1 are executed, and the information mentioned above. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the dashboard 330 may output different warnings to the driver according to the risk of the vehicle 1. In particular, the dashboard 330 may provide different warnings to the driver according to the identified risks when the vehicle 1 changes lanes.

[0080] In addition, the dash panel 330 may be provided with a driver state detector 331a configured to identify the state of the driver. The driver state sensor 331 (including 331a and 331b) may identify the current state of the driver when driving the vehicle 1. The driver state detector 331 corresponds to a driver state warning system for monitoring whether the driver of the driving vehicle 1 is negligent in paying attention to the road ahead (i.e., the driver takes his / her eyes away from the road) or the driver is driving fatigued.

[0081] For example, the driver state detector 331 may acquire the driver's gaze information by acquiring at least one of the driver's facial angle and pupil angle, and transmit the acquired driver's gaze information to the controller.

[0082] In addition, the driver state detector 331 can obtain a face image from the acquired image obtained by the camera, and identify the driver's state based on the acquired face image. That is, the driver state detector 331 can determine whether the driver keeps his eyes forward and whether the driver is driving fatigued.

[0083] That is, the driver state detector 331 can obtain the driver's gaze information or image the driver's face or pupils to determine whether the driver keeps his eyes forward or whether the current driver state is unable to control the vehicle 1.

[0084] The method of identifying the current state of the driver by the driver state detector 331 can be implemented in various ways. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is described that the driver state detector 331a is provided in the instrument panel 330, but it is not limited to this. There is no limitation on the location where the driver state detector 331a is installed, and thus, as long as the driver state detector 331 can obtain the gaze information and the state information of the driver, the driver state detector 331 can be installed in any location. That is, Figure 2 As illustrated in , the driver state detector 331 b may be mounted at an upper end of a driver's seat in the vehicle 1 .

[0085] The driver state detector 331 may include a stereo camera that acquires a facial image or a pupil image of the driver, and may be installed at a position capable of acquiring the driver's face and pupils to acquire the driver's gaze information.

[0086] See also Figure 3 The vehicle 1 may include: a speed regulator 70 for regulating the driving speed of the vehicle 1 driven by the driver; a speed detector 80 for detecting the driving speed of the vehicle 1; a memory 90 for storing data related to the control of the vehicle 1; a controller 100 for controlling each component of the vehicle 1 and the driving speed of the vehicle 1; and an indicator 304 for sending operation and driving information of the vehicle 1 to the driver.

[0087] The speed regulator 70 may regulate the speed of the vehicle 1 driven by the driver. The speed regulator 70 may include an acceleration driver 71 and a brake driver 72.

[0088] The acceleration driver 71 may increase the speed of the vehicle 1 by operating an accelerator in response to a control signal of the controller 100. The brake driver 72 may reduce the speed of the vehicle 1 by operating a brake in response to a control signal of the controller 100.

[0089] That is, the controller 100 may calculate a collision time between the vehicle 1 and the object based on a relative distance and a relative speed between the vehicle 1 and the object, and the controller 100 may send a signal to control a travel speed of the vehicle 1 to the speed regulator 70 based on the estimated collision time.

[0090] The speed regulator 70 may adjust the travel speed of the vehicle 1 under the control of the controller 100. The speed regulator 70 may reduce the travel speed of the vehicle 1 when the risk of collision between the vehicle 1 and other objects is high.

[0091] The speed detector 80 may detect the driving speed of the vehicle 1 driven by the driver under the control of the controller 100. That is, the speed detector 80 may detect the driving speed by using the rotation speed of the wheels, wherein the driving speed may be expressed as [kph], and the distance (km) traveled per unit time (h).

[0092] The memory 90 may store various data related to the control of the vehicle 1. In particular, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 90 may store information related to the driving speed, driving distance, and driving time of the vehicle 1, and the memory 90 may store the type and position information of the object detected by the imager 350. The memory 90 may store the position information and speed information of the object detected by the sensor 200 and the rear outer sensor 201, and may store the coordinate information of the moving object that changes in real time. The memory 90 may store information related to the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle 1 and the object. In addition, the memory 90 may store data related to the formula and control algorithm for controlling the vehicle 1, and the controller 100 may output a control signal for controlling the vehicle 1 according to the formula and control algorithm.

[0093] In addition, the memory 90 may store information of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. For example, the memory 90 may store GPS information or map information of the road, and may store type and shape information of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling and type and shape information of the road on which the vehicle 1 will drive.

[0094] The memory 90 may be implemented using at least one of the following: a non-volatile storage element, such as a cache, a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), and a flash memory; a volatile storage element, such as a random access memory (RAM); or a storage medium, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) and a CD-ROM. The implementation of the memory is not limited thereto. The memory 90 may be a memory implemented by a separate memory chip for the aforementioned processor associated with the controller 100, or the memory may be implemented by a single chip with a processor.

[0095] At least one controller 100 may be provided inside the vehicle 1 . The controller 100 may perform electronic control of each component related to the operation of the vehicle 1 .

[0096] During the driver's driving of the vehicle, when the driver's eyes are ahead (or in front of) the vehicle, or when the driver is unable to drive or control the vehicle 1 due to the driver's health problems, the vehicle 1 may need to be urgently stopped. According to the method for controlling the vehicle 1, it is possible to determine the emergency stop control timing and stop position of the vehicle 1 by comprehensively considering the type and shape of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling and the traffic conditions around the vehicle.

[0097] See also Figure 4A , the driver state detector 331 provided in the vehicle 1 can identify the driver state of the vehicle 1 (1000).

[0098] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a situation where a driver state sensor acquires driver's gaze information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 6 A diagram illustrating recognizing driver's fatigue while driving according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0099] As in Figure 5 As shown in , the driver state detector 331 can obtain the driver's gaze information. That is, the face or eyes of the driver driving the vehicle 1 can be imaged by an imaging module such as a camera (not shown) provided in the driver state detector 331, and the driver's face angle and pupil angle can be obtained based on the acquired image. The camera may include multiple gaze sensors.

[0100] The controller 100 may determine the risk of the driver not paying attention to the road ahead based on the driver's gaze information acquired by the driver state detector 331 , and identify the control state of the driver of the vehicle 1 based on the identified risk ( 1010 ).

[0101] In particular, the controller 100 can detect whether the driver's eyes are away from the driving direction of the vehicle 1 by a preselected angle or more, and when it is identified that the driver's eyes are away from the driving direction of the vehicle 1 by a preselected angle or more, the controller 100 can determine the risk of the driver neglecting to pay attention to the road ahead.

[0102] When the risk that the driver is not paying attention to the road ahead corresponds to a preselected value, the controller 100 may determine that the driver is unable to drive the vehicle 1 .

[0103] As in Figure 6 As shown in , the controller 100 can determine whether the pupil (Ea) area of ​​the driver's eyeball (E) area acquired by the driver state detector 331 is equal to or less than a pre-selected area, and when it is identified that the pupil (Ea) area is equal to or less than the pre-selected area, the controller 100 can determine that the driver is driving fatigued. In addition, when it is identified that the driver is driving fatigued, the controller 100 can determine that the risk of the driver neglecting to pay attention to the road ahead is a pre-selected value.

[0104] That is, if Figure 6 As illustrated in , because the risk of an accident increases when the driver is driving fatigued, the controller 100 can compare the pupil (Ea) area acquired by the driver state detector 331 with a preselected reference area stored in the memory 90, and when the pupil (Ea) area is equal to or less than the preselected reference area, the controller 100 can detect that the driver has partially closed his or her eyes.

[0105] When the identified risk caused by fatigue driving is equal to a pre-selected value, the controller 100 may determine that the current driver is unable to drive the vehicle.

[0106] When it is recognized that the current driver cannot control the vehicle, the controller 100 may determine whether a vehicle control input of the current driver is received ( 1020 ).

[0107] That is, when receiving an input related to the control of the vehicle 1 from the driver, although the controller 100 recognizes that the driver cannot control the vehicle 1 , the controller 100 may release the recognition related to the driver's inability to control the vehicle 1 .

[0108] However, when no input related to the control of the vehicle 1 is received from the driver, the controller 100 may determine that the driver is unable to drive the vehicle 1 , and thus, the controller 100 may control the vehicle 1 to perform an emergency stop of the vehicle 1 .

[0109] That is, when it is recognized that the driver cannot control the vehicle 1 , the controller 100 may determine a travel stop position and a travel stop timing of the vehicle 1 based on at least one of the type of road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling and the driving environment of the vehicle 1 .

[0110] Figure 7 and 8 is a diagram illustrating controlling an emergency stop of a vehicle on a highway according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and, Fig. 9 and 10 A diagram illustrating controlling an emergency stop of a vehicle on a normal road according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0111] The controller 100 may detect the type of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling for emergency stopping of the vehicle 1 (1030). That is, the controller 100 may determine whether the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is a highway or an ordinary road based on the road information acquired by the imager 350 or the map information of the road.

[0112] When the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is an expressway, only vehicles can drive thereon, and, when the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is an ordinary road, vehicles other than vehicles and pedestrians can move thereon.

[0113] That is, because the type of road on which the vehicle drives and the traffic congestion of the road vary according to the type of road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, the controller 100 can control the emergency stop position and stop timing of the vehicle 1 to be variable.

[0114] When the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is a highway, the controller 100 may determine the emergency stop position and stop timing of the vehicle 1 based on the traffic congestion situation on the road.

[0115] The controller 100 can detect traffic congestion on the road where the vehicle 1 is traveling based on the position and speed of the adjacent vehicle acquired by the sensor 200. In addition, the controller 100 can detect traffic congestion on the road based on the number of adjacent vehicles, and the traffic congestion can be identified based on the number of other vehicles selected in advance.

[0116] like Figure 7 As illustrated in , in a state where vehicle 1 is traveling at point P1 on a highway (Rv), when the controller 100 recognizes that the driver cannot drive vehicle 1, the controller 100 can determine the timing of driving stop control (1040) depending on whether the number of other vehicles near vehicle 1 is equal to or greater than a preselected number.

[0117] For example, when the number of other vehicles 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, and 2i in front of the vehicle 1 is more than three according to a preselected reference value, and the number of other vehicles 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d behind the vehicle 1 is more than three according to a preselected reference value, the controller 100 may use the preselected value as the traffic congestion of the road, and immediately initiate the travel stop control (1080) of the vehicle 1 based on the selected traffic congestion. Therefore, it is possible to allow the vehicle 1 to make an emergency stop on the road (1090), where the vehicle 1 is driven by a driver who cannot control the vehicle 1.

[0118] That is, when the traffic congestion is high due to other vehicles being placed near the vehicle 1, an emergency stop of the vehicle 1 may be required to be performed to prevent an accident with other vehicles due to the driver's inability to control the vehicle 1. Therefore, the controller 100 may determine that the driver cannot control the vehicle 1 and initiate a travel stop control of the vehicle 1 immediately after acquiring the traffic congestion.

[0119] The controller 100 may determine the stop position of the vehicle 1 by controlling the steering of the vehicle 1 , and reduce the travel speed of the vehicle 1 by controlling the speed regulator 70 .

[0120] Further, while the travel stop control of the vehicle 1 is executed, the controller 100 may control the driving of the vehicle 1 during deceleration based on the LKAS so as to prevent passing through other lanes.

[0121] When the number of other vehicles near vehicle 1 is less than a preselected reference value, the controller 100 can postpone the stopping timing without immediately starting the driving stop control of vehicle 1, and search for a location for emergency stopping of vehicle 1 by considering the shape of the road on which vehicle 1 is traveling and the driving environment.

[0122] That is, the controller 100 may acquire information on the type of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling based on the road information acquired by the imager 350 or map information of the road, and may detect the traveling environment of the vehicle 1 based on the acquired type of the road.

[0123] In particular, the controller 100 can determine whether the curvature of the highway (Rv) on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is less than a preselected curvature (1050), and when it is identified that the curvature of the road is equal to or greater than the preselected curvature, the controller 100 can search for other locations that allow the vehicle 1 to stop without stopping the vehicle 1 (1060).

[0124] On the other hand, when it is identified that the curvature of the highway (Rv) is less than the preselected curvature, the controller 100 may determine whether a road having a curvature less than the preselected curvature is obtained within a preselected distance behind the vehicle 1 ( 1070 ).

[0125] That is, in a state where the driver cannot control the vehicle 1, when the vehicle 1 performs an emergency stop on a road with a large curvature, the risk of collision with other vehicles may increase. Therefore, in order to prevent rear-end collisions and secondary accidents, the controller 100 can postpone the travel stop control timing until a road with a small curvature or a straight road is obtained within a pre-selected distance.

[0126] See also Figure 8 , when the driver cannot control the vehicle 1 at point P2 and traffic congestion is not high, the controller 100 may search for a position where the vehicle 1 is allowed to stop without immediately performing an emergency stop of the vehicle 1 .

[0127] As in Figure 8 As illustrated in , in a state where the curvature of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling has a portion having a curvature equal to or greater than a preselected curvature, when the controller 100 controls the vehicle 1 to stop at point P3 and thus the vehicle 1 makes an emergency stop at P3, there may be a risk of collision between the vehicle 1 and other vehicles behind it driving on the same lane.

[0128] That is, in a state where the driving road has a curve, when vehicle 1 makes an emergency stop at point P3, other vehicles driving behind may collide with vehicle 1 because the other vehicles do not find the stopped vehicle 1, and therefore, it is appropriate for vehicle 1 to stop at a position outside the curve.

[0129] The curvature of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling can be calculated based on the radius of curvature (r), and as the radius of curvature (r) increases, the curvature of the road can decrease. Therefore, the controller 100 can determine whether the curvature of the road is less than a preselected curvature based on the radius of curvature of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, and the controller 100 can control the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 stops at a position that allows a road with a curvature less than the preselected curvature to be obtained within a preselected distance behind the vehicle 1.

[0130] like Figure 8 , when a road having a curvature less than a preselected curvature is obtained within a preselected distance d1 behind the vehicle 1, the controller 100 may perform a travel stop control to stop the vehicle 1 (1080). That is, when the vehicle 1 is placed at point P4, the risk of collision between the vehicle 1 and other vehicles driving behind the vehicle 1 may be reduced because a straight road is obtained within the preselected distance d1 behind the vehicle 1.

[0131] Therefore, although it is detected that the driver cannot control the vehicle 1 , by controlling the smart cruise control system, the controller 100 can control the vehicle 1 to pass through a road having a curvature equal to or greater than a preselected curvature without stopping the vehicle 1 immediately.

[0132] That is, the controller 100 may control the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 drives to the point P4 by passing through the point P3. When the vehicle 1 reaches the point P4 and obtains a straight road having a curvature less than a preselected curvature within a preselected distance behind the vehicle 1, the controller 100 may control the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle stops. Accordingly, it is possible to stop the vehicle 1 in which the driver cannot control the vehicle 1 at the point P4 (1090).

[0133] As in Fig. 9 As illustrated in , when the driver cannot drive vehicle 1 in a state where the road on which the vehicle is traveling is an ordinary road (Rn), the controller 100 can search for the stopping position of vehicle 1 (1100) and the controller 100 can control the driving stop of vehicle 1 to stop at the intersection of the ordinary road.

[0134] That is, the situation in which the driver cannot control the vehicle 1 may be caused by a health problem. Therefore, the controller 100 can control the vehicle 1 to stop at an intersection so that the driver's health problem is immediately discovered and it is easy to perform first aid after the vehicle 1 stops.

[0135] The controller 100 may determine whether to allow the vehicle 1 driving on the ordinary road to stop at the intersection based on the traffic conditions of the road and the presence of obstacles such as other vehicles (1110). When it is recognized that the vehicle 1 is allowed to stop at the intersection, the controller 100 may start the driving stop control of the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 stops at the intersection (1120), and thus, the vehicle 1 may stop at the intersection (1130).

[0136] On the other hand, when it is recognized that vehicle 1 is not allowed to stop at the intersection, the controller 100 can postpone the stopping timing without immediately starting the driving stop control of the vehicle 1 being driven, and search for the emergency stop position of the vehicle 1 by considering the shape of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling and the driving environment.

[0137] In particular, the controller 100 can determine whether the curvature of the ordinary road (Rn) on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is less than a preselected curvature (1140), and when it is identified that the curvature of the road is equal to or greater than the preselected curvature, the controller 100 can search for other locations that allow the vehicle 1 to stop without stopping the vehicle 1 (1150).

[0138] On the other hand, when it is identified that the curvature of the ordinary road (Rn) is less than the preselected curvature, the controller 100 may determine whether a road having a curvature less than the preselected curvature is obtained within a preselected distance behind the vehicle 1 (1160).

[0139] As in Figure 8As mentioned in , while the vehicle 1 is traveling on the ordinary road (Rn), when the vehicle 1 stops urgently on a road with a large curvature in a state where the driver cannot control the vehicle 1, the risk of collision with other vehicles may increase. Therefore, in order to prevent rear-end collision and secondary accidents, the controller 100 may postpone the driving stop control timing until a road with a small curvature or a straight road is obtained within a pre-selected distance.

[0140] See also Fig.10 Although the driver cannot control vehicle 1 at point P5 while vehicle 1 is traveling on the ordinary road (Rn), when it is impossible to stop vehicle 1 at an intersection because there is no intersection around vehicle 1, controller 100 can search for an emergency stop position for vehicle 1 by considering the shape of the road on which vehicle 1 is traveling and the driving environment, without immediately starting the driving stop control of vehicle 1.

[0141] As in Figure 7 As shown in the figure, when the traffic congestion level around vehicle 1 is high, the controller 100 can immediately start the driving stop control of vehicle 1. However, when the traffic congestion level is low, by considering the shape of the road and the driving environment, the controller 100 can postpone the stopping time of vehicle 1 instead of immediately starting the driving stop control of vehicle 1.

[0142] As in Fig.10 As illustrated in FIG. 1 , when the curvature of the ordinary road (Rn) on which the vehicle 1 is traveling has a portion having a curvature equal to or greater than a preselected curvature, the controller 100 may control the vehicle 1 so that the curvature is adjusted in accordance with Figure 8 In the same way, the vehicle 1 stops at a position that allows a road with a curvature less than a preselected curvature to be obtained within a preselected distance behind the vehicle 1.

[0143] That is, although it is determined that the driver cannot control the vehicle 1 , by controlling the smart cruise control system, the controller 100 may control the vehicle 1 to pass through a road having a curvature equal to or greater than a preselected curvature without immediately stopping the vehicle 1 .

[0144] Under the control of the controller 100, the vehicle 1 may be driven to the point P6 by passing through the curved road. Although the vehicle 1 reaches the point P6 and obtains a straight road having a curvature less than a preselected curvature within a specific distance d2 behind the vehicle 1, when the specific distance d2 is less than a reference distance for an emergency stop of the vehicle 1, the controller 100 may keep the vehicle 1 driving without stopping the vehicle 1, and search for a position where the vehicle 1 is allowed to stop.

[0145] Under the control of the controller 100 , the vehicle 1 may drive to the point P7 by passing through the point 6 and the curved road.

[0146] When the vehicle 1 reaches point P7 and a straight road having a curvature less than a preselected curvature is obtained at a specific distance d1 behind the vehicle 1 and the specific distance d1 is equal to or greater than a reference distance for emergency stop of the vehicle 1, the controller 100 may initiate a travel stop control of the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 stops (1080). Accordingly, the vehicle 1 in which the driver cannot control the vehicle 1 is likely to stop at point P7 (1090).

[0147] That is, when the vehicle 1 stops at the point P7 , because a straight road is obtained within a certain distance d1 behind the vehicle 1 , the risk of collision between the vehicle 1 and other vehicles driving behind the vehicle 1 can be reduced.

[0148] As described above, according to vehicle 1 and the control method of vehicle 1, when the driver is unable to drive vehicle 1 during driving of vehicle 1, it is possible to perform an emergency stop of vehicle 1 by considering traffic conditions and the shape of the road, and thus, it is possible to maintain the lane and ensure the safety of other vehicles behind vehicle 1 even in an emergency situation.

[0149] As is apparent from the above description, according to the proposed vehicle and control method thereof, by controlling the vehicle to perform an emergency stop when the driver is unable to drive depending on traffic conditions and the shape of the road, it is possible to maintain the lane and ensure the safety of other vehicles behind the vehicle even in an emergency situation.

[0150] Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A vehicle, include: a sensor configured to detect an object near the vehicle; a driver state detector configured to identify a driver state of a driver of the vehicle; as well as, a controller operably coupled to the sensor and the driver state detector, the controller being configured to determine whether the driver is unable to control the vehicle based on the identified driver state, and to determine a travel stop position and a travel stop timing based on at least one of a type of road on which the vehicle is traveling and a driving environment of the vehicle when it is determined that the driver is unable to control the vehicle, The controller is configured to, in response to identifying that the driver is unable to control the vehicle, control the travel of the decelerating vehicle to determine a travel stop position to prevent the vehicle from passing through other lanes.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, in: The driver state detector is further configured to obtain the driver's gaze information, and The controller is further configured to determine a risk of the driver's inattention to a road ahead of the vehicle based on the acquired gaze information, and to determine a vehicle control state of the driver based on the determined risk.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: include: an imager configured to image a road on which the vehicle is traveling, The controller is further configured to determine whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a highway or an ordinary road based on map information of the road on which the vehicle is traveling or imaged road information generated by the imager.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The controller is further configured to identify a driving environment of the vehicle based on at least one of a traffic congestion condition of a road on which the vehicle is driving and a shape of a road on which the vehicle is driving.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein The controller is further configured to detect traffic congestion based on whether the number of other vehicles near the vehicle as detected by the sensor is greater than or equal to a preselected number, and determine a travel stop control timing of the vehicle based on the detected traffic congestion.

6. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein The controller is further configured to perform vehicle travel stop control when the number of other vehicles near the vehicle is greater than or equal to a preselected number, and to determine the timing of the vehicle travel stop control based on the shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling when the number of other vehicles near the vehicle is less than a preselected number.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The controller is further configured to determine whether a curvature of a road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than a preselected curvature, and to perform travel stop control of the vehicle when the curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than the preselected curvature.

8. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein The controller is further configured to execute a travel stop control of the vehicle when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is an ordinary road, causing the vehicle to stop at an intersection.

9. A method for controlling a vehicle, include: Use sensors to detect objects near the vehicle; identifying a driver state of a driver of a vehicle using a driver state detector; determining, by a controller operatively coupled to the sensor and the driver state detector, whether the driver is unable to control the vehicle based on the identified driver state; as well as, When it is determined that the driver cannot control the vehicle, the controller determines the travel stop position and the travel stop timing based on at least one of the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling and the driving environment of the vehicle, Wherein, determining the driving stop position of the vehicle includes: In response to recognizing that the driver is unable to control the vehicle, travel of the decelerating vehicle is controlled for determining a travel stop position to prevent passing through other lanes.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: include: Using the driver state detector to obtain the driver's gaze information; as well as The controller determines, based on the acquired gaze information, a risk that the driver is inattentive to the road ahead of the vehicle, and determines the driver's vehicle control state based on the determined risk.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: include: Using an imager to image a road on which the vehicle is traveling; as well as, Whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling is an expressway or an ordinary road is determined by the controller based on map information of the road on which the vehicle is traveling or imaged road information generated by the imager.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: include: The driving environment of the vehicle is recognized by the controller based on at least one of a traffic congestion condition of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and a shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: include: detecting, by the controller, a traffic congestion based on whether a number of other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle as detected by the sensor is greater than or equal to a preselected number; as well as A travel stop control timing of the vehicle is determined by the controller based on the detected traffic congestion.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: include: executing, by the controller, a travel stop control of the vehicle when the number of other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a preselected number; as well as, The driving stop control timing of the vehicle is determined by the controller based on the shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling when the number of other vehicles near the vehicle is less than a preselected number.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: include: determining, by the controller, whether the curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than a preselected curvature; and, The controller performs a travel stop control of the vehicle when the curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is smaller than a preselected curvature.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: include: The controller performs a travel stop control of the vehicle when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is an ordinary road, causing the vehicle to stop at an intersection.

Images