US 11,926,338 B2
Vehicle control apparatus
Fumiyuki Moriya, Tokyo (JP); and Hirofumi Yabe, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to SUBARU CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by SUBARU CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/235,594.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-076647 (JP), filed on Apr. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0331694 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. B60W 60/00 (2020.01); B60W 20/20 (2016.01); B60W 20/40 (2016.01); B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60W 30/182 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 60/001 (2020.02) [B60W 20/20 (2013.01); B60W 20/40 (2013.01); B60W 30/18109 (2013.01); B60W 30/182 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:
an automatic-driving processor configured to perform an automatic-driving control to stop a vehicle in accordance with detection of an abnormal state of a driver who drives the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling, the abnormal state being one of (i) an unconscious state of the driver, (ii) a non-concentrating state of the driver, or (iii) a driver absent state of the driver; and
an engine processor configured to, when the vehicle is in a standby state after stopping of the vehicle by the automatic-driving control, perform an engine driving control to reduce how frequently an engine of the vehicle is started, compared with when the vehicle is in a normal traveling state, the normal traveling state being when the abnormal state of the driver is not detected, the standby state being a state in which an operation control of an air conditioner of the vehicle is allowed, wherein
the vehicle comprises a hybrid electric vehicle including a motor, and the engine and the motor are each coupled to a drive wheel, and
the engine processor is configured to cause the vehicle to travel by driving force of the engine in a period up to the stopping of the vehicle by the automatic-driving control performed by the automatic-driving processor.