US 12,240,498 B2
Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and storage medium
Kunihito Satou, Mishima Shizuoka-ken (JP); Takayuki Iwamoto, Sunto-gun Shizuoka-ken (JP); and Takefumi Goto, Gotemba Shizuoka-ken (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Jul. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/858,134.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-121630 (JP), filed on Jul. 26, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0027357 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 60/00 (2020.01); B60W 50/02 (2012.01)
CPC B60W 60/00186 (2020.02) [B60W 2420/50 (2013.01); B60W 2556/40 (2020.02)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle control system applied to a vehicle equipped with a magnetic sensor configured to detect a plurality of magnetic markers on a road, the vehicle control system comprising one or more processors configured to execute a self-driving control by which self-driving of the vehicle is controlled, wherein:
in response to occurrence of an abnormality in at least part of components and functions necessary for the self-driving control, the one or more processors execute a retreat traveling control using the plurality of magnetic markers;
the plurality of magnetic markers provide guidance information by which the vehicle is guided to a safe area; and
in the retreat traveling control using the plurality of magnetic markers, the one or more processors acquire the guidance information from the plurality of magnetic markers detected by the magnetic sensor and cause the vehicle to travel toward the safe area and stop at the safe area based on the guidance information thus acquired, wherein:
the plurality of magnetic markers are discontinuously placed along a retreat route by which the vehicle is guided to the safe area;
the plurality of magnetic markers include a magnet and a radio frequency tag that stores the guidance information;
a first installation interval between the plurality of magnetic markers inside and around the safe area is smaller than a second installation interval between the plurality of magnetic markers on the road other than the safe area;
the one or more processors perform a recognition process of recognizing a surrounding state around the vehicle by use of a recognition sensor provided in the vehicle and execute the self-driving control based on a result of the recognition process; and
in a case where the vehicle is drivable but performance of the recognition process does not satisfy an allowable condition, the one or more processors determines that the retreat traveling control using the plurality of magnetic markers is necessary, the allowable condition including a calculated detection rate of a reference object relative to a first threshold value, a determination that the performance is greater than or equal to a specified level based on an object type, or that the performance is of a predetermined degree relative to a second threshold value associated with weather conditions.