US 11,987,177 B2
Travel controller, method for controlling traveling, and computer readable storage medium storing travel control program
Akira Ito, Tokyo (JP); and Daisuke Tokumochi, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to J-QuAD DYNAMICS INC., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by J-QUAD DYNAMICS INC., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Oct. 27, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/512,497.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-182408 (JP), filed on Oct. 30, 2020; and application No. 2021-074034 (JP), filed on Apr. 26, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0135079 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. B60Q 1/50 (2006.01); B60W 40/08 (2012.01); B60W 50/10 (2012.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01)
CPC B60Q 1/507 (2022.05) [B60Q 1/5037 (2022.05); B60Q 1/543 (2022.05); B60Q 1/547 (2022.05); B60W 40/08 (2013.01); B60W 50/14 (2013.01); B60W 60/0018 (2020.02); B60W 60/0051 (2020.02); B60W 60/0059 (2020.02); B60W 2050/146 (2013.01); B60W 2540/225 (2020.02); B60W 2554/4029 (2020.02)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A travel controller, comprising:
circuitry configured to execute:
an action recognizing process for recognizing an action of a driver of a vehicle from image data of the driver;
a travel permissible information obtaining process for obtaining information indicating that a determination of whether autonomous driving of the vehicle is permissible cannot be given;
an inquiring process for operating a human interface to request the driver for an instruction to drive the vehicle when the information indicating that the determination of whether autonomous driving of the vehicle is permissible cannot be given is obtained;
a determination process for determining whether the driver is giving an instruction to drive the vehicle from an action recognized in the action recognizing process taken in response to the inquiring process; and,
an autonomous driving permitting process for permitting autonomous driving of the vehicle by operating a drive system of the vehicle when determined in the determination process that the driver is giving an instruction to drive the vehicle, wherein
the human interface is a heads-up display,
the inquiring process includes a process for displaying graphics on the heads-up display to indicate an object that is obstructing determination of whether autonomous driving of the vehicle is permissible,
the action recognizing process includes a process for recognizing a line of sight of the driver,
the determination process includes a process for determining that the driver is giving an instruction to drive the vehicle when the line of sight is directed away from the graphics and toward a lane in which the vehicle can travel, and
the determination process includes:
a detection history storing process for storing information indicating that the line of sight is directed toward the graphics when it is detected that the line of sight is directed toward the graphics in response to the inquiring process; and
a travel permission determination process for determining that the driver is giving an instruction to drive the vehicle when it is detected that the line of sight is being directed away from the graphics toward a lane in which the vehicle can travel under a condition in which the information indicating that the line of sight is directed toward the graphics is stored.