US 12,005,904 B2
Autonomous driving system
Ryuta Hashimoto, Susono Shizuoka-ken (JP); Yoshinori Watanabe, Gotenba Shizuoka-ken (JP); Kenichiro Aoki, Miyoshi Aichi-ken (JP); and Tomoyuki Kuriyama, Hadano Kanagawa-ken (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota Aichi-ken (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota Aichi-ken (JP)
Filed on Dec. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/082,118.
Application 18/082,118 is a continuation of application No. 17/558,948, filed on Dec. 22, 2021, granted, now 11,703,876.
Application 17/558,948 is a continuation of application No. 16/848,156, filed on Apr. 14, 2020, granted, now 11,275,382, issued on Mar. 15, 2022.
Application 16/848,156 is a continuation of application No. 15/669,049, filed on Aug. 4, 2017, granted, now 10,663,973, issued on May 26, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2016-157705 (JP), filed on Aug. 10, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0115658 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60W 10/18 (2012.01); B60W 10/20 (2006.01); B60W 30/14 (2006.01); B60W 40/04 (2006.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01); B60W 50/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60W 30/18163 (2013.01) [B60W 10/18 (2013.01); B60W 10/20 (2013.01); B60W 30/143 (2013.01); B60W 40/04 (2013.01); B60W 50/14 (2013.01); B60W 2050/0075 (2013.01); B60W 2420/403 (2013.01); B60W 2420/408 (2024.01); B60W 2520/10 (2013.01); B60W 2520/14 (2013.01); B60W 2552/05 (2020.02); B60W 2552/50 (2020.02); B60W 2554/00 (2020.02); B60W 2554/20 (2020.02); B60W 2554/4026 (2020.02); B60W 2554/4029 (2020.02); B60W 2554/4041 (2020.02); B60W 2554/406 (2020.02); B60W 2554/801 (2020.02); B60W 2554/802 (2020.02); B60W 2554/804 (2020.02); B60W 2556/45 (2020.02); B60W 2720/10 (2013.01); B60W 2720/14 (2013.01); B60W 2754/10 (2020.02); B60W 2754/30 (2020.02); B60W 2754/50 (2020.02); G05D 1/0248 (2013.01); G05D 1/0276 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
extracting traffic lane lines of a traveling road on which an own vehicle is traveling by processing image pickup information acquired from a camera mounted on the own vehicle, the traveling road having a plurality of lanes;
recognizing the traveling road on which the own vehicle is traveling based on the traffic lane lines;
recognizing speeds of other vehicles traveling on an own lane on which the own vehicle is traveling, speeds of other vehicles traveling on an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the own lane, and speeds of other vehicles traveling on a second adjacent lane on an opposite side to the adjacent lane with the own lane therebetween;
determining a vehicle density in the adjacent lane based on the speeds of other vehicles traveling on the adjacent lane;
determining a vehicle density in the second adjacent lane based on the speeds of other vehicles traveling on the second adjacent lane;
calculating a vehicle density in the own lane based on a relation between a standard traveling speed on the traveling road and an actual traveling speed of the vehicles traveling on the own lane;
determining whether to perform a lane change to the adjacent lane or the second adjacent lane based on the vehicle density in the adjacent lane, the vehicle density in the second adjacent lane, and the vehicle density in the own lane; and
upon determining to perform the lane change to the adjacent lane or the second adjacent lane, causing the own vehicle to perform the lane change.