US 11,798,421 B2
Autonomous driving device
Eiji Sakaguchi, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Nov. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/520,261.
Application 17/520,261 is a continuation of application No. 17/325,901, filed on May 20, 2021.
Application 17/325,901 is a continuation of application No. 16/154,894, filed on Oct. 9, 2018, granted, now 11,043,127, issued on Jun. 22, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-213894 (JP), filed on Nov. 6, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0058951 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G08G 1/16 (2006.01); B60W 30/18 (2012.01); G08G 1/052 (2006.01)
CPC G08G 1/167 (2013.01) [B60W 30/18163 (2013.01); G08G 1/052 (2013.01); G08G 1/166 (2013.01); B60W 2554/80 (2020.02)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An autonomous driving device comprising:
a processor configured to:
set a first target route for a host vehicle to merge into a main line from a branch line toward a destination set in advance;
recognize a position of a host vehicle on a map;
determine whether a merge point has been reached by the host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling on the branch line of the merge point based on the position of the host vehicle and map information;
recognize a density of vehicles of the main line based on an external sensor;
determine whether or not the density recognized is equal to or greater than a density threshold set in advance;
control the host vehicle to travel along the first target route based on the density of vehicles of the main line determined being less than the density threshold set in advance; and
control the host vehicle to travel along a second target route based on the density of vehicles of the main line determined being equal to or greater than the density threshold set in advance,
wherein the second target route passes through a waypoint closer to an end edge side of the branch line than the first target route.