Semiconductor device and control method

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes an image recognition unit that outputs a recognition result based on image information received from a camera, and a determination unit that determines a control mode of a vehicle based on the recognition result and distance information received from a distance sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A semiconductor device, comprising:
 an image recognition unit that outputs a recognition result based on image information received from a camera; and   a determination unit that determines a control mode of a vehicle based on the recognition result and distance information received from a distance sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control mode includes:
 a first mode in which the vehicle is controlled based on an operation of a driver of the vehicle; and   a second mode in which the vehicle is automatically controlled based on at least one of the image information and the distance information.   
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 2 , wherein the determination unit, in the first mode, creates an order that identifies contents for control of the vehicle based on the image information and the distance information. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 2 , wherein the determination unit, in the first mode, changes to the second mode when the operation of the driver shows a change to the second mode. 
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 2 , wherein the determination unit, in the second mode, changes to the first mode when the operation of the driver shows a change to the first mode. 
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a user interface part that receives the operation by a handle, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal, and notifies the operation to the determination unit,   wherein the determination unit, in the second mode, changes to the first mode based on the notification.   
     
     
         7 . A vehicle control device, comprising:
 a semiconductor device according to  claim 1 ; and   a controller that controls the vehicle based on the control mode.   
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the image recognition unit recognizes an object present in a periphery of the vehicle based on the image information received from the camera. 
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a route calculation unit, connected to the distance sensor, that calculates, based on the recognized object, a travel route for the vehicle in an automatic control mode of the control mode for automatically controlling the vehicle.   
     
     
         10 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a mode control unit that transfers the vehicle from the automatic control mode to a manual control mode of the control mode for controlling the vehicle according to the operation by the driver, when a travel route to avoid contacting with the recognized object cannot be calculated.   
     
     
         11 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a friction coefficient calculation unit that calculates a friction coefficient between the vehicle and a road surface based on a distance required for the vehicle to stop from a time when a control for braking the vehicle is started, and on a speed of the vehicle when the control for braking the vehicle is started.   
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 11 , wherein the mode control unit calculates a braking time of the vehicle based on the calculated friction coefficient and a speed of the vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a friction coefficient calculation unit that calculates a friction coefficient between the vehicle and a road surface based on a distance required for the vehicle to stop from a time when a control for braking the vehicle is started, and on a speed of the vehicle when the control for braking the vehicle is started.   
     
     
         14 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a mode control unit that calculates a braking time of the vehicle based on the calculated friction coefficient and the speed of the vehicle.   
     
     
         15 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the camera captures an image of a periphery of the vehicle to generate the image information indicating the image of the periphery of the vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance sensor generates the distance information indicating a measured distance from the vehicle to an object present in a periphery of the vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control mode includes an automatic control mode in which the determination unit calculates a command value for specifying a control content of the vehicle based on the recognition result from the image recognition unit and the distance information from the distance sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 17 , wherein, in the automatic control mode, based on the recognition result from the image recognition unit and the distance information from the distance sensor, the determination unit calculates a travel route for the vehicle to prevent the vehicle from contacting with an object. 
     
     
         19 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 18 , wherein, in the automatic control mode, the determination unit further calculates the command value for the vehicle to travel along the calculated travel route. 
     
     
         20 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 19 , wherein the control mode further includes a manual control mode, the determination unit transferring the vehicle from the automatic control mode to the manual control mode for controlling the vehicle according to an operation by a driver, when the travel route to avoid contacting with the object cannot be calculated.