Autonomous cruise control apparatus and method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an autonomous cruise control apparatus and a control method thereof. An embodiment provides an autonomous cruise control apparatus including: a sensing module configured to detect an object adjacent to the vehicle; a vehicle movement distance calculation unit configured to calculate a vehicle movement distance for moving the vehicle to the left or right using a preset method; and a control module configured to perform a control operation to move the vehicle by the vehicle movement distance when movement of a following vehicle behind the vehicle by a preset width or more is detected by the sensing module. Therefore, an emergency vehicle may be allowed to smoothly travel during autonomous cruise control by detecting travel of the emergency vehicle and creating a travel path for the emergency vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An autonomous cruise control apparatus comprising:
 a sensing module comprising at least an image sensor disposed on a vehicle to have a field of view of an exterior of the vehicle and configured to capture image data to detect an object adjacent to the vehicle; and   a controller comprising a processor configured to process the image data captured by the image sensor,   wherein the controller calculates a vehicle movement distance for moving the vehicle to the left or right using a preset method, and, when movement of a following vehicle behind the vehicle by a preset width or more is detected by the sensing module, controls the vehicle to be moved by the vehicle movement distance.   
     
     
         2 . The autonomous cruise control apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensing module further comprises a non-image sensor disposed on the vehicle to detect at least one of objects disposed adjacent to the vehicle and configured to capture sensing data,
 wherein the controller comprises:   a vehicle movement distance calculation unit configured to calculate the vehicle movement distance for moving the vehicle to the left or right using the preset method; and   a control module configured to control the vehicle to be moved by the vehicle movement distance when the movement of the following vehicle behind the vehicle by the preset width or more is detected by the sensing module.   
     
     
         3 . The autonomous cruise control apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller further comprises a congested section determination unit configured to determine whether the vehicle is traveling in a congested section,
 wherein, when the congested section determination unit determines that the vehicle is traveling in the congested section and movement of the following vehicle behind the vehicle by a preset width or more in a lateral direction is detected, the control module controls the vehicle to move.   
     
     
         4 . The autonomous cruise control apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a velocity sensor configured to detect a velocity of the vehicle;   a forward distance calculation unit configured to calculate a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle located ahead of the vehicle; and   a forward velocity calculation unit configured to calculate a velocity of the preceding vehicle or a relative velocity of the preceding vehicle with respect to the vehicle,   wherein, when the preceding vehicle is detected, the velocities of the vehicle and the preceding vehicle are less than or equal to a preset velocity, and the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle is less than or equal to a preset constant distance, the congested section determination unit determines that the vehicle is traveling in the congested section.   
     
     
         5 . The autonomous cruise control apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a rear side space determination unit configured to determine whether a rear side space of a predetermined size or more allowing an emergency vehicle to travel therethrough is formed on a rear side of the vehicle according to a result from the sensing module;
 wherein the control module determines to move the vehicle when the following vehicle is moved by the preset width or more and the rear side space of the predetermined size or more is formed.   
     
     
         6 . The autonomous cruise control apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle distance calculation unit compares a difference (y) in lateral position between a center of the vehicle and a center of the following vehicle with a lateral distance (x) between the vehicle and a vehicle in a lane next to a driving lane of the vehicle,
 wherein the vehicle distance calculation unit sets the vehicle movement distance to a value less than the lateral distance (x) by a predetermined value when the difference (y) is greater than the lateral distance (x), and sets the vehicle movement distance to a value of the difference (y) when the lateral distance (x) is greater than or equal to the difference (y).   
     
     
         7 . The autonomous cruise control apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a front collision prediction unit configured to determine whether there is an obstacle ahead of the vehicle and on a side to which the vehicle is to move according to a result of detection from the sensing module and predict a collision between the vehicle and the obstacle,
 wherein, when the collision between the vehicle and the obstacle is expected by the front collision prediction unit, the control module controls the vehicle movement distance calculation unit to re-calculate the vehicle movement distance.   
     
     
         8 . The autonomous cruise control apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a return determination unit configured to determine whether the vehicle is returnable to a previous position according to a result of detection from the sensing module;
 wherein, when an emergency vehicle has passed the vehicle, the control module controls the vehicle to return to the previous position when return of the vehicle is allowed as a result of determination from the return determination unit and delays return of the vehicle for a predetermined time when return of the vehicle is not allowed.   
     
     
         9 . The autonomous cruise control apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication unit configured to collect approach information on an emergency vehicle through communication with another adjacent vehicle or adjacent infrastructure equipment and provide the collected information to the control module.   
     
     
         10 . A control method of an autonomous cruise control apparatus, the method comprising:
 detecting an object adjacent to a vehicle with a sensing module comprising at least one of an image sensor and a non-image sensor mounted on the vehicle;   calculating a vehicle movement distance for moving the vehicle to the left or right using a preset method; and   when movement of a following vehicle behind the vehicle by a preset width or more is detected, controlling the vehicle to be moved by the vehicle movement distance.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining whether the vehicle is traveling in a congested section, wherein the controlling is performed when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in the congested section. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 detecting a velocity of the vehicle;   calculating a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle located ahead of the vehicle; and   calculating a velocity of the preceding vehicle or a relative velocity of the preceding vehicle with respect to the vehicle,   wherein the determining of whether the vehicle is traveling in the congested section is determining that the vehicle is traveling in the congested section when the preceding vehicle is detected, the velocities of the vehicle and the preceding vehicle are less than or equal to a preset velocity, and the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle is less than or equal to a preset constant.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining whether a rear side space of a predetermined size or more allowing an emergency vehicle to travel therethrough is formed on a rear side of the vehicle,
 wherein the controlling comprises determining to move the vehicle when the following vehicle is moved by the preset width or more, the rear side space of the predetermined size or more is formed, and entry of an emergency vehicle is detected.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the calculating of the vehicle movement distance comprises:
 calculating a difference (y) in lateral position between a center of the vehicle and a center of the following vehicle and a lateral distance (x) between the vehicle and another vehicle in a lane next to the vehicle;   setting the vehicle movement distance to a value less than the lateral distance (x) by a predetermined value when the difference (y) is greater than the lateral distance (x) and setting the vehicle movement distance to a value of the difference (y) when the lateral distance (x) is greater than or equal to the difference (y).   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining whether there is an obstacle ahead of the vehicle and on a side to which the vehicle is to move according to a result of detection from the sensing module and predicting a
 collision between the vehicle and the obstacle,   wherein the controlling comprises performing a control operation to re-calculate the movement distance when the collision between the vehicle and the obstacle is expected.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining whether the vehicle is returnable to a previous position,
 wherein, when an emergency vehicle has passed the vehicle, the controlling comprises:   controlling the vehicle to return to the previous position when return of the vehicle is allowed; and   delaying return of the vehicle for a predetermined time when return of the vehicle is not allowed.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the controlling comprises:
 collecting approach information on an emergency vehicle through communication with another adjacent vehicle or adjacent infrastructure equipment in a manner of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.   
     
     
         18 . An autonomous cruise control apparatus comprising:
 a sensing module comprising at least one of an image sensor disposed on a vehicle to have a field of view of an exterior of the vehicle and configured to capture image data, and a non-image sensor disposed on the vehicle to detect at least one of an object disposed adjacent to the vehicle and configured to capture sensing data;   a vehicle dynamics sensor disposed on the vehicle to detect information on travel of the vehicle; and   a domain controller configured to process at least one of the image data captured by the image sensor and the sensing data captured by the non-image sensor,   wherein, responsive to at least in part to at least one of processing the image data captured by the image sensor and processing the sensing data captured by the non-image sensor, the domain controller calculates a vehicle movement distance for moving the vehicle to the left or right using a preset method, and, when movement of a following vehicle behind the vehicle by a preset width or more is detected by the sensing module, controls the vehicle to be moved by the vehicle movement distance.   
     
     
         19 . The autonomous cruise control apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the domain controller further determines whether the vehicle is traveling in a congested section and controls the vehicle to move when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in the congested section and movement of the following vehicle behind the vehicle by a preset width or more in a lateral direction is detected. 
     
     
         20 . The autonomous cruise control apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the domain controller further determines whether a rear side space of a predetermined size or more allowing an emergency vehicle to travel therethrough is formed on a rear side of the vehicle based on a result of detection from the sensing module and determines to move the vehicle only when the following vehicle is moved by the preset width or more and the rear side space of the predetermined size or more is formed.