Vehicle apparatus, system having the same and method for automatically changing operable range thereof

<u>CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS</u>

0001This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No.<patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="KR1020180093914"><text> 10-2018-0093914, filed on August 10, 2018</text></patcit> in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and United States Provisional Patent Application No. <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="US62655831B"><text>62/655,831, filed on April 11, 2018</text></patcit> in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

<u>TECHNICAL FIELD</u>

0002The present disclosure relates to a vehicle apparatus, a system including the same, and a method for automatically changing an operable range thereof, and more particularly, to apparatuses, systems, and methods for performing a safe lane change by changing and applying an operable range of a given country.

<u>BACKGROUND</u>

0003In recent years, vehicles have been provided with an autonomous drive control system that automatically recognizes a road environment and determines a driving situation to control the driving of the vehicle. The vehicle can be automatically driven to a destination according to a planned route. Meanwhile, vehicle driving assistance systems can perform various assistive operations, such as cruise control, lane keeping, lane changing, inter-vehicle distance control, and the like.

0004Conventional vehicle driving assistance systems and autonomous driving systems typically set and use an operable range which in view of a vehicle speed, a road condition, and the like. Problematically, such operable range may vary from country to country. Thus, when a vehicle moves beyond a border to another country while operations are being carried out by a vehicle driving assistance system or autonomous driving system, the operable range must be adapted to the appropriate country.

<u>SUMMARY</u>

0005The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the related art, while advantages achieved by the related art are maintained intact.

0006An aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle apparatus, a system including the same, and a method for automatically changing an operable range thereof that can automatically change the operable range based on a given country and apply the changed operable range when inter-country movement occurs during driving assistance or autonomous driving. As a result, driving requirements of each country can be satisfied automatically, and operations such as lane changing functions can be safely performed.

0007The technical problems to be solved by the present inventive concept are not limited to the aforementioned problems, and any other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

0008According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a vehicle apparatus may include: a processor configured to determine an operable range of a driving assistance function or an autonomous driving function to be performed by a vehicle in a country when the vehicle enters into the country while traveling, and to control operation of the vehicle so as to perform the driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function according to the determined operable range; and a storage configured to store the determined operable range enters into traveling.

0009The operable range of the driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function may correspond to a range from a minimum operable speed to a maximum operable speed, the maximum operable speed being greater than or equal to a maximum speed limit of the country.

0010The processor may calculate the minimum operable speed according to at least one of: a maximum sensing distance in a rear-side direction of the vehicle, a maximum deceleration of an approaching vehicle, a margin time before the approaching vehicle decelerates when a lane change operation is performed, and a time for the approaching vehicle to maintain a clearance distance between the vehicle and the approaching vehicle after deceleration of the approaching vehicle.

0011When the vehicle enters into a new country while traveling, the processor may determine whether a maximum speed limit of the country is different from a maximum speed limit of the new country traveling.

0012The processor may control the vehicle so as to output a notification of a change in the maximum speed limit through a display when the maximum speed limit of the country is different from the maximum speed limit of the new country.

0013The processor may change the operable range of the driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function based on the maximum speed limit of the new country when the maximum speed limit of the country is different from the maximum speed limit of the new country.

0014The processor may control the vehicle so as to output the changed operable range of the driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function through a display.

0015The processor may determine whether a lane changing function is in operation and to determine whether a current driving speed of the vehicle is within the changed operable range when the lane changing function is in operation.

0016The processor may allow operation of the lane changing function when the current driving speed of the vehicle is within the changed operable range.

0017The processor may prevent operation of the lane changing function when the current driving speed of the vehicle is not within the changed operable range.

0018The processor may determine whether the lane changing function can be be completed at the current driving speed of the vehicle when the current driving speed of the vehicle is not within the changed operable range.

0019The processor may control operation of the vehicle so as to perform the lane changing function in the changed operable range when the lane changing function can be completed at the current driving speed of the vehicle, and prevent operation of the lane changing function when the lane changing function cannot be completed at the current driving speed of the vehicle.

0020Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, a vehicle system enters into traveling may include: a vehicle apparatus configured to determine an operable range of a driving assistance function or an autonomous driving function to be performed by a vehicle in a country when the vehicle enters into the country while traveling, and to control operation of the vehicle so as to perform the driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function according to the determined operable range; and a display configured to output a notification of the determined operable range.

0021Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, a method enters into traveling may include: determining, by a processor, an operable range of a driving assistance function or an autonomous driving function to be performed by a vehicle in a country when the vehicle enters into the country while traveling; controlling, by the processor, operation of the vehicle so as to perform the driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function according to the determined operable range; and outputting, by a display, a notification of the determined operable range.

0022The method may further include calculating, by the processor, a minimum operable speed according to at least one of: a maximum sensing distance in a rear-side direction of the vehicle, a maximum deceleration of an approaching vehicle, a margin time before the approaching vehicle decelerates when a lane change operation is performed, and a time for the approaching vehicle to maintain a clearance distance between the vehicle and the approaching vehicle after deceleration of the approaching vehicle. The operable range of the driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function may correspond to a range from the calculated minimum operable speed to a maximum operable speed, the maximum operable speed being greater than or equal to a maximum speed limit of the country.

0023The traveling method may further include: determining, by the processor, whether a lane changing function is in operation; and determining, by the processor, whether a current driving speed of the vehicle is within the changed operable range when the lane changing function is in operation.

0024The method may further include: allowing, by the processor, operation of the lane changing function when the current driving speed of the vehicle is within the changed operable range; and preventing, by the processor, operation of the lane changing function when the current driving speed of the vehicle is not within the changed operable range.

0025The method may further include determining, by the processor, whether the lane changing function can be completed at the current driving speed of the vehicle when the current driving speed of the vehicle is not within the changed operable range.

0026The method may further include: when the vehicle enters into a new country while traveling, determining, by the processor, whether a maximum speed limit of the country is different from a maximum speed limit of the new country; and changing, by the processor, the operable range based on the maximum speed limit of the new country.

0027The method may further include: controlling, by the processor, operation of the vehicle so as to perform the lane changing function in the changed operable range when the lane changing function can be completed at the current driving speed of the vehicle; and preventing, by the processor, operation of the lane changing function when the lane changing function cannot be completed at the current driving speed of the vehicle.

<u>BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS</u>

0028The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li><figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure;</li><li><figref idref="f0002">FIG. 2</figref> is a view illustrating a method of controlling a vehicle when a country in which the vehicle is traveling is changed according to embodiments of the present disclosure;</li><li><figref idref="f0003">FIG. 3</figref> is a view illustrating a method of controlling a vehicle in the case of lane changing when a country in which the vehicle is traveling is changed while traveling according to embodiments of the present disclosure;</li><li><figref idref="f0004">FIG. 4</figref> is a view illustrating a method of controlling in the case of stopping a lane change when a traveling country is changed while traveling according to embodiments of the present disclosure;</li><li><figref idref="f0005">FIG. 5</figref> is a flowchart illustrating a method of automatically changing an operable range of a vehicle apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure;</li><li><figref idref="f0006">FIG. 6</figref> is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a vehicle when an operable range of a vehicle apparatus is automatically changed according to embodiments of the present disclosure;</li><li><figref idref="f0007">FIG. 7</figref> is another flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a vehicle when an operable range of a vehicle apparatus is automatically changed according to embodiments of the present disclosure; and</li><li><figref idref="f0008">FIG. 8</figref> is a view illustrating a computing system according to embodiments of the present disclosure.</li></ul>

0029It should be understood that the above-referenced drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrative of the basic principles of the disclosure. The specific design features of the present disclosure, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.

DETAILED <u>DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS</u>

0030Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification, it is noted that the same or like reference numerals denote the same or like components even though they are provided in different drawings. Further, in the following description of the present disclosure, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present disclosure rather unclear.

0031In addition, terms, such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b) or the like may be used herein when describing components of the present disclosure. The terms are provided only to distinguish the elements from other elements, and the essences, sequences, orders, and numbers of the elements are not limited by the terms. In addition, unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. The terms defined in the generally used dictionaries should be construed as having the meanings that coincide with the meanings of the contexts of the related technologies, and should not be construed as ideal or excessively formal meanings unless clearly defined in the specification of the present disclosure.

0032As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

0033It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more sources of power, for example both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.

0034Additionally, it is understood that one or more of the below methods, or aspects thereof, may be executed by at least one controller. The term "controller" may refer to a hardware device that includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store program instructions, and the processor is specifically programmed to execute the program instructions to perform one or more processes which are described further below. The controller may control operation of units, modules, parts, devices, or the like, as described herein. Moreover, it is understood that the below methods may be executed by an apparatus comprising the controller in conjunction with one or more other components, as would be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

0035Furthermore, the controller of the present disclosure may be embodied as non-transitory computer readable media containing executable program instructions executed by a processor. Examples of the computer readable mediums include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disc (CD)-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, flash drives, smart cards and optical data storage devices. The computer readable recording medium can also be distributed throughout a computer network so that the program instructions are stored and executed in a distributed fashion, e.g., by a telematics server or a Controller Area Network (CAN).

0036Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to <figref idref="f0001 f0002 f0003 f0004 f0005 f0006 f0007 f0008">FIGS. 1 to 8</figref>.

0037<figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

0038As shown in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>, a vehicle system for driving assistance or autonomous driving may include a sensor module 210, a GPS receiving module 220, a navigation device 230, a display 240, and a vehicle apparatus 100. The vehicle apparatus 100 of <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> may be mounted on a vehicle.

0039The sensor module 210 may include at least one sensor for sensing an object around the vehicle. The sensor module 210 may obtain information about the location, speed, moving direction, and/or kind of an external object (e.g., a vehicle, a pedestrian, a bicycle, a motorcycle, a road sign, or the like) and transfer the information to the vehicle apparatus 100.

0040The sensor module 210 may include a yaw rate sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a torque measurement sensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like for measuring dynamic information of the vehicle, and may include a laser, a radar, a camera, a lidar, and the like. In this case, one or more cameras may be provided on a front, a rear, a side, and the like.

0041The GPS receiving module 220 may receive location information through GPS to estimate the location of the vehicle and transmit the location information to the vehicle apparatus 100.

0042The navigation device 230 may provide information about a travel route and a travel location to a processor 130 by using the location information of the vehicle received by the GPS receiving module 220, map information stored therein, and the like.

0043The display 240 may display an operable range of a current traveling country, a changed operable range, a maximum speed limit of a changed traveling country, and the like. The display 240 may visually display information to be recognized by a driver in accordance with a driving environment and a control state. For example, the display 240 may display graphics, icons, texts, and the like, and may provide audio guidance.

0044When the vehicle enters into a country while traveling, the vehicle apparatus 100 may change and apply the operable range of the vehicle driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function for each country. That is, the vehicle apparatus 100 may control operation of the vehicle so as to perform the vehicle driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function according to the changed operable range.

0045The vehicle apparatus 100 may be electrically connected to the sensor module 210, the GPS receiving module 220, and the navigation device 230. The vehicle apparatus 100 may include a communication device 110, a storage 120, and the processor 130.

0046The communication device 110 may communicate with the sensor module 210, the GPS receiving module 220, the navigation device 230, the display 240, and the like in the vehicle.

0047The storage 120 (e.g., memory) may store information transmitted and received through the communication device 110, and may store in advance a table of the maximum speed limits for each country and a table of operational ranges for each country calculated in advance (e.g., by experiment).

0048The processor 130 may be an electrical circuit that executes software instructions, and may process and calculate various data as described below.

0049The processor 130 may obtain dynamic information and the surrounding environment information of the vehicle by interworking with the sensor module 210 and obtain information about a location and a path of the vehicle itself by interworking with the GPS receiving module 220 and the navigation device 230.

0050The processor 130 may set the operable range such that the vehicle driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function is safely operated in each country according to the maximum speed limit of the current traveling country, and may change the operable range when the traveling country is changed.

0051When the vehicle enters into a country while traveling, the processor 130 may change the operable range of the function by country when performing the vehicle driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function, and apply the changed operable range.

0052When the vehicle enters into a country while traveling, the processor 130 may change and apply the operable range of the vehicle driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function by country. In this case, the operable range may correspond to a range from the minimum operable speed to the maximum operable speed, and the maximum operable speed may be set according to the maximum speed limit of the country such that the maximum operable speed is greater than or equal to the maximum speed limit of the country.

0053The processor 130 may calculate the minimum operable speed by using at least one of the maximum sensing distance in a rear-side direction, the maximum deceleration of an approaching vehicle, a margin time until the approaching vehicle decelerates after a lane changing operation starts, and a time for the approaching vehicle to maintain a clearance distance between the vehicles after deceleration of the approaching vehicle.

0054The processor 130 may define the maximum operable speed in consideration of a risk of collision with a nearby vehicle in a lane change, and may determine the maximum operable speed by using the maximum speed limit or higher of each country. In this case, the maximum operable speed may be set to the maximum speed limit or higher of each country for convenience of explanation, but the embodiment is not limited thereto and the maximum operable speed may be changed within a range allowed by a sensor of a vehicle, a processor, a controller, and the like.

0055In addition, the processor 130 may calculate the minimum operable speed through Equation 1 as follows. <maths id="math0001" num="[equation 1]"><math display="block"><mrow><msub><mi>V</mi><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>min</mi></mrow></msub><mo>=</mo><mi>a</mi><mo>*</mo><mfenced><msub><mi>t</mi><mi>B</mi></msub><mo>−</mo><msub><mi>t</mi><mi>G</mi></msub></mfenced><mo>+</mo><msub><mi>v</mi><mi mathvariant="italic">app</mi></msub><mo>−</mo><msqrt><mrow><msup><mi>a</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>*</mo><msup><mfenced><msub><mi>t</mi><mi>B</mi></msub><mo>−</mo><msub><mi>t</mi><mi>G</mi></msub></mfenced><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn><mo>*</mo><mi>a</mi><mo>*</mo><mfenced><msub><mi>v</mi><mi mathvariant="italic">app</mi></msub><mo>*</mo><msub><mi>t</mi><mi>G</mi></msub><mo>−</mo><msub><mi>S</mi><mi mathvariant="italic">rear</mi></msub></mfenced></mrow></msqrt></mrow></math><img file="EP3552905A1_D0001.tif" /></maths>

0056Here, 'Vsmin' is the minimum operable speed, 'a' is the maximum deceleration of an approaching vehicle, 'tB' is a margin time until an approaching vehicle decelerates after the start of a lane changing operation, and 'tG' is a time for an approaching vehicle to maintain a clearance distance between vehicles after deceleration. In addition, 'Vapp' represents the maximum speed limit of each country, and 'Srear' represents the maximum sensing distance of a sensor in a rear-side direction. 'Vapp' is the speed of the approaching vehicle at the rear of the target lane for lane change and can be the maximum speed limit for each country, taking into account the most critical situation in a typical situation.

0057In Equation 1, the maximum deceleration 'a' of an approaching vehicle, the margin time 'tB' until an approaching vehicle decelerates after the start of a lane changing operation, and the time 'tG' for an approaching vehicle to maintain a clearance distance between vehicles after deceleration may be fixed to 3 m/s², 0.4 seconds, and 1 s, respectively, such that a driver does not feel a great threat when decelerating. In addition, the maximum sensing distance 'Srear' of a sensor in a rear-side direction may be predetermined according to the performance of the sensor and may be assumed to be 55 m for convenience.

0058When the above-described assumption values are applied to Equation 1 to calculate the minimum operable speed 'Vsmin', the minimum operable speed 'Vsmin' of country 'A' is 60 kph and the minimum operable speed 'Vsmin' of country 'B' is 85 kph, so that not only the maximum speed limit of the traveling country but also the minimum operable speed may be changed, thereby changing the operable range. <tables id="tabl0001" num="0001"><table frame="all"><title>[Table 1]</title><tgroup cols="3"><colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colwidth="42mm" /><colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colwidth="27mm" /><colspec colnum="3" colname="col3" colwidth="29mm" /><thead><row><entry valign="top">Srear = 55 m</entry><entry valign="top">Country A</entry><entry valign="top">Country B</entry></row></thead><tbody><row><entry>Maximum operable speed</entry><entry>110 kph</entry><entry>130 kph</entry></row><row><entry>Minimum operable speed</entry><entry>60 lph (VsminA)</entry><entry>85 kph (VsminB)</entry></row></tbody></tgroup></table></tables>

0059Although processor 130 may calculate the minimum speed limit of the corresponding country each time through Equation 1, the minimum speed limit may be calculated in advance and stored in the storage 120 as an operable range table for each country, and the processor 130 may change the operable range by using the operable range table when the vehicle moves from one country to another country.

0060When the country in which the vehicle is traveling is changed, the processor 130 may determine whether the maximum speed limit of the previous traveling country is different from the maximum speed limit of the current traveling country. Further, the processor 130 may control the display 240 to output a notification of the change in the maximum speed limit when the maximum speed limit of the previous traveling country is different from the maximum speed limit of the current traveling country. The processor 130 may change the operable range of a function according to the maximum speed limit of the present traveling country when the maximum speed limit of the previous traveling country is different from the maximum speed limit of the current traveling country.

0061The processor 130 may control such that the changed operable range of the function is output through the display 240. In addition, the processor 130 may determine whether the lane changing function is currently in operation and whether the current driving speed of the vehicle meets the changed operable range when the lane changing function is in operation. In addition, the processor 130 may continue to perform the lane changing function in the changed operable range when the current driving speed of the vehicle meets the changed operable range.

0062The processor 130 may stop performing the lane changing function when the current driving speed of the vehicle does not meet the changed operable range, and may determine whether the lane change is able to be completed at the current driving speed of the vehicle when the current driving speed of the vehicle does not meet the changed operable range. In addition, the processor 130 may control operation of the vehicle so as to perform the lane changing function in the changed operable range when the lane change is able to be completed at the current driving speed of the vehicle, and may prevent operation of the lane changing function when the lane change is unable to be completed at the current driving speed of the vehicle.

0063In addition, the processor 130 may obtain route information through interlocking with the navigation device 230 or the like, so that the processor 130 detects the change of the country in which the vehicle is traveling in advance, thereby controlling the traveling speed to satisfy the operable range at the time of country change.

0064In addition, the processor 130 may guide the change of the operable range according to the change of the traveling country in advance before crossing the border.

0065In addition, the processor 130 may change not only the operable range for each country but also the operable range for each road when the running road is changed. That is, the processor 130 may change the operable range by calculating the minimum operable speed based on the maximum speed limit of each road.

0066The function of the processor 130 may be integrated into the navigation device 230 to be implemented as a single device.

0067As described above, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, even if the traveling country (i.e., the country in which the vehicle is traveling) is changed while traveling, by changing and applying the operable range of the vehicle system providing the lane changing function according to the traveling country, it is possible to comply with the traffic regulations of the corresponding country and prepare for a dangerous situation.

0068In addition, it is possible to increase the usability of the system function by automatically changing and applying only the operable range of each country without diversifying the system for each country.

0069In addition, it is possible to further increase the efficiency of the safe driving by outputting the change in the operable range of the system according to the inter-country movement to the display to allow the user to recognize the change in real time.

0070<figref idref="f0002">FIG. 2</figref> is a view illustrating a method of controlling a vehicle when a country in which the vehicle is traveling is changed according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

0071<figref idref="f0002">FIG. 2</figref> illustrates a case where a vehicle 10 travels on a road near the border of country 'A' and then crosses the border to enter a road of country 'B'. It is assumed that the maximum speed limit of the country 'A' is 110 kph and the maximum speed limit of country 'B' is 130 kph.

0072When the vehicle 10 travels on the one-way secondary road of the country 'A' and then travels across the border to the country 'B' so that the traveling country is changed, the operable range of the vehicle apparatus 100 may be changed and set in accordance with the general maximum speed limit of the changed traveling country, and then, the vehicle apparatus 100 of the vehicle 20 traveling on the road of the country 'B' may output the operable range of the changed country 'B' through the display 240 to allow the user to recognize the operable range of the country 'B'.

0073In <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 2</figref>, since the lane changing operation is not performed when the traveling country is changed, the change of the operable range may be immediately performed and applied and displayed on the display 240.

0074<figref idref="f0003">FIG. 3</figref> is a view illustrating a method of controlling a vehicle in the case of lane changing when a country in which the vehicle is traveling is changed while traveling according to embodiments of the present disclosure. <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 4</figref> is a view illustrating a method of controlling in the case of preventing a lane change when a country in which the vehicle is traveling is changed while traveling according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

0075An example of changing a lane while a vehicle 30 travels along the road around the border of country 'A' and then travels across the border to the road of country 'B' will be described with reference to <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 3</figref>.

0076That is, when the lane changing function operation is started just before the vehicle 30 reaches the border between the country 'A' and the country 'B', the turn signal lamp starts to operate, and the lane change is normally completed without considering the border, the vehicle 30 travels to the position of a vehicle 40.

0077In this case, when the traveling country (i.e., the country in which the vehicle is traveling) is changed while the vehicle travels at the current driving speed, the vehicle apparatus 100 may determine whether to continue or stop the lane changing function in consideration of the current driving speed, the operable range of the changed country, and the remaining time until completion of the lane change. That is, when the operable range of the country 'A' overlaps with the operable range of the country 'B', and the lane changing function is impossible in the country 'A' and possible in the country 'B', the vehicle apparatus 100 may perform the lane changing function.

0078Referring to <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 4</figref>, when a vehicle 50 moves from country 'A' to country 'C' and the lane change is impossible due to the change in the operable minimum speed 'Vsmin' and the operable maximum speed limit 'Vsmax' of the country 'C', the vehicle apparatus 100 may stop the lane changing function and output the changed operable range through the display 240, thereby allowing a user to recognize the fact.

0079Hereinafter, a method of automatically changing an operable range of a vehicle apparatus according to an embodiment will be described with reference to <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 5. FIG. 5</figref> is a flowchart illustrating a method of automatically changing an operable range of a vehicle apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

0080Hereinafter, it is assumed that the vehicle apparatus 100 of <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> carries out the process of <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 5</figref>. In addition, it may be understood that in the description of <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 5</figref>, the operations described as being performed by devices are controlled by the processor 130 of the vehicle apparatus 100.

0081As shown in <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 5</figref>, in operation S110, the vehicle apparatus 100 may determine whether the country in which the vehicle is currently traveling is changed. In this case, the vehicle apparatus 100 may recognize its own location from the location information received from the GPS receiving module 220 or the map information of the navigation device 230 to determine whether the traveling country is changed.

0082In operation S140, when the traveling country is not changed at the current position of the vehicle, the vehicle apparatus 100 maintains the previous operable range. When the traveling country is changed at the current position of the vehicle is changed, in operation S120, the vehicle apparatus 100 compares the maximum speed limit of the previous traveling country with the maximum speed limit of the current (or new) traveling country.

0083When the maximum speed limit of the current (or new) traveling country is different from the maximum speed limit of the current traveling country, that is, when the maximum speed limit of the traveling country is changed, the vehicle apparatus 100 outputs the change in the maximum speed limit through the display 240 to inform the user of the fact and adjusts the operable range based on the maximum speed limit of the current (or new) traveling country (S130).

0084Meanwhile, in operation S140, when the maximum speed limit of the previous traveling country is equal to that of the current traveling country, that is, when the maximum speed limit of the traveling country is not changed, the vehicle apparatus 100 maintains the previous operable range. Thereafter, the operation S110 is continued to monitor whether the traveling country is changed, and the subsequent operations S120 to S140 are repeated until the driving of the vehicle is stopped. In this case, the vehicle apparatus 100 may determine whether the traveling country is changed in a specified period of time, or may predict in advance whether the traveling country is changed based on the route and map information of the navigation device 230.

0085Hereinafter, a method of controlling a vehicle when an operable range of a vehicle apparatus is automatically changed according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to <figref idref="f0006">FIG. 6. FIG. 6</figref> is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a vehicle when an operable range of a vehicle apparatus is automatically changed according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In following description, it is assumed that the process of <figref idref="f0006">FIG. 6</figref> is performed by the vehicle apparatus 100 of <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>. In addition, it may be understood that in the description of <figref idref="f0006">FIG. 6</figref>, the operations described as being performed by devices are controlled by the processor 130 of the vehicle apparatus 100.

0086As shown in <figref idref="f0006">FIG. 6</figref>, in operation S210, when the traveling country is changed and the maximum speed limit is changed in <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 5</figref>, the operable range for the lane changing function of the changed country is changed. In this case, as described above, the operable range may include a range between the minimum operable speed and the maximum operable speed, and the maximum operable speed may include the maximum speed limit or higher of the traveling country in which the vehicle is currently traveling. In addition, the vehicle apparatus 100 may calculate the minimum operable speed by using the maximum speed limit 'Vapp', the maximum deceleration 'a' of an approaching vehicle, the margin time 'tB' until an approaching vehicle decelerates after the start of a lane changing operation, the time 'tG' for an approaching vehicle to maintain a clearance distance between vehicles after deceleration, the maximum sensing distance 'Srear' of a sensor in a rear-side direction, and the like, which is calculated through Equation 1.

0087Thereafter, in operation S220, the vehicle apparatus 100 may inform the user of the changed operable range through the display 240 or the like, so that the user may recognize the change in the operable range. Then, in operation S230, the vehicle apparatus 100 determines whether the lane changing function is currently in operation. In this case, the vehicle apparatus 100 may determine whether the lane changing function is currently in operation through the communication with a device in the vehicle that supports the lane changing function or based on the on/off information of the turn signal lamp, and the like.

0088In operation S240, when the lane changing function is not in operation, the vehicle apparatus 100 may continuously maintain the lane changing function in the changed operable range.

0089Meanwhile, in operation S250, when the lane changing function is in operation, the vehicle apparatus 100 determines whether the current driving speed meets the changed operable range.

0090In operation S240, when the current driving speed satisfies the changed operable range, the vehicle apparatus 100 continues to perform the lane changing function in the changed operable range.

0091To the contrary, when the current driving speed does not satisfy the changed operable range, in operation S260, the vehicle apparatus 100 stops the lane changing function according to a lane change stop procedure.

0092Hereinafter, a method of controlling a vehicle when an operable range of a vehicle apparatus is automatically changed according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to <figref idref="f0007">FIG. 7. FIG. 7</figref> is another flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a vehicle when an operable range of a vehicle apparatus is automatically changed according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

0093In the following description, it is assumed that the process of <figref idref="f0007">FIG. 7</figref> is performed by the vehicle apparatus 100 of <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>. In addition, it may be understood that in the description of <figref idref="f0007">FIG. 7</figref>, the operations described as being performed by devices are controlled by the processor 130 of the vehicle apparatus 100.

0094As shown in <figref idref="f0007">FIG. 7</figref>, in operation S310, when the traveling country is changed and the maximum speed limit is changed in <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 5</figref>, the operable range for the lane changing function of the changed country is changed. In this case, as described above, the operable range may include a range between the minimum operable speed and the maximum operable speed, and the maximum operable speed may include the maximum speed limit or higher of the traveling country in which the vehicle is currently traveling. In addition, the vehicle apparatus 100 may calculate the minimum operable speed by using the maximum speed limit 'Vapp', the maximum deceleration 'a' of an approaching vehicle, the margin time 'tB' until an approaching vehicle decelerates after the start of a lane changing operation, the time 'tG' for an approaching vehicle to maintain a clearance distance between vehicles after deceleration, the maximum sensing distance 'Srear' of a sensor in a rear-side direction, and the like, which is calculated through Equation 1.

0095Thereafter, in operation S320, the vehicle apparatus 100 may inform the user of the changed operable range through the display 240 or the like, so that the user may recognize the change in the operable range. Then, in operation S330, the vehicle apparatus 100 determines whether the lane changing function is currently in operation. In this case, the vehicle apparatus 100 may determine whether the lane changing function is currently in operation through the communication with a device in the vehicle that supports the lane changing function or based on the on/off information of the turn signal lamp, and the like.

0096In operation S340, when the lane changing function is not in operation, the vehicle apparatus 100 may continuously maintain the lane changing function in the changed operable range.

0097Meanwhile, when the lane changing function is in operation, in operation S350, the vehicle apparatus 100 determines whether the current driving speed meets the changed operable range.

0098In operation S340, when the current driving speed satisfies the changed operable range, the vehicle apparatus 100 continues to perform the lane changing function in the changed operable range.

0099To the contrary, when the current driving speed does not satisfy the changed operable range, in operation S360, the vehicle apparatus 100 determines whether it is possible to complete the lane change when the vehicle continues to run at the current driving speed.

0100In this case, when the surrounding environment condition perceived by the sensor module 210 is suitable for the lane change, the speed is adjustable within the changed operable range for the remaining time until completion of the lane change, the vehicle apparatus 100 may determine that it is possible to complete the lane change. That is, the case where the surrounding environment condition is suitable for the lane change may include a case where there is no risk of collision although a vehicle which exists at a rear-side on a target lane for the lane change is within the sensing distance 'Srear' of the sensor in a rear-side direction (e.g., a case where the speed of a vehicle at a rear-side is lower than that of the present vehicle). In order to determine that the speed is adjustable within the operable range changed for the remaining time until completion of the lane change, when the lane change operation is not completed after the start of the lane change operation and the time to automatically cancel the lane change operation is 'tC', the vehicle apparatus 100 determines whether it is possible to change the driving speed by accelerating or decelerating the driving speed within the operable range at the acceleration or deceleration 'a' at which the driver does not feel a great sense of heterogeneity while reaching 'tC' after the start of the lane changing operation. That is, when the driving speed is accelerated or decelerated within the operable range at the acceleration or deceleration 'a' at which the driver does not feel a great sense of heterogeneity while reaching 'tC' after the start of the lane changing operation, the vehicle apparatus 100 may determine that it is possible to complete the lane change.

0101When it is determined in operation S360 that it is possible to complete the lane change, in operation S340, the vehicle apparatus 100 performs the lane changing function in the changed operable range.

0102To the contrary, when it is impossible to complete the lane change, in operation S370, the vehicle apparatus 100 stops the lane changing function according to a lane change stop procedure.

0103As described above, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, even if a vehicle moves across a border while traveling so that an inter-country movement occurs, the operable range may be safely changed in preparation for a rear-side dangerous situation corresponding to the maximum speed limit of the country, so that the usability of the driving assistance or autonomous driving function is increased without the need to diversify the autonomous driving system.

0104In addition, when an inter-country movement occurs while traveling, the information about the changing and setting of the operable range may be provided to the user in real time, thereby allowing the user to safely drive the vehicle.

0105<figref idref="f0008">FIG. 8</figref> is a view illustrating a computing system according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

0106As shown in <figref idref="f0008">FIG. 8</figref>, a computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100, a memory 1300, a user interface input device 1400, a user interface output device 1500, a storage 1600, and a network interface 1700, which are connected through a bus 1200.

0107The processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device that processes instructions stored in the memory 1300 and/or the storage 1600. The memory 1300 and the storage 1600 may include various volatile or nonvolatile storage media. For example, the memory 1300 may include a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM) .

0108Accordingly, the processes of the method or algorithm described in relation to the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented directly by hardware executed by the processor 1100, a software module, or a combination thereof. The software module may reside in a storage medium (i.e., the memory 1300 and/or the storage 1600), such as a RAM memory, a flash memory, a ROM memory, an EPROM memory, an EEPROM memory, a register, a hard disk, a detachable disk, or a CD-ROM.

0109The exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor 1100, and the processor 1100 may read information from the storage medium and may write information in the storage medium. In another method, the storage medium may be integrated with the processor 1100. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In another method, the processor and the storage medium may reside in the user terminal as an individual component.

0110According to embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to automatically change the operable range into the operable range of a corresponding country and apply the changed operable range when inter-country movement occurs during driving. Thus, driving assistance functions or autonomous driving functions can be performed in automatic accordance with the driving requirements of each country, such that functions such as a lane changing function may be safely performed.

0111In addition, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, in a case where the vehicle enters into a country while a lane changing function is in operation, the lane changing is allowed to operate when the current driving speed of the vehicle meets the changed operable range, but the vehicle is controlled to prevent operation of the lane changing when the current driving speed of the vehicle does not meet the changed operable range, so that the safe driving may be achieved.

0112Various effects that are directly or indirectly understood through the present disclosure may be provided.

0113The above description is a simple exemplification of the technical spirit of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure may be variously corrected and modified by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the essential features of the present disclosure.

0114Therefore, the disclosed embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the technical spirit of the present disclosure but are illustrative, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should be construed by the claims, and it will be understood that all the technical spirits within the equivalent range fall within the scope of the present disclosure.