Vehicle running control apparatus and map information data recording medium

• US 20030109980A1
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kojima, Takao, Minowa, Toshimichi, Izumi, Shiho, Yoshikawa, Tokuji, Satou, Kazuhiko, Kuragaki, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 6,738,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/10 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/038 Limiting the input power, torque or speed
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

The present invention can realize a vehicle running control apparatus including ACC function and map information data recording medium to obtain effective information for safety driving capable for running control meeting a driver'"'"'s feeling. The first running speed is decided on the basis of the distance between the vehicles and the relative speed. The position detecting means detects the position of own vehicle on a map. The map information getting means gets road information, the width of the road, the radius of curvature, and slope on the basis of the map information. The visible distance estimating means estimates the visible distance on the basis of the map information, deciding the second running safety speed with the estimated visible distance. The running control means decides the object running speed of smallest one of the set speed, the first running speed, and the second running speed.

Claims

1. A vehicle running control apparatus automatically controlling running of a vehicle without driver'"'"'s operation, comprising:

a set speed input means for inputting a set speed;

an origination vehicle position detecting means for detecting a position of said origination vehicle;

a map information getting means for getting map information including road attributes information and road structure information on the basis of an output from said origination vehicle position detecting means;

a running environment recognizing means for recognizing a running environment, including a visible distance estimating means for estimating a visible distance of a driver on a road on the basis of said map information get by said map information getting means; and

a vehicle running control means for deciding an object running speed of said origination vehicle in accordance with said visible distance estimated by said running environment recognizing means, for controlling running of said origination vehicle to keep said object running speed.

3. A vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a storing means for storing vehicle attribute information of said origination vehicle, wherein said running environment recognizing means corrects said visible distance on the basis of said vehicle attribute information stored in said storing means.

4. A vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said origination vehicle position detecting means detects origination vehicle running lane position information, said map information getting means getting a width of road side area information and a number of lanes of a road information, said running environment recognizing means estimating a visible distance on the basis of at least one information of said origination vehicle running lane position information, said width of road side area information and said number of lanes of a road information.

5. A vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said map information getting means gets presence of a side wall of a road information and a height of said wall information, said running environment recognizing means estimating a visible distance on the basis of at least one information of said presence of a side wall of a road information and a height of said wall information.

6. A vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, further comprising a space detecting means for detecting said origination vehicle vicinity space information, wherein said running environment recognizing means including a visible distance detecting means for detecting a visible distance, which can be seen by a driver, on the basis of said space information detected by said space detecting means, and an output selecting means for selecting one of outputs from said visible distance estimating means and said visible distance detecting means on the basis of said origination vehicle position detected by said origination vehicle position detecting means.

7. A vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said space detecting means gets an origination vehicle vicinity condition which can be recognized by a driver, dividing said origination vehicle vicinity condition into a dangerous area and a safety area.

8. A vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, further comprising an origination vehicle position abnormal detecting means for detecting an abnormal condition of an output from said origination vehicle position detecting means, wherein all or part of functions of said running control apparatus is stopped when said origination vehicle position abnormal detecting means detects an abnormal condition of said origination vehicle position.

9. A vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said abnormal condition of said origination vehicle position is reported to a driver when said origination vehicle position abnormal detecting means detects an abnormal condition of said origination vehicle position and all or part of functions of said running control apparatus is stopped.

2. A vehicle running control apparatus automatically controlling running of a vehicle without driver'"'"'s operation, comprising:

a set speed input means for inputting a set speed;

an origination vehicle position detecting means for detecting a position of said origination vehicle;

a map information getting means for getting map information including road attributes information and road structure information on the basis of an output from said origination vehicle position detecting means;

a running environment recognizing means for recognizing a running environment, including a visible distance estimating means for estimating a visible distance of a driver on a road on the basis of at least one of road attribute, a width of a road, a radius of curvature, and a slope of descending or ascending road in said map information get by said map information getting means; and

a vehicle running control means for computing a first running speed in accordance with said visible distance estimated by said running environment recognizing means, comparing said first running speed with said set speed set by said set speed input means, deciding an object running speed of said origination vehicle on the basis of at least one of said first running speed and said set speed when said set speed is higher than said first running speed, controlling running of said origination vehicle to keep said object running speed.

10. A vehicle running control apparatus automatically controlling running of a vehicle without driver'"'"'s operation, comprising:

a set speed input means for inputting a set speed;

an origination vehicle position detecting means for detecting a position of said origination vehicle;

a map information getting means for getting map information including road attributes information and road structure information on the basis of an output from said origination vehicle position detecting means;

a vehicle running control means for deciding an object running speed of said origination vehicle on the basis of said origination vehicle position detected by said origination vehicle position detecting means and said map information get by said map information getting means, controlling running of said origination vehicle to keep said object running speed; and

an origination vehicle position abnormal detecting means for detecting an abnormal condition of an output from said origination vehicle position detecting means,

wherein all or part of functions of said running control apparatus is stopped when said origination vehicle position abnormal detecting means detects an abnormal condition of said origination vehicle position.

11. A vehicle running control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said abnormal condition of said origination vehicle position is reported to a driver when said origination vehicle position abnormal detecting means detects an abnormal condition of said origination vehicle position and all or part of functions of said running control apparatus is stopped.

12. A map information data storing medium storing at least road structure information and road attribute information, comprising at least one information of presence of a side wall of a road information, a height of said wall information, and a width of road side band area information.

13. A map information data storing medium according to claim 12, further comprising a radius of curvature information, a width of a road information, and a slope of descending or ascending road information.

14. A vehicle running control system including a vehicle running control apparatus automatically controlling running of a vehicle without driver'"'"'s operation, and a vehicle driving apparatus controlled by said vehicle running control apparatus, wherein:

said vehicle running control apparatus comprises,

a set speed input means for inputting a set speed;

an origination vehicle position detecting means for detecting a position of said origination vehicle;

a map information getting means for getting map information including road attributes information and road structure information on the basis of an output from said origination vehicle position detecting means;

a running environment recognizing means for recognizing a running environment, including a visible distance estimating means for estimating a visible distance of a driver on a road on the basis of at least one of road attribute, a width of a road, a radius of curvature, and a slope of descending or ascending road in said map information get by said map information getting means; and

a vehicle running control means for computing a first running speed in accordance with said visible distance estimated by said running environment recognizing means, comparing said first running speed with said set speed set by said set speed input means, deciding an object running speed of said origination vehicle on the basis of at least one of said first running speed and said set speed when said set speed is higher than said first running speed, controlling running of said origination vehicle to keep said object running speed,

and said vehicle driving apparatus is controlled in accordance with a control command from said vehicle running control apparatus to control a speed of said vehicle.

15. An automobile including a vehicle running control apparatus automatically controlling running of an automobile without driver'"'"'s operation, and a automobile driving apparatus controlled by said automobile running control apparatus, wherein:

said automobile running control apparatus comprises,

a set speed input means for inputting a set speed;

an origination automobile position detecting means for detecting a position of said origination automobile;

a map information getting means for getting map information including road attributes information and road structure information on the basis of an output from said origination automobile position detecting means;

a running environment recognizing means for recognizing a running environment, including a visible distance estimating means for estimating a visible distance of a driver on a road on the basis of at least one of road attribute, a width of a road, a radius of curvature, and a slope of descending or ascending road in said map information get by said map information getting means; and

a automobile running control means for computing a first running speed in accordance with said visible distance estimated by said running environment recognizing means, comparing said first running speed with said set speed set by said set speed input means, deciding an object running speed of said origination automobile on the basis of at least one of said first running speed and said set speed when said set speed is higher than said first running speed, controlling running of said origination automobile to keep said object running speed,

and said automobile driving apparatus is controlled in accordance with a control command from said automobile running control apparatus to control a speed of said automobile.