Vehicle running control apparatus and map information data recording medium

• US 20050004743A1
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• 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 7,684,921 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 control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a visible distance estimating means for estimating a point, which can be recognized by a driver on the basis of an input image in front of said vehicle;

a means for deciding a driving speed of said vehicle on the basis of said visible distance; and

a vehicle control means for controlling said vehicle to keep said driving speed.

2. A control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a camera for obtaining an image data in front of said vehicle,

wherein said visible distance estimating means divides said image data into a safety area which can be recognized by said driver and a dangerous area which cannot be recognized by said driver, and estimates said visible distance on the basis of said safety area.

3. A control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a space detecting means for obtaining an image data in front of a vehicle, and for processing said image data;

a visible distance estimating means for estimating a point, which can be recognized by a driver on the basis of said image data processed by said space detecting means;

a means for deciding a driving speed of said vehicle on the basis of said visible distance; and

a vehicle control means for controlling said vehicle to keep said driving speed.

4. A control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a visible distance estimating means for estimating a point, which can be recognized by a driver on the basis of a map information including road attributes information and road structure information;

a means for deciding a driving speed of said vehicle on the basis of said visible distance; and

a vehicle control means for controlling said vehicle to keep said driving speed.