Apparatus for generating digital lane mark

• US 20060020389A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanei Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sanei Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tadashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A digital lane mark generation apparatus of this invention generates a highly accurate and inexpensive three-dimensional mathematical expression orbit map (a digital lane mark), including a GPS coordinate reception unit 13 obtaining GPS coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the vehicle, a gyro sensor 14 calculating measurement values of a gradient (ψ, θ, φ), a camera device 19 photographing as a camera image, a distance meter 15 measuring a driving distance measuring point (1), a speed meter 16 measuring a speed(v), a steering angle sensor 17 measuring a steering angle (ρ), a road surface roughness sensor 18 detecting a road surface roughness (δ), an IC tag information reception unit 11 detecting IC tag position information; an internal timer 12a, and a digital lane mark generation unit 12 generating a digital lane mark by relating each information to a standard time (t), and by using a line segment (S), a circular arc (R), and/or a clothoid curve (A).

Claims

1. A digital lane mark generation apparatus in a vehicle for generating a digital lane mark indicating the driving orbit of a vehicle, comprising:

Gps coordinate reception means for obtaining gps coordinates which are global geodetic coordinates (x, y, z) of the vehicle from a gps satellite;

gyro sensor means for calculating measurement values of a gradient (ψ

, θ

, φ

) by measuring a gradient of the vehicle;

one or more cameras for photographing the outside of the vehicle as a camera image; and

digital lane mark generation means for generating a digital lane mark indicating the driving orbit of the vehicle, by relating said global geodetic coordinates (x, y, z), said measurement values of the gradient (ψ

, θ

, φ

), and a camera image, to a standard time (t), and by using a line segment (s), a circular arc (r), a clothoid curve (a), an altitude (z), a longitudinal gradient, and/or a crossing gradient cant.

2. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said one or more cameras are a front camera for photographing the front of the vehicle, an oblique front camera for photographing a diagonally forward underneath, a side camera for photographing a side of the vehicle, and/or a downward camera for photographing directly below the vehicle;

and

wherein said digital lane mark generation means uses all or part of the camera image photographed by said front camera, said oblique front camera, said side camera, and said downward camera.

3. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said front cameras are a plurality of stereo pair front cameras for photographing the front of the vehicle;

and

wherein said digital lane mark generation means uses the camera image photographed by a plurality of said stereo pair front cameras.

4. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said side camera and said downward camera are line sensors for recognizing lane mark information;

and

wherein said digital lane mark generation means quickly processes and uses lane mark information recognized by said line sensor.

5. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a distance meter for measuring a driving distance measuring point (1) of a driving distance of the vehicle,

wherein said digital lane mark generation means generates said digital lane mark by relating said driving distance measuring point (1) to said standard time (t).

6. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a speedometer for measuring a speed of the vehicle (v),

wherein said digital lane mark generation means generates said digital lane mark by relating said speed of the vehicle (v) to said standard time (t).

7. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a steering angle sensor for measuring a steering angle (ρ

) of a steering wheel of the vehicle,

wherein said digital lane mark generation means generates said digital lane mark by relating said steering angle (ρ

) to said standard time (t).

8. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising one or more road surface roughness sensors for detecting road surface roughness (δ

),

Wherein said digital lane mark generation means generates said digital lane mark by relating said road surface roughness (δ

) to said standard time (t).

9. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising IC tag information reception means for detecting tag position information from an IC tag placed on a road surface,

wherein said digital lane mark generation means generates said digital lane mark by relating said tag position information to said standard time (t).

11. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said time information (t) is generated by standard time generation means.

12. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein said standard time generation means is said GPS coordinate reception means;

and

wherein said time information (t) is generated based on a GPS time obtained from GPS information by said GPS coordinate reception means.

13. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said time information (t) is generated based on a gyro time obtained from gyro information by the gyro sensor means which calculates said measurement values of the gradient(ψ

, θ

, φ

) by measuring said gradient of the vehicle.

14. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said digital lane mark generation means generates a digital lane mark indicating the driving orbit of the vehicle, by relating said global geodetic coordinates (X, Y, Z), said measurement values of the gradient (ψ

, θ

, φ

), and a camera image, to said distance of the road as the driving distance measuring point (1) of the driving distance of the vehicle, and by using a line segment (S), a circular arc (R), and/or a clothoid curve (A).

15. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said distance meter is a rotary encoder.

16. The digital lane mark generation apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said distance meter is a vehicle speed pulse transmitter.

10. A digital lane mark generation apparatus in an aircraft for generating a digital lane mark indicating the driving orbit of a vehicle, comprising:

GPS coordinate reception means for obtaining GPS coordinates which are global geodetic coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the vehicle from a GPS satellite;

gyro sensor means for calculating measurement values of a gradient (ψ

, θ

, φ

) by measuring a gradient of an aircraft;

a camera for photographing the outside of the aircraft as a camera image;

digital lane mark generation means for generating a digital lane mark indicating the driving orbit of the vehicle, including;

lane mark detection means for detecting lane mark information of the road from a camera image photographed by said camera, and

an internal timer for generating time information (t),

wherein digital lane mark generation means generates a digital lane mark, by relating lane mark information of the road detected by said lane mark detection means, said global geodetic coordinates (X, Y, Z), and said measurement values of the gradient (ψ

, θ

, φ

), to standard time information (t) of said internal timer, and by using a line segment (S), a circular arc (R), and/or a clothoid curve (A).