Safe movement support device

• US 20060212222A1
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Miyoshi, Takashi, Iwaki, Hidekazu, Arai, Kazuhiko
• Application Number:
  US10/565,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212222A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A safe movement support apparatus includes an environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit 1 for acquiring environmental three-dimensional information corresponding to a state of an actual object within a virtual space surrounding a moving body or an assumed movement track relating the moving body with a prescribed finite expanse; a moving body state information acquisition unit 2 for acquiring moving body state information relating to the moving body; and a safe movement-enabled space calculation unit 3 for calculating a safe movement-enabled space which is a virtual space with a finite expanse in which the moving body is presumed to be movable safely, based on the environmental three dimensional information obtained from the environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit and moving body state information obtained from the moving body state information acquisition unit.

Claims

1. A safe movement support apparatus, comprising:

an environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit for acquiring environmental three-dimensional information corresponding to a state of actual object within a virtual space surrounding a moving body or an assumed movement track relating the moving body with a prescribed finite expanse;

a moving body state information acquisition unit for acquiring moving body state information relating to the moving body; and

a safe movement-enabled space calculation unit for calculating a safe movement-enabled space which is a virtual space with a finite expanse in which the moving body is presumed to be movable safely, based on the environmental three-dimensional information obtained from the environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit and moving body state information obtained from the moving body state information acquisition unit.

7. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit is configured to acquire plural pieces of environmental three-dimensional information in a time series.

8. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit is configured to acquire the environmental three-dimensional information by using either one or plurality of systems such as a Time of Flight system, system utilizing a stereo camera, system by a Shape From Motion, system by a pattern projection method, or system utilizing GPS and map information.

9. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the moving body state information acquisition unit is configured to acquire plural pieces of the moving body state information in a time series.

10. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the moving body state information acquisition unit is configured to acquire the moving body state information relating to either one or plurality of information, such as a position &

attitude, speed, angular speed, strain of body, steering angle, acceleration, angular acceleration, driving power, braking power, gear ratio of driving power transmission system, environmental temperature and humidity, remaining fuel quantity, remaining battery capacity, maximum torque, vehicle size and weight, presence or absence of special function, and minimum turning radius, about the moving body.

11. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the safe movement-enabled space calculation unit comprises either one or plurality of units such as the one for calculating a movement-enabled plane, which is a projection to a prescribed plane, of region in which the moving body is enabled to move, the one for calculating a state on the movement-enabled plane, the one for calculating a region allowing the moving body to exist from among the movement-enabled plane, or the one for predicting a transition in time with regard to at least either one among the movement-enabled plane, a state on the movement-enabled plane and a region allowing the moving body to exist within the movement-enabled plane.

12. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a vehicle is applicable to the moving body.

13. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

either one or plurality among the environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit, moving body state information acquisition unit and safe movement-enabled space calculation unit are equipped on the outside of the moving body.

2. A safe movement support apparatus, comprising:

an environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit for acquiring environmental three-dimensional information corresponding to a state of actual object within a virtual space surrounding a moving body or an assumed movement track relating the moving body with a prescribed finite expanse;

a texture acquisition unit for acquiring a texture relating to the virtual space;

a moving body state information acquisition unit for acquiring moving body state information relating to a state of the moving body; and

a safe movement-enabled space calculation unit for calculating a safe movement-enabled space which is a virtual space with a finite expanse in which the moving body is presumed to be movable safely, based on environmental three dimensional information obtained from the environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit, moving body state information obtained from the moving body state information acquisition unit and a texture obtained from the texture acquisition unit.

5. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the texture acquisition unit is configured to acquire plural pieces of data indicating textures in a time series.

6. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the texture acquisition unit is configured to acquire a texture by using either one or plurality of devices such as a visible light imaging device, infrared light imaging device, high sensitivity imaging device, or high dynamic range imaging device.

14. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

either one or plurality among the environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit, texture acquisition unit, moving body state information acquisition unit and safe movement-enabled space calculation unit are equipped in the outside of the moving body.

3. A safe movement support apparatus, comprising:

an environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit for acquiring environmental three-dimensional information corresponding to a state of actual object within a virtual space surrounding a moving body or an assumed movement track relating the moving body with a prescribed finite expanse;

a texture acquisition unit for acquiring a texture relating to the virtual space;

a moving body state information acquisition unit for acquiring moving body state information relating to a state of the moving body;

a safe movement-enabled space calculation unit for calculating a safe movement-enabled space which is a virtual space with a finite expanse in which the moving body is presumed to be movable safely, based on environmental three dimensional information obtained from the environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit, moving body state information obtained from the moving body state information acquisition unit and a texture obtained from the texture acquisition unit; and

a stable movement path calculation unit for calculating a path on which the moving body is presumed to be movable stably based on the information indicating a safe movement-enabled space obtained from the safe movement-enabled space calculation unit and moving body state information obtained from the moving body state information acquisition unit.

4. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

a moving body control unit for controlling so as to enable the moving body to move along a path on which the moving body is presumed to be stably movable and that has been calculated by the stable movement path calculation unit.

15. The safe movement support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

either one or plurality among the environmental three-dimensional information acquisition unit, texture acquisition unit, moving body state information acquisition unit, safe movement-enabled space calculation unit and stable movement path calculation unit are equipped in the outside of the moving body.

16. A safe movement support method, comprising the processes of

obtaining environmental three-dimensional information corresponding to a state of actual object within a virtual space surrounding a moving body or an assumed movement track relating the moving body with a prescribed finite expanse and moving body state information relating to a state of the moving body;

and

calculating a safe movement-enabled space which is a virtual space with a finite expanse in which the moving body is presumed to be safely movable, based on the environmental three dimensional information and moving body state information.

17. A safe movement support method, comprising the processes of

obtaining environmental three-dimensional information corresponding to a state of actual object within a virtual space surrounding a moving body or an assumed movement track relating the moving body with a prescribed finite expanse, a texture relating to the virtual space, and moving body state information relating to a state of the moving body;

and

calculating a safe movement-enabled space which is a virtual space with a finite expanse in which the moving body is presumed to be movable safely, based on the environmental three dimensional information, moving body state information and texture.

18. A safe movement support method, comprising the processes of

obtaining environmental three-dimensional information corresponding to a state of actual object within a virtual space surrounding a moving body or an assumed movement track relating the moving body with a prescribed finite expanse, a texture relating to the virtual space, and moving body state information relating to a state of the moving body;

calculating a safe movement-enabled space which is a virtual space with a finite expanse in which the moving body is presumed to be safely movable, based on the environmental three dimensional information, moving body state information and texture; and

calculating a path on which the moving body is presumed to be stably movable based on the information indicating a safe movement-enabled space and moving body state information.

19. The safe movement support method according to claim 18, further comprising the process of controlling so as to enable the moving body to move along the path.