Vehicle control system

• US 20070198156A1
• Filed: 02/19/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazunao
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/324 Road inclination, e.g. uphill or downhill
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A storage device stores map data, which indicates a road map, and a reliability of the map data. A navigation controller determines an absolute position of a vehicle based on signals of a GPS sensor, a gyrosensor and a vehicle speed sensor. The controller sets a sensing accuracy of the absolute position based on a sensing condition, under which the absolute position is sensed. The controller stores the absolute position at the time of traveling of the vehicle as travel path information of the vehicle in the storage device. The controller sets a reliability of the travel path information based on the sensing accuracy of the absolute position. A light controller controls headlights based on a road state that is determined according to a selected one of the travel path information and the corresponding map data, which shows the higher reliability.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a map data storing means for storing;

map data that indicates a road map; and

a reliability of the map data that is stored in association with the map data and corresponds to an error of the road map, which is indicated by the map data and is determined on a basis of an actual road;

an absolute position sensing means for sensing an absolute position of a vehicle and also for setting a sensing accuracy of the sensed absolute position of the vehicle based on a sensing condition, under which the absolute position of the vehicle is sensed;

a travel path storing means for storing the absolute position of the vehicle, which is sensed by the absolute position sensing means at a time of traveling of the vehicle, as travel path information of the vehicle, wherein the travel path storing means is also for setting and storing a reliability of the travel path information based on the sensing accuracy of the absolute position of the vehicle, which is set by the absolute position sensing means, and the reliability of the travel path information is stored in association with the travel path information; and

a vehicle controlling means for performing a vehicle control operation based on a road state that is determined according to a selected one of the travel path information and the corresponding map data, which corresponds to the travel path information, wherein the selected one of the travel path information and the corresponding map data has the reliability, which is higher than the reliability of the other one of the travel path information and the map data.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, further comprising a map position obtaining means for obtaining a position of the vehicle on a basis of the road map, which is indicated by the map data stored in the map data storing means, based on the absolute position of the vehicle, which is sensed by the absolute position sensing means, wherein the travel path storing means stores the travel path information in association with the position of the vehicle, which is obtained by the map position obtaining means on the basis of the road map.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, further comprising a travel path storing need determining means for determining whether the travel path of the vehicle needs to be stored based on the position of the vehicle, which is obtained by the map position obtaining means on the basins of the road map, wherein when the travel path storing need determining means determines that the travel path of the vehicle needs to be stored, the travel path storing means stores the travel path information.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein:

the map position obtaining means obtains the position of the vehicle on the basis of the road map by correcting the absolute position of the vehicle, which is sensed by the absolute position sensing means, to coincide with the road map that is indicated by the map data; and

the travel path storing need determining means determines that the travel path of the vehicle needs to be stored when a degree of the correction made by the map position obtaining means is larger than a determination reference condition.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein ht e travel path storing need determining means determines that the travel path of the vehicle needs to be stored when the position of the vehicle, which is obtained by the map position obtaining means on the basis of the road map, is within a predetermined area on the road map.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control means includes a headlight controlling means for controlling an optical axis of a headlight of the vehicle.