Road information sensing system, method and program

• US 20070250263A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazunao
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• 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 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/134 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/146 Abnormalities, e.g. fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/00 Measuring distances in line of sight; Optical rangefinders tapes, chains or wheels for measuring length G01B3/00; active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, G01S17/48

Abstract

A GPS sensor senses a current position of a vehicle. A map database stores map data. A controller obtains road information of a road ahead of the vehicle from the map data based on the sensed current position of the vehicle. Then, the controller measures a distance from the vehicle to a predetermined object, which serves as a sensing subject, on the road when the obtained road information is predetermined road information. Then, the controller outputs the measured distance as control information of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A road information sensing system on a vehicle, comprising:

a position sensing means for sensing a current position of the vehicle;

a map storage means for storing map data;

a state information obtaining means for obtaining road information of a road ahead of the vehicle from the map data based on the sensed current position of the vehicle, which is sensed with the position sensing means;

a distance measuring means for measuring a distance from the vehicle to a predetermined object, which serves as a sensing subject, on the road when the obtained road information, which is obtained with the state information obtaining means, is predetermined road information; and

an information outputting means for outputting the measured distance, which is measured with the distance measuring means, as control information of the vehicle.

2. The road information sensing system according to claim 1, further comprising a reliability determining means for determining a degree of reliability of the sensed current position of the vehicle, which is sensed with the position sensing means, wherein the information outputting means also outputs the degree of reliability of the sensed current position of the vehicle, which is determined with the reliability determining means, as the control information.

3. The road information sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the information outputting means also outputs measurement time, at which the distance is measured with the distance measuring mean, as the control information.

4. The road information sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the distance measuring means changes a type of the predetermined object, which serves as the sensing subject, according to the obtained road information, which is obtained with the state information obtaining means.

5. A road information sensing method comprising:

sensing a current position of a vehicle;

obtaining road information of a road ahead of the vehicle from map data based on the sensed current position of the vehicle;

measuring a distance from the vehicle to a predetermined object, which serves as a sensing subject, on the road when the obtained road information is predetermined road information; and

outputting the measured distance as control information of the vehicle.

6. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium to perform the method of claim 5.