SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE GUIDING USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVER APPARATUS THEREFOR

• US 20100274429A1
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Kyeong Tae, YOO, Jaejun, Kim, Jungsook, Sung, Kyung Bok, Kim, Do Hyun, Park, Jong-Hyun, Choi, Jeong Dan, Jang, Byung Tae, Lim, Jae Han, Jang, Jeong Ah
• Granted Patent: US 8,437,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

An apparatus is for guiding a vehicle traveling of a vehicle by using information technology infrastructures. The apparatus includes: a control terminal for controlling the vehicle traveling; sensing devices that collect circumstance information of guidance areas desirous of guiding the vehicle by using the information technology infrastructures provided on the guidance areas; and a server device that recognizes a circumstance of the guidance areas to create a guidance route based on the collected circumstance information by the sensing device so that the control terminal controls the vehicle to travel along the guidance route.

Claims

1. An apparatus for guiding a vehicle traveling of a vehicle by using information technology infrastructures, comprising:

a control terminal for controlling the vehicle traveling;

sensing devices that collect circumstance information of guidance areas desirous of guiding the vehicle by using the information technology infrastructures provided on the guidance areas; and

a server device that recognizes a circumstance of the guidance areas to create a guidance route based on the collected circumstance information by the sensing device so that the control terminal controls the vehicle to travel along the guidance route.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing devices are provided in relation to the guidance areas to collect the circumstance information of the corresponding areas, and wherein each of the server devices includes:

local servers that receive the circumstance information from their corresponding sensing devices to recognize local circumstances of the corresponding, respectively; and

a global server that recognizes a global circumstance of the guidance areas based on the local circumstances provided by the local servers to create the guidance route.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the local servers includes:

a local circumstance recognition unit that analyzes the circumstance information transmitted from the corresponding sensing device to generate local circumstance recognition information indicative of the local circumstance wherein the local circumstance recognition information includes guiding information for the vehicle traveling;

a local guiding information storage unit that stores the guiding information for the vehicle traveling included in the local circumstance recognition information; and

a local communication unit that transmits to the control terminal and the global server the local circumstance recognition information including the guiding information.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the global server includes:

a guidance area information storage unit that stores geometrical information of the guidance area;

a global circumstance recognition unit that recognizes the global circumstance of the guidance area based on the local circumstance received from the local servers;

a guidance route creating unit that creates the guidance route based on the global circumstance information and geometrical information of the guidance area;

a control information generation unit that generates vehicle guiding control information making the vehicle to travel along the guidance route derived;

a global guiding information storage unit that stores guiding information for vehicle traveling included in the local circumstance recognition information; and

a global communication unit that provides the vehicle guiding control information to the control terminal and local servers.

5. A server device for guiding a vehicle traveling of a vehicle in communication with a control terminal installed in the vehicle, comprising:

local servers that receive circumstance information from their corresponding sensing devices to recognize local circumstances of the corresponding areas, respectively; and

a global server that recognizes a global circumstance of the guidance areas based on the local circumstances provided by the local servers to create the guidance route.

6. The server device of claim 5, wherein each of the local servers has:

a local circumstance recognition unit that analyzes the circumstance information transmitted from the corresponding sensing device to generate local circumstance recognition information indicative of the local circumstance wherein the local circumstance recognition information includes guiding information for the vehicle traveling;

a local guiding information storage unit that stores the guiding information for the vehicle traveling included in the local circumstance recognition information; and

a local communication unit that transmits to the control terminal and the global server the local circumstance recognition information including the guiding information.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the global server has:

a guidance area information storage unit that stores geometrical information of the guidance area;

a global circumstance recognition unit that recognizes the global circumstance of the guidance area based on the local circumstance received from the local servers;

a guidance route creating unit that creates the guidance route based on the global circumstance information and geometrical information of the guidance area;

a control information generation unit that generates vehicle guiding control information making the vehicle to travel along the guidance route derived;

a global guiding information storage unit that stores guiding information for vehicle traveling included in the local circumstance recognition information; and

a global communication unit that provides the vehicle guiding control information to the control terminal and local servers.

8. A method for guiding a vehicle traveling of a vehicle by using information technology infrastructures, the vehicle including a control terminal for controlling the vehicle traveling, comprising:

collecting circumstance information of guidance areas desirous to guide the vehicle by using the information technology infrastructures provided on the guidance areas;

recognizing an guidance route to make the vehicle to travel along the guidance route to create a circumstance of the guidance areas based on the collected circumstance information; and

communicating with the control terminal to guide the vehicle traveling along the guidance route.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said recognizing the circumstance of the guidance area includes:

recognizing local circumstances of the guidance areas based on the circumstance information; and

recognizing a global circumstance of the traveling areas based on the local circumstances to create the guidance route.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said communicating with the control terminal includes:

transmitting control information for vehicle guiding to the control terminal so that the control terminal controls the vehicle to travel along the guidance route;

re-creating the guidance route when an obstacle is recognized on the guidance route by referring to the circumstance information during the vehicle traveling; and

transmitting the re-created control information for vehicle guiding to the control terminal so that the vehicle travels along the re-created guidance route.