VEHICLE SPECIFYING APPARATUS

• US 20140297063A1
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shida, Mitsuhisa
• Application Number:
  US14/358,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20140297063A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A vehicle specifying apparatus (100) is provided with: an obtaining device (1) configured to obtain, by communication, first behavior information associated with one or a plurality of communication vehicles which drive around a self-vehicle and which can communicate with the self-vehicle; and a detecting device configured to detect second behavior information associated with other vehicles which drive around the self-vehicle. The vehicle specifying apparatus is configured to compare the obtained first behavior information with the detected second behavior information, thereby specifying a preceding vehicle of the self-vehicle. The vehicle specifying apparatus is further provided with: a determining device configured to determine whether or not a particular vehicle, which is a vehicle specified as the preceding vehicle, is set as a preceding vehicle candidate, according to whether or not detection of the particular vehicle by the detecting device is stopped when the particular vehicle is detected by the detecting device.

Claims

1. A vehicle specifying apparatus comprising:

an obtaining device configured to obtain, by communication, first behavior information associated with one or a plurality of communication vehicles which drive around a self-vehicle and which can communicate with the self-vehicle; and

a detecting device configured to detect second behavior information associated with another vehicle that drives around the self-vehicle, said vehicle specifying apparatus configured to compare the obtained first behavior information with the detected second behavior information, thereby specifying a preceding vehicle of the self-vehicle,

said vehicle specifying apparatus further comprising;

a determining device configured to determine whether or not a particular vehicle, which is a vehicle specified as the preceding vehicle, is set as a preceding vehicle candidate, according to whether or not detection of the particular vehicle by the detecting device is stopped when the particular vehicle is detected by the detecting device.

2. The vehicle specifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining device excludes the particular vehicle from the preceding vehicle candidate under the condition that the detection of the particular vehicle by the detecting device is stopped.

3. The vehicle specifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining device further sets the particular vehicle detected by the detecting device as the preceding vehicle candidate if communication from the particular vehicle is stopped when the particular vehicle is detected by the detecting device.