Control system for autonomous automotive vehicle or the like
First Claim
Patent Images
1. In a method of automatically controlling a vehicle the steps comprising:
- producing an image of the road on which the vehicle is running and from which image distance and road curvature data can be measured;
deriving a first set of vehicle positional data from the distance and road curvature data measured from said image;
sensing the rotational characteristics of a vehicle wheel;
deriving a second set of vehicle positional data from the wheel rotational characteristics;
comparing the first and second sets of data and determining if the difference between the two sets fall within a predetermined range; and
rejecting the first and second sets of data if the difference therebetween falls outside the predetermined range.
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Abstract
An image processing section receives data from cameras mounted on the vehicle and produces an image or images from which a first set of so called "local" data is derived and compiled. A sensor section senses the rotational characteristics of two vehicle wheels and the conditions prevailing on either side of the vehicle and complies a second set of so called "global" data. The local and global data are compared and data is only accepted in the event that the differences between the two sets of data fall within predetermined limits and data which falls outside of the ranges deemed erroneous and rejected.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a method of automatically controlling a vehicle the steps comprising:
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producing an image of the road on which the vehicle is running and from which image distance and road curvature data can be measured; deriving a first set of vehicle positional data from the distance and road curvature data measured from said image; sensing the rotational characteristics of a vehicle wheel; deriving a second set of vehicle positional data from the wheel rotational characteristics; comparing the first and second sets of data and determining if the difference between the two sets fall within a predetermined range; and rejecting the first and second sets of data if the difference therebetween falls outside the predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. In an automatically controlled vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
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means for producing an image of the road on which the vehicle is running and from which distance and road curvature data can be measured; means for deriving a first set of vehicle positional data from the distance and road curvature data measured from the image; means for sensing the rotational charcteristics of a vehicle wheel; means for deriving a second set of positional data from the wheel rotational characteristics; and means for (a) comparing the first and second sets of data and determining if the difference between the two sets falls within a predetermined range, and (b) rejecting the first and second sets of data if the difference therebetween falls outside the predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a vehicle
a system for automatically controlling said vehicle, said system comprising: -
image proceeding means for observing the road, producing an image of said road, and deriving distance related data from the image; first positional data determining means for compiling a first set of vehicle positional data; sensor means for sensing the rotational speed of the first and second road wheels and conditions prevailing on either side of the vehicle, said sensor means including second positional data determining means for compiling a second set of vehicle positional data; actuator means including a plurality of actuators and a control unit for selectively controlling said actuators for controlling the steering, power generation and braking operations of said vehicle; man-machine interface means for receiving external commands; and a control means responsive to the first and second data compilations of said first and second positional data determining means, said sensor means, and said man-machine interface means, for selectively controlling said actuator means, said control means including means for (a) comparing the first and second sets of data and determining if the difference between the two sets fall within a predetermined range; and (b) rejecting the first and second sets of data if the difference therebetween falls outside the predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification