Automatic travelling apparatus

• US 5,172,317 A
• Filed: 04/23/1992
• Issued: 12/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Hiroshi, Ishida, Shinnosuke, Asanuma, Nobuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Application Number:
  US07/873,638
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.01, 364/424.02, 180/168, 180/169, 358/103
• US Class Current: 701/28
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

An automatic travelling apparatus which permits: determination of a permissible travelling area on the basis of images taken by an image pickup device or video camera, showing the sight of the area appearing ahead of the vehicle; steering control of the vehicle to go into a target course in the permissible travelling area; and selection of a predetermined way of a selected crossing or branch in the target course.

For the image pickup device or video camera taking images of the area extending ahead of the vehicle for determining a permissible travelling area, a wide-angle camera, a telescopic range camera and an ordinary camera are selectively used to meet particular situations for example, taking pictures of a crossing, zigzag way or straight long way. This selective use of cameras of different characteristics permits correct identification of particular roads with those stored in the map storage.

Claims

1. An automatic travelling apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an image pickup device attached to the vehicle;

means for presetting course information as to which way of a cross or branch in a road travelled by the vehicle that the vehicle shall take;

means responsive to detection of a crossing or branch appearing ahead of the vehicle for outputting relevant course information;

means for identifying the crossing or branch appearing ahead of the vehicle on the basis of images taken by the image pickup device and showing the sight of the area extending ahead of the vehicle; and

means for reading the relevant course information outputted and controlling the vehicle with reference to the information of the identified crossing or branch so as to permit the vehicle to take the preset course of the crossing or branch in the road.

2. An automatic travelling apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an image pickup device attached to the vehicle for taking images of the area extending ahead of the vehicle;

means for identifying the road with reference to the images taken by the image pickup device;

means for steering the vehicle so as to permit the running vehicle to follow the identified road;

means for setting information indicating particulars of roads to follow;

means responsive to detection of a particular road for outputting relevant information; and

means for selecting an image-taking characteristic of the image pickup device with reference to the information outputted.

3. An automatic travelling apparatus according to claim 2 wherein roads to follow include crossings, branches straight roads.

4. An automatic travelling apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the image-taking characteristics of the image pickup device is at least one of wide-angle, telescopic range and ordinary.

5. A method for automatically controlling the travel of a vehicle along a road comprising the steps of:

detecting images of an area extending ahead of the vehicle;

presetting course information as to a desired direction of a crossing or branch in the road travelled by the vehicle that the vehicle is desired to take;

detecting a crossing or branch appearing ahead of the vehicle;

identifying the crossing or branch in the road appearing ahead of the vehicle on a basis of images detected and showing the sight of the area extending ahead of the vehicle; and

reading the relevant course information outputted and controlling the vehicle with reference to the information of the identifying crossing or branch so as to permit the vehicle to take the desired direction of the crossing or branch in the road.