Automatic steering control apparatus

• US 5,913,376 A
• Filed: 10/30/1996
• Issued: 06/22/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Takei, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lerner, Avraham H.
• Application Number:
  US08/740,475
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 180/167, 180/168
• US Class Current: 180/168
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

An automatic steering control apparatus automatically steers a motor vehicle to run along a predetermined running path having path markers. The path markers are detected with a marker sensor on the motor vehicle, and positional relationships between a present position of the motor vehicle and the running path are successively determined based on a detected output signal from the marker sensor. Positions of the motor vehicle on map data stored on the motor vehicle are successively determined based on the positional relationships and the map data. Curvature information of portions of the running path on the map data is attained through communications with a travel information providing facility disposed outside of the motor vehicle, and curvature information of the running path ahead of the recognized present position of the motor vehicle is acquired based on the curvature information attained through communications with the travel information providing facility. Alternatively, curvature information of the running path ahead of the recognized present position of the motor vehicle may be acquired from the map data. A steering control quantity for the motor vehicle is determined based on at least the acquired curvature information, a present speed of the motor vehicle, and a present positional relationship between the motor vehicle and the running path.

Claims

1. An automatic steering control apparatus for automatically steering a motor vehicle to run along a predetermined running path having path markers, comprising:

first means for holding map data of the running path;

second means for detecting the path markers with a marker sensor on the motor vehicle and successively determining positional relationships between a present position of the motor vehicle and the running path based on a detected output signal from said marker sensor;

third means for successively recognizing positions of the motor vehicle on the map data based on said positional relationships and said map data;

fourth means for attaining curvature information of portions of the running path on the map data through communications with a travel information providing facility disposed outside of the motor vehicle;

fifth means for acquiring curvature information of the running path ahead of the recognized present position of the motor vehicle based on the curvature information attained by said fourth means through communications with the travel information providing facility; and

sixth means for determining a steering control quantity for the motor vehicle based on at least the acquired curvature information, a present speed of the motor vehicle, and a present positional relationship between the motor vehicle and the running path.

2. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said travel information providing facility comprises a leakage coaxial cable installed on a road along said running path.

3. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said path markers comprise magnetic sources arranged at spaced intervals along the running path, said marker sensor comprising a magnetic sensor.

4. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said positional relationships between the motor vehicle and the running path represents a lateral deviation of a center of the motor vehicle from the running path, and an azimuth deviation of a direction traveled by the motor vehicle from the running path.

5. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said third means comprises means for successively determining a route traveled by the motor vehicle based on the speed of the motor vehicle and a yaw rate of the motor vehicle, and means for recognizing the present position of the motor vehicle on the map data from the determined route, the positional relationships between the motor vehicle and the running path, and the map data of the running path.

6. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining a deviational angle, as a predicted angle, between a direction to be traveled by the motor vehicle after a predetermined time if the motor vehicle runs under present running conditions from the present position of the motor vehicle, and a direction of the motor vehicle at a location of the running path which corresponds to a position to be reached by the motor vehicle after the predetermined time;

said sixth means comprising means for determining said steering control quantity based on said predicted angle, the curvature information of the running path ahead of the motor vehicle, the present speed of the motor vehicle, and the present positional relationship between the motor vehicle and the running path.

7. An automatic steering control apparatus for automatically steering a motor vehicle to run along a predetermined running path having path markers, comprising:

first means for holding map data of the running path;

second means for detecting the path markers with a marker sensor on the motor vehicle and successively determining positional relationships between a present position of the motor vehicle and the running path based on a detected output signal from said marker sensor;

third means for successively recognizing positions of the motor vehicle on the map data based on said positional relationships and said map data;

fourth means for acquiring curvature information of the running path ahead of the recognized present position of the motor vehicle from said map data; and

fifth means for determining a steering control quantity for the motor vehicle based on at least the acquired curvature information, a present speed of the motor vehicle, and a present positional relationship between the motor vehicle and the running path.

8. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said path markers comprise magnetic sources arranged at spaced intervals along the running path, said marker sensor comprising a magnetic sensor.

9. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of said positional relationships between the motor vehicle and the running path represents a lateral deviation of a center of the motor vehicle from the running path, and an azimuth deviation of a direction traveled by the motor vehicle from the running path.

10. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said third means comprises means for successively determining a route traveled by the motor vehicle based on the speed of the motor vehicle and a yaw rate of the motor vehicle, and means for recognizing the present position of the motor vehicle on the map data from the determined route, the positional relationships between the motor vehicle and the running path, and the map data of the running path.

11. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for determining a deviational angle, as a predicted angle, between a direction to be traveled by the motor vehicle after a predetermined time if the motor vehicle runs under present running conditions from the present position of the motor vehicle, and a direction of the motor vehicle at a location of the running path which corresponds to a position to be reached by the motor vehicle after the predetermined time;

said fifth means comprising means for determining said steering control quantity based on said predicted angle, the curvature information of the running path ahead of the motor vehicle, the present speed of the motor vehicle, and the present positional relationship between the motor vehicle and the running path.

12. An automatic steering control apparatus for automatically steering a motor vehicle to run along a predetermined running path having path markers, comprising:

a first marker sensor adapted to detect the path markers;

a leakage coaxial cable information transmitter and receiver that receives travel information from a leakage coaxial cable outside of the motor vehicle;

a navigation device that determines a route traveled by the motor vehicle and a positional relationship of the motor vehicle with respect to the running path to determine a position of the motor vehicle on map data, said map data being stored on the motor vehicle; and

a lateral control device that calculates a steering control quantity based on at least information received from the navigation device and a present speed of the motor vehicle.

13. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a yaw rate sensor that detects a yaw rate of the motor vehicle, said yaw rate being considered by the navigation device in determining the route traveled.

14. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the travel information received from the leakage coaxial cable comprises curvature information of portions of the running path on the map data.

15. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the navigation device further determines curvature information of the running path ahead of a recognized position of the motor vehicle based on the curvature information received from the leakage coaxial cable by the leakage coaxial cable information transmitter and receiver.

16. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the positional relationship of the motor vehicle with respect to the running path represents a lateral deviation of a center of the motor vehicle from the running path, and an azimuth deviation of a direction traveled by the motor vehicle from the running path.

17. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the navigational device further determines a deviational angle between a direction to be traveled by the motor vehicle after a predetermined time if the motor vehicle runs under present running conditions from its present position, and a direction of the motor vehicle at a location of the running path corresponding to a position to be reached by the motor vehicle after the predetermined time.

18. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the navigational device further determines a deviational angle between a direction to be traveled by the motor vehicle after a predetermined time if the motor vehicle runs under present running conditions from its present position, and a direction of the motor vehicle at a location of the running path corresponding to a position to be reached by the motor vehicle after the predetermined time.

19. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a second marker sensor, and wherein the first marker sensor is disposed beneath the front end of the motor vehicle and the second marker sensor is disposed beneath the rear end of the motor vehicle.

20. An automatic steering control apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the path markers are magnetic sources and the marker sensors are magnetic sensors.