Control device for vehicle

• US 5,929,785 A
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Satonaka, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/941,079
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/901, 340/902, 340/903, 340/937, 340/942, 180/167, 180/169, 348/113, 348/116, 348/118, 382/104, 382/291
• US Class Current: 340/903
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A control device for a vehicle includes a position data detecting unit for detecting position data on a preceding vehicle, a picture taking unit for taking a picture in front in a traveling direction of the vehicle, a driving operation data detecting unit for detecting driving operation data on the preceding vehicle from the picture, and a control unit for performing a predetermined control on the basis of the position data on the preceding vehicle and the driving operation data thereon.

Claims

1. A control device for a vehicle comprising:

position data detecting means for detecting position data on a preceding vehicle;

picture taking means for taking a picture in front in a traveling direction of the vehicle

driving operation data detecting means for detecting driving operation data on an indicator of the preceding vehicle from the picture, said driving operation data detecting means including

means for determining a detection area on the basis of the position data on the preceding vehicle, and

means for detecting, from a part of the picture plane located in said detection area, the driving operation data on the preceding vehicle; and

control means for performing a predetermined control on the basis of the position data on the preceding vehicle and the driving operation data thereon.

2. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means performs acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle on the basis of the position data on the preceding vehicle and the driving operation data thereon.

3. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means performs a warning process which generates a warning on the basis of the position data on the preceding vehicle and the driving operation data thereon.

4. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving operation data detecting means detects the driving operation data related to a direction indicator of the preceding vehicle.