Processional travel control apparatus

• US 6,285,929 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2000
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1999
• 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: Hashimoto, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/559,944
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/23, 701/22, 701/96, 701/117, 701/300, 701/301, 318/587, 180/167, 180/168, 340/903, 342/455, 342/456
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet

Abstract

A processional travel control apparatus that allows processional travel with a leading vehicle driven by a driver and a plurality of succeeding vehicles automatically following the leading vehicle, each of the vehicles 1-1 is provided with: an input device 1-2 for entering the total number of vehicles in a procession and the sequence number of each vehicle in the procession; a vehicle setting device 1-3 for setting each vehicle 1-1 as either a leading vehicle or a succeeding vehicle according to the sequence number of each vehicle 1-1 in the procession set by the input device 1-2; and a vehicle travelling control device 1-4 for instructing each vehicle 1-1 to travel in a procession according to the set sequence number in the procession. Hence a procession or the like can be formed essentially anywhere, including outside of conventional parking ports.

Claims

1. A processional travel control apparatus that allows processional travel with a leading vehicle driven by a driver and a plurality of succeeding vehicles automatically following the leading vehicle, wherein each of the vehicles comprises:

input means for entering a total number of vehicles in a procession and a sequence number of each vehicle in the procession;

vehicle setting means for setting each vehicle as either a leading vehicle or a succeeding vehicle according to the sequence number of each vehicle in the procession as set by said input means; and

vehicle travel control means for instructing each vehicle to travel in a procession according to the set sequence number in the procession.

2. A processional travel control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processional travel control apparatus comprises a reverse travel means for driving the procession backward by setting a last vehicle of the procession as a temporary leading vehicle, by using said input means, and having a driver drive the last vehicle with the other vehicles following said last vehicle.

3. A processional travel control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when said reverse travel finishes, said input means resets the authority of leading vehicle back to the original leading vehicle from the last vehicle so that normal travel in a procession is resumed.

4. A processional travel control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus comprises a procession stop means is provided for stopping travel in a procession when an abnormality occurs, by sending an abnormality signal to each succeeding vehicle from a last manned vehicle.

5. A processional travel control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus comprises a procession stop means for stopping travel in a procession when an abnormality occurs, by sending an abnormality signal to each succeeding vehicle from a last manned vehicle.