Automatic drive control system

• US 6,343,247 B2
• Filed: 08/14/1998
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1997
• 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: Jitsukata, Eishi, Tamura, Kazuya, Kobayashi, Sachio
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US09/134,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/28, 701/300, 701/301, 701/41, 701/36, 701/117-119, 701/207, 701/213, 180/167, 180/168, 180/169, 340/937, 340/435, 340/436, 340/901-905, 340/988-993, 348/418, 348/119, 348/113, 382/104, 382/103, 382/168, 382/199, 382/153, 318/587
• US Class Current: 701/28
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/087 using active steering actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• 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 1/0274 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

Abstract

In an automatic drive control system in a road environment in which an infrastructure has been constructed so as to automatically steer a vehicle, the automatic steering of the vehicle is performed irrespective of lane markers attached on the road surface. A running command and a running course are determined on the basis of an obstacle detection signal, a vehicle position signal, road data, and traffic information signal for automatic driving. A target running locus is obtained on the basis of the set running course. The vehicle is automatically steered so as to trace and run along the obtained running target locus.

Claims

1. An automatic drive control for automatically steering a vehicle, comprising:

radar means for detecting the existence of an obstacle in front of said vehicle and generating an obstacle detection signal;

photographing means for photographing a road in front of said vehicle and generating a video signal;

image processing means for generating a vehicle position signal showing a position of said vehicle in a road width direction from an image shown by said video signal;

a navigation apparatus including a global positioning system apparatus and a road map information source containing road map data, for generating road data showing coordinates of the road in front of a current position of said vehicle;

communicating means for receiving a traffic information signal for automatic driving issued from a stationary transmitter;

running command generating means for generating a running command;

running line establishing means for consecutively establishing an instantaneous running line with respect to the road map represented by said map data in response to said obstacle detection signal, said vehicle position signal, said road data, said traffic information signal for automatic driving, and said running command; and

target running locus calculating means for consecutively determining a target instantaneous running locus on the basis of said established instantaneous running line; and

steering means for steering said vehicle so as to trace and run along said instantaneous running locus thereby to avoid a dangerous situation of said vehicle.