Vehicle traveling control system and vehicle control device

• US 6,553,288 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Koji, Usami, Masayuki, Takashima, Tomonobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US10/208,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/28, 701/93, 701/96, 701/300, 701/301, 340/903, 340/435, 340/436, 342/455, 180/167, 180/168, 180/169, 180/170, 180/179, 318/587, 348/148
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle traveling control system and a vehicle control device whereby markers are detected with reliability and information about a local vehicle is transmitted to a succeeding vehicle. Information collecting unit of a preceding vehicle acquires information about the traveling state of the local vehicle associated therewith and supplies the acquired information to modulating unit. The modulating unit modulates the information supplied thereto and supplies the modulated information to blinking unit. The blinking unit causes the markers to blink in accordance with the information supplied thereto. Imaging unit of the succeeding vehicle acquires images of the markers and supplies the acquired images to specifying unit. The specifying unit specifies the marker images from within the image data output from the imaging unit. Validity determining unit determines validity of the specified marker images. Using the marker images, distance measuring unit measures a distance to the preceding vehicle. Demodulating unit demodulates information superimposed on the markers to reproduce the original information. In accordance with the information obtained from the distance measuring unit and the demodulating unit, control unit controls the traveling state of the local vehicle associated therewith.

Claims

1. A vehicle traveling control system for controlling a succeeding vehicle by looking up information from markers affixed to a preceding vehicle, wherein

the preceding vehicle has blinking means for blinking the markers according to a predetermined pattern, and

the succeeding vehicle has imaging means for acquiring an image of light from the markers, specifying means for specifying images of the markers from within the image output from the imaging means, validity determining means for determining validity of the marker images based on a blinking pattern of the marker images specified by the specifying means, and control means for controlling the succeeding vehicle based on information received from the validity determining means.

2. The vehicle traveling control system according to claim 1, wherein the succeeding vehicle further includes distance measuring means for measuring a distance to the preceding vehicle by using the marker images when it is judged by the validity determining means that the marker images are valid.

3. The vehicle traveling control system according to claim 2, wherein the distance measuring means calculates the distance to the preceding vehicle based on a distance between the marker images.

4. The vehicle traveling control system according to claim 1, wherein the succeeding vehicle further includes yaw angle detecting means for detecting a yaw angle by using a ratio of length between two sides of the marker images when it is judged by the validity determining means that the marker images are valid.

5. The vehicle traveling control system according to claim 1, wherein the preceding vehicle further includes information collecting means for collecting information indicating a traveling state of the preceeding vehicle or of a third vehicle ahead of the preceeding vehicle, and modulating means for controlling the blinking means in accordance with the information collected by the information collecting means, to modulate the blinking pattern, and

the succeeding vehicle further includes demodulating means for demodulating original information from the blinking pattern of the marker images, and the control means controls a traveling state of the succeeding vehicle in accordance with the information obtained from the demodulating means.

6. The vehicle traveling control system according to claim 5, wherein the preceding vehicle further includes marker state detecting means for detecting states of the markers,

abnormality information supply means for generating abnormality information indicating abnormality of the markers and supplying the abnormality information to the modulating means when abnormality of the markers is detected by the marker state detecting means, and

marker stopping means for stopping operation of the markers when the abnormality information is supplied to the modulating means from the abnormality information supply means.

7. The vehicle traveling control system according to claim 6, wherein the succeeding vehicle further includes warning means for making a warning when the abnormality information is demodulated by the demodulating means.

8. The vehicle traveling control system according to claim 5, wherein the preceding vehicle further includes braking operation detecting means for detecting a braking operation, and

braking information supply means for generating braking information and supplying the braking information to the modulating means when a braking operation is detected by the braking operation detecting means.

9. The vehicle traveling control system according to claim 8, wherein the succeeding vehicle further includes decelerating means for decelerating the local vehicle associated therewith when the braking information is demodulated by the demodulating means.

10. A vehicle control device for controlling a local vehicle associated therewith by looking up information from markers affixed to a preceding vehicle, preceding the local vehicle, comprising:

imaging means for acquiring an image of light from the markers of the preceding vehicle;

specifying means for specifying images of the markers from an output of said imaging means;

validity determining means for determining validity of the marker images based on a blinking pattern of the marker images specified by said specifying means; and

control means for controlling the local vehicle based on information received from the validity determining means.

11. A method of controlling a second vehicle, comprising:

selectively emitting light from a light emitting element on a first vehicle according to a predetermined pattern;

receiving the pattern at the second vehicle;

determining a validity of the received pattern; and

controlling the second vehicle based on information received from the determining of the validity.

12. A vehicle traveling control system, comprising:

a first vehicle comprising markers to emit light according to a pattern; and

a second vehicle comprising;

an imaging unit to acquire the emitted light from the markers,

a specifying unit to specify images of the markers based on the acquired light,

a validity determining unit to determine a validity of the marker images, and a

control unit to control the second vehicle based on information received from the validity determining unit.