AUTOMATIC VEHICLE GUIDANCE SYSTEM, CONTROL APPARATUS IN AUTOMATIC VEHICLE GUIDANCE SYSTEM, AUTOMATIC VEHICLE GUIDANCE METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE DATA RECORDED MEDIUM IN WHICH AUTOMATIC VEHICLE GUIDANCE SYSTEM PROGRAM IS RECORDED

• US 6,591,172 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Tsuyoshi, Watanabe, Tomo, Oda, Tamami
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/279,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/202, 701/207, 701/201, 701/200, 701/208, 701/209, 701/213, 340/988, 340/990-995, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.12, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/23
• 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 1/0282 generated in a local control room

Abstract

An automatic guidance system is comprised of a navigation apparatus mounted on a vehicle and a control server apparatus fixedly installed in an automatic travel control center which controls traveling in an automatic traveling section. The control server apparatus and the navigation apparatus establish a communication line through a mobile communication network. The navigation apparatus makes a search for a route to a destination. If at least part of the automatic traveling section is used in a route set by the search, the automatic traveling section is registered in the control server apparatus through the communication line.

Claims

1. An automatic vehicle guidance system for guiding a vehicle which travels in an automatic traveling manner without being operated by a driver in an automatic traveling section which is an automatic traveling path, said automatic vehicle guidance system comprising:

a control device for managing said automatic traveling section, and controlling the vehicle traveling in said automatic traveling section;

an acquisition device for obtaining present position data indicating the present position of the vehicle, and destination data indicating a destination to be reached by the vehicle;

a route search device for making a search for a travel route to the destination on the basis of the present position data and the destination data relating to the vehicle; and

a registration device for registering said automatic traveling path which is included in the travel route if at least part of said automatic traveling section is included in the travel route as a result of the route search,

wherein said control device controls automatic traveling of the vehicle along the registered automatic traveling path to perform automatic guidance of the vehicle.

2. The automatic vehicle guidance system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a re-search device for making at least a re-search for a travel route for the vehicle on the basis of the destination data while the vehicle is traveling in said automatic traveling section,

wherein if a travel route to the destination is set by the re-search while the vehicle is traveling in said automatic traveling section, said registration device reregisters said automatic traveling path on the basis of the travel route set by the re-search.

3. The automatic vehicle guidance system according to claim 1, wherein:

when said registration device registers said automatic traveling path, it registers at least one of the identification data of the vehicle, entry point data indicating an entry point at which the vehicle enters said automatic traveling section, and exit point data indicating an exit point at which the vehicle exits from said automatic traveling section.

4. The automatic vehicle guidance system according to claim 3, in a case where at least one of the entry point data and the exit point data is registered by said registration device, further comprising:

a receiving device for receiving arrival data indicating that the vehicle reaches at least one of the entry point and the exit point,

wherein said control device controls at least one of starting and termination of automatic traveling of the vehicle on the basis of the arrival data.

5. The automatic vehicle guidance system according to claim 3, in a case where at least one of the entry point data and the exit point data is registered by said registration device, further comprising:

a detection device for detecting at least one of changeover of the traveling mode from the automatic traveling to normal-drive traveling based on manual operations, and changeover of the traveling mode from the normal-drive traveling to the automatic traveling,

wherein said control device controls at least one of starting and termination of automatic traveling of the vehicle when said detection device detects at least one of changeover of the traveling mode at the entry point, and changeover of the traveling mode at the exit point.

6. The automatic vehicle guidance system according to claim 5, wherein:

said detection device detects changeover of the traveling mode based on condition data of the driver who is operating the vehicle.

7. The automatic vehicle guidance system according to claim 6, wherein:

the condition data has bodily data indicating condition which is included at least one of an awake condition and an asleep condition of driver, and said detection device detects changeover of the traveling mode based on the bodily data.

8. The automatic vehicle guidance system according to claim 1, wherein:

said automatic traveling path registered by said registration device is previously registered before the vehicle enters said automatic traveling section.

9. The automatic vehicle guidance system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a navigation system for performing navigation of the vehicle,

wherein said navigation system is provided with said acquisition device and said route search device, and

said registration device registers said automatic traveling path, which is included in the travel route as a result of the route search, by communicating with said navigation system.

10. The automatic vehicle guidance system according to claim 9, wherein:

said navigation system comprises an data server device fixedly installed, and a communication terminal device mounted on the vehicle and communicating with said data server device through a mobile communication network,

said communication terminal device and said data server device communicate with each other to perform navigation of the vehicle,

said data server device and said registration device communicate with each other to register said automatic traveling path which is included in the travel route as a result of the route search, and

said control device performs automatic guidance of the vehicle traveling in said automatic traveling section.

11. A control apparatus for an automatic vehicle guidance system for guiding a vehicle, which travels in an automatic traveling manner without being operated by a driver in an automatic traveling section which is an automatic traveling path, said control apparatus comprising:

a control device for managing said automatic traveling section and controlling the vehicle traveling in said automatic traveling section;

a route data acquisition device for obtaining route data indicating a travel route to destination to be reached by the vehicle as a result of route search based on present position data of the vehicle, and destination data indicating a destination to be reached by the vehicle; and

a registration device for registering said automatic traveling path which is included in the travel route if at least part of said automatic traveling section is included in the travel route as a result of the route search,

wherein said control device controls automatic traveling of the vehicle along the registered automatic traveling path to perform automatic guidance of the vehicle.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

if a travel route to the destination is set by the re-search while the vehicle is traveling in said automatic traveling section, said registration device reregisters said automatic traveling path on the basis of the travel route set by the re-search.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

when said registration device registers said automatic traveling path, it registers at least one of the identification data of the vehicle, entry point data indicating an entry point at which the vehicle enters said automatic traveling section, and exit point data indicating an exit point at which the vehicle exits from said automatic traveling section.

14. The control apparatus according to claim 13, in a case where at least one of the entry point data and the exit point data is registered by said registration device, further comprising:

a receiving device for receiving arrival data indicating that the vehicle reaches at least one of the entry point and the exit point,

wherein said control device controls at least one of starting and termination of automatic traveling of the vehicle on the basis of the arrival data.

15. The control apparatus according to claim 13, in a case where at least one of the entry point data and the exit point data is registered by said registration device, further comprising:

a changeover data acquisition device obtains changeover data which includes at least one of data indicating changeover of the traveling mode from the automatic traveling to normal-drive traveling based on manual operations in the vehicle, and data indicating changeover of the traveling mode from the normal-drive traveling to the automatic traveling in the vehicle,

wherein said control device controls at least one of starting and termination of automatic traveling of the vehicle when said changeover data acquisition device obtains the changeover data.

16. The automatic vehicle guidance system according to claim 11, wherein:

said registration device registers said automatic traveling path previously before the vehicle enters said automatic traveling section.

17. An automatic vehicle guidance method in which automatic guidance of a vehicle is performed by controlling traveling of the vehicle in an automatic traveling section which is a travel path on which the vehicle travels in an automatic traveling manner without being operated by a driver, comprising:

an acquisition process of obtaining present position data indicating the present position of the vehicle, and destination data indicating a destination to be reached by the vehicle;

a route search process of making a search for a travel route to the destination on the basis of the present position data and the destination data relating to the vehicle;

a registration process of registering said automatic traveling path which is included in the travel route if at least part of said automatic traveling section is included in the travel route as a result of the route search; and

an automatic guidance process of controlling automatic traveling of the vehicle along the registered automatic traveling path to perform automatic guidance of the vehicle.

18. The automatic vehicle guidance method according to claim 17, further comprising:

a re-search process of making at least a re-search for a travel route for the vehicle on the basis of the destination data while the vehicle is traveling in said automatic traveling section,

wherein, in said registration process, if a travel route to the destination is set by the re-search while the vehicle is traveling in said automatic traveling section, said automatic traveling path is reregistered on the basis of the travel route set by the re-search.

19. The automatic vehicle guidance method according to claim 17, wherein:

in said registration process, when said automatic traveling path is registered, at least one of the identification data of the vehicle, entry point data indicating an entry point at which the vehicle enters said automatic traveling section, and exit point data indicating an exit point at which the vehicle exits from said automatic traveling section is registered.

20. The automatic vehicle guidance method according to claim 17, wherein:

said automatic traveling path registered in said registration process is previously registered before the vehicle enters said automatic traveling section.

21. A data recorded medium wherein an automatic vehicle guidance program is recorded so as to be read by a computer, the computer included in an automatic vehicle guidance system for guiding a vehicle which travels in an automatic traveling manner without being operated by a driver in an automatic traveling section which is an automatic traveling path, the automatic vehicle guidance program causing the computer to function as:

a control device manages said automatic traveling section and controls the vehicle traveling in said automatic traveling section;

an acquisition device obtains present position data indicating the present position of the vehicle, and destination data indicating a destination to be reached by the vehicle;

a route search device makes a search for a travel route to the destination on the basis of the present position data and the destination data relating to the vehicle; and

a registration device registers said automatic traveling path which is included in the travel route if at least part of said automatic traveling section is included in the travel route as a result of the route search; and

an automatic guidance device controls automatic traveling of the vehicle along the registered automatic traveling path to perform automatic guidance of the vehicle.

22. The information recorded medium according to claim 21, wherein the automatic vehicle guidance program further causes the computer to function as:

a re-search device makes at least a re-search for a travel route for the vehicle on the basis of the destination data while the vehicle is traveling in said automatic traveling section; and

said registration device reregisters said automatic traveling path on the basis of a travel route to the destination set by the re-search if the travel route is set by the re-search while the vehicle is traveling in said automatic traveling section.

23. The information recorded medium according to claim 21, wherein the automatic vehicle guidance program further causes the computer to function as:

when said registration device registers said automatic traveling path, it registers at least one of the identification data of the vehicle, entry point data indicating an entry point at which the vehicle enters said automatic traveling section, and exit point data indicating an exit point at which the vehicle exits from said automatic traveling section.

24. The information recorded medium according to claim 21, wherein the automatic vehicle guidance program further causes the computer to function as:

said registration device registers the registered automatic traveling path previously before the vehicle enters said automatic traveling section.