Apparatus and method for detecting division lines depicted on road
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting a division line depicted on a road on which a vehicle equipped with the apparatus, comprising:
- beam scanning means for scanning a beam-formed electromagnetic wave toward the road viewed from the vehicle, the beam-formed electromagnetic wave being transmitted repetitively at intervals along different directions in a width direction of the vehicle and a reflected electromagnetic wave from the road being received, each beam-formed electromagnetic wave being radiated to a radiation area on the road, the radiation areas made by transmitting the beam-formed electromagnetic wave a plurality of times virtually producing a scan area on the road;
measuring means for measuring, for every beam-formed electromagnetic wave, distance data indicative of a distance between a division line on the road and the vehicle, based on information about the reflected electromagnetic wave received by the beam scanning means and an interval between transmission of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and an appearance of a peak of an electric signal responding to the received reflected electromagnetic wave;
data receiving means for receiving the distance data measured by the measuring means; and
detecting means for detecting the division line on the road based on a specific change predetermined in a sequence of the distance data produced by mapping the received distance data in a scanning order of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave, the specific change being up-and-down changes in the distance data that intersect a reference level previously assigned to the distance data.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A division line depicted on a road is detected. A beam-formed electromagnetic wave is repetitively at intervals transmitted toward the road viewed from a vehicle to scan in the vehicle width direction. Each beam-formed electromagnetic wave is radiated to a radiation area on the road, and the radiation areas made by transmitting the beam-formed electromagnetic wave a plurality of times virtually produces a scan area on the road. Every beam-formed electromagnetic wave, distance data indicative of a distance between a division line on the road and the vehicle is measured based on information about a reflected electromagnetic wave. The distance data measured is received to detect the division line based on characteristics of changes in a sequence of the distance data produced by mapping the received distance data in a scanning order of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting a division line depicted on a road on which a vehicle equipped with the apparatus, comprising:
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beam scanning means for scanning a beam-formed electromagnetic wave toward the road viewed from the vehicle, the beam-formed electromagnetic wave being transmitted repetitively at intervals along different directions in a width direction of the vehicle and a reflected electromagnetic wave from the road being received, each beam-formed electromagnetic wave being radiated to a radiation area on the road, the radiation areas made by transmitting the beam-formed electromagnetic wave a plurality of times virtually producing a scan area on the road; measuring means for measuring, for every beam-formed electromagnetic wave, distance data indicative of a distance between a division line on the road and the vehicle, based on information about the reflected electromagnetic wave received by the beam scanning means and an interval between transmission of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and an appearance of a peak of an electric signal responding to the received reflected electromagnetic wave; data receiving means for receiving the distance data measured by the measuring means; and detecting means for detecting the division line on the road based on a specific change predetermined in a sequence of the distance data produced by mapping the received distance data in a scanning order of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave, the specific change being up-and-down changes in the distance data that intersect a reference level previously assigned to the distance data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for detecting a division line on a road on which a vehicle equipped with the apparatus travels:
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beam scanning means for scanning a beam-formed electromagnetic wave toward the road viewed from the vehicle, the beam-formed electromagnetic wave being transmitted repetitively at intervals along different directions in a width direction of the vehicle and an reflected electromagnetic wave from the road being received, each beam-formed electromagnetic wave being radiated to a radiation area on the road, the radiation areas made by transmitting the beam-formed electromagnetic wave a plurality of times virtually producing a scan area on the road; measuring means for measuring, for every beam-formed electromagnetic wave, both intensity data indicative of intensity of the received reflected electromagnetic wave and distance data indicative of a distance between a division line on the road and the vehicle, based on information about the reflected electromagnetic wave received by the beam scanning means and an interval between transmission of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and an appearance of a peak of an electric signal responding to the received reflected electromagnetic wave; data receiving means for receiving both the intensity data and the distance data measured by the measuring means; and detecting means for detecting the division line on the road based on specific changes predetermined in both a sequence of the intensity data and a sequence of the distance data produced by mapping the received intensity data and distance data in a scanning order of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave, respectively, at least one of the specific changes being changes in a corresponding one of differentiated intensity data and differentiated distance data, the corresponding differentiated data changing in negative and positive polarities thereof. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of detecting a division line depicted on a road on which a vehicle travels, comprising steps of:
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scanning a beam-formed electromagnetic wave toward the road viewed from the vehicle, the beam-formed electromagnetic wave being transmitted repetitively at intervals along different directions in a width direction of the vehicle and an reflected electromagnetic wave from the road being received, each beam-formed electromagnetic wave being radiated to a radiation area on the road, the radiation areas made by transmitting the beam-formed electromagnetic wave a plurality of times virtually producing a scan area on the road; measuring, for every beam-formed electromagnetic wave, distance data indicative of a distance between a division line on the road and the vehicle, based on information about the reflected electromagnetic wave received and an interval between transmission of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and an appearance of a peak of an electric signal responding to the received reflected electromagnetic wave; receiving the distance data measured; and detecting the division line on the road based on a specific change predetermined in a sequence of the distance data produced by mapping the received distance data in a scanning order of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave, the specific change being up-and-down changes in the distance data that intersect a reference level previously assigned to the distance data. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of detecting a division line on a road on which a vehicle travels:
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scanning a beam-formed electromagnetic wave toward the road viewed from the vehicle, the beam-formed electromagnetic wave being transmitted repetitively at intervals along different directions in a width direction of the vehicle and an reflected electromagnetic wave from the road being received, each beam-formed electromagnetic wave being radiated to a radiation area on the road, the radiation areas made by transmitting the beam-formed electromagnetic wave a plurality of times virtually producing a scan area on the road; measuring, for every beam-formed electromagnetic wave, both intensity data indicative of intensity of the received reflected electromagnetic wave and distance data indicative of a distance between a division line on the road and the vehicle, based on information about the reflected electromagnetic wave received and an interval between transmission of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and an appearance of a peak of an electric signal responding to the received reflected electromagnetic wave; receiving both the intensity data and the distance data which are measured; and detecting the division line on the road based on specific changes predetermined in both a sequence of the intensity data and a sequence of the distance data produced by mapping the received intensity data and distance data in a scanning order of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave, respectively, at least one of the specific changes being changes in a corresponding one of differentiated intensity data and differentiated distance data, the corresponding differentiated data changing in negative and positive polarities thereof. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification