Apparatus for estimating travel path of a vehicle

• US 9,043,132 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Obi, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOTT, GENNA M
• Application Number:
  US13/806,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/301
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/24 Curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/03 Vehicle yaw rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17551 determining control parameters related to vehicle stability used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees

Abstract

An apparatus for estimating a travel path of a vehicle is mounted on the vehicle; and includes: an object detection device that detects an object lying ahead of the vehicle; a stationary object detection device that determines whether a detected object is a stationary object; a device that calculates an approximate straight line indicating a path of the stationary object from the temporal positional data for the stationary object projected on two-dimensional coordinates using a vehicle position as a starting point; a device that calculates a orthogonal line which passes through a midpoint in the temporal positional data for the stationary object and goes straight with respect to the approximate straight line on the two-dimensional coordinates; and a device that calculates a vehicle turning radius from an intersection point where the orthogonal line intersects with a x axis.

Claims

1. An apparatus for estimating a travel path of a vehicle comprising:

means for detecting an object lying ahead of the vehicle;

means for determining whether the detected object is a stationary object;

means for calculating an approximate straight line indicating a path of the stationary object based on temporal positional data of the stationary object projected on two-dimensional coordinates, the origin of the coordinates being the position of the vehicle;

means for calculating a straight line that passes through a midpoint of the temporal positions of the stationary object and is orthogonal to the approximate line on the two-dimensional coordinates;

means for calculating a turning radius of the vehicle from an intersection point where the orthogonal line intersects the X axis, with the X axis extending laterally with respect to the vehicle and a heading of the vehicle;

means for calculating a calculated yaw rate of the vehicle from the turning radius obtained for each stationary object when multiple stationary objects exist; and

means for estimating the travel path of the vehicle from an average value of the calculated yaw rate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for calculating the calculated yaw rate of the vehicle from the turning radius obtained for each stationary object when multiple stationary objects exist further includes:

means for calculating a yaw rate of the vehicle per each stationary object from the turning radius obtained for each stationary object and a vehicle speed; and

means for calculating an average value of the yaw rate per each obtained stationary object when multiple stationary objects exist.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for calculating a difference between a detected yaw rate value detected by a yaw rate sensor arranged in the vehicle and the average value of the calculated yaw rate, wherein the calculated yaw rate is used for correction of the detected yaw rate.

4. An apparatus for calculating a travel path of a vehicle, comprising:

a radar device mounted on the vehicle; and

a control unit mounted on the vehicle including a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling the processor to;

detect an object lying ahead of the vehicle using the radar device;

determine whether the detected object is stationary;

calculate an approximate straight line indicating a path of the stationary object based on temporal positional data of the stationary object projected on two-dimensional coordinates, the origin of the coordinates being the position of the vehicle;

calculate a straight line that passes through a midpoint of the temporal positions of the stationary object and is orthogonal to the approximate line;

calculate a turning radius of the vehicle from the point on the X axis at which the orthogonal line intersects the X axis, a curve drawn with the turning radius forming a part of the estimated path of the vehicle, with the X axis extending laterally with respect to the vehicle and a heading of the vehicle;

calculate a calculated yaw rate of the vehicle from the turning radius obtained for each stationary object when multiple stationary objects exist; and

estimate the travel path of the vehicle from an average value of the calculated yaw rate.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when calculating the calculated yaw rate of the vehicle from the turning radius obtained for each stationary object when multiple stationary objects exist said control unit is further configured to:

calculate a yaw rate of the vehicle per each stationary object from the turning radius obtained for each stationary object and a vehicle speed; and

calculate an average value of the yaw rate per each obtained stationary object when multiple stationary objects exist.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, said control unit further configured to:

calculate a difference between detected a yaw rate value detected by a yaw rate sensor arranged in the vehicle and the average value of the calculated yaw rate, wherein the calculated yaw rate is used for correction of the detected yaw rate.

7. A method for calculating a travel path of a vehicle, comprising:

detecting an object lying ahead of the vehicle using a radar device mounted on the vehicle;

determining, by a control unit, whether the detected object is stationary;

calculating, by the control unit, an approximate straight line indicating a path of the stationary object based on temporal positional data of the stationary object projected on two-dimensional coordinates, the origin of the coordinates being the position of the vehicle;

calculating, by the control unit, a straight line that passes through a midpoint of the temporal positions of the stationary object and is orthogonal to the approximate line;

calculating, by the control unit, a turning radius of the vehicle from the point on the X axis at which the orthogonal line intersects the X axis, a curve drawn with the turning radius forming a part of the estimated path of the vehicle, with the X axis extending laterally with respect to the vehicle and a heading of the vehicle;

calculating, by the control unit, a calculated yaw rate of the vehicle from the turning radius obtained for each stationary object when multiple stationary objects exist; and

estimating, by the control unit, the travel path of the vehicle from an average value of the calculated yaw rate.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the calculation of the calculated yaw rate of the vehicle from the turning radius obtained for each stationary object when multiple stationary objects exist further includes:

calculating a yaw rate of the vehicle per each stationary object from the turning radius obtained for each stationary object and a vehicle speed; and

calculating an average value of the yaw rate per each obtained stationary object when multiple stationary objects exist.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

calculating a difference between a detected yaw rate value detected by a yaw rate sensor arranged in the vehicle and the average value of the calculated yaw rate, wherein the calculated yaw rate is used for correction of the detected yaw rate.