Leading vehicle detecting apparatus and inter-vehicular control apparatus using leading vehicle detecting apparatus

• US 9,061,590 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kurumisawa, Jin, Namikiri, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramesh, Krishnan
• Application Number:
  US13/713,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20130158830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 701/96
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/162 Speed limiting therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions

Abstract

A leading vehicle detecting apparatus judges whether or not a first vehicle is following a second vehicle. The apparatus includes a signal acquiring section, a storage section, and calculating section. The signal acquiring section acquires position signals outputted from a position detecting section that detects the position of the second vehicle, and detection signals outputted from a state detecting section that detects a state of a first vehicle cruising line. The storage section stores in advance a probability map showing the probability of the first vehicle following the second vehicle, based on a distance between an expected cruising line of the first vehicle and the position of the second vehicle. The calculating section calculates the expected cruising line based on the detection signals, and judges whether the first vehicle is following the second vehicle based on the expected cruising line, position signals, and probability map.

Claims

1. A leading vehicle detecting apparatus that is mounted in an own vehicle and judges whether or not the own vehicle is traveling such as to follow a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle in a same traffic lane, the leading vehicle detecting apparatus including:

a signal acquiring section that acquires both a position signal outputted from a position detecting device, which detects a position of the preceding vehicle, and a detected signal outputted from a state detecting device, which detects a state of a present cruising line in which the own vehicle is traveling;

a storage section that stores in advance the position signal of the preceding vehicle that is discretely acquired and a probability map that assigns a probability regarding whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance between an expected cruising line of the own vehicle and the position of the preceding vehicle at a plurality of different points within a predetermined period;

a calculating section that calculates the expected cruising line of the own vehicle on the basis of the detection signal, determines the position of the preceding vehicle at the plurality of different points within the predetermined period on the basis of the position signal being a plurality of position signals differing in elapsed time after acquisition, and judges whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle on the basis of the calculated expected cruising line of the own vehicle, the determined position of the preceding vehicle at the plurality of different points within the predetermined period, and the probability map; and

one or more processors that are configured to pertain as the signal acquiring section, the storage section, and the calculating section, wherein

the probability map is one or more graphs of an offset amount versus the probability, and the probability map associates a given offset with a respective probability, and

the offset amount is an error between an approximated curve of a cruising track of the preceding vehicle and the expected cruising line of the own vehicle.

2. The leading vehicle detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the storage section accumulates, and stores therein, the position signals of the preceding vehicle that have been discretely acquired;

the calculating section;

determines a follow probabilities for the plurality of position signals on the basis of i) the plurality of position signals having differing elapsed times after acquisition, ii) the expected cruising line calculated on the basis of the detection signal acquired most recently, and iii) the probability map when judging whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle on the basis of the expected cruising line, the position signals and the probability map, and then

judges whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle on the basis of a combined probability that is calculated from the determined plurality of follow probabilities.

3. The leading vehicle detecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the probability map sets the follow probability relatively high when the distance between the expected cruising line and the position of the preceding vehicle is within a predetermined range, and sets the follow probability relatively low when the distance exceeds the predetermined range; and

in the probability map corresponding to positional information of which the elapsed time after acquisition is relatively long, the predetermined range is set to be narrower than that in the probability map corresponding to positional information of which the elapsed time after acquisition is relatively short.

4. The leading vehicle detecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the storage section stores in advance therein a plurality of kinds of probability maps based on the traveling speed of the own vehicle; and

the calculating section selects the probability map for the traveling speed of the own vehicle among the plurality of kinds of probability maps on the basis of an inputted signal of the traveling is speed of the own vehicle, and then judges whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle using the selected probability map.

5. The leading vehicle detecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the storage section stores in advance therein a plurality of kinds of probability maps based on the traveling speed of the own vehicle; and

the calculating section selects the probability map for the traveling speed of the own vehicle among the plurality of kinds of probability maps on the basis of an inputted signal of the traveling speed of the own vehicle, and then judges whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle using the selected probability map.

6. The leading vehicle detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the storage section stores in advance therein a plurality of kinds of probability maps based on a traveling speed of the own vehicle;

and

the calculating section selects the probability map for the traveling speed of the own vehicle among the plurality of kinds of probability maps on the basis of an inputted signal of the traveling speed of the own vehicle, and then judges whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle using the selected probability map.

7. The leading vehicle detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the expected cruising line calculated by the calculating section includes transition curves.

8. An inter-vehicular control apparatus that is mounted in an own vehicle and controls an inter-vehicular distance between the own vehicle and a preceding vehicle, when the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle traveling in the same traffic lane as the own vehicle, among the vehicles traveling ahead of the own vehicle, the inter-vehicular control apparatus comprising:

i) a leading vehicle detecting apparatus that is mounted in the own vehicle and includes;

a signal acquiring section that acquires both a signal outputted from a position detecting section, which detects a position of the preceding vehicle, and a detected signal outputted from a state detecting section, which detects a state of a present cruising line in which the own vehicle is traveling;

a storage section that stores in advance the position signal of the preceding vehicle that is discretely acquired and a probability map that assigns a probability regarding whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance between an expected cruising line of the own vehicle and the position of the preceding vehicle at a plurality of different points within a predetermined period; and

a calculating section that calculates the expected cruising line of the own vehicle on the basis of the detection signal, determines the position of the preceding vehicle at the plurality of different points within the predetermined period on the basis of the position signal being a plurality of position signals differing in elapsed time since acquisition, and judges whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle on the basis of the calculated expected cruising line of the own vehicle, the determined position of the preceding vehicle at plurality of different points within the predetermined period, and the probability map;

ii) a control section that is mounted in the own vehicle and controls the inter-vehicular distance to be within a predetermined range by controlling the traveling speed of the own vehicle on the basis of the inter-vehicular distance between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle; and

one or more processors configured to pertain as the leading vehicle detecting apparatus and the control section, wherein

the probability map is one or more graphs of an offset amount versus the probability, and the probability map associates a given offset amount with a respective probability, and

the offset amount is an error between an approximated curve of a cruising track of the preceding vehicle and the expected cruising line of the own vehicle.

9. A leading vehicle judging method for judging whether or not an own vehicle is traveling such as to follow a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle in a same traffic lane, the method including:

acquiring, by a leading vehicle detecting controller, both a position signal outputted from a position detecting device, which detects a position of the preceding vehicle, and a detected signal outputted from a state detecting device, which detects a state of a present cruising line in which the own vehicle is traveling, wherein the leading vehicle detecting controller is mounted in the own vehicle and includes one or more processors;

storing, by a storage section of the leading vehicle detecting controller, in advance the position signal of the preceding vehicle that is discretely acquired and a probability map that assigns a probability regarding whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance between an expected cruising line of the own vehicle and the position of the preceding vehicle at a plurality of different points within a predetermined period;

calculating, by a calculating section of the leading vehicle detecting controller, the expected cruising line of the own vehicle on the basis of the detection signal;

determining, by the calculating section, the position of the preceding vehicle at the plurality of different points within the predetermined period on the basis of the position signal being a plurality of position signals differing in elapsed time after acquisition; and

judging, by the calculating section, whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle on the basis of the calculated expected cruising line of the own vehicle, the determined position of the second vehicle at the plurality of different points within the predetermined period, and the probability map, wherein

the one or more processors are configured to pertain to the storage section and the calculating section of the leading vehicle detecting controller,

the probability map is one or more graphs of an offset amount versus the probability, and the probability map associates a given offset amount with a respective probability, and

the offset amount is an error between an approximated curve of a cruising track of the preceding vehicle and the expected cruising line of the own vehicle.

10. An inter-vehicular control method for controlling an inter-vehicular distance between an own vehicle and a preceding vehicle when the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle traveling in the same traffic lane as the own vehicle among vehicles traveling ahead of the own vehicle, the method including:

acquiring, by a leading vehicle detecting apparatus mounted in the own vehicle, both a position signal outputted from a position detecting section, which detects a position of the preceding vehicle, and a detected signal outputted from a state detecting section, which detects a state of a present cruising line in which the own vehicle is traveling;

storing, by a storage section of the leading vehicle detecting apparatus, in advance the position signal of the preceding vehicle that is discretely acquired and a probability map that assigns a probability regarding whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance between an expected cruising line of the own vehicle and the position of the preceding vehicle at a plurality of different points within a predetermined period;

calculating, by a calculating section of the leading vehicle detecting apparatus, the expected cruising line of the own vehicle on the basis of the detection signal;

determining, by the calculating section, the position of the preceding vehicle at the plurality of different points within the predetermined period on the basis of the position signal being a plurality of position signals differing in elapsed time after acquisition;

judging, by the calculating section, whether or not the own vehicle is following the preceding vehicle on the basis of the calculated expected cruising line of the own vehicle, the determined position of the preceding vehicle at the plurality of different points within the predetermined period, and the probability map; and

controlling, by a control section mounted in the own vehicle, the inter-vehicular distance to be within a predetermined range by controlling the traveling speed of the own vehicle on the basis of the inter-vehicular distance between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle, wherein

one or more processors are configured to pertain as the leading vehicle detecting apparatus and the control section,

the probability map is one or more graphs of an offset amount versus the probability, and the probability map associates a given offset amount with a respective probability, and

the offset amount is an error between an approximated curve of a cruising track of the preceding vehicle and the expected cruising line of the own vehicle.