Vehicle-direction estimating device, and driving control device including the vehicle-direction estimating device

• US 20050043882A1
• Filed: 08/20/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Takazawa, Atsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,164,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/046 involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle, e.g. via telemetry, satellite, Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/001 the torque NOT being among the input parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments

Abstract

A vehicle serving as a moving station includes two GPS antennas disposed away from one another along the longitudinal direction within the vehicle. For automatic steering in the automatic-driving control mode, for a planning route with a small radius of curvature, the direction of the vehicle is estimated to be the direction passing through the positions of the front and rear portions of the vehicle. Otherwise, the direction of the vehicle is estimated to be the direction passing through the current position of the vehicle and the previous position thereof, approximately the length of the vehicle behind the current position. Driving of the vehicle is controlled based upon the current position of the vehicle and the planning route using the estimated direction of the vehicle. Thus, the direction of the vehicle is estimated with high precision appropriately corresponding to each driving situation, thereby enabling precise and stable driving control.

Claims

1. A direction estimating device for a vehicle comprising:

first vehicle-position detecting means for detecting a first position of the vehicle based upon information received from satellites orbiting the Earth;

second vehicle-position detecting means for detecting a second position of the vehicle, differing from the first position of the vehicle, based upon information received from the satellites orbiting the Earth;

planning-route setting means for setting a planning route which the vehicle is to be driven;

radius-of-curvature computing means for computing the radius of curvature of the planning route; and

vehicle-direction estimating means for estimating the direction of the vehicle to be the direction passing through the first position and the second position in a case of the radius of curvature of the planning route less than a predetermined threshold.

2. The direction estimating device for the vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising vehicle-movement-information computing means for computing information with regard to movement of the vehicle up to the current position thereof based upon the change of the first position or the second position over time,

wherein the vehicle-direction estimating means estimate the direction of the vehicle by calculating the moving direction of the vehicle based upon the information with regard to movement of the vehicle in a case of the radius of curvature of the planning route exceeding the predetermined threshold.

3. The direction estimating device for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle-direction estimating means estimate the moving direction of the vehicle to be the direction passing through the current vehicle position and the previous vehicle position, approximately the length of the vehicle behind the current vehicle position, in the event that the vehicle-direction estimating means estimate the moving direction of the vehicle based upon the information with regard to movement of the vehicle position.

4. The direction estimating device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is changed corresponding to the speed of the vehicle.

5. The direction estimating device for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold is changed corresponding to the speed of the vehicle.

6. The direction estimating device for the vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined threshold is changed corresponding to the speed of the vehicle.

7. The driving control device for the vehicle including the direction estimating device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein driving of the vehicle is controlled based upon the current position of the vehicle, the estimated direction of the vehicle, and the planning route.

8. The driving control device for the vehicle including the direction estimating device for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein driving of the vehicle is controlled based upon the current position of the vehicle, the estimated direction of the vehicle, and the planning route.

9. The driving control device for the vehicle including the direction estimating device for the vehicle according to claim 3, wherein driving of the vehicle is controlled based upon the current position of the vehicle, the estimated direction of the vehicle, and the planning route.

10. The driving control device for the vehicle including the direction estimating device for the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein driving of the vehicle is controlled based upon the current position of the vehicle, the estimated direction of the vehicle, and the planning route.

11. A vehicle containing the direction estimating device of claim 1.