Autonomous vehicle for automatically/autonomously running on route of travel and its method using fuzzy control
First Claim
1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
- a) first means for imaging a road surface on which the vehicle runs, having an image plane and an associated image data generating means;
b) second means for detecting a plurality of predetermined features contained within the data output by the first means and generating characterizing point data corresponding to said plurality of predetermined features;
c) third means for classifying the image data output by said first means as a running scene among a group of predetermined running scenes on the basis of the characterizing point data generated by the second means;
d) fourth means for selecting at least one among a group of predetermined reference membership functions according to the classification of the running scene, said membership function indicating a certainty of correspondence between a measured steering deviation quantity and a member of a group of predetermined deviation magnitudes, said measured steering deviation quantity being a difference between a measured vehicle steering angle and a predetermined vehicle steering angle;
e) fifth means for measuring a steering angle of the vehicle;
f) sixth means for selecting, based on a reference membership function selected by said fourth means and a measured steering deviation quantity operated on by said selected function, at least one among a group of predetermined control rules;
g) seventh means for calculating a steering controlled variable of the vehicle on the basis of the measured steering angle of the vehicle, characterizing point data generated by the second means, the membership function selected by the fourth means, and a control rule selected by the sixth means; and
h) eighth means for controlling an operation of a mechanism controlling the steering angle of the vehicle according to the calculated steering controlled variable.
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Abstract
An autonomously running vehicle and method for autonomously running the vehicle on a route of travel are disclosed in which using a plurality of control rules defining predetermined steering controlled variables according to magnitude classifications of previously classified deviations on steering operations and membership functions indicating certainties corresponding to respective classifications of actual deviations (offset), the certainties corresponding to each magnitude classification are correlated to the control rules to determine the steering controlled variable. In the autonomously running vehicle, the vehicle'"'"'s running scenes are automatically detected on the basis of the image data derived by an image processing unit. Reference membership functions are varied (constricted or reduced) according to any one of the running scenes so that the membership functions are automatically set according to the running scenes. Control rules are previously set only to the reference membership functions. Hence, setting operations of control rules and membership functions through simulations may be carried out only for the reference membership functions.
97 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
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a) first means for imaging a road surface on which the vehicle runs, having an image plane and an associated image data generating means; b) second means for detecting a plurality of predetermined features contained within the data output by the first means and generating characterizing point data corresponding to said plurality of predetermined features; c) third means for classifying the image data output by said first means as a running scene among a group of predetermined running scenes on the basis of the characterizing point data generated by the second means; d) fourth means for selecting at least one among a group of predetermined reference membership functions according to the classification of the running scene, said membership function indicating a certainty of correspondence between a measured steering deviation quantity and a member of a group of predetermined deviation magnitudes, said measured steering deviation quantity being a difference between a measured vehicle steering angle and a predetermined vehicle steering angle; e) fifth means for measuring a steering angle of the vehicle; f) sixth means for selecting, based on a reference membership function selected by said fourth means and a measured steering deviation quantity operated on by said selected function, at least one among a group of predetermined control rules; g) seventh means for calculating a steering controlled variable of the vehicle on the basis of the measured steering angle of the vehicle, characterizing point data generated by the second means, the membership function selected by the fourth means, and a control rule selected by the sixth means; and h) eighth means for controlling an operation of a mechanism controlling the steering angle of the vehicle according to the calculated steering controlled variable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An method for autonomously operating a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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a) imaging a road surface on which the vehicle runs, and generating an associated image data; b) detecting a plurality of predetermined features contained within the image data output by step a) and generating characterizing point data corresponding to said plurality of predetermined features; c) classifying the image data output by said step a) as a running scene among a group of predetermined running scenes on the basis of the characterizing point data generated by step b); d) selecting at least one among a group of predetermined reference membership functions according to the classification of the running scene, said membership function indicating a certainty of correspondence between a measured steering deviation quantity and a member of a group of predetermined deviation magnitudes, said measured steering deviation quantity being a difference between a measured vehicle steering angle and a predetermined vehicle steering angle; e) measuring a steering angle of the vehicle; f) selecting, based on a reference membership function selected by step d) and a measured steering deviation quantity operated on by said selected reference membership function, at least one among a group of predetermined control rules; g) calculating a steering controlled variable of the vehicle on the basis of the measured steering angle of the vehicle, characterizing point data generated by step b), the membership function selected by step d), and a control rule selected by step f); and h) controlling an operation of a mechanism controlling the steering angle of the vehicle according to the calculated steering controlled variable.
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Specification