System and method for controlling steering response according to vehicle speed applicable to autonomous vehicle

• US 5,249,126 A
• Filed: 09/25/1990
• Issued: 09/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hattori, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US07/587,944
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.01, 364/424.02, 364/426.04, 364/461, 364/460, 364/516, 364/517, 364/550, 364/578, 395/905, 395/3, 395/25, 395/85, 395/86, 395/90, 395/94
• US Class Current: 701/27
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/90 Fuzzy logic

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a vehicle speed according to a vehicle speed applicable to an autonomous vehicle are disclosed in which distance information and deviation of vehicle posture information are derived relative reference values. The information is derived from image data derived from photographing a road surface and is set as fuzzy sets. Membership functions constituting the fuzzy sets are varied according to vehicle speed.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a steering displacement of an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

first means for generating data on a vehicle running condition, the data including a distance to a position of reference along a line of vehicle motion at a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle and a tangential angle between a guide line on a road surface and said line of vehicle motion;

second means for detecting a vehicle speed;

third means for storing reference membership functions and fuzzy control rules;

fourth means for varying parameters in the reference types of control rules according to the vehicle speed to modify the membership functions, inputting the data in the modified membership functions, and inputting the derived membership values into the control rules; and

fifth means for deriving a steering angle deviation S according to the values derived from the control rules and steering the vehicle accordingly, wherein the first means generates data on a running situation, meaning, data indicating any one of, straight road running (l), curved road running (c), or running so as to avoid an obstacle (o) and wherein the fourth means varies parameters of the reference membership functions as a function of a square root of the vehicle speed on the basis of the data of the running situation, meaning, any one of the straight running road, curved road running, or running so as to avoid an obstacle.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein input values of the membership functions are set as follows:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Δ

x.sub.o =8·

(Δ

x.sub.o +mbΔ

x)/mbΔ

x,

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Δ

θ

.sub.o =8·

(Δ

θ

+mbΔ

θ

)/mbΔ

θ

(wherein mbΔ

x, mbΔ

θ

denote parameters of the reference membership fuctions for the running situation data, straight running, curved road running, or obstacle avoidance, respectively, and Δ

x, Δ

θ

denote normalized input values of the membership functions on distance and tangential angle, respectively, and the output values S (X, T) of the control rules are multiplied by parameters rl, rc, or ro determined according to straight road, curved road, or obstacle avoidance running as follows;

S (X, T)=S (X. T)·

rl (or rc or ro).

3. A system as set forth in 2, wherein the parameters of the reference membership functions are varied as follows:

##EQU2## wherein v denotes the vehicle speed, mbΔ

x_i^c, r_i, r_i '"'"', and mbΔ

θ

_i^c denote constants.

4. A system as set forth in claim 3, wherein v=5 Km/h when the vehicle speed v is equal to or less than 5 Km/h.