Method and apparatus for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state and method and apparatus for controlling a vehicle running characteristic
First Claim
1. A method for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state, comprising the steps of:
- (a) detecting a plurality of vehicle driving parameters;
(b) carrying out a frequency analysis of each of said plurality of vehicle driving parameters, said step (b) including determining a frequency distribution of each of said vehicle driving parameters, and determining a plurality of types of analysis values for each of said vehicle driving parameters, said plurality of types of analysis values characterizing said frequency distribution; and
(c) estimating a vehicle maneuvering state intended by a driver in accordance with results of the frequency analyses, said step (c) including outputting an output parameter, indicative of the vehicle maneuvering state, in accordance with a weighted total sum of input parameters, in parallel with each other, defined by said plurality of types of analysis values for each of said vehicle driving parameters.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state and controlling a vehicle running characteristic includes a controller having a fuzzy estimating function and a neural network function. The controller carries out frequency analysis on vehicle driving parameters such as vehicle speed, steering angle, opening degree of an accelerator, and longitudinal acceleration and lateral acceleration of a vehicle, to thereby determine a mean value and variance of each parameter. It implements fuzzy inference based on a traveling time ratio, an average speed, and an average lateral acceleration, which are obtained from vehicle speed and/or steering angle, to thereby calculate road traffic condition parameters, including a city area degree, a jammed road degree, and a mountainous road degree. According to the neural network function, the controller further determines an output parameter, indicative of the vehicle maneuvering state, by subjecting the mean value and variance of the vehicle driving parameters and the weighted total sum of the road traffic condition parameters to nonlinear conversion. Then, it variably controls the operating characteristic of a vehicle-mounted apparatus such as a rear-wheel steering controlling unit in accordance with the output parameter, thereby variably controlling the vehicle running characteristic.
82 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting a plurality of vehicle driving parameters; (b) carrying out a frequency analysis of each of said plurality of vehicle driving parameters, said step (b) including determining a frequency distribution of each of said vehicle driving parameters, and determining a plurality of types of analysis values for each of said vehicle driving parameters, said plurality of types of analysis values characterizing said frequency distribution; and (c) estimating a vehicle maneuvering state intended by a driver in accordance with results of the frequency analyses, said step (c) including outputting an output parameter, indicative of the vehicle maneuvering state, in accordance with a weighted total sum of input parameters, in parallel with each other, defined by said plurality of types of analysis values for each of said vehicle driving parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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3. A method for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting a plurality of vehicle driving parameters; (b) carrying out a frequency analysis on each of said plurality of vehicle driving parameters, said step (b) including determining a frequency distribution of each of said vehicle driving parameters, and determining at least one analysis value of each of said vehicle driving parameters, said at least one analysis value characterizing said frequency distribution; (c) estimating a vehicle maneuvering state intended by a driver in accordance with results of the frequency analyses; and (d) outputting at least one estimated value independently of step (c), the at least one estimated value being determined using at least one of the detected vehicle driving parameters of step (a) and being indicative of a road traffic condition under which a vehicle is traveling, said step (c) including outputting an output parameter, indicative of the vehicle maneuvering state, in accordance with a weighted total sum of input parameters, defined by said at least one estimated value indicative of the road traffic condition and said at least one analysis value for each of said vehicle driving parameters. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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12. A method for controlling a vehicle running characteristic, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting a plurality of vehicle driving parameters; (b) carrying out a frequency analysis on each of said plurality of vehicle driving parameters, said step (b) including determining a frequency distribution of each of said vehicle driving parameters, and determining a plurality of types of analysis values for each of said vehicle driving parameters, the plurality of types of analysis values characterizing said frequency distribution; (c) estimating a vehicle maneuvering state, intended by a driver, in accordance with results of the frequency analyses, said step (c) including outputting an output parameter, indicative of the vehicle maneuvering state, in accordance with a weighted total sum of input parameters, in parallel with each other, defined by said plurality of types of analysis values for each of said vehicle driving parameters; and (d) variably controlling a running characteristic of the vehicle by variably controlling an operating characteristic of an apparatus mounted on the vehicle in accordance with said estimated vehicle maneuvering state. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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13. A method for controlling a vehicle running characteristic, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting a plurality of vehicle driving parameters; (b) carrying out a frequency analysis on each of said plurality of vehicle driving parameters, said step (b) including determining a frequency distribution of each of said vehicle driving parameters, and determining at least one analysis value for each of said vehicle driving parameters, said at least one analysis value characterizing said frequency distribution; (c) estimating a vehicle maneuvering state, intended by a driver, in accordance with results of the frequency analyses; (d) variably controlling a running characteristic of the vehicle by variably controlling an operating characteristic of an apparatus mounted on the vehicle in accordance with said estimated vehicle maneuvering state; and (e) outputting at least one estimated value independently of step (c), the at least one estimated value being determined using at least one of the detected vehicle driving parameters of step (a) and being indicative of a road traffic condition under which the vehicle is traveling, said step (c) including outputting an output parameter, indicative of the vehicle maneuvering state, in accordance with a weighted total sum of input parameters defined by said at least one estimated value of the road traffic condition and said at least one analysis value for each of said vehicle driving parameters.
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19. An apparatus for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state, comprising:
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a driving parameter detecting means for detecting a plurality of vehicle driving parameters; a frequency analyzing means for carrying out frequency analysis on each of said plurality of vehicle driving parameters, for determining a frequency distribution of each of said vehicle driving parameters and for determining a plurality of types of analysis values for each of said vehicle driving parameters, the plurality of types of analysis values characterizing said frequency distribution; and a vehicle maneuvering state estimating means for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state intended by a driver in accordance with results of the frequency analyses, and for outputting an output parameter, indicative of the vehicle maneuvering state, in accordance with a weighted total sum of input parameters, input in parallel with each other, defined by said plurality of types of analysis values for each of said vehicle driving parameters. - View Dependent Claims (20, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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21. An apparatus for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state, comprising:
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a driving parameter detecting means for detecting a plurality of vehicle driving parameters; a frequency analyzing means for carrying out frequency analysis on each of said plurality of vehicle driving parameters, for determining a frequency distribution of each of said vehicle driving parameters and for determining at least one analysis value for each of said vehicle driving parameters, said at least one analysis value characterizing said frequency distribution; a road traffic condition estimating means for outputting at least one estimated value independently of an estimated vehicle maneuvering state, the at least one estimated value being determined using at least one of the detected vehicle driving parameters and being indicative of a road traffic condition under which a vehicle is traveling; and a vehicle maneuvering state estimating means for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state intended by a driver in accordance with results of the frequency analyses, and for outputting an output parameter, indicative of the vehicle maneuvering state, in accordance with a weighted total sum of input parameters, defined by said estimated value of the road traffic condition and said at least one analysis value for each of said vehicle driving parameters. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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30. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle running characteristic, comprising:
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a driving parameter detecting means for detecting a plurality of vehicle driving parameters; a frequency analyzing means for carrying out frequency analysis on each of said plurality of vehicle driving parameters, for determining a frequency distribution of each of said vehicle driving parameters and for determining a plurality of types of analysis values for each of said vehicle driving parameters, the plurality of types of analysis values characterizing said frequency distribution; a vehicle maneuvering state estimating means for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state intended by a driver in accordance with results of the frequency analyses, and for outputting an output parameter, indicative of the vehicle maneuvering state, in accordance with a weighted total sum of input parameters, input in parallel with each other, defined by said plurality of types of analysis values for each of said vehicle driving parameters; and a characteristic controlling means for variably controlling a running characteristic of the vehicle by variably controlling an operating characteristic of an apparatus mounted on the vehicle in accordance with said estimated vehicle maneuvering state. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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31. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle running characteristic, comprising:
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a driving parameter detecting means for detecting a plurality of vehicle driving parameters; a frequency analyzing means for carrying out frequency analysis on each of said plurality of vehicle driving parameters, for determining a frequency distribution of each of said vehicle driving parameters and for determining at least one analysis value of each of said vehicle driving parameters, said at least one analysis value characterizing said frequency distribution; a road traffic state estimating means for outputting at least one estimated value independently of an estimated vehicle maneuvering state, the at least one estimated value being determined using at least one of the detected vehicle driving parameters and being indicative of a road traffic condition under which a vehicle is traveling; a vehicle maneuvering state estimating means for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state intended by a driver in accordance with results of the frequency analyses and for outputting an output parameter, indicative of the vehicle maneuvering state, in accordance with a weighted total sum of input parameters, defined by said at least one estimated value of road traffic condition and said at least one analysis value for each of said vehicle driving parameters; and a characteristic controlling means for variably controlling a running characteristic of the vehicle by variably controlling an operating characteristic of an apparatus mounted on the vehicle in accordance with said estimated vehicle maneuvering state.
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Specification