Automatic traveling device for vehicles

• US 5,957,983 A
• Filed: 02/26/1997
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tominaga, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis-Jacques, Jacques H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US08/805,519
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/23
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/087 using active steering actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots

Abstract

A traveling device for calculating the relative displacement of a vehicle in a road using a magnetic sensor and a CCD camera and performing automatic steering. The vehicle is equipped with a magnetic sensor and a CCD camera. A magnetic ECU processes a signal from the magnetic sensor, an image ECU processes a signal from the CCD camera and the resulting relative displacements are both output to a vehicle control computer. When a relative displacement output from the image ECU is not irregular, the vehicle control computer performs steering control after calculating an amount of corrective steering using this relative displacement and, when it is irregular, the vehicle control computer performs steering control after calculating an amount of corrective steering using the relative displacement output from the image ECU.

Claims

1. An automatic traveling device for vehicles comprising:

(a) magnetic displacement detecting means for detecting a relative displacement of a vehicle from magnetic markers by detecting a magnetic field of the magnetic markers provided on the road;

(b) lane line displacement detecting means for detecting relative displacement of the vehicle from a lane line by detecting the lane line on the road;

(c) irregularity detecting means for detecting irregularities in the relative displacement detected by the magnetic displacement detecting means; and

(d) controlling means for dominantly performing steering control based on the relative displacement detected by the lane line displacement detecting means when an irregularity has been detected by the irregularity detecting means;

wherein

the controlling means dominantly perform steering control based on the relative displacement detected by the magnetic displacement detecting means when there are no irregularities detected by the irregularity detecting means.

2. The automatic traveling device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein

the irregularity detecting means determines an irregularity has occurred when a relative displacement value has exceeded a first designated range.

3. The automatic traveling device for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein

the irregularity detecting means determines no irregularity has occurred when the relative displacement value has moved within a second designated range which is smaller than the first designated range after the relative displacement value has previously exceeded the first designated range.

4. The automatic traveling device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein

the irregularity detecting means determines an irregularity has occurred when a difference between a current relative displacement value and an immediately preceding relative displacement value exceeds a designated value.

5. An automatic traveling device for vehicles, comprising:

(a) a magnetic sensor for detecting a magnetic field of magnetic markers provided on a road;

(b) a camera for filming the surface of a road in front of a vehicle;

(c) a first processor for calculating a first relative displacement of a vehicle from the magnetic markers based on a magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensor;

(d) a second processor for processing an image taken by the camera and calculating a second relative displacement of the vehicle from a lane line on the road; and

(e) a controller for dominantly performing steering control based on the first relative displacement when the first relative displacement detected by the first processor is regular and for dominantly performing steering control based on the second relative displacement when the first relative displacement detected by the first processor is irregular.