Navigator apparatus informing or peripheral situation of the vehicle and method for controlling the same

• US 6,014,608 A
• Filed: 06/27/1997
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Seo, Chang-Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US08/884,631
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/300, 701/301, 701/302, 701/117, 701/212, 340/945, 340/990, 340/903, 340/435, 345/419, 348/51, 348/115, 348/116, 348/117, 348/118, 382/154, 73/178 R
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision

Abstract

A navigation apparatus for vehicles capable of sensing the peripheral situation of a vehicle, thereby automatically displaying the sensed peripheral situation while generating an alarm when the peripheral situation is determined as a hazardous situation. The invention also provides a method for controlling the navigation apparatus. This navigation apparatus includes a current-position computing unit for computing a pseudo current position of the vehicle, based on information from a speed sensor, a gyro sensor, and pseudo coordinates of the current vehicle position provided by artificial satellites, a peripheral situation sensing unit for sensing a peripheral situation of the vehicle, a peripheral image sensing unit for picking up images of peripheral objects existing in the vicinity of the vehicle, an alarming unit for generating a sound signal informing of a hazard in response to an alarming control signal, a display unit for receiving display data and displaying the received display data on a screen, and a system control unit for computing coordinates of the current vehicle position and coordinates of the position of each peripheral object, based on the computed pseudo current vehicle position and the information from the peripheral situation sensing unit, and sending display data to the display unit.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle comprising a current-position computing unit for computing a current position of said vehicle, based on information obtained by a speed sensor, a gyro and a global position system, comprising:

a plurality of infrared sensors and a plurality of cameras for sensing peripheral objects existing in the vicinity of said vehicle and outputting three-dimensional images of the sensed peripheral objects;

an alarming unit for generating a sound signal informing of a hazard in response to an alarming control signal;

a display unit for receiving display data and displaying the received display data on a screen;

a wheel alignment state sensing unit for sensing a wheel steering angle of said vehicle; and

a system control unit for calculating a position of each peripheral object, based on information obtained by the infrared sensors and cameras, sending display data about the image of the sensed peripheral object along with display data about an image of the computed current vehicle position to said display unit, sending said alarming control signal to said alarming unit when a distance between the current vehicle position and the calculated peripheral object position corresponds to a hazardous distance, and sending display data about the sensed wheel steering angle to said display unit in response to a display selecting signal.

2. The navigation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said wheel alignment state sensing unit comprises a plurality of cameras or angular-velocity sensors respectively mounted on said vehicle in the vicinity of wheels of said vehicle to sense the steered positions of the wheels.

3. The navigation apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said alarming unit comprises a speaker mounted in the vehicle to inform of a hazardous situation in response to the receipt of said alarming control signal.

4. The navigation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said alarming unit comprises a speaker mounted in said vehicle to inform of a hazardous situation in response to the receipt of said alarming control signal.

5. A method for controlling a navigation apparatus for a vehicle including a plurality of infrared sensors and a plurality of cameras mounted on the outer surface of said vehicle, a wheel alignment state sensing unit respectively mounted on said vehicle in the vicinity of the wheels of said vehicle and adapted to sense a wheel steering angle of the wheels, an alarming unit for generating a sound signal informing of a hazardous situation in response to an alarming control signal, a current-position computing unit for computing a current position value of said vehicle, based on information obtained by a speed sensor, a gyro and a global position system, and a display unit for receiving display data and displaying the received display data on a screen, comprising said steps of:

detecting information about positions of objects, which exist in the vicinity of said vehicle, sensed by said infrared sensors, based on the current vehicle position value computed by said current-position computing unit;

receiving images of the objects picked up by the cameras and displaying images of said vehicle and objects on said display unit, based on the computed current vehicle position value along with a position value of each object;

sending said alarming control signal to said alarming unit when a difference between the computed current vehicle position value and the object position value is equal to or less than a predetermined value; and

displaying the sensed wheel steering angle on said display unit in response to an external control signal, based on an output from said wheel alignment state sensing unit.