Automatic driving system

• US 6,169,940 B1
• Filed: 09/01/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tamura, Kazuya, Kobayashi, Sachio, Jitsukata, Eishi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/145,425
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/28, 701/41, 701/96, 701/205, 701/301, 340/902, 340/903, 340/905, 340/435, 340/436
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 12/00 Steering specially adapted for vehicles operating in tandem or having pivotally connected frames steering endless tracks or the like B62D11/00; steering specially adapted for trailers B62D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

An automatic driving system which is provided for automatically driving vehicles to follow respective target running trajectories. A running instruction and a running course are set based on an obstacle detecting signal, a vehicle position signal, road data and automatic drive traffic information signals, and a vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal. A running course signal indicative of the running course and a running position setting position signal indicative of a running position of one vehicle at the time the running course is set are transmitted and received between the one vehicle and another vehicle, so that a target running trajectory suitable for each vehicle can be calculated on the basis of the received running course, thereby automatically navigating each vehicle such that the respective vehicles run following the resultant target running trajectories.

Claims

1. An automatic driving system comprising:

radar means for detecting an obstacle in front of one vehicle to generate an obstacle detecting signal;

imaging means for imaging a road surface in front of said one vehicle to output a video signal;

image processing means for generating a vehicle position signal indicative of a position of said one vehicle in a width direction of the road from an image represented by the video signal;

a navigation unit for generating road data indicative of the coordinates of a road in front of a current position of said one vehicle;

road-to-vehicle communications means for receiving automatic drive traffic information signal;

vehicle-to-vehicle communications means for transmitting and receiving a vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal between said one vehicle and at least one different vehicle other than said one vehicle;

running instructions generating means for generating a running instruction;

running course setting means for setting a running course based on said obstacle detecting signal, said vehicle position signal, said road data, said automatic drive traffic information signal, said vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal, and said running instruction; and

vehicle control means for controlling navigation of said one vehicle such that said one vehicle runs following a target running trajectory based on said set running course,

wherein said vehicle-to-vehicle communications means transmits a running course signal indicative of said running course, and a running course setting position signal indicative of a running position of said one vehicle at the time said running course is set.

2. An automatic driving system according to claim 1, wherein said running course setting means newly sets said running course when a deceleration running signal indicating that the different vehicle is decelerating is received as said vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal by said vehicle-to-vehicle communications means.

3. An automatic driving system according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle control means executes driving control based on the set running course when a running permission signal indicating permission of running based on the set running course is received as said vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal by said vehicle-to-vehicle communications means.