Running surroundings recognizing apparatus

• US 6,356,206 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takenaga, Hiroshi, Morizane, Hiroto
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/453,219
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903, 340/933, 340/905, 348/118, 348/148, 348/149
• US Class Current: 340/903
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93

Abstract

A running surrounding recognizing apparatus is provided. The running surrounding recognizing apparatus is capable of accurately recognizing information in regard to running of a self-vehicle even if a mounting position of a sensor for running surrounding recognition is changed, and to provide a vehicle running control apparatus using the running surrounding recognizing apparatus. The running surrounding recognizing apparatus 1 comprises a communication part 11, a sensing region determining part 12 for determining a sensing region sensed by the running surrounding recognizing apparatus 1 and a sensing part 13. The communication part 11 is connected to external units through a bus 1200 to communicate data in regard to a mounting position of the running surrounding recognizing apparatus 1 on a vehicle. The sensing region determining part 12 determines the sensing region sensed by the running surrounding recognizing apparatus 1 based on the data in regard to a mounting position of the running surrounding recognizing apparatus 1 on a vehicle received through the communication part 11. The sensing part 13 outputs a sensed result based on the sensing region determined by the sensing region determining part 12 through the communication part.

Claims

1. A running surroundings recognition apparatus for mounting on a vehicle and recognizing running surroundings of the vehicle using a sensor, which apparatus comprises:

a communication means for receiving an input of externally generated data in regard to a mounting position of said sensor on the vehicle and relative to a surface on which the vehicle is operated;

a sensing region determining means for determining spatial location of a sensing region which is sensed by said sensor, based on said externally generated data received through said communication means; and

a recognizing means for recognizing running surroundings based on the spatial location of the sensing region determined by said sensing region determining means, and on a sensed result by said sensor.

2. A running surroundings recognition apparatus according to claim 1, which comprises a running control content changing means for changing a running control content of said vehicle based on an output of said recognizing means.

3. A running surroundings recognizing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication means communicates at least a recognized result obtained by said recognizing means among a sensed result sensed by said sensor, a sensing region determined by said sensing region determining part and the recognized result with an external apparatus.

4. A running surroundings recognizing system for recognizing surroundings of a vehicle, said system having a plurality of running surroundings recognizing apparatuses according to claim 3 mounted on the vehicle, and said system comprising:

a communication means for performing data communication between said plurality of running surroundings recognizing apparatuses; and

a processing means for generating image data for displaying a status around the vehicle using data sent from each of the running surroundings recognizing apparatuses through said communication means and for sending the generated image data to a display unit;

wherein said processing means changes display methods corresponding to individual running surroundings recognizing apparatuses for generating said image data, so that the data from each of the running surroundings recognizing apparatuses can be distinguished from the others.

5. A running surroundings recognizing system for recognizing surroundings of a vehicle, said system having mounting, a plurality of running surroundings recognizing apparatuses according to claim 3 mounted on the vehicle, and said system comprising:

a communication means for performing data communication between said plurality of running surroundings recognizing apparatuses;

a processing means for generating image data for displaying a status around the vehicle using data sent from each of the running surroundings recognizing apparatuses through said communication means and for sending the generated image data to a display unit; and

a confidence level adding means for adding a confidence level corresponding to a sensing region of each of the running surroundings recognizing apparatuses to the data output from each of said running surrounding recognizing apparatuses.

6. A running surroundings recognizing apparatus mounted on a vehicle, for recognizing running surroundings of the vehicle using a sensor, which comprises:

a receiving means for receiving externally generated data in regard to spatial location of a sensing region of said sensor relative to the vehicle; and

a recognizing means for recognizing running surroundings based on spatial location said received sensing region and a sensed result by said sensor.

7. A system for analyzing operating surroundings of a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor mounted on said vehicle and positioned to sense information concerning vehicle surroundings within a sensing field;

means for sensing spatial information concerning a spatial position and orientation of said sensor relative to said vehicle and relative to a surface on which the vehicle is operated;

communication means for receiving an input of said spatial position information;

a sensing field determining means for determining a spatial location of said sensing field, based on said spatial information received by said communication means; and

analyzing means for analyzing said vehicle operating surroundings based on the spatial location of the sensing field determined by the sensing field determining means, and on sensed information generated by said sensor.