Running control device for a vehicle

• US 6,516,262 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takenaga, Hiroshi, Kuragaki, Satoru, Morizane, Hiroto
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/790,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20010034575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 701/96, 701/93, 701/24, 701/28, 701/301, 701/65, 701/116, 701/117, 701/119, 340/903, 340/907, 340/435, 340/436, 342/70, 342/69, 180/167
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18159 Traversing an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle controls the speed of the vehicle by estimating conditions for not only when the vehicle passes through an intersection but also when a preceding vehicle passes through the intersection, in order to permit travel on an ordinary road with a given following distance. The cruise control system includes a traffic signal characteristics obtaining device for obtaining characteristics of an upcoming traffic signal, a road information obtaining device for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection, an intersection arrival time calculating device for calculating arrival timing of the vehicle and the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, the vehicle speed and the preceding vehicle traveling conditions, a traffic signal condition estimating device for estimating the condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and the intersection arrival timing, and a control content modifying device for modifying the content of the cruise control of the vehicle depending upon the estimated traffic signal condition.

Claims

1. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, for controlling cruising of own vehicle with maintaining a distance to a preceding vehicle constant, comprising:

traffic signal characteristics obtaining means for obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead;

road information obtaining means for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection;

intersection arrival time calculating means for calculating arrival timing of the own vehicle and/or the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, an own vehicle speed and/or a preceding vehicle traveling condition;

traffic signal condition estimating means for estimating said condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and said intersection arrival timing; and

control content modifying means for modifying a content of cruise control of the own vehicle depending upon said estimated traffic signal condition.

2. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein communication means is provided in said traffic signal characteristics obtaining means for obtaining said traffic signal condition or traveling condition of said preceding vehicle.

3. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1, further comprising right and left turn control signal generating means for generating operation pattern of the own vehicle from a state of turn signal or a route information to a destination generated by said road information obtaining means to input to said control content modifying means.

4. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said traffic signal characteristics obtaining means includes traffic signal characteristics measuring means for measuring characteristics of the traffic signal and traffic signal characteristics learning means for learning a traffic signal characteristics measured by the traffic signal characteristics measuring means.

5. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 4, wherein said traffic signal characteristics learning means learns intersection information from said road information obtaining means with correspondence to the intersection information.

7. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.

8. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 2, wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.

9. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 3, wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.

10. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 4, wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.

11. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 5, wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.

6. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, for controlling cruising of own vehicle with maintaining a distance to a preceding vehicle constant, comprising:

traffic signal characteristics obtaining means including image pick-up means having zooming means, image processing means obtaining traffic signal characteristics by processing an image of said image pick-up means and communication means, for serving as measuring means for obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead;

road information obtaining means for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection ahead;

intersection arrival time calculating means for calculating arrival timing of the own vehicle and/or the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, an own vehicle speed and/or a preceding vehicle traveling condition;

traffic signal condition estimating means for estimating said condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and said intersection arrival timing;

right and left turn control signal generating means for generating operation pattern of the own vehicle from a state of turn signal or a route information to a destination generated by said road information obtaining means to input to said control content modifying means;

control content modifying means for modifying a content of cruise control of the own vehicle depending upon said estimated traffic signal condition; and

alarm means for generating a corresponding alarm before modifying the content of the cruise control.

12. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 6, wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.

13. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, for controlling cruising of a vehicle while maintaining a distance to a preceding vehicle constant, comprising:

traffic signal characteristics obtaining means for obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead representing switching timing between a green lamp and a red lamp of the traffic signal;

road information obtaining means for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection;

intersection arrival time calculating means for calculating arrival timing of the vehicle and/or the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, a speed of the vehicle and/or a preceding vehicle traveling condition;

traffic signal condition estimating means for estimating said condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and said intersection arrival timing; and

control content modifying means for modifying a content of the cruise control of the vehicle depending upon said estimated traffic signal condition.

14. A method for operating a cruise control system of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead of the vehicle, said characteristics representing switching times between a green lamp and a red lamp of the traffic signal;

obtaining intersection information on a road network, including a distance to an upcoming intersection;

calculating arrival timing of the vehicle and/or a preceding vehicle to the upcoming intersection based on a distance to the intersection, a speed of the vehicle and/or a traveling condition of the preceding vehicle;

estimating a condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and the intersection arrival timing; and

modifying operation of the cruise control system of the vehicle depending upon the estimated condition of the traffic signal.