Vehicle control method and vehicle warning method

• US 6,567,737 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Mitsuru, Bai, Jie
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/986,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 701/96, 701/301, 701/223, 701/300, 342/69, 342/70, 342/73, 342/81, 342/90, 342/106, 342/107, 342/109, 342/455, 342/461, 180/169, 180/170, 180/271, 180/168, 180/171, 340/903, 340/933, 340/942, 340/436, 340/435
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• 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 7/403 in azimuth, i.e. in the horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4082 using externally generated reference signals, e.g. via remote reflector or transponder

Abstract

In order to occur a collision warning to prevent the collision in accurate by detecting the preceding vehicle or target, a vehicle lane position estimation device comprising a means for measuring a distance between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or a oncoming vehicle, a direction angle from said host vehicle, an angular velocity and a velocity of said host vehicle, a means for calculating lateral and longitudinal distance between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said oncoming vehicle, a means for capturing a front stationary object, a means for obtaining movement of the preceding vehicle or position of the oncoming vehicle, and a means to estimate a lane position of said front stationary object from a relationship of the stationary object being captured and the preceding vehicle being obtained and a positional relationship with the oncoming vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle control method comprising the steps of

(a) detecting a velocity and angular velocity of a host vehicle, and a distance and a direction from said host vehicle to a preceding vehicle or a target,

(b) calculating a next position of said preceding vehicle to said preceding vehicle or said target based on said velocity, angular velocity and said direction detected in step (a), and

(c) controlling said host vehicle so as to decelerate said host vehicle when said next position is in a predetermined range, wherein

said predetermined range is set between a left position being apart to the left from a vehicle lane where said host vehicle runs as a half width Ly/2 of said vehicle lane and a right position being apart to the right from said vehicle lane as said half width Ly/2.

2. A vehicle warning method comprising the steps of

(a) detecting a velocity and angular velocity of a host vehicle, and a distance and a direction from said host vehicle to a preceding vehicle or a target,

(b) calculating a next position of said preceding vehicle or said target based on said velocity, angular velocity and said direction detected in step (a), and

(c) generating a warning when said next position is in a predetermined range, wherein

said predetermined range is set between a left position being apart to the left from a vehicle lane where said host vehicle runs as a half width Ly/2 of said vehicle lane and a right position being apart to the right from said vehicle lane as said half width Ly/2.

3. A vehicle control method comprising the steps of

detecting a velocity and angular velocity of a host vehicle, and a distance and a direction from said host vehicle to a preceding vehicle or a target,

calculating a next distance from said host vehicle to said preceding vehicle or said target based on said velocity, angular velocity and said direction detected in the former step, and

controlling said host vehicle so as to decelerate said host vehicle when said next distance is smaller than a predetermined value, wherein

said predetermined value is smaller than a half of a vehicle lane.

4. A vehicle lane position estimation device for capturing a preceding vehicle or a target by searching forward of an host vehicle and estimating vehicle lane position thereof, said vehicle lane position estimation device, comprising

means for measuring a distance TR between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a direction angle α

from said host vehicle, an angular velocity ω

s and a velocity Vs of said host vehicle,

one vehicle lane sensing means for obtaining a lane Ly of a road,

means for calculating a lateral displacement TC between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a longitudinal displacement TD therebetween and curvature radius R of said host vehicle based on a following equation,

5. A vehicle lane position estimation device for capturing a preceding vehicle or a target by searching forward of an host vehicle and estimating vehicle lane position thereof, said vehicle lane position estimation device, comprising

means for measuring a distance TR between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a direction angle α

from said host vehicle, an angular velocity ω

s and a velocity Vs of said host vehicle,

one vehicle lane sensing means for obtaining a lane Ly of a road,

means for calculating a lateral displacement TC between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a longitudinal displacement TD therebetween and a curvature radius R of said host vehicle based on a following equation

6. A vehicle lane position estimation device for capturing a preceding vehicle or a target by searching forward of an host vehicle and estimating vehicle lane position thereof, said vehicle lane position estimation device, comprising

means for measuring a distance TR between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a direction angle α

from said host vehicle, an angular velocity ω

s and a velocity Vs of said host vehicle,

one vehicle lane sensing means for obtaining a lane Ly of a road,

means for calculating a lateral displacement TC between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a longitudinal displacement TD therebetween and a curvature radius R of said host vehicle based on a following equation

7. A vehicle lane position estimation device for estimating a position of a vehicle lane of a stationary object (a forward stationary object) to be located before an host vehicle, comprising

a sensor configured and operative to measure a distance between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle, a direction angle from said host vehicle, an angular velocity and a velocity of said host vehicle,

a vehicle lane sensor configured and operative to obtain a vehicle lane of a road,

a device configured and operative to calculate a lateral displacement between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said oncoming vehicle, a longitudinal displacement therebetween and a curvature radius of said host vehicle,

a device configured and operative to capture a forward stationary object,

a device configured and operative to obtain a movement of said preceding vehicle or a position of said oncoming vehicle,

a device configured and operative to estimate a vehicle lane position of said forward stationary object from a movement relationship of said preceding vehicle obtained and said forward stationary object captured or a position relationship with said oncoming vehicle, and

a device configured and operative to warn when said forward stationary object is in a vehicle lane of said host vehicle.

8. A vehicle lane position estimation device as defined in claim 7, further comprising

a device configured and operative to calculate a lateral distance Δ

R between said host vehicle and said forward stationary object based on the following equations

9. A vehicle lane position estimation device as defined in claim 7, further comprising

a device configured and operative to recognize whether said forward stationary object is an object on the road such as an overhead bridge.

10. A vehicle lane position estimation device for capturing a preceding vehicle or a target by searching forward of an host vehicle and estimating vehicle lane position thereof, comprising

apparatus configured and operable to measure a distance TR between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a direction angle from said host vehicle, an angular velocity Ws and a velocity Vs of said host vehicle,

a vehicle lane sensor configured and operative to obtain a road lane Lly,

a calculating apparatus configured and operable to calculate a lateral displacement TC between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a longitudinal displacement TD therebetween and curvature radius R of said host vehicle based on the following equation,

11. A vehicle lane position estimation device for capturing a preceding vehicle or a target by searching forward of an host vehicle and estimating vehicle lane position thereof, comprising

a millimeter wave radar and gyro sensor configured and operative to measure a distance TR between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a direction angle from said host vehicle, an angular velocity Ws and a velocity Vs of said host vehicle,

a vehicle lane sensor configured and operative to obtain a road lane Ly,

a calculator configured and operative to calculate a lateral displacement TC between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a longitudinal displacement TD therebetween and a curvature radius R of said host vehicle based on the following equation

12. A vehicle lane position estimation device for capturing a preceding vehicle or a target by searching forward of an host vehicle and estimating vehicle lane position thereof, comprising

a steering sensor and a gyro sensor configured and operative to measure a distance TR between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a direction angle from said host vehicle, an angular velocity Ws and a velocity Vs of said host vehicle,

a vehicle lane sensor configured and operative to obtain a road lane Ly,

a calculator configured and operative to calculate a lateral displacement TC between said host vehicle and said preceding vehicle or said target, a longitudinal displacement TD therebetween and a curvature radius R of said host vehicle based on the following equation