Steering assist apparatus for traveling in reverse

• US 6,611,744 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ando, Masahiko, Hika, Koji, Teramura, Kousuke, Suzuki, Isao, Yamada, Satoshi, Kimura, Tomio, Shimazaki, Kazunori, Kuriya, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/807,348
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/42, 701/79, 303/140, 303/146, 180/167, 180/168, 180/169, 180/443, 180/446, 180/204
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/404 triggering from stand-by mode to operation mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8086 for vehicle path indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically

Abstract

A steering assist apparatus includes a camera for picking up the rear side of a vehicle, a monitor disposed in a driver'"'"'s compartment of the vehicle, a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel, and a display controlling unit for displaying on the monitor an image through said camera when the vehicle reverses and for superimposing and displaying on said monitor a guide display for assisting the drive of the vehicle when the vehicle is to be parked. The guide display includes a steering start guide line fixedly displayed in a predetermined position of an image field of the monitor for guiding a steering start position for parking, and a steering amount guide mark moved and displayed along the steering start guide line on the image field of the monitor in correspondence with a steering angle of the steering wheel detected by the steering angle sensor. The driver performs the steering operation of the vehicle while recognizing the position for the opposite turning of the steering wheel and the steering amount and the steering start position for parking on the basis of the image on the rear side of the vehicle and the steering amount guide mark and the steering start guide line.

Claims

1. A steering assist apparatus comprising:

a camera for picking up the rear side of a vehicle;

a monitor disposed in a driver'"'"'s compartment of the vehicle;

a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel; and

a display controlling means for, when the vehicle reverses, displaying on said monitor an image by said camera and in the superimposed manner displaying on said monitor a guide display for assisting the drive of the vehicle in parking,

said guide display including a steering start guide line fixedly displayed in a predetermined position of an image field of said monitor for guiding a steering start position for parking, and a steering amount guide mark displayed movably along said steering start guide line on the image field of said monitor in correspondence with a steering angle of the steering wheel detected by said steering angle sensor.

2. The steering assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is reversed straight and perpendicularly to a parking space, the vehicle is stopped where a predetermined target point of the parking space within an image of said camera overlaps with the steering start guide line, the steering wheel is steered so that the steering amount guide mark overlaps with the target point, and the vehicle is further reversed while keeping the steering amount of the steering wheel to thereby park the vehicle suitably and in parallel in the parking space.

3. The steering assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide display includes an eye mark fixedly displayed of the image field of said monitor for guiding an opposite steering point of the steering wheel for parking the vehicle in an in-line manner.

4. The steering assist apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle is reversed straight in parallel with a road, the vehicle is stopped where a predetermined target point of the parking space within an image of said camera overlaps with the steering start guide line, the steering wheel is turned so that the steering amount guide mark overlaps with the target point, and the vehicle is further reversed while keeping the steering amount of the steering wheel so that the vehicle is stopped where the eye mark overlaps with the target point, and the steering angle of the steering wheel is increased up to a maximum level in the opposite direction where the vehicle is kept stopped, and under this condition, the vehicle is reversed to thereby park the vehicle suitably in the parking space in the in-line manner.

5. The steering assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide display further includes a pair of vehicle width guide lines fixedly displayed at a predetermined position of the image field of said monitor for showing a predicted position of both side portions of the vehicle when the vehicle is reversed straight.

6. The steering assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide display includes a steering start guide line for parking on the left side for performing the parking on the left rear side and a steering start guide line for parking on the right side for performing the parking on the right rear side.

7. The steering assist apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the guide display includes a left side parking eye mark for performing the parking on the left rear side and a right side parking eye mark for performing the parking on the right rear side.

8. The steering assist apparatus according to claim 7, wherein in response to the steering operation of the steering wheel, when the left rear parking is to be performed, color of the left side parking eye mark and that of the steering amount guide mark are the same and when the right rear parking is to be performed, the color of the right side parking eye mark and that of the steering amount guide mark are the same.

9. A parking assist apparatus for assisting a parking operation when a vehicle is reversed to be parked, comprising:

a yaw angle detecting means for detecting a yaw angle of the vehicle;

a reference setting means for setting a reference angle of the yaw angle when the vehicle is at a reference position for starting to park;

a controller for identifying a position of the vehicle on the basis of the yaw angle set by said reference setting means and the yaw angle detected by said yaw angle detecting means; and

a guide means for providing steering information to the driver on the basis of the position of the vehicle identified by said controller.

10. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a locus through the reference of the vehicle to a parking position comprises a plurality of arcs which circumscribe each other and have a constant radius respectively.

11. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the yaw angle detecting means includes a yaw rate sensor for detecting an angular velocity in a yaw direction of the vehicle.

12. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the yaw angle detecting means includes a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel and a yaw rate sensor for detecting an angular velocity in a yaw direction of the vehicle.

13. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the yaw angle detecting means includes a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel and a distance sensor for detecting a movement distance of the vehicle.

14. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the steering information includes guide information for at least one of turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction and maximizing the steering angle when the yaw angle becomes a predetermined angle.

15. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the steering information includes guide information for at least one of turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction and turning the steering wheel in the direction of the vehicle advancing straight.

16. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the steering information includes guide information for stopping the vehicle in a target parking position when the yaw angle becomes a predetermined angle.

17. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the steering information is provided to the driver in the form of a sound.

18. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the steering information is provided to the driver in the form of visual information.

19. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the steering information includes guide information for being able to steer to an appropriate steering angle on the basis of the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor.

20. A parking assist apparatus for reverse parking, by conducting an advancing operation with a state of keeping a predetermined constant steering angle, then conducting a reverse operation with the state of turning the steering wheel in an opposite direction and keeping a predetermined constant steering angle, comprising:

a yaw angle detecting means for detecting a yaw angle of the vehicle;

a reference setting means for setting a reference angle of the yaw angle when a vehicle is at a reference position for starting to park;

a controller for identifying a position of the vehicle on the basis of the yaw angle set by said reference setting means and the yaw angle detected by said yaw angle detecting means; and

a guide means for providing steering information to the driver on the basis of the position of the vehicle identified by said controller.

21. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said controller memorizes a setting value of the yaw angle of the vehicle corresponding to the reference position and identifies the position of the vehicle comparing the yaw angle detected by said yaw angle detecting means with the setting value of the yaw angle of the vehicle.

22. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising an adjusting means for modifying the setting value of the yaw angle.

23. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the setting value of the yaw angle which said controller memorizes is a value of a yaw angle corresponding to the vehicle reverse starting position for reverse parking.

24. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the setting value of the yaw angle which said controller memorizes is a value of a yaw angle corresponding to a position for a vehicle to turn a steering wheel for parking in line.

25. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the setting value of the yaw angle which said controller memorizes is a value of a yaw angle corresponding to a position for a vehicle to finish reversing for parking in line.

26. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said reference setting means sets vehicle position, wherein a position of the driver and a predetermined position with respect to a parking space are identified in the back and forth direction of a vehicle when the vehicle is parked in line, at the reference position.

27. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the setting value of the yaw angle which said controller memorizes is a value of a yaw angle corresponding to a position for a vehicle to turn a steering wheel in the direction of the vehicle advancing straight for parking in parallel.

28. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said reference setting means sets a vehicle position, wherein a position of the driver and a predetermined position with respect to a parking space are identified in the back and forth direction of a vehicle when the vehicle is parked in parallel, at the reference position.

29. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a measuring means for measuring the vehicle reverse starting position in relation to a target parking position.

30. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said measuring means measures the distance between the vehicle and an obstacle at the side of the vehicle.

31. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a camera for picking up the rear side of the vehicle; and

a monitor disposed in the driver'"'"'s compartment of the vehicle for displaying the image picked up by said camera,

the steering information including a vehicle mark simulating the vehicle which substantially overlaps with a line for indicating the parking space on the monitor so as to inform the driver of the timing of at least one of turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction and maximizing the steering angle.