Vehicle recognition support system

• US 6,856,896 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• 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: Satomura, Masashi, Kushida, Kazumitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/279,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/208, 701/215, 701/211, 701/300, 340/995.12, 340/995.25, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.03, 342/357.13, 342/357.08
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A vehicle recognition system to enable a two-wheeled vehicle without a navigation system to recognize the position of a traffic intersection and to cause itself to be noticed by other vehicles. The system includes a communication distance measurement modem which receives positional information of a traffic intersection and the current position of a four wheeled vehicle from the four-wheeled vehicle. The vehicle information interface (I/F) collects vehicle velocities, acceleration and deceleration, and mileages and provides them to an electronic control unit (ECU). A differential global positioning system (DGPS) measures the current position based on an electric wave received by a GPS antenna and correction information received by a FM antenna. The ECU determines the presence of another vehicle that the two-wheeled vehicle may intersect, and outputs visual and audio signals to the helmet worn by the driver of the two-wheel vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle recognition support system in which each of a plurality of vehicles recognizes a current position of itself, and exchanges said current position by wireless communication with others of the plurality of vehicles,

wherein at least one of the plurality of vehicles is a main vehicle, the system comprising:

a navigation system on the main vehicle for providing map information including positional information of a traffic intersection; and

means on the main vehicle for transmitting said map information to a sub vehicle via said wireless communication, the sub vehicle lacking its own navigation system for providing said map information.

2. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 1, said main vehicle further comprising:

means for extracting said positional information of the traffic intersection existing in a prescribed region in a direction of travel from said map information; and

means for providing said positional information of the traffic intersection to the sub vehicle by said wireless communication.

3. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 1, wherein said main vehicle and said sub vehicle are each provided with position survey means including a differential global positioning system which receives said current position from a global positioning system antenna and corrects said current position with correction information received by an FM antenna, whereby said current position of the main vehicle and said current position of the sub vehicle are determined independently of each other.

4. A vehicle recognition support system according to claim 1, said sub vehicle comprising:

means for obtaining said positional information of the traffic intersection; and

means for displaying attention attracting symbols related to said current positions of said main vehicle and said sub vehicle along with said positional information of the traffic intersection.

5. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 4, wherein means for displaying attention attracting symbols related to said current positions of said main vehicle and said sub vehicle includes a visual display and a voice transmitter.

6. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication between said main vehicle and said sub vehicle employs a Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) system.

7. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 1, wherein the sub vehicle lacks a display screen for displaying said map information.

8. A vehicle recognition support system for a plurality of vehicles capable of wireless communication with each other wherein at least one of the plurality of vehicles is a main vehicle, said main vehicle comprising:

position survey means for determining a current position of said main vehicle;

map information including positional information of a traffic intersection;

means for extracting said positional information of the traffic intersection existing in a prescribed range in a direction of travel from said map information; and

means for issuing said current position of said main vehicle and said positional information of the traffic intersection to a sub vehicle via said wireless communication, said sub vehicle lacking its own position survey means for determining said current position.

9. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 8, said sub vehicle comprising:

means for obtaining said position of said main vehicle and said positional information of the traffic intersection by said wireless communication;

distance measurement means for measuring a relative distance to said main vehicle; and

means for determining a current position of the sub vehicle based on the travel distance of the sub vehicle and time-based variations in said relative distance with respect to the main vehicle.

10. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 8, wherein said position survey means on said main vehicle includes a differential global positioning system which enables said main vehicle to receive said current position of said main vehicle from a global positioning system antenna and to correct said current position with correction information received by an FM antenna, whereby a current position of said sub vehicle is determined by a control unit of said sub vehicle based on said current position of the main vehicle.

11. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 8,

wherein said main vehicle includes first display means for displaying said current position of said main vehicle and a current position said sub vehicle, said first display means including a visual display and a voice transmitter, and

wherein said sub vehicle includes second display means for displaying attention attracting symbols related to said current positions of said main vehicle and said sub vehicle along with said positional information of the traffic intersection.

12. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 8, wherein said wireless communication between said main vehicle and said sub vehicle employs a Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) system.

13. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 8, wherein the sub vehicle lacks its own differential global positioning system.

14. The vehicle recognition support system according to claim 8, wherein the sub vehicle lacks a display screen for displaying said map information.