Traffic environment recognition method and system for carrying out the same

• US 7,224,290 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2002
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Shoji, Otsuka, Yuji, Takenaga, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/224,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 340/907, 340/901, 340/903, 340/904, 340/933, 340/937, 340/939, 340/988, 340/539.1, 701/301, 701/117
• US Class Current: 340/907
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/805 Azimuth angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A traffic environment recognition system includes an image-processing unit, an information-merging unit, a radar unit, and a network connected to the image-processing unit, the radar unit, the information-merging unit and a vehicle control unit capable of controlling the traveling operation of a host vehicle. The image-processing unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth, relative speed and width of the preceding vehicle, and the position of the host vehicle in a lane. The radar unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth and relative speed of the preceding vehicle. The information-merging unit receives recognition results provided by the image-processing unit and the radar unit through the network, merges the recognition results, identifies recognition objects relating to the recognition results. When a vehicle relating to the recognition results provided by the image-processing unit and a vehicle relating to the recognition results provided by the radar unit are one and the same vehicle, the information-merging unit produces output information by adding a sensor information indicating that the vehicles are one and the same vehicle to the recognition results, and sends the output information through the network to the vehicle control unit.

Claims

1. A traffic environment recognition method comprising the steps of:

recognizing information about a plurality of recognition objects representing an environment of a host vehicle to obtain recognition results;

examining the recognition results;

merging the recognition results on the basis of results of examination of the recognition results to obtain merged information; and

producing output information by adding identification information to the merged information that at least one of the plurality of recognition objects is or is not the same as the merged information.

2. The traffic environment recognition method comprising the steps of:

recognizing information about a plurality of recognition objects representing an environment of a host vehicle to obtain recognition results;

examining the recognition results;

merging the recognition results on the basis of results of examination of the recognition results to obtain merged information; and

producing output information by adding identification information to the merged information that the plurality of recognition objects is or is not the same as the merged information.

3. A traffic environment recognition system comprising:

a plurality of traffic environment recognizing means for recognizing an environment of a host vehicle; and

an information merging means for merging recognition results provided by the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means to provide merged information,

wherein the information merging means is configured to produce output information by adding identification information to the merged information that a recognition object is or is not the same as that represented by the merged information resulting form merger of the recognition results from at least two of the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means.

4. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means use different mediums, respectively, for the recognition of the environment of the host vehicle.

5. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means use similar mediums, respectively, for the recognition of the environment of the vehicle.

6. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means provides recognition results respectively provided with message identification numbers proper to the traffic environment recognizing means, and the information merging means discriminates the recognition results and the message identification numbers provided by the traffic environment recognizing means and produces the output information by adding a message identification number corresponding to the result of discrimination to the merged recognition results obtained by merging the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means.

7. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means provides the recognition results with time information common to the traffic environment recognizing means, and the information merging means identifies the recognition objects on the basis of the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means and the time information, and produces the output information by adding the result of discrimination to the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means.

8. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 3, wherein the information merging means adds the result of identification of the recognition objects in connection with the traffic environment recognizing means to information produced by merging the recognition results provided by the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means.

9. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 3, wherein the information merging means has a function of demanding output of the recognition results from the traffic environment recognizing means.

10. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means include information merging means, respectively.

11. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means are connected through a network to the information merging means.

12. A vehicle comprising:

the traffic environment recognition system according to claim 3;

further comprising

a vehicle control unit capable of controlling traveling operation of the vehicle on the basis of the output information provided by the information merging means included in the traffic environment recognition system.

13. A traffic environment recognition system comprising:

a plurality of traffic environment recognizing means for recognizing an environment of a host vehicle; and

an information merging means for merging recognition results provided by the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means to provide merged information,

wherein the information merging means is configured to produce output information by adding identification information to the merged information that a plurality of recognition objects is or is not the same as the merged information resulting from merger of the recognition results provided by at least two of the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means.

14. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means use different mediums, respectively, for the recognition of the environment of the host vehicle.

15. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means use similar mediums, respectively, for the recognition of the environment of the vehicle.

16. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means provides recognition results respectively provided with message identification numbers proper to the traffic environment recognizing means, and the information merging means discriminates the recognition results and the message identification numbers provided by the traffic environment recognizing means and produces the output information by adding a message identification number corresponding to the result of discrimination to the merged recognition results obtained by merging the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means.

17. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means provides the recognition results with time information common to the traffic environment recognizing means, and the information merging means identifies the recognition objects on the basis of the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means and the time information, and produces the output information by adding the result of discrimination to the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means.

18. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 13, wherein the information merging means adds the result of identification of the recognition objects in connection with the traffic environment recognizing means to information produced by merging the recognition results provided by the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means.

19. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 13, wherein the information merging means has a function of demanding output of the recognition results from the traffic environment recognizing means.

20. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means include information merging means, respectively.

21. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means are connected through a network to the information merging means.

22. A vehicle comprising the traffic environment recognition system according to claim 13, further comprising vehicle control unit capable of controlling traveling operation of the vehicle on the basis of the output information provided by the information merging means included in the traffic environment recognition system.

23. A traffic environment recognition system comprising:

a plurality of traffic environment recognizing means for recognizing an environment of a host vehicle; and

an information merging means for merging recognition results provided by the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means to provide merged information,

wherein the information merging means is configured to produce output information by adding a decision result as to whether or not the merged recognition results resulting from at least two of the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means include those relating to one and the same recognition object as information identifying recognition objects to the merged recognition results.

24. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means use different mediums, respectively, for the recognition of the environment of the host vehicle.

25. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means use similar mediums, respectively, for the recognition of the environment of the vehicle.

26. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means provides recognition results respectively provided with message identification numbers proper to the traffic environment recognizing means, and the information merging means discriminates the recognition results and the message identification numbers provided by the traffic environment recognizing means and produces the output information by adding a message identification number corresponding to the result of discrimination to the merged recognition results obtained by merging the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means.

27. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means provides the recognition results with time information common to the traffic environment recognizing means, and the information merging means identifies the recognition objects on the basis of the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means and the time information, and produces the output information by adding the result of discrimination to the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means.

28. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 23, wherein the information merging means adds the result of identification of the recognition objects in connection with the traffic environment recognizing means to information produced by merging the recognition results provided by the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means.

29. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 23, wherein the information merging means has a function of demanding output of the recognition results from the traffic environment recognizing means.

30. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means include information merging means, respectively.

31. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means are connected through a network to the information merging means.

32. A vehicle comprising the traffic environment recognition system according to claim 23, further comprising a vehicle control unit capable of controlling traveling operation of the vehicle on the basis of the output information provided by the information merging means included in the traffic environment recognition system.

33. A traffic environment recognition system comprising:

a plurality of traffic environment recognizing means for recognizing an environment of a host vehicle; and

an information merging means for merging recognition results provided by the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means to provide merged information,

wherein the information merging means is configured to produce output information by adding a decision result as to whether or not the merged recognition results resulting from at least two of the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means include those relating to a plurality of recognition objects as information identifying the recognition objects to the merged recognition results.

34. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 33, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means use different mediums, respectively, for the recognition of the environment of the host vehicle.

35. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 33, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means use similar mediums, respectively, for the recognition of the environment of the vehicle.

36. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 33, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means provides recognition results respectively provided with message identification numbers proper to the traffic environment recognizing means, and the information merging means discriminates the recognition results and the message identification numbers provided by the traffic environment recognizing means and produces the output information by adding a message identification number corresponding to the result of discrimination to the merged recognition results obtained by merging the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means.

37. The traffic environment recognizing system according to claim 33, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means provides the recognition results with time information common to the traffic environment recognizing means, and the information merging means identifies the recognition objects on the basis of the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means and the time information, and produces the output information by adding the result of discrimination to the recognition results provided by the traffic environment recognizing means.

38. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 33, wherein the information merging means adds the result of identification of the recognition objects in connection with the traffic environment recognizing means to information produced by merging the recognition results provided by the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means.

39. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 33, wherein the information merging means has a function of demanding output of the recognition results from the traffic environment recognizing means.

40. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 33, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means include information merging means, respectively.

41. The traffic environment recognition system according to claim 33, wherein the plurality of traffic environment recognizing means are connected through a network to the information merging means.

42. A vehicle comprising the traffic environment recognition system according to claim 33, further comprising a vehicle control unit capable of controlling traveling operation of the vehicle on the basis of the output information provided by the information merging means included in the traffic environment recognition system.