Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – Of collision or contact with external object
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-18
2001-04-10
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Of collision or contact with external object
C340S903000, C701S301000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215392
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sensing device detecting a movement of a vehicle by lane markers. More particularly, it relates to a sensing device detecting the vehicle's movement based on information from the lane markers, which are embedded in roads as main indicators of the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) including an automatic steering device, a veer-off-the-lane alarming device and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the automatic steering device and veer-off-the-lane alarming device of the ITS, a deviated amount from the lane is frequently required for detecting a vehicle running on the lane because the deviated amount tells the driver whether the vehicle keeps running on the lane or drifts outside the lane. The lane markers are embedded in respective lanes of roads with given intervals as indicators from which veer-off from the lane and a skid amount from the lane can be found. The relative relation between the lane marker and vehicle is detected, thereby telling the movement of the vehicle.
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional sensing device for detecting an attitude of a vehicle utilizing lane markers. Lane markers
52
are set on each lane in a road with given intervals. Vehicle
51
has two lane-marker detectors
53
and
54
on its front for detecting lane markers
52
, i.e. detector
53
on the front left of the vehicle for detecting lane markers on the left-hand side, and detector
54
on the front right of the vehicle for detecting lane markers on the right-hand side. When detecting lane marker
52
, detector
53
outputs FL, and when detecting lane marker
52
, detector
54
outputs FR. If vehicle
51
deviates to the right with regard to the lane, FL becomes greater than FR. If vehicle
51
deviates to the left with regard to the lane FR becomes greater than FL.
Skid-detector
55
finds skid amount TE from the following equation.
TE=K
1
×(
FL−FR
)
where K
1
is a proportionality constant.
When TE takes a positive value, the vehicle shifts to the right, and when TE takes a negative value, the vehicle shifts to the left. An absolute value of TE is proportional to the skid amount.
The construction discussed above allows the conventional sensing device to detect lane markers
52
set on the road by lane-marker detectors
53
,
54
disposed on both sides on the front of the vehicle, thereby finding the skid amount including a skid-direction of right or left.
This construction of the conventional sensing device; however, only measures a skid amount, and other apparatus including cameras and speed sensors are essentially required for monitoring the movement including an attitude and speed of the vehicle.
In addition to this problem, detectors
53
,
54
disposed only on the front of the vehicle results in detecting a different amount from an actual skid amount when the vehicle takes an attitude different from the road travelling direction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the problems discussed above and aims to provide a sensing device for detecting a vehicle's movement including skid, an attitude, a running speed and the like. This sensing device can find skid, an attitude and a running speed of the vehicle with a simple construction—no camera or a speed sensor is required—by using the lane markers.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4970653 (1990-11-01), Kenue
patent: 5165497 (1992-11-01), Chi
patent: 5245422 (1993-09-01), Borcherts et al.
patent: 5686925 (1997-11-01), Maeda et al.
patent: 5835028 (1998-11-01), Bender et al.
patent: 5940010 (1999-08-01), Sasaki et al.
patent: 6114951 (2000-09-01), Kinoshita et al.
patent: 6122597 (2000-09-01), Saneyoshi et al.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Ratner & Prestia
Wu Daniel J.
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