Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-20
2002-10-15
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
C701S301000, C701S093000, C701S096000, C180S169000, C180S197000, C342S454000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06466863
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an on-vehicle apparatus for estimating a course or a path along which the present vehicle will travel. In addition, this invention relates to an on-vehicle apparatus for recognizing a preceding vehicle with respect to the present vehicle. Furthermore, this invention relates to a recording medium storing a computer program for estimating a course or a path along which a vehicle will travel.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,870 corresponding to Japanese patent application publication number 8-132997 discloses a vehicle traveling-path prediction apparatus that detects a stationary object in front of the vehicle by utilizing an obstacle detection device. The apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,870 predicts a path, along which the vehicle will travel, based on the detected stationary object. The apparatus includes a control unit. The control unit has an obstacle detection device, a stationary object detection device, a first traveling-path prediction device, a second traveling-path prediction device, and a selection device. The obstacle detection device receives a detection signal from a radar head, and detects an obstacle in front of the vehicle. The stationary object detection device receives an output signal from the obstacle detection device, and determines whether or not the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection device is a stationary object. Thus, the stationary object detection device acts to detect a stationary object in response to the output signal from the obstacle detection device. The first traveling-path prediction device receives an output signal from the stationary object detection device. If the stationary object detection device detects a stationary object in front of the vehicle, the first traveling-path prediction device calculates a radius of curvature R
1
of a first traveling path based on data indicative of running conditions of the vehicle. The second traveling-path prediction device calculates a radius of curvature R
2
of a second traveling path based on a vehicle velocity and a vehicle steering angle. If there is a stationary object in front of the vehicle, the selection device selects the first traveling path (R
1
) calculated by the first traveling-path prediction device. If there is no stationary object in front of the vehicle, the selection device selects the second traveling path (R
2
) calculated by the second traveling-path prediction device.
In the apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,870, the first traveling path (R
1
) is determined on the basis of the detection of a stationary object. Therefore, the determination of the first traveling path (R
1
) tends to be poor in response performance. On the other hand, the second traveling path (R
2
) is determined on the basis of the vehicle velocity and the vehicle steering angle. The determination of the second traveling path (R
2
) is good in response performance. However, the second traveling path (R
2
) tends to have a steady error. Accordingly, in the case where the first traveling path (R
1
) is selected, there occurs a problem in response performance. In the case where the second traveling path (R
2
) is selected, there occurs a problem in accuracy.
Japanese patent application publication number 11-125532 discloses a vehicle traveling-path estimation apparatus including a control unit. The control unit has a first traveling-path estimation device and a second traveling-path estimation device. The first traveling-path estimation device estimates a first traveling path as a first curvature radius in response to the output signals from a yaw rate sensor and a vehicle speed sensor. The second traveling-path estimation device estimates a second traveling path as a circle in response to the output signal from a radar unit. The circle passes through the center of the present vehicle and the center of a preceding vehicle detected via the radar unit. The center of the circle is on a line perpendicular to the direction of travel of the present vehicle. The control unit has a difference calculator which computes the difference between the radius of the first traveling path and the radius of the second traveling path. The control unit has a filter which smooths the computed radius difference. The control unit has a correction device which corrects the first traveling path into a finally estimated traveling path in response to the smoothed radius difference.
Japanese patent application publication number 2000-2535 discloses a method of detecting a curvature of a curved road which is implemented by an apparatus mounted on a vehicle. According to the method in Japanese application 2000-2535, preceding vehicles with respect to the present vehicle are detected. Speed vectors of the preceding vehicles are calculated. Curvatures of a curved road are computed on the basis of the speed vectors of the preceding vehicles. A mean value among the computed curvatures is calculated as a finally-determined curvature of a curved road ahead of the present vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,565 corresponding to Japanese patent application publication number 8-279099 discloses an inter-vehicle distance control system which includes a laser scanning type distance sensor for emitting a scanning laser beam in a width-wise direction of the present vehicle to determine relative positions and relative angles of objects within a forward detectable zone. In the system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,565, the relative positions and the relative angles of the objects are used in calculating same lane probabilities that the objects exist in the same lane of a road as that used by the present vehicle. A target preceding vehicle with respect to the present vehicle is selected from among the objects based on the same lane probabilities. The speed of the present vehicle is controlled to keep constant the distance to the target preceding vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,308 corresponding to Japanese patent application publication number 11-38142 discloses an obstacle recognition system for an automotive vehicle which is designed to distinguish preceding vehicles from other objects. The system in U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,308 includes a radar unit and a preceding vehicle determining circuit. The radar unit receives a signal produced by reflection of at least one of transmitted radar signals from an obstacle present in a given obstacle detectable zone, and determines a distance to the obstacle and a horizontal and a vertical angle of the obstacle from a preselected reference direction. The preceding vehicle determining circuit includes a two-dimensional shape data producing circuit that produces two-dimensional shape data of the obstacle on a two-dimensional plane in a width-wise and a vertical direction of the present vehicle based on the distance and the horizontal and vertical angles. The preceding vehicle determining circuit also includes a non-vehicle determining circuit that determines the obstacle as an object other than the vehicle when the two-dimensional shape data of the obstacle lies out of an ordinary vehicle shape range.
In the system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,308, the non-vehicle determination is responsive to a variation in the height of the obstacle which occurs for a prescribed time interval. The design enables the non-vehicle determination to be accurate even in the case where the present vehicle is traveling along a road having a varying slope.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of this invention to provide an improved on-vehicle apparatus for estimating a course or a path along which the present vehicle will travel.
It is a second object of this invention to provide an improved on-vehicle apparatus for recognizing a preceding vehicle with respect to the present vehicle.
It is a third object of this invention to provide a recording medium storing an improved computer program for estimating a course or a path along which a vehicle will travel.
A first aspect of this invention provides a course estimation apparatus for a vehicle. The apparatus c
Morikawa Katsuhiro
Shirai Noriaki
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Marc-Coleman Marthe
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