Driver emulative vehicle control system

Claim 1

A driver emulative vehicle control system for use with a vehicle, the vehicle to be driven in a lane defined by a first lane stripe and a second lane stripe and of the type having a steering shaft, a throttle control, a brake, and a turn signal, said vehicle control system comprising: a) a video camera which transduces light variations in a prescribed field in front of the vehicle into frames of electrical variations, each of said frames comprising a plurality of scan lines, said scan lines each comprising a plurality of pixels; b) a digitizer electrically connected with said video camera and operative to digitize said frames of electrical variations; c) a computer electrically connected with said digitizer, said computer operative to receive said digitized frames and having processing means, said processing means including: i) addressing means operative to create an image in a mapping memory such that each pixel of each frame is addressed by a scan line number and a pixel number; ii) steering control processing means operative to read said mapping memory, to determine for each frame the location of the first lane stripe with respect to the vehicle, and to generate steering control signals corresponding to the determined locations of the first lane stripe; and iii) speed control processing means operative to read said mapping memory, to determine for each frame the presence and location with respect to the vehicle of a leading vehicle in the lane, and to generate speed control signals corresponding to the determined locations of the leading vehicle; d) steering control means operative to receive said steering control signals and to control the steering shaft of the vehicle in accordance with said steering control signal; and e) speed control means operative to receive said speed control signals and to control at least one of the throttle control and the brake of the vehicle.

Claim 14

A method for automatically controlling the steering of a vehicle in a lane, said method comprising: a) inputting a video image comprising a plurality of scan lines, each of the scan lines comprising a plurality of pixels; b) digitizing the video image; c) counting and addressing each of the scan lines and pixels of the video image into a mapping memory; d) determining whether a first reference scan line is intersecting a solid lane stripe; e) if the first reference scan line is not intersecting a lane stripe, determining the scan line representing the portion of the video image closest to the vehicle which does intersect a solid lane stripe and identifying a first sensing pixel; f) if the reference scan line is intersecting a solid lane stripe, identifying the first sensing pixel on the reference scan line; g) determining the number of pixels between the first sensing pixel and a center pixel; h) calculating a deviation from the center of the lane as a function of the number of pixels between the first sensing pixel and the center pixel; and i) generating a deviation signal corresponding to the calculated deviation.

Claim 15

A method for automatically controlling the steering of a vehicle in a lane, said method comprising: a) inputting a video image comprising a plurality of scan lines, each of the scan lines comprising a plurality of pixels; b) digitizing the video image; c) counting and addressing each of the scan lines and pixels of the video image into a mapping memory; d) determining whether a first reference scan line is intersecting a solid lane stripe; e) if the first reference scan line is not intersecting a lane stripe, determining the scan line representing the portion of the video image closest to the vehicle which does intersect a solid lane stripe and identifying a first sensing pixel; f) if the reference scan line is intersecting a solid lane stripe, identifying the first sensing pixel on the reference scan line; g) determining the number of pixels between the first sensing pixel and a center pixel; h) calculating a deviation from the center of the lane as a function of the number of pixels between the first sensing pixel and the center pixel; and i) generating a deviation signal corresponding to the calculated deviation.

Claim 16

A method for automatically controlling the acceleration, deceleration, and braking of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: a) inputting a video image comprising a plurality of scan lines; b) digitizing the video image; c) addressing the scan lines of the video image into a mapping memory; d) determining whether a leading vehicle is present in the video image; e) identifying a nearest scan line which intersects the leading vehicle; f) determining the actual following distance between the vehicle and the leading vehicle corresponding to the number of the nearest scan line which detects the leading vehicle by reference to a look-up file; g) if the actual following distance exceeds a prescribed maximum following distance, setting the actual following distance equal to the prescribed maximum following distance; h) calculating an instantaneous closing rate as equal to the difference between a previous following distance and a current following distance divided by the time between respective video images; i) determining an appropriate action as a function of the calculated closing rate; and j) generating a control signal corresponding to the determined appropriate action to at least one of a vehicle cruise control module and a brake actuator.

Claim 17

A method for automatically controlling the acceleration, deceleration, and braking of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: a) inputting a video image comprising a plurality of scan lines; b) digitizing the video image; c) addressing the scan lines of the video image into a mapping memory; d) determining whether a leading vehicle is present in the video image; e) identifying a nearest scan line which intersects the leading vehicle; f) determining the actual following distance between the vehicle and the leading vehicle corresponding to the number of the nearest scan line which detects the leading vehicle by reference to a look-up file; g) if the actual following distance exceeds a prescribed maximum following distance, setting the actual following distance equal to the prescribed maximum following distance; h) calculating an instantaneous closing rate as equal to the difference between a previous following distance and a current following distance divided by the time between respective video images; i) determining an appropriate action as a function of the calculated closing rate; and j) generating a control signal corresponding to the determined appropriate action to at least one of a vehicle cruise control module and a brake actuator.