US6138062A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic travel controlling device
Assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
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Filing: 1997-07-02
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Granted: 2000-10-24
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Expires: 2017-07-02
Abstract
Abstract An automatic travel controlling device capable of reliably guiding a vehicle along a lane even if the white lane lines cannot be detected. A laser radar device for detecting the distance to a side wall of the lane is provided to the left and right in addition to a CCD camera for detecting the white lane lines. An image from the CCD camera is supplied to a image processor ECU, and an extracted white line is supplied to a vehicle controlling ECU. A vehicle controlling ECU drives a steering actuator to perform steering control based on two white lines of the lane when detected. However, when the white lines cannot be detected, steering control based on the distances to the side walls is performed. If an obstacle is detected ahead by the laser radar device, the vehicle position is detected based on the distances to the side walls and a lane change is performed to evade the obstacle.
Inventors
- 👤 Masayuki Usami
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 16:21
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/02; G05D1/021; G05D1/0231; G05D1/0246; B; B62; B62D; B62D15/00; B62D15/02; B62D15/025; B62D15/026; B62D15/0265; G05D1/0238; G05D1/0257; B60; B60T; B60T2201/00; B60T2201/08; B60T2201/087; G05D1/0253
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
163 words
An automatic travel controlling device comprising: first detecting means for detecting a vehicle position by detecting a lane line; second detecting means for detecting the vehicle position by detecting the distance to a side wall of a road; evaluating means for evaluating a detection accuracy of said first detecting means; and controlling means for executing, based on the detection accuracy of said first detecting means, steering control based on the vehicle position that was detected by one of said first detecting means and second detecting means, wherein said evaluating means estimates a future detection accuracy based on a future travel path of the vehicle, said future travel path is a travel path accompanying a lane change by the vehicle, said evaluating means estimates said future detection accuracy lower than a predetermined value, and said controlling means executes, when said future detection accuracy is lower than the predetermined value, steering control based on the vehicle position that was detected by said second detecting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
163 words
An automatic travel controlling device comprising: first detecting means for detecting a vehicle position by detecting a lane line; second detecting means for detecting the vehicle position by detecting the distance to a side wall of a road; evaluating means for evaluating a detection accuracy of said first detecting means; and controlling means for executing, based on the detection accuracy of said first detecting means, steering control based on the vehicle position that was detected by one of said first detecting means and second detecting means, wherein said evaluating means estimates a future detection accuracy based on a future travel path of the vehicle, said future travel path is a travel path accompanying a lane change by the vehicle, said evaluating means estimates said future detection accuracy lower than a predetermined value, and said controlling means executes, when said future detection accuracy is lower than the predetermined value, steering control based on the vehicle position that was detected by said second detecting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said controlling means executes, when the detection accuracy of said first detecting means is lower than a predetermined value, steering control based on the vehicle position that was detected by said second detecting means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said first detecting means includes a photographing means for photographing the road ahead of the vehicle, and said evaluating means evaluates said detection accuracy based on a lane line image within a road image that was output from said photographing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said controlling means executes steering control based on the vehicle position that was detected by said first detecting means when the detection accuracy by said evaluating means subsequent to the start of a lane change has returned to the detection accuracy prior to the lane change.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-10-24 | 2004-04-24 | 2004-10-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-10-24 | 2008-04-24 | 2008-10-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-10-24 | 2012-04-24 | 2012-10-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |