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US6169940B1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Automatic driving system

Assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
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Filing: 1998-09-01
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Granted: 2001-01-02
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Expires: 2018-09-01
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Abstract

Abstract An automatic driving system which is provided for automatically driving vehicles to follow respective target running trajectories. A running instruction and a running course are set based on an obstacle detecting signal, a vehicle position signal, road data and automatic drive traffic information signals, and a vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal. A running course signal indicative of the running course and a running position setting position signal indicative of a running position of one vehicle at the time the running course is set are transmitted and received between the one vehicle and another vehicle, so that a target running trajectory suitable for each vehicle can be calculated on the basis of the received running course, thereby automatically navigating each vehicle such that the respective vehicles run following the resultant target running trajectories.

Inventors

  • 👤 Eishi Jitsukata
  • 👤 Sachio Kobayashi
  • 👤 Kazuya Tamura

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 20:18
CPC Classifications
B; B62; B62D; B62D1/00; B62D1/24; B62D1/28; B62D12/00; G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/02; G05D1/021; G05D1/0231; G05D1/0246; G05D1/0257; G05D1/0259; G05D1/0261; G05D1/0268; G05D1/0274; G05D1/0276; G05D1/0278; G05D1/028

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 246 words
An automatic driving system comprising: radar means for detecting an obstacle in front of one vehicle to generate an obstacle detecting signal; imaging means for imaging a road surface in front of said one vehicle to output a video signal; image processing means for generating a vehicle position signal indicative of a position of said one vehicle in a width direction of the road from an image represented by the video signal; a navigation unit for generating road data indicative of the coordinates of a road in front of a current position of said one vehicle; road-to-vehicle communications means for receiving automatic drive traffic information signal; vehicle-to-vehicle communications means for transmitting and receiving a vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal between said one vehicle and at least one different vehicle other than said one vehicle; running instructions generating means for generating a running instruction; running course setting means for setting a running course based on said obstacle detecting signal, said vehicle position signal, said road data, said automatic drive traffic information signal, said vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal, and said running instruction; and vehicle control means for controlling navigation of said one vehicle such that said one vehicle runs following a target running trajectory based on said set running course, wherein said vehicle-to-vehicle communications means transmits a running course signal indicative of said running course, and a running course setting position signal indicative of a running position of said one vehicle at the time said running course is set.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 246 words
An automatic driving system comprising: radar means for detecting an obstacle in front of one vehicle to generate an obstacle detecting signal; imaging means for imaging a road surface in front of said one vehicle to output a video signal; image processing means for generating a vehicle position signal indicative of a position of said one vehicle in a width direction of the road from an image represented by the video signal; a navigation unit for generating road data indicative of the coordinates of a road in front of a current position of said one vehicle; road-to-vehicle communications means for receiving automatic drive traffic information signal; vehicle-to-vehicle communications means for transmitting and receiving a vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal between said one vehicle and at least one different vehicle other than said one vehicle; running instructions generating means for generating a running instruction; running course setting means for setting a running course based on said obstacle detecting signal, said vehicle position signal, said road data, said automatic drive traffic information signal, said vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal, and said running instruction; and vehicle control means for controlling navigation of said one vehicle such that said one vehicle runs following a target running trajectory based on said set running course, wherein said vehicle-to-vehicle communications means transmits a running course signal indicative of said running course, and a running course setting position signal indicative of a running position of said one vehicle at the time said running course is set.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 45 words
An automatic driving system according to claim 1 , wherein said running course setting means newly sets said running course when a deceleration running signal indicating that the different vehicle is decelerating is received as said vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal by said vehicle-to-vehicle communications means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 51 words
An automatic driving system according to claim 1 , wherein said vehicle control means executes driving control based on the set running course when a running permission signal indicating permission of running based on the set running course is received as said vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal by said vehicle-to-vehicle communications means.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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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) 2004-01-02 2004-07-03 2005-01-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2008-01-02 2008-07-03 2009-01-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2012-01-02 2012-07-03 2013-01-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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