Patent US6516262B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6516262B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Running control device for a vehicle
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 2001-02-23
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Granted: 2003-02-04
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Expires: 2021-02-23
Abstract
Abstract A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle controls the speed of the vehicle by estimating conditions for not only when the vehicle passes through an intersection but also when a preceding vehicle passes through the intersection, in order to permit travel on an ordinary road with a given following distance. The cruise control system includes a traffic signal characteristics obtaining device for obtaining characteristics of an upcoming traffic signal, a road information obtaining device for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection, an intersection arrival time calculating device for calculating arrival timing of the vehicle and the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, the vehicle speed and the preceding vehicle traveling conditions, a traffic signal condition estimating device for estimating the condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and the intersection arrival timing, and a control content modifying device for modifying the content of the cruise control of the vehicle depending upon the estimated traffic signal condition.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroshi Takenaga
- 👤 Satoru Kuragaki
- 👤 Hiroto Morizane
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 20:23
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08G; G08G1/00; G08G1/09; G08G1/0962; G08G1/0967; G08G1/096708; G08G1/096725; B; B60; B60K; B60K31/00; B60K31/0008; B60K31/0058; B60W; B60W30/00; B60W30/14; B60W30/16; B60W30/18; B60W30/18009; B60W30/18159; G08G1/096733; G08G1/096758; G08G1/096766; G08G1/096783; G08G1/096791; B60W50/00; B60W50/08; B60W50/14; B60W2050/143; B60W2520/00; B60W2520/10; B60W2554/00; B60W2554/80; B60W2554/801; B60W2554/802; B60W2554/804; B60W2556/00; B60W2556/45; B60W2556/50; B60W2754/00; B60W2754/10; B60W2754/30; G08G1/16; G08G1/161; G08G1/163
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, for controlling cruising of own vehicle with maintaining a distance to a preceding vehicle constant, comprising: traffic signal characteristics obtaining means for obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead; road information obtaining means for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection; intersection arrival time calculating means for calculating arrival timing of the own vehicle and/or the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, an own vehicle speed and/or a preceding vehicle traveling condition; traffic signal condition estimating means for estimating said condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and said intersection arrival timing; and control content modifying means for modifying a content of cruise control of the own vehicle depending upon said estimated traffic signal condition.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
136 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, for controlling cruising of own vehicle with maintaining a distance to a preceding vehicle constant, comprising: traffic signal characteristics obtaining means for obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead; road information obtaining means for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection; intersection arrival time calculating means for calculating arrival timing of the own vehicle and/or the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, an own vehicle speed and/or a preceding vehicle traveling condition; traffic signal condition estimating means for estimating said condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and said intersection arrival timing; and control content modifying means for modifying a content of cruise control of the own vehicle depending upon said estimated traffic signal condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein communication means is provided in said traffic signal characteristics obtaining means for obtaining said traffic signal condition or traveling condition of said preceding vehicle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising right and left turn control signal generating means for generating operation pattern of the own vehicle from a state of turn signal or a route information to a destination generated by said road information obtaining means to input to said control content modifying means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said traffic signal characteristics obtaining means includes traffic signal characteristics measuring means for measuring characteristics of the traffic signal and traffic signal characteristics learning means for learning a traffic signal characteristics measured by the traffic signal characteristics measuring means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said traffic signal characteristics learning means learns intersection information from said road information obtaining means with correspondence to the intersection information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
227 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, for controlling cruising of own vehicle with maintaining a distance to a preceding vehicle constant, comprising: traffic signal characteristics obtaining means including image pick-up means having zooming means, image processing means obtaining traffic signal characteristics by processing an image of said image pick-up means and communication means, for serving as measuring means for obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead; road information obtaining means for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection ahead; intersection arrival time calculating means for calculating arrival timing of the own vehicle and/or the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, an own vehicle speed and/or a preceding vehicle traveling condition; traffic signal condition estimating means for estimating said condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and said intersection arrival timing; right and left turn control signal generating means for generating operation pattern of the own vehicle from a state of turn signal or a route information to a destination generated by said road information obtaining means to input to said control content modifying means; control content modifying means for modifying a content of cruise control of the own vehicle depending upon said estimated traffic signal condition; and alarm means for generating a corresponding alarm before modifying the content of the cruise control.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
227 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, for controlling cruising of own vehicle with maintaining a distance to a preceding vehicle constant, comprising: traffic signal characteristics obtaining means including image pick-up means having zooming means, image processing means obtaining traffic signal characteristics by processing an image of said image pick-up means and communication means, for serving as measuring means for obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead; road information obtaining means for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection ahead; intersection arrival time calculating means for calculating arrival timing of the own vehicle and/or the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, an own vehicle speed and/or a preceding vehicle traveling condition; traffic signal condition estimating means for estimating said condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and said intersection arrival timing; right and left turn control signal generating means for generating operation pattern of the own vehicle from a state of turn signal or a route information to a destination generated by said road information obtaining means to input to said control content modifying means; control content modifying means for modifying a content of cruise control of the own vehicle depending upon said estimated traffic signal condition; and alarm means for generating a corresponding alarm before modifying the content of the cruise control.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 2 , wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 3 , wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 4 , wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 5 , wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 6 , wherein an alarm is generated before modifying the content of the cruise control.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
151 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, for controlling cruising of a vehicle while maintaining a distance to a preceding vehicle constant, comprising: traffic signal characteristics obtaining means for obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead representing switching timing between a green lamp and a red lamp of the traffic signal; road information obtaining means for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection; intersection arrival time calculating means for calculating arrival timing of the vehicle and/or the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, a speed of the vehicle and/or a preceding vehicle traveling condition; traffic signal condition estimating means for estimating said condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and said intersection arrival timing; and control content modifying means for modifying a content of the cruise control of the vehicle depending upon said estimated traffic signal condition.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
151 words
A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, for controlling cruising of a vehicle while maintaining a distance to a preceding vehicle constant, comprising: traffic signal characteristics obtaining means for obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead representing switching timing between a green lamp and a red lamp of the traffic signal; road information obtaining means for obtaining intersection information including a distance to an intersection; intersection arrival time calculating means for calculating arrival timing of the vehicle and/or the preceding vehicle on the basis of a distance to the intersection, a speed of the vehicle and/or a preceding vehicle traveling condition; traffic signal condition estimating means for estimating said condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and said intersection arrival timing; and control content modifying means for modifying a content of the cruise control of the vehicle depending upon said estimated traffic signal condition.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for operating a cruise control system of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising the acts of: obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead of the vehicle, said characteristics representing switching times between a green lamp and a red lamp of the traffic signal; obtaining intersection information on a road network, including a distance to an upcoming intersection; calculating arrival timing of the vehicle and/or a preceding vehicle to the upcoming intersection based on a distance to the intersection, a speed of the vehicle and/or a traveling condition of the preceding vehicle; estimating a condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and the intersection arrival timing; and modifying operation of the cruise control system of the vehicle depending upon the estimated condition of the traffic signal.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for operating a cruise control system of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising the acts of: obtaining characteristics of a traffic signal ahead of the vehicle, said characteristics representing switching times between a green lamp and a red lamp of the traffic signal; obtaining intersection information on a road network, including a distance to an upcoming intersection; calculating arrival timing of the vehicle and/or a preceding vehicle to the upcoming intersection based on a distance to the intersection, a speed of the vehicle and/or a traveling condition of the preceding vehicle; estimating a condition of the traffic signal on the basis of the traffic signal characteristics and the intersection arrival timing; and modifying operation of the cruise control system of the vehicle depending upon the estimated condition of the traffic signal.
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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) | 2006-02-03 | 2006-08-05 | 2007-02-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-02-03 | 2010-08-05 | 2011-02-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-02-03 | 2014-08-05 | 2015-02-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |