Patent US6961661B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6961661B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus and traveling control system incorporating the apparatus
Assignee: Subaru Corp
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Filing: 2003-09-16
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Granted: 2005-11-01
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Expires: 2023-09-16
Abstract
Abstract A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus inputs images taken by a stereoscopic camera, vehicle speeds, steering wheel rotation angles, yaw rates and ON-OFF signals of a turn signal switch. An own travailing path C is calculated from an own traveling path A obtained from lane markers and side walls and an own traveling path B obtained from yaw rates of the own vehicle. Further, a new own traveling path E is calculated from the own traveling path C and a trace of a preceding vehicle, in which case where there is no possibility of a lane change of the preceding vehicle and the turn signal switch is turned off and the absolute value of the steering wheel rotation angle is smaller than a specified value and a present own traveling path is calculated from the own travailing path E and a previous own traveling path. In other cases, the present own traveling path is calculating from the travailing path C and the previous own traveling path.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroyuki Sekiguchi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 18:08
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/02; G05D1/021; G05D1/0287; G05D1/0289; B; B60; B60K; B60K31/00; B60K31/0008; B60W; B60W30/00; B60W30/14; B60W30/16; G01; G01S; G01S11/00; G01S11/12; B60W2520/00; B60W2520/10; B60W2520/14; B60W2540/00; B60W2540/18; B60W2554/00; B60W2554/40; B60W2554/404; B60W2554/4041; B60W2554/80; B60W2554/802
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus, comprising: frontal information detecting means for detecting at least solid object information and traveling road information in front of an own vehicle; preceding vehicle trace calculating means for calculating a trace of a preceding vehicle from past data of said preceding vehicle; first own traveling path calculating means for calculating a first traveling path of said own vehicle based on said traveling road information; second own traveling path calculating means for calculating a second traveling path of said own vehicle based on said trace of said preceding vehicle; and final own traveling path calculating means for calculating a final traveling path of said own vehicle based on said first traveling path and said second traveling path.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
121 words
A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus, comprising: frontal information detecting means for detecting at least solid object information and traveling road information in front of an own vehicle; preceding vehicle trace calculating means for calculating a trace of a preceding vehicle from past data of said preceding vehicle; first own traveling path calculating means for calculating a first traveling path of said own vehicle based on said traveling road information; second own traveling path calculating means for calculating a second traveling path of said own vehicle based on said trace of said preceding vehicle; and final own traveling path calculating means for calculating a final traveling path of said own vehicle based on said first traveling path and said second traveling path.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said final own traveling path is calculated from a previous own traveling path and a present own traveling path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said final own traveling path is calculated based on respectively weighted own traveling paths.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when other own traveling paths are calculated using said second own traveling path, said second own traveling path is effectively used only in the vicinity of said preceding vehicle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A traveling control system for controlling a traveling of an own vehicle at least based on said final own traveling path calculated by said vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus recited in claim 1 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
149 words
A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus, comprising: frontal information detecting means for detecting at least solid object information and traveling road information in front of an own vehicle; preceding vehicle trace calculating means for calculating a trace of a preceding vehicle from past data of said preceding vehicle; first own traveling path calculating means for calculating a first traveling path of said own vehicle based on said traveling road information; second own traveling path calculating means for calculating a second traveling path of said own vehicle based on said trace of said preceding vehicle; third own traveling path calculating means for calculating a third traveling path of said own vehicle based on traveling conditions of said own vehicle; and final own traveling path calculating means for calculating a final traveling path of said own vehicle based on said first traveling path, said second traveling path and said third traveling path.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
149 words
A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus, comprising: frontal information detecting means for detecting at least solid object information and traveling road information in front of an own vehicle; preceding vehicle trace calculating means for calculating a trace of a preceding vehicle from past data of said preceding vehicle; first own traveling path calculating means for calculating a first traveling path of said own vehicle based on said traveling road information; second own traveling path calculating means for calculating a second traveling path of said own vehicle based on said trace of said preceding vehicle; third own traveling path calculating means for calculating a third traveling path of said own vehicle based on traveling conditions of said own vehicle; and final own traveling path calculating means for calculating a final traveling path of said own vehicle based on said first traveling path, said second traveling path and said third traveling path.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said traveling conditions include at least a yaw rate of said own vehicle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said final own traveling path is calculated from a previous own traveling path and a present own traveling path.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said final own traveling path is calculated based on respectively weighted own traveling paths.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
A traveling control system for controlling a traveling of an own vehicle at least based on said final own traveling path calculated by said vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus recited in claim 6 .
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
180 words
A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus, comprising: frontal information detecting means for detecting at least solid object information and traveling road information in front of an own vehicle; preceding vehicle trace calculating means for calculating a trace of a preceding vehicle from past data of said preceding vehicle; first own traveling path calculating means for calculating a first traveling path of said own vehicle based on said traveling road information; second own traveling path calculating means for calculating a second traveling path of said own vehicle based on said trace of said preceding vehicle; third own traveling path calculating means for calculating a third traveling path of said own vehicle based on traveling conditions of said own vehicle; fourth own traveling path calculating means for calculating a fourth traveling path of said own vehicle based on said first own traveling path and said third own traveling path; and final own traveling path calculating means for calculating a final traveling path of said own vehicle based on said fourth traveling path and said second traveling path when a preestablished condition is satisfied.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
180 words
A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus, comprising: frontal information detecting means for detecting at least solid object information and traveling road information in front of an own vehicle; preceding vehicle trace calculating means for calculating a trace of a preceding vehicle from past data of said preceding vehicle; first own traveling path calculating means for calculating a first traveling path of said own vehicle based on said traveling road information; second own traveling path calculating means for calculating a second traveling path of said own vehicle based on said trace of said preceding vehicle; third own traveling path calculating means for calculating a third traveling path of said own vehicle based on traveling conditions of said own vehicle; fourth own traveling path calculating means for calculating a fourth traveling path of said own vehicle based on said first own traveling path and said third own traveling path; and final own traveling path calculating means for calculating a final traveling path of said own vehicle based on said fourth traveling path and said second traveling path when a preestablished condition is satisfied.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said preestablished condition is that the preceding vehicle exists and there is no possibility of a lane change of said preceding vehicle and said own vehicle does not make a turn.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said traveling conditions include at least a yaw rate of said own vehicle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said final own traveling path is calculated from a previous own traveling path and a present own traveling path.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said final own traveling path is calculated based on respectively weighted own traveling paths.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
33 words
A traveling control system for controlling a traveling of an own vehicle at least based on said final own traveling path calculated by said vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus recited in claim 11 .
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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) | 2008-10-31 | 2009-05-02 | 2009-11-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-10-31 | 2013-05-02 | 2013-11-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-10-31 | 2017-05-02 | 2017-11-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |