Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Yasunori Yamamoto · Ayumu Doi · Tomohiko Adachi · Tohru Yoshioka ·
Assignee(s)	Mazda Motor Coporaton ·  View assignee updates
Primary Examiner	Jeffery A. Hofsass ·
Assistant Examiner	Julie B. Lieu ·
Application Number	US8683143
Filing date	07/18/1996
Issue date	11/24/1998
Predicted expiration date	07/18/2016
U.S. Classifications	340/901  · 340/903  ·
International Classifications	G08B 100  ·
Kind Code	A
International Classifications	340901;903;435;436 ·
Foreign Priority	JP7207609 - 07/20/1995 ·

Patent Family

Abstract

A traveling-path temporary-setting unit 21 sets a plurality of temporary traveling paths with different curvatures, and a calculation unit 22 calculates distances between the temporary traveling paths and preceding vehicles detected by a radar unit 1. In case of a properly-set temporary traveling path, the path and running loci of the preceding vehicles are on a concentric circle. In this case, the preceding vehicles are running along this temporary traveling path, and a time change amount of calculated distances is approximately "0". A traveling-path determination unit 23 determines, one temporary traveling path having the minimum time change amount in the distances, as a traveling path of the vehicle.

Independent Claims | See all claims (34)

1. 1. A traveling-path deduction apparatus which detects objects existing ahead of a vehicle and deduces a traveling path of the vehicle, comprising:(a) object detection means for detecting the positions of objects existing ahead of the vehicle;(b) traveling-path temporary-setting means for setting at least one temporary traveling path as a line having a predetermined curvature, extending from the vehicle as an original point, based on results of detection by said object detection means;(c) distance calculation means for calculating distances between the temporary traveling path set by said traveling-path temporary-setting means and the objects detected by said object detection means; and(d) traveling-path deduction means for deducing the traveling path of the vehicle, based on a time change amount in the distances calculated by said distance calculation means.
2. 10. A traveling-path deduction method for detecting objects existing ahead of the vehicle and deducing a traveling path of the vehicle, comprising:(a) an object detection step of detecting the positions of objects existing ahead of the vehicle;(b) a traveling-path temporary-setting step of setting at least one temporary traveling path as a line having a predetermined curvature, extending from the vehicle as an original point, based on results of detection at said object detection step;(c) a distance calculation step of calculating distances between the temporary traveling path set at said traveling path temporary-setting step and the objects detected at said object detection step; and(d) a traveling-path deduction step of deducing the traveling path of the vehicle, based on a time change amount in the distances calculated at said distance calculation step.
3. 20. A traveling-path deduction apparatus which detects objects existing ahead of a vehicle and deduces a traveling path of the vehicle, comprising:(a) object detection means for detecting the positions of objects existing ahead of the vehicle;(b) traveling-path temporary-setting means for setting a plurality of temporary traveling paths as respective lines having predetermined different curvatures, extending from the vehicle as an original point, based on results of detection by said object detection means;(c) distance calculation means for calculating distances between the respective plurality of temporary traveling paths set by said traveling-path temporary-setting means and the objects detected by said object detection means; and(d) traveling-path deduction means for deducing the traveling path of the vehicle, based on a time change amount in the distances calculated by said distance calculation means, and wherein said traveling-path deduction means deduces a temporary traveling path having the minimum time change amount in the distances calculated by said distance calculation means, as the traveling path of the vehicle.
4. 27. A traveling-path deduction method for detecting objects existing ahead of the vehicle and deducing a traveling path of the vehicle, comprising:(a) an object detection step of detecting the positions of objects existing ahead of the vehicle;(b) a traveling-path temporary-setting step of setting a plurality of temporary traveling paths as lines having respective predetermined curvatures, extending from the vehicle as an original point, based on results of detection at said object detection step;(c) a distance calculation step of calculating distances between the respective temporary traveling paths set by said traveling path temporary-setting step and the objects detected at said object detection step; and(d) a traveling-path deduction step of deducing the traveling path of the vehicle, based on a time change amount in the distances calculated at said distance calculation step, wherein a temporary traveling path, having the minimum time change amount in the distances calculated at said distance calculation step, is deduced as the traveling path of the vehicle.
5. 28. A traveling-path deduction method for detecting objects existing ahead of the vehicle and deducing a traveling path of the vehicle, comprising:(a) an object detection step of detecting the positions of objects existing ahead of the vehicle;(b) a traveling-path temporary-setting step of setting a plurality of temporary traveling paths as lines having respective predetermined curvatures, extending from the vehicle as an original point, based on results of detection at said object detection step;(c) a distance calculation step of calculating distances between the respective temporary traveling paths set by said traveling-path temporary-setting step and the objects detected at said object detection step; and(d) a traveling-path deduction step of deducing the traveling path of the vehicle, based on a time change amount in the distances calculated at said distance calculation step, wherein at said traveling-path temporary-setting step, the plurality of temporary traveling paths are simultaneously set with different curvatures.