초록 ▼

The invention concerns a system for automatic following guidance, particularly for heavy-traffic automatic following guidance, of a motor vehicle (1), designed to ease the burden on the driver in heavy-traffic situations both by taking over lateral guidance by means of an automatic steering regulati

The invention concerns a system for automatic following guidance, particularly for heavy-traffic automatic following guidance, of a motor vehicle (1), designed to ease the burden on the driver in heavy-traffic situations both by taking over lateral guidance by means of an automatic steering regulation system and by maintaining a set distance from a leading vehicle. The latter function requires an adaptive cruise and braking regulation system with "stop" and "go" function. According to the invention, selection and decision means (5, 6, 7, 8, 9) are provided that select both the regulating parameters and the types of controllers [sic], e.g., following guidance of the motor vehicle (1) on the basis of lane markings recognized by means of a video camera or on the basis of a recognized leading vehicle. The system is divided into hierarchical levels I-IV, the driver always being in the monitoring and adaptation loop assigned to the top level IV of the hierarchy, so that he has the highest priority and can override the system at any time.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A guidance system for a motor vehicle which comprisesan electronic cruise, braking and steering control/regulation system; at least one of an environmental image acquisition unit which includes a video camera and an image analyzer for generating signals that are used to control said electronic cr

1. A guidance system for a motor vehicle which comprisesan electronic cruise, braking and steering control/regulation system; at least one of an environmental image acquisition unit which includes a video camera and an image analyzer for generating signals that are used to control said electronic cruise, braking and steering control/regulation system for automatic guidance of said vehicle along a marked lane, and an environmental detector that detects reflections of emitted electromagnetic radiation; a spacing and relative speed processor coupled to at least one of said environmental image acquisition unit and said environmental detector for receiving output signals therefrom and determining from said output signals spacing and relative speed of said vehicle with respect to a lead vehicle, said spacing and relative speed processor further generating spacing and relative speed signals; a control mode selector and a decision maker both of which are coupled to said spacing and relative speed processor for receiving said spacing and relative speed signals; and a driver input coupled to said control mode selector and said decision maker for inputting driver information into said control mode selector and said decision maker, said decision maker determining whether to allow manual or automatic guidance control of said vehicle, and said control mode selector determining parameters that are used to control said electronic cruise, braking and steering control/regulation system.