Vehicular control system with road curvature determination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11847836-B2
Application number	US-202218054968-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2022
Priority date	Apr 15, 2004
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A vehicular control system includes a forward viewing camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle and viewing forward of the vehicle. Road curvature of a road along which the vehicle is traveling is determined responsive at least in part to processing of image data captured by the camera. Responsive at least in part to processing of captured image data, speed of the vehicle is controlled by an adaptive cruise control system of the vehicle. Upon approach of the vehicle to a curve in the road along which the vehicle is traveling, speed of the vehicle is reduced by the adaptive cruise control system to a reduced speed for traveling around the curve in the road. Speed of the vehicle is increased by the adaptive cruise control system when the vehicle is traveling along a straighter section of road after the curve in the road.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular control system, the vehicular control system comprising:
a forward viewing camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular control system, the forward viewing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle and in a direction of forward travel of the equipped vehicle, wherein the forward viewing camera is operable to capture image data;
wherein the forward viewing camera comprises a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imaging array sensor;
an image processor operable to process image data captured by the forward viewing camera;
wherein road curvature of a road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling is determined responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera;
wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, lane markers on the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling are detected;
wherein, responsive at least in part to detection of lane markers on the road, a traffic lane along which the equipped vehicle is traveling is determined;
wherein speed of the equipped vehicle is controlled by an adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, another vehicle that is present on the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling and forward of the equipped vehicle is detected;
wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, speed of the equipped vehicle is controlled by the adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, upon approach of the equipped vehicle to a curve in the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling, speed of the equipped vehicle is reduced by the adaptive cruise control system to a reduced speed for traveling around the curve in the road at least in part responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of (a) processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera and (b) data relevant to a current geographical location of the equipped vehicle;
wherein speed of the equipped vehicle is increased by the adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle when the equipped vehicle is traveling along a straighter section of road after the curve in the road;
wherein the forward viewing camera captures image data for a plurality of driving assist systems of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the plurality of driving assist systems includes a lane departure warning system of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the plurality of driving assist systems further includes at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a traffic sign recognition system of the equipped vehicle and (ii) an intelligent headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, the vehicular control system determines whether the detected other vehicle is in a traffic lane to the right of the determined traffic lane along which the equipped vehicle is traveling or is in a traffic lane to the left of the determined traffic lane along which the equipped vehicle is traveling; and
wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, the vehicular control system determines that the detected other vehicle is traveling in a traffic lane to the left of the determined traffic lane along which the equipped vehicle is traveling and is an oncoming vehicle.

2. The vehicular control system of claim 1 , wherein the forward viewing camera is housed in a windshield electronics module disposed at the windshield of the equipped vehicle.

3. The vehicular control system of claim 2 , wherein the windshield electronics module houses the image processor.

4. The vehicular control system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, a spectral characteristic of an object that is present forward of the vehicle is determined.

5. The vehicular control system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, a curb of the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling is detected.

6. The vehicular control system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of driving assist systems includes the traffic sign recognition system of the equipped vehicle, and wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, a traffic sign ahead of the equipped vehicle is recognized.

7. The vehicular control system of claim 6 , wherein the traffic sign comprises a speed control sign for a portion of the road being travelled by the equipped vehicle.

8. The vehicular control system of claim 7 , wherein the adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle controls speed of the equipped vehicle to be at or below a speed level indicated on the speed control sign.

9. The vehicular control system of claim 6 , wherein the traffic sign comprises a stop sign ahead of the equipped vehicle.

10. The vehicular control system of claim 6 , wherein the traffic sign comprises a road construction zone sign.

11. The vehicular control system of claim 10 , wherein a driver of the equipped vehicle is alerted that the road construction zone sign is recognized.

12. The vehicular control system of claim 6 , wherein the traffic sign comprises a warning sign present exterior of the equipped vehicle.

13. The vehicular control system of claim 6 , wherein the traffic sign comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a speed limit sign present exterior of the equipped vehicle, (ii) a freeway exit sign present exterior of the equipped vehicle, (iii) a warning sign present exterior of the equipped vehicle, (iv) a stop sign present exterior of the equipped vehicle and (v) a yield sign present exterior of the equipped vehicle.

14. The vehicular control system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, a character of a traffic sign present forward of the vehicle is determined.

15. The vehicular control system of claim 1 , wherein, upon approach of the equipped vehicle to the curve in the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling, speed of the equipped vehicle is reduced by the adaptive cruise control system to the reduced speed for traveling around the curve in the road at least in part responsive to data relevant to a current geographical location of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the current geographical location of the equipped vehicle is determined by a global positioning system.

16. The vehicular control system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, a road shoulder of the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling is detected.

17. The vehicular control system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the forward viewing camera, at lea

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Schofield Kenneth
• Lynam Niall R

Classifications

• B60K35/23

  Head-up displays [HUD] (optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01) · CPC title

• B60K37/20

  Dashboard panels · CPC title

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title