4226results about "Steering parts" patented technology

A vehicle lane change aid system includes a detector that is operative to detect the presence of an other vehicle adjacent the vehicle, an indicator for providing an indication that a lane change maneuver of the vehicle may affect the other vehicle and a control receiving movement information of the vehicle. The control develops a position history of the vehicle at least as a function of the movement information. The control compares the detected presence of the other vehicle with the position history and provides an indication when a lane change maneuver may affect the other vehicle.

The present invention provides a terminal, apparatus and method for providing a customized auto-valet parking service. The server device includes a service registration management unit for receiving auto-valet parking profile information that includes information about one or more of a user, a vehicle, and a mobile terminal, and a parking map management unit for generating customized parking slots suitable for the user using the auto-valet parking profile information, and providing a parking area map, which includes information about the customized parking slots, to the mobile terminal. The parking map management unit receives information about a final slot selected by the user from among the customized parking slots via the mobile terminal, and provides a route to the final slot.

Systems and methods may calibrate an indicator of speed of an autonomous vehicle. In one implementation, a system may include at least one processor programmed to: receive from a camera at least a plurality of images representative of an environment of the vehicle; analyze the plurality of images to identify at least two recognized landmarks; determine, based on known locations of the two recognized landmarks, a value indicative of a distance between the at least two recognized landmarks; determine, based on an output of at least one sensor associated with the autonomous vehicle, a measured distance between the at least two landmarks; determine a correction factor for the at least one sensor based on a comparison of the value indicative of the distance between the at least to recognized landmarks and the measured distance between the at least two landmarks.

Provided are a system and a method for auto valet parking. In the system and method, a parking slot of a target vehicle among a plurality of slots formed in a parking place is determined based on situation information on the parking place and a movement path based on information on current location of the target vehicle and information on the parking slot is determined. The target vehicle is automatically parked in the determined parking slot by moving along the movement path.

A vehicle and ladar sensor assembly system is proposed which makes use of forward mounted long range ladar sensors and short range ladar sensors mounted in auxiliary lamps to identify obstacles and to identify potential collisions with the vehicle. A low cost assembly is developed which can be easily mounted within a body panel cutout of a vehicle, and which connects to the vehicle electrical and computer systems through the vehicle wiring harness. The vehicle has a digital processor which interprets 3D data received from the ladar sensor assembly, and which is in control of the vehicle subsystems for steering, braking, acceleration, and suspension. The digital processor onboard the vehicle makes use of the 3D data and the vehicle control subsystems to avoid collisions and steer a best path.

A parking-assist system for providing parking-assist information, including: a front imaging camera (2-6); a left imaging camera (4-6); a right imaging camera (5-6); a rear imaging camera (3-6); a left infrared laser camera (4-7) configured to obtain information on a distance as to the left side on a pixel to pixel basis; a right infrared laser camera (5-7) configured to obtain information on a distance as to the right side on a pixel to pixel basis; a rear infrared laser camera (3-7) configured to obtain information on a distance as to the rear side on a pixel to pixel basis; and a signal processing portion (13), wherein the parking-assist system provides the parking-assist information according to the information on the images from the imaging cameras (6) and the information on the distances as to each pixel from the infrared laser cameras (7).

A vehicle drive assist system comprises a camera for picking up an image of an area existing in an advancing direction of a vehicle; display means for displaying the image picked up by the camera; steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle for steering the vehicle; traveling path predicting means for predicting a traveling path of the vehicle on the basis of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting means; and drive assist means for overlaying on the display means drive assist information containing the vehicle predictive traveling path predicted by the traveling path predicting means and guide lines prolonged from the lines defining the width of the vehicle body on the image of the area existing in the vehicle advancing direction.

Disclosed herein are an autonomous driving apparatus and method for a vehicle. The autonomous driving apparatus includes an autonomous driving context data processing unit, a simulator unit, a section determination unit, a path planning unit, and a context determination main control unit. The autonomous driving context data processing unit gathers autonomous driving context data. The simulator unit simulates autonomous driving based on the gathered autonomous driving context data. The section determination unit determines a reliable section or an unreliable section based on results of the simulation. The path planning unit searches for at least one global path to a set destination based on results of the determination, and searches the at least one global path for a local path along which the autonomous driving is possible. The context determination main control unit controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle along the local path.

An autonomous parking procedure of a motor vehicle involves transferring a command to activate the autonomous parking procedure using a communication link between an operator situated outside the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle. Before beginning the autonomous parking procedure of the motor vehicle the target position and / or last driven trajectory of the motor vehicle is stored in a storage device. The motor vehicle then performs the parking procedure autonomously from the start position using the stored data after the first activation of the autonomous parking procedure.

An autonomous driving merge management system includes an autonomous driving control device and an intention decision management system. The management system includes a candidate strategy subsystem generating a plurality of candidate driving strategies, a merging vehicle behavior recognition subsystem predicting a merging intention of a merging vehicle; an intention-based interactive prediction subsystem predicting future merging scenarios between the host vehicle and merging vehicle as a function of inputs by the merging vehicle behavior recognition subsystem and inputs by the candidate strategy subsystem, and a cost function-based evaluation subsystem determining a cost for each future merging scenario generated by the intention-based interactive prediction subsystem. A processor selects a merge strategy of the host vehicle based on intention-based prediction results and cost function-based evaluation results. The autonomous driving control device applies the merge strategy to the host vehicle for allowing the merging vehicle to cooperatively merge with the host vehicle.

A system and method for providing path planning and generation in a semi-autonomous or autonomously driven vehicle that provides a steering correction for collision avoidance purposes. The method includes detecting a lane center of a roadway lane that the vehicle is traveling along and determining a lane centering path that directs the vehicle from its current position to the lane center. The method also includes detecting a moving object in front of the vehicle and determining if a collision between the vehicle and the object will occur if the vehicle travels along the lane centering path at the current vehicle speed. The method solves a fifth-order polynomial equation to define a collision avoidance path from the current vehicle position to a waypoint a safe distance from the object and a return path from the waypoint to the lane center that the vehicle is automatically steered along.

A system for collision course prediction includes a host vehicle sensor system detecting information relating to a target object including a position and a velocity relative to the host vehicle; a time-to-collision estimator control block calculating an estimated time-to-collision based on a longitudinal distance, longitudinal velocity and longitudinal acceleration of the target object relative to the host vehicle; a lateral distance estimator control block, which estimates the lateral distance between the centers of the host vehicle and target object at the estimated time-to-collision; and a collision course condition determination unit determining, at a determination instant prior to the estimated time-to-collision, a probability that the host vehicle will collide with the target object dependent at least in part upon whether the lateral distance is within a first interval, the first interval based on at least a lateral width of the host vehicle and a lateral width of the target object.

A parking assist system includes an image obtaining means for obtaining an image of a view from a vehicle, a displaying means for displaying the image obtained by the image obtaining means in a monitor display provided in the vehicle, an inputting means for inputting a target parking position, at which the vehicle is parked, on the monitor display, a detecting means for detecting a relative relationship between the vehicle and the target parking position, and a judging means for judging whether or not the vehicle can be parked at the target parking position based upon the relative relationship detected by the detecting means.

A system and method for providing lane changing maneuvers in an autonomously driven vehicle. The vehicle includes a navigation controller that provides a planned route for the vehicle to follow and a vehicle controller that receives route information from the navigation controller and provides steering, braking and throttle control for the vehicle to follow the route. Either the navigation controller or the vehicle controller may initiate a lane change maneuver to cause the vehicle to be steered from a travel lane to an adjacent lane. In response to the lane change requirement, the navigation controller provides a route segment to the vehicle controller and a lane-change zone so that the vehicle controller can steer the vehicle to the adjacent lane while in the lane-change zone.

A vehicle drive assist system comprises a camera for picking up an image of an area existing in an advancing direction of a vehicle; display means for displaying the image picked up by the camera; steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle for steering the vehicle; traveling path predicting means for predicting a traveling path of the vehicle on the basis of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting means; and drive assist means for overlaying on the display means drive assist information containing the vehicle predictive traveling path predicted by the traveling path predicting means and guide lines prolonged from the lines defining the width of the vehicle body on the image of the area existing in the vehicle advancing direction.

A system and method for determining whether a vehicle driver is holding a steering wheel of the vehicle while the vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode. The vehicle will include an electric power steering (EPS) system and may include an active front steering (AFS) system, both of which include a motor that can apply a high frequency and low amplitude perturbation signal to the steering wheel of the vehicle that is not felt by the vehicle driver and does not cause the vehicle to turn, but is able to be detected by a steering angle sensor. The method subtracts a steering angle command signal from the steering angle signal and removes road disturbances, and then determines whether the induced perturbation signal is present in the steering angle sensor signal. If the perturbation signal is present, then the system knows that the vehicle driver is not holding the steering wheel.

A computer-implemented method of enhancing safe vehicle operation may include, one or more processors, (1) determining a preferred parking spot for an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle; (2) determining a route to the preferred parking spot from a driver drop off point; and (3) causing the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to travel from the driver drop off point to the preferred parking spot following the route controlled by one or more autonomous operation features. The preferred parking spot may be a covered parking spot, a parking spot in a parking structure, or a parking spot in a residential garage. An autonomous vehicle owner may remotely direct the autonomous vehicle to autonomously return to the driver drop off point, such as via their mobile device. Insurance discounts may be provided to autonomous vehicle owners having the self-parking functionality that mitigates or prevents risk of damage to, or theft of, the vehicle.

Methods and systems for monitoring use, determining risk, and pricing insurance policies for a vehicle having one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous operation features are provided. According to certain aspects, with the customer's permission, it may be detected by sensors that an occupant of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is experiencing a medical emergency. A nearby medical facility may be determined based upon the vehicle location and the detected medical emergency. A route from the current vehicle location to the medical facility may be determined, and the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle may be automatically directed or routed to the medical facility. A message may also be generated and transmitted to the medical facility to alert them that a person in need of timely medical assistance is on the way. Life and auto insurance discounts may be generated for risk averse customers based upon their vehicles having the emergency response functionality.

A method and an apparatus for sensing a lane departure using images that surround a vehicle. The lane departure sensing method includes receiving images that are taken during driving by a plurality of cameras installed in a car, through respective channels connected to the cameras; modifying the obtained images into top-view images to generate a plurality of modified images; compositing the plurality of modified images to generate images that surround a vehicle; extracting a lane from the images that surround the vehicle, and yielding the information on a distance between the vehicle and the extracted lane or the information on an angle between the travel direction of the vehicle and the lane, so as to determine a lane departure; and giving a warning if the lane departure is determined.

An imaging system for a vehicle includes an imaging sensor (12) and a display device (15) for displaying images representative of image data captured by the imaging sensor. The imaging sensor (12) has a rearward field of view when mounted at the vehicle. The imaging system generates a plurality of graphic overlays (130a, 130b, 130c) on the displayed images to enhance the driver's cognitive awareness of an object rearward of the vehicle. The graphic overlays comprises a plurality of graphic overlay segments. The graphic overlay segments convey three dimensional information to a person viewing the displayed images and the graphic overlays. The imaging system may adjust at least one of a color, an intensity and a rate of flashing of at least one of the plurality of graphic overlay segments in response to an object being detected rearward of the vehicle and within a distance threshold.

A method and apparatus for controlling a parking process of a vehicle. The method including setting an upper speed limit; using a speed-limiting device to limit the speed of the vehicle at a parking speed that is less than or equal to the upper speed limit speed; suppressing an accelerator pedal speed increase request that increases the vehicle speed over the upper speed limit; and performing the assisted parking operation while limiting the vehicle speed and terminating the suppression of the increase in speed when the accelerator pedal is depressed by more than a predetermined value. Wherein the predetermined value is selected as a function of a slope on which the vehicle is located. The invention also relates to a steering system for an assisted parking procedure of a vehicle and a vehicle with such a steering system.

A method of controlling an automotive vehicle includes detecting a parking mode and applying brake-steer to a first wheel to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle. Simultaneously, the normal force on a wheel can be increased by adjusting a chassis control mechanism such as a controlled suspension.

In a vehicle, an optimal path curvature limited by one or more constraints may be determined. The constraints may be related to lateral jerk and one or more vehicle dynamics constraints. Based on the optimal path curvature, an optimal vehicle path around an object may be determined. The optimal vehicle path may be output to a collision avoidance control system. The collision avoidance control system may cause the vehicle to take a certain path.

According to a nonvolatile memory device having a multi gate structure and a method for forming the same of the present invention, a gate electrode is formed using a damascene process. Therefore, a charge storage layer, a tunneling insulating layer, a blocking insulating layer and a gate electrode layer are not attacked from etching in a process for forming the gate electrode, thereby forming a nonvolatile memory device having good reliability.

The invention discloses a full-automatic parking method and system. The full-automatic parking method comprises the steps of receiving a starting instruction sent by a user, and activating the full-automatic parking system according to the starting instruction; controlling a vehicle to move forwards automatically, searching for whether or not available parking spaces exist on the two sides of thevehicle in the advancing process, and when available parking spaces exist, recognizing basic information of the target parking space; according to the basic information of the recognized target parking space, performing parking path planning, and obtaining the parking initial point and the parking path from the parking initial point to the parking end point; controlling the vehicle to automatically move forward to the parking initial point; controlling the vehicle to be automatically parked according to the planned parking path, and parking the vehicle into the parking space. According to thefull-automatic parking method and system, the vehicle automatically runs forwards, the idle parking space is searched for and recognized, the vehicle is automatically parked into the parking space, noartificial participation is needed in the whole parking space searching and parking process, and full-automatic parking can be achieved.

A vehicle drive assist system comprises a camera for picking up an image of an area existing in an advancing direction of a vehicle; display means for displaying the image picked up by the camera; steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle for steering the vehicle; traveling path predicting means for predicting a traveling path of the vehicle on the basis of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting means; and drive assist means for overlaying on the display means drive assist information containing the vehicle predictive traveling path predicted by the traveling path predicting means and guide lines prolonged from the lines defining the width of the vehicle body on the image of the area existing in the vehicle advancing direction.