Appeal No. 2003-0530
Application 09/598,815
road surface in front of the one vehicle to output a
video signal, image processing means for generating a
vehicle position signal indicative of a position of the
one vehicle in a width direction of the road from an
image represented by the video signal, a navigation
unit for generating road data indicative of the
coordinates of a road in front of a current position of
the one vehicle, road-to-vehicle communications means
for receiving automatic drive traffic information
signal, vehicle-to-vehicle communications means for
transmitting and receiving a vehicle-to-vehicle running
information signal between the one vehicle and at least
one different vehicle other than the one vehicle,
running instruction generating means for generating a
running instruction, running course setting means for
setting a running course based on the obstacle
detecting signal, the vehicle position signal, the road
data, the automatic drive traffic information signal,
the vehicle-to-vehicle running information signal and
the running instructions, target running trajectory
calculating means for calculating a target running
trajectory based on the set running course, and vehicle
control means for controlling navigation of the one
vehicle such that the one vehicle runs following the
target running trajectory, wherein the vehicle-to-
vehicle communications means transmits a running course
signal indicative of the running course, and a running
course setting position signal indicative of a running
position of the one vehicle at the time the running
course is set, thus automatically navigating a
plurality of vehicles.
Therefore, the running course signal indicative of
a set running course and the running course setting
position signal indicative of a running position of the
one vehicle at the time the running course is set are
transmitted and received between vehicles, and a running
target trajectory can be set for each vehicle based on
the running course and the running course setting
running position from the received signals to carry out
automatic navigation. Therefore, subsequent vehicles
can maintain smooth navigation suitable therefor even if
a preceding vehicle, which has transmitted the signals,
is in a running condition in which it is not drawing a
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Last modified: November 3, 2007