Method and apparatus for following a vehicle

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for following a vehicle are disclosed by which the distance from a vehicle to a preceding target vehicle running ahead thereof can be exactly measured and, based on the thus measured distance, an appropriate vehicle following window can be automatically set with respect to a target image of the preceding vehicle at the start of vehicle following. Images of objects including the preceding vehicle are taken from two different points. The distance to the preceding vehicle is measured based on the images thus taken from the two points. On the basis of the measured distance, the size of an image-following window to be set within an image area displayed on a screen of a display is determined for following the preceding vehicle. The image of the preceding vehicle is found among various images of objects in the image area on the screen, and the position of the window on the screen is properly set and then temporarily stored in a memory. From various images of objects presently taken from the one of the two points, a new image is found which most resembles the image of the preceding vehicle in the last window stored in the memory. Based on the new image, a new window containing it is set on the screen. The position of the new window is adjusted to a location at which the best symmetry of the image within the new window is obtained while shifting the window stepwise. Then, the above steps are repeated.