The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 27, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 29, 1996
Akira Iiboshi, Wako, JP;
Takaaki Nagai, Wako, JP;
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An automatically driven motor vehicle is controlled to travel automatically along a predetermined running path on a road while successively detecting magnetic sources positioned along the running path with a sensor on the motor vehicle. A position of the motor vehicle on the running path is recognized based on detection of the magnetic sources with the magnetic sensor while the motor vehicle is running along the running path. A present position of the motor vehicle on the running path is estimated based on map information of the running path, which is stored on the motor vehicle, and positional information of the motor vehicle produced upon the detection of the magnetic sources before the sensor becomes unable to detect the magnetic sources, when the motor vehicle deviates from the running path and the sensor is unable to detect the magnetic sources. A steering control quantity for the motor vehicle is corrected based on a positional relationship between the present position and the running path, for thereby automatically returning the motor vehicle to the running path.