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:
May. 29, 2007
Filed:
Aug. 21, 2002
Hiroshi Takenaga, Tokyo, JP;
Shoji Muramatsu, Tokyo, JP;
Yuji Otsuka, Tokyo, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A traffic environment recognition system includes an image-processing unit, an information-merging unit, a radar unit, and a network connected to the image-processing unit, the radar unit, the information-merging unit and a vehicle control unit capable of controlling the traveling operation of a host vehicle. The image-processing unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth, relative speed and width of the preceding vehicle, and the position of the host vehicle in a lane. The radar unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth and relative speed of the preceding vehicle. The information-merging unit receives recognition results provided by the image-processing unit and the radar unit through the network, merges the recognition results, identifies recognition objects relating to the recognition results. When a vehicle relating to the recognition results provided by the image-processing unit and a vehicle relating to the recognition results provided by the radar unit are one and the same vehicle, the information-merging unit produces output information by adding a sensor information indicating that the vehicles are one and the same vehicle to the recognition results, and sends the output information through the network to the vehicle control unit.