Patent ID: 6191704
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: B60K,G01S,G05D,G08G

Abstract:
A run environment recognizing apparatus comprising:an imaging device for sensing the direction of traveling of a host vehicle as imaging vision;a radar for detecting the direction of traveling of the host vehicle as a detection range;an image processing device for recognizing traveling lanes, leading vehicles and stationary objects located ahead of the host vehicle, based on the image information sensed by said imaging device and the result of detection by said radar; anda display for displaying the results of recognition by said image processing device;said image processing device including means for setting vehicle regions indicative of the leading vehicles within said image information, based on the result of detection by said radar;whereby the influence of the leading vehicles in the process for recognizing the traveling lanes within said image information is eliminated by said vehicle regions, further including a road map device for associating a vehicle position obtained from a vehicle position detecting device using satellite radio waves with a road map,wherein said image processing device receives information about an intersection ahead of the host vehicle while running, from said road map device, estimates positions of a traffic signal and a pedestrian crossing within the image obtained from said imaging device in the vicinity of the intersection to thereby recognize the state of the traffic signal, pedestrians and right- and left-turned vehicles and display them on said display.