Autonomous vehicle arrangement and method for controlling an autonomous vehicle

US6151539A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT · DE

Inventors

• Ralf Bergholz · Frebershausen, DE
• Klaus Timm · Bargteheide, DE
• Hubert Weisser · Lehre, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 3, 1998
• Grant date: Nov 21, 2000
• Expiry date: Nov 3, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S2013/93274
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle and method for controlling it includes an input unit to receive one or more travel orders, a route planning unit containing at least one position finding device and digital street map, a vehicle path generating a unit, an array of sensors including at least one range sensor for detecting objects and at least one range sensor for detecting the condition features of the route, a collision avoidance unit, a vehicle condition data recognition unit, a vehicle control unit and a unit for controlling the vehicle actuator system based on the signals generated by the vehicle control unit, wherein the array of sensors includes at least two essentially horizontally directed range sensors at the front of the vehicle, at least one range sensor at the rear area of the vehicle, at least one trackable range sensor on the roof of the vehicle and directed at the roadway, ultrasonic sensors and/or microwave radar sensors arranged on each side of the vehicle, and at least one camera located in each of the front and rear areas of the vehicle.