Collision avoidance system and collision avoidance method

• US 10,192,443 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Kodama, Yuji, Nakatani, Koji, Saegusa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US15/508,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20170309179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A host vehicle is provided with a detection device that detects the behavior of an object in the surroundings of the host vehicle in a non-contact manner. The host vehicle is also provided with the following: a warning device that performs a warning operation pertaining to a warning directed at a following vehicle that is traveling behind the host vehicle; and a control device that controls the warning device on the basis of the result of detection by the detection device. The control device controls the warning device so as to perform the warning operation in a case where the result of detection by the detection device indicates that the behavior of an object in the surroundings of the host vehicle corresponds to an unnatural behavioral pattern.

Claims

1. A collision avoidance system comprising:

a detection device that is provided in a host vehicle and detects behavior of a leading vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle in a non-contact manner, wherein the detection device detects the behavior of the leading vehicle by using at least one of a radar device, a laser scanner, a three-dimensional rangefinder or an imaging device, and wherein the behavior of the leading traveling in front of the host vehicle corresponds to a detected pattern indicating a rate of change of the leading vehicle'"'"'s orientation relative to the host vehicle;

a warning device that carries out a warning operation pertaining to a warning directed at a following vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle, the warning corresponding to the behavior of the leading vehicle; and

a control device that controls the warning device on a basis of a detection result from the detection device, the detection result corresponding to the behavior of the leading vehicle,

the control device controlling the warning device to carry out the warning operation directed at the following vehicle in a case where the behavior of the leading vehicle indicated by the detection result corresponds to a predetermined unnatural behavioral pattern, wherein the predetermined unnatural behavioral pattern includes at least one of a predetermined behavioral pattern indicating it is possible that a driver of the leading vehicle has fallen asleep while driving, a predetermined behavioral pattern indicating it is possible that the driver of the leading vehicle is intoxicated, or a predetermined behavioral pattern corresponding to dangerous driving performed by the driver of the leading vehicle.

2. The collision avoidance system according to claim 1,

wherein the control device includes:

a storage unit that stores behavior data pertaining to the unnatural behavioral pattern;

a behavior analysis unit that analyzes the behavior of the object on the basis of the detection result; and

a comparison unit that compares the behavior data stored in the storage unit with analysis result data corresponding to an analysis result from the behavior analysis unit, and

the control device controls the warning device in a case where a result of comparison made by the comparison unit indicates that the analysis result data and the behavior data match.

3. The collision avoidance system according to claim 1,

wherein the detection device includes a radar unit that outputs, as the detection result, a measurement signal based on reflection waves received after emitting electromagnetic waves toward the leading vehicle;

and

a behavior analysis unit carries out predetermined computational processing on a basis of the measurement signal and outputs a result of the computational processing as analysis result data.

4. The collision avoidance system according to claim 3,

wherein the behavior analysis unit carries out a computation for finding a change or a rate of change in a value indicated by the measurement signal.

5. The collision avoidance system according to claim 1,

wherein the detection device includes an imaging unit that captures an image of the leading vehicle, and outputs, as the detection result, an image signal based on the image captured by the imaging unit;

and

a behavior analysis unit carries out predetermined image processing on an image based on the image signal and outputs a result of the image processing as analysis result data.

6. The collision avoidance system according to claim 5,

wherein the behavior analysis unit carries out a computation for finding a change or a rate of change in a value found from the image based on the image signal.

7. The collision avoidance system according to claim 1,

wherein the warning operation includes at least one of an operation of making a predetermined display directed at the following vehicle and an operation of outputting a predetermined sound directed at the following vehicle.

8. The collision avoidance system according to claim 1,

wherein the warning operation includes an operation of transmitting, to the following vehicle, a signal for causing another warning device provided in the following vehicle to operate.

9. The collision avoidance system according to claim 1,

wherein the control device further includes a cancellation unit that stops execution of the warning operation on the basis of a detection result for behavior of the host vehicle.

10. The collision avoidance system according to claim 2,

wherein the detection device includes a radar unit that outputs, as the detection result, a measurement signal based on reflection waves received after emitting electromagnetic waves toward the leading vehicle;

and

the behavior analysis unit carries out predetermined computational processing on a basis of the measurement signal and outputs a result of the computational processing as the analysis result data.

11. The collision avoidance system according to claim 10,

wherein the behavior analysis unit carries out a computation for finding a change or a rate of change in a value indicated by the measurement signal.

12. The collision avoidance system according to claim 2,

wherein the detection device includes an imaging unit that captures an image of the leading vehicle, and outputs, as the detection result, an image signal based on the image captured by the imaging unit;

and the behavior analysis unit carries out predetermined image processing on an image based on the image signal and outputs a result of the image processing as the analysis result data.

13. The collision avoidance system according to claim 12,

wherein the behavior analysis unit carries out a computation for finding a change or a rate of change in a value found from the image based on the image signal.