Driver sitting position controlled vehicle collision avoidance

• US 10,434,947 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgios Zafeirakis
• Original Assignee: Georgios Zafeirakis
• Inventors: Zafeirakis, Georgios
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sultan
• Application Number:
  US15/983,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20180334102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements

Abstract

A vehicle collision avoidance system has a camera disposed on a vehicle and arranged to monitor at least one collision prone region adjacent to the vehicle; a sensor positioned within the vehicle and arranged to determine a driver'"'"'s head position relative to a designated point in the vehicle; a display disposed in view of the driver and coupled to the camera; and a controller configured to control operation of the sensor, the camera and the display. The controller activates the display and the camera to display the at least one collision prone region adjacent to the vehicle when the sensor detects that the driver'"'"'s head is beyond a threshold distance from the designated point.

Claims

1. A vehicle collision avoidance system comprising:

a camera disposed on a vehicle and arranged to monitor at least one blind spot adjacent to said vehicle;

a sensor positioned within said vehicle and arranged to detect a distance between a driver'"'"'s head and a driver'"'"'s seat headrest in said vehicle resulting from a natural movement of said driver to lean in a direction forward and away from said seat headrest to improve visibility by altering said driver'"'"'s view angle;

a display coupled to said camera and disposed in view of said driver; and

a controller configured to be activated by the natural forward-leaning movement of the driver to control operation of said sensor, said camera and said display, the controller being configured to activate said display and said camera to display said at least one blind spot adjacent to said vehicle when said sensor detects that a distance between said driver'"'"'s head and said seat headrest is beyond a threshold distance.

2. The vehicle collision avoidance system as in claim 1, wherein said camera is a wide field of view camera disposed on a rear area of said vehicle and arranged to image an area near a rear bumper of said vehicle and encompassing both rear sides of said vehicle.

3. The vehicle collision avoidance system as in claim 2, further comprising a normal field of view camera disposed on a rear area of said vehicle and arranged to image the area behind said vehicle, said normal field of view camera being coupled to said display and operationally controlled by said controller.

4. The vehicle collision avoidance system as in claim 3, wherein said wide field of view camera and said normal field of view camera are provided in a single camera with a field of view adjustable by said controller.

5. The vehicle collision avoidance system as in claim 1, further comprising an electronically adjustable side-view mirror, wherein said side-view mirror is controllably adjusted by said controller in response to said driver'"'"'s head position.

6. The vehicle collision avoidance system as in claim 1, wherein said camera is disposed at a forward area of said vehicle and arranged to image a region encompassing both sides of said vehicle forward of a front of said vehicle.

7. The vehicle collision avoidance system as in claim 1, wherein said threshold distance is a first threshold distance corresponding to an activation threshold distance at which said controller activates said display and said camera to display said at least one blind spot;

and wherein said sensor is further arranged to detect a second threshold distance between said driver'"'"'s head and said seat headrest, said second threshold distance corresponding to a deactivation threshold distance at which said controller is configured to deactivate said display and said camera so as to stop displaying said at least one blind spot, said activation threshold distance being greater than said deactivation threshold distance.

8. A vehicle collision avoidance method for a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting a forward-leaning movement by a driver;

evaluating said forward-leaning movement to determine if said forward-leaning movement exceeds a threshold distance between a head of the driver and a driver'"'"'s seat headrest; and

activating a collision avoidance process when said forward-leaning movement exceeds said threshold distance between the driver'"'"'s head and the seat headrest;

wherein said collision avoidance process comprises the steps of;

detecting whether said motor vehicle is in a non-reverse gear;

activating a front-view camera when said motor vehicle is in said non-reverse gear; and

transmitting a video signal from said front-view camera to a display viewable by said driver.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein said front-view camera has at least a 180°

field of view forward of said motor vehicle.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein said front-view camera comprises a plurality of cameras configured to provide said 180°

field of view.

11. The method as in claim 8, wherein said collision avoidance process further comprises the steps of:

detecting whether said motor vehicle is in a reverse gear;

activating a rear-view camera when said motor vehicle is in said reverse gear; and

transmitting a video signal from said rear-view camera to a display viewable by said driver.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein said rear-view camera is configured to provide view behind said motor vehicle.

13. A vehicle collision avoidance method for a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting a forward-leaning movement by a driver;

evaluating said forward-leaning movement to determine if said forward-leaning movement exceeds a threshold distance between a head of the driver and a driver'"'"'s seat headrest; and

activating a collision avoidance process when said forward-leaning movement exceeds said threshold distance between the driver'"'"'s head and the seat headrest, said collision avoidance process comprising the steps of;

detecting whether said motor vehicle is in a reverse gear;

activating a rear-view camera when said motor vehicle is in said reverse gear, said rear-view camera being configured to provide view behind said motor vehicle;

transmitting a video signal from said rear-view camera to a display viewable by said driver;

processing said video signal transmitted from said rear-view camera to provide a normal view to said driver when said forward-leaning movement is less than said threshold distance and greater than a second threshold distance between the driver'"'"'s head and the seat headrest; and

processing said video signal transmitted from said rear-view camera to provide a wide angle view to said driver when said forward-leaning movement exceeds said threshold distance between the driver'"'"'s head and the seat headrest.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein said collision avoidance process further comprises the steps of:

adjusting a side-view mirror to provide a side parking view to said driver when said forward-leaning movement exceeds said threshold distance between the driver'"'"'s head and the seat headrest; and

adjusting said side-view mirror to provide a normal driving view to said driver when said forward-leaning movement is less than said threshold distance and greater than said second threshold distance between said driver'"'"'s head and said seat headrest.

15. A vehicle collision avoidance system, comprising:

a first sensor configured to determine a distance between a driver and a surface of a seat;

a second sensor configured to detect a transmission gear selection;

a third sensor configured to sense a traveling velocity of said vehicle;

a first camera system positioned at a front-most position on said vehicle and oriented to image an area encompassing at least 180°

around the front of said vehicle;

a second camera system positioned at a rear-most position on said vehicle;

a display adapted to display a video to said driver; and

a controller in electrical communication with said first sensor, said second sensor, said third sensor, said first camera system, said second camera system, and said display, the controller being configured to provide video feeds from said first camera system and said second camera system based on an analysis of data provided to the controller by said first sensor, said second sensor, and said third sensor.

16. The system as in claim 15, wherein said analysis of data comprises the first, second and third sensors being configured to:

determine if said distance between said driver and said surface of said seat exceeds a first threshold;

detect if said transmission gear is a reverse gear; and

sense if said traveling velocity of said vehicle is below a speed threshold ranging from 1 to 10 MPH.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein said controller selectively provides said video feed from said first camera system to said display when said distance between said driver and said surface of said seat exceeds said first threshold, said transmission gear is not in said reverse gear, and said traveling velocity of said vehicle is below said speed threshold.

18. The system as in claim 16, wherein said controller selectively provides said video feed from said second camera system to said display when said distance between said driver and said surface of said seat exceeds said first threshold, said transmission gear is in said reverse gear, and said traveling velocity of said vehicle is below said speed threshold.

19. The system as in claim 16, further comprising a side-view mirror adjustment motor controlled by said controller, wherein

said controller drives said side-view mirror adjustment motor to adjust a side-view mirror to a default position when said traveling velocity of said vehicle is above said speed threshold, and

said controller drives said side-view mirror adjustment motor to adjust a side-view mirror to a reverse parking position when said distance between said driver and said surface of said seat exceeds said first threshold, said transmission gear is in said reverse gear, and said traveling velocity of said vehicle is below said speed threshold.

20. The system as in claim 15, wherein said second camera is a wide field of view camera arranged to image an area near a rear bumper of the vehicle and encompassing both rear sides of said vehicle.

21. The system as in claim 20, further comprising a normal field of view camera disposed on a rear area of said vehicle and arranged to image the area behind said vehicle, said normal field of view camera being coupled to said display and operationally controlled by said controller.

22. The system as in claim 21, wherein said wide field of view camera and said normal field of view camera are provided in a single camera with a field of view adjustable by said controller.

23. A vehicle collision avoidance method, comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a distance between a driver and a surface of a seat, a transmission gear selection and a traveling velocity of said vehicle;

providing video feeds from a first camera system positioned at a front-most position on said vehicle and oriented to image an area encompassing at least 180°

around the front of said vehicle, the video feeds from the first camera system being configured to be transmitted to a display viewable by said driver; and

providing video feeds from a second camera system positioned at a rear-most position on said vehicle, the video feeds from the second camera system being configured to be transmitted to a display viewable by said driver;

wherein said video feeds from said first camera system and said second camera system are provided based on an analysis of the received data.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the data is received from a plurality of respective sensors in electrical communication with a controller configured to provide said video feeds from said first camera system and said second camera system based on the analysis of the received data.