Movable body safety system and movable body operation support method

• US 20030146827A1
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Koike, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 7,561,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/484 for showing outline of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/004 using wave sensors radar designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicles and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

A beam radiator for radiating a visible light beam on a road surface with a pattern determined according to a predetermined rule in order to inform others of the existence of a subject vehicle. In addition, an imaging device having an effective imaging region for generating an image of an entire subject pattern reflected on the road surface by the visible light beam from the beam radiator. The subject pattern formed by the visible light beam from the subject vehicle and the other pattern formed by the visible light or the invisible light beam from the other vehicle or an infrastructure are extracted by processing the image generated by the imaging device. Then, on the basis of the relation between the subject pattern and the other pattern, it is determined whether the subject vehicle is in a state where attention is required during running.

Claims

1. A movable body safety system comprising:

a road surface projection information obtaining portion that obtains road surface projection information formed on a road surface by a light beam from an information transmitting portion outside the subject movable body; and

an attention required state determining portion that determines a state where attention is required in a subject movable body, under a condition where the road surface projection information obtaining portion obtains road surface projection information formed by the information transmitting portion, based on a relation between the road surface projection information formed by the information transmitting portion and course information on the subject movable body.

2. The movable body safety system according to claim 1, wherein

the information transmitting portion is another movable body, and the road surface projection information is first road surface projection information formed on a road surface by a light beam in order to inform others of the existence of the other movable body.

3. The movable body safety system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a beam radiating portion that radiates a light beam with a predetermined pattern indicated second road surface projection information on a road surface in order to inform others of the existence of the subject movable body, wherein

the road surface projection information obtaining portion obtains at least the second road surface projection information formed on a road surface by the light beam radiated by the beam radiating portion of the subject movable body, and the attention required state determining portion determines a state where attention is required in the subject movable body, under a condition where the road surface projection information obtaining portion obtains the first road surface projection information and the second road surface projection, based on a relation between course information on the other movable body included in the first road surface projection information and course information on the subject movable body included in the second road surface projection information.

4. The movable body safety system according to claim 3, wherein

the road surface projection information obtaining portion obtains at least one of the first road surface projection information and the second road surface projection information using an imaging device for generating an image of a predetermined region of a road surface.

5. The movable body safety system according to claim 3, wherein

at least one of the first road surface projection information and the second road surface projection information represents a presumed movement trajectory of the movable body.

6. The movable body safety system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a course information detecting portion that detects course information on the subject movable body based on a motion parameter of the subject movable body, wherein

the attention required state determining portion determines a state where attention is required in the subject movable body, under a condition where the road surface projection information obtaining portion obtains the first road surface projection information, based on a relation between course information on the other vehicle included in the road surface projection information formed by the other vehicle and course information on the subject movable body detected by the course information detecting portion.

7. The movable body safety system according to claim 1, wherein

the information transmitting portion is an infrastructure, and the road surface projection information is information formed on a road surface by a light beam which is radiated in order to call attention.

8. A movable body operation support method, comprising the steps of:

obtaining road surface projection information formed on a road surface by a light beam from an information transmitting portion outside the subject movable body; and

determining a state where attention is required in a subject movable body, under a condition where road surface projection information formed by the information transmitting portion is obtained, based on a relation between the road surface projection information formed by the information transmitting portion and course information on the subject movable body.

9. The movable body operation support method according to claim 8, wherein

the information transmitting portion is another movable body, and the road surface projection information is first road surface projection information formed on a road surface by a light beam radiated in order to inform others of the existence of the other movable body.

10. The movable body operation support method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

radiating a light beam with a predetermined pattern indicated second road surface projection information on a road surface in order to inform others of the existence of the subject movable body, wherein

obtained road surface projection information includes at least the second road surface projection information formed on a road surface by the subject movable body using the light beam radiated by the beam radiating portion, and in the step of determining the state where attention is required, a state where attention is required in the subject movable body is determined, under a condition where the first road surface projection information and the second road surface projection information are obtained, based on a relation between course information on the other movable body included in the first road surface projection information and course information on the subject movable body included in the second road surface projection information.

11. The movable body operation support method according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the first road surface projection information and the second road surface projection information is obtained using an imaging device for generating an image of a predetermined region of a road surface.

12. The movable body operation support method according to claim 10, wherein

at least one of the first road surface projection information and the second road surface projection information represents a presumed movement trajectory of a movable body.

13. The movable body operation support method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

detecting course information on the subject movable body based on a motion parameter of the subject movable body, wherein

in the step of determining a state where attention is required, a state where attention is required in the subject movable body is determined, under a condition where the first road surface projection information is obtained, based on a relation between course information on the other movable body included in the first road surface projection information and course information on the subject movable body detected by the course information detecting portion.

14. The movable body operation support method according to claim 8, wherein

the information transmitting portion is an infrastructure, and the road surface projection information is information formed on a road surface by a light beam radiated in order to call attention.