Vehicle collision preventing apparatus
First Claim
1. A collision preventing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
- preceding vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting the running condition of a preceding vehicle, driven vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting the running condition of a driven vehicle, vehicle separation detecting means for detecting the vehicle separation between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle, closest approach distance predicting means for predicting the closest approach distance between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the detected running condition of the preceding vehicle, the detecting running condition of the driven vehicle, and the detected vehicle separation, suitable vehicle separation determining means for determining a suitable vehicle separation corresponding to a vehicle separation between the preceding vehicle and the driven vehicle which is predicted for the future, and collision preventing means for generating a warning or braking force when the predicted closest approach distance is smaller than the determined suitable vehicle separation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In order to maintain a suitable vehicle separation between a driven vehicle with respect to a preceding vehicle, an electric controller 10 predicts a closest approach distance between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle on the assumption that the preceding vehicle decelerates at a deceleration detected by a vehicle separation sensor 12 and the like and that the driven vehicle decelerates at a prescribed assumed deceleration after running at a speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 11 for an idle running time. The electric controller predicts the speed at the time of closest approach when the separation between the preceding vehicle and the driven vehicle is the closest approach distance. A suitable vehicle separation is determined based on the product of the predicted speed at the time of closest approach and a previously set length of time, and when the predicted closest approach distance is smaller than the determined suitable vehicle separation, a warning is generated by a warning apparatus 30 or braking force is generated by a brake actuator 40.
70 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A collision preventing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
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preceding vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting the running condition of a preceding vehicle, driven vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting the running condition of a driven vehicle, vehicle separation detecting means for detecting the vehicle separation between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle, closest approach distance predicting means for predicting the closest approach distance between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the detected running condition of the preceding vehicle, the detecting running condition of the driven vehicle, and the detected vehicle separation, suitable vehicle separation determining means for determining a suitable vehicle separation corresponding to a vehicle separation between the preceding vehicle and the driven vehicle which is predicted for the future, and collision preventing means for generating a warning or braking force when the predicted closest approach distance is smaller than the determined suitable vehicle separation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A collision preventing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
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preceding vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting the running condition of a preceding vehicle, driven vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting the running condition of a driven vehicle, vehicle separation detecting means for detecting the vehicle separation between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle, closest approach distance predicting means for predicting the closest approach distance between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the detected running condition of the preceding vehicle, the detecting running condition of the driven vehicle, the detected vehicle separation, and an assumed deceleration of the driven vehicle, and collision preventing means for generating a warning or braking force when the predicted closest approach distance is smaller than a prescribed suitable vehicle separation, wherein the closest approach distance predicting means predicts the closest approach distance with the assumed deceleration being a deceleration smaller than the maximum deceleration determined by the road surface coefficient of friction of the road surface on which the driven vehicle is running. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A collision preventing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
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preceding vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the speed of a preceding vehicle, preceding vehicle deceleration detecting means for detecting the deceleration of the preceding vehicle, driven vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the speed of a driven vehicle, vehicle separation detecting means for detecting the vehicle separation between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle, first closest approach distance predicting means for predicting a first closest approach distance between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the detected speed of the preceding vehicle, the detected deceleration of the preceding vehicle, the detected speed of the driven vehicle, and the detected vehicle separation on the assumption that the preceding vehicle decelerates at the detected deceleration of the preceding vehicle and that the driven vehicle decelerates at a prescribed assumed deceleration after running at the detected speed of the driven vehicle for a prescribed idle running time, second closest approach distance predicting means for predicting a second closest approach distance based on the detected speed of the preceding vehicle, the detected deceleration of the preceding vehicle, the detected speed of the driven vehicle, and the detected vehicle separation second closest approach distance predicting means for predicting a second closest approach distance based on the detected speed of the preceding vehicle, the detected deceleration of the preceding vehicle, the detected speed of the driven vehicle, and the detected vehicle separation on the assumption that the preceding vehicle begins to decelerate at a maximum deceleration determined by the road surface coefficient of friction and the driven vehicle begins to decelerate at the maximum deceleration after a prescribed length of time from the starting point of the deceleration of the preceding vehicle at a maximum deceleration by the time when the driven vehicle most closely approaches the preceding vehicle on the assumption that the first closest approach distance predicting means uses, and collision preventing means for generating a warning or braking force when the predicted first closest approach distance is smaller than a first suitable vehicle separation or the predicted second closest approach distance is smaller than a second suitable vehicle separation.
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17. A collision preventing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
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preceding vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting the running condition of a preceding vehicle, driven vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting the running condition of the driven vehicle, vehicle separation detecting means for detecting the vehicle separation between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle, closest approach distance predicting means for predicting the closest approach distance of the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the detected running condition of the preceding vehicle, the detecting running condition of the driven vehicle, the detected vehicle separation, and an assumed deceleration which is assumed for the driven vehicle, and collision preventing means for generating a warning or braking force when the predicted closest approach distance is smaller than a prescribed suitable vehicle separation and for generating a warning or braking force when the actual vehicle separation detected by the vehicle separation detecting means is smaller than a prescribed distance. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A collision preventing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
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preceding vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting the running condition of a preceding vehicle, driven vehicle running condition detecting means for detecting the running condition of a driven vehicle, vehicle separation detecting means for detecting the vehicle separation between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle, closest approach distance predicting means for predicting the closest approach distance between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the detected running condition of the preceding vehicle, the detecting running condition of the driven vehicle, the detected vehicle separation, and an assumed deceleration which is assumed for the driven vehicle, suitable vehicle separation determining means for predicting the speed of the driven vehicle when the distance between the preceding vehicle and the driven vehicle becomes the closest approach distance as the speed at the time of closest approach and for determining a suitable vehicle separation based on the predicted speed at the time of closest approach, and collision preventing means for generating a warning or braking force when the predicted closest approach distance is smaller than the suitable vehicle separation determined by the suitable vehicle separation determining means, and for stopping the generation of the warning or the braking force when the predicted closest approach distance has become larger than the suitable separation determined by the suitable vehicle separation determining means by a prescribed distance after the generation of the warning or the braking force.
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20. A collision preventing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
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preceding vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the speed of a preceding vehicle, preceding vehicle deceleration detecting means for detecting the deceleration of the preceding vehicle, driven vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the speed of a driven vehicle, vehicle separation detecting means for detecting the vehicle separation between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle, first collision preventing means for predicting a first closest approach distance between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle and a first speed at the time of closest approach on the assumption that the preceding vehicle decelerates at the detected deceleration and that the driven vehicle decelerates at a first assumed deceleration after running for a first idle running time at the detected speed, and for generating a warning or braking force when the predicted first closest approach distance is smaller than a first suitable vehicle separation determined based on the product of the predicted first speed at the time of closest approach and a previously set first length of time, second collision preventing means for predicting a second closest approach distance between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle and a second speed at the time of closest approach on the assumption that the preceding vehicle decelerates at the detected deceleration and that the driven vehicle decelerates at a second assumed deceleration greater than the first assumed deceleration after running at the detected speed for a second idle running time less than the first idle running time and for generating a warning or braking force when the predicted second closest approach distance is smaller than a second suitable vehicle separation determined based on the product of the predicted second speed at the time of closest approach and a previously set second length of time which is less than the first length of time, and preventive measure continuing means for continuing the generation of a warning or braking force by the second collision preventing means until a situation is achieved where the warning or the braking force is no longer generated by the first collision preventing means when a warning or braking force has been generated by the second collision preventing means. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A collision preventing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
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preceding vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the speed of a preceding vehicle, preceding vehicle deceleration detecting means for detecting the deceleration of the preceding vehicle, driven vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the speed of a driven vehicle, vehicle separation detecting means for detecting the vehicle separation between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle, brake operation determining means for determining whether the brake apparatus of the driven vehicle is being operated by the driver, collision preventing means for predicting a closest approach distance between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the detected speed of the preceding vehicle, the detected deceleration of the preceding vehicle, the detected speed of the driven vehicle, and the detected vehicle separation, on the assumption that the preceding vehicle decelerates at the detected deceleration and that the driven vehicle decelerates at an assumed deceleration after running for a prescribed idle running time at the detected speed and for generating a warning or braking force when the predicted closest approach distance is smaller than a prescribed suitable vehicle separation, and idle running time changing means for changing the prescribed idle running time to a longer time when it is determined by the brake operation determining means that the brake is not being operated than when it is determined that the brake is being operated.
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23. A collision preventing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
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preceding vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the speed of a preceding vehicle, preceding vehicle deceleration detecting means for detecting the deceleration of the preceding vehicle, driven vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the speed of a driven vehicle, vehicle separation detecting means for detecting the vehicle separation between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle, parameter storing means for storing a plurality of sets of parameters which determine an idle running time, an assumed vehicle deceleration of the driven vehicle, and a suitable vehicle separation, to output one of the plurality of stored sets of parameters in response to operation from the outside, and collision preventing means for predicting a closest approach distance between the driven vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the detected speed of the preceding vehicle, the detected deceleration of the preceding vehicle, the detected speed of the driven vehicle, and the detected vehicle separation on the assumption that the preceding vehicle decelerates at the detected deceleration and that the driven vehicle decelerates at an assumed deceleration determined based on the output parameter after running at the detected speed for a prescribed idle running time determined based on the output parameter and for generating a warning or braking force when the predicted closest approach distance is smaller than a suitable vehicle separation determined based the output parameter. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification