Warning apparatus for vehicle

• US 20040090320A1
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kimura, Takeshi, Suzuki, Tatsuya, Naito, Genpei, Usui, Naotaka
• Granted Patent: US 6,989,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/02 Active or adaptive cruise control system; Distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

In a warning apparatus for a vehicle, a primary controller (5) calculates a collision time (TTC) according to the distance between the vehicle and an object that is present in front of the vehicle and a relative speed between the vehicle and the front object. According to the collision time, the primary controller sets a correction value (Fc) for at least one of the driving force and braking force of the vehicle and provides a contact possibility warning by applying a negative acceleration to the vehicle according to the correction value. The correction value is set according to comparison between the collision time and a threshold and according to the collision time. A resilient coefficient (k_JTC) of a virtual spring (502) is increased so that the correction value may increase as the speed of the vehicle increases.

Claims

1. A warning apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an operation part configured to provide a contact possibility of the vehicle contacting with an object that is present in front of the vehicle according to relative motion between the vehicle and the object;

a warning unit configured to provide a contact possibility warning by applying a negative acceleration to the vehicle, the negative acceleration being produced according to a correction value that is set by the warning unit according to the contact possibility and is applied to at least one of the driving force and the braking force of the vehicle; and

a controller configured to change the correction value according to a speed of the vehicle.

2. The warning apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the warning unit sets a first correction value according to a first collision time, to produce the negative acceleration, the first collision time being provided by the operation unit according to a distance between the vehicle and the front object and a relative speed between the vehicle and the front object; and

the controller changes the first correction value such that the first correction value increases as the speed of the vehicle increases.

3. The warning apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the warning unit sets a second correction value according to a second collision time, to produce the negative acceleration, the second collision time being provided by the operation unit according to a distance between the vehicle and the front object and a speed of the vehicle; and

the controller changes the second correction value such that the second correction value decreases as the speed of the vehicle increases.

4. The warning apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the warning unit sets a second correction value according to a second collision time, which is provided by the operation unit according to the distance between the vehicle and the front object and a speed of the vehicle, and selects a larger one of the first and second correction values to produce the negative acceleration; and

the controller changes the second correction value such that the second correction value decreases as the speed of the vehicle increases.

5. The warning apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second correction value is set according to comparison between the second collision time and a second threshold and according to the second collision time.

6. The waning apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first correction value is set according to comparison between the first collision time and a first threshold and according to the first collision time.

7. The warning apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second correction value is set to zero in a case where the second collision time is greater than the second threshold, and in other cases, is increased as the second collision time decreases.

8. The warning apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first correction value is set to zero in a case where the first collision time is greater than the first threshold, and in other cases, is increased as the first collision time decreases.

9. The warning apparatus of claim 4, further comprising

a classifier configured to classify a road on which the vehicle is running, wherein

in a case where the classifier classifies the road as an open road, the controller increases the first correction value than that for an expressway.

10. The warning apparatus of claim 4, further comprising

a classifier configured to classify a road on which the vehicle is running, wherein

in a case where the classifier classifies the road as an open road, the controller increases the second correction value than that for an expressway.

11. The warning apparatus of claim 9, wherein in a case where the classifier classifies the road as an open road, the controller increases the second correction value than that for an expressway.

12. A warning apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an operation means configured to provide a contact possibility of the vehicle contacting with an object that is present in front of the vehicle according to relative motion between the vehicle and the object;

a warning means configured to provide a contact possibility warning by applying a negative acceleration to the vehicle, the negative acceleration being produced according to a correction value that is set by the warning means according to the contact possibility and is applied to at least one of the driving force and the braking force of the vehicle; and

a control means configured to change the correction value according to a speed of the vehicle.

13. A warning method for a vehicle, comprising:

providing a contact possibility of the vehicle contacting with an object that is present in front of the vehicle according to relative motion between the vehicle and the object;

producing a negative acceleration according to a correction value that is set according to the contact possibility and is applied to at least one of the driving force and the braking force of the vehicle;

warning to provide a contact possibility warning by applying the negative acceleration to the vehicle; and

controlling to change the correction value according to a speed of the vehicle.