Vehicle proximity warning apparatus, method and program

• US 20060114125A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kubota, Tomoki, Miyazaki, Hideto
• Granted Patent: US 7,362,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/24 for lighting other areas than only the way ahead
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle proximity warning apparatus includes a current location detector for detecting a current location of the user'"'"'s vehicle, point information acquisition processor for acquiring map data, and a light emission processor for driving a light generator, in accordance with the map data and the current location of the user'"'"'s vehicle, to emit a light beam toward a point to be illuminated in an intersection. The light generator is driven in accordance with the location of the user'"'"'s vehicle and map data so as to direct the light beam toward the point to be illuminated in the intersection, thereby reliably informing other vehicles and pedestrians of the proximity of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle proximity warning apparatus comprising:

a current location detector for detecting a current location of a user'"'"'s vehicle;

point information acquiring means for acquiring map data; and

light emission processing means for driving a light generator, based on the map data and the detected current location of the user'"'"'s vehicle, to emit a light beam toward a warning point to be illuminated on the road ahead.

2. The vehicle proximity warning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising light emission angle setting means for calculating the distance from the location of the user'"'"'s vehicle to the warning point and for calculating a light emission angle at each location detected as the current location of the user'"'"'s vehicle, based on the calculated distance.

3. The vehicle proximity warning apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a light emission direction adjustment means for adjusting direction of the light beam in accordance with the calculated light emission angle.

4. The vehicle proximity warning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the warning point is in an intersection and further comprising intersection condition checking means for judging whether the visibility in an intersection ahead of vehicle is good, wherein the light emission processing means causes the light beam to be emitted when the visibility in the intersection is judged to be low.

6. The vehicle proximity warning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the warning point is on a road surface within an intersection, road junction or crossing.

7. The vehicle proximity warning apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the light emission angle setting means resets the vertical angle between the emitted light beam and the vertical and the horizontal angle between the emitted light beam and direction of travel of the user'"'"'s vehicle, periodically as the distance between the user'"'"'s vehicle and the warning point decreases.

12. The vehicle proximity warning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the warning point is a predetermined point included in the map data.

13. The vehicle proximity warning apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the warning point is a predetermined point included in the map data.

5. A vehicle proximity warning program for causing a computer to function as point information acquiring means for acquiring map data, and also as light emission processing means for driving a light generator based on the map data and the current location of a user'"'"'s vehicle detected by a current location detector, to cause the light generator to emit a light beam toward a warning point.

8. A method for warning other vehicles and pedestrians of the proximity of a user'"'"'s vehicle equipped with a light beam generator, comprising:

(a) detecting the current location of the user'"'"'s vehicle;

(b) retrieving map information from a database, the retrieved map data being selected on the basis of the detected current location;

(c) determining, based on the retrieved map data and detected current location, whether or not the detected current location is within a predetermined distance from a warning point;

(d) responsive to a determination that the detected current location is within the predetermined distance, directing a light beam from the light beam generator onto the warning point to illuminate the warning point and thereby warn the other vehicles and pedestrians of the proximity of the user'"'"'s vehicle approaching the warning point; and

(e) repeating steps (a)-(d) and periodically redirecting the light beam, so as to maintain it focused on the predetermined warning site, as the distance between the detected current position and the warning point decreases.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the warning point site is an area on the road surface within an intersection, a road junction or a crossing.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the periodic redirecting is by resetting the vertical angle between the light beam and the vertical and the horizontal angle between the emitted light beam and direction of travel of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 8 wherein the warning point is a predetermined point included in the map data.