Device for warning the driver of a vehicle

• US 20070013498A1
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Knoll, Peter, Engelsberg, Andreas, Placke, Lars, Kroehnert, Andre, Schweiger, Ulrich, Eisenlauer, Stephan, Manstetten, Dietrich, Stoerzel, Marc, Kussman, Holger
• Granted Patent: US 7,391,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A driver warning device which serves to warn the driver when a safety-critical condition of the vehicle is reached. A warning is issued only if such issuance is to take place in accordance with a user profile. This avoids unnecessary warnings from being issued to a driver, which could reduce the acceptance of the warning system on the part of the driver.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A driver warning device comprising:

a detection unit for detecting conditions of at least one of;

i) a vehicle, and ii) a driver of the vehicle; and

a warning unit for issuing warnings to the driver when a safety-critical condition of the at least one of the vehicle and the driver is reached, a limit value for a safety-critical condition of the at least one of the vehicle and the driver being determined as a function of a user profile.

13. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein limit values for safety-critical conditions of the at least one of the vehicle and the driver are stored in the user profile.

14. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

an evaluation unit configured to determine a safety-critical limit value by comparing at least one of vehicle and driver conditions stored in the user profile to at least one of vehicle and driver conditions recorded during a predetermined period of time prior to a time of evaluation.

15. The device as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a unit configured to change an associated safety-control limit if at least one of acceleration values and RPM values is above a predetermined limit.

16. The device as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a unit which changes an associated safety-control limit if a distance from vehicles ahead are below a predetermined limit.

17. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

a feedback unit configured to determine a driver reaction to a warning and to adapt the user profile as a function of whether there was a reaction to the warning.

18. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

an interface configured to supply the user profile to the device.

19. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

a control unit configured to select a stored user profile.

20. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

a control unit configured to set up a new user profile.

21. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

a memory unit to store user profiles for different drivers of the vehicle.

22. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the device is connected via a data bus to a plurality of sensors to detect conditions of the at least one of the vehicle and the driver.

23. A driver warning method, comprising:

detecting conditions of at least one of a vehicle and driver of the vehicle;

issuing a warning to the driver when a safety-critical condition of the at least one of the vehicle and the driver is reached; and

determining a limit value for the safety-critical condition as a function of a stored user profile.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

adapting the user profile as a function of at least one vehicle conditions, driver conditions, and a driver input.

25. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the adapting includes deactivating warnings.