Vehicle on-board unit

• US 20080122605A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tengler, Steve, Auflick, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/467
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/44 for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/43 following vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle on-board unit of a host vehicle is configured to activate its brake lights upon determining a vehicle traveling condition exists that is indicative of a potentially inadequate safety zone between the host vehicle and a following vehicle. The vehicle on-board unit has a vehicle traveling condition detecting section, an automatic brake light triggering section and a brake light activating section. The vehicle traveling condition detecting section detects the vehicle traveling condition indicative of a potentially inadequate safety zone. The automatic brake light triggering section outputs a brake light activation signal upon determining a predetermined condition has been satisfied based upon the detected vehicle traveling condition. The brake light activating section activates the brake lights without a braking operation being performed upon receiving the brake light activation signal from the automatic brake light triggering section.

Claims

1. A vehicle on-board unit comprising:

a vehicle traveling condition detecting section configured to detect a vehicle traveling condition indicative of a potentially inadequate safety zone occurring in a host vehicle equipped with the vehicle on-board unit;

an automatic brake light triggering section configured to output a brake light activation signal upon determining a predetermined condition has been satisfied based upon the vehicle traveling condition detected by the vehicle traveling condition detecting section; and

a brake light activating section configured to activate brake lights of the host vehicle without performing a braking operation in the host vehicle upon receiving the brake light activation signal from the automatic brake light triggering section.

2. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 1, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect a following distance between the host vehicle and a following vehicle as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone.

3. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 2, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect a host vehicle speed as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

the automatic brake light triggering section adjusts the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the host vehicle speed.

4. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 2, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect a host vehicle location as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

the automatic brake light triggering section adjusts the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the host vehicle location.

5. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 4, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect a host vehicle speed as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

the automatic brake light triggering section adjusts the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the host vehicle speed.

6. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 2, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect a relative speed between the host vehicle and the following vehicle as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

the automatic brake light triggering section adjusts the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the relative speed between the host vehicle and the following vehicle.

7. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 6, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect a host vehicle location as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

the automatic brake light triggering section adjusts the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the host vehicle location.

8. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 1, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect an amount of throttle release in the host vehicle as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone.

9. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 8, wherein

the automatic brake light triggering section uses a rate of change in the amount of throttle release between two throttle positions as part of the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal.

10. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 8, wherein

the automatic brake light triggering section uses a drop in the amount of throttle release to a closed throttle position within a prescribed period of time as part of the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal.

11. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 8, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect a host vehicle speed as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

the automatic brake light triggering section adjusts the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the host vehicle speed.

12. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 8, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect a relative speed between the host vehicle and a following vehicle as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

the automatic brake light triggering section adjusts the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the relative speed between the host vehicle and the following vehicle.

13. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 8, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect a host vehicle location as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

the automatic brake light triggering section adjusts the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the host vehicle location.

14. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 8, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect a following distance between the host vehicle and a following vehicle as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone.

15. The vehicle on-board unit as recited in claim 1, wherein

the vehicle traveling condition detecting section is further configured to detect driving characteristics of the host vehicle over a prescribed period of time as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

the automatic brake light triggering section adjusts the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the driving characteristics of the host vehicle over the prescribed period of time.

16. An automatic brake light activation method comprising:

detecting a vehicle traveling condition indicative of a potentially inadequate safety zone occurring in a host vehicle;

outputting a brake light activation signal upon determining a predetermined condition has been satisfied based upon the vehicle traveling condition that was detected; and

activating brake lights of the host vehicle without performing a braking operation in the host vehicle upon receiving the brake light activation signal.

17. The automatic brake light activation method as recited in claim 16, wherein

the detecting of the vehicle traveling condition includes detecting a following distance between the host vehicle and a following vehicle as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone.

18. The automatic brake light activation method as recited in claim 17, wherein

the detecting of the vehicle traveling condition further includes detecting at least one of a host vehicle speed, a host vehicle location and a relative speed between the host vehicle and a following vehicle as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

adjusting the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the at least one of the host vehicle speed, the host vehicle location and the relative speed between the host vehicle and the following vehicle that was detected.

19. The automatic brake light activation method as recited in claim 16, wherein

the detecting of the vehicle traveling condition includes detecting an amount of throttle release in the host vehicle as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone.

20. The automatic brake light activation method as recited in claim 19, wherein

the detecting of the vehicle traveling condition further includes detecting at least one of a host vehicle speed, a host vehicle location and a relative speed between the host vehicle and a following vehicle as part of the vehicle traveling condition that is indicative of the potentially inadequate safety zone;

and

adjusting the predetermined condition used to determine when to output the brake light activation signal depending upon the at least one of the host vehicle speed, the host vehicle location and the relative speed between the host vehicle and the following vehicle that was detected.