LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM

• US 20100265325A1
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Create Electronic Optical Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Create Electronic Optical Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lin, Shih-Ho, Wei, Hui-Chen, LO, Chih-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 8,587,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/119
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system

Abstract

A lane departure warning system (LDWS) installed on vehicles is revealed. The LDWS includes a camera that captures road images and the data of images is sent to an electronic control unit (ECU) for processing and recognition. The ECU is directly connected with a global positioning system (GPS) that provides vehicle speed signals so as to check whether dangerous driving occurs. Once the dangerous driving occurs, a warning unit is turned on to send an alert. The conventional LDWS that complicatedly connects with vehicles parts such as turn signal lights or speedometers is replaced by connection with a GPS. Thus the convenience of installation of LDWS in vehicles is improved.

Claims

1. A lane departure warning system (LDWS) that is an integrated member installed in vehicles comprising:

a camera, an electronic control unit (ECU) and at least a warning unit, wherein;

the camera is to track road images in front of a car and input the road images to the electronic control unit;

the electronic control unit having a video decoder, a digital signal processor (DSP) and a memory unit for processing and recognizing images;

wherein the electronic control unit is further connected with a global positioning system (GPS) so as to obtain vehicle speed signals of the car;

while in use, the road images are captured by the camera and are input to the electronic control unit (ECU) for being processed and recognized while the electronic control unit (ECU) gets the vehicle speed signals through the connected global positioning system (GPS) so as to check whether dangerous driving occurs;

once the dangerous driving occurs, signals are sent to the warning unit for giving a driver a warning.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera is disposed on and integrated with the integrated member of the LDWS.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera is independent from and is connected with the integrated member of the LDWS by at least one wire plugged into at least one camera connection port disposed on the integrated member of the LDWS.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the global positioning system (GPS) is disposed on and integrated with the integrated member of the LDWS.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the global positioning system (GPS) is independent from and is connected with the integrated member of the LDWS by at least one wire plugged into at least one GPS connection port disposed on the integrated member of the LDWS.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the LDWS further includes a display to show the road images captured by the camera.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the LDWS is further disposed with a composite video broadcast signal (CVBS) connection port that is connected with an external display by at least one wire.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the external display is a liquid crystal display panel or a Head-Up-Display (HUD) that projects images.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor (DSP) is an integrated circuit (IC).

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor (DSP) includes a video input, a DSP core, a control unit and a Read-Only Memory (ROM).

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory unit is a double-data-rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR2SDRAM).

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the memory unit further includes an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) and/or a flash.

13. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the warning unit is an audible warning unit, a visual warning unit, a vibrating warning unit or combinations of them.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the integrated member of the LDWS is disposed with a camera connection port, a GPS connection port, a composite video broadcast signal (CVBS) connection port, a power connection port, a speaker port, at least one LED warning light, at least one functional key, a ON/OFF button of a LCD panel and a speaker sound level button.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit (ECU) gets the vehicle speed signals through the connected global positioning system (GPS), the vehicle speed signal is set as equal to or above 60 Km/hr to turn on the warning unit for giving a driver a warning.