METHOD OF OPERATING A VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method for use with a vehicle safety system, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a vehicle safety system having one or more sensing device(s) for installation on a host vehicle;
(b) monitoring an area behind the host vehicle with the sensing device(s) while the host vehicle is being driven in a forward direction;
(c) detecting a target vehicle in the area behind the host vehicle with the sensing device(s) while the host vehicle is being driven in the forward direction, and determining a tailway distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle; and
(d) evaluating the tailway distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle, and alerting an operator inside of the host vehicle when the target vehicle is too close.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle safety system and method that may be used to detect a potential tailgating event involving another vehicle and to send a corresponding warning to the driver. In an exemplary embodiment, the vehicle safety system monitors the area behind the host vehicle when it is being driven in the forward direction and determines if the host vehicle is being tailgated by a target vehicle. If such a tailgating event is detected, then the vehicle safety system sends a corresponding warning to the driver and, according to an optional feature, checks the availability of an adjacent lane so that the system can perform an automatic lane change maneuver, if so authorized.
121 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for use with a vehicle safety system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a vehicle safety system having one or more sensing device(s) for installation on a host vehicle; (b) monitoring an area behind the host vehicle with the sensing device(s) while the host vehicle is being driven in a forward direction; (c) detecting a target vehicle in the area behind the host vehicle with the sensing device(s) while the host vehicle is being driven in the forward direction, and determining a tailway distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle; and (d) evaluating the tailway distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle, and alerting an operator inside of the host vehicle when the target vehicle is too close. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for use with a vehicle safety system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining if a target vehicle is tailgating a host vehicle while the host vehicle is being driven in a forward direction; (b) alerting an operator that the target vehicle is tailgating the host vehicle; (c) determining if a lane change is appropriate; and (d) if the lane change is appropriate, then requesting that the operator make a manual lane change or performing an automatic lane change maneuver where the host vehicle is guided from a current lane to an adjacent lane.
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Specification