ALERT SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20130342336A1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: KIEFER, RAYMOND J., GREEN, CHARLES A., GRIMM, DONALD K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,970,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• 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 method of alerting a driver of a vehicle is provided. The method includes: receiving conditions data from one or more collision avoidance systems; determining an alert mode based on the conditions data; receiving a fault status indicating a fault of at least one of a haptic alert device, a visual alert device, and an auditory alert device; resetting the alert mode to an override mode based on the fault status; and selectively generating an alert pattern for at least one of a haptic alert device, a visual alert device, and an auditory alert device that does not have a fault based on the override mode of the alert mode.

Claims

1. A method of alerting a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

receiving conditions data from one or more collision avoidance systems;

determining an alert mode based on the conditions data;

receiving a fault status indicating a fault of at least one of a haptic alert device, a visual alert device, and an auditory alert device;

resetting the alert mode to an override mode based on the fault status; and

selectively generating an alert pattern for at least one of a haptic alert device, a visual alert device, and an auditory alert device that does not have a fault based on the override mode of the alert mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the alert mode comprises determining the alert mode to include at least one of an alert condition, a driving scenario, and a vehicle condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of a first haptic device, and wherein the alert pattern is for a second haptic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of a haptic device, and wherein the alert pattern is for at least one of an auditory device and a visual device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of a first auditory device, and wherein the alert pattern is for a second auditory device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of an auditory device, and wherein the alert pattern is for at least one of a haptic device and a visual device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of a first visual device, and wherein the alert pattern is for a second visual device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of a visual device, and wherein the alert pattern is for at least one of a haptic device and an auditory device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the haptic device, the auditory device, and the visual device is of an infotainment system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the conditions data is from at least one of a line-of-sight collision avoidance system and a non-line-of sight collision avoidance system.

11. A control system for alerting a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

a first module that receives conditions data from one or more collision avoidance systems, that determines an alert mode based on the conditions data, that receives a fault status indicating a fault of at least one of a haptic alert device, a visual alert device, and an auditory alert device, and that resets the alert mode to an override mode based on the fault status; and

a second module that selectively generates an alert pattern for at least one of a haptic alert device, a visual alert device, and an auditory alert device that does not have a fault based on the override mode of the alert mode.

12. The control system of claim 11, wherein the first module determines the alert mode to include at least one of an alert condition, a driving scenario, and a vehicle condition.

13. The control system of claim 11, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of a first haptic device, and wherein the alert pattern is for a second haptic device.

14. The control system of claim 11, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of a haptic device, and wherein the alert pattern is for at least one of an auditory device and a visual device.

15. The control system of claim 11, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of a first auditory device, and wherein the alert pattern is for a second auditory device.

16. The control system of claim 11, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of an auditory device, and wherein the alert pattern is for at least one of a haptic device and a visual device.

17. The control system of claim 11, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of a first visual device, and wherein the alert pattern is for a second visual device.

18. The control system of claim 11, wherein the fault status indicates a fault of a visual device, and wherein the alert pattern is for at least one of a haptic device and an auditory device.

19. The control system of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the haptic device, the auditory device, and the visual device is of an infotainment system.

20. The control system of claim 11, wherein the first module receives the conditions data from at least one of a line-of-sight collision avoidance system and a non-line-of sight collision avoidance system.