Exterior Monitoring for Vehicles

• US 20150175161A1
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,428,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/10 Recognition assisted with metadata

Abstract

Vehicular arrangement for obtaining information about objects exterior to the vehicle includes distance measuring systems fixed to the vehicle along the windshield, an edge or side of the vehicle, each including a camera that obtains images of objects exterior of the vehicle and a processor that determines a distance between the vehicle and objects included in images obtained by the camera and a speed of the objects based on the successive distance determinations. A reactive system is arranged on the vehicle and coupled to the distance measuring systems, and considers distance between the objects and the vehicle and the speed of the objects and reacts accordingly. A position of the distance measuring systems is selected to encompass an area in front of the vehicle, an area behind the vehicle and an area on each side of the vehicle in the fixed fields of view of the distance measuring systems.

Claims

1. A vehicular arrangement for obtaining information about objects exterior to the vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of distance measuring systems fixed to the vehicle along the windshield, an edge or a side of the vehicle, each of said distance measuring systems including;

a camera configured to obtain images of objects exterior of the vehicle;

a processor that determines a distance between the vehicle and objects included in images obtained by said camera and a speed of the objects based on the successive distance determinations; and

a reactive system arranged on the vehicle and coupled to said distance measuring systems and configured to consider both distance between the objects and the vehicle and the speed of the objects and react accordingly, and

wherein a position of said distance measuring systems is selected to encompass an area in front of the vehicle, an area behind the vehicle and an area on each side of the vehicle in the fixed fields of view of said distance measuring systems.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said reactive system is a system which limits the speed of the vehicle such that the speed of the vehicle can be limited in the presence of other objects or vehicles within a threshold distance from the vehicle.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said reactive system is a warning system for providing a warning to a driver of the vehicle about the objects exterior of the vehicle.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said reactive system is configured to access a map database containing information about vehicular travel lanes and consider the information when determining how to react to the presence of the object.

5. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein said reactive system is configured to, based on the map database, ignore objects on travel lanes where there is a physical barrier separating these travel lanes from the travel lane on which the vehicle is traveling.

6. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein said reactive system is configured to, based on the map database, ignore stationary objects on a side of the travel lane.

7. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein said reactive system is configured to, based on the map database, differentiate between stationary objects on a side of the travel lane and stationary objects in the travel lane.

8. A vehicle, comprising:

the arrangement of claim 1 having four of said distance measuring systems, one arranged at each of the four corners of the vehicle, and which are coupled to one or more common reactive systems.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein two of said distance measuring systems are arranged above headlights of the vehicle.

10. A vehicle, comprising:

the arrangement of claim 1 having four of said distance measuring systems, one arranged at each of the four sides of the vehicle, and which are coupled to one or more common reactive systems.

11. A vehicle, comprising:

the arrangement of claim 1 having four of said distance measuring systems, one of said four distance measuring systems being located on or near a roof of the vehicle, and which are coupled to one or more common reactive systems.

12. A method for operating a vehicle in consideration of objects exterior to the vehicle, comprising:

obtaining images of objects exterior of the vehicle by means of a camera of a plurality of distance measuring systems, each of the distance measuring systems being fixed to the vehicle along the windshield, an edge or a side of the vehicle, a position of the distance measuring systems encompassing an area in front of the vehicle, an area behind the vehicle and an area on each side of the vehicle in the fixed fields of view of the distance measuring systems;

determining using a processor, a distance between the vehicle and objects included in images obtained by the camera and a speed of the objects based on the successive distance determinations;

determining using the processor, whether an action must be undertaken to prevent contact between the object and the vehicle based on the objects and their distance from the vehicle, and if so undertaking an action to prevent contact between the vehicle and the object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of undertaking an action comprises limiting the speed of the vehicle in the presence of other vehicles determined to be within a threshold distance from the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of undertaking an action comprises providing a warning to a driver of the vehicle about the objects exterior of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of determining using the processor, whether an action must be undertaken to prevent contact between the object and the vehicle comprises accessing a map database containing information about vehicular travel lanes and considering the position of the object relative to a map in the map database.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining using the processor, whether an action must be undertaken to prevent contact between the object and the vehicle comprises determining, based on the map database, whether there is a physical barrier separating travel lanes on which the objects are moving from the travel lane on which the vehicle is moving, the method further comprising precluding the action from being undertaken when it is determined, based on the map database, that there is a physical barrier separating these travel lanes from the travel lane on which the vehicle is moving.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining using the processor, whether an action must be undertaken to prevent contact between the object and the vehicle comprises determining, based on the map database, whether the object is a stationary object on a side of the travel lane, the method further comprising precluding the action from being undertaken when it is determined, based on the map database, that the object is a stationary object on a side of the travel lane.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining using the processor, whether an action must be undertaken to prevent contact between the object and the vehicle comprises configuring the system to differentiate, based on the map database, between stationary objects on a side of the travel lane and stationary objects in the travel lane.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein four of the distance measuring systems are arranged at each of the four corners of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein four of the distance measuring systems are arranged on or near a roof of the vehicle.