METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR BLIND SPOT MONITORING WITH ROTATABLE BLIND SPOT SENSOR

• US 20170291546A1
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: LAI, Ting-Yu, SATO, Miki, SUN, Bo
• Granted Patent: US 9,931,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/202 displaying a blind spot scene on the vehicle part responsible for the blind spot
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A system and method are provided and include a rotatable blind spot sensor that monitors a blind spot detection area of a subject vehicle. The rotatable blind spot sensor generates first object data while positioned at a first angle and second object data while positioned at a second angle. A controller receives the first object data and the second object data and determines whether the object is a secondary vehicle located within a blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle. A driver alert system generates an alert in response to the controller determining that the object is the secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a rotatable blind spot sensor that monitors a blind spot detection area of a subject vehicle, that generates first object data while positioned at a first angle relative to the subject vehicle and second object data while positioned at a second angle relative to the subject vehicle, the first and second object data corresponding to an object detected by the rotatable blind spot sensor within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle;

a controller that receives the first object data and the second object data and determines whether the object is a secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle based on the first object data and the second object data; and

a driver alert system that generates an alert in response to the controller determining that the object is the secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether the object is the secondary vehicle by determining whether the second object data indicates an edge of the secondary vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller detects whether the object has a first edge indicated by the first object data, rotates the rotatable blind spot sensor to the second angle, detects whether the object has a second edge indicated by the second object data, and determines whether the object is the secondary vehicle in response to detecting that the object has the first edge indicated by the first object data and the second edge indicated by the second object data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller rotates the rotatable blind spot sensor to be positioned at the first angle after determining whether the object is the secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the blind spot sensor includes at least one of a radar sensor, a camera, and an ultrasonic sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert includes at least one of a visual alert, an audible alert, and a haptic alert to a driver of the subject vehicle.

7. A method comprising:

monitoring, with a rotatable blind spot sensor, a blind spot detection area of a subject vehicle;

generating, with the rotatable blind spot sensor, first object data while the rotatable blind spot sensor is positioned at a first angle relative to the subject vehicle, the first object data corresponding to an object detected by the rotatable blind spot sensor within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle;

rotating the rotatable blind spot sensor to a second angle relative to the subject vehicle;

generating, with the rotatable blind spot sensor, second object data while the rotatable blind spot sensor is positioned at the second angle relative to the subject vehicle, the second object data corresponding to the object detected by the rotatable blind spot sensor within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle;

receiving, with a controller, the first object data and the second object data;

determining, with the controller, whether the object is a secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle based on the first object data and the second object data; and

generating, with a driver alert system, an alert in response to the controller determining that the object is the secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the controller determines whether the object is the secondary vehicle by determining whether the second object data indicates an edge of the secondary vehicle.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting, with the controller, whether the object has a first edge indicated by the first object data;

rotating, with the controller, the rotatable blind spot sensor to the second angle; and

detecting, with the controller, whether the object has a second edge indicated by the second object data;

wherein the controller determines whether the object is the secondary vehicle in response to detecting that the object has the first edge indicated by the first object data and the second edge indicated by the second object data.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising rotating, with the controller, the rotatable blind spot sensor to be positioned at the first angle after determining whether the object is the secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the blind spot sensor includes at least one of a radar sensor, a camera, and an ultrasonic sensor.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the alert includes at least one of a visual alert, an audible alert, and a haptic alert to a driver of the subject vehicle.

13. A system comprising:

a rotatable blind spot sensor that monitors a blind spot detection area of a subject vehicle;

a controller in communication with the rotatable blind spot sensor that receives first object data from the rotatable blind spot sensor while the rotatable blind spot sensor is positioned at a first angle relative to the subject vehicle, that determines whether the first object data indicates that an object is located within the blind spot detection area and that the object does not appear to be moving relative to the subject vehicle, that rotates the rotatable blind spot sensor to a second angle relative to the subject vehicle, that receives second object data from the rotatable blind spot sensor while the rotatable blind spot sensor is positioned at a second angle relative to the subject vehicle, and that determines whether the object is a secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle based on the second object data; and

a driver alert system that generates an alert in response to the controller determining that the object is the secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller determines whether the object is the secondary vehicle by determining whether the second object data indicates an edge of the secondary vehicle.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller rotates the rotatable blind spot sensor to be positioned at the first angle after determining whether the object is the secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the blind spot sensor includes at least one of a radar sensor, a camera, and an ultrasonic sensor.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the alert includes at least one of a visual alert, an audible alert, and a haptic alert to a driver of the subject vehicle.