DRIVER ASSISTANCE APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE

• US 20170305418A1
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: BAE, Hyeonju
• Granted Patent: US 10,611,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0085 Setting or resetting initial positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4042 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• 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 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle, which includes a sensing unit for sensing an object located outside the vehicle, and a processor for changing a blind spot detection (BSD) zone on the basis of vehicle information and providing a signal corresponding to an alarm on the basis of the changed BSD zone, thereby varying the BSD zone for sensing other vehicles according to situation and outputting an alarm indicating a level of danger.

Claims

1. A driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a sensing unit configured to sense an object located outside the vehicle;

an output unit; and

a processor configured to;

control to maintain data associated with a blind spot detection (BSD) zone,

obtain vehicle information,

change the BSD zone based on the vehicle information,

determine, based on a location of the object sensed by the sensing unit, whether the object is in the BSD zone, and

control, based on the determination that the object is in the BSD zone, the output unit to provide a notification.

5. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface that is configured to interact with one or more devices of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is configured to;

obtain, from the one or more devices of the vehicle using the interface, vehicle state information of the vehicle, the vehicle state information including at least one of position information, gear position information, speed information, steering information, turn signal information, or travel route information, and

change the BSD zone based on the vehicle state information.

6. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine, based on at least one of the steering information, the turn signal information, or the travel route information, whether the vehicle is expected to change a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and

change, based on the determination that the vehicle is expected to change the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the BSD zone in a direction to which the vehicle is expected to move.

7. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine, based on the speed information, whether a speed of the vehicle has changed, and

change the BSD zone based on the determination that the speed of the vehicle has been changed.

8. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 5, wherein the BSD zone includes a first BSD zone and a second BSD zone, and

wherein the processor is configured to:

determine, based on at least one of the steering information, the turn signal information, or the travel route information, whether the vehicle is expected to change a lane in which the vehicle is traveling,

determine, based on the determination that the vehicle is expected to change the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, whether a lane to which the vehicle is expected to move is closer to the first BSD zone or the second BSD zone, and

change, based on the determination of whether the lane to which the vehicle is expected to move is closer to the first BSD zone or the second BSD zone, the first BSD zone or the second BSD zone.

12. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of BSD zones are present, and

wherein the processor is configured to individually change the plurality of BSD zones based on the vehicle information.

13. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to:

discriminate alarms respectively corresponding to the plurality of BSD zones, and

control a first alarm corresponding to a first BSD zone of the plurality of BSD zones as output, the first BSD zone being a BSD zone in which an object is located.

14. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of BSD zones include a first BSD zone and a second BSD zone that is smaller than the first BSD zone,

wherein the processor is configured to:

control (i) a first level alarm to be output when the object is located in the first BSD zone and (ii) a second level alarm to be output when the object is located in the second BSD zone.

15. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain at least one of traveling time information, road information, or traffic information, and

change the second BSD zone based on at least one of the traveling time information, the road information, or the traffic information.

16. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

an interface that is configured to interact with one or more devices of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is configured to;

obtain, from one or more devices of the vehicle using the interface, vehicle state information of the vehicle, the vehicle state information including at least one of position information, gear position information, speed information, steering information, turn signal information, or travel route information, and

change the second BSD zone based on the vehicle state information of the vehicle.

17. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a communication unit that is configured to communicate with a second vehicle other than the vehicle,

wherein the processor is configured to;

obtain, using the communication unit, vehicle state information of the second vehicle, the vehicle state information of the second vehicle including at least one of model information, position information, speed information, steering information, turn signal information, or travel route information of the second vehicle, and

change the second BSD zone based on the vehicle state information of the second vehicle.

18. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

an interface that is configured to interact with one or more devices of the vehicle; and

a communication unit that is configured to communicate with a third vehicle other than the vehicle,

wherein the processor is configured to;

acquire first information related to the vehicle through the interface,

acquire second information related to the third vehicle through the communication unit,

determine, based on the first information and the second information, whether the vehicle expected to change a lane in which the vehicle is traveling or whether the third vehicle moves such that a distance between the third vehicle and the vehicle increases, and

control the first level alarm to be output based on a determination (i) that the vehicle is not expected to change the lane in which the vehicle is traveling or (ii) that the third vehicle moves such that a distance between the third vehicle and the vehicle increases.

19. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

an interface that is configured to interact with one or more devices of the vehicle; and

a communication unit that is configured to communicate with a third vehicle other than the vehicle,

wherein the processor is configured to;

acquire first information related to the vehicle through the interface,

acquire second information related to the third vehicle through the communication unit,

determine, based on the first information and the second information, whether the third vehicle approaches the vehicle within a first distance during the vehicle changing a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and

control the second level alarm to be output based on a determination that the third vehicle approaches the vehicle within the first distance during the vehicle changing the lane in which the vehicle is traveling.

2. The driver assistance apparatus of claim wherein the vehicle information includes at least one of traveling time information, road information, or traffic information.

3. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain the traffic information,

determine, based on the traffic information, whether traffic at the vehicle is congested, and

determine, based on the determination that the traffic at the vehicle is congested, a size of the BSD zone.

4. The driver assistance apparatus of claim 2, wherein the BSD zone includes a first BSD zone and a second BSD zone, and

wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain the road information,

determine, based on the road information, whether the vehicle is traveling within a first distance of a junction,

determine, based on the determination that the vehicle is traveling within the first distance of the junction, whether the junction is closer to the first BSD zone or the second BSD zone, and

change, based on the determination of whether the junction is closer to the first BSD zone or the second BSD zone, the first BSD zone or the second BSD zone.

9. The driver assistance apparatus of claim further comprising:

a communication unit that is configured to communicate with a first vehicle other than the vehicle,

wherein the processor is configured to;

obtain, using the communication unit, vehicle state information of the first vehicle, the vehicle state information including at least one of model information, position information, speed information, steering information, turn signal information, or travel route information, and

change the BSD zone based on the vehicle state information of the first vehicle.

11. The driver assistance apparatus claim 9, wherein the BSD zone includes a first BSD zone and a second BSD zone, and

wherein the processor is configured to:

determine, based on the vehicle state information of the first vehicle, whether the first vehicle is expected to approach to the first BSD zone or the second BSD zone, and

change, based on the determination of whether the first vehicle is expected to approach the first BSD zone or the second BSD zone, the first BSD zone or the second BSD zone.

10. The driver assistance apparatus of claim wherein the processor is configured to:

determine, based on the vehicle state information of the first vehicle, whether the first vehicle is expected to approach to the vehicle, and

change, based on the determination that the first vehicle is expected to approach to the vehicle, the BSD zone in a direction to which the first vehicle is expected to approach.

20. The driver assistance apparatus of claim wherein the processor is configured to:

determine, based on the vehicle information, whether the vehicle is expected to collide with the object, and

provide, based on the determination that the vehicle is expected to collide with the object, a control signal to control at least one of a steering apparatus of the vehicle, a brake apparatus of the vehicle, or a driving apparatus of the vehicle.