ALERT APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE

• US 20180201192A1
• Filed: 12/06/2017
• Published: 07/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: ISHIDA, Masaho
• Application Number:
  US15/833,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20180201192A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/08 involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots , e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1284 with communication systems other than radio-receivers, e.g. keyless entry systems, navigation systems; with anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/307 virtually distinguishing relevant parts of a scene from the background of the scene
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• 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

A Blind Spot Monitor ECU (BSM-ECU) estimates a viewable range which can be visually recognized by using a sideview mirror; determines, based on a relative position of an alert-target vehicle and the viewable range, whether or not the alert-target vehicle is present in the viewable range; when the alert-target vehicle is present in the viewable range, sets a display pattern to a viewable-vehicle display pattern; when the alert-target vehicle is not present in the viewable range, sets the display pattern to a unviewable-vehicle display pattern; and displays on an display apparatus the relative position of the alert-target vehicle with respect to an own vehicle by using the set display pattern.

Claims

1. An alert apparatus configured to detect at least one other vehicle which travels at a position diagonally behind an own vehicle and which is an alert-target vehicle to be alerted when the own vehicle changes lanes, and inform a driver of presence of the alert-target vehicle, the alert apparatus comprising:

a position acquisition unit for acquiring a relative position of the alert-target vehicle with respect to the own vehicle;

a viewable-range estimation unit for estimating a viewable range which the driver is able to visually recognize by using a sideview mirror, and which is an area positioned in a diagonally rearward direction with respect to the own vehicle, and;

a determination unit for determining, based on the relative position acquired by the position acquisition unit and the viewable range estimated by the viewable-range estimation unit, whether the alert-target vehicle is a viewable vehicle which is present in the viewable range, or an unviewable vehicle which is not present in the viewable range; and

a display control unit for displaying on a display apparatus a display screen indicating the relative position of the alert-target vehicle with respect to the own vehicle in a plan view in such a manner that the driver can distinguish between the viewable vehicle and the unviewable vehicle.

2. The alert apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is configured to display on the display apparatus a first mark indicating the relative position of the viewable vehicle and a second mark indicating the relative position of the unviewable vehicle, the second mark having an alert level higher than an alert level of the first mark.

3. The alert apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is configured to:

display on the display apparatus a viewable range area indicating the viewable range in a plan view;

display on the display apparatus a first mark indicating the viewable vehicle in such a manner that at least a part of the first mark is positioned within the viewable range area; and

display on the display apparatus a second mark indicating the unviewable vehicle in such a manner that the second mark is positioned outside of the viewable range area.

4. The alert apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display control unit is configured to

display on the display apparatus a viewable range area indicating the viewable range in a plan view;

display on the display apparatus the first mark indicating the viewable vehicle in such a manner that at least a part of the first mark is positioned within the viewable range area; and

display on the display apparatus the second mark indicating the unviewable vehicle in such a manner that the second mark is positioned outside of the viewable range area.