Vehicle-to-vehicle distance detecting apparatus
First Claim
1. A vehicle-to-vehicle distance detecting apparatus for use in tracking a preceding vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- image sensor means mounted on a specific vehicle for taking a picture image of a preceding vehicle or obstacle;
display means for displaying the picture image taken by the image sensor means on a screen and having an image-tracking window displayed on the screen at an initially prescribed position;
instruction means being operated by the driver of the vehicle for generating an image-tracking instruction;
image-tracking means being operated by the instruction means for tracking the picture image of the preceding vehicle or obstacle on the screen in the image-tracking window once the image of the preceding vehicle comes in the image-tracing window;
detecting means for detecting the distance from the specific vehicle to the preceding vehicle or obstacle displayed on the screen in the image-tracking window and the distance from the specific vehicle to the preceding vehicle or obstacle being image-tracked on the screen in the image-tracking window; and
warning means being operable to generate a warning to the driver when the distance from the specific vehicle to the preceding vehicle or obstacle becomes less than a prescribed level during the time the instruction means remains inoperative.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle-to-vehicle distance detecting apparatus for use in tracing a preceding vehicle is disclosed in which the driver is able to set a vehicle tracing window on a displayed picture image of the preceding vehicle in an easy manner while driving the vehicle. Even if there are a plurality of preceding vehicles, the driver is able to easily identify a particular one of them which his or her vehicle is tracing for measuring the distance therebetween. The apparatus is also able to automatically monitor objects ahead of a vehicle and warn the driver of a possible danger of collision with an obstacle when no instruction is given by the driver for setting an image-tracing window for tracing a preceding vehicle. When an instruction switch is turned on by the driver after the image of the preceding vehicle comes in the image-tracing window formed at a prescribed position, a microcomputer controls, based on the image signals from the image sensors, the image-tracing window so as to trace the picture image of a preceding vehicle on the screen. The microcomputer detects the distance from the specific vehicle to the preceding vehicle or obstacle displayed on the screen in the image-tracing window and the distance from the specific vehicle to the preceding vehicle being image-traced on the screen in the image-tracing window.
-
Citations
6 Claims
-
1. A vehicle-to-vehicle distance detecting apparatus for use in tracking a preceding vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
-
image sensor means mounted on a specific vehicle for taking a picture image of a preceding vehicle or obstacle; display means for displaying the picture image taken by the image sensor means on a screen and having an image-tracking window displayed on the screen at an initially prescribed position; instruction means being operated by the driver of the vehicle for generating an image-tracking instruction; image-tracking means being operated by the instruction means for tracking the picture image of the preceding vehicle or obstacle on the screen in the image-tracking window once the image of the preceding vehicle comes in the image-tracing window; detecting means for detecting the distance from the specific vehicle to the preceding vehicle or obstacle displayed on the screen in the image-tracking window and the distance from the specific vehicle to the preceding vehicle or obstacle being image-tracked on the screen in the image-tracking window; and warning means being operable to generate a warning to the driver when the distance from the specific vehicle to the preceding vehicle or obstacle becomes less than a prescribed level during the time the instruction means remains inoperative. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
Specification