Method and apparatus for displaying the impending danger due to speed associated with the driving situation of a vehicle
First Claim
1. Method for displaying the impending danger due to speed associated with a driving situation of a first vehicle which has a device that detects a second vehicle in front and measures a distance between the first and second vehicles and a speed of the first and second vehicles relative to one another and which also has a device that determines a current visual range, the method comprising the steps:
- recording the distance am from the first vehicle to the second vehicle, the relative speed vrel between the first and second vehicles, the current visual range asw, a speed of the first vehicle veig, and a steering angle β
L of the first vehicle;
determining a safety distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle and forming a first difference ##EQU7## where τ
=reaction time of a first vehicle driverb=deceleration of the first vehicle from veigβ
=steering anglewhere DELTA a is a negative or positive measure of the maintenance or non-maintenance of a non-dangerous following distance to the second vehicle and the instantaneous speed veig of the first vehicle, which can be increased or decreased;
determining a maximum speed vsw which is still safe as a function of the measured visual range asw and forming a second difference ##EQU8## where τ
=reaction time of the first vehicle driverb=deceleration of the second vehicle from veigwhere DELTA v is a negative or positive measure of an amount by which the speed of the first vehicle is less than or greater than a non-dangerous maximum speed of the first vehicle, which speed depends on the visual range asw ;
selecting the smaller or more negative of the current values of DELTA a and DELTA v, the selected value being the value more critical to safety;
using the selected current value for triggering and emitting a danger distance and impending danger display in such a way that said display indicates, in symbolic proportion, a degree of difference between both;
the instantaneous speed of the first vehicle and a first vehicle speed which is currently still safe; and
a current measure of danger or freedom from danger.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for displaying the impending danger due to speed associated with the driving situation of a vehicle and a display appliance for carrying out the method are described. In accordance with the method, a degree of danger is defined and calculated and displayed to the driver of a vehicle and, in fact, independently of whether the vehicle, as following vehicle, is driving too close to a vehicle in front or other obstacle (distance problem) or is driving too fast in fog (visual range problem). The signals necessary for this purpose are obtained from vehicle environment sensors, for example from a distance warning radar or distance recording radar and an infrared visual range measuring system, and are analyzed, together with vehicle condition signals, by a safety computer. On the basis of its specific programming, this computer determines and/or decides, for the respective current driving condition, which of the two degrees of danger is instantaneously predominant and indicates the condition which is respectively more critical to safety on a display. The display, as an indicating appliance, is produced in such a way that it makes it possible to recognize, in symbolic proportion, both the degree of difference between the instantaneous speed and the speed which is currently still safe and the current measure of the danger or freedom from danger in the manner of an analog display which reproduces trends.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. Method for displaying the impending danger due to speed associated with a driving situation of a first vehicle which has a device that detects a second vehicle in front and measures a distance between the first and second vehicles and a speed of the first and second vehicles relative to one another and which also has a device that determines a current visual range, the method comprising the steps:
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recording the distance am from the first vehicle to the second vehicle, the relative speed vrel between the first and second vehicles, the current visual range asw, a speed of the first vehicle veig, and a steering angle β
L of the first vehicle;determining a safety distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle and forming a first difference ##EQU7## where τ
=reaction time of a first vehicle driverb=deceleration of the first vehicle from veig β
=steering anglewhere DELTA a is a negative or positive measure of the maintenance or non-maintenance of a non-dangerous following distance to the second vehicle and the instantaneous speed veig of the first vehicle, which can be increased or decreased; determining a maximum speed vsw which is still safe as a function of the measured visual range asw and forming a second difference ##EQU8## where τ
=reaction time of the first vehicle driverb=deceleration of the second vehicle from veig where DELTA v is a negative or positive measure of an amount by which the speed of the first vehicle is less than or greater than a non-dangerous maximum speed of the first vehicle, which speed depends on the visual range asw ; selecting the smaller or more negative of the current values of DELTA a and DELTA v, the selected value being the value more critical to safety; using the selected current value for triggering and emitting a danger distance and impending danger display in such a way that said display indicates, in symbolic proportion, a degree of difference between both;
the instantaneous speed of the first vehicle and a first vehicle speed which is currently still safe; and
a current measure of danger or freedom from danger.
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2. A display apparatus for displaying the impending danger due to speed associated with a driving situation of a first vehicle which has a device that detects a second vehicle in front and measures a distance between the first and second vehicles and a speed of the first and second vehicles relative to one another and which also has a device that determines a current visual range, the display device comprising:
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a range scale which extends from an adequate, positive value to a dangerously small, negative value representing DELTA values of at least one of the differences between a measured driving condition and an instantaneously still safe driving condition, and a measured driving speed and an instantaneously still safe driving speed, which range scale has the shape of a threshold bar comprising two triangular areas touching at their apexes at a common contact point which is rotated by 180 degrees relative to one another; and a display symbol in the form of a mark that is deflectable over the range scale as a function of a currently selected DELTA value; wherein the common contact point of the triangular areas symbolizes the speed at which the vehicle can still be driven safely. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Method for displaying the impending danger due to speed associated with a driving situation of a vehicle which has a device that detects an obstacle in front and measures a distance between the vehicle and the obstacle and a speed of the vehicle relative to the obstacle and which also has a device that determines a current visual range, the method comprising the steps:
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recording the distance am from the vehicle to the obstacle, the relative speed vrel between the vehicle and the obstacle, the current visual range asw, a speed of the vehicle veig, and a steering angle β
L of the vehicle;
determining a safety distance between the vehicle and the obstacle and forming a difference ##EQU9## where τ
=reaction time of a vehicle driverb=deceleration of the vehicle from veig β
L =steering anglewhere DELTA a is a negative or positive measure of the maintenance or non-maintenance of a non-dangerous following distance to the obstacle and the instantaneous speed veig of the vehicle, which can be increased or decreased; determining a maximum speed vsw which is still safe as a function of the measured visual range asw and forming a second difference ##EQU10## where τ
=reaction time of the vehicle driverb=deceleration of the obstacle from veig where DELTA v is a negative or positive measure of an amount by which the speed of the vehicle is less than or greater than a non-dangerous maximum speed of the vehicle, which speed depends on the visual range asw ; selecting the smaller or more negative of the current values of DELTA a and DELTA v, the selected value being the value more critical to safety; using the selected current value for triggering and emitting a danger distance and impending danger display in such a way that said display indicates, in symbolic proportion, a degree of difference between both;
the instantaneous speed of the vehicle and a vehicle speed which is currently still safe; and
a current measure of danger or freedom from danger.
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Specification