Vehicle travel aiding device

• US 5,865,265 A
• Filed: 04/14/1995
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US08/422,354
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 180/271, 180/272, 180/275, 180/169, 180/168, 180/167, 340/904, 340/902, 340/901, 340/903
• US Class Current: 180/169
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/34 using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons

Abstract

A vehicle travel aiding device for sensing running conditions of the vehicle and outputting vehicle travel supporting information, which is featured by detecting ambient circumstances and road conditions on which the vehicle is and operating driver'"'"'s brake operation response on accelerator release response and changing the outputting timing or the content of the supporting information according to the detection results.

Claims

1. A driver assistance device for a vehicle, said device comprising:

means for determining an operation mode of said device based upon a high or low beam characteristic of a headlight switch, and

control means for changing a temporal characteristic of travel support information provided by said device based upon said determined characteristic of said light switch,

wherein said travel support information comprises at least one of either an alarm or an instruction to operate an automatic brake when a predetermined forward distance from another vehicle is detected by said device.

2. A driver assistance device for a vehicle, said device comprising:

means for determining an operation mode of said device based upon a high or low beam characteristic of a headlight switch, and

control means for changing a temporal characteristic of travel support information provided by said device based upon said determined characteristic of said light switch,

wherein said travel support information comprises at least one of either an alarm or an instruction to operate an automatic brake when an obstruction in a roadway is detected in front of the vehicle by said device.

3. A driver assistance device for a vehicle, said device comprising:

means for determining an operation mode of said device based upon a high or low beam characteristic of a headlight switch, and

control means for changing a temporal characteristic of travel support information generated by said device based upon said determined characteristic of said headlight switch,

wherein said travel support information comprises vehicle navigation information for forward travel of the vehicle.

4. A driver assistance device for a vehicle, said device comprising:

means for determining an operation mode of said device based upon a characteristic of a light switch, and

control means for judging whether navigation assistance is needed or not according to said determined operation mode,

wherein said navigation assistance comprises an alarm signal generated when a predetermined distance from another vehicle is detected by said device, and

wherein said characteristic of said light switch comprises a "low beam" operation mode and a "high beam" operation mode.