Warning device for distance between cars

• US 6,097,311 A
• Filed: 06/22/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Inventors: Nakahara, Yasuhisa, Yanaka, Takuya, Iwasaki, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Sihong
• Application Number:
  US09/051,808
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903, 340/904, 340/436, 340/438, 340/435, 340/942, 180/271, 180/167, 180/169
• US Class Current: 340/903
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• 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 warning device for a distance between cars, for measuring a distance between a car and an object in front of the car, judging the possibility of danger on the basis of distance data thus obtained, and generating an alarm in the case where it is judged to be dangerous. The warning device provides a first alarm (a rear-end collision alarm) generated in a condition of alert which necessitates deceleration or braking, and a second alarm (an alarm for a distance between cars) generated in a condition of alert which does not necessitate deceleration nor braking, the first and second alarms, respectively, being judged by separate formulae for determining. Accordingly, it is possible to positively generate an alarm when deceleration or braking is necessitated. Further, the warning device discriminates a kind of an object being measured (a moving body, obstruction, guardrail or the like) to judge danger according to the kind of the discriminated object. Accordingly, it is possible to improve reliability of an alarm and, in particular, to reduce incorrect alarms such as by a guardrail.

Claims

1. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device adapted to measure a distance between a user'"'"'s own automobile and an object existing ahead of the own automobile, judge the presence or absence of danger based on distance data thus obtained, and issue an alarm on the case where it is judged to be dangerous, characterized by comprising:

distance measuring means for emitting a light beam in a prescribed plurality of directions and measuring a distance to an object in the plurality of directions;

first discriminating means for comparing a change of the distance measured in the first and the second measurement in the same direction by said distance measuring means with a distance of travel of the own automobile and discriminating whether an object existing in that direction is a moving object or a fixed object;

second discriminating means for, when said first discriminating means has judged the presence of not less than a prescribed number of fixed objects ahead of the own automobile, regressing distance data thereof to find the standard deviation and comparing the obtained standard deviation with a prescribed value thereby discriminating whether or not the fixed objects are exclusively nonobstacles incapable of obstructing the travel of the own automobile;

danger deciding means for deciding the presence or absence of danger by a prescribed formula of decision, depending on the kind of object discriminated by said first discriminating means or said second discriminating means; and

alarm issuing means for issuing a prescribed alarm when said danger deciding means has judged the presence of danger.

2. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device according to claim 1, wherein said distance measuring means emits the light beam in a prescribed plurality of directions as shifted by a prescribed angle.

3. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device according to claim 1, wherein said danger deciding means corrects a numerical value of a prescribed parameter forming the formula of decision so as to render the issuance of an alarm difficult when the fixed objects are exclusively nonobstacles.

4. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device according to claim 1, wherein said danger judging means corrects a numerical value of a prescribed parameter forming the formula of decision in accordance with weather.

5. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device adapted to measure a distance between a user'"'"'s own automobile and an object existing ahead of the own automobile, judge the presence or absence of danger based on distance data thus obtained, and issue an alarm on the case where it is judged to be dangerous, characterized by comprising:

distance measuring means for emitting a light beam in a prescribed plurality of directions and measuring a distance to an object in the plurality of directions;

first discriminating means for comparing a change of the distance measured in the first and the second measurement in the same direction by said distance measuring means with a distance of travel of the own, automobile and discriminating whether an object existing in that direction is a moving object or a fixed object;

second discriminating means for, when said first discriminating means has judged the presence of not less than a prescribed number of fixed objects ahead of the own automobile, regressing distance data thereof to find the standard deviation and comparing the obtained standard deviation with a prescribed value thereby discriminating whether or not the fixed objects are exclusively nonobstacles incapable of obstructing the travel of the own automobile;

danger deciding means provided with a first alarm to be issued when it is in such a state as urges alert and necessitates deceleration or application of brakes and a second alarm to be issued when it is in such a state as deserves alert and yet falls short of necessitating deceleration or application of brakes and adapted to selectively judge the question whether the first alarm is issued, the second alarm is issued, or neither of the alarms is issued in accordance with a first formula of decision formed of one or more formulas of decision taking into account a safety car-to-car distance and a second formula of decision taking into account a difference of speed between the own car and the object, depending on the kind of object discriminated by said first discriminating means or said second discriminating means; and

alarm issuing means for issuing an alarm in accordance with the result of the decision by said danger deciding means.

6. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device according to claim 5, wherein each timing for issuing the first alarm and the second alarm can be adjusted separately of each other by the user.

7. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device according to claim 6, wherein said adjustment of each timing for issuing the first alarm and the second alarm is effected by the setting of respective foot transfer times.

8. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device according to claim 5, wherein the first alarm is displayed by the flickering of a red lamp and the second alarm is displayed at least by the lighting of a red lamp.

9. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device according to claim 5, wherein said distance measuring means emits the light beam in six directions as shifted by a prescribed angle.

10. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device according to claim 5, wherein said danger deciding means corrects a numerical value of a prescribed parameter forming the formula of decision so as to render the issuance of an alarm difficult when the fixed objects are exclusively nonobstacles.

11. An automotive car-to-car distance alarm device according to claim 5, wherein the danger deciding means corrects a numerical value of a prescribed parameter forming the formula of decision in accordance with weather.