Vehicle collision preventing apparatus

• US 6,114,951 A
• Filed: 12/17/1997
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Atsushi, Kinoshita, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US08/992,605
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/903, 340/904, 340/935, 340/436, 340/437, 348/149, 701/301, 701/70, 701/77, 701/78, 701/79, 701/80, 701/93, 701/96
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• 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 collision preventing apparatus of a vehicle for preventing a collision with a preceding vehicle running ahead of the vehicle has an image processor and a computer for calculating inter-vehicle distance, an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and a safe-inter vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle while observing a third vehicle running ahead of the preceding vehicle, judging a hazard of collision with the preceding vehicle based on the inter-vehicle distance and the safe inter-vehicle distance, and warning a driver of the hazard. Since the vehicle having the collision preventing apparatus runs calculating the inter-vehicle distance in conjunction with the third vehicle, a collision with the preceding vehicle can be prevented, even when a driver of the preceding vehicle applies an emergency brake to avoid a collision with the third vehicle running ahead of the preceding vehicle.

Claims

1. A collision preventing apparatus of a subject vehicle for preventing collision with a preceding vehicle which is traveling in front of said subject vehicle, comprising:

actual inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting a first actual inter-vehicle distance between said subject vehicle and said preceding vehicle and a second actual inter-vehicle distance between said subject vehicle and an object existing ahead of said preceding vehicle;

safe inter-vehicle distance calculating means for calculating a first safe inter-vehicle distance between said subject vehicle and said preceding vehicle and a second safe inter-vehicle distance between said subject vehicle and said object, in accordance with a braking distance and a dead time before braking of said subject vehicle; and

hazard judging means for judging a hazard of collision of said subject vehicle with said preceding vehicle in the case that said second actual inter-vehicle distance becomes smaller than said second safe inter-vehicle distance even when said first actual inter-vehicle distance is larger than said safe inter-vehicle distance.

2. A collision preventing apparatus of a subject vehicle for preventing a collision with a preceding vehicle which is traveling in front of said subject vehicle, comprising:

actual inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting an actual inter-vehicle distance between said subject vehicle and said preceding vehicle;

safe inter-vehicle distance calculating means for alternatively calculating a first safe inter-vehicle distance and a second safe inter-vehicle distance between said subject vehicle and said preceding vehicle, depending on whether an object exists ahead of said preceding vehicle, said second safe inter-vehicle distance being calculated taking account of a dead time before braking of said preceding vehicle in addition to a braking distance and a dead time before braking of said subject vehicle which are used to calculate said first safe inter-vehicle distance; and

hazard judging means for judging a hazard of collision of said subject vehicle with said preceding vehicle in the case that said actual inter-vehicle distance becomes smaller than alternatively one of said first and second safe inter-vehicle distances.

3. A collision preventing apparatus of a subject vehicle for preventing a collision with a preceding vehicle which is traveling in front of said subject vehicle, comprising:

actual inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting an actual inter-vehicle distance between said subject vehicle and said preceding vehicle;

safe inter-vehicle distance calculating means for alternatively calculating a first safe inter-vehicle distance and a second safe inter-vehicle distance between said subject vehicle and said preceding vehicle, depending on whether the magnitude of acceleration of said preceding vehicle exceeds a threshold value, said second safe inter-vehicle distance being set longer than said first safe inter-vehicle distance; and

hazard judging means for judging a hazard of collision of said subject vehicle with said preceding vehicle in the case that said actual inter-vehicle distance becomes smaller than alternatively one of said first and second safe inter-vehicle distances.