Intersection warning system

• US 6,307,484 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1998
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), DENSO Corporation, HINO Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Kenji, Kobayashi, Yuji, Hattori, Noriaki, Yamaguchi, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C.
• Application Number:
  US09/126,134
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903, 340/905, 340/917, 340/910, 340/933, 340/935, 340/436
• US Class Current: 340/903
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

An intersection warning system provided in a first vehicle, includes a receiving unit receiving information about a running state of a second vehicle near a roadside edge in a sideward or rearward area of the first vehicle, the information being transmitted from a roadside system watching a predetermined watched area through which vehicles approaching an intersection pass, a running state detecting unit detecting a running state of the first vehicle, an estimation unit estimating a relative position relationship between the first and second vehicles in the intersection based on the running state of the first vehicle detected by the running state detecting unit and the information about the running state of the second vehicle received by the receiving unit, and a warning unit issuing a warning to a driver of the first vehicle based on an estimation result obtained by the estimation unit.

Claims

1. An intersection warning system provided in a first vehicle, comprising:

a receiving unit receiving information about a running state of a second vehicle near a roadside edge in a sideward or rearward area of said first vehicle, the information being transmitted from a roadside system watching a predetermined watched area through which vehicles approaching an intersection pass;

a running state detecting unit detecting a running state of said first vehicle;

an estimation unit estimating a relative positional relationship between said first and second vehicles in the intersection based on the running state of said first vehicle detected by said running state detecting unit and the information about the running state of said second vehicle received by said receiving unit; and

a warning unit issuing a warning to a driver of said first vehicle based on an estimation result obtained by said estimation unit.

2. An intersection warning system provided in a first vehicle, comprising:

a receiving unit receiving information about a running state of a second vehicle near a roadside edge in a sideward or rearward area of said first vehicle, the information being transmitted from a roadside system watching a predetermined watched area through which vehicles approaching an intersection pass;

a running state detecting unit detecting a running state of said first vehicle;

an estimation unit estimating a relative positional relationship between said first and second vehicles in the intersection based on the running state of said first vehicle detected by said running state detecting unit and the information about the running state of said second vehicle received by said receiving unit;

a warning unit issuing a warning to a driver of said first vehicle based on an estimation result obtained by said estimation unit;

a determination unit determining whether the driver of said first vehicle is going to cause said first vehicle to turn at the intersection along a roadside edge without crossing the road; and

a first control unit allowing said warning unit to issue the warning to the driver when said determination unit determines that the driver of said first vehicle is going to cause said first vehicle to turn at the intersection along the roadside edge.

5. The intersection warning system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said determination unit comprises a detecting unit detecting a direction indicated by a direction indicator of an intended turn at the intersection along the roadside edge without crossing the road, and wherein when said detecting unit detects the direction, it is determined that the driver is going to cause said first vehicle to turn at the intersection along the roadside edge without crossing the road.

6. The intersection warning system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said determination unit comprises a unit determining, based on the running state of said first vehicle detected by said running state detecting unit, whether the first vehicle approaching the intersection satisfies a predetermined deceleration condition, and wherein when said unit determines that the first vehicle approaching the intersection satisfies the predetermined condition, it is determined that the driver is going to cause the first vehicle to turn at the intersection along the roadside edge without crossing the road.

7. The intersection warning system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said determination unit comprises a unit determining whether a steering wheel of said first vehicle approaching the intersection is operated at a rate equal to or greater than a predetermined rate, and wherein when said unit determines that the steering wheel is operated at a rate equal to or greater than the predetermined rate, it is determined that the driver is going to cause said first vehicle to turn at the intersection along the roadside edge without crossing the road.

3. An intersection warning system provided in a first vehicle, comprising:

a receiving unit receiving information about a running state of a second vehicle near a roadside edge in a sideward or rearward area of said first vehicle, the information being transmitted from a roadside system watching a predetermined watched area through which vehicles approaching an intersection pass, wherein said watched area is segmented into a first area and a second area which is nearer the intersection than the first areas

a running state detecting unit detecting a running state of said first vehicle;

an information supply unit supplying information indicating that there is another vehicle near the roadside edge in the sideward or rearward area of said first vehicle, based on the information about the running state of said second vehicle received by said receiving unit, to the driver when said first vehicle is running in the first area;

an estimation unit estimating a relative positional relationship between said first and second vehicles in the intersection based on the running state of said first vehicle detected by said running state detecting unit and the information about the running state of said second vehicle received by said receiving unit;

a warning unit issuing a warning to a driver of said first vehicle based on an estimation result obtained by said estimation unit; and

a control unit allowing said warning unit to issue the warning to the driver when said first vehicle is running in the second area.

4. An intersection warning system provided in a first vehicle, comprising:

a receiving unit receiving information about a running state of a second vehicle near a roadside edge in a sideward or rearward area of said first vehicle, the information being transmitted from a roadside system watching a predetermined watched area through which vehicles approaching an intersection pass;

a running state detecting unit detecting a running state of said first vehicle;

an estimation unit estimating a relative positional relationship between said first and second vehicles in the intersection based on the running state of said first vehicle detected by said running state detecting unit and the information about the running state of said second vehicle received by said receiving unit;

a warning unit issuing a warning to a driver of said first vehicle based on an estimation result obtained by said estimation unit; and

a braking control unit carrying out a braking control of said first vehicle based on the estimation result obtained by said estimation unit.

8. An intersection warning system provided in a first vehicle, comprising:

receiving means for receiving information about a running state of a second vehicle near a roadside edge in a sideward or rearward area of said first vehicle, the information being transmitted from a roadside system watching a predetermined watched area through which vehicles approaching an intersection pass;

running state detecting means for detecting a running state of said first vehicle;

estimation means for estimating a relative positional relationship between said first and second vehicles in the intersection based on the running state of said first vehicle detected by said running state detecting unit and the information about the running state of said second vehicle received by said receiving unit; and

warning means for issuing a warning to a driver of said first vehicle based on an estimation result obtained by said estimation unit.

9. An intersection warning system provided in a first vehicle, comprising:

receiving means for receiving information about a running state of a second vehicle near a roadside edge in a sideward or rearward area with respect to the first vehicle, the information being transmitted to a roadside system watching a predetermined watch area through which vehicles approaching an intersection pass;

running state detection means for detecting a running state of the first vehicle;

estimation means for estimating a relative positional relationship between the first and second vehicles in the intersection based on the running state of the first vehicle detected by the running state detection means and a running state of the second vehicle received by said receiving means;

warning means for issuing a warning to a driver of the first vehicle based on the relative positional relationship in the intersection estimated by said estimation means;

determination means for determining whether a driver of the first vehicle is going to cause the first vehicle to turn at the intersection along a roadside edge when crossing a road; and

first control means for allowing said warning means to issue the warning to the driver of the first vehicle when said determination means determines that the driver of the first vehicle is going to cause the first vehicle to turn at the intersection along the roadside edge.

10. The intersection warning system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said watched area is segmented into a first area and a second area which is nearer the intersection than the first area, and wherein said system further comprises:

information supply means for supplying information indicating that there is another vehicle near the roadside edge in the sideward or rearward area of said first vehicle, based on the information about the running state of said second vehicle received by said receiving means, to the driver while said first vehicle is running in the first area; and

second control means for allowing said warning unit to issue the warning to the driver when said first vehicle is running in the second area.

11. The intersection warning system as claimed in claim 9 further comprising:

braking control means for carrying out a braking control of said first vehicle based on the result obtained by said estimation unit.