Vehicle back-up aid system

• US 6,594,614 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Studt, David Glen, Taylor, Ronald Melvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHERRY, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US09/550,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 702/150, 702/143, 702/159, 340/435, 340/903, 340/436, 340/691.1, 340/691.3, 340/691.4, 340/691.6, 340/904, 340/943, 340/935, 340/936, 340/901, 180/169, 180/167, 180/271, 180/274, 900/300, 900/301
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9317 Driving backwards
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/06 Cathode-ray tube displays or other two dimensional or three-dimensional displays
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A warning system that warns an operator of an impending collision with an object while the operator is backing up. The system scans behind the vehicle with an emitter/sensor system and determines a time-to-collision with the object based on distance to the object and vehicle speed. Based upon the time-to-collision, a simple combination of visual and audio signals is designed to let the operator known of the imminency of a collision with the object so that the operator may react and make appropriate countermeasures.

Claims

1. A back-up warning system for use in a vehicle, said warning system comprising:

an object detection system, wherein said object detection system includes a radar detection system and an ultrasonic sensor system;

an electronic control module in operative communication with said object detection system, said electronic control module capable of receiving and interpreting signals from said object detection system to determine a first value representing a distance to a target object and for generating a second value representing a rate of change of distance to said target object;

a drive alert system in operative communication with said electronic control module, said driver alert system outputting a driver alert signal as a function of said first and second value.

2. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said driver alert system includes visual display and a speaker.

3. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said driver alert system includes an LED display for generating a visual display as a function of said driver alert signal.

4. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said driver alert system includes a sound system for generating a plurality of sounds as a function of said driver alert signal.

5. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said driver alert system includes and LED display for generating a visual display as a function of said driver alert signal and wherein said driver alert system includes a sound system for generating a plurality of sounds as a function of said driver alert signal.

6. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said driver alert is an audio driver alert signal and a visual driver alert signal.

7. A method of warning a vehicle operator of a potential collision, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a first value from an object detection system representing a distance to a detected object, said object detection system comprising a radar detection system and an ultrasonic detection system;

generating a second value associated with said detected object representing a rate of change of distance to said detected object;

generating a drive alert signal as a function of said first and second value; and

communicating said driver alert signal to a driver alert system, said driver alert signal being indicative of a time to collision with said detected object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating a first value comprises the step of receiving a signal from a radar sensor.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating a first value comprises the step of receiving a signal from an ultrasonic sensor.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating a second value comprises the step of receiving a signal from a vehicle speed sensor.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating the first value also includes the steps of:

assigning said first value to a bin value;

generating a second driver alert signal as a function of said bin value and second value; and

communicating said second driver alert signal to a driver alert system, said second alert signal being indicative of said time-to-collision with said detected object.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the steps of generating a visual signal as a function of said second driver alert signal and generating an audio signal as a function of said second driver alert signal.

13. The method of claim 7, further including the step of generating a visual signal as a function of said driver alert signal.

14. The method of claim 7, further including the step of generating an audio signal as a function of said driver alert signal.

15. A method of alerting a vehicle operator of the imminency of a potential collision with an object while backing up, the method comprising the steps of:

scanning a predetermining field of coverage for an object with an object detection system, said object detection system comprising a radar detection system and an ultrasonic detection system;

generating a first value from an object detection system representing a distance to said object;

generating a second value representing a rate of change of distance to said object; and

generating a time-to-collision value as a function of said first value and said second value; and

modifying a drive alert as a function of said time-to-collision value.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of modifying said driver alert comprises the step of modifying said driver alert to signal one of an imminent warning or a cautionary warning, wherein said imminent warning represents a time-to-collision value less than said cautionary warning.

17. The method according to claim 16, further including the step of modifying said driver alert to signal one of a first imminent warning or a second imminent warning, wherein said first imminent warning represents a time-to-collision value less than said second imminent warning.

18. The method according to claim 16, further including the step of modifying said driver alert to signal one of a first cautionary warning or a second cautionary warning, wherein said first cautionary warning represents a time-to-collision value less than said second cautionary warning.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of modifying said driver alert comprises the step of modifying an LED output as a function of said time-to-collision value.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of modifying said driver alert comprises the step of modifying a sound system output as a function of said time-to-collision value.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of modifying said LED output as a function of said time-to-collision value comprises at least one of the following steps:

modifying the intensity of the LED output, modifying the frequency of the LED output, modifying the color of the LED output, or modifying the number of diodes in an LED output as a function of said time-to-collision value.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the step of modifying said driver alert at least one of the following steps:

modifying the decibel level of the sound system output, modifying the frequency of the sound system output, modifying the tone of the sound system output, or modifying the messaging of the sound system output as a function of said time-to-collision value.