Vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system, vehicle surrounding monitoring system and vehicle obstacle warning system and related methods

• US 6,756,916 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yanai, Tatsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US10/067,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20020110261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 340/936, 340/988, 340/438, 340/439, 340/441, 340/436, 348/148, 348/159
• US Class Current: 340/936
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/823 Obstacle sensing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/044 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01548 sensing the amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects

Abstract

Systems and methods for discriminating a vehicle surrounding circumstance for monitoring the vehicle surrounding and for warning an obstacle present around the vehicle surrounding are disclosed wherein each system has a vehicle speed detecting unit (12) detecting a vehicle speed, an action detecting unit (14, 16, 38, 20) detecting a driver'"'"'s action, and a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating unit (20) discriminating a good or bad visibility around the vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action, thereby enabling a discrimination for the good or bad visibility in the vehicle surrounding at an intersecting point or at a pedestrian crossing on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action.

Claims

1. A vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system for a vehicle comprising:

a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed;

an action detecting unit detecting a driver'"'"'s action; and

a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action, wherein;

said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and detection of a driver'"'"'s given action.

2. The vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system according to claim 1, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a length detecting unit detecting a pull-out length of a seat belt and discriminates that, when a difference between the pull-out length of the seat belt, which is detected with said length detecting unit, and a pull-out length of the seat belt in a normal drive mode exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from the normal drive mode.

3. The vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system according to claim 1, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a load detecting unit detecting a downward load exerted to a steering wheel and discriminates that, when the downward load detected with said load detecting unit exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

4. The vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system according to claim 1, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting output image of the face portion from image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when a ratio of output image of the face portion occupied in an image screen exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

5. The vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system according to claim 1, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up face image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting image of an eye area from said face image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when image of the eye area is displaced in a value exceeding a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

6. A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system including a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed, an action detecting unit detecting a driver'"'"'s action, and a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver'"'"'s action being aligned with a given action;

an image taking up unit taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver;

a display unit providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up unit; and

a control unit operative to cause said display unit to provide the display of image taken up with said image taking up unit when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

7. The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a length detecting unit detecting a pull-out length of a seat belt and discriminates that, when a difference between the pull-out length of the seat belt, which is detected with said length detecting unit, and a pull-out length of the seat belt in a normal drive attitude exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

8. The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a load detecting unit detecting a downward load exerted to a steering wheel and discriminates that, when the downward load detected with said load detecting unit exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

9. The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting output image of the face portion from image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when a ratio of output image of the face portion occupied in an image screen exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

10. The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up face image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting image of an eye area from said face image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when image of the eye area is displaced in a value exceeding a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

11. A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system including a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed, an action detecting unit detecting a driver'"'"'s action, and a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver'"'"'s action being aligned with a given action;

an image taking up unit taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver;

a display unit providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up unit;

a current vehicle position detecting unit detecting a current vehicle position;

a memory unit storing a particular location of the poor visibility area detected with said current vehicle position detection unit when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area; and

a control unit operative to cause said image taking up unit to take up image and to cause the display unit to provide the display of image in response to the vehicle arriving at the particular location stored in said memory unit.

12. The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a length detecting unit detecting a pull-out length of a seat belt and discriminates that, when a difference between the pull-out length of the seat belt, which is detected with said length detecting unit, and a pull-out length of the seat belt in a normal drive attitude exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

13. The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a load detecting unit detecting a downward load exerted to a steering wheel and discriminates that, when the downward load detected with said load detecting unit exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

14. The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting output image of the face portion from image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when a ratio of output image of the face portion occupied in an image screen exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

15. The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein:

said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up face image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting image of an eye area from said face image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when image of the eye area is displaced in a value exceeding a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

16. A vehicle obstacle warning system, comprising:

a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system including a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed, an action detecting unit detecting a driver'"'"'s action, and a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver'"'"'s action being aligned with a given action;

an obstacle detecting unit detecting an obstacle present around the vehicle surrounding;

a warning unit issuing a warning signal upon detection of said obstacle; and

a control unit operative to cause said obstacle detecting unit to detect said obstacle and to cause said warning unit to issue said warning signal when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

17. A vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system for a vehicle, comprising:

means for detecting a vehicle speed;

means for detecting a driver'"'"'s action; and

means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action, wherein;

said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and detection of a driver'"'"'s given action.

18. A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating unit including means for detecting a vehicle speed, means for detecting a driver'"'"'s action, and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver'"'"'s action being aligned with a given action;

means for taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver;

display means for providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up unit; and

control means operative to cause said display means to provide the display of image taken up with said image taking up means when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

19. A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating unit including means for detecting a vehicle speed, means for detecting a driver'"'"'s action, and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver'"'"'s action being aligned with a given action;

means for taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver;

display means for providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up means;

means for detecting a current vehicle position;

means for storing a particular location of the poor visibility area detected with said current vehicle position detection means when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area; and

control means operative to cause said image taking up means to take up image and to cause the display means to provide the display of image in response to the vehicle arriving at the particular location stored in said memory means.

20. A vehicle obstacle warning system, comprising:

a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating unit including means for detecting a vehicle speed, means for detecting a driver'"'"'s action, and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver'"'"'s action being aligned with a given action;

means for detecting an obstacle present around the vehicle surrounding;

means for issuing a warning signal upon detection of said obstacle; and

control means operative to cause said obstacle detecting means to detect said obstacle and to cause said warning signal issuing means to issue said warning signal when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

21. A method of discriminating a vehicle surrounding circumstance, comprising:

detecting a vehicle speed;

detecting a driver'"'"'s action; and

discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action, wherein;

said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and detection of a driver'"'"'s given action.

22. A method of monitoring a vehicle surrounding, comprising:

detecting a vehicle speed;

detecting a driver'"'"'s action;

discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action when a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver'"'"'s action in alignment with a given action;

taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver;

providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding; and

controlling said displaying step to be initiated for the display of image taken up in said image taking up step when said discriminating step discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

23. A method of monitoring a vehicle surrounding, comprising:

detecting a vehicle speed;

detecting a driver'"'"'s action;

discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action when a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver'"'"'s action in alignment with a given action;

taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver;

providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up in said image taking up step;

detecting a current vehicle position;

storing a particular location of the poor visibility area detected in said current vehicle position detecting step when the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area; and

controlling said image taking up step to be executed to take up image and said display providing step to be initiated to provide the display of image in response to the vehicle arriving at the stored particular location.

24. A method of warning a vehicle obstacle, comprising:

detecting a vehicle speed;

detecting a driver'"'"'s action;

discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver'"'"'s action when a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver'"'"'s action in alignment with a given action;

detecting an obstacle present around the vehicle surrounding;

issuing a warning signal upon detection of said obstacle; and

controlling said obstacle detecting step to be executed to detect said obstacle and said warning signal issuing step to be initiated to issue said warning signal when said vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.