System and method for warning of potential collisions

• US 6,894,608 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2000
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Altra Recovery LLC
• Original Assignee: Altia Technology (Altia Group)
• Inventors: Gunderson, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/621,748
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 340/468, 340/469, 340/471, 340/475, 340/478, 340/435, 340/436, 340/437, 340/425.5, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 340/468
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/30 Lamps commanded by wireless transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/006 using a distance sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/007 providing information about the distance to an obstacle, e.g. varying sound
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• 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 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area radar in bumper area G01S2013/93275; bumper with obstacle sensor of electric or electronic type B60R19/483
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements

Abstract

A collision avoidance system for a vehicle. The collision avoidance system includes one or more transmitting devices, one or more receiving devices, a control module and a mirror. The receiving devices receive return signals and send information regarding the return signals to the control module. The control module detects a hazard based on the information received from the one or more receiving devices. The mirror includes visual indicators for warning a driver of the hazard detected by the control module.

Claims

1. A collision avoidance system for a vehicle, comprising:

one or more transmitting devices disposed to transmit a first signal into a region adjacent a driver side of the vehicle;

one or more receiving devices, wherein the one or more receiving devices receive return signals;

a control module connected to the one or more transmitting devices and the receiving devices, wherein the control module detects a hazard based on information on the return signals received from the one or more receiving devices; and

a mirror, wherein the mirror includes a visual indicator for displaying, in graphic form, a warning of the hazard detected by the control module.

2. The collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the mirror includes a visual indicator which activates when a hazard is detected in a direction and a turn signal is activated for movement in that direction.

3. The collision avoidance system of claim 2, wherein the visual indicator is a slash which extends on a diagonal across the mirror.

4. The collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a transmission and wherein the mirror includes a visual indicator which activates when a hazard is detected behind the vehicle while the transmission is in reverse.

5. The collision avoidance system of claim 4, wherein the visual indicator is a triangle.

6. The collision avoidance system of claim 4, wherein the visual indicator is a triangle and line formed from discrete points and wherein the line is activated as a sequence of the discrete points.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the visual indicator is a triangle and line and wherein the control module divides the line into a plurality of zones, selects a zone from the plurality of zones and places an indication within the selected zone representative of distance to the hazard.

8. The collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a passenger side, a front side and a rear side and further wherein the at least one transmitting devices is adapted to transmit the first signal into a region adjacent to the passenger side, a region adjacent the front side and a region adjacent the rear side.

9. The collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a passenger side, a front side and a rear side and further wherein at least one transmitting device is adapted to transmit a second signal into a region adjacent the passenger side, at least one transmitting device is adapted to transmit a third signal into a region adjacent the front side, and at least one transmitting device is adapted to transmit a fourth signal into a region adjacent the rear side.

10. A method of alerting a driver of potential hazards, comprising:

detecting a potential collision event using a transmitted signal and a reflected signal based on the transmitted signal, wherein the transmitted signal is directed into one or more regions about a vehicle and at least one region includes a region adjacent a driver side of the vehicle; and

displaying, in graphical form, a symbol within a mirror indicating that the potential collision event has been detected.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting a potential collision event includes transmitting a signal, detecting a reflection of the signal and determining presence of an object based on the reflection.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting a potential collision includes transmitting a plurality of signals into a plurality of regions adjacent the vehicle.

13. A collision avoidance system for a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of transmitting devices, including a first transmitting device and a second transmitting device, wherein the first transmitting device is adapted to transmit a first signal into a region adjacent a driver side of the vehicle and the second transmitting device is adapted to transmit a second signal;

a plurality of receiving devices, including a first receiving device and a second receiving device, wherein the first receiving device receives a return representative of the signal transmitted from the first transmitting device and transmits a first return signal representative of the first return and wherein the second receiving device receives a return representative of the signal transmitted from the second transmitting device and transmits a second return signal representative of the second return;

a control module connected to the plurality of transmitting devices and the plurality of receiving devices, wherein the control module receives the first and second return signals and detects potential hazards as a function of the first and second return signals; and

a mirror, wherein the mirror a visual indicator for displaying, in graphic form, a warning of potential hazards detected by the control module.

14. The collision avoidance system of claim 13, wherein the mirror includes a visual indicator which activates when a hazard is detected in a direction and a turn signal is activated for movement in that direction.

15. The collision avoidance system of claim 14, wherein the visual indicator is a slash which extends on a diagonal across the mirror.

16. The collision avoidance system of claim 13, wherein the mirror includes a visual indicator which activates when a hazard is detected behind the vehicle while the transmission is in reverse.

17. The collision avoidance system of claim 16, wherein the visual indicator is a triangle.

18. The collision avoidance system of claim 16, wherein the visual indicator is a triangle and line formed from discrete points and wherein the line is activated as a sequence of the discrete points.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the visual indicator is a triangle and line and wherein the control module divides the line into a plurality of zones, selects a zone from the plurality of zones and places an indication within the selected zone representative of distance to the hazard.

20. The collision avoidance system of claim 13, wherein the second transmitting device is adapted to transmit the second signal into a region adjacent a side of the vehicle.

21. The collision avoidance system of claim 13, further including:

a third transmitting device adapted to transmit a third signal into a region adjacent a rear portion of the vehicle;

a fourth transmitting device adapted to transmit a fourth signal into a region adjacent a front portion of the vehicle;

a third receiving device coupled to the control module and adapted to receive a return representative of the signal transmitted from the third transmitting device and transmits a third return signal representative of the third return; and

a fourth receiving device coupled to the control module and adapted to receive a return representative of the signal transmitted from the fourth transmitting device and transmits a fourth return signal representative of the fourth return; and

wherein the control module receives the third and fourth return signals and detects a potential hazard as a function of the third or fourth return signal.