Vehicle tracking driver assistance system
First Claim
1. A method for driving a large motor vehicle having a windshield behind which a driver sits and operates a steering wheel of the vehicle, comprising:
- placing a pair of driver-visible lines in, on or near the windshield, located for a particular driver relative to the driver'"'"'s head position while driving the vehicle, the lines being obliquely positioned relative to horizontal and converging toward one another at upper ends of the lines, including a left line and a right line, the left line being oriented to appear to the driver to be generally parallel to a left side lane line in a roadway where the vehicle is being driven in a straight path and wherein the path ahead of the vehicle is straight, and the right line being oriented to appear to be generally parallel to a right side lane line or right edge of the roadway on which the vehicle is being driven on a straight path,driving the vehicle with the eyes of the driver focused and converged ahead at the roadway and not on the driver-visible lines, thereby producing in the peripheral vision of a two-eyed driver a double image of each of the left and right driver-visible lines, the double images comprising inner and outer left line images and inner and outer right line images and the inner left and right line images defining a conceptual zone of safety between them, and steering the vehicle so as to maintain the vehicle on a path wherein both the left side lane line and the right side lane line or roadway edge remain outside the zone of safety, whereby when such a line enters the zone of safety the driver takes this as a warning that corrective steering action is needed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system of vehicle tracking assists the driver of the subject vehicle (especially if it is a wide vehicle such as a motorhome or large truck) to determine the exact position of the subject vehicle and the width and location of the safe clearance path of the vehicle as it moves forward. This system incorporates hardware, setup instruction and means to train the driver to change and improve the accuracy of his or her perception of the path the vehicle will travel and warn the driver of what may lie within that path. This system takes into account that the driver generally has two eyes and enables the driver to keep them both focused on the road ahead of the vehicle while enabling him or her to continuously identify the limits of the safe clearance path of the vehicle.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for driving a large motor vehicle having a windshield behind which a driver sits and operates a steering wheel of the vehicle, comprising:
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placing a pair of driver-visible lines in, on or near the windshield, located for a particular driver relative to the driver'"'"'s head position while driving the vehicle, the lines being obliquely positioned relative to horizontal and converging toward one another at upper ends of the lines, including a left line and a right line, the left line being oriented to appear to the driver to be generally parallel to a left side lane line in a roadway where the vehicle is being driven in a straight path and wherein the path ahead of the vehicle is straight, and the right line being oriented to appear to be generally parallel to a right side lane line or right edge of the roadway on which the vehicle is being driven on a straight path, driving the vehicle with the eyes of the driver focused and converged ahead at the roadway and not on the driver-visible lines, thereby producing in the peripheral vision of a two-eyed driver a double image of each of the left and right driver-visible lines, the double images comprising inner and outer left line images and inner and outer right line images and the inner left and right line images defining a conceptual zone of safety between them, and steering the vehicle so as to maintain the vehicle on a path wherein both the left side lane line and the right side lane line or roadway edge remain outside the zone of safety, whereby when such a line enters the zone of safety the driver takes this as a warning that corrective steering action is needed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for driving a large motor vehicle having a windshield behind which a driver sits and operates a steering wheel of the vehicle, comprising:
providing a light source near the vehicle windshield, in a position as not to be seen directly by the driver but such as to make a reflection of a pair of light lines within the vehicle and visible to the driver, the lines being straight or curved and converging toward one another at their upper ends as seen reflected, the reflected left and right lines being located for a particular driver relative to the driver'"'"'s head position while driving the vehicle, the left line being oriented to appear to the driver to be generally parallel to a left side lane line in a roadway where the vehicle is being driven in a straight path and where the path ahead of the vehicle is straight, and the right line being oriented to be generally parallel to a right side lane line or right edge of the roadway on which the vehicle is being driven in a straight path, and including automatic means connected to the steering wheel of the vehicle and responsive to the rotational position of the steering wheel for adjusting the curvature of the left and right lines seen as reflections in accordance with the steering wheel position such that the left and right lines are straight when the vehicle is being driven in a straight path, and such that the left and right lines are curved and represent the path that will be taken, as seen against the roadway ahead, by the vehicle if the driver proceeds ahead with the steering wheel continuing in the same position, and driving the vehicle with the eyes of the driver focused and converged ahead at the roadway and not on the reflected lines seen, thereby producing in the peripheral vision of a two-eyed driver a double image of each of the left and right reflected lines, the double images comprising inner and outer left line images and inner and outer right line images and the inner left and right line images defining a conceptual zone of safety between them, and steering the vehicle so as to maintain the vehicle on a path wherein both the left side lane line and the right side lane line or roadway edge remain outside the zone of safety, including when traveling through turns or curves, whereby when such a lane line enters the zone of safety, as seen by the driver, the driver takes this as a warning that corrective steering action is needed. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A system assisting a driver of a large motor vehicle having a windshield behind which the driver sits and operates a steering wheel of the vehicle, the system comprising:
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a light source near the vehicle windshield, in a position as not to be seen directly by the driver but such as to make a reflection of a pair of light lines within the vehicle and visible to the driver, the lines being straight or curved and adjustable and converging toward one another at their upper ends as seen reflected, the reflected left and right lines being located for a particular driver relative to the driver'"'"'s head position while driving the vehicle, the left line being oriented to appear to the driver to be generally parallel to a left side lane line in a roadway where the vehicle is being driven in a straight path and where the path ahead of the vehicle is straight, and the right line being oriented to appear to be generally parallel to a right side lane line or right edge of the roadway on which the vehicle is being driven in a straight path, and automatic means connected to the steering wheel of the vehicle and responsive to the rotational position of the steering wheel for adjusting the curvature of the left and right reflected lines in accordance with the steering wheel position such that the left and right lines are straight when the vehicle is being driven in a straight path, and such that the left and right lines are curved and represent the path that will be taken, as seen against the roadway ahead, by the vehicle if the driver proceeds ahead with the steering wheel continuing in the same position, whereby the driver drives the vehicle with the eyes of the driver focused and converged ahead at the roadway and not on the reflected lines, thereby producing in the peripheral vision of a two-eyed driver a double image of each of the left and right reflected lines, the double images comprising inner and outer left line images and inner and outer right line images and the inner left and right line images defining a conceptual zone of safety between them, and with the driver steering the vehicle so as to maintain the vehicle on a path wherein both the left side lane line and the right side lane line or roadway edge remain outside the zone of safety, including when traveling through turns or curves, whereby when such a lane line enters the zone of safety, as seen by the driver, the driver takes this as a warning that corrective steering action is needed. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system assisting a driver of a large motor vehicle having a windshield behind which the driver sits and operates a steering wheel of the vehicle, the system comprising:
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a light source near the vehicle windshield, in a position as not to be seen directly by the driver but such as to make a reflection within the vehicle of a pair of driver-visible light lines, the lines being adjustable and converging toward one another at their upper ends as seen reflected, the reflected left and right lines being located for a particular driver relative to the driver'"'"'s head position while driving the vehicle, the left line being oriented to appear to the driver to be generally parallel to a left side lane line in a roadway where the vehicle is being driven in a straight path and where the path ahead of the vehicle is straight, and the right line being oriented to appear to be generally parallel to a right side lane line or right edge of the roadway on which the vehicle is being driven in a straight path, and a separate remote control device allowing the driver to set the apparent positions of the left and right driver-visible lines as reflected while the driver is in a normal driving position, by adjusting the light source, whereby the driver drives the vehicle with the eyes of the driver focused and converged ahead at the roadway and not on the reflected lines, thereby producing in the peripheral vision of a two-eyed driver a double image of each of the left and right reflected lines, the double images comprising inner and outer left line images and inner and outer right line images and the inner left and right line images defining a conceptual zone of safety between them, and with the driver steering the vehicle so as to maintain the vehicle on a path wherein both the left side lane line and the right side lane line or roadway edge remain outside the zone of safety, whereby when such a lane line enters the zone of safety, as seen by the driver, the driver takes this as a warning that corrective steering action is needed. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification