Alarm information providing apparatus for vehicle

• US 7,057,505 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2003
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Iwamoto, Taro
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Application Number:
  US10/642,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 340/937, 340/947, 340/903, 340/435, 340/436, 340/425.5, 180/167, 180/169, 180/271, 348/135, 348/148, 348/149, 348/153, 348/143
• US Class Current: 340/463
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1469 controlled by or attached to a single lever, e.g. steering column stalk switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system

Abstract

An alarm information providing apparatus for a vehicle includes a recognizer that recognizes surrounding circumstances of the vehicle in a plurality of directions, a provider that provides alarm information to a driver according to surrounding information output from the recognizer that recognizes surrounding circumstances, and a receiver that receives an alarm information request so as to control the provider using an instruction from the driver as a trigger and comprises a sensor configured to transmit information specifying a direction to an alarm information output controller without activating a turn signal.

Claims

1. An alarm information providing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a recognizer that recognizes surrounding circumstances of the vehicle in a plurality of directions;

a provider that provides alarm information to a driver only upon sensing a request from the driver according to surrounding information output from the recognizer that recognizes surrounding circumstances; and

a receiver that receives an alarm information request so as to control the provider using an instruction from the driver as a trigger and comprises a sensor provided to an indicator manipulable to indicate a directional change, the sensor configured to transmit information specifying a direction to an alarm information output controller by touching the sensor, the output controller does not operate with an operation for emitting a turn signal;

wherein the receiver specifies a direction of the surrounding information to be output according to the instruction from the driver and outputs information of a specified direction as the trigger to the provider, and

the provider switches indicated alarm information according to the instruction from the driver based on the information of the direction output from the receiver.

2. The alarm information providing apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicator indicates a lane change and informs the lane change to a following vehicle driving behind, wherein the provider operates with enough time for an effective corresponding period by a time that the indicator operates.

3. The alarm information providing apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the effective corresponding period is set prior to an operation of the indicator.

4. The alarm information providing apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the indicator comprises a lever that operates a direction indicator, and the receiver is provided to the lever that operates the direction indicator.

5. The alarm information providing apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the receiver is provided independently from the lever that operates the direction indicator.

6. The alarm information providing apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a touch sensing device which operates by a touch of the driver, and the touch sensing device specifies the direction of the surrounding information according to a touch position where the driver touches.

7. The alarm information providing apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a switching structure which operates by a pressure applied by the driver, and specifies the direction of the surrounding information by identifying a direction of the pressure applied by the driver.

8. The alarm information providing apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the provider provides the alarm information to the driver through an oscillation via a component material of the receiver.