Driving separation distance indicator

• US 7,123,168 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schofield, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/422,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20040012488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/937, 340/903, 340/904, 700/300, 700/301, 701/45, 701/300, 701/301, 180/271, 180/250, 180/275, 348/143, 348/148, 348/161, 342/70, 342/71, 342/72
• US Class Current: 340/937
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/535 to prevent rear-end collisions, e.g. by indicating safety distance at the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/082 using alarm actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

A driving separation indication system for a vehicle includes an imaging sensor, a control and at least one indicator. The control is operable to process an image captured by the imaging sensor representative of a scene occurring exteriorly of the subject vehicle and to detect another vehicle via processing of the image. The control is operable to determine a threshold interspacing distance in response to a speed of the subject vehicle, and is operable to determine a distance from the subject vehicle to the detected other vehicle. The control is operable to at least occasionally actuate the indicator in response to the distance from the subject vehicle to the other vehicle being less than or equal to the threshold interspacing distance. The control may generally continuously determine the speed of the vehicle and the threshold interspacing distance to provide an appropriate threshold interspacing distance.

Claims

1. A driving separation indication system for a subject vehicle, said driving separation indication system comprising:

an imaging sensor mounted at the subject vehicle and having a field of view generally exteriorly of the subject vehicle, said imaging sensor being operable to capture an image of a scene occurring exteriorly of the vehicle;

a control operable to determine a threshold interspacing distance in response to a speed of the subject vehicle, said control being operable to process said image and to detect another vehicle spaced from the subject vehicle via processing of said image, said control being operable to determine a distance from the subject vehicle to the other vehicle; and

at least one indicator operable in response to said control, said control being operable to at least occasionally actuate said at least one indicator in response to said determined distance from the subject vehicle to the other vehicle being less than or equal to said threshold interspacing distance, said at least one indicator being operable to alert the driver of the other vehicle when actuated by said control.

2. The driving separation indicating system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to generally continuously determine said threshold interspacing distance in response to the speed of the subject vehicle.

3. The driving separation indicating system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to determine the speed of the subject vehicle via processing of said image.

4. The driving separation indicating system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to receive a speed input from one of a speed sensor and another control of the vehicle to determine the speed of the subject vehicle.

5. The driving separation indicating system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to determine if a detected other vehicle is in the same lane as the subject vehicle.

6. The driving separation indicating system of claim 5, wherein said control is operable to actuate said at least one indicator in response to said control determining that the detected other vehicle is in the same lane as the subject vehicle and that the determined distance is less than or equal to said threshold interspacing distance.

7. The driving separation indicating system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to determine said threshold interspacing distance in response to at least one of a signal from an ambient light sensor, a signal from a rain sensor, a signal from a side object detection system, a signal from a lane change assist system and a signal from a lane departure warning system.

8. The driving separation indicating system of claim 1, wherein said imaging sensor is positioned to have a field of view generally rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the subject vehicle, said control being operable to process said image to detect a vehicle following the subject vehicle.

9. The driving separation indicating system of claim 8, wherein said at least one indicator comprises a rear brake light of the subject vehicle.

10. The driving separation indicating system of claim 9, wherein said at least one indicator comprises a rear brake light of a center high mounted stop light of the subject vehicle.

11. The driving separation indicating system of claim 8, wherein said at least one indicator comprises at least one illumination source.

12. The driving separation indicating system of claim 11, wherein said at least one illumination source is generally contained within a housing for a center high mounted stop light of die subject vehicle.

13. The driving separation indicating system of claim 11, wherein said control is operable to flash said at least one illumination source when said distance from the subject vehicle to the following vehicle is less than or equal to said threshold interspacing distance.

14. The driving separation indicating system of claim 1, wherein said at least one indicator comprises at least one illumination source.

15. The driving separation indicating system of claim 1, wherein said at least one indicator is viewable by a driver of the other vehicle.

16. The driving separation indicating system of claim 1, wherein said imaging sensor is associated with at least one other accessory of the vehicle, said at least one other accessory comprising at least one of (a) a vision system, (b) a rain sensor, (c) a lane departure warning system, (d) a back up aid, and (e) a headlamp control.

17. The driving separation indicating system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to determine said threshold interspacing distance in response to at least one driving condition parameter, said at least one driving condition comprising at least one of (a) a deceleration of the subject vehicle, (b) a deceleration of the other vehicle, (c) a visibility condition, (d) a traffic condition, and (e) a lighting condition.

18. A center high mounted stop lamp module for a subject vehicle comprising:

a housing positionable at a rear portion of the subject vehicle;

at least one indicator positioned within said housing and directed generally rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the subject vehicle when said housing is positioned at the rear portion of the subject vehicle, at least one of said at least one indicator being connectable to an electrical wire of the subject vehicle and activatable in response to actuation of the brake pedal of the subject vehicle; and

a driving separation indicating system comprising;

an imaging sensor positioned within said housing and having a field of view generally rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the subject vehicle when said housing is positioned at the rear portion of the subject vehicle, said imaging sensor being operable to capture an image of a scene occurring rearwardly of the vehicle; and

a control positioned within said housing and operable to determine a threshold following distance in response to a speed of the subject vehicle and at least one driving condition parameter, said control being operable to process said image and to detect a vehicle following the subject vehicle via processing of said image, said control being operable to determine a distance from the subject vehicle to the following vehicle, said at least one driving condition parameter comprising at least one of (a) a deceleration of the subject vehicle, (b) a deceleration of the other vehicle, (c) a visibility condition (d) a traffic condition, and (e) a lighting condition, said control being operable to at least occasionally actuate said at least one indicator in response to said distance from the subject vehicle to the following vehicle being less than or equal to said threshold following distance.

19. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 18, wherein said control is operable to generally continuously determine said threshold following distance in response to the speed of the subject vehicle.

20. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 18, wherein said control is operable to determine the speed of the subject vehicle via processing of said image.

21. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 18, wherein said control is connectable to one of a speed sensor and another control of the subject vehicle and operable to receive a speed input from said one of a speed sensor and another control of the subject vehicle to determine the speed of the subject vehicle.

22. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 18, wherein said control is operable to determine if a detected following vehicle is in the same lane as the subject vehicle.

23. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 22, wherein said control is operable to actuate said at least one indicator in response to said control determining that the detected following vehicle is in the same lane as the subject vehicle and when the determined distance is less than or equal to said threshold following distance.

24. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 18, wherein said control is operable to determine said threshold following distance in response to at least one of a signal from an ambient light sensor, a signal from a rain sensor, a signal from a side object detection system, a signal from a lane change assist system and a signal from a lane departure warning system.

25. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 18, wherein said at least one indicator comprises one illumination source, said one illumination source being independently actuatable by said control and by actuation of the brake pedal of the subject vehicle.

26. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 18, wherein said at least one indicator comprises at least two indicators.

27. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 26, wherein said at least one of said at least one indicator is actuatable in response to actuation of the brake pedal of the subject vehicle and at least one other of said at least one indicator is actuatable in response to said control.

28. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 27, wherein said at least two indicators comprise at least two illumination sources.

29. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 27, wherein said control is operable to flash said at least one other of said at least one indicator when said distance from the subject vehicle to the following vehicle is less than or equal to said threshold following distance.

30. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 18, wherein said control is operable to flash said at least one indicator when said distance from the subject vehicle to the following vehicle is less than or equal to said threshold following distance.

31. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 18, wherein said at least one indicator is viewable by a driver of the following vehicle.

32. The center high mounted stop lamp module of claim 18, wherein said imaging sensor is associated with as least one other accessory of the vehicle when said module is positioned on the vehicle, said at least one other accessory comprising at least one of (a) a vision system, (b) a rain sensor, (c) a lane departure warning system, (d) a back up aid, and (e) a headlamp control.