Alerting system of a vehicle deviating from its traffic lane

• US 7,355,526 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chi-Jui Huang
• Original Assignee: Chi-Jui Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Chi-Jui
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu; Shirley
• Application Number:
  US11/217,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 340/907, 340/942, 340/435, 348/148
• US Class Current: 340/907
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/40 Photo, light or radio wave sensitive means, e.g. infrared sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

An alerting system of a vehicle deviating from its traffic lane on a highway or road is disclosed. It includes at least one left-side determining device, at least one right-side determining device and a warning device. For each side, its light intensity detector obtains a light intensity signal function first. A light intensity variation judging module makes a judge. Aft, it utilizes a misjudging preventing module to avoid the misjudging before sending out a warning signal that can activate a warning action. The advantages and functions of this invention includes having a changeable judging base depending on its environment, lowering the possibility of misjudging caused by shadow, and having several post-processing steps.

Claims

1. An alerting system of a vehicle deviating from its traffic lane, said vehicle having a front edge, a rear edge, a left edge and a right edge, said alerting system comprising:

at least one left-side determining device, each left-side determining device including;

[a] a first light intensity detector for detecting a light intensity of a first zone and converting into a first light intensity signal so as to obtain a first light intensity signal function when a time passes;

[b] a first light intensity variation judging module for reading said first light intensity signal function and outputting a first variation signal within a preset time, if a condition that said first light intensity signal function varying over a first variation limit being true, then an output of said first variation signal being ON, otherwise an output of said first variation signal being OFF;

[c] a first misjudging preventing module for reading said first variation signal and output a left-side deviation signal, if said first variation signal keeping ON longer than a first comparison time, then an output of said left-side deviation signal being ON, otherwise an output of said left-side deviation signal being OFF;

at least one right-side determining device, each right-side determining device including;

[a] a second light intensity detector for detecting a light intensity of a second zone and converting into a second light intensity signal so as to obtain a second light intensity signal function when a time passes;

[b] a second light intensity variation judging module for reading said second light intensity signal function and outputting a second variation signal within a preset time, if a condition that said second light intensity signal function varying over a second variation limit being true, then an output of said second variation signal being ON, otherwise an output of said second variation signal being OFF;

[c] a second misjudging preventing module for reading said second variation signal and output a right-side deviation signal, if said second variation signal keeping ON longer than a second comparison time, then an output of said right-side deviation signal being ON, otherwise an output of said right-side deviation signal being OFF;

a warning device to output a warning signal to activate a warning action when one of said left-side deviation signal and right-side deviation signal is received,

wherein said condition that the first light intensity signal function varying over a first variation limit in said first light intensity variation judging module is defined by;

said first light intensity signal function multiplying a first coefficient and making a first phase lag to obtain a first floating function;

once said first light intensity signal function crossing said first floating function, said condition that said first light intensity signal function varying over a first variation limit being true; and

said condition that said second light intensity signal function varying over a second variation limit in said second light intensity variation judging module is defined by;

said second light intensity signal function multiplying a second coefficient and making a second phase lag to obtain a second floating function;

once said second light intensity signal function crosses said second floating function, said condition that said second light intensity signal function varying over a second variation limit is true.

2. An alerting system of a vehicle deviating from its traffic lane, said vehicle having a front edge, a rear edge, a left edge and a right edge, said alerting system comprising:

at least one left-side determining device, each left-side determining device including;

[a] a first light intensity detector for detecting a light intensity of a first zone and converting into a first light intensity signal so as to obtain a first light intensity signal function when a time passes;

[b] a first light intensity variation judging module for reading said first light intensity signal function and outputting a first variation signal within a preset time, if a condition that said first light intensity signal function varying over a first variation limit being true, then an output of said first variation signal being ON, otherwise an output of said first variation signal being OFF;

[c] a first misjudging preventing module for reading said first variation signal and output a left-side deviation signal, if said first variation signal keeping ON longer than a first comparison time, then an output of said left-side deviation signal being ON, otherwise an output of said left-side deviation signal being OFF;

at least one right-side determining device, each right-side determining device including;

[a] a second light intensity detector for detecting a light intensity of a second zone and converting into a second light intensity signal so as to obtain a second light intensity signal function when a time passes;

[b] a second light intensity variation judging module for reading said second light intensity signal function and outputting a second variation signal within a preset time, if a condition that said second light intensity signal function varying over a second variation limit being true, then an output of said second variation signal being ON, otherwise an output of said second variation signal being OFF;

[c] a second misjudging preventing module for reading said second variation signal and output a right-side deviation signal, if said second variation signal keeping ON longer than a second comparison time, then an output of said right-side deviation signal being ON, otherwise an output of said right-side deviation signal being OFF;

a warning device to output a warning signal to activate a warning action when one of said left-side deviation signal and right-side deviation signal is received,

wherein said left-side determining device further including;

[d] a third light intensity detector for detecting a light intensity of a third zone and converting into a third light intensity signal so as to obtain a third light intensity signal function when a time passes;

[e] a third light intensity variation judging module for reading said third light intensity signal function and outputting a third variation signal within a preset time, if a condition that said third light intensity signal function varying over a third variation limit being true, then an output of said third variation signal being ON, otherwise an output of said third variation signal being OFF;

[f] a left-side shadow misjudging preventing module, if a time difference between a moment that said first variation signal turning ON and another moment that said third variation signal turning ON is shorter than a predetermined left-side shadow misjudging preventing value, then canceling said left-side deviation signal; and

said right-side determining device further including;

[d] a fourth light intensity detector for detecting a right intensity of a fourth zone and converting into a fourth light intensity signal so as to obtain a fourth light intensity signal function when a time passes;

[e] a fourth light intensity variation judging module for reading said fourth light intensity signal function and outputting a fourth variation signal within a preset time, if a condition that said fourth light intensity signal function varying over a fourth variation limit being true, then an output of said fourth variation signal being ON, otherwise an output of said fourth variation signal being OFF;

[f] a sight-side shadow misjudging preventing module, if a time difference between when said fourth variation signal turning ON and when said fourth variation signal turning ON is shorter than a predetermined right-side shadow misjudging preventing value, then canceling said right-side deviation signal,

wherein said condition that said third light intensity signal function varying over a first variation limit in said third light intensity variation judging module is defined by;

said third light intensity signal function multiplying a third coefficient and making a third phase lag to obtain a third floating function;

once said third light intensity signal function crossing said third floating function, said condition that said third light intensity signal function varying over a third variation limit being true; and

said condition that said fourth light intensity signal function varying over a fourth variation limit in said fourth light intensity variation judging module is defined by;

said fourth light intensity signal function multiplying a fourth coefficient and making a fourth phase lag to obtain a fourth floating function;

once said fourth light intensity signal function crossing said fourth floating function, said fourth light intensity signal function varying over a fourth variation limit being true.