Vehicle collision detector

• US 7,394,355 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Longhorn Automotive Group LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Goran Sjonell
• Inventors: Sjonell, Goran
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob; Sisay
• Application Number:
  US10/588,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20070126563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/425.5, 340/506, 340/555, 340/600, 340/903, 340/942, 340/524, 180/271, 250/338.1, 250/339.01, 250/221, 250/222.1, 250/224, 348/118, 348/148, 342/70
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4811 common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4814 of transmitters alone
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/20 using multiple transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A collision prevention detector (22), and a method therefor, to be mounted on a vehicle (10), transmits a sequence of transmissions of IR signals. The signals are transmitted in sequences alternating between at least one at the right and to the left positioned LED (24, 26, 34, 36), when both signals provide a return/reflected signal to IR-receiver an object (12) is determined as present within the area/zone from the point where the transmitted signals intersect/cross. Sequencing of signals makes it possible to position a return signal from an object (12), as one of the signals has to confirm the other signal to provide a warning signal. Moreover, a first set of LED'"'"'s detects objects in a near-field zone (40) of the vehicle, and a second set detects objects beyond the first field in a far-field zone (42), whereby at least two sets of the LED'"'"'s are positioned to the right and to the left.

Claims

1. A collision prevention detector to be mounted on a vehicle, transmitting a sequence of transmissions of IR signals, whereby the signals are transmitted in sequences alternating between at least one at the right and to the left positioned LED, when both signals provide a return/reflected signal to an IR-receiver an object is determined as present within an area from the point where the transmitted signals intersect/cross, whereby the sequencing of signals makes it possible to position a return signal from the object, as one of the signals has to confirm the other signal to provide a warning signal, said detector further comprising:

at least two sets of said LED'"'"'s positioned to the right and to the left, whereby a first set detects objects in a near-field zone of the vehicle, and a second set beyond said first field in a far-field zone;

a processor connected to said first and second sets for detection of near-and far-field zones and being provided the vehicle speed; and

a comparator connected to or comprised in said processor, which compares the vehicle speed with a pre-determined loss of measured distance by measuring how fast the vehicle approaches said object by closing in from the far-field zone to the near-field zone, whereby an alarm is given through an indicator device mounted on said vehicle alerting a vehicle driver to pay attention to the closing in of an approaching object.

2. A detector according to claim 1, wherein the detector can be a rear mirror mounted blind spot detector, a vehicle front mounted detector, a vehicle rear mounted detector, a vehicle side mounted detector, and a vehicle roof mounted detector.

3. A detector according to claim 2, wherein the detector is mounted within at least one of a headlight and a rear light of said vehicle.

4. A detector according claim 1, further comprising further sets of far-zone LED'"'"'s detecting beyond said second far-zone LED'"'"'s.

5. A detector according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle is automatically braked controlled by said processor if an object is closing in at a calculated breaking distance for the speed of the vehicle regarding detectors which are vehicle front mounted detectors, or vehicle rear mounted when reversing, thus detecting objects when the vehicle closes in on objects in front of it and when it reverses.

6. A detector according to claim 5, wherein said processor is connected to a vehicle road computer providing road temperatures.

7. A detector according to claim 5, wherein said processor is connected to a rain sensor, antiskid system, anti-spin system and other like systems providing road condition information utilized to calculate when to brake said vehicle.

8. A detector according to claim 1, wherein the width of a search field zone is determined by the optics of the LED'"'"'s utilized, through the sector angle within a beam of light and the angle between beams of light, and through the power of transmission of a transmitted IR signal.

9. A detector according to claim 1, wherein search field zones can be arranged so that warning signals are provided when a vehicle is entering a blind spot area, is within the area, and is leaving the area.

10. A detector according to claim 1, further comprising a receiver adapted to adjust the signal strength to the external light conditions and dirt on said LED'"'"'s whereby a stroger signal is used during daylight conditions and a weaker signal is used during darkness.

11. A method for a collision prevention detector to be mounted on a vehicle, transmitting a sequence of transmissions of IR signals, whereby the signals are transmitted in sequences alternating between at least one at the right and to the left positioned LED, when both signals provide are turn/reflected signal to IR-receiver an object is determined as present within an area from the point where the transmitted signals intersect/cross, whereby the sequencing of signals makes it possible to position a return signal from the object, as one of the signals has to confirm the other signal to provide a warning signal, said detector performing the steps of:

detecting objects in a near-field zone of the vehicle with a first set of LED'"'"'s, and detecting objects beyond said first field in a far-field zone with a second set of LED'"'"'s, whereby the two sets of said LED'"'"'s are positioned to the right and to the left;

providing a processor with the vehicle speed and connected to said first and second sets for detection of near- and far-field zones; and

using a comparator connected to or comprised in said processor for comparing the vehicle speed with a pre-determined loss of measured distance by measuring how fast said vehicle approaches said object by closing in from the far-field zone to the near-field zone, whereby an alarm is given through an indicator device mounted on said vehicle alerting a vehicle driver to pay attention to the closing in of an approaching object.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the detector can be a rear mirror mounted blind spot detector, a vehicle front mounted detector, a vehicle rear mounted detector, a vehicle side mounted detector, and a vehicle roof mounted detector.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the detector is mounted within at least one of a headlight and a rear light of said vehicle.

14. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of providing further sets of far-zone LED'"'"'s detecting beyond said second far-zone LED'"'"'s.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein said vehicle is automatically braked controlled by said processor if an object is closing in at a calculated breaking distance for the speed of the vehicle regarding detectors which are vehicle front mounted detector, or vehicle rear mounted when reversing, thus detecting objects when the vehicle closes in on objects in front of it and when it reverses.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said processor is connected to the vehicle road computer providing road temperatures.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein said processor is connected to a rain sensor, antiskid system, anti-spin system and other like systems providing road condition information utilized to calculate when to brake said vehicle.

18. A method according to claim 11, wherein the width of a search field zone is determined by the optics of the LED'"'"'s utilized, through the sector angle within a beam of light and the angle between beams of light, and through the power of transmission of a transmitted IR signal.

19. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of arranging search field zones so that warning signals are provided when a vehicle is entering a blind spot area, is within the area, and is leaving the area.

20. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of adapting the signal strength to the external light conditions and dirt on said LED'"'"'s whereby a stronger signal is used by daylight conditions and a weaker signal is used during darkness.