Movable body safety system and movable body operation support method

• US 7,561,180 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Koike, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao; Andy S
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALLENBECK-HUBER, JEREMIAH CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US10/347,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20030146827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,366 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 340/903, 701/301
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/484 for showing outline of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/004 using wave sensors radar designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicles and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

A beam radiator for radiating a visible light beam on a road surface with a pattern determined according to a predetermined rule in order to inform others of the existence of a subject vehicle. In addition, an imaging device having an effective imaging region for generating an image of an entire subject pattern reflected on the road surface by the visible light beam from the beam radiator. The subject pattern formed by the visible light beam from the subject vehicle and the other pattern formed by the visible light or the invisible light beam from the other vehicle or an infrastructure are extracted by processing the image generated by the imaging device. Then, on the basis of the relation between the subject pattern and the other pattern, it is determined whether the subject vehicle is in a state where attention is required during running.

Claims

1. A safety system for a first moving object comprising:

at least one information-capturing device that obtains an infrared light which a light source of a second object, being different from the first moving object, emits onto the road surface to inform other moving objects of existence of the second object; and

an attention required state determining device that

(1) extracts course information on the first moving object that is one of;

first course information on the first moving object that is predetermined and second course information comprising light obtained by the at least one information-capturing device which a light source on the first moving object emits onto the road surface,

(2) extracts positional information on the second object from the infrared light emitted onto the road surface from the second object, and

(3) determines a likelihood of collision between the first moving object and the second object based on a positional relationship between the course information on the first moving object and the positional information on the second object.

2. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the course information represents an estimated traveling path of the first moving object.

3. The safety system of claim 2, wherein the estimated traveling path is estimated based on a kinetic parameter of the first moving object.

4. The safety system of claim 3, wherein the estimated traveling path represents an estimated circumscribing line of the first moving object over time.

5. The safety system of claim 2, wherein the estimated traveling path represents a first estimated circumscribing line of the first moving object over time.

6. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the second object is a second moving object.

7. The safety system of claim 6, wherein the infrared light emitted by the second moving object represents an estimated traveling path of the second object.

8. The safety system of claim 7, wherein the estimated traveling path of the second object is estimated based on a kinetic parameter of the second object.

9. The safety system of claim 8, wherein the estimated traveling path of the second object represents an estimated circumscribing line of the second object over time.

10. The safety system of claim 7, wherein the estimated traveling path of the second object represents an estimated circumscribing line of the second object over time.

11. The safety system of claim 8, wherein the course information represents an estimated path of the first moving object that is estimated based on a kinetic parameter of the first moving object.

12. The safety system of claim 1, wherein:

the information-capturing device obtains stationary object road surface projection information formed on the road surface by an infrared light of a stationary object;

the attention required state determining device determines the likelihood of collision based on the relationship between the course information and the stationary object road surface projection information.

13. The safety system of claim 1, wherein

the information-capturing device obtains at least one of the infrared light which the light source of the second object emits and the light which the light source of the first moving object emits.

14. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising:

a course information detecting portion that detects the course information on the first moving object based on a motion parameter of the first moving object.