System and method of modifying programmable blind spot detection sensor ranges with vision sensor input

• US 7,612,658 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Stopczynski, Lawrence Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/786,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20080252482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 340/436, 340/903, 340/935, 340/937, 340/942, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/435, 701/301, 342/70
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A continuously programmable Blind Spot Detection System for vehicles that use continuous vision sensor input to determine lane offset and determine a maximum range limit for radar sensors to define an area of interest for declaration of objects within the blind spot area.

Claims

1. A programmable Blind Spot Detection System for host vehicles having an ECU with a memory and further equipped with an external vision system, comprising:

a lane departure warning system having at least one vision sensor for continuously sensing lane offset data for said host vehicle;

said lane offset data continuously transmitted to said ECU to continuously determine lane offset as said host vehicle travels in a lane;

a Blind Spot Detection System equipped with at least one radar sensor, each said radar sensor projecting a radar beam overlapping with an adjacent radar beam and transmitting radar data to said ECU;

each said radar beam having a continuously programmable Maximum Range Limit as continuously determined by the ECU in response to said continuously determined lane offset to warn an operator when an object is detected within said continuously programmable Maximum Range Limit.

2. The programmable Blind Spot Detection System of claim 1, wherein said object may include vehicles in a lane adjacent said host vehicle, debris, pedestrians.

3. The programmable Blind Spot Detection System of claim 1, wherein each said beam selection has a separate programmable maximum range limit.

4. The programmable Blind Spot Detection System of claim 1, wherein each separate programmable maximum range limit in each beam is in decreasing order.

5. The programmable Blind Spot Detection System of claim 1, wherein said vision system lane marker offset continuously modifies said blind spot programmable range settings to ensure blind spot detection capability extends to an adjacent lane and not beyond.

6. A method of modifying continuously programmable blind spot detection radar ranges with vision sensor input in a host vehicle, comprising:

determining a continuously programmable Maximum Range Limit in at least one radar beam based upon continuous vision input;

applying said continuously programmable maximum range limit to at least one radar beam;

determining whether a detected object is within the continuously programmable maximum range limit for said radar beam;

generating an alarm.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said vision input is continuously determining lane offset based upon vision sensor input and inputting such lane offset into an ECU memory.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the ECU continuously determines a Maximum Range Limit in each of multiple radar beams in a Blind Spot Detection System based upon a continuous determination of lane offset.