Warning apparatus for use in vehicle

• US 7,796,020 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Tadao
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US12/081,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/435, 340/436, 340/439, 701/36, 701/45
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control

Abstract

A warning apparatus acquires traffic light information from outside of a vehicle through a traffic information acquisition unit, and travel information regarding a travel condition of the vehicle through a travel information acquisition unit. Then, the warning apparatus determines whether an intersection is safely passable based on the traffic light information and the travel information. When the intersection is not safely passable, the warning apparatus searches similar traffic light information and similar travel information relative to current traffic light information and current travel information by checking records of past driving operation in a storage unit. Then, the warning apparatus predicts a driving operation of a driver when the driver is warned for determining the warning contents based on the operation information in association with the similar traffic light information and the similar travel information.

Claims

1. A warning apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising:

a traffic information acquisition unit capable of acquiring traffic information of outside of the vehicle;

a travel information acquisition unit capable of acquiring travel information regarding a travel condition of the vehicle;

an operation information acquisition unit capable of acquiring operation information regarding a driving operation by a driver of the vehicle;

a storage unit capable of storing the traffic information in association with the travel information at a time of acquiring the traffic information and the operation information representative of the driving operation on the travel condition at the time of acquiring the traffic information; and

a warning contents determination unit capable of determining warning contents according to the operation information in association with the traffic information and travel information, wherein, when the traffic information is acquired, the warning contents determination unit determines the warning contents after searching similar traffic information and similar travel information from information stored in the storage unit by referring to the acquired traffic information and the travel information at the time of acquiring the traffic information.

2. The warning apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the traffic information acquisition unit acquires the traffic information that includes a remaining time of a green light of a traffic signal,

the travel information acquisition unit acquires the travel information that includes a speed of the vehicle and a distance from a current position of the vehicle to the traffic signal,

the operation information acquisition unit acquires the operation information that includes an acceleration operation and a deceleration operation, and

the warning contents determination unit determines the warning contents based on the acceleration or deceleration operation in the operation information that is in association with the similar traffic information and the similar travel information.

3. The warning apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the storage unit stores determined warning contents at the time of acquiring the traffic information in association with the traffic information, the travel information and the operation information, and

the warning contents determination unit determines the warning contents in consideration of past warning contents stored in the storage unit when the traffic information is acquired.

4. The warning apparatus of claim 3, wherein

the warning contents determination unit determines whether the traffic signal is safely passable by the vehicle based on the remaining time of the green light of the traffic signal, the speed of the vehicle, and the current position of the vehicle when the traffic information is acquired, and

the warning contents determination unit determines the warning contents in consideration of a determination result.

5. The warning apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the traffic information acquisition unit acquires the traffic information that includes a lead vehicle position and a lead vehicle brake condition,

the travel information acquisition unit acquires the travel information that includes the vehicle speed and position together with a relative distance, a relative speed and a position of an immediate lead vehicle,

the operation information acquisition unit acquires the operation information that includes braking operation, and

the warning contents determination unit determines the warning contents based on whether a brake operation in the operation information that is in association with the similar traffic information and the similar travel information.

6. The warning apparatus of claim 5, wherein

the warning contents determination unit determines whether the brake operation is required based on the lead vehicle position, the lead vehicle brake condition together with the vehicle speed and position as well as the immediate lead vehicle relative distance/speed, the position of the immediate lead vehicle, when the traffic information is acquired, and

the warning contents determination unit determines the warning contents only when the brake operation is determined to be required.

7. The warning apparatus of claim 5, wherein

the storage unit stores the determined warning contents at the time of acquiring the traffic information in association with the traffic information, the travel information and the operation information, and

the warning contents determination unit determines the warning contents in consideration of past warning contents stored in the storage unit when the traffic information is acquired.

8. The warning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a warning necessity calculation unit capable of calculating necessity of warning based on the acquired traffic information and the travel information at the time of acquiring the traffic information when the traffic information is acquired, wherein

the warning contents determination unit determines the warning contents in consideration of a calculation result of the warning necessity calculation unit.