Image forming system

• US 7,862,177 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kubota, Tomoki, Okabe, Hidefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): PYO, KEVIN K
• Application Number:
  US11/798,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20070280503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 353/11, 353/12, 353/13, 382/103, 382/104, 250/221, 250/222.2, 701/72, 701/301, 340/465, 340/903, 340/988, 340/995.2
• US Class Current: 353/13
• 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: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

When it is determined that the host vehicle is stopped at the intersection in the right turn waiting state, the navigation ECU forms a right turn waiting mark representing the right turn waiting state on the road surface of the opposing lane at the intersection where the host vehicle is stopped with a visually identifiable laser beam with a predetermined color. When it is determined that the host vehicle is brought into the right turn start state from the right turn waiting state where the host vehicle is stopped at the intersection, the navigation ECU forms the right turn start mark representing the right turn start state instead of the right turn waiting mark on the road surface of the opposing lane at the intersection where the host vehicle enters with the visually identifiable laser beam with the color (for example, red) different from that of the right turn waiting mark, at substantially the same position thereof in accordance with the traveling state of the host vehicle.

Claims

1. An image forming system for a host vehicle to alert another vehicle, traveling in an opposite lane in a direction opposite a direction of travel of the host vehicle, to a turn of the host vehicle at an intersection and across the opposite lane, the system comprising:

an image forming unit that forms a mark with a predetermined shape on a road surface ahead of the host vehicle in the direction of travel of the host vehicle;

a pedal operation sensor that detects position, relative to a pedal, of a foot of a driver of the host vehicle;

a turn waiting detection unit that detects whether or not the host vehicle, stopped at the intersection, is in a turn waiting state;

a turn start detection unit that detects, if the turn waiting detection unit has detected that the host vehicle is in the turn waiting state, whether or not the host vehicle has been changed from the turn waiting state to a turn start state based on a change in detected positions of the driver'"'"'s foot; and

a first image forming control unit that controls the image forming unit to form a turn start mark with the predetermined shape, indicating that the host vehicle is in the turn start state, on the road surface of the opposite lane and within the intersection to be entered by the host vehicle, if the turn start detection unit detects a change from the turn waiting state to the turn start state.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second image forming control unit that controls the image forming unit to form a turn waiting mark with a predetermined shape indicating that the host vehicle stopped at the intersection is in the turn waiting state on the road surface of the opposite lane and within the intersection, if the turn waiting detection unit detects that the host vehicle is in the turn waiting state.

3. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the first image forming control unit controls the image forming unit to form the turn start mark at a position where the turn waiting mark has been formed by the second image forming control unit, and to form the turn start mark with one of a color or shape different from that of the turn waiting mark.

4. The image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a leading vehicle detection unit that detects whether or not a leading vehicle which is going to turn exists ahead of the host vehicle, wherein the first image forming control unit controls the image forming unit so as not to form the turn start mark when the leading vehicle detection unit detects the existence of the leading vehicle which is going to turn ahead of the host vehicle.

5. The image forming system according to claim 4, wherein the second image forming control unit controls the image forming unit so as not to form the turn waiting mark when the leading vehicle detection unit detects the existence of the leading vehicle which is going to turn ahead of the host vehicle.

6. The image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a passage detection unit that detects whether or not the host vehicle has passed a point adjacent to an image forming position at which the turn start mark has been formed, wherein the first image forming control unit controls the image forming unit to terminate formation of the turn start mark in response to detection of passage of the host vehicle around the image forming position by the passage detection unit.

7. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the pedal operation sensor comprises a camera with image processing.

8. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein:

the turn waiting detection unit detects a turn waiting state when the host vehicle is stopped and the pedal operation sensor detects that the driver'"'"'s foot remains on a brake pedal; and

the turn start detection unit that detects a turn start state when, with the vehicle stopped, the pedal operation sensor detects a change in position of the driver'"'"'s foot from the brake pedal to an accelerator pedal.