Vehicle recognition allowing device

• US 7,933,690 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Katayama, Mutsumi, Kushida, Kazumitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dager; Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/359,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20060192664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/301, 340/463, 340/468, 340/475, 340/478, 340/479
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/46 for giving flashing caution signals during drive, other than signalling change of direction, e.g. flashing the headlights or hazard lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/01 Electric circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/26 warning or informing other road users, e.g. police flash lights

Abstract

A vehicle recognition allowing device is provided which allows the recognition of a traveling state of a vehicle, including a two-wheeled vehicle to be recognized and does not require a sophisticated image processing function. When a change in the speed, traveling state or both of the vehicle is detected by a traveling state detecting part, flickering frequencies of respective infrared ray markers are increased or decreased to a frequency corresponding to the change in speed, traveling state or both. Alternatively, flickering duty ratios of the respective infrared ray markers can be changed to a duty ratio corresponding to the new speed, traveling state or both.

Claims

1. A vehicle recognition allowing device operating in an environment to recognize the presence or the non-presence of a vehicle, the vehicle recognition allowing device comprising:

a plurality of infrared ray markers;

a detecting routine which detects traveling states of the vehicle; and

a drive circuit which allows the infrared ray markers to emit light in response to at least one detection result of the detecting routine, wherein

the plurality of infrared ray markers comprises three infrared ray markers arranged in a distributed manner at respective apex positions of an imaginary triangle as viewed from a front view of the vehicle, one of the three infrared ray markers being a marker for the righthand side of the vehicle, and one of the three infrared ray markers being a marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle,

the drive circuit is configured to control the three infrared ray markers, such that

(1) the three infrared ray markers during a traveling state of the vehicle emit light in a pattern that corresponds to the apex positions of the imaginary triangle formed by the arrangement of the three infrared ray markers, and

(2) the three infrared ray markers emit light when the traveling state of the vehicle has changed, the traveling state is expressed by control of the drive circuit to change a light emitting pattern of one of the markers of the righthand side and the lefthand side of the vehicle relative to a light emitting pattern of the other marker of the righthand side and the lefthand side of the vehicle,

the drive circuit changes at least one of a flickering cycle, a flickering phase, and a flickering duty ratio of the marker for the righthand side of the vehicle relative to the marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle in response to the at least one detecting result of the detecting routine, and

the vehicle is a motorcycle that has

a front cowl mounted on a front portion of the motorcycle, and

the infrared ray marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle and the infrared ray marker for the righthand side of the vehicle are respectively arranged on a back surface of left and right side mirrors directed in a frontward direction of the motorcycle; and

one of the infrared ray markers being a third infrared ray marker that is arranged at a position below the front cowl.

2. A vehicle recognition allowing device according to claim 1,

wherein the detecting routine detects at least one selected from a group consisting of a vehicle speed, a handle steering angle, an acceleration/deceleration, a yaw rate, a bank angle, and a turning direction.

3. A vehicle recognition allowing device according to claim 1,

wherein when the traveling state of the vehicle is one of left steering and right steering, one of acceleration and deceleration, one of a left bank and a right bank, or one of left turn and right turn, the drive circuit allows an angle of the flickering phase of one of the marker for the righthand side of the vehicle or the marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle to advance with respect to an angle of the flickering phase of the other of the marker for the righthand side of the vehicle or the marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle, while when the traveling state of the vehicle is another of the left steering and the right steering, another of the acceleration and the deceleration, another of the left bank and the right bank, or another of the left turn or the right turn, the drive circuit allows the angle of the flickering phase of the other of the marker for the righthand side of the vehicle or the marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle to advance relative to the angle of the flickering phase of said marker for the righthand side of the vehicle or the marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle recognition allowing device according to claim 1,

wherein when the traveling state of the vehicle is one of left steering and right steering, one of acceleration and deceleration, one of a left bank and a right bank, or one of left turn and right turn, the drive circuit sets a flickering duty ratio of one of the marker for the righthand side of the vehicle or the marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle larger than a flickering duty ratio of the other of the marker for the righthand side of the vehicle or the marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle, while when the traveling state of the vehicle is another of the left steering and the right steering, another of the acceleration and the deceleration, another of the left bank and the right bank, or another of the left turn and the right turn, the drive circuit sets the flickering duty ratio of the other of the marker for the righthand side of the vehicle or the marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle larger than the flickering duty ratio of said one.

5. A vehicle recognition allowing device according to claim 3,

wherein an advancing angle amount is a function of an amount of any one of a steering angle, an acceleration/deceleration, a bank angle and a turning angle.

6. A vehicle recognition allowing device according to claim 4,

wherein the flickering duty ratio is a function of an amount of any one of a steering angle, an acceleration/deceleration, a bank angle and a turning angle.

7. A vehicle recognition allowing device operating in an environment to recognize the presence or the non-presence of a vehicle, the vehicle recognition allowing device comprising:

a plurality of infrared ray markers;

a detecting routine which detects traveling states of the vehicle; and

a drive circuit which allows the infrared ray markers to emit light in response to at least one detection result of the detecting routine, wherein

the plurality of infrared ray markers comprises three infrared ray markers arranged in a distributed manner at respective apex positions of an imaginary triangle as viewed in at least one of a front view and a back view of the vehicle, one of the three infrared ray markers being a marker on the righthand side of the vehicle, one of the three infrared ray markers being a marker on the lefthand side of the vehicle, and the other of the three markers being a marker on the vehicle below the markers on the righthand and lefthand sides of the vehicle,

the drive circuit is configured to control the three infrared ray markers, such that

(1) the three infrared ray markers during a traveling state of the vehicle emit light in a pattern that corresponds to the apex positions of the imaginary triangle formed by the arrangement of the three infrared ray markers, and

(2) the three infrared ray markers emit light when the traveling state of the vehicle has changed, the traveling state is expressed by control of the drive circuit to change a light emitting pattern of one of the markers of the righthand side and the lefthand side of the vehicle relative to a light emitting pattern of the other marker of the righthand side and the lefthand side of the vehicle,

the drive circuit changes at least one of a flickering cycle, a flickering phase, and a flickering duty ratio of the marker for the righthand side of the vehicle relative to the marker for the lefthand side of the vehicle in response to the at least one detecting result of the detecting routine, and

the vehicle is a motorcycle.