System and method for monitoring vehicle speed and driver notification

• US 9,499,114 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HL Klemove Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Gross, Michael A., Falb, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, JELANI A
• Application Number:
  US14/190,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20140244111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31.4, 701/36, 701/41, 701/93, 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/905, 340/917, 303/159, 303/171, 303/176, 303/190
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A vehicle speed monitoring system and method is provided that determines a speed threshold based on provided inputs from various vehicle systems and measures the speed threshold against the current driving speed. In the event the threshold speed is exceeded, the system notifies the driver and/or makes a recommendation depending on the present driving conditions.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a speed of a vehicle driven by a driver, comprising:

an imaging system onboard the vehicle and configured to provide image data based on current driving conditions and a current road type on which the vehicle is traveling;

a controller configured to;

analyze the image data and to generate a speed threshold;

modify the speed threshold based on detection from the image data that a low visibility condition is present and the current road type on which the vehicle is traveling has changed, wherein the low visibility condition comprises at least one of a rain condition, a snow condition, and a fog condition, and wherein modification of the speed threshold further comprises determining the current road type is at least one of a motorway, a country road, and a city street; and

compare the speed threshold with a current driving speed of the vehicle; and

a rearview mirror assembly having a display system, the display system displaying at least one of a notification and a recommendation to the driver if the current driving speed exceeds the speed threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is part of an exterior light control system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller generates the speed threshold based on a stopping distance, a perception to reaction time, a coefficient of friction, and a gravitational constant.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the coefficient of friction is a dynamic variable and is reduced in value when the image data is indicative of the low visibility condition.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller generates the speed threshold by solving the following equation:

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the recommendation comprises a recommended driving speed.

7. A method for monitoring a speed of a vehicle, comprising:

providing image data from an imaging system located onboard the vehicle, wherein the image data is based on current driving conditions and a current road type on which the vehicle is traveling;

analyzing the image data;

generating a speed threshold;

modifying the speed threshold based on detection from the image data that a low visibility condition is present and the current road type on which the vehicle is traveling has changed, wherein the current road type is at least one of a motorway, a country road and a city street and the low visibility condition is at least one of a rain condition, a snow condition, and a fog condition;

comparing the speed threshold with a current driving speed of the vehicle; and

displaying at least one of a notification and recommendation on a display system of a rearview mirror assembly if the current driving speed exceeds the speed threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the recommendation comprises a recommended driving speed.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of calculating the speed threshold based on a stopping distance, a perception to reaction time, a coefficient of friction, and a gravitation constant.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the coefficient of friction is a dynamic variable and is reduced in value when the image data is indicative of the low visibility condition.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the speed threshold is calculated by solving the following equation:

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon software instructions executed by a processor, the software instructions comprising the steps of:

providing image data from an imaging system located onboard a vehicle, wherein the image data is based on current driving conditions and a current road type on which the vehicle is traveling;

analyzing the image data;

generating a speed threshold;

modifying the speed threshold based on detection from the image data that a low visibility condition is present and the current road type on which the vehicle is traveling has changed, wherein the current road type is at least one of a motorway, a country road and a city street and the low visibility condition is at least one of a rain condition, a snow condition, and a fog condition;

comparing the speed threshold with a current driving speed of the vehicle; and

displaying at least one of a notification and recommendation on a display system of a rearview mirror assembly if the current driving speed exceeds the speed threshold.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the recommendation comprises a recommended driving speed.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the software instructions further comprise the step of calculating the speed threshold based on a stopping distance, a perception to reaction time, a coefficient of friction, and a gravitational constant.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the software instructions further comprise the step of reducing a coefficient of friction when the image data is indicative of the low visibility condition.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the speed threshold is calculated by solving the following equation: