Warning device

• US 9,669,760 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanita, Kiyoto, Kawamata, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US14/969,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20160167580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 36, 701300, 701301, 701408, 701423, 340435, 340436, 340438, 340463, 340903, 340988
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A warning device includes: a host vehicle information acquisition unit; a moving object information acquisition unit that acquires moving object information around the host vehicle; an intersection determination unit that determines whether a course of the host vehicle and a course of the moving object intersect; a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance from the host vehicle to an intersection position; an estimated crossing-time calculation unit that calculates a time that elapses before the moving object arrives at the intersection position; a threshold setting unit; and a warning unit that alerts a driver when the time is smaller than a threshold, wherein the threshold is set larger as the distance becomes larger, and is set larger when the host vehicle speed vehicle is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed than when the host vehicle speed is higher.

Claims

1. A warning device comprising:

a host vehicle information acquisition unit configured to acquire host vehicle information that includes a traveling direction and a vehicle speed of a host vehicle;

a moving object information acquisition unit configured to acquire moving object information that includes a position, a moving direction, and a moving speed of a moving object around the host vehicle;

an intersection determination unit configured to determine whether a course of the host vehicle and a course of the moving object intersect, based on the host vehicle information and the moving object information;

a distance calculation unit configured to calculate an intersection position distance when the intersection determination unit determines that the course of the host vehicle and the course of the moving object intersect, the intersection position distance being a distance from the host vehicle to an intersection position at which the course of the host vehicle and course of the moving object intersect;

an estimated crossing-time calculation unit configured to calculate an estimated crossing-time based on the intersection position and the moving object information, the estimated crossing-time being a time that elapses before the moving object arrives at the intersection position;

a vehicle speed determination unit configured to determine whether the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is equal to or lower than a pre-set predetermined speed based on the host vehicle information;

a threshold setting unit configured to set a threshold based on the intersection position distance and a determination result of the vehicle speed determination unit; and

a warning unit configured to output a warning that alerts a driver of the host vehicle to the moving object when the estimated crossing-time is smaller than the threshold, wherein

the threshold setting unit is configured to set the threshold larger as the intersection position distance becomes larger, and set the threshold larger when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is determined equal to or lower than the predetermined speed than when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is determined higher than the predetermined speed.

2. The warning device according to claim 1, wherein

the threshold setting unit is configured to set the threshold larger when the intersection position distance is equal to or larger than a pre-set specified distance than when the intersection position distance is smaller than the specified distance.

3. The warning device according to claim 1, further comprising

a threshold correction unit configured to correct the threshold based on at least one of intersection size information and current time-of-day information, the intersection size information being information on a size of an intersection into which the host vehicle enters, the current time-of-day information being information on a current time-of-day.

4. A warning device comprising:

a host vehicle information acquisition unit configured to acquire host vehicle information that includes a traveling direction and a vehicle speed of a host vehicle;

a moving object information acquisition unit configured to acquire moving object information that includes a position, a moving direction, and a moving speed of a moving object around the host vehicle;

an intersection determination unit configured to determine whether a course of the host vehicle and a course of the moving object intersect, based on the host vehicle information and the moving object information;

a distance calculation unit configured to calculate an intersection position distance when the intersection determination unit determines that the course of the host vehicle and the course of the moving object intersect, the intersection position distance being a distance from the host vehicle to an intersection position at which the course of the host vehicle and course of the moving object intersect;

an estimated crossing-time calculation unit configured to calculate an estimated crossing-time based on the intersection position and the moving object information, the estimated crossing-time being a time that elapses before the moving object arrives at the intersection position;

a vehicle speed determination unit configured to determine whether the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is equal to or lower than a pre-set predetermined speed based on the host vehicle information;

a threshold setting unit configured to set an upper limit threshold and a lower limit threshold based on the intersection position distance and a determination result of the vehicle speed determination unit; and

a warning unit configured to output a warning that alerts a driver of the host vehicle to the moving object when the estimated crossing-time is smaller than the upper limit threshold and is larger than the lower limit threshold, wherein

the threshold setting unit is configured to set the upper limit threshold and the lower limit threshold larger as the intersection position distance become larger, and set the upper limit threshold and the lower limit threshold larger when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is determined equal to or lower than the predetermined speed than when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is determined higher than the predetermined speed.

5. The warning device according to claim 4, wherein

the threshold setting unit is configured to set the upper limit threshold and the lower limit threshold larger when the intersection position distance is equal to or larger than a pre-set specified distance than when the intersection position distance is smaller than the specified distance.

6. The warning device according to claim 4, further comprising

a threshold correction unit configured to correct the upper limit threshold and the lower limit threshold based on at least one of intersection size information and current time-of-day information, the intersection size information being information on a size of an intersection into which the host vehicle enters, the current time-of-day information being information on a current time-of-day.