Automotive lane change aid

• US 20030025597A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schofield, Kenneth
• GRANTED PATENT: US 6,882,287 B2
• Time in patent office: 0 Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/346 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements house mirrors and spies A47G1/00; antiglare equipment, e.g. polarising, for windscreens or windows B60J3/00; visual aids for tractors B62D49/0614; devices per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/089 using optical detection
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system parking aids B62D15/027, determination or calculation of trajectory of land vehicles G05D1/021, B60W60/0027, image processing G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 9/00798 Recognition of lanes or road borders, e.g. of lane markings, or recognition of driver's driving pattern in relation to lanes perceived from the vehicle; Analysis of car trajectory relative to detected road determination of trajectories G06T7/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 9/00805 Detecting potential obstacles recognising people G06K9/00362
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 9/6267 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/247 : Arrangements of television cameras constructional details of cameras H04N5/2251

Abstract

A vehicle lane change aid system includes a detector that is operative to detect the presence of an other vehicle adjacent the vehicle, an indicator for providing an indication that a lane change maneuver of the vehicle may affect the other vehicle and a control receiving movement information of the vehicle. The control develops a position history of the vehicle at least as a function of the movement information. The control compares the detected presence of the other vehicle with the position history and provides an indication when a lane change maneuver may affect the other vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle lane change aid system, comprising:

a detector operative to detect the presence of another vehicle adjacent said vehicle;

an indicator for providing an indication that a lane change maneuver of said vehicle may affect the other vehicle;

a control receiving movement information of the vehicle, said control developing a position history of said vehicle at least as a function of said movement information, said control comparing said detected presence of the other vehicle with said position history and providing said indication when a lane change maneuver may affect the other vehicle.

2. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said control determines a monitored zone in from said position history and provides said indication when said other vehicle is in said monitored zone.

3. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said control determines said position history at least as a function of incremental distance traveled and steering angle of said vehicle.

4. The lane change aid system of claim 3 including a wheel rotation sensor signal indicative of said incremental distance traveled and a steering angle signal indicative of said steering angle of said vehicle.

5. The lane change aid system of claim 4 wherein at least one of said wheel rotation sensor signal and said steering angle signal are provided over a vehicle data bus.

6. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said detector is chosen from at least one of an image-based device, a radar sensor, an infrared sensor, a sonar sensor and a laser device.

7. The lane change aid system of claim 1 including a wireless communication system.

8. The lane change aid system of claim 7 wherein said wireless communication system is operable to receive information on road conditions.

9. The lane change aid system of claim 8 wherein said control develops said position history at least partially in response to said information on road conditions.

10. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said detector comprises a plurality of sensors.

11. The lane change aid system of claim 10 including a video processor module, said video processor module receiving outputs of said plurality of sensors and combining said outputs in a database.

12. The lane change aid system of claim 11 wherein said video processor module comprises said control.

13. The lane change aid system of claim 12 wherein said control comprises a microcomputer-based control.

14. The lane change aid system of claim 11 wherein said outputs of said plurality of sensors are supplied over a transmission link chosen from one of a fiber-optic cable and a wireless link.

15. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a visual display.

16. The lane change aid system of claim 15 wherein said visual display is adjacent an exterior mirror assembly attached to the vehicle door.

17. The lane change aid system of claim 16 wherein said visual display is visible to a driver of said vehicle but not substantially visible to drivers of other vehicles.

18. The lane change aid system of claim 15 wherein said visual display comprises a heads-up display.

19. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a tactile device.

20. The lane change aid system of claim 19 wherein said tactile device is at a steering wheel of said vehicle.

21. The lane change aid system of claim 19 wherein said tactile device comprises a vibration transducer.

22. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises an audio device.

23. The lane change aid system of claim 22 wherein said audio device generates at least one chosen from voice commands and audio warnings.

24. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said control is operable to recognize lane edge positions.

25. The lane change aid system of claim 24 wherein said control is operable to distinguish between certain types of lane markers.

26. The lane change aid system of claim 25 wherein said control is operable to distinguish between at least dashed-line markers and non-dashed-line markers.

27. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said detector comprises a forward-facing imaging device.

28. The lane change aid system of claim 27 wherein said detector is operable to detect an oncoming car likely to collide with said vehicle.

29. The lane change aid system of claim 27 wherein said detector is operable to detect a traffic control device.

30. The lane change aid system of claim 29 wherein said control determines if said vehicle is not responding to a detected traffic control device.

31. The lane change aid system of claim 1 including a wireless communication system, wherein said control is operable to transmit safety warnings with said wireless communication system.

32. The lane change aid system of claim 31 wherein said control is operable to determine if said vehicle may not stop in time to avoid a collision with another vehicle.

33. The lane change aid system of claim 32 wherein said control responds to a determination that said vehicle may not stop in time to avoid a collision with said other vehicle by at least one chosen from transmitting a safety warning to the other vehicle and activation of a horn or headlights of said vehicle.

34. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said control includes an output for activating a turn signal of said vehicle in response to vehicle movement indicative of a lane change.

35. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said detector comprises at least one chosen from a rearward-facing camera, a side object detector, and a forward-facing camera and a side-facing camera.

36. The lane change aid system of claim 1 wherein said detector comprises at least one imaging device.

37. The lane change aid system of claim 36 including a transmission system for transmitting image data from said at least one imaging device.

38. The lane change aid system of claim 37 including distributed processing of said image data.

39. The lane change aid system of claim 38 including at least one non-imaging device wherein said distributed processing processes data of said at least one imaging device and said at least one non-imaging device.

40. The lane change aid system of claim 39 wherein said data is in a common format.

41. The lane change aid system of claim 1 including a lane departure warning system.

42. The lane change aid system of claim 41 wherein said lane departure warning system includes lane edge position determination.

43. The lane change aid system of claim 42 wherein said lane departure warning system further includes oncoming vehicle monitoring.

44. The lane change aid system of claim 42 further including a side object detection device.