Lane deviation warning device of vehicle

• US 20060047388A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Oka, Takuji, Murai, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US11/168,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047388A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4685 with means to adjust or regulate the tensioning force in relation to external parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems

Abstract

When it is determined by the lane deviation determining portion that the vehicle deviates from the lane and then it is determined by the critical condition determining portion that the vehicle will have the critical condition, the warning control portion operates the belt winder so as to wind up the seat belt and thereby apply the specified tension to the seat belt. Accordingly, the passenger is warned with the tension applied to the seat belt.

Claims

1. A lane deviation warning device of a vehicle, comprising:

a relative position detecting device operative to detect a position of the vehicle traveling on a road with respect to a lane in a width direction;

a lane deviation determining device operative to determine whether or not the traveling vehicle deviates from the lane based on the relative position detected by said relative position detecting device;

a warning device operative to warn a passenger when the lane deviation is determined by said lane deviation determining device,

wherein said warning device comprises a belt winder operative to wind up a seat belt provided to the passenger to apply a specified tension to the seat belt and a control device operative to operate said belt winder when the lane deviation of the vehicle is determined by said lane deviation determining device, and said warning device warns the passenger by applying the specified tension to the seat belt of the passenger with the operation of said belt winder.

2. The lane deviation warning device of a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a critical condition determining device operative to determine in advance whether or not the vehicle will have a critical condition after the vehicle deviates from the lane when the lane deviation of the vehicle is determined by said lane deviation determining device,

wherein said control device is constituted so as to operate said belt winder when it is determined by said critical condition determining device that the vehicle will have the critical condition, whereby said warning device warns the passenger by applying the specified tension to the seat belt when it is determined by said critical condition determining device that the vehicle will have the critical condition.

3. The lane deviation warning device of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein said critical condition determining device is constituted so as to determine in advance whether or not the vehicle will have the critical condition, by determining whether a risk of an occurrence of a vehicle rollover after the vehicle deviates from the lane is high or not.

4. The lane deviation warning device of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein said warning device is constituted so as to keep applying the specified tension to the seat belt until it is determined by said lane deviation determining device that the vehicle does not deviate from the lane.

5. The lane deviation warning device of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein there is provided an image pick-up device operative to pick up an image of the road in front of the vehicle, and said critical condition determining device is constituted so as to determine in advance whether or not the vehicle will have the critical condition based on the picked-up image by said image pick-up device.

6. The lane deviation warning device of a vehicle of claim 5, wherein said critical condition determining device is constituted so as to determine in advance whether or not the vehicle will have the critical condition based on the picked-up image by said image pick-up device which is an image around the road where the vehicle will travel after the lane deviation.

7. The lane deviation warning device of a vehicle of claim 5, wherein there is provided a vehicle speed detecting device operative to detect a vehicle traveling speed, and said critical condition determining device is constituted so as to determine in advance whether or not the vehicle will have the critical condition based on the picked-up image by said image pick-up device and the vehicle traveling speed by said vehicle speed detecting device.