Vehicle approach warning system, portable warning terminal and in-vehicle communication apparatus

• US 20110133954A1
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Satoshi, Ooshima, Hiromitsu
• Granted Patent: US 8,593,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered

Abstract

A vehicle approach warning system is disclosed. The vehicle approach warning system includes: an in-vehicle communication apparatus to be mounted to a vehicle, the in-vehicle communication apparatus being configured to wirelessly transmit vehicle travel data to surroundings of the vehicle; and a portable warning terminal to be carried by a pedestrian, the portable warning terminal being configured to give, in response to receiving the vehicle travel data wirelessly transmitted from the in-vehicle communication apparatus, a warning about approach of the vehicle to the pedestrian in a way other than auditory stimulation if electric field strength at a time of receiving the vehicle travel data is larger than a threshold.

Claims

1. A vehicle approach warning system comprising:

an in-vehicle communication apparatus to be mounted to a vehicle, the in-vehicle communication apparatus being configured to wirelessly transmit vehicle travel data to surroundings of the vehicle; and

a portable warning terminal to be carried by a pedestrian, the portable warning terminal being configured to warn, in response to receiving the vehicle travel data wirelessly transmitted from the in-vehicle communication apparatus, the pedestrian about approach of the vehicle in a way other than auditory stimulation if electric field strength at a time of receiving the vehicle travel data is larger than a first threshold.

2. The vehicle approach warning system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle travel data includes information about travel velocity of the vehicle; and

the portable warning terminal alters a manner of warning about the approach of the vehicle in accordance with the travel velocity of the vehicle indicated in the received vehicle travel data.

3. The vehicle approach warning system according to claim 1, wherein:

the in-vehicle communication apparatus identifies a road category to which a vehicle-travel-road belongs;

the vehicle-travel-road is a road on which the vehicle is presently located;

the in-vehicle communication apparatus puts information about the identified road category in the vehicle travel data;

the portable warning terminal determines whether the road category indicated in the vehicle travel data meets a stored road category condition; and

when the portable warning terminal determines that the road category indicated in the vehicle travel data does not meet the stored road category condition, the portable warning terminal prohibits warning about approach of the vehicle from being given to the pedestrian.

4. The vehicle approach warning system according to claim 1, wherein:

the portable warning terminal includes a vibrator;

when the portable warning terminal receives the vehicle travel data transmitted wirelessly from the in-vehicle communication apparatus, the portable warning terminal continuously vibrates the vibrator with a first amplitude if the electric field strength at the time of receiving the vehicle travel data is larger than the first threshold, and then the portable warning terminal intermittently vibrates the vibrator with a second amplitude for, a period of only one cycle length in each intermittent vibration if the electric field strength becomes greater than or equal to a second threshold;

the second amplitude is larger than the first amplitude; and

the second threshold is larger than the first threshold.

5. The vehicle approach warning system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle travel data further includes a vehicle ID for individual vehicle identification;

the portable warning terminal prospectively stores therein a vehicle ID warning condition that defines

which of vehicle IDs serves as a warning trigger object and

which of vehicle IDs is excluded from the warning trigger object;

when the portable warning terminal receives the vehicle travel data transmitted wirelessly from the in-vehicle communication apparatus, the portable warning terminal determines whether the vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data serves as the warning trigger object, based on the vehicle ID warning condition and the vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data;

when the portable warning terminal determines that vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data serves as the warning trigger object, the portable warning terminal warns the pedestrian about the approach of the vehicle in the way other than the auditory stimulation; and

when the portable warning terminal determines that the vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data does not serve as the warning trigger object, the portable warning terminal prohibits warning about the approach of the vehicle from being given to the pedestrian in the way other than the auditory stimulation.

6. The vehicle approach warning system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle travel data includes a vehicle ID for individual vehicle identification;

the vehicle ID has a vehicle category indicator part indicative of a vehicle category to which the vehicle belongs;

the portable warning terminal prospectively stores therein a vehicle ID warning condition that defines

which of vehicle IDs having the vehicle category indicator part indicative of the vehicle category-servers as a warning trigger object and

which of vehicle IDs having the vehicle category indicator part indicative of the vehicle category is excluded from the warning trigger object;

when the portable warning terminal receives the vehicle travel data wirelessly transmitted from the in-vehicle communication apparatus, the portable warning terminal determines whether the vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data servers as the warning trigger object, based on the vehicle ID warning condition and the vehicle ID included in the received vehicle travel data; and

when the portable warning terminal determines that the vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data dose not serve as the warning trigger object, the portable warning terminal prohibits warning about the approach of the vehicle from being given to the pedestrian in the way other than the auditory stimulation.

7. The vehicle approach warning system according to claim 5, wherein:

the vehicle ID warning condition prospectively-stored in the portable warning terminal defines the first threshold in relation to the vehicle ID that serves as the warning trigger object;

when the portable warning terminal receives the vehicle travel data wirelessly transmitted from the in-vehicle communication apparatus, the portable warning terminal determines the first threshold for the vehicle ID included in the vehicle travel data, based on the vehicle ID warning condition and the vehicle ID included in the vehicle travel data; and

when the electric field strength at the time of receiving the vehicle travel data is larger than the determined first threshold, the portable warning terminal warns the pedestrian about the approach of the vehicle in the way other than auditory stimulation.

8. The vehicle approach warning system according to a claim 1, wherein:

when the portable warning terminal warns the pedestrian about the approach of the vehicle, the portable warning terminal sends a reply to the in-vehicle communication apparatus;

when the in-vehicle communication apparatus receives the reply form the portable warning terminal, the in-vehicle communication apparatus gives a warning notification to a driver of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle approach warning system according to claim 8, wherein:

the vehicle travel data includes a vehicle ID for individual vehicle identification;

the portable warning terminal prospectively stores therein a vehicle ID reply condition that defines

which of vehicle IDs necessitates the reply

which of vehicle IDs does not necessitate the reply;

when the portable warning terminal receives the vehicle travel data wirelessly transmitted from the in-vehicle communication apparatus, the portable warning terminal determines whether the vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data necessitates the reply, based on the vehicle ID reply condition and the vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data;

when the portable warning terminal determines that vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data necessitates the reply, the portable warning terminal sends the reply to the in-vehicle communication apparatus; and

when the portable warning terminal determines that the vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data does not necessitate the reply, the portable warning terminal does not send the reply to the in-vehicle communication apparatus.

10. The vehicle approach warning system according to claim 8, wherein:

the vehicle travel data includes a vehicle ID for individual vehicle identification;

the vehicle ID has a vehicle category indicator part indicative of a vehicle category to which the vehicle belongs;

the portable warning terminal prospectively stores therein a vehicle ID reply condition that defines

which of vehicle ID shaving the vehicle category indicator part indicative of the vehicle category necessitates the reply and

which of vehicle IDs having the vehicle category indicator part indicative of the vehicle category does not necessitates the reply;

when the portable warning terminal receives the vehicle travel data wirelessly transmitted from the in-vehicle communication apparatus, the portable warning terminal determines whether the vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data necessitates the reply, based on the vehicle ID reply condition and the vehicle ID included in the received vehicle travel data;

when the portable warning terminal determines that vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data necessitates the reply, the portable warning terminal sends the reply to the in-vehicle communication apparatus; and

when the portable warning terminal determines that the vehicle ID in the received vehicle travel data does not necessitate the reply, the portable warning terminal does not send the reply to the in-vehicle communication apparatus.

11. The vehicle approach warning system according to claim 1, wherein:

in response to receiving the vehicle travel data wirelessly transmitted from the in-vehicle communication apparatus, the portable warning terminal warns the pedestrian about the approach of the vehicle in the way other than auditory stimulation if the electric field strength at the time of receiving the vehicle travel data is larger than the first threshold and if a rate of change in the electric field strength at the time of receiving the vehicle travel data is larger than a change rate threshold.

12. A portable warning terminal to be carried by a pedestrian, comprising:

a determination section configured to determine, in response to receiving a vehicle travel data wirelessly transmitted from an in-vehicle communication apparatus of a vehicle, whether electric field strength at a time of receiving the vehicle travel data is larger than a threshold; and

a pedestrian side warning section configured to warn the pedestrian about approach of the vehicle in a way other than auditory stimulation when the determination section determines that the electric field strength at the time of receiving the vehicle travel data is larger than the threshold.

13. An in-vehicle communication apparatus to be mounted to a vehicle, comprising:

a transmission section configured to wirelessly transmit vehicle travel data to surroundings of the vehicle; and

a vehicle side warning section configured to receive a reply from a portable warning terminal carried by a pedestrian and give a warning notification to a drive of the vehicle if the portable warning terminal receives the vehicle travel data wirelessly transmitted from the transmission section and sends the reply to the in-vehicle communication apparatus.