Vehicle anti-collision system

• US 5,091,726 A
• Filed: 08/23/1990
• Issued: 02/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Shyu, Jia-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUMM, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US07/571,137
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903, 340/904, 340/435, 364/461, 180/169
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/535 to prevent rear-end collisions, e.g. by indicating safety distance at the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for preventing a reference car from colliding with a car in front of or behind the reference car by monitoring traffic conditions in front of and behind the reference car and by providing warning and control signals. The apparatus includes distance sensors for measuring the distance between the reference car and a car or any object in front or behind the reference car, a speed sensor for measuring the speed of the reference car, and a micro computer for computing safety distances between cars according to the aforesaid distance and speed measured to operate related actuators for generating warning signals to drivers of the reference car, the front car, and the rear car. The apparatus also provides a method for preventing a reference car from possible collision with other cars or objects.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preventing a reference car from colliding with a car in front of or behind said reference car by monitoring traffic conditions in front of and behind said reference car and by providing suitable warning and control signals, comprising:

(a) distance sensing means including a front-car-space sensor and a rear-car-space sensor positioned on the front of and the rear of said reference car for measuring distance between one of a front car and object and said reference car and distance between one of a rear car and object and said reference car and providing corresponding electrical signals;

(b) speed sensing means mounted on said reference car for detecting running speed of said reference car and providing corresponding electrical signals;

(c) computer means for operating a plurality of modules therein within suitable time intervals, including a safety-distance calculation module for computing according to said signals of said distance sensing and said speed sensing means, a deceleration distance and a braking distance in front of said reference car and a rear safety distance behind said reference car;

(d) a brake-light control module to monitor said rear car being within the rear safety distance and sending out an electrical signal;

(e) a deceleration and braking reminding module for monitoring and sending out an electrical signal to said reference car in front of said rear car located between said deceleration distance and said braking distance, and monitoring and sending out another electrical signal when said front car is within said braking distance of said reference car;

(f) a head-light control module for monitoring and sending out an electrical signal when one of said front car and object appears within said deceleration distance;

(g) a cruise device control module for monitoring and sending out an electrical signal to said reference car when said front car is within said deceleration distance, and monitoring and sending out another electrical signal when said front car is beyond said deceleration distance; and

(h) a start moving reminding module for monitoring and sending out an electrical signal to said reference car when said front car begins to move away or said rear car begins to move towards said reference car while said reference car is stopped; and

(i) actuating mechanisms connected with said modules of said computer means including,

a brake-light actuator for lighting up brake lights of said reference car in accordance with the electrical signal from said brake-light control module;

a deceleration reminder and a braking reminder for generating respective light and sound signals in accordance with said electrical signals from said deceleration and braking reminding module;

a head-light actuator for illuminating head lights of said reference car in a flashing manner in accordance with said electrical signal from said head-light control module;

a cruise device actuator for releasing and resetting the cruise function of said reference car in accordance with said cruise device control module; and

a start moving reminder for generating light and sound signals in accordance with said electrical signal from said start moving reminding module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said safety-distance calculation module computes said deceleration distance S_b, and rear safety distance S_r by the following equations:

##EQU3## wherein, A=coefficient on driver'"'"'s response time;

B=coefficient on brake performance;

V=speed of said driven car;

Δ

f=variation of the front-car-distance measured this time with that of last time;

Δ

r=variation of the rear-car-distance measured this time with that of last time;

Δ

t=the time interval.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sound signal of said braking reminder varies its frequency in accordance with the amount of braking required relative to whether said front car is within said braking distance.

4. A method for preventing a reference car from colliding with a car in front of or behind said reference car by monitoring traffic conditions in front of and behind said reference car and by providing suitable warning and control signals, comprising:

(a) distance sensing for measuring distance between one of a front car and object and said reference car and distance between one of a rear car and object and said reference car and providing corresponding electrical signals;

(b) speed sensing for detecting running speed of said reference car and providing corresponding electrical signals;

(c) operating computer means for a plurality of modules therein within suitable time intervals, including calculating safety-distance for computing according to said signals of said distance sensing of step (a) and said speed sensing of step (b), a deceleration distance and a braking distance in front of said reference car and a rear safety distance behind said reference car;

(d) monitoring said rear car being within said rear safety distance and sending out an electrical signal with a brake-light control module;

(e) monitoring and sending out an electrical signal to said reference car in front of said rear car located between said deceleration distance and said braking distance by using a deceleration and braking reminding module, and monitoring and sending out another electrical signal when said front car is within said braking distance of said reference car;

(f) monitoring and sending out an electrical signal by using a head-light control module when one of said front car and object appears within said deceleration distance;

(g) monitoring and sending out an electrical signal to said reference car when said front car is within said deceleration distance by using a cruise device control module, and monitoring and sending out another electrical signal when said front car is beyond said deceleration distance; and

(h) monitoring and sending out an electrical signal to said reference when said front car begins to move away of said rear car begins to move towards said reference car while said reference car is stopped by use of a start moving reminding module; and

(i) actuating mechanisms connected with said modules of said computer means by using,

a brake-light actuator for lighting up brake lights of said reference car in accordance with the electrical signal from said brake-light control module;

a deceleration reminder and a braking reminder for generating respective light and sound signals in accordance with said electrical signals from said deceleration and braking reminding module;

a head-light actuator for illuminating head lights of said reference car in a flashing manner in accordance with said electrical signal from said head-light control module;

a cruise device actuator for releasing and resetting the cruise function of said reference car in accordance with said cruise device control module; and

a start moving reminder for generating light and sound signals in accordance with said electrical signal from said start moving reminding module.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said safety-distance calculation module computes said deceleration distance S_b, and rear safety distance S_r by the following equations:

##EQU4## wherein, A=coefficient on driver'"'"'s response time;

B=coefficient on brake performance;

V=speed of said driven car;

Δ

f=variation of the front-car-distance measured this time with that of last time;

Δ

r=variation of the rear-car-distance measured this time with that of last time;

Δ

t=the time interval.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said sound signal of said braking reminder varies its frequency in accordance with the amount of braking required relative to whether said front car is within said braking distance.