Warning apparatus for a vehicle

• US 5,432,509 A
• Filed: 11/24/1992
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kajiwara, Yasuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C.
• Application Number:
  US07/980,779
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 180/271, 180/272, 180/282, 367/909, 340/903, 340/555, 340/556
• US Class Current: 340/903
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• 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 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/909 Collision avoidance

Abstract

A warning apparatus for a vehicle generates a warning for a driver of the vehicle when the separation between the vehicle and an obstacle located in front of the vehicle falls below a prescribed value. The prescribed value is varied in accordance with changes in the physical or mental state of the driver of the vehicle, environmental conditions, or the driving characteristics of the driver and thereby adjust to changes in the driver'"'"'s reaction time and the stopping distance of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A warning apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

obstacle sensing means for measuring a separation distance between a vehicle and an obstacle located in front of the vehicle;

driver condition sensing means for sensing whether the driver is manipulating an accessory of the vehicle;

an alarm; and

a controller connected to said obstacle sensing means, said driver condition sensing means, and said alarm, comprising setting means for setting a distance value for safe vehicle separation, said setting means responsive to the driver condition sensing means to reduce said threshold distance value whenever an accessory is being manipulated, and warning generating means for controlling the alarm to generate a warning for the driver when the separation distance sensed by the obstacle sensing means is below said threshold distance value.

2. A warning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver condition sensing means comprises means for sensing when the driver is manipulating an accessory of the vehicle, and the setting means increases said distance value for safe vehicle separation when the driver condition sensing means senses that the driver is manipulating said accessory.

3. A warning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising weather condition sensing means connected to said controller for sensing a weather condition of a vehicle environment, wherein the setting means comprises means for varying said distance value for safe vehicle separation in accordance with changes in the sensed weather condition.

4. A warning apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the weather condition sensing means comprises means for sensing rain.

5. A warning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for determining a driving performance characteristic of the driver connected to said controller, wherein the setting means varies said distance value for safe vehicle separation in accordance with the determined driving performance characteristic.

6. A warning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including speed sensing means connected to said controller for sensing the speed of the vehicle V_o, wherein:

the controller includes means for sensing a relative speed (V_o -V_F) of the vehicle and the obstacle based on a separation distance sensed by said obstacle sensing means, wherein V_F is the speed of the obstacle;

the setting means sets the distance value for safe vehicle separation to kV_o, wherein k is a value which is varied by the setting means in accordance with changes in the sensed physical or mental state of the driver; and

the warning generating means controls the alarm to generate a warning when the relative speed is decreasing and the vehicle separation distance is less than kV_o.

7. A warning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the controller includes means for sensing the relative speed (V_o -V_F) of the vehicle and the obstacle based on the separation distance sensed by said obstacle sensing means, wherein V_o is the speed of the vehicle and V_F is the speed of the obstacle; and

the setting means sets the distance value for safe vehicle separation to ##EQU2## and varies the value of at least one of t_o and R_o in accordance with changes in the sensed physical or mental state of the driver, wherein t_o is an assumed reaction time of the driver, R_o is a safety factor, and α

is an assumed deceleration of the vehicle produced by braking.

8. A warning apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

obstacle sensing means for measuring a separation distance between a vehicle and an obstacle;

driving performance determining means for determining when the driver is manipulating an accessory of the vehicle;

weather condition sensing means for sensing a weather condition of a vehicle environment;

an alarm; and

a controller connected to said obstacle sensing means, said driving performance determining means, said weather condition sensing means, and said alarm, comprising setting means for setting a distance value for safe vehicle separation and varying said distance value in response to said driving performance determining means and said weather condition sensing means, and warning generating means for controlling the alarm to generate a warning for the driver when a separation distance sensed by the obstacle sensing means is below said distance value for safe vehicle separation.