Warning system for vehicle

• US 5,699,057 A
• Filed: 05/07/1996
• Issued: 12/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Atsushi, Kimura, Takashi, Uematsu, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US08/646,133
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903, 340/937, 340/435, 340/439, 348/119, 348/148, 382/104, 364/424.02
• US Class Current: 340/937
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/082 using alarm actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

A warning system for a vehicle comprises a pair of stereoscopic cameras, image recognizing means for processing images, two warning devices disposed on the left and right side of a driver, the deviation judging means for judging a possibility of deviation from the lane where the vehicle runs or a possibility of collision to obstacles and warning control means for determining the warning device to be operated. When the vehicle has a possibility of deviation from the lane or a possibility of collision to obstacles, either left or right side of the warning device inform the driver of the possibility of deviation or collision, whereby the driver can take a quick action for avoiding hazard. Further, when the vehicle runs on a narrow load, the driver can know an inability of passing through the road by the left and right warning devices operated simultaneously.

Claims

1. A system for a vehicle to inform a vehicle operator of driving conditions on the basis of image data of an object obtained from a stereoscopic monitoring camera system, comprising:

a right warning device located on a right side of said vehicle operator;

a left warning device located on a left side of said vehicle operator;

image recognizing means for recognizing an image of said object based on said image data and for outputting an image signal indicative thereof;

deviation judging means responsive to said image signal for judging a direction of said vehicle and an extent of deviation therefrom and for outputting a direction signal and an extent signal indicative thereof; and

warning control means responsive to said direction signal and said extent signal for activating said left warning device when a possibility of deviation on a left side of said vehicle is judged and for activating said right warning device when a possibility of deviation on a right side of said vehicle is judged.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

said left and said right warning devices each emit a light signal when activated, said light signal being radiated to an eye point of said vehicle operator.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein

said left and said right warning devices each produce a sound signal when activated.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein

said left and said right warning devices each produce a combination of a light signal and a sound signal when activated.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said left and said right warning devices comprise a speaker used for an audio system of said vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein:

said light signal is radiated to an eye point of said vehicle operator.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

said object comprises road lane markers.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein:

said road lane markers comprise white road lane markers.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

said right warning device has an intensity dependant on said extent of deviation judged by said deviation judging means.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

said left warning device has an intensity dependant on said extent of deviation judged by said deviation judging means.

11. An active drive assist system for an vehicle, comprising:

means for determining positions of a plurality of objects and for generating an object position signal indicative thereof;

means for determining a position of said vehicle relative said positions of said objects and for generating a vehicle position signal indicative thereof;

first judging means, receiving and responsive to said object and said vehicle position signals, for judging a direction deviation of said vehicle and for generating a direction signal indicative thereof;

second judging means, receiving and responsive to said object and said vehicle position signals, for judging a possibility of collision with said objects and for generating a collision signal indicative thereof;

third judging means, receiving and responsive to said object and said vehicle position signals, for judging an inability of said vehicle to pass between two of said objects and for generating a passing signal indicative thereof;

informing means, receiving and responsive to said direction signal, said collision signal and said passing signal, for informing an operator of said vehicle of a direction deviation, a possibility of collision or an inability of said vehicle to pass between two of said objects.

12. The active drive assist system defined by claim 11, wherein:

said informing means includes a left informing device positioned on a left side of said operator and a right informing device positioned on a right side of said operator.

13. The active drive assist system defined by claim 12, wherein:

said informing means activates said left informing device when a left direction deviation is judged by said first judging means.

14. The active drive assist system defined by claim 13, wherein:

said informing means activates said right informing device when a right direction deviation is judged by said first judging means.

15. The active drive assist system defined by claim 12, wherein:

said informing means activates said left informing device when a possibility of collision on a left side of said vehicle is judged by said second judging means.

16. The active drive assist system defined by claim 15, wherein:

said informing means activates said right informing device when a possibility of collision on a right side of said vehicle is judged by said second judging means.

17. The active drive assist system defined by claim 12, wherein:

said informing means activates said left informing device and said right informing device when said inability of said vehicle to pass between two of said objects is judged by said third judging means.

18. The active drive assist system defined by claim 12, wherein:

said informing means activates said left informing device when a left direction deviation is judged by said first judging means,

said informing means activates said right informing device when a right direction deviation is judged by said first judging means,

said informing means activates said left informing device when a possibility of collision on a left side of said vehicle is judged by said second judging means,

said informing means activates said right informing device when a possibility of collision on a right side of said vehicle is judged by said second judging means, and

said informing means activates said left informing device and said right informing device when said inability of said vehicle to pass between two of said objects is judged by said third judging means.

19. The active drive assist system defined by claim 12, further comprising:

prevention means for preventing said informing means from activating said left or said right informing devices based on said direction signal when said brake of said vehicle is applied or said directional signal of said vehicle is operated.

20. A method for notifying an operator of a vehicle of driving conditions, said vehicle having a left informing device positioned on a left side of said operator and a right informing device positioned on a right side of said operator, said method comprising:

determining positions of objects and generating an object position signal indicative thereof;

determining a position of said vehicle relative said positions of said objects and generating a vehicle position signal indicative thereof;

judging a direction deviation of said vehicle in response to said object and said vehicle position signals and generating a direction signal indicative thereof;

judging a possibility of collision with said objects in response to said object and said vehicle position signals and generating a collision signal indicative thereof;

judging an inability of said vehicle to pass between two of said objects in response to said object and said vehicle position signals and generating a passing signal indicative thereof; and

activating said left or said right informing devices in response to said direction, said collision and said passing signals to respectively notify said operator of said vehicle of a direction deviation, a possibility of collision or an inability of said vehicle to pass between two of said objects.