Warning system for vehicle

• US 5,757,949 A
• Filed: 01/24/1996
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Masahiro, Arai, Kazumasa, Ikeda, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoll, Thomas L.
• Time in patent office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 382/104, 382/154, 340/901, 340/936, 340/937, 340/437, 340/441, 340/466, 340/467, 348/113, 364/423.098, 364/424.018, 364/426.021, 364/426.023, 364/426.045
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/52 for indicating emergencies braking indicating devices B60Q1/44, portable emergency signal devices B60Q7/00

Abstract

A warning system estimates the possibility of the off-course travel of a vehicle while traveling through a curve before the vehicle enters the curve and gives the driver a warning properly. The warning system comprises an image recognizing means for obtaining three-dimensional image data on the road extending ahead of the vehicle and the traffic environment lying ahead of the same by recognizing conditions of the road and the traffic, a curve detecting means for detecting a curve on the basis of the image data before the vehicle enters the curve, a turning speed calculating means for calculating a reference turning speed at which average drivers will drive the vehicle traveling the curve on the basis of the radius of curvature of the curve and the width of the lane represented by the image data, a relative curve sharpness detecting means for deciding whether or not the relative sharpness of the curve is critical by comparing the reference turning speed with the actual traveling speed of the vehicle, and an off-course travel estimating means for deciding, when the relative sharpness detecting means decides that the relative sharpness of the curve is critical, whether or not the driver has carried out danger avoiding operations from signals indicating decelerating operations, and, if any danger avoiding operation is not executed, deciding that off-course travel is possible and giving a warning.

Claims

1. A warning system for a vehicle having at least one wheel, an accelerator pedal, and a brake system with a brake pedal, said warning system comprising:

a pair of cameras mounted on the vehicle for taking a front picture thereof and for generating image signals;

a traveling speed sensor connected with the at least one wheel for detecting a vehicle speed and for producing a traveling speed signal;

an accelerator sensor mounted on the vehicle for detecting a depression degree of the accelerator pedal and for outputting an accelerator signal;

a brake switch connected with the brake system for detecting whether the brake pedal is depressed or not and for generating a brake signal;

an image recognizing means responsive to the picture signal for obtaining three-dimensional image data about road conditions and traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle and for producing a distance picture representing thereof;

a curve detecting means responsive to the distance picture for recognizing a curve in front of the vehicle and for generating a curve signal;

a radius calculating means responsive to the distance picture and curve signal for computing a curvature radius ahead of the vehicle and for outputting a curvature radius signal;

a turning speed calculating means responsive to the curvature radius signal for calculating a turning speed to pass through the curve and for generating a turning speed signal;

a curve sharpness deciding means responsive to the turning speed signal and the traveling speed signal for determining whether the curve is tight or not and for producing a curvature sharpness signal;

an off-course travel estimating means responsive to the accelerator signal, the brake signal and the curvature sharpness signal for judging whether the vehicle will pass through the curve at the turning speed and for outputting a decision signal; and

an alarming device responsive to the decision signal for generating an alarm signal when judged that it is dangerous for the vehicle to pass through the curve at the vehicle speed so as to avoid a dangerous condition before entering the curve.

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

said off-course determining means calculates a deceleration rate required to properly negotiate the curve and determines that the vehicle will not pass safely pass through the curve when an actual deceleration is lower than the deceleration rate.