Bumping prevention system

• US 6,360,171 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Institute For Land and Infrastructure Management Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transportation
• Original Assignee: Public Works Research Institute
• Inventors: Murakami, Hideaki, Takahashi, Hiroshi, Mashimo, Hiroshi, Matsubara, Ryoji, Kubota, Koji, Ohira, Yasuyuki, Yamada, Masaya, Kuno, Akira, Miyamoto, Kazumasa, Kawahara, Kazutaka, Ezure, Hisashi, Kondo, Tetsuaki, Ooya, Harutada, Ohtani, Kenichi, Moteki, Satoshi, Noguchi, Naoya, Takiguchi, Akihiko, Inobe, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/693,263
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/36, 701/200, 340/436, 340/435, 340/425.5, 340/903, 180/168, 180/169
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A system-enabled vehicle entering a crossing warns a driver of the vehicle that a possibility of bumping exists, thereby allowing the driver to brake and stop the vehicle in an emergency in front of the crossing. When the system determines a possibility of bumping with another vehicle entering the crossing exists, the system continuously provides controls for decelerating and stopping the vehicle in a range from a point where the system can decelerate the vehicle in an emergency with time allowance for stopping the vehicle in front of the crossing up to a point in front of the crossing.

Claims

1. A bumping prevention system for preventing bumping between a vehicle running on a non-priority road and another vehicle running on a priority road at a crossing between the two roads by transacting signals with on-road infrastructure in a service area from a fixed point information detection support facility for service-in installed at a point away by a specified distance from the crossing up to a fixed point information detection support facility for service-out installed at a point near the crossing, wherein, when a vehicle passes by the fixed point information detection support facility for service-in and enters the service area, a driver of the vehicle receives a signal indicating start of the service area from the support facility and recognizes availability of the services for provision of information, alarms, and controls for prevention of bumping when approaching the crossing, said system starts computing a position of the vehicle by grasping a distance from a current position of the vehicle up to the priority road, acquires information on vehicles on the priority road from the on-road infrastructure, provides information the vehicle'"'"'s driver with information concerning presence of the crossing as well as of vehicles entering the crossing at a point where the driver can brake the vehicle with sufficient time allowance for stopping the vehicle in front of the crossing when there is any vehicle entering the crossing on the priority road, gives an alarm alerting the possibility of bumping at a position where the driver can brake the vehicle in an emergency with sufficient time allowance for stopping the vehicle in front of the crossing when it is determined that there is the possibility of bumping with a vehicle entering the crossing, and continuously provides controls for support for braking in a range from the position where the driver can brake the vehicle in an emergency with sufficient time allowance for stopping the vehicle in front of the crossing up to a position in front of the crossing.

2. The bumping prevention system according to claim 1, wherein said system provides a driver of a vehicle with information taking into a period of time in which the driver responds to the information as well as a period of time in which a braking operation is actually effected, gives an alarm to the driver taking into account a period of time in which the driver responds to the alarm and the driver'"'"'s braking operating is actually effected, and also provides automatic control for stopping the vehicle taking into account a delay time of this control system and a period of time required until braking is actually effected in the emergent stop.

3. A bumping prevention system for preventing bumping between a vehicle running on a non-priority road and another vehicle running on a priority road at a crossing between the two roads by transacting signals with on-road infrastructure in a service area from a fixed point information detection support facility for service-in installed at a point away by a specified distance from the crossing up to a fixed point information detection support facility for service-out installed at a point near the crossing, wherein, when(a vehicle passes by the fixed point information detection support facility for service-in and enters a service area, a driver of the vehicle recognizes availability of the service for provision of information for prevention of bumping after the vehicle stops once in front of a crossing upon reception of a signal indicating start of the service area from the support facility and then restarts, the driver can acquire information concerning vehicles on the priority road when the vehicle once stops in front of the crossing from the on-road infrastructure, and when there is any car entering the crossing on the priority road, said system provides the driver with the information concerning presence of the vehicle.

4. A bumping prevention system for preventing bumping between a vehicle running on a non-priority road and another vehicle running on a priority road at a crossing between the two roads by transacting signals with on-road infrastructure in a service area from a fixed point information detection support facility for service-in installed at a point away by a specified distance from the crossing up to a fixed point information detection support facility for service-out installed at a point near the crossing, wherein, when a vehicle passes by the fixed point information detection support facility for service-in and enters a service, a driver of the vehicle recognizes availability of the service for provision of information, alarms, and controls for prevention of bumping when approaching to a crossing or availability of service for provision of information for prevention of bumping when the vehicle once stops in front the crossing and then restarts, starts computing of a current position of the vehicle by grasping the current running position of the vehicle and a distance up to the priority road, and also wherein said system acquires information concerning vehicles on the priority road from the on-road infrastructure and provides, when there is any vehicle entering the crossing, the driver with the information concerning presence of the crossing and vehicle entering the crossing at a point where the driver can reduce a running velocity of the vehicle with sufficient time allowance for stopping the vehicle in front of the crossing, or gives the driver, when it is determined that there is the possibility of bumping with a vehicle entering the crossing, an alarm concerning the possibility of bumping at a point where the driver brakes the vehicle in an emergency with sufficient time allowance for stopping the vehicle in front of the crossing, continuously provides controls for the decelerating or stopping the vehicle, when it is determined that there is the possibility of bumping with any subsequent vehicle entering the crossing, in a range from a position where the driver can brake the vehicle with sufficient time allowance for stopping the vehicle in front of the crossing to a point in front of the crossing, and further acquired information on vehicles on the priority road from the on-road infrastructure when the vehicle stops in front of the crossing, and provides the information concerning presence of the vehicle when it is determined that there is any vehicle entering the crossing.

5. The bumping prevention system according to claim 4, wherein said system provides a driver of a vehicle with information taking into a period of time in which the driver responds to the information as well as a period of time in which a braking operation is actually effected, gives an alarm to the driver taking into account a period of time in which the driver responds to the alarm and the driver'"'"'s braking operating is actually effected, and also provides automatic control for stopping the vehicle taking into account a delay time of this control system and a period of time required until braking is actually effected in the emergent stop.