Vehicle operation supporting device and vehicle operation supporting system

• US 7,287,884 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Koike, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lauchman; Layla G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stock, Jr.; Gordon J.
• Application Number:
  US10/350,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20030147247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 359/275, 359601-614, 340/901, 340/435, 340/576, 340/944, 382/103, 348/148
• US Class Current: 362/464
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/484 for showing outline of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/004 using wave sensors radar designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicles and fixed obstacles G01S13/931

Abstract

A beam radiator that radiates visible light beams having a predetermined wavelength onto a road surface to inform drivers of other vehicles of the existence of a self-owned vehicle or to let a driver of the self-owned vehicle confirm a traveling path thereof is disposed in a front portion of a body of the self-owned vehicle. An optical filter is disposed substantially all over a windshield in front of a driver seat. The filter is designed to have a characteristic of being more permeable to light having wavelengths close to a wavelength of visible light beams radiated from the beam radiator 24 than to light having a wavelength different from those wavelengths. In this construction, the driver is prevented from finding it difficult to visually recognize a visible light pattern resulting from visible light beams radiated from the self-owned vehicle or another vehicle owing to sunlight or the like, and visual recognizability of the visible light pattern is enhanced.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation supporting device comprising:

a beam radiating portion that intermittently radiates light beams having a predetermined optical characteristic onto a road surface around a vehicle, the light beams being laser beams; and

a dimming portion that intermittently becomes less permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic than to light having optical characteristics other than the predetermined optical characteristic in synchronization with radiation of the light beams from the beam radiating portion.

2. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a penetration control portion that stops the dimming portion from becoming less permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic if a predetermined condition is fulfilled.

3. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined optical characteristic is a predetermined wavelength.

4. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 1, wherein

the dimming portion is a member that is disposed on a windshield in front of the eyes of a driver of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 1,

wherein the light beams have wavelengths within a visible light range and are radiated on a road on which the vehicle is estimated to run,

a light pattern of the light beams is projected on the road, and

the dimming portion becomes less permeable to the projected light pattern within a period of time when the light beams are being radiated.

6. A vehicle operation supporting device comprising:

a beam radiating portion that intermittently radiates light beams having a predetermined optical characteristic onto a road surface around a vehicle, the predetermined optical characteristic being a predetermined polarization characteristic, the light beams being laser beams; and

a dimming portion that intermittently becomes less permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic than to light having optical characteristics other than the predetermined optical characteristic in synchronization with radiation of the light beams from the beam radiating portion.

7. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 6,

wherein the light beams have wavelengths within a visible light range and are radiated on a road on which the vehicle is estimated to run,

a light pattern of the light beams is projected on the road, and

the dimming portion becomes less permeable to the projected light pattern within a period of time when the light beams are being radiated.

8. A vehicle operation supporting device comprising:

a beam radiating portion that intermittently radiates light beams having a predetermined optical characteristic onto a road surface around a vehicle, the light beams being laser beams; and

a dimming portion that intermittently becomes less permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic than to light having optical characteristics other than the predetermined optical characteristic in synchronization with radiation of the light beams from the beam radiating portion, the dimming portion being a member that is worn by a driver of the vehicle and disposed in front of the eyes of the driver.

9. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 8,

wherein the light beams have wavelengths within a visible light range and are radiated on a road on which the vehicle is estimated to run,

a light pattern of the light beams is projected on the road, and

the dimming portion becomes less permeable to the projected light pattern within a period of time when the light beams are being radiated.

10. A vehicle operation supporting device comprising:

a beam radiating portion that radiates light beams having a predetermined optical characteristic onto a road surface around a vehicle, the light beams being laser beams and forming a visual pattern on the road surface; and

a dimming portion that is less permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic than to light having optical characteristics other than the predetermined optical characteristic only in a range of vision corresponding to the visual pattern that is formed on the road surface by the light beams radiated from the beam radiating portion.

11. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a penetration control portion that stops the dimming portion from becoming less permeable to light having the predetermined optical characteristic if a predetermined condition is fulfilled.

12. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 10, wherein

the predetermined optical characteristic is a predetermined wavelength.

13. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 10, wherein

the predetermined optical characteristic is a predetermined polarization characteristic.

14. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 10, wherein

the dimming portion is a member that is disposed on a windshield in front of the eyes of a driver of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 10, wherein

the dimming portion is a member that is worn by a driver of the vehicle and disposed in front of the eyes of the driver.

16. The vehicle operation supporting device according to claim 10,

wherein the light beams have wavelengths within a visible light range and are radiated on a road on which the vehicle is estimated to run,

a light pattern of the light beams is projected on the road, and

the dimming portion becomes less permeable to the projected light pattern within a period of time when the light beams are being radiated.