Collision avoidance system based on detection of obstacles in blind spots of vehicle

• US 7,859,432 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CHE Il Electric Wiring Devices Co., Ltd., CHE Il Electronics Ind Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: CHE Il Electric Wiring Devices Co., Ltd., CHE Il Electronics Ind Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Young Hoon, Kim, Heung Seop, Kim, Hwa Sik, Park, Jong Sup, Hur, Won Moo
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout; Brent
• Application Number:
  US12/053,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 340435-436, 340/903, 340/937, 340/942, 348/148
• US Class Current: 340/937
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a collision avoidance system based on the detection of obstacles (e.g., other vehicles and obstructive objects) in the blind spots of a vehicle. The collision avoidance system includes: a turn signal lamp detector for detecting an activation of a turn signal lamp of the vehicle; a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera for capturing an image for a road environment, outputting the captured image as road environment data, and measuring a winding or curvature degree of a current road; a steering angle detector for detecting a steering angle of the vehicle and outputting a resulting signal as a steering angle signal; an infrared sensor for transmitting or receiving infrared light to or from an obstacle present in a blind spot of the vehicle, and outputting an obstacle detection signal; a warning device configured to warn the possibility of collision between the obstacle and the vehicle to a driver; and a controller configured to operate the warning device upon detection of the activation of the turn signal lamp by the turn signal lamp detector, followed by activation of the infrared sensor to determine presence of an obstacle in the blind spot, the controller further configured to operate the warning device upon detection of a progress of lane change based on comparison between the road environment data and the steering angle signal output, followed by activation of the infrared sensor to determine presence of an obstacle in the blind spot.

Claims

1. A collision avoidance system based on detection of obstacles in blind spots of a vehicle, comprising:

a turn signal lamp detector for detecting an activation of a turn signal lamp of the vehicle;

a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera for capturing an image for a road environment, outputting the captured image as road environment data, and measuring a winding or curvature degree of a current road;

a steering angle detector for detecting a steering angle of the vehicle and outputting a resulting signal as a steering angle signal;

an infrared sensor for transmitting or receiving infrared light to or from an obstacle present in a blind spot of the vehicle, and outputting an obstacle detection signal;

a warning device configured to warn a possibility of collision between the obstacle and the vehicle to a driver; and

a controller configured to operate the warning device upon detection of the activation of the turn signal lamp by the turn signal lamp detector, followed by activation of the infrared sensor to determine presence of an obstacle in the blind spot, the controller further configured to operate the warning device upon detection of a progress of lane change based on comparison between the road environment data and the steering angle signal output, followed by activation of the infrared sensor to determine presence of an obstacle in the blind spot.

2. The collision avoidance system according to claim 1, wherein the CCD camera comprises:

a light receiving unit for receiving an image of the obstacle;

an image sensor for receiving an obstacle image signal through the light receiving unit, and operating to generate an analog image signal for the obstacle;

an Analog/Digital (A/D) converter for converting the analog image signal from the image sensor into a digital image signal; and

a central processing unit for receiving the digital image signal from the A/D converter and transmitting the digital image signal to the controller.

3. The collision avoidance system according to claim 1, wherein the infrared sensor comprises:

a single-channel infrared emission unit provided with a single infrared Light Emitting Diode (LED) and configured to emit infrared light;

an optical path change unit provided with a reflective plate that is installed on a light output portion of the single-channel infrared emission unit, and that is configured to allow the infrared light emitted from the infrared LED to travel to the blind spot of the vehicle;

a rotating reflective unit installed relative to the optical path change unit so that the rotating reflective unit is placed to form a predetermined angle with the reflective plate of the optical path change unit, and rotating while continuously reflecting the reflected infrared light toward the blind spot of the vehicle and scattering the infrared light over the blind spot; and

a reception control unit for detecting incident infrared light and performing a control operation to determine presence of an obstacle.

4. The collision avoidance system according to claim 3, wherein the infrared emission unit emits a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)-controlled signal, in which a driving frequency of the infrared LED is modulated to a carrier frequency.

5. The collision avoidance system according to claim 3, wherein the reflective plate is operated to receive the infrared light emitted from the infrared LED of the single-channel infrared emission unit at an input angle of 45°

, and to allow the infrared light to travel to the rotating reflective unit at an angle of 45°

.

6. The collision avoidance system according to claim 3, wherein the rotating reflector unit comprises:

a deceleration motor for rotating a shaft using externally supplied power; and

a rotating reflective prism for reflecting the infrared light, emitted from the infrared LED, at a different angle while being coupled to the shaft and being rotated.

7. The collision avoidance system according to claim 3, wherein the infrared sensor further comprises a driving power control unit for controlling the infrared LED such that infrared light is emitted within a range of the blind spot of the vehicle according to a number of rotations per minute of the rotating reflective prism and a reflection angle of infrared light reflected by the rotating reflective prism.

8. The collision avoidance system according to claim 7, wherein the driving power control unit controls emission of infrared light by repeatedly supplying power to the infrared LED in a frequency modulation manner.

9. The collision avoidance system according to claim 7, wherein the infrared sensor is placed below a mirror provided on a side rear view mirror housing.

10. The collision avoidance system according to claim 1, wherein the warning device is a warning lamp or a speaker configured to be activated to warn the driver the possibility of collision with the obstacle.

11. The collision avoidance system according to claim 1, wherein the warning device is a combination of a warning lamp and a speaker each configured to be activated to warn the driver the possibility of collision with the obstacle.