Curb Patents (Class 340/437)
  • Patent number: 10571290
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for vehicle speed profile generation. The method is performed by receiving data pertaining to driver characteristics and characteristics of trips taken by said driver, creating driver profile by generating skill and aggression parameters for said driver, constructing trip parameters pertaining to said trips taken by the driver by processing the skill and aggression parameters, constructing acceleration dataset for said trips, constructing speed values from the acceleration dataset and processing the speed values for anomalies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Limited
    Inventors: Arijit Chowdhury, Tapas Chakravarty, Tanushree Banerjee, Balamuralidhar Purushothaman
  • Patent number: 10220769
    Abstract: A computer is programmed to receive data indicating a state of a traffic signal. The computer is further programmed to activate a light source in a first vehicle to project a traffic signal symbol representing the state of the traffic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Kenneth Dellock, Stuart C. Salter, Venkatesh Krishnan
  • Patent number: 10176386
    Abstract: A vehicle speed determination system and method receive image data of a field of view of a camera operably disposed onboard a vehicle. A speed and/or heading of the vehicle are determined as the vehicle is moving based at least in part on one or more differences in the image data. In one aspect, pixel intensities in different images or frames may be examined to identify one or more features of interest in the images or frames. Movement of the one or more features of interest in the images or frames is correlated to movement of the vehicle along the route, and the time difference between when the images or frames are obtained can be used to determine the vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dattaraj Jagdish Rao, Scott Daniel Nelson, Nidhi Naithani, Nikhil Uday Naphade
  • Patent number: 10108866
    Abstract: A method of detecting a curb. An image of a path of travel is captured by a monocular image capture device mounted to a vehicle. A feature extraction technique is applied by a processor to the captured image. A classifier is applied to the extracted features to identify a candidate region in the image. Curb edges are localized by the processor in the candidate region of the image by extracting edge points. Candidate curbs are identified as a function of the extracted edge points. A pair of parallel curves is selected representing the candidate curb. A range from image capture device to the candidate curb is determined. A height of the candidate curb is determined. A vehicle application is enabled to assist a driver in maneuvering a vehicle utilizing the determined range and depth of the candidate curb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Veronique C. Prinet, Jinsong Wang, Lee Jongho, David Wettergreen
  • Patent number: 10002534
    Abstract: In a driving assistance apparatus mounted in a vehicle, a detector detects a lane change of the vehicle, a determiner determines a position of a lane traveled by the vehicle immediately after the lane change detected by the detector relative to a position of a lane traveled by the vehicle immediately before the lane change, and a verifier determines whether or not there is misrecognition of speed limits during travel of the vehicle based on a positional relationship between the lanes traveled by the vehicle immediately before and after the lane change detected by the detector and a comparison between recognized speed limits for the respective lanes traveled by the vehicle immediately before and after the lane change detected by the detector. If it is determined that there is misrecognition of speed limits, a reporter reports the recognized speed limit to a driver of the vehicle in a prescribed manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jian Hu
  • Patent number: 9694812
    Abstract: A method and device for determining a target curve incline of a motor vehicle during traveling of a curved roadway section is disclosed. A momentary transverse acceleration of the motor vehicle is determined depending on a momentary speed of the motor vehicle and a momentary roadway curvature of the curved roadway section determined by an optical detection system. A momentary target curve incline for the motor vehicle is calculated from the determined momentary transverse acceleration. A modified momentary target curve incline is calculated by weighting of the calculated target curve incline with a speed-dependent target curve incline weighting factor. The momentary roadway curvature is determined by additionally using a vehicle navigation system of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Dieter Ammon, Claus-Michael Hainbuch, Magnus Rau
  • Patent number: 9058249
    Abstract: The vehicle control system controls a vehicle based on an estimated gradient value of a travel road. Further, the vehicle control system includes a front/rear acceleration sensor and wheel speed sensors, and a control device for calculating the estimated gradient value. Further, when the vehicle travels, the control device determines whether or not the vehicle is traveling rearward. Then, when the vehicle is traveling forward, the control device calculates the estimated gradient value based on an output signal of the acceleration sensor and output signals of the wheel speed sensors. In contrast, when the vehicle is traveling rearward, the control device calculates the estimated gradient value based on an output signal of the acceleration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeshi Kanou
  • Patent number: 8958947
    Abstract: A vehicle approach notification device 2 includes: position detection unit 21 that detects current positions of a vehicle; map database 22 storing map data; specific area travel determination unit 23 that determines the travel in a specific area by using the current position from the unit 21 and the map data from the database 22; specific area scale determination unit 24 that, when information from the unit 23 indicates a specific area, determines a scale of the specific area; storage unit 25 that stores a list of thresholds relating to the scale of the specific area; and notification control unit 28 that compares information of the scale from the unit 24 with the list of thresholds from the unit 25, and that when the threshold is satisfied, outputs a control signal for emitting a notification sound of the vehicle to notification sound control unit 30 that controls the sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Inakazu, Mitsuo Shimotani
  • Patent number: 8907839
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method and a system for recognizing a space of a road shoulder using an ultrasonic wave sensor, a radar and an imaging device. The method includes: controlling the radar to transmit a radar beam within a preset range based on the vehicle location; detecting a fixed object located within the preset range using a reflective wave of the radar beam received by the radar; calculating a distance between the fixed object and the vehicle using the radar when the fixed object is located within the preset range; detecting a solid line lane marking in a front image of a travel lane obtained from the imaging device; and recognizing the calculated distance between the fixed object and the vehicle as a space width of the road shoulder when the solid line lane is in the front image of the travel lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Young Chul Oh, Surim Kwon
  • Patent number: 8907815
    Abstract: A parking support device capable of reliably supporting a parking driving operation by a driver, comprising an image acquisition portion for acquiring an image peripheral to a vehicle captured by a vehicle-mounted image pickup device; an image display portion for displaying the peripheral image; and an indicator output portion for superimposedly displaying an indicator, comprising a pair of left and right vehicle width extension lines extending rearwards of the vehicle, on the peripheral image in order to guide a driver during a parking operation by the driver. The parking support device supports parallel parking, comprising a first turning step, in which the vehicle is reversed while being turned and driven into a parking area, and a second turning step, in which the vehicle is aligned in a parallel direction while being turned in a direction opposite to that in the first turning step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Kadowaki, Kazuya Watanabe, Yumi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8872643
    Abstract: A safety system for an ore processing facility using a mobile mechanisms such as dozer-type wheeled vehicles operating in proximity with an excavator providing ore to a remote milling site. The excavator or earth moving mechanism has a positioning sensor (such as GPS) generating data indicative of the location of the earth moving mechanism and each of the mobile mechanisms also include positioning sensors. An analysis mechanism receives the positioning sensor data from the earth moving mechanism and the positioning sensor data from said mobile mechanisms and creates a distance calculation which is used alert the alarm in the earth moving mechanism and the alarm in the mobile mechanism if said distance calculation is less than a prescribed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Inventor: William Ebert
  • Patent number: 8803708
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous, non-intermittent, detection of vehicles based on a light detector for detecting a change in illumination when a vehicle arrives or departs, and on a use of the light detection to activate a magnetic sensor, a sensitivity of which is adjusted to detect only those magnetic disturbances sufficiently large to be able to be attributed to a vehicle which is over the sensor. Both the light detector and the magnetic sensor are connected directly to a digital controller without a need for active electronic components or their own or a shared power supply source. The light detector may be fixed or portable, wireless or connected by cables, and may operate independently or as part of a sensor network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
    Inventors: Ramon Pallàs Areny, Jaime Oscar Casas Piedrafita, Ernesto Sifuentes De La Hoya
  • Patent number: 8786419
    Abstract: A device for controlling a device by using a rotation-rate sensor. In order to provide a device for determining a triggering signal for a safety device which allows a particularly compact implementation of the device, the device is set up to ascertain an acceleration variable on the basis of a first sensor signal for a first seismic mass of the rotation-rate sensor and the second sensor signal for a second seismic mass of the rotation-rate sensor and to control the device as a function of the acceleration variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Ulm, Mathias Reimann, Harald Emmerich, Udo-Martin Gomez, Emma Abel
  • Patent number: 8754761
    Abstract: A control unit for automatically guiding a vehicle, in particular during a parking procedure, has an interface to a monitoring unit of a brake operating unit of the vehicle to ascertain a braking readiness of the driver in such a way that automatic guiding of the vehicle is interrupted if a braking readiness of a driver is not detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Koehler, Michael Scherl, Matthias Haug, Uwe Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 8692687
    Abstract: A parking-assistant system for “multi-maneuver parking”, which is designed for generating, before the parking maneuver is started, a predetermined path, via the simulation of a maneuver of exit from a parking space. The control effected by the system, during the real parking maneuver, limits itself to comparing the effective position of the vehicle with respect to the predetermined path. Said control has somewhat low computational requirements so that the system is quite reliable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
    Inventors: Guido Ghisio, Daniele Marenco
  • Patent number: 8694195
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a wheel-view camera with a wide-angle lens and an image sensor. The wheel-view camera is mounted in the housing of a side view mirror and points in a downward direction such that the wheel-view camera captures a front wheel. An image processing unit is operatively connected to the wheel-view camera unit for receiving image data from the wheel-view camera. The image processing unit is configured to process the image data such that the image processing unit performs a wide-angle lens correction, an image rotation and a viewpoint conversion. A display unit is operatively connected to the image processing unit. The display unit receives processed image data from the image processing unit and displays an image of the front wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Jonathan Lee, Arne Stoschek
  • Patent number: 8686875
    Abstract: A parking support device is provided for extracting detection point data corresponding to a corner portion of a parked vehicle 2 from detection point data showing a series of detection points at each of which the distance to the parked vehicle 2 is detected, performing a noise component removing process and a data complementing process using a curve approximation of the series of detection points on the extracted detection point data, estimating reflection points of a detection wave in the corner portion from the detection point data and sensor position data showing a moving path of a distance sensor 3, and measuring the length of a parking space adjacent to the parked vehicle 2 according to a corner position which is determined from the positions of the estimated reflection points to determine if a vehicle 1 can be parked in the parking space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Inoue, Ryotaro Suzuki, Mitsuaki Akaza
  • Patent number: 8669854
    Abstract: Described herein is a method for determining and signalling to a driver of a motor vehicle a condition of danger deriving from a potential collision of the motor vehicle itself with an obstacle. The method is able to: determine a path of travel of the motor vehicle along a stretch of road; define an area of detection of the obstacles in the stretch of road; detect the obstacles present in the area of detection in such a way as to generate a list of possible obstacles that might be hit; identify, from among the possible obstacles detected, a main obstacle; determine a level of risk associated to a condition of impact of the motor vehicle with the main obstacle detected; and finally generate a signal or alarm message regarding the level of risk determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societá Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Carlo D'Ambrosio, Andrea Ghiro
  • Patent number: 8576055
    Abstract: A collision avoidance assisting system for a vehicle, for expecting a risk of colliding upon a moving object (or a moving obstacle), including a pedestrian, more correctly, but without annoying a driver, excessively, by estimating the risk to be excessively high, comprises a moving object detecting means for detecting a moving object existing on periphery of the vehicle; a footway boundary detecting means for detecting a position and a configuration of a footway boundary object on periphery of the vehicle; a risk estimation means for estimating a risk that the moving object detected by said moving object detecting means collides on the vehicle; and an alarm means for calling an attention to a driver of the vehicle, upon basis of the risk of collision estimated by the risk estimation means, wherein the risk of collision between the moving object, which is detected by the moving object detecting means, and that vehicle is estimated by taking at least the position information of the moving object, the position i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Hara, Yuji Hosoda, Masashi Koga
  • Patent number: 8525655
    Abstract: In the case that a vehicle 1 is making a reverse movement, a control section 4 sets a braking control operation distance according to an angle formed by the vehicle 1's proceeding direction and an extending direction of a road on which an approaching vehicle is traveling. With this, a braking control is implemented at a delayed timing in a scene where the following possibility is high: the driver wishes to end the reverse movement operation as early as possible when a space for allowing the approaching vehicle to pass by is not present at the back of the vehicle 1. Thereby, the cumbersomeness or discomfort which may be felt by the driver with respect to the braking control can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Youji Hamaguchi, Takuya Inoue
  • Patent number: 8487782
    Abstract: A method for detecting objects having a low height, using a system for obstacle detection in vehicles, the system for obstacle detection including distance sensors for ascertaining the distance from objects and an arrangement for evaluation. The method includes performing the following: (a) continually recording the distance from an object using the distance sensors or recording the distance from an object at specified intervals, (b) checking whether the object continues to be recorded by the distance sensors when approaching the vehicle, in response to falling below a specified distance, or whether it vanishes from the detection range of the distance sensors, (c) detecting the object, which vanishes from the detection range of the distance sensors, as being an object of low height. Also described is a method for supporting a driver during a driving maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Pampus, Werner Urban, Meike Fehse, Bjoern Herder, Marco Knoblauch, Soenke Seifarth
  • Patent number: 8471716
    Abstract: Signaling methods and apparatuses are described for preventing flood irrigation water from overflowing in a trench, field, or other area. Signaling devices may include indicators such as a reflector, a flag, a light, or a sound device provided on an end of an elongate member having its opposite end engaged with the ground. A stake is driven into the ground near the elongate member in the trench or other area where water will flow. A breakaway link such as a strip of paper is engaged to either the indicator or the elongate member and also to the stake, causing the elongate member to be bent downward, with the breakaway link located in the trench where water will flow. When exposed to the flow of water, the breakaway link weakens and eventually tears such that the elongate member springs upward carrying the indicator with it, signaling an operator that water has reached that location in the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Hansen
  • Patent number: 8433100
    Abstract: The lane mark recognition device is equipped with a lane mark detecting unit which executes a lane mark detection process in each predetermined control cycle, and adds a detection presence/absence data to a ring buffer, a detection presence/absence data addition inhibiting unit which inhibits addition of the detection presence/absence data to the ring buffer when the vehicle is traveling in the intersection, and a lane mark position recognizing unit which recognizes a relative position of the vehicle and the lane mark, when the lane mark is detected in the situation where a lane mark detection rate calculated from the data of the ring buffer is higher than a reliability threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuma Nakamori, Tomoyoshi Aoki, Jun Tanaka, Sachio Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8423231
    Abstract: A driver assistance system includes a speed detector, a preceding vehicle detector having at least one video camera and at least one distance sensor for detecting the distance from a preceding vehicle, a device for determining the speed of the preceding vehicle, and an electronic control unit equipped to trigger an autonomous deceleration of the vehicle with the presence of predetermined brake trigger driving data and to terminate the autonomous deceleration with the presence of predetermined brake abortion driving data. The control unit effects: redundant detection of preceding vehicle driving data, and non-redundant detection of preceding vehicle driving data if a redundant detection is not possible. The non-redundantly detected preceding vehicle driving data is compared to preceding vehicle driving data redundantly detected within a predetermined time, and the non-redundantly detected data is used to control the autonomous deceleration if it corresponds to the redundantly detected data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventors: Karsten Breuer, Guido Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 8390440
    Abstract: A method for displaying a visual warning signal to warn a driver of a vehicle about a traffic situation that is determined to be critical. The visual warning signal displayed to the driver is based on sensor data furnished by at least one sensor unit that determines a line of sight of the driver. A display unit for displaying the visual warning signal is selected from a group of at least two separately controllable display units depending on the line of sight of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Krautter, Michael Dambier, Maria Rimini-Doering, Dietrich Manstetten
  • Patent number: 8354932
    Abstract: A method and a device for driver assistance in which the warning threshold at which the driver is warned for example of a departure from the lane is adaptively adjusted as a function of the driver's state and/or the driving situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Carsten Schmitz
  • Patent number: 8346436
    Abstract: A driving support system includes a lane detecting unit for detecting lanes around a vehicle, a route correcting unit for correcting a route along which the vehicle is expected to travel taking into consideration an obstacle on the route after the route has been recognized by lanes detected by the lane detecting unit, and a control unit for controlling the vehicle on the basis of the positional relation between the corrected route determined by the route correcting unit and the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yokoyama, Shinjiro Saito, Masatsugu Arai, Tatsuya Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8306269
    Abstract: The lane mark recognition device is equipped with a lane mark detecting unit which executes a lane mark detection process in each predetermined control cycle, and adds a detection presence/absence data to a ring buffer, a detection presence/absence data addition inhibiting unit which inhibits addition of the detection presence/absence data to the ring buffer when the vehicle is traveling in the intersection, and a lane mark position recognizing unit which recognizes a relative position of the vehicle and the lane mark, when the lane mark is detected in the situation where a lane mark detection rate calculated from the data of the ring buffer is higher than a reliability threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuma Nakamori, Tomoyoshi Aoki, Jun Tanaka, Sachio Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8290665
    Abstract: A method for driver support in a vehicle in which a driver assistance system monitors a driving situation of the vehicle. Support takes place after a confirmation or after the absence of an abort instruction, a dialogue about the extent of support the driver wishes being conducted between the driver and the driver assistance system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Lars Placke, Lars Biester
  • Patent number: 8275518
    Abstract: A target parking position setting section (23) is adapted to temporarily set a target parking position (p31, p32, p33) for the vehicle for each parking mode in a predetermined stop position. A parking mode determining section (25) is adapted to determine the parking mode and the target parking position corresponding to the parking mode based on an operation of a steering wheel performed by a driver after the target parking position (p31, p32, p33) is set. A guiding section (29) is adapted to guide the vehicle (1) to the determined target parking position (P3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuya Watanabe, Jun Kadowaki, Tsuyoshi Kuboyama, Yu Tanaka, Yoichi Iwata, Tetsunori Haraguchi, Masahiko Yanagihara
  • Patent number: 8264336
    Abstract: The vehicle-mounted alarm generating apparatus includes an extracting section configured to extract a road boundary marking representing a boundary of a lane from an image of a picture of a road surface ahead of a vehicle, a position setting section configured to set a first position and a second position more distant from the vehicle than the first position in accordance with extraction results by the extracting section, a first alarm generating section configured to generate a first alarm when a distance between the vehicle and the first position becomes shorter than a predetermined first distance, and a second alarm generating section configured to generate a second alarm, when a distance between the vehicle and the first position becomes shorter than a predetermined second distance. The configuration of the second alarm is different from that of the first alarm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuya Takafuji
  • Patent number: 8213646
    Abstract: A stereophonic apparatus uses three speakers respectively installed toward a front of a vehicle on both shoulders of a seat back of a driver's seat and toward a back of the vehicle on an exact center in front of a driver. This configuration provides more effectively exerted positioning effects for a virtual sound source realized by using the three speakers, especially for the effects in a frontward field of sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Matsumoto, Sei Iguchi, Wataru Kobayashi, Kazuhiko Furuya, Keita Yonai
  • Patent number: 8193925
    Abstract: A vehicle has a display device which widens the field of view (visible area) reflected by a side mirror or a back mirror mounted on the vehicle. To enable a driver driving the vehicle to confirm safety even when it is difficult for the driver to visually recognize some of objects surrounding the vehicle, a liquid crystal display device or an EL display device is provided in the side mirror (door mirror), the back mirror (room mirror) or in an interior portion of the vehicle. A camera is mounted on the vehicle and an image from the camera is displayed on the display device. Further, information read from a sensor (distance measuring sensor) having the function of measuring the distance to another vehicle, and a sensor (impact sensor) having the function of sensing an externally applied impact force larger than a predetermined value is displayed on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8099213
    Abstract: A method is provided for detecting road-side edges in a road segment using a light-based sensing system. Input range data is captured using the light-based sensing system. An elevation-based road segment is generated based on the captured input range data. The elevation-based road segment is processed by filtering techniques to identify the road segment candidate region and by pattern recognition techniques to determine whether the candidate region is a road segment. The input range data is also projected onto the ground plane for further validation. The line representation of the projected points are identified. The line representation of the candidate regions is compared to a simple road/road-edge model in the top-down view to determine whether the candidate region is a road segment with its edges. The proposed method provides fast processing speeds and reliable detection performance for both road and road-side edges simultaneously in the captured range data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Wende Zhang, Varsha Sadekar
  • Publication number: 20110267185
    Abstract: A monitoring system is presented. The monitoring system includes a plurality of sensing devices disposed at various locations of a vehicle to generate signals comprising vibration and acoustic data of the vehicle, a processing device configured to determine one or more events based upon the generated signals, and generate alert messages based upon the one or more events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Li Zhang, Patricia Denise Mackenzie, Joseph James Salvo, John William Carbone, Charles Burton Theurer
  • Patent number: 8009024
    Abstract: A display device of the present invention is mounted on an automotive vehicle. An obstacle located in front of the vehicle is detected by a camera, and its features including speed, distance, size, etc. are analyzed by electronic circuits. An image showing the features of the front object is outputted from a liquid crystal panel. The outputted image is reflected on the windshield, displaying a virtual image to a driver. The virtual image is displayed in a form of a spot encircling the front obstacle seen through the windshield. The ways of displaying the encircling spot are variously changed according to a degree of collision danger that is determined according to a period in which the vehicle reaches the obstacle. For example, if the degree of collision danger is high, the spot is shown in red-orange color and/or with a high brightness. Thus, the driver easily recognizes the front obstacle in a high degree of collision danger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Enya, Masaru Kakizaki
  • Patent number: 7994903
    Abstract: A vehicle has a display device which widens the field of view (visible area) reflected by a side mirror or a back mirror mounted on the vehicle. To enable a driver driving the vehicle to confirm safety even when it is difficult for the driver to visually recognize some of objects surrounding the vehicle, a liquid crystal display device or an EL display device is provided in the side mirror (door mirror), the back mirror (room mirror) or in an interior portion of the vehicle. A camera is mounted on the vehicle and an image from the camera is displayed on the display device. Further, information read from a sensor (distance measuring sensor) having the function of measuring the distance to another vehicle, and a sensor (impact sensor) having the function of sensing an externally applied impact force larger than a predetermined value is displayed on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7965197
    Abstract: A vehicle blind spot occupation warning system includes a vehicle that has a front end, a rear end, a first lateral side and a second lateral side. A first rear view mirror is mounted on the first lateral side and a second rear view mirror is mounted on the second lateral side. A pair of heat detecting sensors is provided. Each of the first and second lateral sides has one of the sensors attached thereto and the sensors are positioned adjacent to the rear end. The heat detecting sensors detect heat from vehicles positioned at least within 30 feet laterally and rearwardly of the first and second lateral sides. At least one light emitter is in communication with the heat detecting sensors and emits light when the first or second sensor detects heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Inventor: Eric D. Engelmann
  • Patent number: 7936283
    Abstract: A parking space is detected by using a range sensor. Distance data in a predetermined period is collected by using the range sensor according to a user's selection and mapping the collected distance data on a coordinates system based on a parking space searching vehicle. The collected distance data are classified into short distance data and long distance data. Parking-available distance data, is calculated. Whether the parking space exists based on the calculated parking-available distance data is checked. The parking space searching vehicle is stopped by controlling an active braking apparatus or recommending a driver to stop the parking space searching vehicle by means of a voice and alarm sounds when it has been checked that the parking space exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Mando Corporation
    Inventor: Dong-suk Kim
  • Patent number: 7920056
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus has a display mounted in a vehicle, a driving information receiving unit receiving a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle, and a control unit. The control unit produces a vehicle figure imitating a shape of the vehicle and a tire figure imitating a shape of a tire of the vehicle in a bird's-eye view, calculates a predicted running locus of the vehicle, detects positions of portions of an obstacle facing the vehicle one after another, and controls the display to display a driving support image including the vehicle figure, the tire figure, the running locus and obstacle detecting marks indicating the positions of the obstacle while changing a direction of the tire figure with respect to the vehicle figure according to the steering angle. A driver recognizes a turning rate of the vehicle from the direction of the tire figure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Hattori, Kiyonari Kojima, Mitsuyasu Matsuura, Naoki Kamikawa, Mitsuru Fujita
  • Patent number: 7881868
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates warning of collision between a primary principal and one or more non-primary principals. The system includes a triggering mechanism and a preliminary assessment mechanism. During operation, the triggering mechanism determines whether a trigger condition is met based on the state of the primary principal. When the trigger condition is met, the preliminary assessment mechanism generates one or more collision scenarios associated with the trigger condition, assesses a preliminary probability of collision in a collision scenario, and, based on the preliminary probability of collision in the collision scenario, activates a specialized assessment mechanism to assess a refined probability of collision in the collision scenario.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel H. Greene, Juan Liu, James E. Reich
  • Patent number: 7864034
    Abstract: A system assists a driver occupying a seat within a vehicle traveling on a road. The system includes sensing apparatus that senses a plurality of different types of conditions regarding the vehicle. Information apparatus provides information regarding the different types of conditions to the driver by respective different types of haptic inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Hijikata, Masahiro Egami, Norio Kosaka
  • Patent number: 7843362
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling an at least partly automatically implementable driving maneuver by which a motor vehicle can be moved from an actual position into a desired position. In the environment of the motor vehicle, a virtual target object is generated in a target position for the motor vehicle in the environment of the motor vehicle by projection using projection devices provided on the motor vehicle. As a function of operating actions of an operator of the motor vehicle, the target position is changed, whereby also the target object is displaced in the environment of the motor vehicle. And, by way of a selecting action of the operator, the changed target position is selected and utilized as the desired position of the driving maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Alexander Augst
  • Patent number: 7825828
    Abstract: A parking assist device includes a monitor (10) for displaying a captured image from a camera (12), assist information output means for providing assistance during introduction of a vehicle into a parking position, and correction control means (31) for correcting an inappropriate operation performed when the vehicle is introduced into the parking position. When a steering operation, an accelerator operation, or a brake operation is inappropriate, the correction control means (31) performs control to correct the travel course and the stop position. Thus, even if the driver performs an inappropriate operation when introducing the vehicle into the parking position, the driver can appropriately introduce the vehicle into the parking position according to the display on the monitor (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuya Watanabe, Kosuke Sato, Hiroshi Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7792624
    Abstract: A cruise control system includes a curve state detecting section, a target deceleration rate calculating section, a deceleration control section, a map matching detecting section, a position evaluating section and a revising section. The deceleration control section is configured to execute deceleration control within a deceleration control region before a curve existing in front of the vehicle. The map matching detecting section is configured to detect whether a map matching operation caused a vehicle traveling position to move onto a traveling road. The revising section is configured to perform at least one of increasing a deceleration rate of the vehicle and extending an end position of a deceleration control region to a position inside the curve based on a positional relationship between the vehicle traveling position and the curve when the vehicle traveling position after the map matching operation is within the deceleration control region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahide Nakamura, Shinji Matsumoto, Tatsuya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7746220
    Abstract: A moving object detection apparatus comprises a transmitter, a receiver, a detection portion, a binary conversion portion and a judgment portion. The transmitter emits energy waves with a first frequency to a detection area. When receiving incoming energy waves from the detection area, the receiver generates an electric signal corresponding to the incoming energy waves. The detection portion obtains a detection signal from a reference signal with the first frequency and the electric signal. The binary conversion portion compares the detection signal with a conversion threshold signal to obtain a binary signal. The judgment portion judges whether or not a moving object approaching or leaving the receiver exists in the detection area based on the binary signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimasa Takagi, Fumihiro Kasano, Hidehiko Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 7660669
    Abstract: A lane departure avoidance system is provided with a rumble strip sensing device and a lateral lane departure rate determining component. The rumble strip sensing device is configured to detect an input from a rumble strip to a vehicle wheel that is indicative of a rumble strip engagement amount. The lateral lane departure rate determining component is configured to determine a lateral rate of lane departure of a vehicle based on a detection result of the rumble strip sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Tsuda
  • Patent number: 7570156
    Abstract: The system comprises: a signaling device able to provide the driver with a sensorial alarm signal indicating a danger situation; detectors able to provide signals and/or data representing the situation outside the motor vehicle and/or the travel conditions of the vehicle itself; and electronic processing and control devices designed to analyze the signals and/or data provided by the detectors and determine the occurrence of predetermined operating situations, such as the presence of any obstacles along the travel path of the motor vehicle, and generate, under predetermined conditions and in accordance with a predefined procedure, warning signals and/or data which can be used for activating the signaling device. The signaling device comprises an electrically operated actuator associated with the accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle and able, when activated, to apply to said pedal a stress with predefined characteristics, which is perceivable by the driver's foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Renzo Cicilloni, Patrizio Turco, Alessandro Gallione
  • Patent number: 7561033
    Abstract: A vehicle has a display device which widens the field of view (visible area) reflected by a side mirror or a back mirror mounted on the vehicle. To enable a driver driving the vehicle to confirm safety even when it is difficult for the driver to visually recognize some of objects surrounding the vehicle, a liquid crystal display device or an EL display device is provided in the side mirror (door mirror), the back mirror (room mirror) or in an interior portion of the vehicle. A camera is mounted on the vehicle and an image from the camera is displayed on the display device. Further, information read from a sensor (distance measuring sensor) having the function of measuring the distance to another vehicle, and a sensor (impact sensor) having the function of sensing an externally applied impact force larger than a predetermined value is displayed on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7532109
    Abstract: A vehicle obstacle verification system and method is provided to improve the precision in which preceding objects are identified as being a potential obstacle to a host vehicle. The obstacle verification system (1, 2) uses at least two verification methods to make preliminary determinations as to whether a preceding object will become an obstacle in the future. The obstacle verification system (1, 2) also determines the precision of the verification results obtained with each of the verification methods. Additionally, the obstacle verification system (1, 2) calculates a verification result obtained using a verification method tailored to the traveling scene, the calculation being based on the verification results obtained using the plurality of verification methods, and makes a final determination as to whether the preceding object will become an obstacle based on the calculated verification result and the previously determined precisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taku Takahama, Takeshi Kimura