Patent · US Expired

Obstacle warning system for a vehicle

US5754099A · kind A · utility

289Cited by
8References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 24, 1995
Grant dateMay 19, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 24, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S2013/9329
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An obstacle warning system for a vehicle includes a distance measuring device for emitting a transmission wave or laser light in a given angular range in a direction of a width of the vehicle in a scanning manner, and for detecting a distance between the vehicle and an obstacle in correspondence with a scan angle on the basis of a reflected wave or reflected light from the obstacle. A relative position calculating device calculates a relative position of the obstacle with respect to the vehicle on the basis of the distance detected by the distance measuring device and a corresponding scan angle. A radius calculating device calculates a radius of an estimated relative curved path of the vehicle with respect to the obstacle on the basis of relative positions of at least two points of the obstacle which are calculated by the relative position calculating device. A warning area setting device sets a given warning area on the basis of the width of the vehicle and the radius calculated by the radius calculating device. A warning device executes a given warning process if the obstacle remains in the warning area for a given period of time.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.