GB2410327A

GB2410327A - White line crossing warning device

Info

Publication number: GB2410327A
Application number: GB0401307A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chi-Jui Huang; Chin-Hsing Cheng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-01-21
Filing date: 2004-01-21
Publication date: 2005-07-27
Also published as: GB0401307D0

Abstract

This automatic precaution system for the vehicle running on the road includes a power supply 10, a first brightness sensor 20, a second brightness sensor 30, a signal level adjuster 40, a signal judging device 50 and an alarm output device 60. When the vehicle 90 unintentionally runs over a sideline, the line with white paint will reflect a stronger light to the first and second brightness sensors 20,30. By detecting and processing these reflected lights, it can generate a warning operation in time to warn the driver. So, the precaution system is operable without changing the existent state of the road.

Description

241 0327

AUTOMATIC PRECAUTION SYSTEM

FOR A VEHICLE RUNNING ON A ROAD

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to an automatic precaution system for a vehicle running on a road. The automatic precaution system employs cheap photoelectric elements to achieve a precaution effect. The precaution system is operable without changing the existent state of the road. Also, the precaution system's accuracy and reliability are excellent. And, it can be manufactured at very low cost.

2. Description of the Prior Art

When a car runs on a road or highway, the driver might doze off occasionally or not concentrate on driving for a while (for example, when talking on a phone). It will cause the car's moving direction bias rightward or leftward. In some cases, the driver can react to turn the car ahead in time. However, in other cases, the driver may fail to turn back the car ahead in time. Under such circumstance, the car will run over the sideline 82 (as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7) to collide with the other car (or cars) running on an adjacent lane or even will hit the side barrier of the road or highway.

This is extremely dangerous. Therefore, many types of precaution systems have been developed for warning the driver.

A first type of the precaution system is to apply a special material that is embedded in the sideline 82 of the road, such as a magnetic material. Alternatively, the sideline 82 can be painted with certain radiant material. By means of the variation of the induced magnetic field or the variation of the intensity of the radiation, it can determine whether the car presses (or runs over) the sideline 82 or not. According to such method, the special material must be embedded in or painted on the sideline of the entire road. This is very troublesome and expensive. In addition, the radiant material will generate other the problems about safety.

A second type of the precaution system is to employ a digital camera (not shown) to shoot the real image about 10 to 90 meters in front of the car. For example, 800X600 pixel image is continuously reading in. After doing some suitable signal processing, it can determine whether the image is the sky, another vehicle, a sideline or a building beside the road. Such image processing and object identification procedure are quite complicated and their calculations are very slow. Especially, in an abrupt turn or when the front side is dark, a misjudge may take place. Moreover, such system is quite expensive and the operation of the system is very complicated.

Therefore, the reliability of such system is extremely low.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an automatic precaution system for a vehicle running on a road. The precaution system is operable without changing the existent state of the road.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above automatic precaution system. Its accuracy and reliability in precaution are excellent.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above automatic precaution system which is manufactured at very low cost.

The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing that the present invention is installed on a vehicle; Fig. 2 is a top view showing that the present invention is installed on a vehicle; Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the precaution system of the present invention; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing the first brightness sensor of the present invention; Fig. 5 shows that the vehicle is biased to press a sideline; Fig. 6 shows that the vehicle will press on a cross line; and Fig. 7 is a top view showing the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to Figs. 1 to 4. According to a first embodiment, the automatic precaution system of the present invention is installed on a vehicle 90. The vehicle 90 has a front edge 91, a rear edge 92, a left edge 93 and a right edge 94. The automatic precaution system includes a power supply 10, a first brightness sensor 20, a second brightness sensor 30, a signal level adjuster 40, a signal judging device 50 and an alarm output device 60.

The power supply 10 can be a battery, generator of the vehicle or the lighter (for cigarette) of the vehicle.

The first brightness sensor 20 (such as a photosensitive resistor directed to a predetermined point or small area) is mounted on the left edge 93 of the vehicle 90.

The first brightness sensor 20 serves to obtain a first brightness value signal S1 reflected from a first point 21 near or at the left edge 93 (generally on outer side thereof), which is spaced from the left edge 93 by a predetermined distance d (for

example, 50 cm).

The second brightness sensor 30 is mounted on the right edge 94 of the vehicle 90. The second brightness sensor 30 serves to read in a second brightness value signal S2 reflected from a second point 31 near or at the right edge 94 (generally on outer side thereof), which is spaced from the right edge 94 by a predetermined distance d (for example, 50 cm). The connecting line L between the first point 21 and the second point 31 is substantially perpendicular to the forward moving direction of the vehicle 90.

The signal level adjuster 40 serves to respectively adjust the first and second brightness value signals S 1, S2 to be within a working range. For example, the signal level adjuster 40 can amplify and adjust the first and second brightness value signals S1, S2 originally from the range between 0 volt (completely dark) and 2.4 volts (completely bright) to another range between O volt (completely dark) and 6 volts (completely bright).

After one of the first and second brightness value signals S1, S2 exceeds a sideline pressing warning value W1 for a predetermined period of time, the signal judging device 50 emits a sideline pressing command. For example, in the case that the sideline pressing warning value W1 is set at 3.0 volts, when the brightness value signal exceeds this value, it will be judged that the sideline 82 with white paint is s detected. As shown in Fig. 5, the second point 31 of the vehicle is just positioned on the white sideline 82 (so that the reflected light is brighter). Alternatively, in a different design, O volt can represent complete brightness, while 6 volts can represent complete darkness. Under such circumstance, when the brightness value signal is less than the value W1, it is judged that the sideline with white paint is detected.

After receiving the sideline pressing command of the signal judging device 50, the alarm output device 60 outputs a warning operation. In practice, the warning operation is one or several operations that include generating a warning light on the control panel, creating a warning sound, automatically activating a turning light, etc. In addition, referring to Fig. 6, a common street road is often marked with a stop cross line 81. In order to avoid possible misjudge that the vehicle presses (or will press) the sideline 82, after the first and second brightness value signals S1, S2 approximately simultaneously exceed the sideline pressing warning value W1 for a predetermined period of time, it means that it is quite possible that the cross line 81 in front of the vehicle is detected (not a dangerous situation). At this time, a cross line pressing command is emitted for the driver to notice it.

Fig. 7 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, which in addition to the components of the first embodiment includes a third brightness sensor 71. The third brightness sensor 71 is mounted on the front edge 91 of the vehicle 90 for obtaining a third brightness value signal S3 reflected from a third point 711 near the front edge 91 (generally on outer side), which is spaced from the front edge 91 by a predetermined distance d3. The signal S3 is for the signal judging device 50 to compare and determine whether the vehicle presses the cross line 81.

The second embodiment further includes a fourth and a fifth brightness sensors 72, 73 respectively mounted on the left and right edges 93, 94 of the vehicle 90. The fourth and fifth brightness sensors 72, 73 respectively serve to obtain a fourth and a fifth brightness value signals S4, S5 reflected from a fourth and a fifth points 721, 722 near the left and right edges 93, 94, which are spaced from the left and right edges 93, 94 by a predetermined distance d. The signals S4, S5 are for the signal judging device 50 to compare and determine whether the vehicle presses the sideline 82 or not. In case the sideline 82 is a discontinuous line and the segments of the sideline are approximately spaced from each other by five meters (or other specific interval), the vehicle 90 may skid out from the intermediate space between the segments of the sideline 82 without warning the driver. Therefore, the fourth sensor 72 is spaced from the first brightness sensor 20 by five meters (or a specific interval) to minimize the possibility of failure detection. Alternatively, the number of the brightness sensors can be increased to solve this problem.

The magnifying power of the signal level adjuster 40 is automatically adjustable with the intensity of the read first and second brightness value signals S1, S2. Also, the sideline pressing warning value of the signal judging device 50 is automatically adjustable with the intensity of the read first and second brightness value signals S1, S2. Especially, the intensity of the external visible light is variable (when shaded by a cloud or building). Therefore, the entire comparison basis of the judgment of the present invention can be modified from a fixed critical value to a variable critical value. Accordingly, no matter whether there is a cloud or shadow, the accuracy and reliability of the present invention will not be affected.

In addition, the present invention can be cooperated with a set of illuminators (only one is shown in Fig. 4). The illuminator 75 (or illuminators 75) serves to project a certain intensity of visible light onto the first point 21 and second point 31 or even onto the third, fourth and fifth points 711, 721, 731 to aid the present invention in normally functioning in a dim place (such as in a tunnel) or at night.

Moreover, in order to enhance the accuracy of the present invention, the number of the brightness sensors can be increased.

Furthermore, the first and second brightness sensors 20, 30 can be such specifically made that the output voltage range of the brightness sensors 20, 30 is just the working range of the signal judging device 50 without any adjustment, amplification or reduction. Accordingly, the aforesaid signal level adjuster 40 is omissible.

According to the above arrangement, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. The present invention can be operated without changing the existent state of the road. It is unnecessary to change the existent road surface so that the present invention is widely applicable to promote safety for a driver.

2. The present invention's accuracy and reliability in precaution are excellent.

In all situations of curved road, weather change, dim place and cross line, the precaution system of the present invention still can be accurately and reliably used.

3. The precaution system of the present invention can be manufactured at very low cost. The present invention employs several very cheap photoelectric elements in cooperation with simple signal adjusting circuit and signal judging circuit to achieve the precaution effect. The total cost is much lower than that of the digital camera and the computer with high processing ability. Therefore, the present invention is highly competitive in comparison with those products with the same function.

The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. An automatic precaution system for a vehicle

running on a road, the automatic precaution system being installable on the vehicle (90), the vehicle having a front edge (91), a rear edge (92), a left edge (93) and a right edge (94), the automatic precaution system comprising: a power supply (10); a first brightness sensor (20) for mounting on the left edge (93) of the vehicle (90) to read in a first brightness value signal (S1) reflected from a first point (21) near or at the left edge (93); a second brightness sensor (30) for mounting on the right edge (94) of the vehicle (90) to reading in a second brightness value signal (T2) reflected from a second point (22) near or at the right edge (94); a signal judging device (50), after one of the first and second brightness value signals (S1, S2) exceeds a sideline pressing warning value (W1) for a predetermined period of time, the signal judging device (50) emitting a sideline pressing command; and an alarm output device (60), after receiving the sideline pressing command of the signal judging device (50), the alarm output device (60) outputting a warning operation.
2. The automatic precaution system for the vehicle running on the road as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a signal level adjuster (40) for respectively adjusting the first and second brightness value signals (S1, S2) to be within a working range for the signal judging device (50) to read in.
3. The automatic precaution system for the vehicle running on the road as claimed in claim 1, wherein the warning operation is selected from one or more operations of generating a warning light on a control panel, creating a warning sound, and automatically generating a turning light.
4. The automatic precaution system for the vehicle running on the road as claimed in claim 1, wherein a connecting line (L) between the first point (21) and the second point (31) is substantially perpendicular to a forward moving direction of the vehicle (90), after the first and second brightness value signals (S1, S2) approximately simultaneously exceed a sideline pressing warning value (W1) for a predetermined period of time, a cross line pressing command being emitted.
5. The automatic precaution system for the vehicle running on the road as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third brightness sensor (71) for mounting on the front edge (91) of the vehicle (90) to read in a third brightness value signal (S3) reflected from a third point (711) near the front edge (91), which is spaced from the front edge (91) by another predetermined distance (d3), the third brightness value signal (S3) being for the signal judging device (50) to compare and determine whether the vehicle (90) presses or will press a cross line (81).
6. The automatic precaution system for the vehicle running on the road as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fourth and a fifth brightness sensors (72, 73) respectively for mounting on the left and right edges (93, 94), the fourth and fifth brightness sensors (72, 73) respectively serving to read in a fourth and a fifth brightness value signals (S4, S5) reflected from a fourth and a fifth points (721, 722) near the left and right edges (93, 94), which are spaced from the left and right edges (93, 94) by the predetermined distance (d), the fourth and fifth signals (S4, S5) being for the signal judging device (50) to compare and determine whether the vehicle (90) presses a sideline (81).
7. The automatic precaution system for the vehicle running on the road as claimed in claim 2, wherein a magnifying power of the signal level adjuster (40) is automatically adjustable with the intensity of the read first and second brightness value signals (S1, S2).
8. The automatic precaution system for the vehicle running on the road as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sideline pressing warning value (W1) of the signal judging device (50) is automatically adjustable with the intensity of the read first and second brightness value signals (S1, S2).
9. The automatic precaution system for the vehicle running on the road as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a set of illuminators (75) for projecting a certain intensity of visible light onto the first point (21) and second point (31).
10. The automatic precaution system for the vehicle running on the road as claimed in claim 9, wherein the illuminators also projects a certain intensity of visible light onto the third, fourth and fifth points (71 1, 721,731).
11. A automatic precaution system for a vehicle running on the road substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.