JP2006076421A - Safety device for running of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To preclude a rear-end collision by previously warning a future braking possibility of the vehicle concerned certainly to its following vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: When a radar device senses that the vehicle concerned has approached its foregoing vehicle and an electronic control unit emits an alarm signal, a brake previous warning lamp 12 installed on a door mirror 11 separately from a brake lamp 7 lighting up when a brake device is actuated will light up, so that the warning lamp 12 can be lighted up to give a previous warning of braking to the following vehicle before the brake device is actuated and the brake lamp 7 is lighted up, which enables precluding occurrence of a rear-end collision. As the warning lamp 12 is installed on the rear surface of the door mirror 11, it is not only possible to allow the following vehicle to easily acknowledge visually, but also distinguish the actual braking from the warning for coming braking certainly, and even if the driver of the vehicle concerned is making inattentive driving, the lighted warning lamp 12 comes into his field of view, so that alarming can be made even to the driver of the vehicle concerned simultaneously. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  In the present invention, when it is determined that braking is necessary due to the vehicle approaching the preceding vehicle, it is predicted to the vehicle that the vehicle is likely to brake soon, and the occurrence of a rear-end collision is prevented. The present invention relates to a vehicle travel safety device.

  Such a vehicle travel safety device is known from Patent Document 1 below.

This vehicle travel safety device flashes a high-mount stop lamp in advance before actual braking is performed when the host vehicle approaches the preceding vehicle and needs to be braked, and the host vehicle brakes soon. The driver of the following vehicle is notified in advance that the possibility is high, and the driver of the subsequent vehicle is prevented from stepping on the brake to prevent a rear-end collision.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-196800

  However, in the conventional system, the high-mount stop lamp, which is originally lit during braking, flashes to warn the driver of the vehicle. It may not be possible to identify whether it is due to or because it is for warning of braking. Therefore, if the driver of the succeeding vehicle mistakes the flashing of the high-mount stop lamp for notifying the braking as a result of the braking operation of the driver of the preceding vehicle, the driver will not switch to the high-mount stop lamp to prevent the preceding vehicle from decelerating. There was a possibility of distrust.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to prevent a rear-end collision from occurring by reliably notifying a subsequent vehicle of future braking of the host vehicle.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the brake lamp that is turned on when the braking device is activated, and the host vehicle approaches the obstacle ahead and braking is required. And an approach detection means for outputting an alarm signal when detected, and a brake notice lamp provided at a position different from the brake lamp, and the approach detection means displays the brake notice lamp when an alarm signal is output. A vehicle travel safety device characterized by being lit is proposed.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, a vehicular travel safety device is proposed in which the brake notice lamp is provided on the rear surface of the door mirror.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second aspect, an alarm lamp is provided on an operated device that a driver operates while visually observing, and the approach detection means is configured to provide the braking notice. A vehicular travel safety device is proposed in which the alarm lamp is turned on when the lamp is turned on.

  The navigation device 9 and the audio device 10 of the embodiment correspond to the operated device of the present invention, and the electronic control unit U of the embodiment corresponds to the approach detection means of the present invention.

  According to the structure of claim 1, when the approach detection means detects that the vehicle has approached an obstacle ahead and outputs an alarm signal, the position is different from the brake lamp that is lit when the braking device is activated. Because the brake warning lamp provided on the front lights up, the brake warning lamp is lit before the brake device is activated and the brake lamp lights up, and the subsequent vehicle is notified of braking, thus preventing the occurrence of rear-end collisions. it can. At this time, since the brake notice lamp is provided at a position different from the brake lamp, it is possible to reliably identify the actual brake and the notice of the brake.

  According to the configuration of the second aspect, since the brake notice lamp is provided on the rear surface of the door mirror, it is not only easily visible from the following vehicle, but there is no possibility that the brake notice lamp is mistaken as a brake lamp. Also, when the driver is looking aside, a lit braking notice lamp enters the field of view, so that a warning can be given to the driver of the vehicle at the same time.

  According to the configuration of claim 3, the alarm lamp provided on the operated device that the driver operates while visually observing is turned on at the same time when the approach detection means turns on the brake warning lamp. Even if the driver is distracted by the operation of the operating device, it is possible to prevent the rear-end collision by issuing an alarm to the driver by turning on the alarm lamp when the vehicle approaches an obstacle.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on examples of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 7 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an automobile equipped with a travel safety device, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a braking device, and FIG. 4 is a four-direction enlarged arrow view of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the action, FIG. 6 is a figure for explaining the action when the vehicle height of the preceding vehicle is low, and FIG. It is a figure explaining the effect | action when the vehicle height of a running vehicle is high.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the four-wheeled vehicle has left and right front wheels WFL and WFR as drive wheels to which the driving force of the engine E is transmitted via a transmission T, and driven wheels that rotate as the vehicle travels. Left and right rear wheels WRL, WRR are provided. A brake pedal 1 operated by a driver is connected to a master cylinder 3 via an electronically controlled negative pressure booster 2. The electronically controlled negative pressure booster 2 mechanically boosts the depressing force of the brake pedal 1 to operate the master cylinder 3, and at the time of automatic braking, an automatic braking signal is sent from the electronic control unit U regardless of the operation of the brake pedal 1. Thus, the master cylinder 3 is operated. When a pedaling force is input to the brake pedal 1 and an automatic braking signal is input from the electronic control unit U, the electronically controlled negative pressure booster 2 outputs the brake hydraulic pressure in accordance with whichever is greater. The input rod of the electronically controlled negative pressure booster 2 is connected to the brake pedal 1 through a lost motion mechanism, and the electronically controlled negative pressure booster 2 is actuated by a signal from the electronic control unit U so that the input rod is moved forward. The brake pedal 1 remains in the initial position even when moved to.

  A pair of output ports 3a, 3b of the master cylinder 3 are connected to brake calipers 5FL, 5FR, 5RL, 5RR provided on the front wheels WFL, WFR and the rear wheels WRL, WRR via the hydraulic control device 4, respectively. The hydraulic control device 4 includes four pressure regulators 6 corresponding to the four brake calipers 5FL, 5FR, 5RL, and 5RR, and each pressure regulator 6 is connected to the electronic control unit U. The operation of brake calipers 5FL, 5FR, 5RL, 5RR provided on the front wheels WFL, WFR and the rear wheels WRL, WRR is individually controlled.

  Therefore, if the brake hydraulic pressure transmitted to the brake calipers 5FL, 5FR, 5RL, and 5RR is independently controlled by the pressure regulator 6 when the vehicle turns, a difference is generated in the braking force between the left and right wheels, and the yaw of the vehicle is increased. The moment can be arbitrarily controlled to stabilize the vehicle behavior when turning. Further, when the brake hydraulic pressure transmitted to each of the brake calipers 5FL, 5FR, 5RL, and 5RR is controlled independently during braking, anti-lock brake control that suppresses the locking of the wheels can be performed.

  The electronic control unit U emits an electromagnetic wave such as a laser beam toward the front of the vehicle body, and based on the reflected wave, the relative distance between the obstacle and the vehicle, the relative speed between the obstacle and the vehicle, The radar device Sa that detects the relative position to the host vehicle and the size of the obstacle, the vehicle speed sensor Sb that detects the vehicle speed from the rotational speeds of the front wheels WFL and WFR and the rear wheels WRL and WRR, and the operation of the brake pedal 1 A brake switch Sc to be detected is connected.

  A millimeter wave radar can be employed in place of the radar device Sa made of a laser radar.

  Brake lamps 7 are provided at the rear part of the vehicle body. When the driver depresses the brake pedal 1 and the brake switch Sc is turned on, or when automatic braking is actuated by a command from the electronic control unit U, the brake lamp 7 is provided. ... lights up.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a navigation device 9 and an audio device 10 are provided on the dashboard 8 in the passenger compartment, and alarm lights 9a and 10a are provided on the navigation device 9 and the audio device 10, respectively. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, braking notice lamps 12, 12 are provided at the outer ends of the rear surfaces of the left and right door mirrors 11, 11.

  The electronic control unit U is based on signals from the radar device Sa, the vehicle speed sensor Sb,... And the brake switch Sc, the electronically controlled negative pressure booster 2, the hydraulic control device 4, the brake lamp 7,. By controlling the operation of the ramps 9a and 10a, the own vehicle is prevented from colliding with the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle is prevented from colliding with the following vehicle.

  Next, control of the brake notice lamps 12 and 12 and the alarm lamps 9a and 10a by the electronic control unit U will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in step S1, the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle is detected by the radar device Sa, and in step S2, the inter-vehicle distance is differentiated to calculate the relative speed and relative acceleration of the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle. In the next step S3, the vehicle speed is calculated from the output of the wheel speed sensor Sb, the vehicle speed is differentiated in step S4, and the vehicle deceleration is calculated. In step S5, the vehicle deceleration is subtracted from the relative acceleration. To calculate the deceleration of the preceding vehicle.

  If the deceleration of the preceding vehicle is 0.1 G or more in step S6, the counter is counted up in step S7. If the counter value Cnt exceeds the threshold value Csc within a predetermined time in step S8, electronic control is performed in step S9. In response to a command from the unit U, the brake notice lamps 12 and 12 and the alarm lamps 9a and 10a are turned on.

  In the case where the driver does not voluntarily brake even if the brake warning lamps 12 and 12 and the warning lamps 9a and 10a are turned on, and the possibility of a rear-end collision further increases, the electronic control unit U The master cylinder 3 is actuated by the automatic braking signal to be output, and automatic braking is executed.

  Thus, when it is determined that the vehicle needs to be braked, the alarm lamps 9a and 10a and the brake warning lamps 12 and 12 are lit by the alarm signal output from the electronic control unit U. However, even when the attention to the front is reduced due to the focus on the operation of the navigation device 9 and the audio device 10, the warning lamps 9a and 10a provided on the navigation device 9 and the audio device 10 are turned on, thereby A warning can be reliably issued and a rear-end collision with the preceding vehicle can be reliably prevented. In addition, even when the driver looks aside and the attention to the front is neglected, the warning warning lamps 12 and 12 provided on the rear surface of the door mirrors 11 and 11 that enter the driver's field of view are lit, so the driver can be surely warned. It is possible to reliably prevent a rear-end collision with the preceding vehicle.

  Further, since the driver of the following vehicle can confirm that the brake warning lamps 12, 12 provided on the rear surface of the door mirrors 11, 11 are lit before the brake lamps 7 ... of the preceding vehicle are lit, the driver is ready to brake in advance. Thus, a rear-end collision with the preceding vehicle can be reliably prevented. Moreover, since the brake warning lamps 12 and 12 are provided at positions different from the brake lamps 7..., It is possible to reliably identify actual braking and braking warning.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the vehicle height of the preceding vehicle is low, the brake light of the preceding vehicle can be seen through the rear window of the preceding vehicle, so that the preceding vehicle will soon be It can be predicted that braking will follow the car. However, as shown in FIG. 7, when the vehicle height of the preceding vehicle is high, the brake lamp of the preceding vehicle cannot be visually recognized through the rear window of the preceding vehicle, so that the braking of the preceding vehicle is predicted. It becomes difficult to do. However, in the present embodiment, before the preceding vehicle actually brakes and the brake lamps 7... Are turned on, the preceding vehicle braking warning lamps 12 and 12 are turned on, so that the preceding vehicle is easily braked. Can be predicted.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, the brake warning lamps 12 and 12 in the embodiment are not limited to lamps in a narrow sense that emit light by energizing a filament, and include arbitrary light emitting members such as LEDs.

  Further, in the embodiment, automatic braking is performed when the possibility of a rear-end collision is not eliminated even when the brake warning lamps 12 and 12 and the alarm lamps 9a and 10a are turned on. However, automatic braking is not necessarily performed.

  Further, an imaging device such as a television camera can be employed instead of the radar device Sa.

  In the embodiment, the necessity of braking of the host vehicle is determined from the deceleration of the preceding vehicle, but the necessity of braking may be determined from the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and communication between vehicles is possible. The necessity of braking may be determined from the obtained information.

  The operated device of the present invention is not limited to the navigation device 9 and the audio device 10 of the embodiment, and includes an air conditioner and the like.

The figure which shows the whole constitution of the car which loads the traveling safety device Block diagram showing the configuration of the braking device Car interior perspective view 4 direction enlarged arrow view of FIG. Flow chart explaining operation Diagram explaining the effect when the height of the preceding vehicle is low Diagram explaining the effect when the height of the preceding vehicle is high

Explanation of symbols

7 Brake lamp 9 Navigation device (operated equipment)
9a Alarm lamp 10 Audio device (operated equipment)
10a Alarm lamp 11 Door mirror 12 Brake warning lamp U Electronic control unit (approach detection means)

Claims (3)

A brake lamp (7) that illuminates when the braking device is activated;
An approach detection means (U) that outputs an alarm signal when it detects that the host vehicle approaches an obstacle ahead and braking is required;
A brake warning lamp (12) provided at a position different from the brake lamp (7),
The vehicle travel safety device, wherein the approach detection means (U) turns on the brake warning lamp (12) when an alarm signal is output.   The vehicle travel safety device according to claim 1, wherein the brake warning lamp (12) is provided on a rear surface of the door mirror (11). An alarm lamp (9a, 10a) is provided on the operated devices (9, 10) operated by the driver while visually observing, and the approach detection means (U) is configured to display the alarm lamp (12) when the brake warning lamp (12) is turned on. 9. The vehicle travel safety device according to claim 1, wherein 9 a and 10 a) are turned on.

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