JPH0592770U - Inter-vehicle distance alarm device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To realize an inter-vehicle distance warning device that reduces discomfort to a driver and can accurately generate an inter-vehicle distance warning with a preceding vehicle. [Configuration] When the vehicle is stopped based on vehicle speed detection and the distance to the preceding vehicle is less than or equal to a set value, it is considered that the vehicle is congested, and when it is determined that the preceding vehicle has started during this congestion, first the visible light is detected. When it is determined that the stopped state of the host vehicle has continued beyond the set time after the preceding vehicle has started, a sound (or voice) is issued and the inter-vehicle distance is determined to be the congestion determination in the stopped state. When it is determined that it is longer than the value, the congestion determination based on the inter-vehicle distance is not performed until the stopped state is released.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inter-vehicle distance warning device, and more particularly to a device that warns a distance to a preceding vehicle.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 In recent years, traffic congestion has become more and more severe, and the time during which vehicles are stopped due to congestion has increased. Then, at this stop, the driver behind the car has to look far ahead and wait for the front car to start.

Therefore, such a state is tedious, and the longer the time, the more it becomes mentally painful. To alleviate this pain, the driver can watch the in-vehicle TV without looking at the vehicle in front. , Seeing maps or books, or doing stretching exercises, and sometimes falling asleep.

In such a state, when the front vehicle starts, the driver of the rear vehicle does not look ahead, and the rear vehicle remains stopped, which impedes the smooth flow of traffic. In addition, there is a problem that a driver who is prompted to start by a horn, etc. in the following vehicle may rush to start and neglect the safety confirmation, or an extremely dangerous state may occur. To solve this problem, a device was required to warn the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle.

As a device for warning the driver of the start of the front vehicle, there is a device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 2-163686, and in this device, the distance from a vehicle in front or in the rear or the like is known. It is provided with a means for measuring the distance, a means for instructing to hold the measured distance data, a means for comparing the held distance data with the measured distance data, and a means for issuing an alarm based on the comparison result. If the distance data measured when the foot brake or parking brake is activated is stored, then the measured distance data is compared with the stored distance data, and if it is determined that the difference exceeds a certain value, sound or voice The driver was alerted, and the volume, sound quality, and timbre were changing as the difference increased. In this device, the above alarm control is continued until the operation release of the foot brake or the parking brake is detected.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the device disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-163686 has the following problems. Since the warning means is sound or voice, it is very uncomfortable for the driver to hear the warning sound (or voice) every time the distance to the preceding vehicle changes when the foot brake or parking brake is operated. On a flat road, when the manual transmission vehicle is parked after the front vehicle, if the foot brake and parking brake are not used (there are many cases like this), no warning is given when the front vehicle starts. When an automatic transmission vehicle stops and presses the footbrake while using the creep phenomenon to retreat and then proceed to the side of the vehicle in front of it, an alarm is issued during the retreat. Will end up. In addition, in order to avoid such erroneous transmission, distance data shall be retained after a certain period of time, and if the certain period is lengthened, the alarm transmission during normal times will be delayed.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to realize an inter-vehicle distance warning device that reduces discomfort to a driver and can accurately generate an inter-vehicle distance warning with respect to a preceding vehicle.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, an inter-vehicle distance warning device according to the present invention comprises a vehicle speed detection means, a vehicle distance detection means with a preceding vehicle, a visual warning means, an alarm sound generation means, and outputs of both detection means. When the vehicle is stopped and the inter-vehicle distance is judged to be shorter than the preset congestion judgment value, the vehicle is considered to be congested and the inter-vehicle distance detected during the congestion is longer than the congestion judgment value. And a control means for activating the visual alarm means when it is determined that the alarm state is longer than the determination value, and for activating the alarm sound generating means when it is determined that the stopped state has continued beyond a preset time. .

Further, in the present invention, when the control means determines that the inter-vehicle distance is longer than the traffic congestion determination value in the vehicle stopped state, the traffic congestion determination can be not performed until the vehicle stopped state is released.

[0010]

[Action]

 In the operation of the inter-vehicle distance warning device according to the present invention, the control means is in the stopped state (vehicle speed = 0) from the output of the respective detection means with respect to the vehicle speed and the inter-vehicle distance, and the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle (empirically (Required) If it is judged to be shorter than the congestion judgment value, it is judged to be in congestion. When it is determined that the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle detected during the traffic jam is longer than the preset vehicle start determination value, the preceding vehicle start determination value is set longer than the traffic congestion determination value. When it is determined that the vehicle has started, the visual warning means is activated, and the driver is alerted with visible light.

Then, when it is determined that the stopped state has continued beyond the preset time value, the warning sound generating means is activated. The alarm control described above ends when the vehicle speed ≠ 0 is detected.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the front vehicle start warning is first generated by the visible light and then by the warning sound or the sound, it is not necessary to always give the warning sound or the sound to the driver. You can reduce your pleasure. In addition, since the warning control is performed only when the vehicle is stopped, which is detected by the vehicle speed, a highly accurate front vehicle start warning that does not depend on the brake operation is provided.

However, in the present invention, when the control means determines that the inter-vehicle distance is longer than the congestion determination value in the stopped state, it is not considered to be in a congestion state and the stopped state is released. Since the above-mentioned congestion judgment based on the inter-vehicle distance is not performed, and therefore it is not possible to proceed to the judgment of the start of the preceding vehicle, if there is no vehicle in front when the own vehicle is stopped, the vehicle will come to the front after that. It is possible to control so that an error alarm is not issued when the vehicle starts to the.

[0014]

【Example】

 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of an inter-vehicle distance warning device according to the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is an inter-vehicle distance sensor installed in the front of the vehicle as an inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting a distance to a front vehicle. However, similar to the device disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-163686, any device may be used as long as the distance is calculated using visible light or invisible electromagnetic waves emitted or reflected from a vehicle or the like.

Further, 2 is a vehicle speed sensor as a vehicle speed detecting means, 3 is a visual warning means for warning the start of the front vehicle by visible light, and is installed in the meter of the vehicle, in the instrument panel or near the vehicle-mounted television. The alarm lamps 4 are an alarm buzzer as an alarm sound generating means for issuing an alarm sound or a sound when the stopped state at a vehicle speed of 0 has exceeded a set time after the start of the preceding vehicle. It is needless to say that the visual alarm means may be a character display in addition to the above-described alarm lamp, and the alarm sound generating means may be an alarm buzzer, a chime, a voice alarm transmitter, or the like.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a control unit that reads output signals of the vehicle speed sensor 1 and the inter-vehicle distance sensor 2 and operates the alarm lamp 3 and the alarm buzzer 4, and has a timer 11 built-in. is doing.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a program stored and executed by the CPU 10 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described below with reference to this figure.

In FIG. 2, when this program starts, the CPU 10 checks from the output of the vehicle speed sensor 1 whether the vehicle speed v is 0 (stopped state) (step S1), and when v ≠ 0, the check of step S1 is performed. If it is determined that v = 0, it is checked whether the inter-vehicle distance L with the preceding vehicle read from the inter-vehicle distance sensor 2 is shorter than a preset traffic jam determination value L ₀ (for example, 2 m). (Step S2).

If it is determined in this step S2 that L <L ₀ is not satisfied, it is again checked whether or not the vehicle speed v is 0 (stopped state) (step S20). When v = 0, step S20 is repeated, but v When ≠ 0, the process returns to step S1.

As described above, when it is determined that L <L ₀ is not satisfied in step S2, it can be determined that there is no vehicle ahead of the own vehicle and there is no traffic jam, but at this time, the process does not immediately return to step S1. The reason for determining again whether or not the vehicle is stopped in step S20 will be explained last.

Next, the CPU 10 checks whether or not the preceding vehicle has started (whether or not the traffic jam has been eliminated), that is, whether or not the inter-vehicle distance L is longer than a preset preceding vehicle start determination value L _1. (Step S3) If L <L ₁ , the check in step S3 is repeated, but if L ≧ L _1, it is determined that the preceding vehicle has started (congestion has been resolved) and the warning lamp 3 is turned on. (Step S4), the built-in timer 11 is once reset and then set (step S5).

Subsequently, the CPU 10 checks from the output of the vehicle speed sensor 1 whether or not the driver notices that the warning lamp 3 is lit and starts the vehicle, that is, v = 0 (step S6). When v ≠ 0, the vehicle has started, so the alarm lamp 3 is turned off (step S7), and the process returns to step S1.

However, when it is determined in step S6 that v = 0, that is, the driver is not aware of the lighting of the alarm lamp 3 and remains stopped, the CPU 10 determines that the elapsed time t from the output of the timer 11 is for safety confirmation. It is checked whether or not the protection time value T (for example, 3 seconds) has been exceeded (step S8 in the same step), and if it is determined that it has exceeded (t ≧ T), the alarm buzzer 4 is operated for a certain period of time (step S9). Exit the program.

Here, the meaning of the above step S2 → step S20 will be described below with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 3, when the own vehicle A is temporarily stopped on the road in a waiting state such as getting on / off of people, loading / unloading of luggage, and the like (“Y” in step S1), there is a preceding vehicle. If it is not (“N” in step S2), while another vehicle B comes from behind the own vehicle A and stops in front of the own vehicle A, and restarts before the own vehicle A, step In S2, the process repeats with step S1 by initially determining "N", but step S2 changes to "Y" (congestion) when another vehicle B comes to exist as a preceding vehicle.

Therefore, if the front vehicle B is restarted after that, steps S3 to S9 are performed and the alarm lamp 3 and the alarm buzzer 4 are activated.

Therefore, in the present invention, when the determination of “N” is made in step S2, it is determined in step S20 whether or not the vehicle speed v = 0 of the host vehicle is satisfied before returning to step S1. At times, it is assumed that the vehicle is in the first state shown in FIG. 3, that is, only the vehicle A is stopped, and step S2 is repeated, and the process does not return to step S1. Therefore, in this state, even if another vehicle B comes in as a front vehicle, no false alarm is issued.

[0028]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, in the inter-vehicle distance warning device according to the present invention, when the vehicle is in a stopped state based on vehicle speed detection and the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than the set value, it is considered to be in a traffic jam, and When it is determined that the preceding vehicle has started, first a visual alarm is issued with visible light, and when it is determined that the stopped state of the host vehicle has continued beyond the set time after starting the preceding vehicle, an alarm is issued by sound (or voice). Since the configuration is such that the alarm is issued, it is possible to reduce the discomfort that the alarm is given to the driver and to obtain the unique effect that the alarm can be issued accurately.

Further, in the present invention, when the control means determines that the inter-vehicle distance is longer than the traffic jam determination value in the stopped state, the congestion determination based on the inter-vehicle distance is performed until the stopped state is released. Therefore, if there is no vehicle ahead when the vehicle is stopped, it is possible to prevent a false alarm when the vehicle comes forward and starts ahead.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of an inter-vehicle distance warning device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control program executed in the inter-vehicle distance warning device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation example of the inter-vehicle distance warning device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 vehicle speed sensor 2 inter-vehicle distance sensor 3 alarm lamp 4 alarm buzzer 10 CPU 11 timer In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A traffic jam determination value in which a vehicle speed is detected and an inter-vehicle distance is preset based on outputs of the vehicle speed detection means, the inter-vehicle distance detection means with respect to a front vehicle, a visual warning means, an alarm sound generation means, and both detection means. When it is determined that it is shorter, it is regarded as being in a traffic jam, and the inter-vehicle distance detected during the traffic jam is longer than the traffic jam determination value, and when it is determined that it is longer than a preset preceding vehicle start determination value, the visible alarm means is activated. An inter-vehicle distance warning device further comprising: a control unit that activates the alarm sound generating unit when it is determined that the stopped state has continued for a preset time. 2. The control means, when it is determined that the inter-vehicle distance is longer than the traffic congestion determination value in the vehicle stopped state, does not perform the traffic congestion determination until the vehicle stopped state is released. The inter-vehicle distance warning device described in.