Patent US6737963B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6737963B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Driver tailgating and following aid
Assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
•
Filing: 2001-03-30
•
Granted: 2004-05-18
•
Expires: 2021-03-30
Abstract
Abstract A tailgating safety system for a vehicle includes a distance determiner for determining a distance of the vehicle from objects which are leading or following the vehicle. The system also includes a speedometer for determining a speed of the vehicle and an alarm. If the speed of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined speed, and the distance of the vehicle from another object is less than a predetermined distance, then the alarm is activated to advise the driver that at the speed the vehicle is traveling, the distance between the vehicle and the object is not a safe traveling distance.
Inventors
- 👤 Srinivas Gutta
- 👤 Miroslav Trajkovic
- 👤 Antonio Colmenarez
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:15
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60Q; B60Q9/00; B60Q9/008; G; G01; G01S; G01S11/00; G01S11/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A tailgating safety system for a vehicle comprising: an object identifier for visually identifying an object in front or behind the vehicle, and for determining whether the identified object is a vehicle; a distance determiner for determining a distance of the vehicle from an identified vehicle; a speedometer for determining a speed of the vehicle; a Central Processing Unit (CPU); a look-up table, whereby said CPU looks up a safe distance from the vehicle to the identified vehicle based on the determined speed of the vehicle; and a monitoring unit for monitoring the reaction time of a driver of the vehicle; wherein said CPU will change the looked-up safe distance to a greater distance if the monitoring unit detects a slow reaction time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
A tailgating safety system for a vehicle comprising: an object identifier for visually identifying an object in front or behind the vehicle, and for determining whether the identified object is a vehicle; a distance determiner for determining a distance of the vehicle from an identified vehicle; a speedometer for determining a speed of the vehicle; a Central Processing Unit (CPU); a look-up table, whereby said CPU looks up a safe distance from the vehicle to the identified vehicle based on the determined speed of the vehicle; and a monitoring unit for monitoring the reaction time of a driver of the vehicle; wherein said CPU will change the looked-up safe distance to a greater distance if the monitoring unit detects a slow reaction time.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
64 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 1 , further comprising: a display showing the driver the determined distance of the vehicle from the identified vehicle, the current speed of the driver's vehicle, and the recommended safe distance from the identified vehicle, and warning the driver if there is an unsafe distance is present in a forward or rearward direction of travel of the vehicle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
76 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 1 , wherein the system is coupled to a braking mechanism of the vehicle of the driver such that after actuation of an alarm, the system actuates the braking system to reduce the speed of the vehicle of the driver, wherein said alarm is actuated by the CPU when the CPU determines that an identified vehicle located forward in the direction of travel is an unsafe distance from the vehicle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 3 , wherein the system actuates the braking system of the vehicle of the driver at a predetermined time interval after actuation of an alarm, wherein said alarm is actuated by the CPU when the CPU determines that an identified vehicle located forward in the direction of travel is an unsafe distance from the vehicle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 1 , further comprising: an alarm which is responsive to actuation by the CPU when the CPU determines that an identified vehicle is at an unsafe distance.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 5 , wherein the alarm comprises at least one of an audible alarm, a visual alarm, and a tactile alarm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 1 , wherein the CPU activates an alarm if it is determined that (i) the determined speed of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined speed, and (ii) the determined distance from the vehicle to the identified vehicle is less than a predetermined distance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 1 , wherein the CPU activates an alarm if it is determined that the determined distance from the vehicle to the identified vehicle is one of about equal to or less than the looked-up safe distance.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring means comprises: means for monitoring a time in which it takes the driver to move a foot of the driver from an accelerator pedal to a brake pedal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of: means for actuating a braking mechanism of the vehicle in order to automatically reduce a speed of the vehicle, wherein said braking actuating means can be activated by the CPU; and means for actuating an accelerator of the vehicle in order to automatically increase a speed of the vehicle, wherein said accelerator actuating means can be activated by the CPU.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 10 , wherein the system comprises both the braking actuating means and the accelerator actuating means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one actuating means actuates after actuation of an alarm, wherein said alarm is actuated by the CPU when the CPU determines that the determined distance of an identified vehicle is one of about equal to or less than the looked-up safe distance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 1 , further comprising: means for monitoring braking capabilities of the vehicle; wherein the CPU will change the looked-up safe distance to a greater distance if the braking capability monitoring means detects a less than maximum braking capability.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
50 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 1 , further comprising: means for monitoring at least one of weather and road conditions; wherein the CPU will change the looked-up safe distance to a greater distance if the at least one of weather and road condition monitoring means detects poor driving conditions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 1 , further comprising: at least one camera positioned on the vehicle, wherein the at least one camera is coupled with at least one of the object identifier and the distance determiner.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
51 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 15 , wherein the object identifier is coupled to the at least one camera, and the object identifier analyzes image signals provided by the at least one camera to determine whether a vehicle is in a field of view of the at least one camera.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 16 , wherein the object identifier determines whether a vehicle is in a field of view of the at least one camera by extracting objects in the field of view, and then classifying the extracted objects.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
52 words
The tailgating safety system of claim 15 , wherein the distance determiner is coupled to the at least one camera, and the distance determiner analyzes image signals provided by the at least one camera to determine a distance to a vehicle in a field of view of the at least one camera.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
149 words
A method for identifying an unsafe distance between a vehicle and another vehicle comprising the steps of: identifying another vehicle in front or behind the vehicle; determining a distance from the vehicle to an identified vehicle; determining a present speed of the vehicle; looking up a safe distance in a look-up table using the determined present speed; monitoring a reaction time of a driver of the vehicle in order to determine if the driver has a slow reaction time; adding to the looked-up safe distance if it is determined that the driver has a slow reaction time; determining whether the determined distance of an identified vehicle is one of about equal to or less than the looked-up safe distance; and performing a safety action if it is determined that the determined distance of an identified vehicle is one of about equal to or less than the looked-up safe distance.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
149 words
A method for identifying an unsafe distance between a vehicle and another vehicle comprising the steps of: identifying another vehicle in front or behind the vehicle; determining a distance from the vehicle to an identified vehicle; determining a present speed of the vehicle; looking up a safe distance in a look-up table using the determined present speed; monitoring a reaction time of a driver of the vehicle in order to determine if the driver has a slow reaction time; adding to the looked-up safe distance if it is determined that the driver has a slow reaction time; determining whether the determined distance of an identified vehicle is one of about equal to or less than the looked-up safe distance; and performing a safety action if it is determined that the determined distance of an identified vehicle is one of about equal to or less than the looked-up safe distance.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of monitoring a reaction time of a driver comprises the step of: monitoring a time in which it takes the driver to move a foot of the driver from an accelerator pedal to a brake pedal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5249157A
Cited
US5355118A
Cited
US5410304A
Cited
US5357438A
Cited
US5949331A
Cited
US5585798A
Cited
US5754099A
Cited
US5631639A
Cited
US5642093A
Cited
US5806019A
Cited
US5888074A
Cited
US6014608A
Cited
US6119068A
Cited
US6114951A
Cited
US6057754A
Cited
US5948035A
Cited
US6111498A
Cited
US6385529B1
Cited
US6330507B1
Cited
WO2000018594A1
Cited
US6614387B1
Cited
WO2000038949A2
Cited
US6301440B1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-05-18 | 2007-11-17 | 2008-05-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-05-18 | 2011-11-17 | 2012-05-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-05-18 | 2015-11-17 | 2016-05-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |