Vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system, vehicle surrounding monitoring system and vehicle obstacle warning system and related methods

Claim 2

A vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system for a vehicle comprising: a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed; an action detecting unit detecting a driver's action; and a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein: said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and detection of a driver's given action.

Claim 3

The vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system according to claim 1 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a length detecting unit detecting a pull-out length of a seat belt and discriminates that, when a difference between the pull-out length of the seat belt, which is detected with said length detecting unit, and a pull-out length of the seat belt in a normal drive mode exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from the normal drive mode.

Claim 4

The vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system according to claim 1 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a load detecting unit detecting a downward load exerted to a steering wheel and discriminates that, when the downward load detected with said load detecting unit exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 5

The vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system according to claim 1 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting output image of the face portion from image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when a ratio of output image of the face portion occupied in an image screen exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 6

The vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system according to claim 1 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up face image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting image of an eye area from said face image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when image of the eye area is displaced in a value exceeding a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 7

A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system including a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed, an action detecting unit detecting a driver's action, and a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; an image taking up unit taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver; a display unit providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up unit; and a control unit operative to cause said display unit to provide the display of image taken up with said image taking up unit when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

Claim 8

A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system including a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed, an action detecting unit detecting a driver's action, and a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; an image taking up unit taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver; a display unit providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up unit; and a control unit operative to cause said display unit to provide the display of image taken up with said image taking up unit when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

Claim 9

The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 6 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a length detecting unit detecting a pull-out length of a seat belt and discriminates that, when a difference between the pull-out length of the seat belt, which is detected with said length detecting unit, and a pull-out length of the seat belt in a normal drive attitude exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 10

The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 6 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a load detecting unit detecting a downward load exerted to a steering wheel and discriminates that, when the downward load detected with said load detecting unit exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 11

The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 6 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting output image of the face portion from image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when a ratio of output image of the face portion occupied in an image screen exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 12

The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 6 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up face image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting image of an eye area from said face image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when image of the eye area is displaced in a value exceeding a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 13

A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system including a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed, an action detecting unit detecting a driver's action, and a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; an image taking up unit taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver; a display unit providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up unit; a current vehicle position detecting unit detecting a current vehicle position; a memory unit storing a particular location of the poor visibility area detected with said current vehicle position detection unit when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area; and a control unit operative to cause said image taking up unit to take up image and to cause the display unit to provide the display of image in response to the vehicle arriving at the particular location stored in said memory unit.

Claim 14

A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system including a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed, an action detecting unit detecting a driver's action, and a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; an image taking up unit taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver; a display unit providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up unit; a current vehicle position detecting unit detecting a current vehicle position; a memory unit storing a particular location of the poor visibility area detected with said current vehicle position detection unit when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area; and a control unit operative to cause said image taking up unit to take up image and to cause the display unit to provide the display of image in response to the vehicle arriving at the particular location stored in said memory unit.

Claim 15

The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 11 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a length detecting unit detecting a pull-out length of a seat belt and discriminates that, when a difference between the pull-out length of the seat belt, which is detected with said length detecting unit, and a pull-out length of the seat belt in a normal drive attitude exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 16

The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 11 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a load detecting unit detecting a downward load exerted to a steering wheel and discriminates that, when the downward load detected with said load detecting unit exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 17

The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 11 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting output image of the face portion from image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when a ratio of output image of the face portion occupied in an image screen exceeds a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 18

The vehicle surrounding monitoring system according to claim 11 , wherein: said action detecting unit includes a face image taking up unit taking up face image of a face portion of the driver and a face extracting unit extracting image of an eye area from said face image taken up with said face image taking up unit, said action detecting unit discriminating that, when image of the eye area is displaced in a value exceeding a given value, the driver has undertaken said given action with his body thrust forward from a normal drive mode.

Claim 19

A vehicle obstacle warning system, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system including a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed, an action detecting unit detecting a driver's action, and a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; an obstacle detecting unit detecting an obstacle present around the vehicle surrounding; a warning unit issuing a warning signal upon detection of said obstacle; and a control unit operative to cause said obstacle detecting unit to detect said obstacle and to cause said warning unit to issue said warning signal when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

Claim 20

A vehicle obstacle warning system, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system including a vehicle speed detection unit detecting a vehicle speed, an action detecting unit detecting a driver's action, and a surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; an obstacle detecting unit detecting an obstacle present around the vehicle surrounding; a warning unit issuing a warning signal upon detection of said obstacle; and a control unit operative to cause said obstacle detecting unit to detect said obstacle and to cause said warning unit to issue said warning signal when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

Claim 21

A vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system for a vehicle, comprising: means for detecting a vehicle speed; means for detecting a driver's action; and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein: said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and detection of a driver's given action.

Claim 22

A vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating system for a vehicle, comprising: means for detecting a vehicle speed; means for detecting a driver's action; and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein: said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and detection of a driver's given action.

Claim 23

A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating unit including means for detecting a vehicle speed, means for detecting a driver's action, and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; means for taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver; display means for providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up unit; and control means operative to cause said display means to provide the display of image taken up with said image taking up means when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

Claim 24

A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating unit including means for detecting a vehicle speed, means for detecting a driver's action, and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; means for taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver; display means for providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up unit; and control means operative to cause said display means to provide the display of image taken up with said image taking up means when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

Claim 25

A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating unit including means for detecting a vehicle speed, means for detecting a driver's action, and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; means for taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver; display means for providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up means; means for detecting a current vehicle position; means for storing a particular location of the poor visibility area detected with said current vehicle position detection means when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area; and control means operative to cause said image taking up means to take up image and to cause the display means to provide the display of image in response to the vehicle arriving at the particular location stored in said memory means.

Claim 26

A vehicle surrounding monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating unit including means for detecting a vehicle speed, means for detecting a driver's action, and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; means for taking up image of the vehicle surrounding in a dead angle of a driver; display means for providing a display of image of the vehicle surrounding taken up with said image taking up means; means for detecting a current vehicle position; means for storing a particular location of the poor visibility area detected with said current vehicle position detection means when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area; and control means operative to cause said image taking up means to take up image and to cause the display means to provide the display of image in response to the vehicle arriving at the particular location stored in said memory means.

Claim 27

A vehicle obstacle warning system, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating unit including means for detecting a vehicle speed, means for detecting a driver's action, and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; means for detecting an obstacle present around the vehicle surrounding; means for issuing a warning signal upon detection of said obstacle; and control means operative to cause said obstacle detecting means to detect said obstacle and to cause said warning signal issuing means to issue said warning signal when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.

Claim 28

A vehicle obstacle warning system, comprising: a vehicle surrounding circumstance discriminating unit including means for detecting a vehicle speed, means for detecting a driver's action, and means for discriminating a good or bad visibility area around a vehicle surrounding on the basis of the vehicle speed and the driver's action, wherein said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that a vehicle travels across a poor visibility area upon detection of the vehicle speed decreasing below a given value and upon detection of the driver's action being aligned with a given action; means for detecting an obstacle present around the vehicle surrounding; means for issuing a warning signal upon detection of said obstacle; and control means operative to cause said obstacle detecting means to detect said obstacle and to cause said warning signal issuing means to issue said warning signal when said surrounding circumstance discriminating unit discriminates that the vehicle travels across the poor visibility area.