Back warning system and method for vehicle

A back warning system and method for a vehicle are provided. The system includes an electronic system and a plurality of sensor units. When the vehicle is backed, the electronic system transmits a sensor drive message and then generates a warning based on a received warning level. The sensor units are driven when receiving the sensor drive message, sense a distance from a rear obstacle, and transmit a warning level corresponding to the sensed distance to the electronic system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a Back Warning System (BWS) for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a back warning system and method for a vehicle, for more simplifying an electronic system of the vehicle by constructing a sensor unit having a data communication function and a control function.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a back warning system for a vehicle is a system having four ultrasonic sensors installed in a rear bumper of the vehicle, for generating a warning depending on a distance from an obstacle in a backing or parking mode, to help a driver to back or park a car with safety.

FIG. 1is a block diagram illustrating a schematic construction of a vehicular electronic system including a BWS. A description is made below with reference toFIG. 1.

An Electronic Control Unit (ECU)20of the BWS is provided at a left side or right side of an engine room of a vehicle. A buzzer29is installed in the interior of the vehicle. Four sensors21,23,25, and27are installed in a rear bumper of the vehicle.

With the development of car and electronic technologies, a vehicle includes a plurality of ECUs such as an Airbag Control Module (ACM) ECU30and a Transmission Control Unit (TCU)40in addition to the ECU20of the BWS. And, the vehicle includes a power line for supplying power to the ECUs and a plurality of control lines connecting the ECU with control targets.

Because many electronic systems are installed in a car with a space limited as described above, there is a drawback that it is difficult to secure a space for additionally installing new electronic systems as the number of ECUs increases.

Also, there is a drawback that many lines of conventional vehicular electronic systems make the interior of a vehicle complex and make a weight of the vehicle increase, thereby resulting in degrading fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

In order to provide a solution to these drawbacks, a research on a diversity of methods for minimizing the number of lines of the vehicular electronic system has been conducted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is to address at least the problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is to provide a back warning system and method for a vehicle, for more simplifying a vehicular electronic system by constructing a sensor unit having a data communication function and a control function.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a back warning system for a vehicle. The system includes a buzzer for generating a warning, a data communication unit for performing data communication, an electronic system, and a plurality of sensor units. If a condition for back warning operation is satisfied, the electronic system generates and transmits a sensor drive message through the data communication unit. If receiving a warning message including a warning level in response to the sensor drive message, the electronic system generates a warning according to the warning level. The sensor unit includes a sensor and a data communication unit corresponding to the data communication unit of the electronic system. The sensor unit receives the drive message through the data communication unit and drives the sensor, and generates a warning message including a warning level value depending on a sensing value input through the sensor and transmits the warning message to the electronic system through the data communication unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a back warning method for a vehicle. The method includes generating and transmitting, by an electronic system, a sensor drive message if a condition for back warning operation is satisfied; in a sensor unit, receiving the drive message, driving the sensor, generating a warning message including a warning level value depending on a sensing value input through the sensor, and transmitting the warning message to the electronic system; and in the electronic system, receiving the warning message and generating a warning depending on the warning level.

According to a further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a back warning system for a vehicle. The system includes a plurality of sensor units and an electronic system. The sensor unit includes a sensor and a data communication unit for performing data communication. When power is supplied, the sensor unit drives the sensor, generates a warning message including a warning level value corresponding to a sensing value input through the sensor, and transmits the warning message through the data communication unit. The electronic system includes a buzzer for generating a warning and a data communication unit corresponding to the data communication unit. If a condition for back warning operation is satisfied, when receiving a warning message including the warning level value from the sensor units through the data communication unit, the electronic system generates a warning depending on the warning level.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 2is a block diagram illustrating a back warning system for a vehicle using a body control module system according to the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 2, the back warning system includes a BCM100and a plurality of sensor units130.

The BCM100includes a BCM ECU101, a data communication unit103, and a buzzer105that is an alarm.

The BCM ECU101controls a general operation for car body control and controls back warning operation according to the present invention. In detail, if a condition for back warning operation according to the present invention is satisfied, the BCM ECU101generates and transmits a back warning sensor drive message to the plurality of sensor units130through the data communication unit103. After transmitting the drive message, upon receiving a warning message, the BCM ECU101controls the buzzer105to generate a warning based on a warning level value included in the received warning message. The condition for back warning operation, a general condition of a back warning system, represents a condition in which a driver shifts into reverse gear (R) with starting an engine. A technology of construction for detecting whether the engine starts and the driver shifts into the reverse gear (R) is well known in the art and therefore, its description is omitted.

The data communication unit103performs data communication in compliance with a Local Interconnect Network (LIN) or Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol.

The buzzer105generates a warning under the control of the BCM ECU101.

The sensor unit130is manufactured using an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) to minimize a size and perform a control such as measuring a distance from a rear obstacle. Upon receiving a back warning sensor drive message from the BCM100, the sensor units130are driven to generate an ultrasonic wave, measuring a distance to the rear obstacle using an ultrasonic wave generation time and a reflection-to-reception time. If the distance is measured, the sensor unit130searches a lookup table for a predefined warning level value corresponding to the measured distance value. When searching for the warning level value, the sensor unit130generates and transmits a warning message including the warning level value to the BCM100.

FIG. 3is a block diagram illustrating a detailed construction of the sensor unit130ofFIG. 2. The detailed construction of the sensor unit130is described below with reference toFIG. 3.

The sensor unit130includes a Micro Control Unit (MCU)131, a Read Only Memory (ROM)132, a Random Access Memory (RAM)133, a data communication unit135, and a sensing unit140.

The MCU131controls a general operation of the sensor unit130according to the present invention. In particular, when receiving a sensor drive message through the data communication unit135, the MCU131drives the sensing unit140to sense a distance to a rear obstacle, generates a warning message including a warning level value corresponding to the sensed distance value, and transmits the warning message to the BCM100through the data communication unit135.

The ROM132stores a control program for controlling operation of the sensor unit130and a lookup table that is a definition of warning level values depending on distance values.

The RAM133temporarily stores data generated during operation of the control program.

The sensing unit140includes a pulse generator141, a sensor drive driver142, a sensor143, an amplifier144, an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)145, and a detector146. The pulse generator141generates pulses under the control of the MCU131. The sensor drive driver142receives the pulses and drives the sensor143. Under the control of the sensor drive driver142, the sensor143generates and transmits an ultrasonic wave and receives a reflected ultrasonic wave. The amplifier144amplifies a received ultrasonic wave signal. The ADC145converts the amplified ultrasonic wave signal into an 8-bit digital signal. The detector146detects a sensed distance value from the 8-bit digital signal. The sensor143is an ultrasonic sensor in the present invention.

The data communication unit135corresponds to the data communication unit103of the BCM100and performs data communication with the data communication unit103of the BCM100in compliance with the LIN or CAN protocol.

A case where the sensor units130are driven when receiving a back warning sensor drive message from the BCM100has been described inFIGS. 2 and 3. Unlike this, in a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it can be also configured that sensor units130are driven when receiving power by starting up an engine or receiving power by a separate manipulation without receiving a back warning sensor drive message from a BCM100. Here, the BCM100has to be configured to, when a condition for back warning operation is satisfied, monitor a reception or non-reception of a warning message and generate a warning based on a warning level value included in the warning message received during the monitoring.

Also, construction of the sensor unit130configured to include the lookup table, which is the definition of the warning level values depending on the distance values, and transmit a warning message having a warning level value corresponding to a measured distance value has been described above. Unlike this, in a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it can be configured that a sensor unit130transmits a warning message including a measured distance value and a BCM100includes a lookup table that is a definition of warning level values depending on distance values, searches the lookup table for a warning level value corresponding to a measured distance value included in a warning message, and generates a warning based on the searched warning level value.

FIG. 4is a flow diagram illustrating operation of the BCM100of the back warning system for performing a back warning according to the present invention. A description is made with reference toFIGS. 2 and 3below.

First, the BCM ECU101checks whether a condition for back warning operation is satisfied in step411.

If the condition is satisfied in step411, the BCM ECU101generates and transmits a back warning sensor drive message to each of the sensor units130through the data communication unit103in step413.

After transmitting the drive message, the BCM ECU101checks whether it receives a warning message through the data communication unit103in step415.

Upon receiving the warning message, the ECU101detects a warning level from the warning message and generates a warning based on the detected warning level through the buzzer105in step417. The warning level refers to a volume level or a frequency level of generation of a warning sound. In detail, the ECU101changes a sound volume or changes the frequency of generation through frequency adjustment according to a warning level, thereby generating a warning sound using the buzzer105.

In the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, step413can be omitted fromFIG. 4. That is, if a condition for back warning operation is satisfied in step411, a BCM ECU101checks whether it receives a warning message through a data communication unit103in step415. If receiving the warning message, the BCM ECU101generates a warning based on a warning level in step417.

The third exemplary embodiment of the present invention should further include an additional process (not shown) of searching a previously stored lookup table for a warning level value corresponding to a distance value because a warning message includes only the distance value excepting a warning level value. If searching the lookup table for the warning level value, the ECU101generates a warning based on the searched warning level value in step417.

FIG. 5is a flow diagram illustrating operation of the sensor unit for performing a back warning according to the present invention. A description is made below with reference toFIGS. 3 and 5.

First, the MCU131checks whether it receives a back warning sensor drive message through the data communication unit135in step511.

Upon receiving the drive message in step511, the MCU131drives the sensing unit140in step513and checks whether it receives a sensing value, that is, a measured distance value from the detector146in step515.

Upon receiving the measured distance value in step515, the MCU131searches a lookup table previously stored in the ROM132for a warning level value corresponding to the measured distance value in step517.

If searching for the warning level value, the MCU131generates and transmits a warning message including the searched warning level value to the BCM100through the data communication unit135in step519.

In the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an MCU131does not check whether it receives a back warning sensor drive message but determines whether it receives power in step511. If the power is supplied, steps ofFIG. 5subsequent to step513are implemented identically.

In the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention, if receiving a distance value that is a sensing value in step515ofFIG. 5, an MCU131does not determine a warning level in step517but generates and transmits a warning message including the received distance value to the BCM100through the data communication unit135in step519.

As described above, the present invention has an advantage of being capable of securing a space to install other additional electronic systems by dispersing the control function of the back warning system to each of the sensors and providing construction that other electronic systems have charge of the warning function of the back warning system. The present invention has an advantage of being capable of securing a space and reducing a weight of a vehicle because the number of electric lines decrease owing to dispersion of function and integration with other electronic systems.