Abstract:
A vehicle proximity alerting system and method is provided. The system includes: a sensor unit having a plurality of sensors for measuring distances from other vehicles; a system controlling unit for receiving measurement signals from the sensors, calculating distances from other vehicles, determining whether or not the calculated distance is less than a preset vehicle proximity distance setting value, and generating an alert signal when it is determined that the calculated distance is less than the vehicle proximity distance setting value; and an alerting unit for receiving the alert signal and alerting.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a vehicle safety system, and more particularly, to a vehicle proximity alerting system and method for measuring distances from other vehicles in driving, and alerting when the other vehicles approach within a predetermined distance.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     At present, a penetration rate of car is being continuously increased. As the penetration rate is increased, there are occurring large or small traffic accidents. In order to prevent the traffic accidents, various devices are being developed and installed at the car.  
         [0005]     As one example of the devices, there is a rear object sensing device for sensing an object or a man lying in rear of a vehicle in parking or backing, informing a distance from the object or the man, and alerting a driver when the object or the man is within a predetermined distance, thereby preventing a collision or personal accident. It is a current trend that installs the rear object sensing device at the vehicle. When a vehicle is driven at a low speed, that is, when the vehicle is put into reverse, its rear object sensing device alerts the driver for the object lying within a limited distance.  
         [0006]     As described above, as the penetration rate is continuously increased, it is required to develop devices for preventing the traffic accidents.  
         [0007]     In addition to the rear object sensing device for preventing a relatively small traffic accident, such as collision with the rear object and man, only in one direction at limited distance and speed, various supplementary devices for preventing a fender-bender and a large traffic accident even in driving are being required.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a vehicle proximity alerting system and method that substantially overcomes one or more of the limitations and disadvantages of the conventional art.  
         [0009]     One object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle proximity alerting system and method for alerting a driver when other vehicles approach within a predetermined distance from a driver&#39;s vehicle running even at a high speed.  
         [0010]     Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims as well as the appended drawings.  
         [0011]     To achieve the above and other objects and advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a vehicle proximity alerting system including: a sensor unit having a plurality of sensors for measuring distances from other vehicles; a system controlling unit for receiving measurement signals from the sensors, calculating distances from other vehicles, determining whether or not the calculated distance is less than a preset vehicle proximity distance setting value, and generating an alert signal when it is determined that the calculated distance is less than the vehicle proximity distance setting value; and an alerting unit for receiving the alert signal and alerting.  
         [0012]     In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle proximity alerting method including the steps of: setting at least one proximity distance setting value by a user; measuring distances from other vehicles; and sequentially comparing the measured distances with the proximity distance setting values, and alerting correspondingly to the corresponding proximity distance setting value.  
         [0013]     It is to be understood that both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description of the present invention are merely exemplary and intended for explanatory purposes only. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     The accompanying drawings, which are included to aid in understanding the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates a construction of a vehicle proximity alerting system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle proximity alerting method according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a conceptive view illustrating an example of an alerting unit installed at a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  illustrates an example of installing a distance measurement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  illustrates a construction of a vehicle proximity alerting system according to an embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3  is a conceptive view illustrating an example of an alerting unit installed at a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 4  illustrates an example of installing a distance measurement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a description will be made with reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIGS. 3 and 4 .  
         [0021]     The inventive vehicle proximity alerting system includes a sensor unit  20 , a system controlling unit  10 , and the alerting unit  30 .  
         [0022]     The sensor unit  20  is installed around a vehicle, and senses distances from other vehicles approaching around the vehicle, generates a sensing signal based on the distance, and outputs the generated sensing signal to the system controlling unit  10 .  
         [0023]     In the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the sensor unit  20  includes a first distance sensor  21  for measuring a distance from a front vehicle; a second distance sensor  23  for measuring a distance from an approaching right vehicle; a third distance sensor  25  for measuring a distance from an approaching left vehicle; and a fourth distance sensor  27  for measuring a distance from an approaching rear vehicle. The present invention measures the distances from the vehicles approaching only in four directions, but can further include four sensors installed in diagonal directions of the vehicle and measure the distances from the vehicles approaching even in eight directions including the diagonal directions. Each sensor generates the sensing signal based on the distance, and outputs the generated sensing signal to the system controlling unit  10 .  
         [0024]     The system controlling unit  10  includes a controller  11 , a distance setting unit  12 , an input signal processor  13 , a distance calculator  13 , and an output signal processor  15 .  
         [0025]     The controller  11  includes a storage region for temporarily storing a control program for alerting other vehicles&#39; proximity, and data generated in execution of the control program. The controller  11  controls a general operation of the vehicle proximity alerting system according to the present invention.  
         [0026]     The distance setting unit  12  stores at least one proximity distance setting value, which is set by a user. The proximity distance setting value can be inputted by the user through a key input unit (not shown), and can be set in plural. For example, the user, that is, the driver can set at least one proximity distance setting value, such as three meters set as a first proximity distance setting value, one meter set as a second proximity distance setting value, and fifty centimeters set as a third proximity distance setting value.  
         [0027]     The input signal processor  13  converts the sensing signals respectively inputted from the sensors, into distance values.  
         [0028]     The distance calculator  14  receives and sequentially compares the measured distance values and at least one proximity distance setting value, which is preset through the controller  11 , and determines whether or not the measured distance value is less than the proximity distance setting value. For example, assuming that a front measurement distance value, that is, the distance value measured in the first distance sensor is one and half meters, the distance calculator  14  compares the measured distance value of one and half meters with the first proximity distance setting value of three meters, and determines that the measured distance value is less than the first proximity distance setting value of three meters and is more than the second proximity distance setting value of one meter. Accordingly, a comparison with the third proximity distance setting value of half meter is not performed. Upon completion of the comparison, the distance calculator  14  outputs a determination result to the controller  11 . At this time, the controller  11  controls the output signal processor  15  based on the determination result.  
         [0029]     The output signal processor  15  generates an alert signal under the control of the controller  11 . The alert signal is different depending on the control of the controller  11 . Further, the alert signal can be a lamp blink signal, text data, or an alert sound generating signal depending on a construction of the alerting unit  30 .  
         [0030]     Upon reception of the alert signal, the alerting unit  30  alerts vehicle proximity to the driver and other vehicles&#39; drivers.  
         [0031]     The alerting unit  30  includes a lateral alert lamp processor  31  installed at front or rear lateral frames of the vehicle such as reference numerals  310 - 1  and  310 - 2  denoted in  FIG. 3 ; a glass alert display processor  33  installed at both sides of a vehicle front glass and alerting other vehicle&#39;s proximity to the driver in a format of text or bar such as reference numerals  320 - 1  and  320 - 2 ; and an alert sound generator  35  for generating an alert sound.  
         [0032]     The lateral alert lamp processor  31  is to alert the other vehicles&#39; drivers, the glass alert display processor  33  is to alert the driver, and the alert sound generator  35  is to alert both the driver and the other vehicles&#39; drivers.  
         [0033]     The alerting unit  30  can alert the driver and the other vehicles&#39; drivers with an alert level varying based on the alert signal. For example, a blink rate can be accelerated depending on a proximity distance in such a manner that when the other vehicles approach at a distance of less than the first proximity distance setting value, a lamp blink rate is set to a level 1, and when the other vehicles approach at a distance of less than the second proximity distance setting value, the lamp blink rate is set to a level 2, and when the other vehicles approach at a distance of less than the third proximity distance setting value, the lamp blink rate is set to a level 5. Further, the glass alert display processor  33  can alert with a proximity alerting text color varying based on the alert signal. The alert sound generator  35  can alert with a magnitude of the alert sound varying depending on the alert signal.  
         [0034]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle proximity alerting method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a description will be made with reference to FIGS.  1  to  4 .  
         [0035]     First, when the vehicle powers on or its engine starts, the controller  11  initializes a system in Step  201 . After that, the controller  11  sets the proximity distance setting value through the key input unit (not shown) by the user in Step  203 . Once the proximity distance setting value is set by the user, the step  203  is not executed until the user resets. If the user presses a key of the key input unit to reset the proximity distance setting value, the controller  11  recognizes the resetting of the proximity distance setting value and sets a subsequently inputted proximity distance setting value as a new proximity distance setting value.  
         [0036]     Upon completion of the above Step, the controller  11  controls the input signal processor  13  to output a control signal requesting a distance measurement to the sensor unit  20  in Step  205 . If so, the input signal processor  13  receives the sensing signal from the sensor unit  20 , and converts each sensing signal into the distance value.  
         [0037]     The measured distance value can be inputted to and stored in the controller  11 , and can be outputted to and stored in the distance calculator  14 . The input signal processor  13  outputs the measured distance value to the distance calculator  14  and concurrently, outputs a signal for informing that the measured distance value is outputted to the distance calculator  14 , to the controller  11 . If so, the controller  11  outputs the preset proximity distance setting value from the distance setting unit  12  to the distance calculator  14 .  
         [0038]     After that, the controller  11  sequentially compares the measured distance values with the proximity distance setting values received from the controller  11 , respectively, in Steps  207 ,  209  and  211 . If the measured distance value is determined to be less than the first proximity distance setting value in the Step  207 , and is determined to be more than the second proximity distance setting value in the Step  209 , the controller  11  alerts at an alert level 3 in Step  217 . In other words, the alert sound is generated at a lowest level. However, if the measured distance value is determined to be less than even the second proximity distance setting value in the Step  209 , it is determined that the measured distance value is less than the third proximity distance setting value in Step  211 . If the measured distance value is determined to be more than the third proximity distance setting value in the Step  211 , the controller  11  alerts at an alert level 2 in Step  218 . In other words, the alert sound is generated at a middle level. Otherwise, the controller  11  alerts at the alert level 3 in Step  219 .  
         [0039]     After the alerting, the controller  11  continuously performs the distance measurement in the Step  205 .  
         [0040]     If it is determined that the measured distance value is more than the first proximity distance setting value in the Step  207 , the controller  11  determines whether or not the vehicle is in an alert state in Step  213 . In other words, it is determined whether or not the other vehicles recognize the alert state caused by their approaching within a predetermined distance, and gets out of the predetermined distance.  
         [0041]     If it is determined that the vehicle is not in the alert state in the Step  213 , the controller  11  continuously performs the distance measurement in the Step  205 , and if so, the controller  11  cancels the alert in Step  215  and proceeds with the Step  205 .  
         [0042]     As described above, the present invention has an advantage in that it can alert the other vehicles&#39; proximity to the driver and the other vehicles&#39; drivers, thereby preventing a fender-bender or a large traffic accident, reducing the number of casualties resulting from the traffic accident, and securing a personal property.  
         [0043]     While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.