Patent ID: 7158051

Claim:
A warning system for a host vehicle having a driver-side, a passenger-side, a front end, and a rear end, said warning system comprising: a first magneto-resistive sensor coupled to a first portion of the driver-side of the host vehicle, said first magneto-resistive sensor adapted for sensing a first magnetic field variation in a first sensor area near the host vehicle and generating a first sensor signal therefrom; a second magneto-resistive sensor coupled to a first portion of the passenger-side of the host vehicle, said second magneto-resistive sensor adapted for sensing a second magnetic field variation in a second sensor area near the host vehicle and generating a second sensor signal therefrom; a third magneto-resistive sensor coupled to a second portion of the driver-side of the host vehicle, said third magneto-resistive sensor adapted for sensing a third magnetic field variation in a third sensor area near the host vehicle and generating a third sensor signal therefrom; a fourth magneto-resistive sensor coupled to a second portion of the passenger-side of the host vehicle, said fourth magneto-resistive sensor adapted for sensing a fourth magnetic field variation in a fourth sensor area near the host vehicle and generating a fourth sensor signal therefrom; and a controller coupled to the host vehicle receiving at least one of said first sensor signal, said second sensor signal, said third sensor signal, or said fourth sensor signal, said controller monitoring lane change transition of an object relative to the host vehicle and activating a vehicle system in response to said at least one of said sensor signals and said lane change transition.