Patent ID: 7797108

Claim:
A collision avoidance system adapted for use with a rearward traveling host vehicle bearing a host vehicle heading, and by an operator, said system comprising: an object detection sub-system configured to detect at least one condition of each of a plurality of arrear objects each bearing a heading within a heading range based on the host vehicle heading, and generate an input signal, only when the vehicle is traveling in a rearward direction, and an object is detected; an intra-vehicle condition sensor configured to determine at least one condition of the host vehicle; and at least one electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the sub-system and sensor, and configured to cause to be generated a warning, wherein the warning is perceivable by the operator, when said at least one condition of one of the plurality of arrear objects and at least one condition of the host vehicle cooperatively determine a potential collision, said sensor and sub-system cooperatively including a host vehicle position coordinate locator, and communication device, wherein the locator and communication device are configured to receive position coordinate data from the objects, and transmit the data to the unit, said communication device being communicatively coupled to at least a portion of the objects and unit, said unit being further configured to determine headings for the host vehicle and said at least portion of the objects, compare the object heading (h o ) to a heading range defined by the host vehicle heading (h hv ), and determine an intersecting object when h o is within the range, said range being defined by heading greater than h hv +30 degrees, and less than h hv +150 degrees.