| US 7,369,042 B2 | ||
| Warning device for vehicles | ||
| Tadashi Osaka, Kashiwa (Japan); Ryoko Ichinose, Tsukuba (Japan); Kazushi Yoshida, Kasumigaura (Japan); and Youichi Horii, Mitaka (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Oct. 19, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/252,582. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2004-305890 (JP), filed on Oct. 20, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0097857 A1, May 11, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. B60Q 1/00 (2006.01); H04B 3/36 (2006.01); G08B 3/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 340—435 [340/407.1; 340/903; 340/425.5; 340/965; 340/7.6; 340/825.19; 340/667; 340/988; 701/1; 701/301] | 10 Claims |
| 1. A vehicle-warning system comprising:
an obstacle sensor for detecting approach of an obstacle to a vehicle;
tactile information-generating elements for providing tactile information as a cue to a driver based on information of said
obstacle sensor; and
a controller for controlling said tactile information-generating elements; wherein,
said tactile information-generating elements are installed in a cushion of a driver seat with at least one of a fore-and-aft
arrangement and a left-right arrangement;
said obstacle sensor measures a distance from said obstacle and a relative velocity of the obstacle as viewed from the vehicle;
said controller controls said tactile information-generating elements based on information from the obstacle sensor and information
received from any of a steering wheel-sensor, a winker sensor, a brake sensor, and a vehicle speedometer;
said controller determines whether or not the driver has recognized approach of said obstacle, according to at least one of
an output of brake information regarding whether or not a brake pedal has been pressed, and an output of information from
said winker or steering wheel of whether or not the vehicle intends to travel in the direction where an obstacle is present;
if it has been determined that the approach of said obstacle has not yet been recognized, said tactile information-generating-elements
are actuated to issue a warning by said controller; and
if it has been determined that the approach of said obstacle has been recognized, said tactile information-generating-elements
are not actuated.
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