DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

摘要

A driver assistance system suitable for use in a vehicle includes a forward-viewing camera mounted at a front windshield of the vehicle, and an event recorder having an image processor and memory. Based at least in part on processing by the image processor of image data captured by the camera, a lane departure warning is generated if, when a turn signal of the vehicle is not activated, at least one of (i) the vehicle is heading towards a lane marking and (ii) the vehicle is within a certain distance of an edge of a lane marking for a certain time. Based at least in part on processing by the image processor of image data captured by the camera, a forward collision alert is generated if the vehicle is heading towards a given object with the separation between the vehicle and the given object being less than a threshold.

主权项

1. A driver assistance system suitable for use in a vehicle, said driver assistance system comprising:
a forward-viewing camera mounted at a front windshield of a vehicle equipped with said driver assistance system; said camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield; said camera comprising a lens and an image sensor; said image sensor comprising a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in a photosensor array having rows and columns; an event recorder comprising an image processor and memory; wherein said image processor is operable to process image data captured by said camera for detecting objects in the field of view of said camera; said image processor utilizing object detection software for detecting objects in the field of view of said camera; wherein memory of said event recorder comprises random access memory associated with said image processor; wherein memory of said event recorder comprises non-volatile memory associated with said image processor; wherein, based at least in part on processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, a lane departure warning is generated if, when a turn signal of the equipped vehicle is not activated, at least one of (i) the equipped vehicle is heading towards a lane marking and (ii) the equipped vehicle is within a certain distance of an edge of a lane marking for a certain time; wherein generation of said lane departure warning defines a lane departure warning event; wherein, based at least in part on processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, a forward collision alert is generated if the equipped vehicle is heading towards a given object with the separation between the equipped vehicle and the given object being less than a threshold; wherein generation of said forward collision alert defines a forward collision alert event; wherein said event recorder receives vehicle data via a vehicle data bus of the equipped vehicle; wherein vehicle data received at said event recorder comprises vehicle speed; wherein image data captured by said camera and vehicle data received at said event recorder during a first pre-event time period immediately preceding said lane departure warning event begins is stored in memory of said event recorder; wherein image data captured by said camera and vehicle data received at said event recorder during a first post-event time period immediately following said lane departure warning event begins is stored in memory of said event recorder; wherein image data captured by said camera and vehicle data received at said event recorder during a second pre-event time period immediately preceding said forward collision alert event begins is stored in memory of said event recorder; and wherein image data captured by said camera and vehicle data received at said event recorder during a second post-event time period immediately following said forward collision alert begins is stored in memory of said event recorder.