Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Toyota Technical Center, U.s.a., Inc.

James Anthony Bauer

Masato Okuda

Okuda Masato

A driver advisory system for previewing the local traffic conditions on a highway is described. Apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an advisory system that transmits information regarding the status of the host vehicle to drivers of other vehicles, in particular when the status of the host vehicle presents a hazardous condition to other vehicles. The advisory system may also receive information from other vehicles, and provide an alert to the driver of the host vehicle if a hazardous condition exists.

Advisory system for previewing local conditions on a highway

Apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an advisory system that transmits information regarding the status of the host vehicle to drivers of other vehicles, in particular when the status of the host vehicle presents a hazardous condition to other vehicles. An advisory system may also receive information from other vehicles, and provide an alert to the driver of the host vehicle if a hazard to the host vehicle exists. Methods of providing such information are also described.

Method and apparatus for previewing conditions on a highway

A driver advisory system is provided for use in a host vehicle and for transmitting to drivers of other vehicles information regarding the status of a driver of the host vehicle. The driver advisory system includes a sensor, a first processor and a communication unit. The sensor monitors a physical condition of the driver of the host vehicle. The sensor provides an output quantifying the physical condition of the driver of the host vehicle. The first processor receives the output provided by the sensor. The first processor calculates a risk factor as a function of the output provided by the sensor. The first processor provides an output signal having information concerning the condition of the driver of the host vehicle in response to the risk factor exceeding a predetermined threshold value. The communication unit receives the output signal from the first processor and transmitting the information for retrieval by the other vehicles in the vicinity of the host vehicle.

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Ypsilanti, MI, United States of America

James Anthony Bauer