Yazaki North America, Inc.

Raymond P Ernst, Jr

Terry B Wilson

A collision avoidance system for use in a vehicle. The system facilitates the avoidance of other vehicles and other potential hazards or obstacles. A sensor subsystem is used to capture sensor data relating to one or more areas outside the vehicle. Sensor data is sent from the sensor subsystem to a threat assessment subsystem for generating a threat assessment from the sensor data. The threat assessment is then sent to a feedback subsystem so that if appropriate, a response is generated by the system. The response can take the form of a visual, audio, and/or haptic warning. The response can also take the form of changes with respect to the vehicle itself, such as an automatic reduction in speed. The system can incorporate user-based attributes, vehicle-based attributes, and environment-based attributes in evaluating potential threats and contemplating system responses to those threats. A wide variety of different heuristics can be applied by the system. The system can be configured to minimize nuisance alarms and accommodate distinctions between users based on user preferences, user history, and other factors.

Vehicular collision avoidance system

A sensor system for use in a vehicle that integrates sensor data from more than one sensor in an effort to facilitate collision avoidance and other types of sensor-related processing. The system include external sensors for capturing sensor data external to the vehicle. External sensors can include sensors of a wide variety of different sensor types, including radar, image processing, ultrasonic, infrared, and other sensor types. Each external sensor can be configured to focus on a particular sensor zone external to the vehicle. Each external sensor can also be configured to focus primarily on particular types of potential obstacles and obstructions based on the particular characteristics of the sensor zone and sensor type. All sensor data can be integrated in a comprehensive manner by a threat assessment subsystem within the sensor system. The system is not limited to sensor data from external sensors. Internal sensors can be used to capture internal sensor data, such a vehicle characteristics, user attributes, and other types of interior information. Moreover, the sensor system can also include an information sharing subsystem of exchanging information with other vehicle sensor systems or for exchanging information with non-vehicle systems such as a non-movable highway sensor system configured to transmit and receive information relating to traffic, weather, construction, and other conditions. The sensor system can potentially integrate data from all different sources in a comprehensive and integrated manner. The system can integrate information by assigning particular weights to particular determinations by particular sensors.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Raymond P Ernst, Jr