Nissan Motor Company Limited

Yasutoshi Seko

Takayuki Yanagishima

Haruhiko Iizuka

Hideo Obara

Noburu Fukasawa

Masami Inoue

Hiroshi Tsuda

Tomoko Saito

Yuichi Abe

Yuuichi Abe

Disclosed herein is a vehicle headlamp which comprises an ellipsoidal light reflector having first and second focuses; a light source positioned at the first focus, so that light rays produced by the light source are reflected forward by the light reflector and converged at the second focus; a converging lens positioned in front of the second focus; a shading device positioned near the second focus for partially shading the light rays which have been reflected by the light reflector; and control means for controlling the shading characteristic of the shading device in accordance with an operation mode of the vehicle, wherein said shading device comprises a liquid crystal matrix which has a plurality of small light transmitting elements independently and electrically controlled by said control means.

Vehicle headlamp

To accurately shade headlamp light for both a leading vehicle running on the same lane and an opposed vehicle running on an opposed lane, the headlight apparatus for an automotive vehicle comprises a movable headlamp, a light sensor attached on the pivotal headlamp for detecting presence of a leading vehicle, an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the optical axis of the headlamp, a controller for actuating the adjusting mechanism in response to sensor signals of the light sensor to move the headlamp so that angle of headlamp optical axis can be adjusted according to distance to a leading vehicle, and a shading plate disposed independently from the optical axis motion of the headlamp for shading light for an opposed vehicle.

Headlight apparatus for automotive vehicle

Disclosed are a system and a method for improving the visibility of objects within the visual field of a vehicular driver while driving under optically adverse conditions. The system includes an optical filter with a pass band in the visible light range disposed in front of the eyes of the driver, and a light transmitter sending out a beam of visible light with frequency components within the pass band toward the object. In addition, this system protects the driver from being dazzled by light from an approaching vehicle in the opposite lane. The method includes the steps of allowing transmission of visible light with a first frequency component to the driver and transmitting visible light with a second frequency component into the visual field, the second frequency component being a subset of the first frequency component.

System for improving visibility of objects within visual field

An apparatus for improving the visibility of objects within the visual field of a vehicle driver and a process therefor are disclosed. The apparatus includes a light caster casting intense visible light toward a reflective object at a frequency no lower than critical fusion frequency, an image pickup device picking up an image of the object and outputting corresponding image data, an image data amplifier, a picture signal generator and a display. The image data are processed to yield a picture signal which yields a clear picture of the object on the display. The apparatus can give the driver of a vehicle a clear picture of the objects within forward visual field of the vehicle at night without dazzling the drivers of vehicles in the opposite lane.

Apparatus and process for improving visibility of object within visual

A drowsiness alarm system and method for use in automotive vehicles is set to a stand-by state in response to a specific sequence of steering wheel maneuvers which may reflect driver drowsiness, for example, a relatively long period during which the steering wheel is not turned followed by an abrupt steering adjustment. From the standby state, an alarm or display alerting the driver will be generated in response to another sequence of steering maneuver confirming driver drowsiness. The second sequence of maneuvers may be selected from among a number of conventional steering behavior criteria. If driver drowsiness is not confirmed within a predetermined period of time after initiation of the stand-by state, the system is reset to its initial state.

Alarm system and method for sensing a stand-by state in a driver

A system and method for detecting driver drowsiness in an automotive vehicle employs means for detecting changes in steering direction of a steering wheel on the basis of steering pulses, each steering pulse being produced whenever the steering wheel is rotated through a predetermined angle, and determines that the vehicle driver is drowsy when the number of steering pulses within a fixed interval of time exceeds a first reference value and the number of steering reversals within the fixed interval of time is below a second preset reference value.

System and method for detecting driver drowsiness including detection of

A fatigue alarm system and method for an automotive vehicle driver is adapted to measure periods of time during which the vehicle is driven and to subtract therefrom periods of time during which the driver rests. The driver rest periods are distinguished from brief stops of the vehicle in order to accurately measure the adjusted period of driving time. In order to distinguish rest periods from brief traffic stops, the duration of vehicle stops are measured and compared with a given value. When the vehicle stop periods are shorter than the given value, the vehicle is judged to be stopped briefly, i.e. that the driver is not resting, and the measured driving period is incremented by the measured vehicle stop period. On the other hand, when the stop periods are longer than the given value, the driver is judged to be resting. In this case, the measured stop time is subtracted from the measured driving time after being adjusted by a suitable proportionality factor. The result of measurement is visually displayed by means of a plurality of fatigue level indicator segments. The threshold levels at which each indicator segment is activated or deactivated in adjusted in accordance with its current activation state in order to avoid hunting thereof.

Method and system for detecting driver fatigue including differentiation

A drowsiness alarm system for a vehicle detects and signals that the vehicle driver is drowsy on the basis of the duration during which no steering adjustments are made and the magnitude and speed of abrupt steering adjustments immediately following the non-steering period. Parameters compared to the magnitude and speed of the abrupt steering adjustments in order to recognize steering behavior reflecting drowsiness are adjusted in accordance with the duration of the non-steering period.

Method and system for detection of driver drowsiness by an abrupt

Warning system for dozing at wheel

A system and method for detecting driver drowsiness on the basis of steering pulses, each steering pulse being produced whenever a steering wheel is rotated through a predetermined angle and indicating the direction of rotation of the steering wheel, comprising means for detecting the roughness of the road surface on which the vehicle is travelling and interrupting the detection of driver drowsiness for a fixed interval of time when the road surface roughness exceeds an acceptable level, i.e. a level conductive to accurate drowsiness detection.

System and method for detecting driver drowsiness of a vehicle

Warning device for a vehicle

Dozing warning system for a vehicle

A sensor responsive display device includes a common display section for displaying various messages and/or warnings for a given period of time, and plural individual display sections, each corresponding to one of the messages and/or warnings displayed in the common display section.

Display device for a vehicle

Dozing warning device for a vehicle

An alarm system for a vehicle driver to prevent from dozing at wheel. The system includes structure for detecting drowsiness of the driver on a basis of abnormal steering change repetitions for a fixed period of time in a monotonous driving state defined, for example, as the transmission gear position being maintained at an overdrive or top position. The alarm system produces an alarm to the driver to prevent the driver from increasing the state of drowsiness. The drowsiness alarm system according to the present invention comprises a steering signal generator which generates a signal corresponding to the change of an angle through which the steering wheel is rotated, a monotonous driving-state detector which detects and signals that the vehicle is traveling in a monotonous driving state, a discriminator which compares the change of steering signal level from said steering signal generator for a fixed period of time with a reference value, and an alarm pulse generator which outputs an alarm pulse into an alarm circuit producing an alarm in response to the input alarm pulse when the output signal from the discriminator indicating the change of steering signal for the fixed period of time exceed the reference voltage.

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Yokohama, Japan

Yasutoshi Seko