Vehicular alert system for alerting drivers of other vehicles responsive to a change in driving conditions

Abstract

A vehicular alert system includes a forward-viewing camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle and viewing through the windshield forward of the equipped vehicle, and a forward-sensing sensor disposed at the equipped vehicle and sensing forward of the equipped vehicle. Image data captured by the forward-viewing camera and sensor data captured by the forward-sensing sensor are processed at an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicular alert system, responsive to processing at the ECU of image data captured by the forward-viewing camera and to processing at the ECU of sensor data captured by the forward-sensing sensor, determines that the equipped vehicle is approaching a hazard ahead of the equipped vehicle, and visually alerts a trailing vehicle behind the equipped vehicle of the hazard at least by actuating hazard lights of the equipped vehicle.

1 . A vehicular alert system, the vehicular alert system comprising:
 a forward-viewing camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular alert system, the forward-viewing camera viewing through the windshield forward of the equipped vehicle;   wherein the forward-viewing camera comprises an imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;   wherein the forward-viewing camera captures image data as the equipped vehicle travels along a road;   a forward-sensing sensor disposed at the equipped vehicle and sensing forward of the equipped vehicle;   wherein the forward-sensing sensor captures sensor data as the equipped vehicle travels along the road;   an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at the equipped vehicle, wherein image data captured by the forward-viewing camera and sensor data captured by the forward-sensing sensor are processed at the ECU;   wherein the vehicular alert system, responsive to processing at the ECU of image data captured by the forward-viewing camera and to processing at the ECU of sensor data captured by the forward-sensing sensor, determines that the equipped vehicle is approaching a hazard ahead of the equipped vehicle; and   wherein the vehicular alert system, responsive to determining that the equipped vehicle is approaching the hazard, visually alerts a trailing vehicle behind the equipped vehicle of the hazard at least by actuating hazard lights of the equipped vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular alert system visually alerts the trailing vehicle by flashing a brake light of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular alert system determines that the equipped vehicle is approaching the hazard responsive in part to a driver input from a driver of the equipped vehicle that is indicative of a potential hazard in front of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular alert system determines that the equipped vehicle is approaching the hazard based at least in part on information provided to the ECU that pertains to a driving condition. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 4 , wherein the information provided to the ECU comprises traffic information. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 5 , wherein the traffic information comprises traffic speed of traffic on the road ahead of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 5 , wherein the traffic information indicates that traffic on the road ahead of the equipped vehicle has stopped. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 4 , wherein the information provided to the ECU comprises GPS information. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 4 , wherein the information provided to the ECU comprises weather information. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 4 , wherein the information provided to the ECU comprises road condition information pertaining to a condition of the road ahead of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 1 , wherein the forward-sensing sensor comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a forward-sensing radar sensor and (ii) a forward-sensing lidar sensor. 
     
     
         12 . A vehicular alert system, the vehicular alert system comprising:
 a forward-viewing camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular alert system, the forward-viewing camera viewing through the windshield forward of the equipped vehicle;   wherein the forward-viewing camera comprises an imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;   wherein the forward-viewing camera captures image data as the equipped vehicle travels along a road;   an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at the equipped vehicle, wherein image data captured by the forward-viewing camera is processed at the ECU;   wherein the vehicular alert system, responsive to (i) processing at the ECU of image data captured by the forward-viewing camera and (ii) information provided to the ECU pertaining to a driving condition, determines that the equipped vehicle is approaching a hazard ahead of the equipped vehicle; and   wherein the vehicular alert system, responsive to determining that the equipped vehicle is approaching the hazard, visually alerts a trailing vehicle behind the equipped vehicle of the hazard by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) actuating hazard lights of the equipped vehicle and (ii) flashing a brake light of the equipped vehicle.   
     
     
         13 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 12 , wherein the information provided to the ECU comprises traffic information. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 13 , wherein the traffic information comprises traffic speed of traffic on the road ahead of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 13 , wherein the traffic information indicates that traffic on the road ahead of the equipped vehicle has stopped. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 12 , wherein the information provided to the ECU comprises GPS information. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 12 , wherein the information provided to the ECU comprises weather information. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 12 , wherein the information provided to the ECU comprises road condition information pertaining to a condition of the road ahead of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . A vehicular alert system, the vehicular alert system comprising:
 a forward-viewing camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular alert system, the forward-viewing camera viewing through the windshield forward of the equipped vehicle;   wherein the forward-viewing camera comprises an imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;   wherein the forward-viewing camera captures image data as the equipped vehicle travels along a road;   a forward-sensing radar sensor disposed at the equipped vehicle and sensing forward of the equipped vehicle;   wherein the forward-sensing radar sensor captures radar data as the equipped vehicle travels along the road;   an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at the equipped vehicle, wherein image data captured by the forward-viewing camera and radar data captured by the forward-sensing radar sensor are processed at the ECU;   wherein the vehicular alert system, responsive to (i) processing at the ECU of image data captured by the forward-viewing camera and to processing at the ECU of radar data captured by the forward-sensing radar sensor and (ii) information provided to the ECU pertaining to a driving condition, determines that the equipped vehicle is approaching a hazard ahead of the equipped vehicle; and   wherein the vehicular alert system, responsive to determining that the equipped vehicle is approaching the hazard, visually alerts a trailing vehicle behind the equipped vehicle of the hazard by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) actuating hazard lights of the equipped vehicle and (ii) flashing a brake light of the equipped vehicle.   
     
     
         20 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 19 , wherein the information provided to the ECU includes traffic information. 
     
     
         21 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 20 , wherein the traffic information comprises traffic speed of traffic on the road ahead of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
         22 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 20 , wherein the traffic information indicates that traffic on the road ahead of the equipped vehicle has stopped. 
     
     
         23 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 19 , wherein the information provided to the ECU comprises GPS information. 
     
     
         24 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 19 , wherein the information provided to the ECU comprises weather information. 
     
     
         25 . The vehicular alert system of  claim 19 , wherein the information provided to the ECU includes comprises road condition information pertaining to a condition of the road ahead of the equipped vehicle.