CAR AND METHOD FOR DETECTING ROAD CONDITION AND WARNING FOLLOWING VEHICLE

Abstract

A car and a method for detecting a road condition and warning a following vehicle are provided. The car includes a vehicle body, a road condition detection unit, a processing unit, and a display unit. The road condition detection unit is disposed on the vehicle body. The road condition detection unit is configured to detect the road condition in front of the vehicle body and generate a road condition signal. The processing unit is disposed on the vehicle body and configured to generate a display signal after receiving the road condition signal. The display unit is disposed on a rear windshield of the vehicle body and configured to generate a warning image after receiving the display signal, so as to warn a driver of the following vehicle of the road condition in front of the vehicle body.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a road condition and warning a following vehicle, comprising: using a road condition detection unit mounted on a vehicle body to detect the road condition in front of the vehicle body to generate a road condition signal; providing a processing unit to generate a display signal after receiving the road condition signal; providing a display unit to generate a warning image on a rear windshield of the vehicle body after receiving the display signal, so as to warn a driver of the following vehicle of the road condition in front of the vehicle body.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the road condition detection unit includes a traffic light detector, the road condition signal is the state of a traffic light in front of the vehicle body, and the warning image displays the state of the traffic light in front of the vehicle body.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the road condition detection unit includes an accelerometer, the road condition signal is a deceleration signal of braking deceleration of the vehicle body, when the speed of the vehicle body is instantaneously reduced more than 3 kilometers per hour within 1 second, the warning image displays that a traffic jam is happening in front of the vehicle body and that the vehicle body is braking and decelerating.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle body has a vehicle abnormality indicator, when the vehicle body is in an abnormal state, the vehicle abnormality indicator is triggered to output a trigger signal to the processing unit, the processing unit receives the trigger signal and controls the display unit to generate a vehicle abnormality image on the rear windshield of the vehicle body to warn the driver of the following vehicle of the abnormal state of the vehicle body.

5. A car for performing the method as claimed in claim 1, comprising: a vehicle body; a road condition detection unit, disposed on the vehicle body, the road condition detection unit being configured to detect the road condition in front of the vehicle body and generate a road condition signal; a processing unit, disposed on the vehicle body, the processing unit being configured to generate a display signal after receiving the road condition signal; a display unit, disposed on a rear windshield of the vehicle body, the display unit being configured to generate a warning image after receiving the display signal.

6. The car as claimed in claim 5, wherein the road condition detection unit includes a traffic light detector, the road condition signal is the state of a traffic light in front of the vehicle body, and the warning image displays the state of the traffic light in front of the vehicle body.

7. The car as claimed in claim 5, wherein the road condition detection unit includes an accelerometer, the road condition signal is a deceleration signal of braking deceleration of the vehicle body, when the speed of the vehicle body is instantaneously reduced more than 3 kilometers per hour within 1 second, the warning image displays that a traffic jam is happening in front of the vehicle body and that the vehicle body is braking and decelerating.

8. The car as claimed in claim 5, wherein the vehicle body has a vehicle abnormality indicator, when the vehicle body is in an abnormal state, the vehicle abnormality indicator is triggered to output a trigger signal to the processing unit, the processing unit receives the trigger signal and controls the display unit to generate a vehicle abnormality image on the rear windshield of the vehicle body.

9. The car as claimed in claim 5, wherein the display unit is integrated with the rear windshield to form a display screen.

10. The car as claimed in claim 5, wherein the processing unit is a trip computer integrated on the vehicle body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of a car used for performing a method detecting a road condition and warning a following vehicle according to the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the method for detecting a road condition and warning a following vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective schematic view showing a traffic light detector used for detecting a front traffic light according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a warning image displaying the state of the front traffic light on a rear windshield of the car according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective schematic view showing an accelerometer used for sensing deceleration of a front vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a warning image displaying a deceleration signal on the rear windshield of the car according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 7 is a perspective schematic view showing that the driver of the car triggers a vehicle abnormality indicator and parks the car to the side of the road; and

[0028] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a warning image displaying a vehicle abnormality signal on the rear windshield according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, a car used for performing a method for detecting a road condition and warning a following vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a vehicle body (2), a road condition detection unit (21), a processing unit (3), and a display unit. The road condition detection unit (21) is disposed on the vehicle body (2). The road condition detection unit (21) includes a traffic light detector (211), an accelerometer (212), and a vehicle abnormality indicator (213). The road condition detection unit (21) is configured to detect a road condition in front of the vehicle body (2) and generate a road condition signal. The road condition signal includes the state of a traffic light, a deceleration signal, and a vehicle abnormality signal. The processing unit (3) is disposed on the vehicle body (2). The processing unit (3) is a trip computer integrated on the vehicle body and configured to generate a display signal after receiving the road condition signal. The display unit is disposed on a rear windshield (4) of the vehicle body (2). The display unit is integrated with the rear windshield (4) to form a display screen for generating a warning image after receiving the display signal.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 2 through FIG. 4, when the driver drives the car (1) and the traffic light detector (211) on the vehicle body (2) detects the signal of a traffic light (B) in front of the car while driving. The processing unit (3) of the vehicle body (2) processes the road condition signal. The road condition signal is the state of the traffic light in front of the vehicle body (2). The warning image displays the state of the traffic light in front of the vehicle body (2), so that the driver of a following vehicle (A) can learn the state of the traffic light through the rear windshield (4) of the vehicle body (2). More particularly, on roads with multiple curves in mountainous areas, the driver of the following vehicle (A) can learn the state of the traffic light through the rear windshield (4) to display the state of the traffic light. In this way, the driver of the following vehicle (A) can avoid the situation that the front road condition is unknown due to a turn on a curved road.

[0032] Please refer to FIG. 2, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. When the driver drives the car (1) and the accelerometer (212) on the vehicle body (2) detects a front vehicle (C) stuck in a traffic jam, the processing unit (3) of the vehicle body (2) processes the road condition signal. The road condition signal is a deceleration signal of braking deceleration of the vehicle body (2). When the speed of the vehicle body is instantaneously reduced more than 3 kilometers per hour within 1 second, the warning image displays the traffic jam in front of the vehicle body (2), so that the driver of the following vehicle (A) can learn the front traffic jam through the rear windshield (4) of the vehicle body (2). More particularly, on high-speed driving conditions, the driver of the following vehicle (A) can learn the front traffic jam through the rear windshield (4) to display the state of the front traffic jam. In this way, the driver of the following vehicle (A) can learn the front traffic jam and reduce the driving speed early to avoid emergency braking of the following vehicle to cause a car accident.

[0033] Please refer to FIG. 2, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. When the driver drives the car (1) and the vehicle body (2) of the car (1) is in an abnormal state, the driver of the car (1) may trigger the vehicle abnormality indicator (213) to output a trigger signal to the processing unit (3). The processing unit (3) receives the trigger signal and controls the display unit to generate a vehicle abnormality image on the rear windshield (4) of the vehicle body (2) to warn the driver of the following vehicle (A) of the abnormal state of the vehicle body (2). Through the vehicle abnormality image on the rear windshield (4), the driver of the following vehicle (A) can learn that the car (1) is in an abnormal state, so as to overtake or keep a certain distance from the car (1). The driver of the car (1) can park the car (1) to the side of the road to reduce accidents.

[0034] Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.