Showing papers on "Rear-end collision published in 2004"

Vehicle rear-end collision prevention or severity reduction method, transmitting warning to following vehicle if collision appears likely and or avoiding actions are automatically triggered in lead vehicle

Abstract: Method for reducing the risk of a read-end collision in which if a collision is identified as likely, a warning (W, W1, W2) is transmitted from the first vehicle (1) to the following second vehicle (2) and or avoiding actions are triggered in the first vehicle. The warning may be optical, e.g. by blinking or changing the brightness of brake lights, acoustic, or haptic, or a combination of these. An independent claim is included for a device for implementing the collision avoidance method of the invention.

Research on detection of braking reactions in emergency situations

Abstract: In this research, an investigation was made of detectable indexes and methods of measuring them among a number of candidate physiological responses that precede a driver's emergency braking action. Evaluation methods that could be used in detecting emergency situations were identified on the basis of the results obtained. Measurements were made of the electrical activity of the frontal muscle, ocular muscle, brachial biceps, femoral rectus and tibial anterior as well as the operation of the accelerator and brake pedals, gripping force on the steering wheel and pressure on the footrest as potential index candidates. In experiments conducted with an actual vehicle on a proving ground course, test subjects wore a face-mounted display in order to reproduce emergency situations involving potential rear-end collisions. Thirty subjects, including ten older drivers, took part in the experiments. The results showed that the tibial anterior was the fastest to show electrical activity among the muscle responses involved in emergency braking. Research on a braking system for reducing collision speed was undertaken, including devices that detect the driver's reactions. The system judges whether to apply braking force based on the driver's reactions and operations, in addition to the distance to an object ahead of the vehicle and the characteristic of vehicle deceleration. This enables the system to apply braking force while giving utmost priority to the driver's intentions. For the covering abstract see ITRD E122482.

Rear Impact Neck Protection by Reducing Occupant Forward Acceleration - A Study of Cars on Swedish Roads Equipped with Crash Recorders and a New Anti-Whiplash Device

Abstract: By changing the seat force-deflection characteristics in an older car model without a certain whiplash-protection system, an after market Anti-Whiplash Device (AWD) was evaluated. In a rear impact, the forward acceleration of the occupant is reduced by a force controlled yielding of the seat front attachments. The aim is to evaluate the injury reducing effect of a principal system by studies of real-life accidents and crash tests. Approximately 8,000 cars were fitted with the AWD to the driver's seat and approximately 12,000 of the same car model formed a control group. All cars were equipped with a crash recorder, which measures the acceleration time history at the moment of impact. The risk of persisting symptoms (> 6 months) was significantly lower for drivers in cars fitted with AWD than without. The crash tests show that the risk is more than halved with the AWD than without. For the covering abstract see ITRD E141807.

Rear alarm device for preventing rear-end collision of automobile

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce accidents including a rear-end collision accident which occurs frequently during driving for many hours on a superhighway at night, running on a road where there is a little mist, and driving on a street where there is only short distance between two cars and an accident resulting in injury or death due to rear-end collision during cargo handling on a road. SOLUTION: It is thought that one cause of these accidents is that a brake lamp of an automobile does not give clear alarm to a following vehicle. A red-light flickering lamp is suitable for giving clear alarm. For this purpose, a flickering switch for flickering the brake lamp is attached to the automobile when applying the brakes of the automobile. Recently, the number of vehicles which turn off an engine key to save energy during parking for cargo handling on a road and stop of a signal is increasing. In this case, too, a forced flickering switch is attached to the vehicle because it is necessary to flicker the brake lamp to inform the following vehicle of its stop clearly. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Automobile rear end collision model on freeway

Abstract: A probability model of automobile rear end collision based on ANFIS(adaptive neural-fuzzy inference systems) was provided, the speed difference of automobiles, the speed of tracing automobile and the distance of automobiles were taken as inputs, and the probability of automobile rear end collision was taken as output. The probability of automobile rear end collision was calculated in different speed difference and distance of automobiles using the model. The probability model provides a new plan for analysing automobile rear end collision, and has directive role for decreasing automobile rear end collision on freeway. 3 tabs, 1 fig, 6 refs.

Automobile rear end collision early warning method and apparatus thereof

Abstract: The invention discloses a car-tracing-tail early warning method and device, adopting the first response action of the driver when he finds emergency in front to make the braking indicator light shine before the driver brakes, alarming the first tailing vehicle of the car speed control condition as quickly as possible and making other continuously tailing vehicles take predicted decelerating measures in succession. It is used before accident occurs. It has both necessities of rescuing imminent danger instantaneously after the event and of nipping in the bud instantaneously in advance all the more. It actively guards against the safety of the whole car.

Apparatus for testing evaluation of rear-end collision for vehicle

Abstract: PURPOSE: An apparatus for evaluating rear-end collision of a vehicle is provided to simultaneously estimate damage to a head of a driver and performance of a head supporter by using two crash cars. CONSTITUTION: A vehicle rear-end collision evaluating apparatus includes a conveying rail(22) installed on a ground(21) and a first crash car(26) installed on the conveying rail(22). The first crash car(26) is formed at an upper portion thereof with at least one seat(51). A dummy(52) is provided on each of the seats(51). The conveying rail(22) is connected to one side of a front wheel through a first connection chain(25). A first chain release unit(23) is installed at one side of the conveying rail(22). A rear bumper(28) is mounted on a rear end of the crash car(26). A second crash car(29) is positioned at a rear portion of the first crash car(26).

Apparatus for judging danger of rear end collision

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To judge a danger of a rear-end collision from the results of braking operations of a driver in the past. SOLUTION: Braking deceleration of one's vehicle occurred during braking the one's vehicle is calculated by a CPU 21 from acceleration/deceleration Aa, a gradient θ of a road surface in the forward direction, and operating conditions of the brake. The data of the braking deceleration for the numbers set from the past to the present are stored in a RAM 23 and a memory card 36. Whether or not the one's vehicle collides with the rear of the preceding vehicle within a free running time is judged using a distance between two vehicles Dr1, a relative speed Vr, a speed of the one' vehicle Va1, the acceleration/deceleration of the one's vehicle Aa, and the gradient θ of the road surface in the forward direction. When the judgement shows that the rear-end collision does not occur within the free running time, the maximum braking deceleration of the one's vehicle is immediately read out from the deceleration of the one's vehicle stored in the RAM 23 and the memory card 36. Then, whether or not the one's vehicle collides with the rear of the preceding vehicle after the lapse of the free running time is judged using the maximum braking deceleration of the one's vehicle. The memory card 36 is provided for every driver and can be mounted to/ dismounted from the apparatus. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

an apparatus for a passenger protection at a rear-end collision of the rear in vehicle

Abstract: PURPOSE: A system for protecting a passenger in a rear-end collision of a vehicle is provided to protect a passenger in a vehicle and to prevent a secondary collision by operating a brake depending on the impact of a collision and determining the deployment of an air bag CONSTITUTION: A system for protecting a passenger in a rear-end collision of a vehicle comprises a vehicle collision detecting unit(100) consisting of an acceleration detecting part(110) and a distance detecting part(120) and detecting the acceleration in a rear-end collision, an engine control unit(200) receiving the acceleration signal from the collision detecting unit and outputting a brake control signal and an air bag deployment signal if the collision acceleration is over a specific value, a brake control unit(300) outputting a brake drive signal by receiving the brake control signal from the engine control unit, an air bag control unit(400) outputting an air bag deployment control signal for deploying an air bag, and a drive unit(500) consisting of a brake drive part(510), an air bag drive part(520) and an engine drive part(530)

Rear-end collision alarm

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To alarm an rear-end collision according to an actual driving characteristic of a vehicle. SOLUTION: This system is provided with a distance measurement means 2 which measures the distance to a preceding vehicle 200, a speed measurement means 3 which measures speed of an own vehicle 100, a relative speed calculating means 4 which detects relative speed between the own vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle 200, and the following means based on the relative speed between the own vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle 200. Thus, it is provided with a set-distance between the cars calculating means 5 which calculates set-distance between the own car 100 and the preceding car 200, a collision driving situation judging means 8 which predicts a collision driving situation that the own car 100 collides with the preceding car 200, a set-distance correcting means 9 which corrects the set-distance calculated at the set-distance between the cars calculating means 5 based on the collision driving situation, a risk rate judging means 6 which judges the collision risk rate between the own car 100 and the preceding car 200 based on the set-distance calculated at the set-distance between the cars calculating means 5 or the corrected set-distance and the distance to the preceding car 200, and an alarm means 7 which raises an alarm based on the collision risk rate. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Kinematics of the human spine in read oblique impact - A volunteer study

Abstract: Research conducted into so called "Whiplash Injury", often resulting from motor vehicle crashes, has increased rapidly in recent years. It is apparent that more data is required both for the assessment of anthropometric test devices and for the development of appropriate injury criteria. Very little research has been conducted into the effects of oblique rear impact loading on a motor vehicle occupant and the attributes that an anthropomorphic test device should have to detect injury potential under these loading conditions. In an attempt to address such needs, a series of oblique rear impact sled tests using 8 male volunteers have been conducted at 4km/h and 7km/h. The principle aims of this research were to: Determine human kinematics in a low speed rear oblique impact and to use this information to generate target corridors for use in the future design of rear impact dummies; Examine muscle activity in some of the major muscle groups around the spine; Study the interaction of the human torso with the surrogate vehicle seat back during a rear oblique impact; to produce comparative data for use in evaluating dummy designs; Compare human responses in rear oblique and pure rear impacts to identify any differences that should be addressed when evaluating dummies. The results suggested that the volunteers' whole spines were loaded unevenly by the impact and that this did affect the muscle response. However, the effects of this type of loading on injury risk cannot be determined without further clinical data on the nature of Whiplash Injury. (A)