Emergency stop system and emergency stop method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10266167-B2
Application number	US-201615335760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2015
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

An emergency stop system includes a hazard switch that is a momentary switch, an automatic stop controller that performs automatic stop control for causing a vehicle to automatically stop when a predetermined condition is met, and a hazard light controller that controls hazard lights. While automatic stop control is not being performed, the hazard light controller switches the hazard lights between a flashing state and a turned-off state each time a user presses the hazard switch. The hazard light controller brings the hazard lights into the flashing state upon start of the automatic stop control, and turns off the hazard lights (i.e., transitions the hazard lights to the turned-off state) upon depression of the hazard switch while the hazard lights are flashing during execution of the automatic stop control.

First claim

We claim:

1. An emergency stop system comprising:
a hazard switch that is a momentary switch configured to provide an instruction to flash or turn off hazard lights of a vehicle;
an automatic stop controller that performs automatic stop control for causing the vehicle to automatically stop when a predetermined condition is met; and
a hazard light controller that controls the hazard lights to:
switch the hazard lights between a flashing state and a turned-off state each time the hazard switch is pressed by a user while the automatic stop control is not being performed,
to bring the hazard lights into the flashing state upon start of the automatic stop control, and
to turn off the hazard lights upon depression of the hazard switch while the hazard lights are flashing during execution of the automatic stop control,
wherein the hazard light controller turns off the hazard lights upon depression of the hazard switch while the hazard lights are flashing even if the automatic stop control is being performed.

2. The emergency stop system according to claim 1 , further comprising an emergency stop switch provided separately from the hazard switch,
wherein the predetermined condition includes a condition in which the emergency stop switch is pressed.

3. The emergency stop system according to claim 1 , further comprising a driving operation detector that detects a presence or absence of a predetermined driving operation of the vehicle,
wherein the predetermined condition includes a condition in which the absence of the predetermined driving operation is continuously detected by the driving operation detector for a predetermined first period.

4. The emergency stop system according to claim 1 , further comprising a driving operation detector that detects a presence or absence of a predetermined driving operation of the vehicle,
wherein the automatic stop controller terminates the automatic stop control in a case where the presence of the predetermined driving operation is continuously detected by the driving operation detector for a predetermined second period during execution of the automatic stop control.

5. The emergency stop system according to claim 1 , wherein the hazard light controller
causes the hazard lights to be turned off upon completion of the automatic stop control in a case where the hazard lights are brought into the flashing state in accordance with the automatic stop control, and
continues the flashing state of the hazard lights after completion of the automatic stop control in a case where the hazard lights are brought into the flashing state in response to depression of the hazard switch before start of the automatic stop control or during execution of the automatic stop control.

6. The emergency stop system according to claim 1 , wherein the hazard light controller is configured to turn off the hazard lights when the automatic stop controller starts execution of predetermined control during execution of the automatic stop control, and to cause the hazard lights to resume flashing upon completion of the predetermined control during execution of the automatic stop control.

7. The emergency stop system according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined control comprises a lane change that involves causing turn signal lights of the vehicle to flash.

8. The emergency stop system according to claim 1 , further comprising an acceleration operation detector that detects an acceleration operation of the vehicle,
wherein the automatic stop controller is configured to interrupt the automatic stop control in a case where the acceleration operation is detected by the acceleration operation detector during execution of the automatic stop control,
wherein the automatic stop controller is configured to terminate the automatic stop control in a case where the acceleration operation is continuously detected by the acceleration operation detector for a predetermined third period or longer after interruption of the automatic stop control, and
resume the automatic stop control in a case where the acceleration operation is no longer detected by the acceleration operation detector before the third period elapses after interruption of the automatic stop control, and
wherein the hazard light controller is configured to turn off the hazard lights during interruption of the automatic stop control, and to cause the hazard lights to resume flashing in response to resumption of the automatic stop control.

9. The emergency stop system according to claim 8 , wherein the hazard light controller brings the hazard lights into the flashing state upon depression of the hazard switch while the hazard lights are turned off by interruption of the automatic stop control.

10. The emergency stop system according to claim 1 , wherein the hazard light controller stores a status indicator indicating a flashing instruction of the hazard lights and a turn-off instruction of the hazard lights, and
the hazard light controller switches the status indicator between the flashing instruction and the turn-off instruction each time the hazard switch is pressed.

11. The emergency stop system according to claim 10 , wherein the automatic stop controller sends to the hazard light controller an instruction signal indicating a status of the hazard lights, and
the hazard light controller controls the hazard lights by using combination of the instruction signal and the status indicator.

12. The emergency stop system according to claim 11 , wherein the instruction signal includes a flashing request, a temporary stop of flashing request, a turn-off of flashing request.

13. The emergency stop system according to claim 12 , wherein the instruction signal further includes a keeping an existing state of flashing or turn-off request.

14. The emergency stop system according to claim 1 , wherein the momentary switch is configured to, when the momentary switch is pressed while in a free state with being in a released position, temporarily transition to an operating state with being in a depressed position and then return to the free state such that the hazard switch is held in the free state when the hazard switch is not being operated by the user, regardless of whether the hazard lights are in a flashing state or a turned-off state.

15. An emergency stop method performed by a system including a hazard switch and an automatic stop controller, the hazard switch being a momentary switch configured to provide an instruction to flash or turn off hazard lights of a vehicle, the automatic stop controller performing automatic stop control for causing the vehicle to automatically stop when a predetermined condition is met, the emergency stop method comprising the steps of:
(i) switching the hazard lights between a flashing state and a turned-off state each time the hazard switch is pressed by a user while the automatic stop control is not being performed;
(ii) bringing the hazard lights into the flashing state upon start of the automatic stop control; and
(iii) turning off the hazard lights upon depression of the hazard switch while the hazard lights are flashing during execution of the automatic stop control,
wherein the step (iii) turns off the hazard lights upon depression of the hazard switch while the hazard lights are flashing even if the automatic stop control is being performed.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kurahashi Yukinori
• Oshida Kei
• Nakatsuka Masayuki

Classifications

• B60Q1/488

  for indicating intention to park · CPC title

• B60W2540/215

  Selection or confirmation of options · CPC title

• B60Q1/46

  for giving flashing caution signals during drive, other than signalling change of direction, e.g. flashing the headlights {or hazard lights} · CPC title

• B60K28/00

  Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions (electric safety devices on electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00) · CPC title

• B60Q1/26 Primary

  the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic · CPC title