Nissan's vehicle-equipped cameras to improve safety

By improving signal processing technology of vehicle-equipped cameras which helps enable the detection of people, other vehicles, road and obstacles around the vehicle the Acceleration Suppression for Pedal Misapplication and Multi-Sensing System with Rear Camera helps drivers to take avoidance behaviour before an accident might occur.

In addition the Predictive Forward Collision Warning System, which uses millimetre-wave radar to detect the deceleration of the second vehicle in front, alerts the driver in advance of a sudden drop in speed of the vehicle two cars ahead.

In car parks or other confined areas, in order to help mitigate collisions with obstacles such as walls due to the driver's misapplication of the accelerator instead of the brake or pressing on the accelerator too hard, Nissan has developed a function to recognise whether the vehicle is on a road or in a car park by using image signal data acquired by the Around View Monitor's four unit cameras.

Sensor distinguishes between roads and parking lots

When the driver presses the accelerator pedal to the floor, this function allows the vehicle to accelerate if it is on a road, and does not in a parking space. This system is also designed to detect obstacles using sonar, and automatically applies the brake to help avoid or mitigate collisions when the vehicle is in danger of touching or colliding with nearby obstacles. Nissan aims to commercialise this technology within two years.

Using the Around View Monitor image processing technology, Nissan developed a Multi-Sensing System with rear camera which detects people, other vehicles and road conditions in the rear and sides of the vehicle to alert drivers of possible collision risks. This system has three functions and will be installed in new models from 2012.

The first function comes into operation when the driver puts the indicator on while not being aware of other vehicles travelling in the driver's blind spot. A buzzer is sounded simultaneously with an indication lamp flashing on the front pillar to warn the driver of the vehicle.

Detecting moving objects

The rear camera works to detect the white lines on the road. If the driver does not use the turn signal and starts to drift from the current lane unintentionally, a buzzer is sounded and a signal on the display warns the driver that the car is drifting into another lane.

When the vehicle is placed in reverse, the rear camera's image processing function works to detect moving objects for example pedestrians around the vehicle. On detection of a moving object, the driver is warned with a buzzer and display signals.

To help prevent pileup accidents resulting from the deceleration of vehicles in front and out of view, a sensor - called the Predicative Forward Collision Warning System - installed in the front of the vehicle analyses the relative velocity and the vehicular gap existing between the two vehicles in front. When the system determines the need to decelerate, it warns the driver in advance with a buzzer, signal on display and also by tightening the seat belt.