# US 8,751,107 B2 · Vehicle, vehicle control device, and vehicle manufacturing method

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- Number: US 8,751,107 B2
- Document ID: US8751107B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/357,015
- Filed: 2009-01-21
- Published: 2009-07-30
- Granted: 2014-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2008-01-24
- Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
- Applicants: Eiichi Ono; Katsuhiko Fukui; Yasuhiro Iga; Shigeru Iketani; Tomoaki Shida
- Inventors: Eiichi Ono; Katsuhiko Fukui; Yasuhiro Iga; Shigeru Iketani; Tomoaki Shida
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751107B2

## CPC

- B62D 25/105: {for motor cars}
- B60J 3/04: adjustable in transparency
- B60K 35/60: Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10)
- B60K 37/20: Dashboard panels
- B60K 35/28: characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
- B60K 2360/167: Vehicle dynamics information
- B60K 2360/785: on or in relation to the windshield or windows
- Y10T 29/49622: Vehicular structural member making
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- B60J: WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES (fastening, suspending, closing, or opening of such devices E05)
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A shape of a boundary line between a forward view in a forward field of vision of a driver and a vehicle structural part that blocks a lower end of the forward view, i.e., the shape of a so-called visible edge of a vehicle hood, a shape of a visible edge of a vehicle instrument panel, or a shape of a top edge of a ceramic line formed at a windshield glass is made to be a curve. The curve may be expressed by hyperbolic function y2=Ax2+2Bx+C, where x is a depression angle, y is an azimuth angle, A is a constant expressed by a sum of a ratio of a distance between a viewpoint height and a roll axis with respect to the viewpoint height and a reciprocal of a product of a roll rate and the viewpoint height, B is a constant expressed by a reciprocal of the roll rate, and C is a constant expressed by the constant A, the constant B and a depression angle of a sight-line direction of a driver.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle wherein at a time when the vehicle travels at a predetermined vehicle speed while minute steering is carried out:
relative movement of the road is expressed as flow lines, and
a shape of a boundary line between a forward view in a forward field of vision of a driver and a vehicle structural part that blocks a lower end of the forward view are formed so as to be parallel or substantially parallel to a curve that has been generated by a processor based on a mathematical representation of a velocity of the forward view in the forward field of vision of the driver by making the flow lines continuous, and the curve is expressed by the following function:
y2=Ax2+2Bx+C
where x is a depression angle, y is an azimuth angle, A is a constant expressed by a sum of a ratio of a distance between a viewpoint height and a roll axis with respect to the viewpoint height and a reciprocal of a product of a roll rate and the viewpoint height, B is a constant expressed by a reciprocal of the roll rate, and C is a constant expressed by the constant A, the constant B and a depression angle of a sight-line direction of a driver.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein an origin of the curve is positioned at a vehicle transverse direction center of the boundary line, or at a portion of the boundary line that is in front of a driver's seat.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the shape of the boundary line is a shape of a visible edge of a vehicle hood, a shape of a visible edge of a vehicle instrument panel, a shape of a top edge of a ceramic line formed at a windshield glass, a shape of a top edge of a blade portion of a windshield wiper, or a shape of a top edge of an arm portion of the windshield wiper.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the constant B is expressed so as to include a vehicle speed that is determined in advance, and decreases as vehicle speed increases.

### Claim 5

A vehicle control device comprising:
a blocking member displayed so as to block a lower end portion of a view within a forward field of vision of a driver along a lower end portion of a windshield glass, a shape of a top edge of the blocking member being changeable;
a vehicle speed detecting section detecting vehicle speed; and
a shape modification section modifying the shape of the top edge of the blocking member such that relative movement of the road is expressed as flow lines and the shape of the top edge of the blocking member becomes parallel or substantially parallel to a curve that is generated by a processor by making the flow lines continuous at a time when the vehicle travels at a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting section, while minute steering is carried out, and the curve is expressed by the following function:
y2=Ax2+2Bx+C
where x is a depression angle, y is an azimuth angle, A is a constant expressed by a sum of a ratio of a distance between a viewpoint height and a roll axis with respect to the viewpoint height and a reciprocal of a product of a roll rate and the viewpoint height, B is a constant expressed by a reciprocal of the roll rate, and C is a constant expressed by the constant A, the constant B and a depression angle of a sight-line direction of a driver.

### Claim 6

A method of manufacturing a vehicle, comprising:
at a time when the vehicle travels at a predetermined vehicle speed while minute steering is carried out, expressing relative movement of the road as flow lines; and generating a curve by making the flow lines continuous based on a mathematical representation of a velocity of the forward view in the forward field of vision of the driver; and
manufacturing a vehicle such that a shape of a boundary line between a forward view in a forward field of vision of a driver and a vehicle structural part that blocks a lower end of the forward view, is parallel or substantially parallel to the curve, the curve being expressed by the following function:
y2=Ax2+2Bx+C
where x is a depression angle, y is an azimuth angle, A is a constant expressed by a sum of a ratio of a distance between a viewpoint height and a roll axis with respect to the viewpoint height and a reciprocal of a product of a roll rate and the viewpoint height, B is a constant expressed by a reciprocal of the roll rate, and C is a constant expressed by the constant A, the constant B and a depression angle of a sight-line direction of a driver.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of manufacturing a vehicle of claim 6, wherein an origin of the curve is positioned at a vehicle transverse direction center of the boundary line, or at a portion of the boundary line that is in front of a driver's seat.