Adjustment of vehicle alerts based on response time learning

A driver assistance system for alerting a driver within an automotive vehicle, the driver assistance system comprising:

• an alerting system disposed within the vehicle, the alerting system being configured to alert a driver;
• a controller controllably coupled to the alerting system, the controller being operable to activate the alerting system to produce an alert;
• and
• a hazard detection system communicatively coupled to the controller, the hazard detection system being configured to detect a hazard,
• wherein the controller is configured to activate the alerting system to produce the alert if the hazard detection system detects a hazard, the alert being produced a predetermined reaction time period before a desired driver response, the controller configured to determine at least one driver response time, the driver response time including the time from the alert to an actual driver response, the controller being configured to alter the predetermined reaction time period based on the at least one driver response time;
• the alerting system includes a plurality of lights linearly arranged substantially around an interior perimeter of the vehicle such that the plurality of lights are easily visible to the driver of the vehicle regardless of a direction in which the driver is looking;
• the controller being configured to illuminate at least one of the plurality of lights corresponding to a location of a hazard detected by the hazard detection system, the detected hazard being in a first direction from the driver, and the at least one illuminated light being in a second direction from the driver that is substantially the same as the first direction such that a location of the at least one illuminated light indicates to the driver of the vehicle the first direction in which the hazard was detected.

A method for assisting a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

• identifying a hazard using a hazard detection system;
• producing an alert if a hazard is identified by the hazard detection system, including producing the alert a predetermined reaction time period before a desired driver response;
• determining a driver response time, the driver response time including the time from the alert to an actual driver response;
• and
• altering the predetermined reaction time period if the driver response time determined is outside of a predetermined range;
• wherein the step of producing an alert includes illuminating at least one light of a plurality of lights linearly arranged substantially around an interior perimeter of the vehicle, thereby indicating to the driver a direction in which the hazard is located, wherein the plurality of lights linearly arranged substantially around the interior perimeter of the vehicle at least substantially circumscribes the interior of the car.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

• identifying a hazard using a hazard detection system;
• producing an alert if a hazard is identified by the hazard detection system, including producing the alert a predetermined reaction time period before a desired driver response;
• determining a driver response time, the driver response time including the time from the alert to an actual driver response;
• and
• altering the predetermined reaction time period if the driver response time determined is outside of a predetermined range;
• wherein the step of producing an alert includes illuminating at least one light of a plurality of lights linearly arranged substantially around an interior perimeter of the vehicle, thereby indicating to the driver a direction in which the hazard is located, wherein the plurality of lights linearly arranged substantially around the interior perimeter of the vehicle at least substantially circumscribes the interior of the car.