Toyota announces new safety feature for 2011 model year
World first in preventive safety to debut on 2011 LS 460
Toyota Pressroom/Lexus
4/1/2010

Pushing the boundaries of vehicle occupant protection, Toyota announces the introduction of world-leading preventive safety technology with its Collision Prevention System, Driver Monitoring System II, and Remote Pre-Safety System, to be first introduced in its new LS 460 flagship sedans for the 2011 model year. These new systems incorporate more sophisticated and advanced features, which anticipate and react automatically to a wider range of collision-risk scenarios. With these three safety features, the vehicle will sense and automatically prevent unintended acceleration by either pedal misapplication, driver error, or electromagnetic interference.



Following their application in the LS, plans call for the the three new systems to be adopted on additional vehicles in the lineup, and eventually Toyota-brand models. Together, these advanced technologies recognize when a collision is imminent, and help the driver to take action to prevent it happening, and, if the worst does happen, reduces the risk of injury to the car’s occupants and to pedestrians.

COLLISION PREVENTION SYSTEM

The new Collision Prevention System prevents vehicle acceleration when objects or obstacles are detected around the vehicle. This system utilizes the park assist sensors on the bumpers along with front and rear, along with the front pre-collision stereocameras and rear backup cameras. If the system detects anything around the vehicle's immediate vicinity, it will prevent the driver from accelerating the vehicle by disabling the accelerator pedal. The low-mounted park assist sensors will also be used for the first time to detect sidewalks and curbs, to prevent the vehicle from accidentally hitting pedestrians.

DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEM II

The new Driver Monitoring System II adds to the car's driver attention and monitoring faculties. Where the original Driver Monitoring System I observed the driver's face to determine if he or she is watching the road ahead, the Driver Monitoring System II observes the driver's feet and pedal application. This is accomplished by means of a small infrared camera which is mounted right above the gas and brake pedal. Camera data is actively analyzed and recorded to an event data recorder. Should the driver press the accelerator and express signs of sudden distress, or be in direct vicinity of obstacles, the system will cut off power to the engine. The vehicle will also enter limp mode.

To ensure that no other types of interference with the drive-by-wire systems occur, the new throttle assembly, data processor, and recorders are shielded from static electricity and electromagnetic forces, to prevent external tampering.

REMOTE PRE-SAFETY SYSTEM

As a further measure against unintended acceleration, the new Remote Pre-Safety System allows an outside call center to take control of the vehicle and bring it to a stop. This is done in conjunction with region-specific telematics services and the GPS navigation signal. In case of an uncontrolled acceleration situation, the vehicle's on-board computer will notify the call center to take control. This system utilizes unmanned vehicle driver technology via satellite uplink.

In addition, the Remote Pre-Safety System will be integrated with 911 emergency call centers, allowing 911 dispatchers to shift the car into neutral or completely take control of the vehicle in an extreme emergency. The system can be programmed so the driver selects "I agree" on the GPS navigation system to allow remote control.

DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEM I

The original Driver Monitoring System has been upgraded to include data collection. Records of the driver's attention state and safety maneuvers will be recorded and stored along with pedal input data from the under-dash Driver Monitoring System II. When the vehicle is started up, the system automatically plots the position of the driver’s facial features – eyes nose and mouth – and measures the width and centre line of the face. This information is used as a reference as it monitors movement of the driver’s head when looking from side to side. As an added safety measure, a small microphone is now installed to continuously record a loop of the recent 30 minutes of in-vehicle conversations for further analysis.

If the driver turns his or her head away from the road ahead while the vehicle is moving and an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle, the system automatically activates a pre-crash warning light and buzzer. Distracted speech patterns and arguing will also cause the system to respond. If the situation persists, the brakes are briefly applied to alert the driver. And if this still fails to elicit action from the driver, the PCS engages emergency braking preparation and front seatbelt pre-tensioning.

DATA COLLECTION

All data collected by Driver Monitoring Systems I & II, including video footage and audio, will be stored on the new advanced event data recorder. The new solid-state recording device is anti-static and explosive-resistant, with a 500GB storage capacity. To protect privacy, only authorized legal and technical representatives will have access to examine the data.