Alerting predicted accidents between driverless cars

• US 10,031,522 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dov Moran, Menahem Lasser
• Original Assignee: Dov Moran, Menahem Lasser
• Inventors: Moran, Dov, Lasser, Menahem
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torchinsky, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/464,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20170248950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0836 due to alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/085 Taking automatic action to adjust vehicle attitude in preparation for collision, e.g. braking for nose dropping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

This patent application discloses methods and systems for alerting computerized motor-vehicles about predicted accidents. In an example method, a motor vehicle alerts another motor vehicle about a predicted accident, even though that accident is between the alerting car and a third motor vehicle—for example, the alert is transmitted by non-visual electromagnetic (EM) radiation. When an adjacent motor vehicle receives such accident alert and determines it might itself be hit, it will react so as to minimize its chances of being hit or at least to minimize the damage if it is being hit. Optionally, one or more of the motor vehicles has an onboard device for measuring a blood-alcohol level of a human driver thereof. The measured blood-alcohol level may be used to compute a probability of an occurrence of an accident and/or may be included in one or more of the transmitted accident alerts.

Claims

1. A method for handling a prediction that a first motor-vehicle accident involving first and second motor-vehicles will occur, the method comprising:

a. operating an onboard computer of the first motor-vehicle to predict that the first motor-vehicle accident between the first and second motor-vehicles will occur;

b. determining, by the onboard computer of the first motor-vehicle, if changing a velocity of the first motor-vehicle in order to achieve at least one of the following;

(i) avoid the first motor-vehicle accident,

(ii) reduce a likelihood thereof, and

(iii) reduce a severity thereof,

would result in one or more of;

A. a second motor-vehicle accident occurring between the first motor-vehicle and a third motor-vehicle; and

B. an increase in a likelihood that the second motor-vehicle accident will occur; and

c. in response to a positive determining, performing at least one vehicle control action by the onboard computer of the first motor-vehicle for adjusting the velocity of the first motor-vehicle according to at least one of;

i. respective velocities of the second and third motor-vehicles; and

ii. respective accelerations of the second and third motor vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the velocity of the first motor-vehicle is adjusted so as to reduce a predicted amount of damage inflicted upon the first motor-vehicle as a result of its involvement in the first and second motor-vehicle accidents.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the velocity of the first motor-vehicle is adjusted so as to reduce a predicted aggregate amount of damage inflicted upon a combination of at least two of the first, second and third motor-vehicles as a result of their collective involvement in the first and second motor-vehicle accidents.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the velocity of the first motor-vehicle is adjusted without attempting to avoid the first motor-vehicle accident.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first motor-vehicle follows the second motor-vehicle and the third motor-vehicle follows the first motor-vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first motor-vehicle follows the third motor-vehicle and the second motor-vehicle follows the first motor-vehicle.

7. An anti-accident device for operation onboard a host motor-vehicle, the anti-accident device comprising:

a. a prediction-engine for;

processing factual input data about a plurality of motor-vehicles and computationally predicting that a first motor-vehicle accident between the host motor-vehicle and a first external motor-vehicle will occur; and

determining if changing a velocity of the host motor-vehicle in order to achieve at least one of the following;

(i) to avoid the first motor-vehicle accident,

(ii) to reduce a likelihood thereof,

(iii) to reduce a severity thereof,

would result in one or more of;

(A) a second motor-vehicle accident occurring between the host motor-vehicle and a second external motor-vehicle and

(B) an increase in a likelihood that the second motor-vehicle accident will occur; and

b. a device controller for responding to a positive determining by sending control signals to one or more onboard vehicle controls of the host motor-vehicle to adjust the velocity of the host motor-vehicle according to at least one of respective velocities of the first and second external motor-vehicles and respective accelerations of the first and second external motor-vehicles.