Vehicle vision system with traffic monitoring and alert

• US 10,032,369 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koravadi, Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Eileen M
• Application Number:
  US14/996,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20160210853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vision and alert system of a vehicle includes a plurality of cameras configured to be disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vision and alert system so as to have respective fields of view exterior of the vehicle. The plurality of cameras, when disposed at the vehicle, includes a forward camera having a field of view forward of the vehicle. An image processor is operable to process image data captured by at least the forward camera. Responsive to image processing of captured image data when the cameras are disposed at the vehicle, the image processor is operable to determine a traffic condition on the road being traveled by the equipped vehicle. Responsive to the determined traffic condition being indicative of a threshold level of a traffic jam, the vision and alert system transmits a traffic alert communication to a remote system.

Claims

1. A vision and alert system of a vehicle, said vision and alert system comprising:

a plurality of cameras configured to be disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision and alert system so as to have respective fields of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein, with said cameras disposed at the equipped vehicle, said plurality of cameras includes a forward camera having a field of view forward of the equipped vehicle;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said cameras;

wherein said vision and alert system determines a driving pattern of the equipped vehicle via at least one of (a) image processing of image data captured by at least said forward viewing camera when said cameras are disposed at the equipped vehicle and (b) one or more sensors of the vehicle sensing vehicle acceleration, vehicle speed, vehicle pitch, vehicle yaw and/or vehicle roll;

wherein, responsive to the determined driving pattern of the equipped vehicle, said vision and alert system determines a traffic jam index representative of a degree of traffic on the road being traveled by the equipped vehicle; and

wherein, responsive to the determined traffic jam index being greater than a threshold level of traffic, said vision and alert system transmits a traffic alert communication to a remote system, and wherein the traffic alert communication is indicative of the determined traffic jam index.

2. The vision and alert system of claim 1, wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to the remote system via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link.

3. The vision and alert system of claim 2, wherein the remote system is operable to transmit the traffic alert communication via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link to other vehicles.

4. The vision and alert system of claim 3, wherein the remote system transmits the traffic alert communication to other vehicles that are at or near or approaching the location of the determined traffic.

5. The vision and alert system of claim 3, wherein the remote system transmits the traffic alert communication to other vehicles that are following a navigation route that approaches the location of the determined traffic.

6. The vision and alert system of claim 1, wherein the traffic alert communication includes location information pertaining to the current geographical location of the equipped vehicle.

7. The vision and alert system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to image processing of captured image data, said image processor determines a traffic condition on another road being traveled by other vehicles.

8. The vision and alert system of claim 7, wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to other vehicles near the equipped vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.

9. The vision and alert system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to image processing of captured image data, said image processor is operable to determine a vehicle accident involving another vehicle, and wherein, responsive to determination of a vehicle accident, said vision and alert system transmits an accident alert communication to the remote system, and wherein the accident alert communication includes information pertaining to the geographical location of the vehicle accident.

10. A vision and alert system of a vehicle, said vision and alert system comprising:

a plurality of cameras configured to be disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision and alert system so as to have respective fields of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein, with said cameras disposed at the equipped vehicle, said plurality of cameras includes a forward camera having a field of view forward of the equipped vehicle;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said cameras;

wherein said vision and alert system determines a driving pattern of the equipped vehicle at least in part via (a) image processing of image data captured by at least said forward viewing camera when said cameras are disposed at the equipped vehicle and (b) one or more sensors of the vehicle sensing vehicle acceleration, vehicle speed, vehicle pitch, vehicle yaw and/or vehicle roll;

wherein, responsive to the determined driving pattern of the equipped vehicle, said vision and alert system determines a traffic jam index representative of the degree of traffic on the road being traveled by the equipped vehicle;

wherein, responsive to the determined traffic jam index being greater than a threshold level of traffic, said vision and alert system transmits a traffic alert communication to a remote system, and wherein the traffic alert communication is indicative of the determined traffic jam index;

wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to the remote system via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link; and

wherein the traffic alert communication includes location information pertaining to the current geographical location of the equipped vehicle.

11. The vision and alert system of claim 10, wherein the remote system is operable to transmit the traffic alert communication via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link to other vehicles.

12. The vision and alert system of claim 11, wherein at least one of (i) the remote system transmits the traffic alert communication to other vehicles that are at or near or approaching the location of the determined traffic, and (ii) the remote system transmits the traffic alert communication to other vehicles that are following a navigation route that approaches the location of the determined traffic.

13. The vision and alert system of claim 10, wherein, responsive to image processing of captured image data, said image processor determines a traffic condition on another road being traveled by other vehicles, and wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to other vehicles near the equipped vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.

14. A vision and alert system of a vehicle, said vision and alert system comprising:

a plurality of cameras configured to be disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision and alert system so as to have respective fields of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein, with said cameras disposed at the equipped vehicle, said plurality of cameras includes a forward camera having a field of view forward of the equipped vehicle;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said cameras;

wherein said vision and alert system determines a driving pattern of the equipped vehicle via at least one of (a) image processing of image data captured by at least said forward viewing camera when said cameras are disposed at the equipped vehicle and (b) one or more sensors of the vehicle sensing vehicle acceleration, vehicle speed, vehicle pitch, vehicle yaw and/or vehicle roll;

wherein, responsive to the determined driving pattern of the equipped vehicle, said vision and alert system determines a traffic jam index representative of a degree of traffic on the road being traveled by the equipped vehicle;

wherein, responsive to the determined traffic jam index being greater than a threshold level of traffic, said vision and alert system transmits a traffic alert communication to a remote system, and wherein the traffic alert communication is indicative of the determined traffic jam index; and

wherein the traffic alert communication includes location information pertaining to the current geographical location of the equipped vehicle.

15. The vision and alert system of claim 14, wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to the remote system via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link, and wherein the remote system is operable to transmit the traffic alert communication via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link to other vehicles, and wherein the remote system transmits the traffic alert communication to other vehicles that are at or near or approaching the location of the determined traffic jam, and wherein the remote system transmits the traffic alert communication to other vehicles that are following a navigation route that approaches the location of the determined traffic jam.

16. The vision and alert system of claim 14, wherein, responsive to image processing of captured image data, said image processor determines a traffic condition on another road being traveled by other vehicles, and wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to other vehicles near the equipped vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.