Early warning intersection device

• US 10,035,509 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safer Technology Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Safer Technology Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Vanden Berg, Thomas Francis, Vanden Berg, Karen Lynn, Vanden Berg, Douglas Brian, Vanden Berg, Scott Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ingram, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/229,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20170039850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0071 Controller overrides driver automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

A method and system for warning an occupant of a vehicle of a traffic condition includes sensing an impending traffic condition, providing a first indication of the impending traffic condition, and monitoring the operating conditions of the vehicle after the first indication for changes in the operating conditions of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of warning an occupant of a vehicle of a traffic condition comprising the steps of:

sensing, by a set of non-visual sensors on the vehicle, an impending traffic condition, the set of non-visual sensors mounted on the exterior of the vehicle in at least two of the following vehicle location;

under the vehicle directed to sense downward, in a first sideward-facing direction to sense outwardly from the first sideward-facing direction, on a second sideward-facing direction opposite from the first sideward-facing direction, on a rearward-facing direction of the vehicle directed to sense rearwardly, and a forward-facing direction of the vehicle directed to sense forwardly;

wherein the non-visual sensors are configured to sense an impending traffic condition by receiving a signal from one or more signal generators located external to and within a near proximity to the vehicle, and wherein the information contained in the signal received from the one or more signal generators related to an impending traffic condition is preset information;

providing, by a controller module of the vehicle, a first indication of the impending traffic condition;

monitoring, by the controller module, the operating conditions of the vehicle after the first indication for changes in the operating conditions;

determining, by the controller module, whether any monitored changes in the operating conditions of the vehicle satisfy a predetermined traffic condition threshold for traversal of the impending traffic condition; and

providing, by the controller module, an enhanced modification of the operating conditions of the vehicle to the extent that any monitored changes in the operating conditions of the vehicle do not satisfy the predetermined traffic condition threshold within one of a predetermined period of reaction time, a predetermined distance of travel, or predetermined proximity of the impending traffic condition;

wherein the enhanced modification includes at least one of applying an automatic braking system, operating an autonomous control system of the vehicle, or limiting the operation of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing includes sensing by way of a set of non-visual sensors mounted on the vehicle, wherein the set of sensors are arranged for sensing from different perspectives.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the sensed traffic condition to a controller module.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the first indication includes providing at least one of a visual alert, an audible alert, or a vibratory alert.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the operating conditions includes monitoring at least one of a vehicle speed, a vehicle acceleration, a vehicle deceleration, gravitational forces experienced by the vehicle, a global positioning satellite location of the vehicle, a vehicle braking status, a vehicle pathway condition, radar sensors, a temperature sensor, the current time of day, or a driver preference setting.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein sensing includes sensing the predetermined traffic condition threshold for the impending traffic condition, and wherein providing includes providing the predetermined traffic condition threshold for the impending traffic condition.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining the predetermined traffic condition threshold based on sensing an impeding traffic condition identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the enhanced modification provides a second indication of the impending traffic condition, wherein the second indication is an increased indication, compared with the first indication.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising a determining whether any further monitored changes in the operating conditions of the vehicle occurring after providing a second indication of the impending traffic condition satisfy the predetermined traffic condition threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 further including applying an automatic braking system for the vehicle to the extent that any further monitored changes in the operating conditions of the vehicle occurring after providing the second indication do not satisfy the predetermined traffic condition threshold within one of a predetermined period of reaction time, a predetermined distance of travel, or predetermined proximity of the impending traffic condition.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the enhanced modification includes applying the automatic braking system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the enhanced modification is configured to change the operating conditions of the vehicle to safely react to the impending traffic condition.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one signal generator is located in the road traveled on by the vehicle or mounted to a traffic light or traffic sign positioned along the road traveled on by the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the preset information includes a distance to a regulatory traffic sign, a location of road lines, or a change in traffic regulations.

15. Apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a set of signal generators provided in an environmental installation external to the vehicle and configured to generate a first set of outputs related to an impending traffic condition, wherein the information contained in the first set of outputs related to an impending traffic condition is preset information;

a first set of at least two non-visual sensors mounted on the exterior of the vehicle and configured to receive a signal from one or more signal generators, the at least two non-visual sensors mounted on the vehicle in at least two of the following vehicle location;

under the vehicle directed to sense downward, in a first sideward-facing direction to sense outwardly from the first sideward-facing direction, on a second sideward-facing direction opposite from the first sideward-facing direction, on a rearward-facing direction of the vehicle directed to sense rearwardly, and a forward-facing direction of the vehicle directed to sense forwardly, and configured to generate a second set of outputs related to the operating conditions of the vehicle;

a second set of vehicle sensors provided on the vehicle and configured to generate a third set of outputs related to the data generated during operating conditions of the vehicle;

an alert mechanism configured to provide a first alert and a second alert, wherein the second alert is greater than the first alert; and

a controller module configured to receive the first set of outputs, the second set of outputs, and the third set of outputs, and configured to provide the first alert by way of the alert mechanism when the first set of outputs is received, and further configured to provide the second alert by way of the alert mechanism when the second and third set of outputs do not satisfy a predetermined traffic condition threshold within one of a predetermined period of reaction time, a predetermined distance of travel, or predetermined proximity of the impending traffic condition

wherein the second alert includes at least one of applying an automatic braking system, operating an autonomous control system of the vehicle, or limiting the operation of the vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the set of signal generators include at least one of a traffic light signal generator, an embedded vehicle pathway signal generator, a sign-mountable signal generator.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the set of signal generators include indicia related to the generated set of outputs related to the impending traffic condition.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the set of signal generators are configured to generate a first set of outputs indicative of at least one of the type of impending traffic condition, the location of the traffic condition, a distance relative to the traffic condition, or the predetermined traffic condition threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second set of vehicle sensors include at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, a vehicle acceleration sensor, a vehicle deceleration sensor, gravitational sensor, a global positioning satellite location sensor, a vehicle braking sensor, a radar sensors, a temperature sensor, a clock, or a driver preference sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first set of at least two non-visual sensors are arranged to receive the first set of outputs.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the controller module is configured to operably change the operating conditions of the vehicle to safely react to the impending traffic condition.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of the set of signal generators is located in the road traveled on by the vehicle or mounted to a traffic light or traffic sign positioned along the road traveled on by the vehicle.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the preset information includes a distance to a regulatory traffic sign, a location of road lines, or a change in traffic regulations.