Image analysis and radar detectors

• US 10,261,170 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2015
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valentine Research, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Valentine Research, Inc.
• Inventors: Negussu, Michael, Dickerson, Richard L., Carrelli, Gary E., Hiers, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brainard, Timothy A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malley, Sr., Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US14/727,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20160356880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/022 Road traffic radar detectors

Abstract

An apparatus for a vehicle includes a radar detector configured to detect a police radar signal and a receiver configured to receive information about an image of an environment of the vehicle. A controller in communication with the radar detector and the receiver is configured to change at least one operating characteristic of the radar detector based on the received information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a radar detector configured to detect a police radar signal;

a communication interface configured to receive information about an image of an environment of the vehicle; and

a controller in communication with the radar detector and the communication interface and configured to determine a speed of the vehicle based on the information about the image and to change at least one operating characteristic of the radar detector based on the information about the image received by the communication interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

an image analyzer configured to analyze the image and determine the information about the image; and

the image analyzer further configured to communicate the information about the image to the communication interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising:

a camera configured to capture the image and communicate the image to the image analyzer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

a data storage device, in communication with the controller, configured to store respective metadata about a plurality of roadway-related attributes.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, comprising:

the controller further configured to identify one of the respective metadata that matches the information about the image; and

the controller further configured to change the at least one operating characteristic based on the matching one of the respective metadata.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

the communication interface further configured to receive at least a portion of the image of the environment; and

a data storage device, in communication with the controller, configured to store a plurality of images.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, comprising:

the controller further configured to identify one of the plurality of images that matches the at least a portion of the image of the environment; and

the controller further configured to change the at least one operating characteristic based on the matching one of the plurality of images.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

the communication interface further configured to receive at least a portion of the image of the environment; and

a data storage device, in communication with the controller, configured to store respective metadata about a plurality of roadway-related attributes and configured to store a plurality of images.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising:

the controller further configured to;

identify one of the respective metadata that matches the information about the image;

determine a subset of the plurality of images based on the matching one of the respective metadata;

identify one of the subset of the plurality of images that matches the at least a portion of the image of the environment; and

change the at least one operating characteristic based on the matching one of the subset of the plurality of images.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

the controller in communication with the radar detector and the communication interface and configured to receive a speed of the vehicle; and

the controller further configured to change at least one operating characteristic of the radar detector based on the information about the image and the speed of the vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information about the image relates to at least one of:

an exit sign, a road identifier, a mile-marker identifier, and a speed limit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information about the image relates to at least one of:

a neighboring vehicle, the environment of the vehicle being a construction zone, a wireless network signature, and a neighboring retail establishment.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating characteristic of the radar detector relates to:

muting a warning, selecting a stored operation profile, adjusting a detector sensitivity, disabling an alarm, disabling a frequency band of the detector, and setting a radar detector speed threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the environment of the vehicle comprises an environment outside of the vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the environment of the vehicle comprises an environment inside the vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the image is an image of at least a portion of a dashboard of the vehicle.

17. A method for operating a radar detector in a vehicle comprising:

scanning a plurality of frequencies, by the radar detector, to detect a police radar signal;

receiving, via a communication interface, information about an image of an environment of the vehicle;

based on the information about the image, determining a speed of the vehicle; and

changing at least one operating characteristic of the radar detector based on the information about the image.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

analyzing, by an image analyzer, the image to determine the information about the image; and

communicating the information to the communication interface.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising:

capturing the image and communicating the image to the image analyzer.

20. The method of claim 17, comprising:

storing, in a data storage device, respective metadata about a plurality roadway-related attributes.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising:

identifying one of the respective metadata that matches the information about the image; and

changing the at least one operating characteristic based on the matching one of the respective metadata.

22. The method of claim 17, comprising:

receiving at least a portion of the image of the environment; and

storing, in a data storage device, a plurality of images.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising:

identifying one of the plurality of images that matches the at least a portion of the image of the environment; and

changing the at least one operating characteristic based on the matching one of the plurality of images.

24. The method of claim 17, comprising:

receiving at least a portion of the image of the environment; and

storing in a data storage device;

respective metadata about a plurality of roadway-related attributes, and

a plurality of images.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising:

identifying one of the respective metadata that matches the information about the image;

determining a subset of the plurality of images based on the matching one of the respective metadata;

identifying one of the subset of the plurality of images that matches the at least a portion of the image of the environment; and

changing the at least one operating characteristic based on the matching one of the subset of the plurality of images.

26. The method of claim 17, comprising:

changing the at least one operating characteristic of the radar detector based on the information about the image and the speed of the vehicle.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the information about the image comprises information about a speedometer of the vehicle.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the information about the image relates to at least one of:

an exit identifier, a road identifier, a mile-marker identifier, and a speed limit.

29. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the information about the image relates to at least one of:

a wireless network signature, a neighboring vehicle, the environment of the vehicle being a construction zone, and a neighboring retail establishment.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one operating characteristic of the radar detector relates to:

muting a warning, selecting a stored operation profile, adjusting a detector sensitivity, disabling an alarm, disabling a frequency band of the detector, and setting a radar detector speed threshold.

31. The method of claim 17, wherein the environment of the vehicle comprises an environment outside of the vehicle.

32. The method of claim 17, wherein the environment of the vehicle comprises an environment inside the vehicle.

33. A method for operating a radar detector in a vehicle comprising:

scanning a plurality of frequencies, by the radar detector, to detect a police radar signal;

receiving, via a communication interface, information about an image of an environment of the vehicle;

receiving at least a portion of the image of the environment;

storing in a data storage device;

respective metadata about a plurality of roadway-related attributes, and a plurality of images;

identifying one of the respective metadata that matches the information about the image;

determining a subset of the plurality of images based on the matching one of the respective metadata;

identifying one of the subset of the plurality of images that matches the at least a portion of the image of the environment; and

changing at least one operating characteristic based on the matching one of the subset of the plurality of images.

34. An apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a radar detector configured to detect a police radar signal;

a communication interface configured to receive information about an image of an environment of the vehicle;

a controller in communication with the radar detector and the communication interface change at least one operating characteristic of the radar detector based on the information about the image received by the communication interface;

the communication interface further configured to receive at least a portion of the image of the environment;

a data storage device, in communication with the controller, configured to store respective metadata about a plurality of roadway-related attributes and configured to store a plurality of images; and

the controller further configured to;

identify one of the respective metadata that matches the information about the image;

determine a subset of the plurality of images based on the matching one of the respective metadata;

identify one of the subset of the plurality of images that matches the at least a portion of the image of the environment; and

change the at least one operating characteristic based on the matching one of the subset of the plurality of images.