Vehicle and bicycle communication to avoid vehicle door crash accidents

• US 10,304,341 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Crasso, Marco P., Irazabal, Jeronimo
• Primary Examiner(s): Haile, Benyam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US15/892,878
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/42 for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method, computer system, and a computer program product for communicating between a bicycle and a vehicle to prevent vehicle open door accidents is provided. The present invention may include collecting data from a vehicle device associated with the vehicle and a bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive alert signals and proximity alerts. The present invention may also include determining the vehicle is involved in a high-risk activity. The present invention may then include determining the bicycle is in proximity of the vehicle involved in a high-risk activity. The present invention may further include transmitting, by the bicycle device, the proximity alerts to the vehicle involved in a high-risk activity. The present invention may then include transmitting, by the vehicle device, the alert signals to the bicycle device that the vehicle is involved in a high-risk activity.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a bicycle and a vehicle to prevent vehicle open door accidents, the method comprising:

collecting data from a vehicle device associated with the vehicle and a bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive a plurality of alert signals and a plurality of proximity alerts, wherein collecting the data comprises;

determining, by the bicycle device, the bicycle is in a stationary state;

sending, by the bicycle device, a request to a user to confirm that the bicycle is in the stationary state; and

receiving, from the user, a response to the sent request, wherein the user confirms that the bicycle is in an active state;

determining the vehicle is involved in at least one high-risk activity;

determining the bicycle is in a proximity of the vehicle involved in the at least one high-risk activity;

transmitting, by the bicycle device, the plurality of proximity alerts to the vehicle involved in the at least one high-risk activity; and

transmitting, by the vehicle device, the plurality of alert signals to the bicycle device that the vehicle is involved in the at least one high-risk activity, wherein the bicycle device stops receiving the plurality of alert signals when not in the active state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the data from the vehicle device associated with the vehicle and the bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive the plurality of alert signals and the plurality of proximity alerts, further comprises:

determining, by the bicycle device, the bicycle is in motion; and

determining, by the bicycle device, at least one route for the bicycle, wherein at least one electronic device associated with the bicycle device is utilized to generate the at least one route for the bicycle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the data from the vehicle device associated with the vehicle and the bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive the plurality of alert signals and the plurality of proximity alerts, further comprises:

determining, by the bicycle device, the bicycle device was removed from the bicycle; and

ending the transmitted plurality of alert signals to the bicycle based on determining the bicycle device was removed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responding, by the vehicle device, to the transmitted plurality of proximity alerts from the bicycle device by triggering at least one preventative action in the vehicle involved in the at least one high-risk activity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the data from the vehicle device associated with the vehicle and the bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive the plurality of alert signals and the plurality of proximity alerts, further comprises:

determining, by the vehicle device, the vehicle is in an inactive state for a predetermined period of time; and

ending, by the vehicle device, the transmitted plurality of proximity alerts to the bicycle device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, by the vehicle device, the vehicle is in an active state, wherein an engine associated with the vehicle is turned on; and

receiving, by the vehicle device, the transmitted plurality of proximity alerts from at least one bicycle device.

7. A computer system for communicating between a bicycle and a vehicle to prevent vehicle open door accidents, comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage media, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising;

collecting data from a vehicle device associated with the vehicle and a bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive a plurality of alert signals and a plurality of proximity alerts, wherein collecting the data comprises;

determining, by the bicycle device, the bicycle is in a stationary state;

sending, by the bicycle device, a request to a user to confirm that the bicycle is in the stationary state; and

receiving, from the user, a response to the sent request, wherein the user confirms that the bicycle is in an active state;

determining the vehicle is involved in at least one high-risk activity;

determining the bicycle is in a proximity of the vehicle involved in the at least one high-risk activity;

transmitting, by the bicycle device, the plurality of proximity alerts to the vehicle involved in the at least one high-risk activity; and

transmitting, by the vehicle device, the plurality of alert signals to the bicycle device that the vehicle is involved in the at least one high-risk activity, wherein the bicycle device stops receiving the plurality of alert signals when not in the active state.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein collecting the data from the vehicle device associated with the vehicle and the bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive the plurality of alert signals and the plurality of proximity alerts, further comprises:

determining, by the bicycle device, the bicycle is in motion; and

determining, by the bicycle device, at least one route for the bicycle, wherein at least one electronic device associated with the bicycle device is utilized to generate the at least one route for the bicycle.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein collecting the data from the vehicle device associated with the vehicle and the bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive the plurality of alert signals and the plurality of proximity alerts, further comprises:

determining, by the bicycle device, the bicycle device was removed from the bicycle; and

ending the transmitted plurality of alert signals to the bicycle based on determining the bicycle device was removed.

10. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising:

responding, by the vehicle device, to the transmitted plurality of proximity alerts from the bicycle device by triggering at least one preventative action in the vehicle involved in the at least one high-risk activity.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein collecting the data from the vehicle device associated with the vehicle and the bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive the plurality of alert signals and the plurality of proximity alerts, further comprises:

determining, by the vehicle device, the vehicle is in an inactive state for a predetermined period of time; and

ending, by the vehicle device, the transmitted plurality of proximity alerts to the bicycle device.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the vehicle device, the vehicle is in an active state, wherein an engine associated with the vehicle is turned on; and

receiving, by the vehicle device, the transmitted plurality of proximity alerts from at least one bicycle device.

13. A computer program product for communicating between a bicycle and a vehicle to prevent vehicle open door accidents, comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage tangible media and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer readable tangible storage media, non-transitory computer readable medium, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

collecting data from a vehicle device associated with the vehicle and a bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive a plurality of alert signals and a plurality of proximity alerts, wherein collecting the data comprises;

determining, by the bicycle device, the bicycle is in a stationary state;

sending, by the bicycle device, a request to a user to confirm that the bicycle is in the stationary state; and

receiving, from the user, a response to the sent request, wherein the user confirms that the bicycle is in an active state;

determining the vehicle is involved in at least one high-risk activity;

determining the bicycle is in a proximity of the vehicle involved in the at least one high-risk activity;

transmitting, by the bicycle device, the plurality of proximity alerts to the vehicle involved in the at least one high-risk activity; and

transmitting, by the vehicle device, the plurality of alert signals to the bicycle device that the vehicle is involved in the at least one high-risk activity, wherein the bicycle device stops receiving the plurality of alert signals when not in the active state.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein collecting the data from the vehicle device associated with the vehicle and the bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive the plurality of alert signals and the plurality of proximity alerts, further comprises:

determining, by the bicycle device, the bicycle is in motion; and

determining, by the bicycle device, at least one route for the bicycle, wherein at least one electronic device associated with the bicycle device is utilized to generate the at least one route for the bicycle.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the collecting data from the vehicle device associated with the vehicle and the bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive the plurality of alert signals and the plurality of proximity alerts, further comprises:

determining, by the bicycle device, the bicycle device was removed from the bicycle; and

ending the transmitted plurality of alert signals to the bicycle based on determining the bicycle device was removed.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

responding, by the vehicle device, to the transmitted plurality of proximity alerts from the bicycle device by triggering at least one preventative action in the vehicle involved in the at least one high-risk activity.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein collecting the data from the vehicle device associated with the vehicle and the bicycle device associated with the bicycle, wherein the vehicle device and the bicycle device transmit and receive the plurality of alert signals and the plurality of proximity alerts, further comprises:

determining, by the vehicle device, the vehicle is in an inactive state for a predetermined period of time; and

ending, by the vehicle device, the transmitted plurality of proximity alerts to the bicycle device.