Vehicular vision and alert system

• US 10,482,762 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2018
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• 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:
  US16/042,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20180330608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 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 vehicular vision and alert system includes a camera disposed at a windshield of a vehicle so as to have a field of view forward of the vehicle as the vehicle travels along a traffic lane of a road. Other vehicles traveling along another traffic lane of multiple traffic lanes of the road travel in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle as the vehicle travels along its traffic lane. With the camera disposed at the vehicle, the system determines a traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane. Responsive at least in part to the determined traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane, the system transmits a traffic alert communication to a remote system, and the traffic alert communication is indicative of the determined traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane.

Claims

1. A vehicular vision and alert system, said vehicular vision and alert system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision and alert system so as to have a field of view forward of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along a traffic lane of a road, wherein the field of view encompasses multiple traffic lanes of the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling;

wherein other vehicles traveling along another traffic lane of the multiple traffic lanes are traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along its traffic lane of the road;

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

wherein, with said camera disposed at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and via processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, said vehicular vision and alert system determines a traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane;

wherein, responsive at least in part to the determined traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane, said vehicular 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 pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane;

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

wherein, when the equipped vehicle is traveling along a freeway or divided highway, the remote system transmits the traffic alert communication to other vehicles that are about to enter the freeway or divided highway and about to be traveling along the other traffic lane where the traffic pattern of other vehicles is determined.

2. The vehicular 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 vehicular 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 vehicular vision and alert system of claim 1, wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to other vehicles near the equipped vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.

5. A vehicular vision and alert system, said vehicular vision and alert system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision and alert system so as to have a field of view forward of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along a traffic lane of a road, wherein the field of view encompasses multiple traffic lanes of the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling;

wherein other vehicles traveling along another traffic lane of the multiple traffic lanes are traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along its traffic lane of the road;

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

wherein, with said camera disposed at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and via processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, said vehicular vision and alert system determines a traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane;

wherein, responsive at least in part to the determined traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane, said vehicular 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 pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane; and

wherein, with said camera disposed at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and responsive at least in part to determination, via processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, of a vehicle accident involving another vehicle, said vehicular 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 determined vehicle accident.

6. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 5, wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to the remote system via a broadband cellular network.

7. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 5, wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to the remote system via a 5G broadband cellular network.

8. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 5, wherein the traffic alert communication includes location information pertaining to the current geographical location of the equipped vehicle.

9. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 8, 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 pattern.

10. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 8, 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 pattern.

11. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 5, wherein the determined vehicle accident is at the other traffic lane.

12. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 5, wherein, with said camera disposed at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, said vehicular vision and alert system determines a traffic condition on another road being traveled by other vehicles.

13. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 12, wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to other vehicles near the equipped vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.

14. A vehicular vision and alert system, said vehicular vision and alert system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision and alert system so as to have a field of view forward of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along a traffic lane of a road, wherein the field of view encompasses multiple traffic lanes of the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling;

wherein other vehicles traveling along another traffic lane of the multiple traffic lanes are traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along its traffic lane of the road;

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

wherein, with said camera disposed at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and via processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, said vehicular vision and alert system determines a traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane;

wherein, responsive at least in part to the determined traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane, said vehicular 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 pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane; and

wherein, with said camera disposed at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and responsive at least in part to the determined traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane, and responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, said vehicular vision and alert system determines a traffic jam index representative of a degree of traffic traveling along the other traffic lane, and wherein, responsive at least in part to the determined traffic jam index being greater than a threshold level of traffic, said vehicular vision and alert system transmits the traffic alert communication to the remote system, and wherein the traffic alert communication is indicative of the determined traffic jam index.

15. A vehicular vision and alert system, said vehicular vision and alert system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision and alert system so as to have a field of view forward of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along a traffic lane of a road, wherein the field of view encompasses multiple traffic lanes of the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling;

wherein other vehicles traveling along another traffic lane of the multiple traffic lanes are traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along its traffic lane of the road;

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

wherein, with said camera disposed at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and via processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, said vehicular vision and alert system determines a traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane;

wherein, responsive at least in part to the determined traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane, said vehicular 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 pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane; and

wherein said vehicular vision and alert system determines the traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane responsive at least in part to one or more sensors of the vehicle sensing vehicle acceleration, vehicle speed, vehicle pitch, vehicle yaw and/or vehicle roll.

16. A vehicular vision and alert system, said vehicular vision and alert system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision and alert system so as to have a field of view forward of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along a traffic lane of a road, wherein the field of view encompasses multiple traffic lanes of the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling;

wherein other vehicles traveling along another traffic lane of the multiple traffic lanes are traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along its traffic lane of the road;

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

wherein, with said camera disposed at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and via processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, said vehicular vision and alert system determines a traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane;

wherein, responsive at least in part to the determined traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane, said vehicular 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 pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane;

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

wherein the remote system transmits the traffic alert communication to other vehicles (i) that are at or near or approaching the location of the determined traffic pattern and/or (ii) that are following a navigation route that approaches the location of the determined traffic pattern; and

wherein, when the equipped vehicle is traveling along a freeway or divided highway, the remote system transmits the traffic alert communication to other vehicles that are about to enter the freeway or divided highway and about to be traveling along the other traffic lane where the traffic pattern of other vehicles is determined.

17. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 16, wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to the remote system via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link.

18. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 16, wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to the remote system via a broadband cellular network.

19. A vehicular vision and alert system, said vehicular vision and alert system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision and alert system so as to have a field of view forward of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along a traffic lane of a road, wherein the field of view encompasses multiple traffic lanes of the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling;

wherein other vehicles traveling along another traffic lane of the multiple traffic lanes are traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along its traffic lane of the road;

wherein, when the equipped vehicle is traveling along a freeway or divided highway, the other traffic lane is separate from the traffic lane along which the equipped vehicle is traveling;

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

wherein, with said camera disposed at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and via processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, said vehicular vision and alert system determines a traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane;

wherein, responsive at least in part to the determined traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane, said vehicular 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 pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane;

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

wherein, when the equipped vehicle is traveling along a freeway or divided highway, the remote system transmits the traffic alert communication to other vehicles that are about to enter the freeway or divided highway and about to be traveling along the other traffic lane where the traffic pattern of other vehicles is determined.

20. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 19, wherein the traffic alert communication is transmitted to the remote system via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link.

21. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 20, wherein the remote system is operable to transmit the traffic alert communication via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link to other vehicles.

22. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 19, 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 pattern.

23. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 19, 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 pattern.

24. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 19, wherein said vehicular vision and alert system determines the traffic pattern of the other vehicles traveling along the other traffic lane responsive at least in part to one or more sensors of the vehicle sensing vehicle acceleration, vehicle speed, vehicle pitch, vehicle yaw and/or vehicle roll.