Collision avoidance and/or pedestrian detection system
First Claim
1. A collision avoidance and/or pedestrian detection system for a large passenger vehicle, comprising:
- at least one exterior sensing device configured to be mounted to the exterior surface of the vehicle via a mount;
at least one interior sensing device independent of said at least one exterior sensing device and configured to be mounted inside the vehicle to detect at least one of a potential hazard and a potential collision in the forward direction of the vehicle;
at least one additional sensor, comprising at least one of a speed sensor, a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyro sensor;
a driver display interface comprising at least one warning display mounted inside the vehicle within the driver'"'"'s field of vision, the warning display comprising at least one of a visual warning and an audible alarm configured to alert the driver when a hazard is detected by said at least one exterior sensing device or said at least one interior sensing device, wherein said at least one exterior sensing device is one of sensitivity adjusted, engaged and disengaged responsive to said at least one additional sensor determining that the vehicle is traveling one of;
in the forward direction or at, above or below a predetermined speed; and
an exterior alarm system comprising a plurality of speakers mounted to the exterior surface of the vehicle, and configured to alert nearby pedestrians when a hazard is detected by said at least one exterior sensing device or said at least one interior sensing device connected thereto, wherein the exterior alarm system comprises a multiple channel system configured to provide predetermined audible alerts through one or more of the speakers responsive to a plurality of predetermined triggers comprising at least one of;
warning alerts or urgent alerts responsive to the sensing by at least one of said at least one exterior sensing device or said at least one interior sensing device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A collision avoidance and/or pedestrian detection system for a large passenger vehicle such as commuter bus, which includes one or more exterior and/or interior sensing devices positioned strategically around the exterior and interior of the vehicle for recording data, method for avoiding collisions and/or detecting pedestrians, and features/articles of manufacture for improving same, is described herein in various embodiments. The sensing devices may be responsive to one or more situational sensors, and may be connected to one or more interior and/or exterior warning systems configured to alert a driver inside the vehicle and/or a pedestrian outside the vehicle that a collision may be possible and/or imminent based on a path of the vehicle and/or a position of the pedestrian as detected by one or more sensing devices and/or situational sensors.
-
Citations
38 Claims
-
1. A collision avoidance and/or pedestrian detection system for a large passenger vehicle, comprising:
-
at least one exterior sensing device configured to be mounted to the exterior surface of the vehicle via a mount; at least one interior sensing device independent of said at least one exterior sensing device and configured to be mounted inside the vehicle to detect at least one of a potential hazard and a potential collision in the forward direction of the vehicle; at least one additional sensor, comprising at least one of a speed sensor, a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyro sensor; a driver display interface comprising at least one warning display mounted inside the vehicle within the driver'"'"'s field of vision, the warning display comprising at least one of a visual warning and an audible alarm configured to alert the driver when a hazard is detected by said at least one exterior sensing device or said at least one interior sensing device, wherein said at least one exterior sensing device is one of sensitivity adjusted, engaged and disengaged responsive to said at least one additional sensor determining that the vehicle is traveling one of;
in the forward direction or at, above or below a predetermined speed; andan exterior alarm system comprising a plurality of speakers mounted to the exterior surface of the vehicle, and configured to alert nearby pedestrians when a hazard is detected by said at least one exterior sensing device or said at least one interior sensing device connected thereto, wherein the exterior alarm system comprises a multiple channel system configured to provide predetermined audible alerts through one or more of the speakers responsive to a plurality of predetermined triggers comprising at least one of;
warning alerts or urgent alerts responsive to the sensing by at least one of said at least one exterior sensing device or said at least one interior sensing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of alerting a bus driver to pedestrians in a plurality of dynamic bus danger zones while the bus is moving, comprising:
-
detecting, using at least one sensor positioned to detect a pedestrian located in an area at least one of in front, right and left of the bus, whether the pedestrian is located in a dynamic danger zone with respect to movement of the bus while the bus driver is operating the bus; determining, using at least one additional sensor comprising at least one of a speed sensor, a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyro sensor, a path of the bus and whether the bus is in danger of a collision with the pedestrian; triggering at least one interior alarm for the bus driver and at least one exterior alarm for the pedestrian corresponding to at least one of the dynamic danger zones where the pedestrian is located when it is determined that a collision between the bus and the pedestrian is likely or imminent based on the path of the bus, and enabling the driver to determine a location of the danger zone to avoid the collision with the pedestrian, wherein the at least one interior alarm is triggered if a calculated time to collision (TTC) falls within a preset threshold; generating audible alerts through one or more speakers responsive to said triggering comprising at least one of;
warning alerts or urgent alerts responsive to the sensing by at least one of said at least one sensing device or said at least one additional sensing device;recording one or more video feeds from one or more video capture devices substantially corresponding to detection areas of one or more of the sensor and the additional sensor; and comparing the one or more video feeds with one or more signals produced by one or more sensors from substantially corresponding detection areas to determine and verify whether the sensors are correctly triggering the alarm for a potential collusion or to avoid the collusion.
-
-
15. A collision avoidance and/or pedestrian detection system for a large passenger vehicle, comprising:
-
at least two exterior sensing devices, each independent of each another, each of said at least two sensing devices configured to be mounted to the exterior surface of the vehicle via a mount to detect at least one of a potential hazard and a potential collision in a forward or turning direction of the vehicle; at least one additional sensor, comprising at least one of a speed sensor, a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyro sensor; a driver display interface comprising at least one warning display mounted inside the vehicle within the driver'"'"'s field of vision, the warning display comprising at least one of a visual warning and an audible alarm configured to alert the driver when a hazard is detected by at least one of said at least two exterior sensing devices, wherein at least one of said at least two exterior sensing devices is one of sensitivity adjusted, engaged and disengaged responsive to said at least one additional sensor determining that the vehicle is traveling one of in the forward direction and at, above or below a predetermined speed; and an exterior alarm system comprising at least two speakers mounted to the exterior surface of the vehicle, each speaker configured to alert nearby pedestrians when a hazard is detected by at least one of said two exterior sensing devices connected thereto, wherein the exterior alarm system comprises the at least two speakers having at least one amplifier connected thereto, and wherein the exterior alarm system comprises a multiple channel system configured to provide predetermined audible alerts through at least one of the at least two speakers responsive to predetermined triggers comprising at least one of;
warning alerts or urgent alerts responsive to the sensing by at least one of said two exterior sensing devices. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A collision avoidance and/or pedestrian detection system for a large passenger vehicle, comprising:
-
at least a first sensing device configured to be mounted to the vehicle via a mount; at least a second sensing device independent of said at least a first sensing device and configured to be mounted to the vehicle to detect at least one of a potential hazard and a potential collision in the forward direction of the vehicle; at least one third sensor, comprising at least one of a speed sensor, a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyro sensor; a driver display interface comprising at least one warning display mounted inside the vehicle within the driver'"'"'s field of vision, the warning display comprising at least one of a visual warning and an audible alarm configured to alert the driver when a hazard is detected by said at least first sensing device or said at least second sensing device, wherein at least one of said first and second sensing devices is one of sensitivity adjusted, engaged and disengaged responsive to said at least one third sensor determining that the vehicle is traveling in the forward direction and at, above or below a predetermined speed; and an alarm system comprising a plurality of speakers mounted to the vehicle, and configured to alert nearby pedestrians when a hazard is detected by said at least first sensing device or said at least second sensing device connected thereto, wherein the alarm system comprises a plurality of speakers, and configured to provide predetermined audible alerts through one or more of the speakers responsive to a plurality of predetermined triggers comprising at least one of;
warning alerts or urgent alerts responsive to the sensing by at least one of said first sensing device or said second sensing device. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
Specification