GPS vehicle collision avoidance warning and control system and method
First Claim
1. A computer controlled collision avoidance and warning method comprising the steps of:
- receiving continuously from a network of satellites on a first communication link at one of a plurality of automobiles GPS ranging signals for initially accurately determining the one'"'"'s position on a highway on a surface of the earth, receiving continuously at the one automobile on a second communication link from one of a plurality of stations having a known fixed position on the surface of the earth DGPS auxiliary range signals, including correction signals for correcting propagation delay errors in the GPS ranging signals and pseudolite signals for assistance in making further measurements for still further improving the accuracy of the GPS ranging signals and of determining the one'"'"'s position on a highway on a surface of the earth, determining continuously at the one automobile from the GPS, DGPS, and pseudolite signals the one'"'"'s kinematic tracking position on the surface of the earth with centimeter accuracy, communicating the one'"'"'s status information including the kinematic tracking position to each other one of the plurality of automobiles and to the one station or one of a plurality of control centers, and receiving at the one automobile each of the others'"'"' of the plurality of automobiles status information including the others'"'"' kinematic tracking position, analyzing the kinematic tracking positions and status information to identify and evaluate each potential collision hazard relative to the one automobile, determining in a fuzzy logic associative memory the one'"'"'s expert driving response relative to each collision hazard, generating expert driving response control signals for actuating a plurality of control systems of the one automobile in a coordinated manner, intelligibly indicating a warning of a collision hazard, and coordinately actuating the control systems of the one automobile with the control signals to operate the one automobile laterally and longitudinally in real time sufficiently in due time to avoid each collision hazard or, when a collision is unavoidable, then to minimize any injury or damage therefrom.
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Accused Products
Abstract
GPS satellite (4) ranging signals (6) received (32) on comm1, and DGPS auxiliary range correction signals and pseudolite carrier phase ambiguity resolution signals (8) from a fixed known earth base station (10) received (34) on comm2, at one of a plurality of vehicles/aircraft/automobiles (2) are computer processed (36) to continuously determine the one'"'"'s kinematic tracking position on a pathway (14) with centimeter accuracy. That GPS-based position is communicated with selected other status information to each other one of the plurality of vehicles (2), to the one station (10), and/or to one of a plurality of control centers (16), and the one vehicle receives therefrom each of the others'"'"' status information and kinematic tracking position. Objects (22) are detected from all directions (300) by multiple supplemental mechanisms, e.g., video (54), radar/lidar (56), laser and optical scanners. Data and information are computer processed and analyzed (50, 52, 200, 452) in neural networks (132, FIGS. 6-8) in the one vehicle to identify, rank, and evaluate collision hazards/objects, an expert operating response to which is determined in a fuzzy logic associative memory (484) which generates control signals which actuate a plurality of control systems of the one vehicle in a coordinated manner to maneuver it laterally and longitudinally to avoid each collision hazard, or, for motor vehicles, when a collision is unavoidable, to minimize injury or damage therefrom. The operator is warned by a heads up display and other modes and may override. An automotive auto-pilot mode is provided.
300 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A computer controlled collision avoidance and warning method comprising the steps of:
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receiving continuously from a network of satellites on a first communication link at one of a plurality of automobiles GPS ranging signals for initially accurately determining the one'"'"'s position on a highway on a surface of the earth, receiving continuously at the one automobile on a second communication link from one of a plurality of stations having a known fixed position on the surface of the earth DGPS auxiliary range signals, including correction signals for correcting propagation delay errors in the GPS ranging signals and pseudolite signals for assistance in making further measurements for still further improving the accuracy of the GPS ranging signals and of determining the one'"'"'s position on a highway on a surface of the earth, determining continuously at the one automobile from the GPS, DGPS, and pseudolite signals the one'"'"'s kinematic tracking position on the surface of the earth with centimeter accuracy, communicating the one'"'"'s status information including the kinematic tracking position to each other one of the plurality of automobiles and to the one station or one of a plurality of control centers, and receiving at the one automobile each of the others'"'"' of the plurality of automobiles status information including the others'"'"' kinematic tracking position, analyzing the kinematic tracking positions and status information to identify and evaluate each potential collision hazard relative to the one automobile, determining in a fuzzy logic associative memory the one'"'"'s expert driving response relative to each collision hazard, generating expert driving response control signals for actuating a plurality of control systems of the one automobile in a coordinated manner, intelligibly indicating a warning of a collision hazard, and coordinately actuating the control systems of the one automobile with the control signals to operate the one automobile laterally and longitudinally in real time sufficiently in due time to avoid each collision hazard or, when a collision is unavoidable, then to minimize any injury or damage therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42)
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36. A computer controlled collision avoidance and warning system comprising:
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a receiver supported in one of a plurality of automobiles for receiving continuously from a network of satellites on a first communication link GPS ranging signals for initially accurately determining the one'"'"'s position on a highway on a surface of the earth, a receiver supported in the one automobile for receiving continuously on a second communication link from one of a plurality of stations having a known fixed position on the surface of the earth DGPS auxiliary ranging signals for improving GPS ranging accuracy and pseudolite signals for assistance in making further measurements for still further improving the accuracy of the GPS ranging signals and of determining the one'"'"'s position on a highway on a surface of the earth, a processor supported in the one automobile for determining continuously at the one automobile from the GPS, DGPS, and pseudolite signals the one'"'"'s kinematic tracking position on the surface of the earth with centimeter accuracy, a transceiver for communicating the one'"'"'s status information including the kinematic tracking position to each other one of the plurality of automobiles and to the one station or one of a plurality of control centers, and receiving at the one automobile each of the others'"'"' of the plurality of automobiles status information including the others'"'"' kinematic tracking position, a detector supported on the one automobile for detecting multiple objects in all directions relative to the one automobile, a processor supported in the one automobile for analyzing in a neural network all of the kinematic tracking position data, detected objects data and status information to identify and evaluate each potential collision hazard and object relative to the one automobile for determining the most effective collision avoidance strategy, determining with a fuzzy logic associative memory and fuzzy logic control the one'"'"'s expert driving response relative to each collision hazard and object,and generating expert driving response fuzzy logic control signals for actuating a plurality of control systems of the one automobile in a coordinated manner, an attention device for intelligibly indicating a warning of a collision hazard at least to the operator of the one automobile, and an actuator for coordinately operating the control systems of the one automobile in response to the control signals to maneuver the one automobile laterally and longitudinally as necessary in real time sufficiently in due time to avoid each collision hazard or, when a collision is unavoidable, then to minimize any injury or damage therefrom.
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39. A GPS-based collision avoidance method comprising the steps of:
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receiving continuously from a network of satellites on a first communication link at one of a plurality of vehicles GPS ranging signals for determining the one'"'"'s position relative to a surface of the earth, receiving continuously at the one vehicle on a second communication link from one of a plurality of stations having a known fixed position on the surface of the earth DGPS auxiliary range correction signals for correcting propagation delay errors in the GPS ranging signals and pseudolite signals for assistance in making further measurements for still further improving the accuracy of the GPS ranging signals and of determining the one'"'"'s position relative to a surface of the earth, determining continuously at the one vehicle from the GPS, DGPS, and pseudolite signals the one'"'"'s kinematic tracking position relative to the surface of the earth with centimeter accuracy, determining the one'"'"'s attitude relative to a predetermined direction over the earth'"'"'s surface using multiple antennae supported on the extremities of the one vehicle coupled to the GPS receiver and phase comparing the GPS signals simultaneously received at the antennae, communicating the one'"'"'s status information including the kinematic tracking position to each other one of the plurality of vehicles and to the one station or one of a plurality of control centers, and receiving at the one vehicle each of the others'"'"' of the plurality of vehicles status information including the others'"'"' kinematic tracking position, analyzing in a neural network the one'"'"'s attitude, and all of the kinematic tracking positions and status information to identify and evaluate each potential collision hazard relative to the one vehicle, determining in a fuzzy logic associative memory the one'"'"'s attitude compensated expert driving response relative to each collision hazard generating expert driving response control signals for actuating a plurality of control systems of the one vehicle in a coordinated manner, and coordinately actuating the control systems of the one vehicle with the control signals to operate the one vehicle laterally and longitudinally in real time sufficiently in due time to avoid each collision hazard.
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43. A computer controlled collision avoidance and warning method comprising the steps of:
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receiving continuously from a network of satellites on a first communication link at one of a plurality of vehicles GPS ranging signals for initially accurately determining the one'"'"'s position on a surface of the earth, receiving continuously at the one vehicle on a second communication link from one of a plurality of stations having a known fixed position on the surface of the earth DGPS auxiliary ranging signals for improving GPS ranging accuracy and pseudolite signals for assistance in making further measurements for still further improving the accuracy of the GPS ranging signals and of determining the one'"'"'s position on a surface of the earth, determining continuously at the one vehicle from the GPS, DGPS, and pseudolite signals the one'"'"'s kinematic tracking position on the surface of the earth with centimeter accuracy, communicating the one'"'"'s status information including the kinematic tracking position to each other one of the plurality of vehicles and to the one station or one of a plurality of control centers, and receiving at the one vehicle each of the others'"'"' of the plurality of vehicles status information including the others'"'"' kinematic tracking position, analyzing the kinematic tracking positions and status information to identify and evaluate each potential collision hazard relative to the one vehicle, determining with a fuzzy logic associative memory and fuzzy logic algorithms the one'"'"'s expert driving response relative to each collision hazard generating expert driving response control signals for actuating a plurality of control systems of the one vehicle in a coordinated manner, intelligibly indicating a warning of a collision hazard, and coordinately actuating the control systems of the one vehicle with the control signals to operate the one vehicle laterally and longitudinally in real time sufficiently in due time to avoid each collision hazard or, when a collision is unavoidable, then to minimize any injury or damage therefrom.
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44. A computer controlled collision avoidance and warning method comprising the steps of:
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receiving continuously from a network of satellites on a first communication link at one of a plurality of vehicles GPS ranging signals for initially accurately determining the one'"'"'s position on a pathway on a surface of the earth, receiving continuously at the one vehicle on a second communication link from one of a plurality of stations having a known fixed position on the surface of the earth DGPS auxiliary ranging signals for still further improving the accuracy of the GPS ranging signals, determining continuously at the one vehicle from the GPS and DGPS signals the one'"'"'s kinematic tracking position on the surface of the earth, communicating the one'"'"'s status information including the kinematic tracking position to each other one of the plurality of vehicles and to the one station or one of a plurality of control centers, and receiving at the one vehicle each of the others'"'"' of the plurality of vehicles status information including the others'"'"' kinematic tracking position, determining in a fuzzy logic associative memory the one'"'"'s expert driving response relative to each collision hazard generating expert driving response control signals for actuating a plurality of control systems of the one vehicle in a coordinated manner, intelligibly indicating a warning of a collision hazard, and coordinately actuating the control systems of the one vehicle with the control signals to operate the one vehicle laterally and longitudinally in real time sufficiently in due time to avoid each collision hazard or, when a collision is unavoidable, then to minimize any injury or damage therefrom.
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Specification