Technique for operating a vehicle effectively and safely

• US 20040036601A1
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auto Director Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: American Calcar, Inc.
• Inventors: Obradovich, Michael L
• Granted Patent: US 6,982,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/20 Devices for measuring or signalling tyre temperature only
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/13 Aquaplaning, hydroplaning
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2220/02 Driver type; Driving style; Driver adaptive features
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/20 Tyre data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 : Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 : Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 : Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 : Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 : Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 : Column-oriented storage; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 : Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 : Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 : for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 : Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2553 : Binding renewal aspects, e.g. using keep-alive messages

Abstract

A control system is employed in a vehicle to assist a user to operate the vehicle effectively and safely. In accordance with the invention, the system provides driving assistance to the user by taking into account the user'"'"'s physical condition, the vehicle condition and the surrounding conditions. The surrounding conditions include, e.g., road, weather and traffic conditions, external to the vehicle. The vehicle condition concerns the conditions of the brakes, steering, tires, radiator, etc. of the vehicle. Signs of fatigue, stress and illness of the user are monitored by the control system to assess the user'"'"'s physical condition.

Claims

1. A method for use in a system for assisting a user b operate a vehicle comprising:

collecting first data concerning a condition of the vehicle in association with time;

collecting second data concerning a condition of the user in association with time;

collecting third data concerning a surrounding condition external to the vehicle in association with time; and

analyzing selected ones of the first, second and third data as a function of time to provide assistance to the user in operating the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition of the user concerns a physical state of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition of the user concerns a cognitive state of the user.

4. The method, of claim 1 wherein the surrounding condition includes a weather condition.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the surrounding condition includes a road condition.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the surrounding condition includes a traffic condition.

7. Apparatus for monitoring a condition of a tire on a vehicle comprising:

a sensor for measuring a temperature of the tire including air therein; and

a transmitter for transmitting a signal containing data concerning the measured temperature;

whereby the transmitted signal is receptive by an analyzer in the vehicle for analyzing the data to monitor the condition of the tire.

8. A method for use in a system for determining a condition of a user in a vehicle comprising:

maintaining a count;

performing the following (a) through (d) one or more times until the count reaches a predetermined value;

(a) receiving a request by the user for instructions to reach a selected location;

(b) in response to the request providing to the user instructions to reach the selected location;

(c) determining whether the user fails to follow the instructions; and

(d) increasing the count when it is determined that the user fails to follow the instructions; and

evaluating the condition of the user when the count reaches the predetermined value.

9. Apparatus operated by force in a vehicle comprising:

a mechanism for adjusting resistance to the force needed for operating the apparatus;

a device for measuring strength of a user of the apparatus; and

a processor for operating the mechanism to adjust the resistance in response to the measured strength.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the strength is indicated by a weight of the user.

11. A method for determining a condition of a tire on a vehicle which is inflated with air, the tire including a plurality of sections thereof, the method comprising:

measuring temperatures of the tire corresponding to the sections thereof, respectively; and

determining whether the tire is properly inflated as a function of the measured temperatures.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the sections include at least one side wall and a circumference of the tire.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the measured temperatures correspond to a first side wall, a second side wall and the circumference.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising computing an average of the temperatures corresponding to the first and second side walls, and determining that the tire is over-inflated when the temperature corresponding to the circumference exceeds the average by a predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising computing an average of the temperatures corresponding to the first and second side walls, and determining that the tire is under-inflated when the average exceeds the temperature corresponding to the circumference by a predetermined threshold.

16. A method for measuring visibility from a vehicle, the vehicle having at least one headlight thereon, the method comprising:

shining a beam of light having a first intensity from the at least one headlight of the vehicle;

measuring a second intensity of a reflected version of the beam of light; and

determining the visibility as a function of the first and second intensities.

17. A method for use in a system in a vehicle for traveling on a road comprising:

determining levelness of the road;

determining whether water is present on the surface of the road; and

controlling a tilt of wheels of the vehicle to help steer the vehicle in response to the levelness of the road when it is determined that water is present on the surface of the road.

18. A method for assisting a user to operate a vehicle comprising:

planning a route to travel;

obtaining first data concerning a configuration of a selected section of the route;

obtaining second data concerning a condition surrounding the selected section of the route; and

providing a demonstration of operation of the vehicle in traversing the selected section of the route based on the first and second data before the selected section of the route is reached.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the condition includes a weather condition.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the condition includes a road condition.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the condition includes a traffic condition.

22. A method for assisting a user of a vehicle to make a turn around an object comprising:

detecting the object;

measuring a first distance the vehicle travels after the object is detected;

measuring a second distance from a side of the vehicle to the object;

determining a travel distance before the vehicle turns based on the second distance; and

instructing the user to make the turn when the first distance exceeds the travel distance.