METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT REDUCTION USING LOCALIZED DYNAMIC SWARMING

• US 20130173114A1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unnikrishna Sreedharan Pillai
• Original Assignee: C & P Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Pillai, Unnikrishna Sreedharan
• Granted Patent: US 9,187,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0005 Processor details or data handling, e.g. memory registers or chip architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/207 Steering angle of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/026 combined with automatic distance control, i.e. electronic tow bar
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0463 calculating assisting torque from the motor based on driver input
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/003 in order to control vehicle yaw movement, i.e. around a vertical axis B62D6/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/008 Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/159 characterised by computing methods or stabilisation processes or systems, e.g. responding to yaw rate, lateral wind, load, road condition
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus to detect when one or more moving vehicles are close to a first vehicle, and to take necessary actions to maintain a minimum distance between vehicles in a dynamic environment by automatic navigation. A computer method and apparatus for automobile accident reduction by maintaining a minimum distance with respect to all nearby vehicles on the road. In addition, methods to synchronously move a group of vehicles on a highway through a swarming action where each vehicle keeps a region immediately around it free of other vehicles while maintaining the speed of the vehicle immediately in front or nearby is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising

measuring a first distance from a first vehicle to a second vehicle;

storing a first quantity indicating the first distance in a first computer memory;

measuring a first speed of the second vehicle with the first sensing device;

storing a second quantity indicating the first speed in the first computer memory; and

using a first computer processor to control a first steering control device to steer the first vehicle either to the left or to the right based at least in part on the first quantity and the second quantity.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising

using the first computer processor to cause the first vehicle to either accelerate or decelerate based at least in part on the first quantity and the second quantity.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein

the first computer processor controls the first steering control device to steer the first vehicle either to the left or to the right, in a manner to maintain at least a first predetermined distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein

the first computer processor causes the first vehicle to accelerate or decelerate in a manner to maintain at least a first predetermined distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising

measuring a second distance from the first vehicle to a third vehicle using the first sensing device;

storing a third quantity indicating the second distance in the first computer memory;

measuring a second speed of the third vehicle with the first sensing device;

storing a fourth quantity indicating the second speed in the first computer memory; and

using the first computer processor to control the first steering control device to steer the first vehicle either to the left or to the right based at least in part on the third quantity, and the fourth quantity.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising

using the first computer processor to cause the first vehicle to either accelerate or decelerate based at least in part on the third quantity, and the fourth quantity.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising

measuring a second distance from the second vehicle to the first vehicle;

storing a third quantity indicating the second distance in a second computer memory;

measuring a second speed of the first vehicle with a second sensing device;

storing a fourth quantity indicating the second speed in the second computer memory; and

using a second computer processor to control a second steering control device to steer the second vehicle either to the left or to the right based at least in part on the third quantity and the fourth quantity.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising

using a second computer processor to cause the first vehicle to either accelerate or decelerate based at least in part on the third quantity and the fourth quantity.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising

using the first computer processor to cause a first communication signal to be transmitted from the first vehicle to the second vehicle;

and

wherein the first communication signal provides data to the second vehicle which causes the second vehicle to accelerate or decelerate.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising

using the first computer processor to cause a first communication signal to be transmitted from the first vehicle to the second vehicle;

and

wherein the first communication signal provides data to the second vehicle which causes the second vehicle to be steered to the right or to the left.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein

the second vehicle and the first vehicle are travelling on the same road, and in substantially the same direction;

and the second vehicle is ahead of the first vehicle on the road;

and further comprising using the first computer processor to cause the first vehicle to travel at substantially the first speed of the second vehicle, so that the first vehicle maintains a substantially fixed predetermined distance from the second vehicle while the first vehicle and the second vehicle are travelling on the road.

2. A method comprising

measuring a first distance from a first vehicle to a second vehicle using the first sensing device;

storing a first quantity indicating the first distance in the first computer memory;

measuring a first speed of the second vehicle with the first sensing device;

storing a second quantity indicating the first speed in the first computer memory; and

using the first computer processor to cause the first vehicle to either accelerate or decelerate based at least in part on the first quantity and the second quantity.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising

measuring a second distance from the second vehicle to the first vehicle;

storing a third quantity indicating the second distance in a second computer memory;

measuring a second speed of the first vehicle with a second sensing device;

storing a fourth quantity indicating the second speed in the second computer memory; and

using a second computer processor to cause the first vehicle to either accelerate or decelerate based at least in part on the third quantity and the fourth quantity.

14. A apparatus comprising

a first computer processor;

a first sensing device;

a first steering control device; and

a first computer memory;

wherein the first computer processor is programmed to;

cause the first sensing device to measure a first distance from a first vehicle to a second vehicle;

store a first quantity indicating the first distance in the first computer memory;

cause the first sensing device to measure a first speed of the second vehicle;

store a second quantity indicating the first speed in the first computer memory; and

control the first steering control device to steer the first vehicle either to the left or to the right based at least in part on the first quantity and the second quantity.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising

a first acceleration device;

and

a first deceleration device;

wherein the first computer processor is programmed to cause the first vehicle to either accelerate using the acceleration device or decelerate using the deceleration device based at least in part on the first quantity and the second quantity.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein

the first computer processor is programmed to control the first steering control device to steer the first vehicle either to the left or to the right, in a manner to maintain at least a first predetermined distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein

the first computer processor is programmed to cause the first vehicle to accelerate or decelerate in a manner to maintain at least a first predetermined distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein

the first computer processor is programmed to:

measure a second distance from the first vehicle to a third vehicle using the first sensing device;

store a third quantity indicating the second distance in the first computer memory;

measuring a second speed of the third vehicle with the first sensing device;

store a fourth quantity indicating the second speed in the first computer memory;

and to control the first steering control device to steer the first vehicle either to the left or to the right based at least in part on the third quantity, and the fourth quantity.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein

first computer processor is programmed to cause the first vehicle to either accelerate or decelerate based at least in part on the third quantity, and the fourth quantity.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising

a second sensing device;

a second computer processor;

a second steering control device; and

a second computer memory; and

wherein

the second computer processor is programmed to;

measure a second distance from the second vehicle to the first vehicle;

store a third quantity indicating the second distance in a second computer memory;

measure a second speed of the first vehicle with a second sensing device;

store a fourth quantity indicating the second speed in the second computer memory; and

control the second steering control device to steer the second vehicle either to the left or to the right based at least in part on the third quantity and the fourth quantity.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein

the second computer processor is programmed to cause the first vehicle to either accelerate or decelerate based at least in part on the third quantity and the fourth quantity.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising

a transmitter;

and wherein

the first computer processor is programmed to cause a first communication signal to be transmitted from the first vehicle via the transmitter to the second vehicle; and

wherein the first communication signal provides data to the second vehicle which causes the second vehicle to accelerate or decelerate.

25. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising

a transmitter;

and wherein

the first computer processor is programmed to cause a first communication signal to be transmitted from the first vehicle via the transmitter to the second vehicle; and

wherein the first communication signal provides data to the second vehicle which causes the second vehicle to be steered to the right or to the left.

26. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein

the first computer processor is programmed so that when the second vehicle and the first vehicle are travelling on the same road, in substantially the same direction, and the second vehicle is ahead of the first vehicle on the road,

the first computer processor causes the first vehicle to travel at substantially the first speed of the second vehicle, so that the first vehicle maintains a substantially fixed predetermined distance from the second vehicle while the first vehicle and the second vehicle are travelling on the road.

15. An apparatus comprising

a first computer processor;

a first sensing device;

a first acceleration device;

a first deceleration device; and

a first computer memory;

wherein the first computer processor is programmed to;

cause the first sensing device to measure a first distance from a first vehicle to a second vehicle;

store a first quantity indicating the first distance in the first computer memory;

cause the first sensing device to measure a first speed of the second vehicle;

store a second quantity indicating the first speed in the first computer memory; and

cause the first vehicle to either accelerate using the acceleration device or decelerate using the deceleration device based at least in part on the first quantity and the second quantity.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a second sensing device;

a second computer processor;

a second acceleration device;

a second deceleration device; and

a second computer memory; and

wherein the second computer processor is programmed to;

measure a second distance from the second vehicle to the first vehicle with the second sensing device;

store a third quantity indicating the second distance in the second computer memory;

measure a second speed of the first vehicle with the second sensing device;

store a fourth quantity indicating the second speed in the second computer memory; and

cause the first vehicle to either accelerate using the second acceleration device or decelerate using the second deceleration device based at least in part on the third quantity and the fourth quantity.