SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAY OF VEHICULAR SEPARATION DISTANCE

• US 20130187771A1
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ariel Inventions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ariel Inventions, LLC
• Inventors: ROTHSCHILD, Leigh M.
• Application Number:
  US13/356,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20130187771A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/47 Direct command from other road users, i.e. the command for switching or changing the beam is sent by other vehicles or road devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/30 Lamps commanded by wireless transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for determining a recommended separation distance between a first vehicle and a second vehicle. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a separation distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is determined. A recommended separation distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is determined based in part on at least one condition. The separation distance and the recommended separation distance are displayed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a separation distance between a first vehicle and a second vehicle;

determining a recommended separation distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based in part on at least one condition; and

displaying the separation distance and the recommended separation distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended separation distance further comprises:

accessing weather information; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the weather information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended separation distance further comprises:

accessing at least one of road condition information and ambient light information; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the at least one of road condition information and ambient light information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended separation distance further comprises:

determining at least one of a first vehicle speed and a first vehicle safety feature; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the at least one of the first vehicle speed and the first vehicle safety feature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended separation distance further comprises:

accessing neighborhood information; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the neighborhood information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended separation distance further comprises:

accessing traffic information; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the traffic information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended separation distance further comprises:

determining at least one driving characteristic of a driver of the first vehicle; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the at least one driving characteristic.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended separation distance further comprises:

determining at least one vehicle characteristic of the first vehicle; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the at least one vehicle characteristic.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a warning when the separation distance is less than the recommended separation distance.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the first vehicle is following the second vehicle; and

determining that the separation distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is less than the recommended separation distance; and

notifying the first vehicle that the first vehicle is following the second vehicle too closely.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the second vehicle is following the first vehicle;

determining that the separation distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is less than the recommended separation distance; and

notifying the first vehicle that the second vehicle is following the first vehicle too closely.

12. A system, comprising:

a separation distance apparatus, the separation distance apparatus having;

a processor, the processor;

determining a separation distance between a first vehicle and a second vehicle; and

determining a recommended separation distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based in part on at least one condition; and

a display in communication with the processor, the display;

displaying the separation distance and the recommended separation distance.

13. The system of claim 12, the processor further:

accessing weather information; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the weather information.

14. The system of claim 12, the processor further:

accessing at least one of road condition information and ambient light information; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the at least one of road condition information and ambient light information.

15. The system of claim 12, the display further displaying a warning message when the separation distance is less than the recommended separation distance.

16. The system of claim 12, the processor further:

determining at least one of a first vehicle speed and a first vehicle safety feature; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the at least one of the first vehicle speed and a the first vehicle safety feature.

17. The system of claim 12, the processor further:

determining the first vehicle is following the second vehicle; and

determining that the separation distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is less than the recommended separation distance; and

notifying the first vehicle that the first vehicle is following the second vehicle too closely.

18. The system of claim 12, the processor further:

determining the second vehicle is following the first vehicle;

determining that the separation distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is less than the recommended separation distance; and

notifying the first vehicle that the second vehicle is following the first vehicle too closely.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising a server in communication with the separation distance apparatus, the server having:

a memory, the memory storing at least one condition in a database, the condition including at least one of weather information, road condition information, ambient light information, a first vehicle speed and a first vehicle safety feature; and

a transmitter in communication with the memory, the transmitter transmitting the at least one condition to the separation distance apparatus.

20. A tangible computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

determining a separation distance between a first vehicle and a second vehicle;

determining a recommended separation distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based in part on at least one condition; and

displaying the separation distance and the recommended separation distance.

21. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein determining the recommended separation distance further comprises:

accessing weather information; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the weather information.

22. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein determining the recommended separation distance further comprises:

accessing at least one of road condition information and ambient light information; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the at least one of road condition information and ambient light information.

23. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein determining the recommended separation distance further comprises:

determining at least one of a first vehicle speed and a first vehicle safety feature; and

determining the recommended separation distance based at least in part on the at least one of the first vehicle speed and the first vehicle safety feature.

24. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 20, the method further comprising:

displaying a warning message when the separation distance is less than the recommended separation distance.