ROAD DEPARTURE SENSING AND INTELLIGENT DRIVING SYSTEMS AND METHODS
First Claim
1. A method of avoiding and preventing road departure of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing an infrared illumination source directed at a road ahead of the vehicle;
providing an infrared illumination detector configured to collect reflected infrared illumination reflected from the road ahead of the vehicle;
periodically collecting a set of data representing the reflected infrared illumination from the infrared illumination detector in a buffer;
retrieving the data from a buffer;
analyzing the data with a processor configured to detect the edges of a road depicted in the data; and
providing an alarm based on the analysis of the data by the processor if the vehicle is on a course that would cross the detected edges of the road.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A Road Departure Sensing and an Intelligent Driving System which uses near-infrared illumination to collect a continuous sequence of images from an area ahead of a moving vehicle, measure the distance to potential obstacles or obstructions, calculate the potential for collisions, detect the edges of a road or path or changes in the surface texture of a driving surface, and warn a vehicle operator in advance of the vehicle departing the drivable surface or communicate with an unmanned vehicle navigation system to sense and supply real-world navigational data. The unmanned vehicle navigation system can be integrated with existing civilian or military vehicles to provide autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle operation.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of avoiding and preventing road departure of a vehicle, the method comprising:
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providing an infrared illumination source directed at a road ahead of the vehicle; providing an infrared illumination detector configured to collect reflected infrared illumination reflected from the road ahead of the vehicle; periodically collecting a set of data representing the reflected infrared illumination from the infrared illumination detector in a buffer; retrieving the data from a buffer; analyzing the data with a processor configured to detect the edges of a road depicted in the data; and providing an alarm based on the analysis of the data by the processor if the vehicle is on a course that would cross the detected edges of the road. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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9. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
adjusting the exposure adjustment mechanism is adjusted in response to a calculation of a mean luminosity of the data received by the processor from the buffer. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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16. A road departure prevention system comprising:
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an infrared illumination source mounted on a vehicle; an infrared illumination detector mounted on the vehicle; a processor coupled to the infrared illumination detector, wherein the processor is configured to periodically retrieve a set of data from the infrared illumination detector; and an alarm mechanism coupled to the processor; wherein the processor is further configured to activate the alarm mechanism in response to at least two sets of data retrieved from the infrared illumination detector that indicates that the vehicle may encounter an edge of a path. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An autonomous vehicle comprising:
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an infrared illumination source mounted on the vehicle; an infrared illumination detector mounted on the vehicle; a vehicle speed detection device; a vehicle bearing sensor; a processor coupled to the infrared illumination detector, wherein the processor is configured to periodically retrieve a set of data from the infrared illumination detector; a radar transceiver mounted on the vehicle and coupled to the processor; and an alarm mechanism coupled to the processor; wherein the processor is further configured to activate the alarm mechanism in response to at least two sets of data retrieved from the infrared illumination detector that indicate that the vehicle may encounter an edge of a path; wherein the processor is further configured to receive range and bearing angle for an obstacle in the path and provide an indication as to whether or not the vehicle will encounter the obstaclel.
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Specification