VEHICULAR SAFETY METHODS AND ARRANGEMENTS

• US 20140375810A1
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Tony F.
• Application Number:
  US14/309,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20140375810A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of the present technology, a driver'"'"'s inattention is communicated to other drivers, so that they may take appropriate defensive measures. Examples of measures that may be taken include increasing a distance from the inattentive driver, and driving so as to avoid the need for sudden braking or other abrupt action. Many other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

capturing imagery of a driver of a first car;

analyzing the imagery, said analysis yielding information about the attentiveness of the driver; and

issuing an alert to a driver of a second car based on said information.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said analysis comprises tracking a gaze of said driver of the first car.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the second car is ahead of the first car.

4. The method of claim 1 that includes capturing said imagery using a camera of the first car.

5. The method of claim 1 that includes capturing said imagery using a rear-facing camera of the second car.

6. The method of claim 5 that further includes alerting a driver of a third car based on said information.

7. The method of claim 6 in which the third car is ahead of the second car.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said alerting comprises transmitting data from the second car to the third car.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said transmitting includes transmitting said data using a headlight of the second car.

10. The method of claim 1 that further includes alerting the driver of the first car based on said information.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said alerting comprises flashing a rear-facing light of the second car.

12. A method comprising:

receiving imagery captured by a camera of a first car, the received imagery depicting a driver of a second car;

analyzing the imagery to determine the attentiveness of the driver; and

broadcasting an alert to a driver of the first car based on said analysis.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first car is ahead of the second car.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein analyzing the imagery comprises analyzing the imagery at the first car.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein broadcasting the alert comprises broadcasting the alert from the first car.

16. A vehicular safety system for a car, the system comprising:

a camera;

a processor coupled to the camera; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing instructions for configuring the processor to perform acts including;

analyzing imagery captured by the camera, said analysis yielding information about the attentiveness of a driver of a neighboring vehicle; and

issuing an alert to a driver of the car based on said information.