SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING CLEARANCE OF APPROACHING OVERHEAD STRUCTURE

• US 20150120178A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: King, Anthony G., Wolski, Brian, Kleve, Robert B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,546,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/823 Obstacle sensing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/30 Height or ground clearance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/914 Height Control System
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3811 Point data, e.g. Point of Interest [POI]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees

Abstract

A vehicle system for detecting low clearance locations may include a controller configured to access a geographical information database configured to maintain a plurality of predefined points of interest defined by a clearance height. The controller may communicate with a first sensor to detect a low clearance structure and determine, via a second sensor, a location of the low clearance structure. The controller may update the geographical information database with the location of the low clearance structure to generate a point of interest.

Claims

1. A vehicle system for detecting low clearance locations comprising:

a controller configured to;

access a geographical information database configured to maintain a plurality of pre-defined points of interest defined by a clearance height;

communicate with a first sensor to detect a low clearance structure;

determine, via a second sensor, a location of the low clearance structure; and

update the geographical information database with the location of the low clearance structure to generate a new point of interest.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine, via the first sensor, a low clearance structure height; and

update the point of interest associated with the location of the low clearance structure maintained in the geographical information database with the height of the low clearance structure.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a user input, via a user interface, selecting a vehicle height option indicating a vehicle height;

associate the vehicle height with the points of interest clearance height within a predefined radius; and

generate points of collision in response to the vehicle height and clearance height, the points of collision representing the vehicle'"'"'s height greater than the point of interest clearance height.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to instruct the user interface to output an alert in response to approaching the points of collision.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive route data and generate a most probable path;

filter remote points of interest outlying the most probable path in response to the route data; and

generate the points of collision in response to points of interest along the most probable path.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of vehicle height options, wherein the vehicle height options include at least a first predefined vehicle height and a second predefined vehicle height.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface is in communication with a portable electronic device configured to setup the selectable options, the portable electronic device further configured to automatically calculate vehicle height in response to imaging a vehicle.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to update the geographical information database in response to clearing the point of collision such that the controller no longer associates the point of collision with the vehicle height option.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a remote point of interest communication, wherein the remote point of interest is communicated via a business subscriber and includes a clearance height and a location;

update the geographical information database to include the remote point of interest.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to:

associate the vehicle height with the remote point of interest communication;

generate points of collision in response to the vehicle height and remote point of interest clearance height.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to populate a geographical information database in response to detecting low clearance structures to generate points of interest.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to associate the vehicle height options with the points of interest maintained in the geographical information database to generate points of collision.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to output a suggested course of action in response to approaching the point of collision.

11. A vehicle system for detecting low clearance locations comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive, via a user interface, a user input indicating a vehicle height;

detect, via a first sensor, a low clearance structure and determine a clearance height;

associate the vehicle height with the clearance height to determine a point of collision, wherein the point of collision represents the vehicle height greater than the clearance height; and

instruct the user interface to output an alert in response to approaching the point of collision.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user input includes a plurality of vehicle height options, wherein the vehicle height options include various predefined vehicle heights.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to filter points of interest outside of a predefined radius.

17. A system for alerting of low clearance locations comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive, via a user interface, a user input choosing a selectable option, wherein the selectable option includes a predefined vehicle height;

detect, via a first sensor, a vehicle location;

access a geographical information database configured to maintain a plurality of predefined points of interest defined by a clearance height;

compare the points of interest clearance heights with the vehicle height to generate a points of collision, wherein the points of collision indicate the vehicle height greater than the clearance height; and

alert the user interface in response to approaching the points of collision.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to detect, via a second sensor, a low clearance structure and determine a low clearance structure height.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to populate the geographical information database with the low clearance structure and low clearance structure height to generate the points of interest.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first sensor includes a global positioning system and the second sensor includes one of a video camera, a radar device, and an infrared camera.