COLLISION DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATION

• US 20160103218A1
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Concepts Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Applied Concepts Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Mandava, Mahendra, Gammenthaler, Robert S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,482,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/00 Arrangement or adaptation of acoustic signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles

Abstract

A system for detecting driver vehicle travelling in an unsafe manner comprising a radar system configured to generate a sequence of frames of radar data. A target trajectory system configured to receive the sequence of frames of radar data and to generate target trajectory data for a vehicle. An alarm system configured to receive the target trajectory data and to generate an alarm as a function of the target trajectory data, a probability of collision, a degree of erratic driving or other suitable data.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a vehicle travelling in an unsafe manner comprising:

a radar system configured to generate a sequence of frames of radar data, to identify data corresponding to one or more target vehicles in the sequence of frames of radar data, and to assign a unique identifier to each of the one or more target vehicles;

a target trajectory system configured to receive the sequence of frames of radar data and to generate target trajectory data for a vehicle; and

an alarm system configured to receive the target trajectory data and to generate an alarm as a function of the target trajectory data.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a location system configured to generate location data for a patrol car associated with the system for detecting the impaired driver and to modify the trajectory data as a function of the location data.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a map system configured to generate road map data and to compare the road map data to the target trajectory data.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the alarm system is configured to receive the target trajectory data and to generate a first audio indicator for vehicles approaching from a front of a patrol vehicle and a second audio indicator for vehicles approaching from a rear of the patrol vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the alarm system is configured to increase or decrease a tone frequency of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the alarm system is configured to increase or decrease a volume of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the alarm system is configured to change a cadence of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle.

8. A system for detecting a vehicle travelling in an unsafe manner comprising:

a radar system configured to generate a sequence of frames of radar data, to identify data corresponding to one or more target vehicles in the sequence of frames of radar data, and to assign a unique identifier to each of the one or more target vehicles;

a target trajectory system configured to receive the sequence of frames of radar data and to generate target probability of collision data for a vehicle; and

an alarm system configured to receive the target probability of collision data and to generate an alarm as a function of the target probability of collision data.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a location system configured to generate location data for a patrol car associated with the system for detecting the impaired driver and to modify the probability of collision data as a function of the location data.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a map system configured to generate road map data and modify the probability of collision data as a function of the road map data.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the alarm system is configured to receive the probability of collision data and to generate a first audio indicator for vehicles approaching from a front of a patrol vehicle and a second audio indicator for vehicles approaching from a rear of the patrol vehicle.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the alarm system is configured to increase or decrease a tone frequency of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle and the target probability of collision data.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the alarm system is configured to increase or decrease a volume of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle and the target probability of collision data.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the alarm system is configured to increase or decrease the cadence of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle and the target probability of collision data.

15. A method for detecting an erratic driver comprising:

generating a sequence of frames of radar data using a radar system that provides speed data and location data for targets in a radar signal and assigns a unique identifier to each target;

receiving the sequence of frames of radar data at a processor;

generating target trajectory data for a vehicle using the processor; and

generating an alarm as a function of the target trajectory data.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating location data for a patrol car associated with the radar speed detection system; and

modifying the target trajectory data as a function of the location data.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating road map data; and

modifying the target trajectory data as a function of the road map data.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating a first audio indicator for vehicles approaching from a front of a patrol vehicle; and

generating a second audio indicator for vehicles approaching from a rear of the patrol vehicle.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising increasing or decreasing a tone frequency of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising increasing or decreasing a volume of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising changing a cadence of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle.

22. In a system for detecting a vehicle travelling in an unsafe manner comprising a radar system configured to generate a sequence of frames of radar data identifying speed and location of one or more vehicles in the radar beam and assigning a unique identifier to each of the one or more vehicles, a target trajectory system configured to receive the sequence of frames of radar data and to generate target trajectory data for a vehicle, an alarm system configured to receive the target trajectory data and to generate an alarm as a function of the target trajectory data, a GPS system configured to generate location data for a patrol car associated with the system for detecting the impaired driver, a map system configured to generate road map data and to compare the road map data to the target trajectory data, wherein the alarm system is configured to receive the target trajectory data and to generate a first audio indicator for vehicles approaching from a front of a patrol vehicle and a second audio indicator for vehicles approaching from a rear of the patrol vehicle, wherein the alarm system is configured to increase or decrease a tone frequency of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle, wherein the alarm system is configured to increase or decrease a volume of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle, wherein the alarm system is configured to change the cadence of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle, a method for detecting an erratic driver comprising:

generating a sequence of frames of radar data for one or more vehicles using a radar speed detection system and assigning a unique identifier to each vehicle;

receiving the sequence of frames of radar data at a processor;

generate target trajectory data for one or more vehicle s as function of location data using the processor;

generating an alarm as a function of the target trajectory data;

identifying data corresponding to one or more vehicles in the sequence of frames of radar data using the processor;

generating road map data;

comparing the target trajectory data to the road map data using the predicted/estimated trajectories of vehicle over time relative to the patrol car in conjunction with the road map data, vehicle outline and patrol vehicle orientation, to determine the probability of collision and its imminence;

generating a first audio indicator for vehicles approaching from a front of a patrol vehicle;

generating a second audio indicator for vehicles approaching from a rear of the patrol vehicle;

increasing or decreasing a tone frequency of an audio indicator as a function of a location of the vehicle;

increasing or decreasing a volume of the audio indicator as a function of the location of the vehicle; and

changing the cadence of an audio indicator as a function of the location of the vehicle.