METHOD AND APPARATUS TO WARN OF A VEHICLE MOVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION OF TRAVEL

• US 20170018178A1
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Poechmueller, Werner, Offenhaeuser, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 9,836,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A method to warn of a vehicle moving in the wrong direction of travel, wherein in a provision step, a third-party warning message is provided for other road users when at least one wrong-way-driver signal signals wrong-way travel of the wrongly moving vehicle sensed using a wrong-way-driver sensing method, and in an output step, a self-warning message is output for a driver of the vehicle moving in the wrong direction of travel when the wrong-way-driver signal signals the sensed wrong-way travel and at least one further wrong-way-driver signal signals the wrong-way travel of the wrongly moving vehicle sensed using a further wrong-way-driver sensing method, the further wrong-way-driver sensing method differing from the wrong-way-driver sensing method.

Claims

1. A method to warn of a vehicle moving in a wrong direction of travel, the method comprising:

providing a third-party warning message for other road users when at least one wrong-way-driver signal signals wrong-way travel of the wrongly moving vehicle sensed using a wrong-way-driver sensing method; and

outputting a self-warning message for a driver of the vehicle moving in the wrong direction of travel when the wrong-way-driver signal signals the sensed wrong-way travel and at least one further wrong-way-driver signal signals the wrong-way travel of the wrongly moving vehicle sensed using a further wrong-way-driver sensing method, the further wrong-way-driver sensing method differing from the wrong-way-driver sensing method.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

executing at least one of;

i) the wrong-way-driver sensing method, and ii) the further wrong-way-driver sensing method, using an electronic device located in the vehicle moving in the wrong direction of travel.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

executing at least one of;

i) the wrong-way-driver sensing method, and ii) the further wrong-way driver sensing method, using an infrastructure device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wrong-way-driver sensing method is designed to determine the wrong-way-driver signal using a first input variable, and the further wrong-way-driver sensing method is designed to determine the further wrong-way-driver signal using a second input variable differing from the first input variable.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of:

i) one of the wrong-way-driver sensing method and the further wrong-way-driver sensing method is designed to determine the wrong-way-driver signal using a traffic-sign recognition, and ii) the other of the wrong-way-driver sensing method and the further wrong-way-driver sensing method is designed to determine the further wrong-way-driver signal using a trajectory of a movement of the wrongly moving vehicle, and a digital map.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wrong-way-driver sensing method is designed to determine the wrong-way-driver signal using a trajectory of a movement of the wrongly moving vehicle and a digital map, and the further wrong-way-driver sensing method is designed to determine the wrong-way-driver signal using the trajectory of the movement of the wrongly moving vehicle, and a further digital map.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the providing step, the third-party warning message is provided as a function of a comparison of a confidence value represented by the wrong-way-driver signal, and a threshold value assigned to the wrong-way-driver sensing method.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, in which in the output step, the self-warning message is output as a function of a comparison of a further confidence value represented by the further wrong-way-driver signal, and a further threshold value assigned to the further wrong-way-driver sensing method.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the providing step, the third-party warning message is provided via a wireless communication method.

10. An apparatus, configured to:

provide a third-party warning message for other road users when at least one wrong-way-driver signal signals wrong-way travel of the wrongly moving vehicle sensed using a wrong-way-driver sensing method; and

output a self-warning message for a driver of the vehicle moving in the wrong direction of travel when the wrong-way-driver signal signals the sensed wrong-way travel and at least one further wrong-way-driver signal signals the wrong-way travel of the wrongly moving vehicle sensed using a further wrong-way-driver sensing method, the further wrong-way-driver sensing method differing from the wrong-way-driver sensing method.

11. A machine-readable storage medium, on which the computer program is stored, the computer program to warn of a vehicle moving in a wrong direction of travel, the computer program, when executed by a processing device, causing the processing device to perform:

providing a third-party warning message for other road users when at least one wrong-way-driver signal signals wrong-way travel of the wrongly moving vehicle sensed using a wrong-way-driver sensing method; and

outputting a self-warning message for a driver of the vehicle moving in the wrong direction of travel when the wrong-way-driver signal signals the sensed wrong-way travel and at least one further wrong-way-driver signal signals the wrong-way travel of the wrongly moving vehicle sensed using a further wrong-way-driver sensing method, the further wrong-way-driver sensing method differing from the wrong-way-driver sensing method.