APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING VEHICLE DOOR RELATED ACCIDENTS

• US 20170218678A1
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: Be TopNotch, LLC
• Inventors: KOTHARI, ANKIT DILIP
• Granted Patent: US 10,190,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/324 for signalling that a door is open or intended to be opened
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/76 responsive to devices carried by persons or objects, e.g. magnets or reflectors E05F15/77 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/767 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/54 Obstruction or resistance detection
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

This apparatus, system, and method for preventing vehicle door related accidents will help to detect oncoming traffic and/or nearby external objects when an occupant of the vehicle or the vehicle processor demonstrates an intent to open the vehicle door, and it would generate an alert for the vehicle users, or generate an external alert for the outside users, or automatically stop the vehicle door from opening further if there was a possibility of an accident involving the vehicle doors or its users. This invention comprises of an internal alert mechanism to alert vehicle users about the oncoming traffic and/or nearby external objects. This invention also comprises of an external alert mechanism, which would generate alert externally that vehicle door is about to be opened. This invention also comprises of a feature to restrict the vehicle doors from opening further when there is a potential for door related accident.

Claims

1. A vehicle door safety apparatus comprising:

a door safety mechanism;

a processor connected to said door safety mechanism and configured to;

receive data about the vehicle'"'"'s external environment collected by a plurality of sensors or cameras integrated into the vehicle;

identify an object in the vehicle'"'"'s external environment that represents a potential contact hazard when a door of said vehicle is opened;

identify using one or more sensors when the occupant of said vehicle demonstrates an intent to open the door of said vehicle; and

activate said door safety mechanism in order to prevent an accident involving door of said vehicle and said object.

2. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein said intent to open the door of said vehicle is a stand-alone user action or a combination of user actions which indicate to said door safety mechanism that the occupant of said vehicle is about to open the vehicle door.

3. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to:

deactivate said door safety mechanism when said object which previously represented a potential contact hazard is no longer in the vehicle'"'"'s external environment or does not represent a potential contact hazard anymore when a door of said vehicle is opened.

4. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein said intent to open the door of said vehicle can also be expressed by a processor of an automated, connected, autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

5. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to:

cause said door safety mechanism to generate one or more internal alerts directed to an occupant of said vehicle when the likelihood of contact with said object reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to:

generate one or more external alerts directed to a person or object located outside of said vehicle.

7. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein said object in the vehicle'"'"'s external environment is a connected object which communicates at least one or more information about its location, speed, direction or object type to the nearby connected objects to make them aware about said object.

8. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vehicle is a connected vehicle which communicates information about said intent to open the door of said vehicle or information about said object in the vehicle'"'"'s external environment to the nearby external connected objects that are within its range, wherein said external connected objects can also include said object itself when it'"'"'s a connected object.

9. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein said door safety mechanism prevents the door from opening when likelihood of contact with said object reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. A vehicle door safety apparatus comprising:

a door safety mechanism;

a processor connected to said door safety mechanism and configured to;

receive sensor data about the vehicle'"'"'s external environment collected by a plurality of sensors integrated into the vehicle;

identify an object in the vehicle'"'"'s external environment that represents a potential contact hazard when a door of said vehicle is opened;

cause said door safety mechanism to generate one or more internal alerts directed to an occupant of said vehicle;

wherein said one or more internal alerts are either inside or outside the vehicle as long as they are visible to an occupant of said vehicle.

11. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 10, wherein when one or more sensors embedded in the vehicle identify that an occupant of said vehicle has demonstrated an intent to open the door of said vehicle, the said door safety mechanism generates one or more internal alerts directed to an occupant of said vehicle when said object in the vehicle'"'"'s external environment represents a potential contact hazard.

12. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 10, wherein said one or more internal alerts include a visual indicator either on said vehicle door, glass window, door mirror assembly, HUD display or dashboard display screen of said vehicle as long as said visual indicator is visible to occupant of said vehicle.

13. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 10, wherein said one or more internal alerts include activation of display screens within the vehicle that display the rear view of the vehicle using one or more cameras installed on the vehicle.

14. The vehicle door safety apparatus of claim 10, wherein said object in the vehicle'"'"'s external environment is a connected object which communicates at least one or more information about its location, speed, direction or object type to the nearby connected objects to make them aware about said object.

15. A vehicle door safety system comprising:

a vehicle;

a processor;

one or more sensors embedded in said vehicle;

non-volatile memory comprising computer readable instructions stored therein, wherein said instructions cause said processor to;

identify using said one or more sensors when the occupant of said vehicle demonstrates an intent to open the door of said vehicle;

wherein said intent to open the door of said vehicle is a stand-alone user action or a combination of user actions which indicate to said door safety mechanism that the occupant of said vehicle is about to open the vehicle door; and

cause a door safety mechanism to generate one or more external alerts directed to a person or object located outside of said vehicle when the occupant of said vehicle demonstrates an intent to open the door of said vehicle.

16. The vehicle door safety system of claim 15, wherein said processor deactivates said one or more external alerts when an occupant of said vehicle either no longer demonstrates an intent to open the door of said vehicle, or once opens and closes the door of said vehicle, or manually turns off said door safety mechanism either one-time or forever until said door safety mechanism is manually turned on again by the occupant of said vehicle.

17. The vehicle door safety system of claim 15, wherein said intent to open the door of said vehicle can also be expressed by a processor of an automated, connected, autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

18. The vehicle door safety system of claim 15, wherein said vehicle is a connected vehicle which communicates information about said intent to open the door of said vehicle to the nearby external connected objects that are within its range to help prevent vehicle door related accidents.

19. The vehicle door safety system of claim 15, further comprising:

a highly reflective material that is glued or attached to said vehicle door'"'"'s inner trim or edge, wherein when the door of said vehicle is opened, the said reflective material shines or illuminates and provides an alert to the external users or automated vehicles that the door of said vehicle is open.

20. A method for vehicle door safety, the method comprising:

receiving data about the vehicle'"'"'s external environment collected by a plurality of sensors or cameras integrated into the vehicle;

identifying an object in the vehicle'"'"'s external environment that represents a potential contact hazard when a door of said vehicle is opened;

identifying using one or more sensors when an occupant of said vehicle demonstrates an intent to open the door of said vehicle; and

activating a door safety mechanism in order to prevent an accident involving door of said vehicle and said object.