TRAFFIC MONITORING AND PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS SYSTEM FOR USE WITH VEHICLE STOP INDICATOR SYSTEMS

• US 20200132831A1
• Filed: 10/26/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fleetmind Seon Solutions Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fleetmind Seon Solutions Inc.
• Inventors: Nagy, Robert, Black, David, Brodsky, Tomas, Wong, Rachel, Green, Bradley Edmund Tyrone
• Granted Patent: US 10,901,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/886 for alarm systems alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/048 with provision for compensation of environmental or other condition, e.g. snow, vehicle stopped at detector
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A system is provided for monitoring and predicting traffic conditions in a vicinity of a system vehicle having a stop indicator system. The system may include one or more radar modules programmed to detect target vehicles traveling within a predetermined radar detection area near the system vehicle. The radar modules may be further programmed to detect signals associated with target vehicles and generate signals indicative of alert conditions. The radar modules may be programmed to execute various algorithms which generate alert condition signals in response to determining and analyzing a current distance, a braking distance, and/or a velocity of the target vehicle detected in the radar detection area. The system can communicate appropriate alert notifications in response to the generated alert condition signals.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and predicting traffic conditions in a vicinity of a system vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one radar module programmed to detect at least one target in a first direction within a predetermined radar detection area;

wherein the radar module is further programmed to;

detect signals associated with a target vehicle traveling through the radar detection area,

generate signals indicative of alert conditions associated with the target vehicle traveling through the radar detection area, and

communicate the alert condition signals to an alarm module;

wherein the alarm module is programmed to;

receive the alert condition signals communicated from the radar modules,

communicate with at least a portion of a stop indicator system operatively associated with the system vehicle, and,

generate at least one alert event communication in response to at least one of the received alert condition signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system vehicle comprises a school bus, an articulated bus, a metro bus, or a tour bus.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising the alarm module programmed to communicate wirelessly with at least one vehicle braking system or vehicle notification system of the target vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera; and

,

visual recognition software programmed to analyze at least one image captured by the camera to determine a type of vehicle for the target vehicle traveling through the radar detection area.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising the alarm module programmed to receive data from the target vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication protocol.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising the alarm module programmed to communicate alert condition information wirelessly to at least one wireless device within the vicinity of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the radar detection area is divided into multiple zones including at least one mounting offset zone, at least one safety zone, and at least one braking zone.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising the radar module programmed to generate an alert condition signal in response to detecting a target vehicle in the mounting offset zone.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising the radar module programmed to generate an alert condition signal in response to detecting a target vehicle in the safety zone.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising the radar module programmed to generate at least one alert condition signal in response to determining a braking distance for the target vehicle detected in the radar detection area.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising the radar module programmed to generate the alert condition signal in response to analyzing a braking curve associated with the target vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising the radar module programmed to generate the alert condition signal in response to analyzing a braking curve comprising a parabolic braking curve.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising the radar module programmed to adjust at least one braking coefficient associated with the braking curve in response to at least one vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising the radar module programmed to generate at least one alert condition signal in response to determining a velocity of the target vehicle detected in the radar detection area.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising the radar module programmed to generate at least one alert condition signal in response to determining a current distance, a braking distance, and a velocity of the target vehicle detected in the radar detection area.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising the radar module or the alarm module programmed to:

execute an algorithm for determining when a braking distance of the target vehicle is greater than a current distance of the target vehicle, and,

output an alarm signal in response to determining that the braking distance of the target vehicle is greater than the current distance of the target vehicle to a safety zone defined within the radar detection area.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising the radar module programmed to:

execute an algorithm for determining when a braking distance of the target vehicle is greater than;

a current distance of the target vehicle to a safety zone defined within the radar detection area less a warning adjustment value, and,

output a warning signal in response to the algorithm determination for the target vehicle.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising the radar module programmed to:

execute an algorithm for;

determining when the target vehicle is within any portion of a safety zone or a mounting offset zone defined within the radar detection area, and,

determining whether a velocity of the target vehicle exceeds a predetermined violation trigger threshold; and

output a violation signal and an alarm signal in response to the algorithm determination for the target vehicle.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising the radar module programmed to adjust at least one parameter in response to a weather condition detected within the radar detection area.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising the radar module programmed to adjust at least one parameter in response to rain or snow occurring within the radar detection area.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising the alarm module programmed to receive data communicated from at least one velocity sensor.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising the alarm module programmed to enter a predictive mode when amber lights of the vehicle are activated and data received from the velocity sensor indicate that a velocity of the system vehicle is zero or substantially zero.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising the alarm module programmed to receive data from at least one external data source comprising historical statistics for average target vehicle speed.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising the radar module programmed for:

comparing the historical average target vehicle speed to a detected target vehicle speed; and

,

adjusting at least one parameter of the radar module in response to comparing the historical average target vehicle speed to the detected target vehicle speed.

25. The system of claim 1, further comprising the alarm module programmed for collecting and indexing alert condition signal data based on at least one of location, time, current weather, or traffic level in the vicinity of the system vehicle.