Alerting a vehicle operator to traffic movement

• US 7,676,324 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Bae, Hong S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/440,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/300, 701/213, 340/901, 340/903, 340/435, 340/439, 340/988, 340/995, 340/990, 340/576
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for alerting a vehicle operator to traffic movement. The methods include identifying a zone around a host vehicle and identifying a target vehicle in the zone. The speed and location of the target vehicle are monitored. An alert is generated in the host vehicle if the target vehicle is moving outside of the zone at a speed higher than a minimum speed and the host vehicle is stationary.

Claims

1. A method for alerting a vehicle operator to traffic movement, the method comprising:

identifying a zone around a host vehicle;

identifying a target vehicle in the zone;

monitoring speed and location of the target vehicle; and

generating an alert in the host vehicle if the target vehicle is moving outside of the zone at a speed higher than a minimum speed and the host vehicle is stationary.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is generated if the target vehicle is moving outside of the zone at the minimum speed and the host vehicle has been stationary for longer than a host vehicle stationary threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is generated if the target vehicle is moving outside of the zone at the minimum speed and the target vehicle has been in the zone for longer than a time in zone threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is generated if the target vehicle is moving outside of the zone at the minimum speed, the host vehicle has been stationary for longer than a host vehicle stationary threshold, and the target vehicle has been in the zone for longer than a time in zone threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is not generated if the target vehicle is moving in a traverse direction relative to the host vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the zone is located in front of the host vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the zone is rectangular in shape.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the rectangular shape is about ten meters long by about three meters wide.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the target vehicle moves outside of the zone by moving forward.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the target vehicle moves outside of the zone by turning right or left.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is utilized to create one or more visual, aural and haptic notifications to an operator in the host vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the zone varies based on one or more of a roadway condition, a traffic/weather condition, and an operator of the host vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving data from a road infrastructure device for use in determining whether to generate the alert.

14. A system for alerting a vehicle operator to traffic movement, the system comprising:

an object detection device; and

a processor in communication with the object detection device, the processor including instructions for facilitating;

identifying a zone around a host vehicle;

identifying a target vehicle in the zone using input from the object detection device;

monitoring speed and location of the target vehicle using input from the object detection device; and

generating an alert in the host vehicle if the target vehicle is moving outside of the zone at a speed higher than a minimum speed and the host vehicle is stationary.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the object detection device includes one or more of a sensor and a vision camera.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the alert is generated if the target vehicle is moving outside of the zone at the minimum speed and the host vehicle has been stationary for longer than a host vehicle stationary threshold.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the alert is generated if the target vehicle is moving outside of the zone at the minimum speed and the target vehicle has been in the zone for longer than a time in zone threshold.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the alert is generated if the target vehicle is moving outside of the zone at the minimum speed, the host vehicle has been stationary for longer than a host vehicle stationary threshold, and the target vehicle has been in the zone for longer than a time in zone threshold.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the alert is not generated if the target vehicle is moving in a traverse direction relative to the host vehicle.

20. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for execution by a processing circuit, the program causing the processing circuit to perform a method, the method comprising:

identifying a zone around a host vehicle;

identifying a target vehicle in the zone;

monitoring speed and location of the target vehicle; and

generating an alert in the host vehicle if the target vehicle is moving outside of the zone at a speed higher than a minimum speed and the host vehicle is stationary.