Method and apparatus for predicting/alarming the moving of hidden objects

• US 8,044,780 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Wang, Wei-Han, Hsieh, Hsiang-Wen, Tseng, Kuo-Shih
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US12/019,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for predicting/alarming the moving of hidden objects. The apparatus comprises: a distance sensing unit, for obtaining a distance data detected within a specific sensing range and thus outputting the distance data; a speed sensing unit, for measuring the movement of a carrier to obtain a real-time speed data of the carrier and thus output the speed data; a control unit, for receiving and analyzing the distance data and the speed data to obtain information relating to the position of the carrier, the environment surrounding the carrier and positions of objects moving in the blind spots of the carrier, and thus to perform an evaluation based upon the aforesaid information to determine a danger level for issuing a control signal accordingly; and an alarm unit, for issuing an alarm signal according to the control signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for predicting and alarming based on moving of hidden objects, comprising:

a distance sensing unit, for obtaining a distance data detected within a specific sensing range;

a speed sensing unit, for measuring the movement of the first moving object to obtain a real-time speed data of relating to the first moving object;

a control unit, for performing each of the following operations;

receiving the distance data and the speed data from the distance sensing unit and the speed sensing unit, respectively;

separating the first moving object from its static ambient environment, and classifying the result;

determining information relating to the position of the first moving object by analyzing the distance data and the speed data, and determining a corresponding danger level;

predicting the first moving object'"'"'s movement when the first moving object is within blind spot areas according to the distance data and the speed data;

predicting whether the first moving object is moving to a position shielded and hidden behind a second moving object;

predicting whether the first moving object is entering an area which cannot be monitored by the distance sensing unit and the speed sensing unit; and

issuing at least one corresponding control signal based on said classification, determinations, predictions, and danger level; and

an alarm unit, for issuing an alarm signal according to the control signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance sensing unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a radar, a laser distance meter, an infrared array, an ultrasonic array and an image based range estimation module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speed sensing unit is device selected from the group consisting of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a tachometer, a displacement sensor, a photo encoder, a global positioning system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance sensing unit is substantially a distance sensing module composed of more than one distance sensor, each functioning independently to acquire a subsidiary distance data, from which the distance data is obtainable by performing a calculation upon all the subsidiary distance data with respect to the geometrical positions of the more than one distance sensors, and then the information relating to the position of the first moving object, the environment surrounding the carrier and positions of the first moving object moving in the blind spot areas of the carrier are obtainable by the calculation of the control unit using the distance data along with information accessed from an odometer of the carrier.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speed sensing unit is composed of a plurality of speed sensors, each functioning independently to acquire a subsidiary inertial data of the first moving object relating to position, velocity, and acceleration, from which the speed data of the first moving object is obtainable by performing a calculation based upon all the subsidiary inertial data with respect to the geometrical positions of the plurality of speed sensors, and determining the information relating to the position of the first moving object, the environment surrounding the carrier, and positions of the first moving object moving in the blind spot areas of the carrier, obtained through control unit calculations using the speed data in combination with information accessed from an odometer of the carrier.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alarm signal of the alarm unit is an indication prompting a response from a driver driving the carrier and being an indication selected from the group consisting of an alerting image of various contents, alerting sounds, and vibrations of various patterns.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the alerting image is displayed to the driver by a device selected from the group consisting of a vehicle personal computer (PC), a car liquid crystal display (LCD), a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a global positioning system.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the data from the distance sensing unit and the speed sensing unit is enabled by the use of a wireless transmission interface to the control unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wireless transmission interface is a device selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth module, an infrared module and a radio frequency transmission module.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carrier or the first moving object is an object selected from the group consisting of a car, a motorcycle, bicycle, a robot and other moveable objects.

11. A method for predicting and alarming based on moving of hidden objects, comprising the steps of:

using the detection of a distance sensing unit and a speed sensing unit to obtain an environment data;

transmitting the environment data to a control unit;

enabling the control unit to perform an operation basing upon the environment data detected by the distance sensing unit and the speed sensing unit for separating a first moving object from its static ambient environment;

enabling the control unit to classify the result of the aforesaid operation;

making an evaluation to determining whether the first moving object is being shielded and thus hidden in a blind spot area of a carrier, wherein when the first moving object is not hidden in the blind spot areas of the carrier, keep tracking the first moving object;

else when the first moving object moves to the blind spot areas, a prediction process is initiated to predict conditions regarding to how and where the first moving object is going to move basing on the position of the first moving object before it moved into the blind spot area, wherein the first moving object moving in the blind spot areas is a status including the first moving object moving to a position that it is shielded and hidden behind a second moving object, or the first moving object entering an area that is beyond the detection of the distance sensing unit and the speed sensing unit;

enabling the control unit to determine a danger level according to the relation between the environment data, the position of the carrier, and the predicted position of the first moving object in the blind spot area;

issuing at least one corresponding control signal based on said classification, determinations, predictions, and danger level;

outputting an alarm signal to an alerting unit according to the danger level; and

enabling a driver driving the carrier to become aware of the condition of his/her ambient environment and the status of the hidden first moving object moving in the blind spot area by the prediction and alert of the alerting unit based on the alarm signal and at least one control signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the distance sensing unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a radar, a laser distance meter, an infrared array, an ultrasonic array and an image based range estimation module.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the speed sensing unit is device selected from the group consisting of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a tachometer, a displacement sensor, a photo encoder, a global positioning system.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the distance sensing unit is substantially a distance sensing module composed of more than one distance sensor, each functioning independently to acquire a subsidiary distance data, from which the distance data is obtainable by performing a calculation upon all the subsidiary distance data with respect to the geometrical positions of the more than one distance sensors, and then the information relating to the position of the first moving object, the environment surrounding the carrier and positions of the first moving object moving in the blind spot areas of the carrier are obtainable by the calculation of the control unit using the distance data along with information accessed from an odometer of the carrier.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the speed sensing unit is substantially a speed sensing module composed of more than one speed sensor, each functioning independently to acquire a subsidiary inertial data relating to position, velocity, and acceleration, from which the speed data of the first moving object is obtainable by performing a calculation upon all the subsidiary inertial data with respect to the geometrical positions of the more than one speed sensors, and then the information relating to the position of the first moving object, the environment surrounding the carrier and positions of the first moving object moving in the blind spot areas of the carrier are obtainable by the calculation of the control unit using the speed data along with information accessed from an odometer of the carrier.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the alarm signal of the alarm unit is an indication prompting a response from a driver driving the carrier and being an indication selected from the group consisting of an alerting image of various contents, alerting sounds, and vibrations of various patterns.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the alerting image is displayed to the driver by a device selected from the group consisting of a vehicle personal computer (PC), a car liquid crystal display (LCD), a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a global positioning system.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the carrier or the first moving object is an object selected from the group consisting of a car, a motorcycle, bicycle, a robot and other moveable objects.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the outputting of the data from the distance sensing unit and the speed sensing unit is enabled by the use of a wireless transmission interface to the control unit.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the wireless transmission interface is a device selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth module, an infrared module and a radio frequency transmission module.