Driving assistance and monitoring

• US 8,190,355 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Emam, Ossama, Kanevsky, Dimitri
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US12/247,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20090096634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 359/742, 359/843, 359/844, 359/850, 359/865, 359/864, 359/866, 359/868, 359/871, 359/872, 359/875, 359/877, 248/148, 248/467, 248/479, 240/435, 240/901, 240/903, 240/904, 180/169, 200/61.27, 200/61.54, 369/909
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A data processing method for alerting a first vehicle when entering and/or residing in a blind spot of at least one second vehicle and a system and a computer program implementing such a method. A method in accordance with an embodiment includes: determining and dynamically updating the position of second vehicle, the blind spot of the second vehicle, and the time for the first vehicle to enter the blind spot. An alarm signal is generated when the first vehicle is entering or residing in a blind spot of the second vehicle. The method also includes steps to generate direction for the first vehicle to avoid entering in or to leave the blind spot of the second vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for alerting a first vehicle when entering or residing in a blind spot of a second vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting by a processor a second vehicle in a surrounding area of the first vehicle;

determining the processor a blind spot position of the second vehicle based on data relating to the second vehicle, wherein the determining further comprises computing data representing a length of the second vehicle and a height of a driver of the second vehicle, the blind spot position being further determined according to the length and the height; and

alerting a driver of the first vehicle with an alarm when the first vehicle is entering or residing in the blind spot.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

computing data representing a position of the second vehicle, the blind spot position being determined according to a position of the second vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically updating the blind spot position according to a speed and orientation of the second vehicle, the updating further comprising computing data relating to the speed and orientation.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

modeling a behavior of the driver of the second vehicle, the blind spot position being further updated according to the behavior.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the modeling further comprises:

computing data related to the behavior of the driver of the second vehicle according to at least one of;

average value of characteristics of a typical driver and a range of the values;

data relating to an environment of the second vehicle; and

data relating to at least one of a position and an orientation of a head of the second vehicle driver.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

computing data relating to at least one of a shape of a travel road of the second vehicle and a behavior of surrounding vehicles, the orientation of the second vehicle being determined according to at least one of the shape and behavior.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one parameter is determined by the second vehicle and a surrounding third vehicle and communicated to the first vehicle, each parameter being selected from the group consisting of:

a position of the blind spot;

a position of the second vehicle;

a speed of the second vehicle;

an orientation of the second vehicle;

a trajectory or travel road shape of the second vehicle;

a height of a driver of the second vehicle; and

a behavior of the driver of the second vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a time for the first vehicle to enter the blind spot.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alarm comprises at least one of a light and a sound signal.

10. The method according claim 1, wherein a different alarm is provided when the first vehicle is residing in the blind spot, or the first vehicle is entering the blind spot.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

indicating at least one direction to the driver of the first vehicle to avoid entering the blind spot or to leave the blind spot.

12. A system for alerting a first vehicle when entering or residing in a blind spot of a second vehicle, comprising:

a system for detecting a second vehicle in a surrounding area of the first vehicle;

a system for determining a blind spot position of the second vehicle based on data relating to the second vehicle, wherein the system for determining further comprises a system for computing data representing a length of the second vehicle and a height of a driver of the second vehicle, the blind spot position being further determined according to the length and the height; and

a system for alerting a driver of the first vehicle with an alarm when the first vehicle is entering or residing in the blind spot.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system for determining further comprises:

a system for computing data representing a position of the second vehicle, the blind spot position being determined according to a position of the second vehicle.

14. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a system for dynamically updating the blind spot position according to a speed and orientation of the second vehicle, the updating further comprising computing data relating to the speed and orientation.

15. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a system for modeling a behavior of the driver of the second vehicle, the blind spot position being further updated according to the behavior.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the system for modeling further comprises:

a system for computing data related to the behavior of the driver of the second vehicle according to at least one of;

average value of characteristics of a typical driver and a range of the values;

data relating to an environment of the second vehicle; and

data relating to at least one of a position and an orientation of a head of the second vehicle driver.

17. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a system for computing data relating to at least one of a shape of a travel road of the second vehicle and a behavior of surrounding vehicles, the orientation of the second vehicle being determined according to at least one of the shape and behavior.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein at least one parameter is determined by the second vehicle and a surrounding third vehicle and communicated to the first vehicle, each parameter being selected from the group consisting of:

a position of the blind spot;

a position of the second vehicle;

a speed of the second vehicle;

an orientation of the second vehicle;

a trajectory or travel road shape of the second vehicle;

a height of a driver of the second vehicle; and

a behavior of the driver of the second vehicle.

19. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a system for calculating a time for the first vehicle to enter the blind spot.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the alarm comprises at least one of a light and a sound signal.

21. The system according claim 12, wherein a different alarm is provided when the first vehicle is residing in the blind spot, or the first vehicle is entering the blind spot.

22. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a system for indicating at least one direction to the driver of the first vehicle to avoid entering the blind spot or to leave the blind spot.

23. A system comprising:

a vehicle; and

a system for alerting a first vehicle when entering or residing in a blind spot of at a second vehicle, the system for alerting comprising;

a system for detecting the second vehicle in a surrounding area of the first vehicle;

a system for determining a blind spot position of the second vehicle based on data relating to the second vehicle, wherein the system for determining further comprises a system for computing data representing a length of the second vehicle and a height of a driver of the second vehicle, the blind spot position being further determined according to the length and the height; and

a system for alerting a driver of the first vehicle with an alarm when the first vehicle is entering or residing in the at least one blind spot.

24. A computer program loaded on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions for alerting a first vehicle when entering or residing in a blind spot of a second vehicle, when said computer program is executed on a computer system, the instructions comprising:

detecting a second vehicle in a surrounding area of the first vehicle;

determining a blind spot position of the second vehicle based on data relating to the second vehicle, wherein the determining further comprises computing data representing a length of the second vehicle and a height of a driver of the second vehicle, the blind spot position being further determined according to the length and the height; and

alerting a driver of the first vehicle with an alarm when the first vehicle is entering or residing in the at least one blind spot.