Vehicle support systems for pedestrians to cross roads and support methods for pedestrians to cross roads

• US 8,957,789 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2014
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hara, Yoshitaka, Naka, Takuya, Egawa, Saku, Koga, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US14/262,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20140232567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 340/907, 340/908, 340/425.5, 340/916, 340/925, 340/944, 701/70, 701/301, 345/3.5, 116/63, 382/103, 382/106
• US Class Current: 340/944
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/547 for issuing requests to other traffic participants; for confirming to other traffic participants they can proceed, e.g. they can overtake
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A vehicle support information system mounted in a vehicle, the vehicle support system including: a man-detecting unit; a vehicle-position detecting unit; a communication unit; a man-position/waiting-score calculating unit; a stopping-vehicle determining unit determining whether or not the vehicle should be stopped, based on a man position and a waiting score of an at least one potential-crossing-man; a travelling controller for stopping the vehicle when the stopping-vehicle determining unit determines that the vehicle should be stopped; and a man-crossing-signal display unit displaying information to inform the at least one potential-crossing-man whether or not the at least one potential-crossing-man can safely cross the road, based on an instruction of the stopping-vehicle determining unit, wherein the man-position/waiting-score calculating unit outputs the man-position/waiting-score to the communication unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle support information system mounted in a vehicle, the vehicle support system comprising:

a man-detecting unit detecting a man in a travelling direction of the vehicle;

a vehicle-position detecting unit detecting a position of the vehicle;

a communication unit;

a man-position/waiting-score calculating unit determining the man detected by the man-detecting unit to be at least one potential-crossing-man who may cross the road, calculating an absolute position of the at least one potential-crossing-man as a man position using relative position information regarding the at least one potential-crossing-man relative to the vehicle and position information regarding the vehicle obtained by the vehicle-position detecting unit, measuring waiting time of the at least one potential-crossing-man to cross the road, calculating a waiting score, which is an index of waiting time for the at least one potential-crossing-man, and storing the calculated result in a man-position/waiting-score storing unit;

a stopping-vehicle determining unit determining whether or not the vehicle should be stopped, based on the man position and the waiting score of the at least one potential-crossing-man;

a travelling controller for stopping the vehicle when the stopping-vehicle determining unit determines that the vehicle should be stopped; and

a man-crossing-signal display unit displaying information to inform the at least one potential-crossing-man whether or not the at least one potential-crossing-man can safely cross the road, based on an instruction of the stopping-vehicle determining unit,

wherein

the man-position/waiting-score calculating unit outputs the man-position/waiting-score to the communication unit.

2. The vehicle support system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication unit informs another vehicle about the waiting score.

3. A method for supporting a man crossing a road using a vehicle information system including a man-detecting unit detecting the man in a travelling direction of a vehicle, a vehicle-position detecting unit detecting a position of the vehicle, a communication unit, a man-position/waiting-score calculating unit, a stopping-vehicle determining unit, a travelling controller, and a man-crossing-signal display unit, the method comprising:

with the man-position/waiting-score calculating unit, determining the man detected by the man-detecting unit to be at least one potential-crossing-man who may cross the road, calculating an absolute position of the at least one potential-crossing-man as a man position using relative position information regarding the at least one potential-crossing-man relative to the vehicle and position information regarding the vehicle obtained by the vehicle-position detecting unit, measuring waiting time of the at least one potential-crossing-man to cross the road, calculating a waiting score, which is an index of waiting time for the at least one potential-crossing-man, and storing the calculated result in a man-position/waiting-score storing unit;

with the stopping-vehicle determining unit, determining whether or not the vehicle should be stopped, based on the man position and the waiting score of the at least one potential-crossing-man, and when determining that the vehicle should be stopped, instructing the travelling controller to stop the vehicle and instructing the man-crossing-signal display unit to display information indicating that the at least one potential-crossing-man can safely cross the road; and

with the man-position/waiting-score calculating unit,

outputting the man-position/waiting-score to the communication unit.

4. The vehicle support system according to claim 3, wherein

the communication unit informs another vehicle about the waiting score.