Rapid approach detector

• US 9,153,144 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Martin, Douglas Raymond, Miller, Kenneth James
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam
• Application Number:
  US13/959,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20150037762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles

Abstract

A computer in a vehicle is configured to receive one or more data collector inputs, detect an object proximate to the vehicle based on the one or more inputs, determine a closure speed between the object and the vehicle, determine a change in speed of the object, compute an accountability factor; and determine whether to identify a potential incident based at least in part on the accountability factor and an incident value. The incident value is a function of at least one of the closure speed and a distance between the vehicle and the object. The accountability factor is based at least in part on the closure speed and the change in speed of the object.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computer in a vehicle, the computer comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the computer is configured to:

receive one or more data collector inputs;

detect an object proximate to the vehicle based on the one or more data collector inputs;

determine a closure speed between the object and the vehicle;

determine a change in speed of the object;

compute an accountability factor based at least in part on the closure speed and the change in speed of the object; and

determine whether to identify a potential incident based at least in part on the accountability factor and an incident value that is a function of at least one of the closure speed and a distance between the vehicle and the object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to compute a driver score based on the accountability factor and a value assigned to the potential incident.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer is further configured to transmit the driver score to a remote server.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer is further configured to display a message based on the driver score.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the accountability factor is the product of two or more accountability sub-factors.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one accountability sub-factor is a function of a reverse speed of the object.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one accountability sub-factor is a function of a deceleration rate of the object.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine a speed of the object and a distance of the object based on the one or more data collector inputs; and

use the speed of the object and the distance of the object in determining the closure speed.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the incident value depends on both of the distance between the vehicle and the object and the closure speed.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more data collector inputs;

detecting an object proximate to the vehicle based on the one or more data collector inputs;

determining a closure speed between the object and the vehicle;

determining a change in speed of the object;

computing an accountability factor based at least in part on the closure speed and the change in speed of the object; and

determining whether to identify a potential incident based at least in part on the accountability factor and an incident value that is a function of at least one of the closure speed and a distance between the vehicle and the object.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising computing a driver score based on the accountability factor and a value assigned to the potential incident.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the computer is further configured to transmit the driver score to a remote server.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the computer is further configured to display a message based on the driver score.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the accountability factor is the product of two or more accountability sub-factors.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one accountability sub-factor is a function of a reverse speed of the object.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one accountability sub-factor is a function of a deceleration rate of the object.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine a speed of the object and a distance of the object based on the one or more data collector inputs; and

use the speed of the object and the distance of the object in determining the closure speed.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the incident value depends on both of the distance between the vehicle and the object and the closure speed.

19. A system, comprising a computer comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the computer is configured to:

receive, via network, from a remote in-vehicle computer, a driver score based on an accountability factor and a value assigned to a potential incident;

send the driver score to a third computer via the network;

receive, from the third computer, information based on the driver score; and

send transmit, via the network, a message to the in-vehicle computer based on the information based on the driver score;

wherein;

the accountability factor is based at least in part on a closure speed between the vehicle and an object and a change in speed of the object; and

the value assigned to the potential incident based at least in part on the accountability factor and an incident value that is a function of at least one of the closure speed and a distance between the vehicle and the object.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the wherein the accountability factor is the product of two or more accountability sub-factors.