Proactive driver warning

• US 9,373,257 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Inventors: Bonhomme, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/500,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20160093210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/686.6, 340/568.1, 340/572.1, 340/540, 3405722-5729
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A system for warning a driver comprises an input interface and a warning determiner. The input interface is to receive a set of warnings, wherein a warning of the set of warnings is associated with a road segment and a set of conditions. The warning determiner is to determine that a current location matches the road segment associated with the warning and, in the event that it is determined to warn a driver based at least in part on the warning and the set of current conditions, to indicate to warn the driver.

Claims

1. A system for warning a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

an input interface to;

receive a set of warnings, wherein a warning of the set of warnings is associated with a road segment and a set of conditions and the warning is based on a common hazard, the common hazard being experienced by at least one other vehicle; and

a warning determiner to;

determine that a current location of the vehicle matches the road segment associated with the warning;

responsive to a determination that the current location of the vehicle matches the road segment associated with the warning, determine to warn the driver based on a match between;

(a) at least one condition of the set of conditions associated with the warning and (b) a condition of the current location of the vehicle; and

responsive to the determination to warn the driver, indicate to warn the driver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of warnings are determined from driving events from a plurality of event recorders.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one warning of the set of warnings is determined based at least in part on a number of events of a type being greater than a threshold number of the type.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one warning of the set of warnings is determined based at least in part on a number of events associated with the road segment being greater than a road segment threshold.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one warning of the set of warning is determined based at least in part on a number of events of a correlated set of types being greater than a correlated threshold for the set of types.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the common hazard is determined based on a plurality of event types corresponding to a location of the common hazard and the determination to warn the driver is based on the common hazard.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a driving event of the driving events is determined based on sensor data received at an event recorder of the plurality of event recorders.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensor data comprises data from one or more of the following:

a camera, a video recorder, an audio recorder, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a vehicle state sensor, a GPS, an outdoor temperature sensor, a moisture sensor, and a laser line tracker sensor.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the vehicle state sensor comprises one of the following:

a speedometer, an accelerator pedal sensor, a brake pedal sensor, an engine revolutions per minute (RPM) sensor, an engine temperature sensor, a headlight sensor, an airbag deployment sensor, driver and passenger seat weight sensors, an anti-locking brake sensor, an engine exhaust sensor, a gear position sensor, or a cabin equipment operation sensor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a condition of the set of conditions comprises one of the following:

a vehicle type, a driver identifier, a driver type, a time of day, a location, a weather condition, or a traffic condition.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the current location is determined using a GPS sensor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the current location matches the road segment in the event that the current location is less than a threshold distance away from the road segment.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein an indication to warn the driver comprises an indication to warn the driver using one or more of the following:

a graphical warning, an audible warning, a light warning, or a tactile warning.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein an indication to warn the driver comprises an indication to warn the driver using a vehicle event recorder.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein an indication to warn the driver comprises an indication to warn the driver using a mobile device.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein an indication to warn the driver comprises an indication to warn the driver using a device associated with the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the warning determiner further determines whether at least one previous fatal incident occurred at the current location of the vehicle; and

the indication to warn the driver is based on a determination that at least one previous fatal incident occurred at the current location of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the determination to warn the driver is based on a match between a type of the vehicle and a type of the at least one other vehicle.

19. A method for warning a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

receiving a set of warnings, wherein a warning of the set of warnings is associated with a road segment and a set of conditions and the warning is based on a common hazard, the common hazard being experienced by at least one other vehicle;

determining, using a processor, that a current location of the vehicle matches the road segment associated with the warning;

responsive to a determination that the current location of the vehicle matches the road segment associated with the warning, determining, using the processor, to warn the driver based on a match between;

(a) at least one condition of the set of conditions associated with the warning and (b) a condition of the current location of the vehicle; and

responsive to the determination to warn the driver, indicating to warn the driver.

20. A computer program product for warning a driver, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a set of warnings, wherein a warning of the set of warnings is associated with a road segment and a set of conditions and the warning is based on a common hazard, the common hazard being experienced by at least one other vehicle;

determining, using a processor, that a current location of the vehicle matches the road segment associated with the warning;

responsive to a determination that the current location of the vehicle matches the road segment associated with the warning, determining, using the processor, to warn the driver based on a match between;

(a) at least one condition of the set of conditions associated with the warning and (b) a condition of the current location of the vehicle; and

responsive to the determination to warn the driver, indicating to warn the driver.