Safe distance determination

• US 9,454,905 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Inventors: Abuelsaad, Tamer E., Moore, John Elbert Jr., Singi, Rajeshkumar N., Wentworth, Robert Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, MAJDI A
• Application Number:
  US13/873,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 701/96, 701466-473, 701300-302, 340/438, 340/467, 340902-904, 356 312- 316, 246/167.D
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/535 to prevent rear-end collisions, e.g. by indicating safety distance at the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/30 Lamps commanded by wireless transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A method includes, a first computer determining a stopping distance information for a first vehicle; broadcasting the stopping distance information for the first vehicle to at least one other vehicle; a second computer, in the at least one other vehicle, receiving the stopping distance information for the first vehicle determines a first distance between the at least one other vehicle and the first vehicle; and the second computer determining a proper distance for the at least one other vehicle based on the received stopping distance information of the first vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing real time sensor data and historical data into a first computer residing in a first vehicle;

said first computer calculating a first vehicle stopping distance of said first vehicle using at least one of said real time sensor data and historical data;

a second computer in a second vehicle calculating a second vehicle stopping distance of said second vehicle using at least one of said real time sensor data and historical data;

broadcasting the first vehicle stopping distance to the second vehicle, and said second vehicle stopping distance to said first vehicle;

at least one of said first computer in said first vehicle or said second computer in the second vehicle calculating a safe stopping distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on said first and second vehicle stopping distances;

determining if a distance residing between said first and second vehicles is not within the safe stopping distance, and if so, sending a warning to a driver of said first or second vehicles indicating a non-safe stopping distance residing between the first and second vehicles.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined safe stopping distance is displayed within at least one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined safe stopping distance is broadcasted to at least one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, further including a plurality of other vehicles each with a computing device, each of said computing devices calculating a vehicle stopping distance for its respective vehicle using said real time sensor data and/or historical data, whereby all vehicle stopping distances of said vehicles are broadcast amongst each other, and calculating safe stopping distances between two or more of said vehicles for sending warnings to drivers of said vehicles if any of said vehicles is within the non-safe stopping distance of another of said vehicles.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is in front of the second vehicle, said warning notifying said second vehicle it is following too close in distance to said first vehicle and will not be able to stop in time to prevent collision based on said first and second stopping distances of said first and second vehicles.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said warning comprises a visual alert to said driver of said first or second vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said warning comprises an audio to said driver of said first or second vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said warning comprises an alert to another driver of a third vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the real time sensor data includes tracking force of pedal depression vs deceleration rates.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the real time sensor data and historical data comprises road condition data.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the real time sensor data and historical data comprises weather condition data.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the real time sensor data and historical data comprises vehicle load or mechanical condition data.

13. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable, tangible non-transitory storage devices;

a first computing module in a first vehicle operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, configured to calculate a first vehicle stopping distance of the first vehicle using at least one of real time sensor data and historical data;

a second computing module in a second vehicle operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, configured to calculate a second vehicle stopping distance of a second vehicle using at least one of said real time sensor data and historical data;

the first and second computing modules coupled to at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, configured to broadcast the first vehicle stopping distance to the second vehicle, and the second vehicle stopping distance to the first vehicle;

the first and second computing modules configured to calculate a safe stopping distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on said first and second vehicle stopping distances, and operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, and configured to determine if a distance residing between said first and second vehicles is not within the safe stopping distance, and if so, configured to send a warning to a driver of said first or second vehicles indicating a non-safe stopping distance residing between the first and second vehicles.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the determined safe stopping distance is displayed within at least one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the determined safe stopping distance is broadcasted to at least one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle.

16. A computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable, tangible non-transitory storage medium;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage medium, to calculate a first vehicle stopping distance of a first vehicle using at least one of real time sensor data and historical data;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage medium, to calculate a second vehicle stopping distance of a second vehicle using at least one of said real time sensor data and historical data;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage medium, to broadcast the first vehicle stopping distance to the second vehicle, and the second vehicle stopping distance to the first vehicle;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage medium, to calculate a safe stopping distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on said first and second vehicle stopping distances; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage medium, to determine if a distance residing between said first and second vehicles is not within the safe stopping distance, and if so, send a warning to a driver of said first or second vehicles indicating a non-safe stopping distance residing between the first and second vehicles.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the determined safe stopping distance is broadcasted to at least one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the program instructions determines the safe-stopping distance by tracking force of pedal depression vs deceleration rates.