Alerting predicted accidents between driverless cars

• US 9,598,078 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dov Moran, Menahem Lasser
• Original Assignee: Dov Moran, Menahem Lasser
• Inventors: Moran, Dov, Lasser, Menahem
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan k
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torchinsky, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/165,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20160347310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/085 Taking automatic action to adjust vehicle attitude in preparation for collision, e.g. braking for nose dropping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered

Abstract

This patent application discloses methods and systems for alerting computerized motor-vehicles about predicted accidents. In an example method, a motor vehicle alerts another motor vehicle about a predicted accident, even though that accident is between the alerting car and a third motor vehicle—for example, the alert is transmitted by non-visual electromagnetic (EM) radiation. When an adjacent motor vehicle receives such accident alert and determines it might itself be hit, it will react so as to minimize its chances of being hit or at least to minimize the damage if it is being hit.

Claims

1. A method for handling a computed prediction that a motor-vehicle accident involving first and second motor-vehicles will occur, the first and second motor-vehicles being arranged relative to each other and relative to a third motor-vehicle so that (i) the second motor-vehicle is behind the first motor-vehicle and (ii) the first motor-vehicle is behind the third motor-vehicle, the method comprising:

a. operating an onboard computer of a first motor-vehicle to (i) computationally predict that the motor-vehicle accident will occur where the first motor-vehicle is predicted to be hit from behind by the second motor-vehicle and (ii) computationally predict one or more parameters of the motor-vehicle accident that is predicted to occur;

b. in response to the predicting and computing, wirelessly transmitting, by non-visual electromagnetic (EM) radiation and from the first motor-vehicle, an accident alert comprising (i) the prediction that the motor-vehicle accident will occur and (ii) the one or more computationally predicted parameters of the motor-vehicle accident that is predicted to occur;

c. receiving the accident alert by the third motor-vehicle that is in front of the first motor-vehicle; and

d. in response to the receiving of the accident alert, performing, by an onboard computer of the third motor-vehicle at least one vehicle control action so as to attempt at least one of the following;

(i) avoiding being hit from behind by the first motor-vehicle; and

(ii) reducing damage inflicted upon the third motor-vehicle resulting from being hit from behind by the first motor-vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the accident alert comprises an indication that the first motor-vehicle might be hit from behind by the second motor-vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the accident alert comprises an indication that an accident may occur between the first and third motor-vehicles.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

i. at least one of the onboard computer of the first motor vehicle and the onboard computer of the third motor-vehicle predicts at least one parameter of a chain accident resulting from an accident scenario in which the second motor-vehicle hits the first motor-vehicle and the first motor-vehicle hits the third motor-vehicle; and

ii. the at least one vehicle control action is selected in accordance with at least one of the at least one parameter of the chain accident.