Vehicle alert system utilizing communication system

• US 9,688,199 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koravadi, Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Leon-Viet
• Application Number:
  US14/636,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20150251599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/34 Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians B60R19/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/308 by overlaying the real scene, e.g. through a head-up display on the windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8033 for pedestrian protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/767 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/45 Control modes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/54 Obstruction or resistance detection
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 : responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An alert system for a vehicle is provided for alerting an occupant of the vehicle that a pedestrian or bicyclist is approaching the vehicle and may collide with a vehicle door if the door is opened. The alert system includes a mobile communication device carried by a pedestrian or bicyclist and operable to communicate information regarding location and motion of the mobile communication device. A receiver is at the vehicle and receives a communication from the mobile communication device. A processor processes information communicated in the communication. The processor, responsive to processing communicated information, determines whether or not the location and motion of the mobile communication device relative to the vehicle is indicative of a hazardous condition. The alert system, responsive to the processor determining that there is a potential hazardous condition, generates an alert to the occupant of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An alert system for a vehicle for alerting an occupant of the vehicle that a pedestrian or bicyclist is approaching the vehicle and may collide with a vehicle door if the door is opened, said alert system comprising:

a communication device carried by a pedestrian or bicyclist and operable to communicate information regarding location and motion of said communication device;

a receiver at the vehicle that receives a communication from said communication device;

a processor that processes information communicated in the communication;

wherein said processor, responsive to processing communicated information, determines whether or not the location and motion of said communication device relative to the vehicle is indicative of a hazardous condition;

wherein said alert system, responsive to said processor determining that there is a potential hazardous condition, generates an alert to the occupant of the vehicle;

wherein said alert system is responsive to a door lock status of the vehicle door, and wherein said alert system, responsive to the door lock status being indicative of the vehicle door being locked, does not generate an alert irrespective of determination of a potential hazardous condition; and

a side sensing device disposed at a side of the vehicle and operable to capture data, wherein data captured by said side sensing device is processed to determine a presence or approach of a pedestrian or bicyclist at the side of the vehicle and rearward of the vehicle, and wherein data captured by said side sensing device is combined with information communicated in the communication received from said communication device, and wherein the combined data and information are processed to provide enhanced confidence of determination of a potential hazardous condition, and wherein said side sensing device comprises one of a side camera capturing image data and a side radar sensor capturing radar data.

2. The alert system of claim 1, wherein said communication device comprises a mobile device carried by the pedestrian or bicyclist.

3. The alert system of claim 2, wherein said mobile device comprise a smart phone.

4. The alert system of claim 1, wherein said alert system is operable to inhibit opening of a vehicle door responsive to a determination of a hazardous condition.

5. The alert system of claim 1, wherein said side sensing device comprises a side radar sensor that captures radar data and wherein captured radar data is combined with information communicated by said communication device to provide enhanced confidence of determination of a potential hazardous condition.

6. The alert system of claim 5, wherein said side sensing device comprises a side camera that captures image data and wherein captured image data is combined with information communicated by said communication device to provide enhanced confidence of determination of a potential hazardous condition.

7. The alert system of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a mobile dedicated short range communication device and wherein said receiver comprises a receiver for a vehicle-based dedicated short range communication device.

8. The alert system of claim 1, wherein said communication device comprises a mobile processor operable to determine the geographical location of said communication device and motion of said communication device.

9. The alert system of claim 8, wherein said mobile processor of said communication device, responsive to determining the geographical location and motion of said communication device, controls a dedicated short range communication device associated with said communication device to communicate information to said receiver at the vehicle.

10. The alert system of claim 1, wherein said communication device receives information communicated by a home monitoring device and wherein the information communicated by said home monitoring device comprises information pertaining to a geographical location of a second communication device at or near said home monitoring device that communicates geographical location information to said home monitoring device.

11. An alert system for a vehicle for alerting an occupant of the vehicle that a pedestrian or bicyclist is approaching the vehicle and may collide with a vehicle door if the door is opened, said alert system comprising:

a mobile communication device carried by a pedestrian or bicyclist and operable to communicate information regarding location and motion of said mobile communication device, wherein said mobile communication device comprises a mobile dedicated short range communication radio;

wherein said mobile communication device comprises a mobile processor operable to determine the geographical location of said mobile communication device and motion of said mobile communication device;

a receiver at the vehicle that receives a communication from said mobile communication device, wherein said receiver comprises a receiver of a vehicle-based dedicated short range communication radio;

a processor that processes information communicated in the communication;

wherein said processor, responsive to processing communicated information, determines whether or not the location and motion of said mobile communication device relative to the vehicle is indicative of a hazardous condition;

wherein said alert system, responsive to said processor determining that there is a potential hazardous condition, generates an alert to the occupant of the vehicle;

wherein said alert system is responsive to a door lock status of the vehicle door, and wherein said alert system, responsive to the door lock status being indicative of the vehicle door being locked, does not generate an alert irrespective of determination of a potential hazardous condition; and

a camera disposed at the vehicle and having a field of view sideward and/or rearward of the vehicle so as to encompass a side region of the vehicle, wherein image data captured by said camera is processed to determine a presence or approach of a pedestrian or bicyclist at the side and rearward region, and wherein said alert is generated at least in part responsive to said processing of captured image data determining that there is a potential hazardous condition, and wherein captured image data is combined with information communicated by said mobile communication device to enhance determination of a potential hazardous condition.

12. The alert system of claim 11, wherein said mobile communication device comprises a smart phone and wherein said mobile dedicates short range communication radio is integrated in said smart phone.

13. The alert system of claim 11, wherein said alert system is operable to inhibit opening of a vehicle door responsive to a determination of a hazardous condition above a threshold level.

14. The alert system of claim 11, wherein said mobile communication device receives information communicated by a home monitoring device and wherein the information communicated by said home monitoring device comprises information pertaining to a geographical location of a second communication device at or near said home monitoring device that communicates geographical location information to said home monitoring device.

15. An alert system for a vehicle for alerting an occupant of the vehicle that a pedestrian or bicyclist is approaching the vehicle and may collide with a vehicle door if the door is opened, said alert system comprising:

a mobile device carried by a pedestrian or bicyclist and operable to communicate information regarding location and motion of said mobile device;

wherein said mobile device comprises a mobile processor operable to determine the geographical location of said mobile device and motion of said mobile device;

wherein said mobile device comprises a mobile dedicated short range communication device;

a receiver at the vehicle that receives a communication from said mobile device, wherein said receiver comprises a receiver for a vehicle-based dedicated short range communication device;

a side sensing device disposed at a side of the vehicle and having a field of sensing sideward and/or rearward of the vehicle so as to encompass a side region of the vehicle;

a processor that processes information communicated in the communication and data captured by said side sensing device;

wherein data captured by said side sensing device is processed to determine a presence or approach of a pedestrian or bicyclist at the side of the vehicle and rearward of the vehicle;

wherein said processor, responsive to processing communicated information, determines whether or not the location and motion of said mobile device relative to the vehicle is indicative of a hazardous condition;

wherein said processor, responsive to processing captured data, provides enhanced confidence of the determination of a potential hazardous condition;

wherein said alert system, responsive to said processor determining, via processing communicated information and captured data, that there is a potential hazardous condition, generates an alert to the occupant of the vehicle;

wherein said alert system is responsive to a door lock status of the vehicle door, and wherein said alert system, responsive to the door lock status being indicative of the vehicle door being locked, does not generate an alert irrespective of determination of a potential hazardous condition; and

wherein captured data is combined with information communicated by said mobile device to enhance determination of a potential hazardous condition.

16. The alert system of claim 15, wherein said alert system is operable to inhibit opening of a vehicle door responsive to a determination of a hazardous condition.

17. The alert system of claim 15, wherein said mobile device receives information communicated by said home monitoring device and wherein the information communicated by said home monitoring device comprises information pertaining to a geographical location of a second mobile dedicated short range communication device at or near said home monitoring device that communicates geographical location information of the second mobile dedicated short range communication device to said home monitoring device.