Vehicular warnings based upon pedestrian or cyclist presence

• US 10,106,083 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Fields, Brian Mark, Cielocha, Steven C., Alt, Jacob J., Uphoff, Laura Anne, Chan, Leo Nelson, Wazeer, Mohamed A., Gaudin, Kristopher Keith, Davis, Justin, Baumann, Nathan W., Roll, Giles
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Leon
• Application Number:
  US15/808,974
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/214 Generating training patterns; Bootstrap methods, e.g. bagging or boosting
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• 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 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0137 for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 : where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 : where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 : event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 : involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/14 : Traffic procedures, e.g. traffic regulations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/052 : characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 : Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 : Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 : for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 : for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for providing alerts. In various aspects, sensor data is received at one or more sensors associated with a vehicle, where the sensor data defines an electronic vehicle environment that indicates an electronic location of the vehicle. An electronic pedestrian or cyclist location is identified within the electronic vehicle environment, which is determined by a mobile device associated with a pedestrian or cyclist. Where a determination is made that the pedestrian or cyclist meets predetermined alert criteria based upon the electronic vehicle location and the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location, an alert is generated that indicates the presence of the pedestrian or cyclist within the vicinity of the vehicle. The alert is presented on a display screen.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing alerts, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a vehicle, the sensor data defining an electronic vehicle environment, the electronic vehicle environment indicating a vehicle location of the vehicle within the electronic vehicle environment;

identifying within the electronic vehicle environment, by one or more processors, an electronic pedestrian or cyclist location associated with a pedestrian or cyclist, the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location determined by a mobile device associated with the pedestrian or cyclist;

determining, by one or more processors, that the pedestrian or cyclist meets predetermined alert criteria based upon the electronic vehicle location and the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location;

generating, by one or more processors, an alert indicating a presence of the pedestrian or cyclist within the vicinity of the vehicle; and

presenting the alert on a display screen.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location within the electronic vehicle environment is further based upon wireless communication between the vehicle and the mobile device associated with the pedestrian or cyclist.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the electronic pedestrian or cyclist within the electronic vehicle environment is further based upon global positioning system (GPS) data received via a communication network from GPS-enabled devices associated with the one or more pedestrians or cyclists.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the electronic pedestrian or cyclist within the electronic vehicle environment includes determining that the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location is within a threshold distance of the electronic vehicle location within the electronic vehicle environment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, a projected path for the identified pedestrian or cyclist based upon the sensor data, and

wherein determining that the pedestrian or cyclist meets the predetermined alert criteria includes determining that the projected path of the identified pedestrian or cyclist will pass within an alert threshold distance of the vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the alert threshold distance depends upon a speed at which the vehicle is traveling.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the determining that the pedestrian or cyclist meets the predetermined alert criteria includes determining that the pedestrian or cyclist will be within a roadway when the projected path of the pedestrian or cyclist will pass within the alert threshold distance of the vehicle.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the pedestrian or cyclist meets the predetermined alert criteria includes determining that the pedestrian or cyclist will pass the vehicle at a speed exceeding a speed threshold.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the alert indicates a direction of the pedestrian or cyclist relative to the vehicle.

10. A computer system for providing alerts, the computer system including one or more processors configured to:

receive, by the one or more processors, sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a vehicle, the sensor data defining an electronic vehicle environment, the electronic vehicle environment indicating a vehicle location of the vehicle within the electronic vehicle environment;

identify within the electronic vehicle environment, by the one or more processors, an electronic pedestrian or cyclist location associated with a pedestrian or cyclist, the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location determined by a mobile device associated with the pedestrian or cyclist;

determine, by the one or more processors, that the pedestrian or cyclist meets predetermined alert criteria based upon the electronic vehicle location and the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location;

determine, by the one or more processors, an alert indicating a presence of the pedestrian or cyclist within the vicinity of the vehicle; and

transmit, via the one or more processors, the alert, wherein the alert is presented on a display screen.

11. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising a wireless communication transceiver, wherein the identification of the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location within the electronic vehicle environment is further based upon wireless communication received at the wireless communication transceiver from the mobile device associated with the pedestrian or cyclist.

12. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising a wireless communication transceiver, wherein the identification of the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location within the electronic vehicle environment is further based upon global positioning system (GPS) data received at the wireless communication transceiver via a communication network from a GPS-enabled device associated with the pedestrian or cyclist.

13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the instructions that cause the computer system to identify the electronic pedestrians or cyclist location within the electronic vehicle environment include instructions that cause the computer system to determine that the pedestrian or cyclist is within a threshold distance of the vehicle.

14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein:

the program memory further stores instructions that cause the computer system to determine a projected path for the identified pedestrian or cyclist based upon the sensor data, and

wherein the instructions that cause the computer system to determine that the pedestrian or cyclist meets the predetermined alert criteria further include instructions that cause the computer system to determine that the projected path of the pedestrian or cyclist will pass within an alert threshold distance of the vehicle and within a roadway on which the vehicle is operating.

15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the alert indicates a direction of the pedestrian or cyclist relative to the vehicle.

16. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for providing alerts, that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

receive, by the one or more processors, sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a vehicle, the sensor data defining an electronic vehicle environment, the electronic vehicle environment indicating a vehicle location of the vehicle within the electronic vehicle environment;

identify within the electronic vehicle environment, by the one or more processors, an electronic pedestrian or cyclist location associated with a pedestrian or cyclist, the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location determined by a mobile device associated with the pedestrian or cyclist;

determine, by the one or more processors, that the pedestrian or cyclist meets predetermined alert criteria based upon the electronic vehicle location and the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location;

determine, by the one or more processors, an alert indicating a presence of the pedestrian or cyclist within the vicinity of the vehicle; and

transmit, via the one or more processors, the alert, wherein the alert is presented on a display screen.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the identification of the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location within the electronic vehicle environment is further based upon wireless communication between the vehicle and the mobile device associated with the pedestrian or cyclist.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the identification of the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location within the electronic vehicle environment is further based upon global positioning system (GPS) data received via a communication network from a GPS-enabled device associated with the pedestrian or cyclist.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the identification of the electronic pedestrian or cyclist location within the electronic vehicle environment includes determining that the pedestrian or cyclist is within a threshold distance of the vehicle.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the alert indicates a direction of the pedestrian or cyclist relative to the vehicle.