Driver alert system

• US 10,107,630 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuriel Hatav
• Original Assignee: Nuriel Hatav
• Inventors: Hatav, Nuriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/498,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,395 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• 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 1/16 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 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A driver alert system is carried by a motor vehicle and alerts a driver that he has committed or is about to commit a driving or parking violation, or that the driving conditions are liable to result in damage to a motor vehicle or person.

Claims

1. A dynamic driver alert system for alerting a driver when a vehicle controlled by the driver is about to pass an intersection that has a traffic light that is about to turn red, the driver alert system consisting of:

a) a receiver for a global position system (GPS), said GPS system being adapted to determine an instantaneous real-time location of a motor vehicle;

b) a remote server comprising;

a database configured to store map data, traffic regulation data, topographical data, meteorological data and position data related to the location of traffic lights, roads and road signs within a predetermined geographical area;

a processing device configured to determine an instantaneous color of one of the traffic lights in a vicinity of the instantaneous real-time location of the motor vehicle and a rate at which the color of one of the traffic light changes,

the processing device further configured to compare said instantaneous state of said vehicle with said stored map data, traffic regulation data, topographical data, meteorological data, position data, traffic conditions received from the database and the instantaneous color and color changing rate of a traffic light associated with said received location data to determine whether said instantaneous real-time location of said motor vehicle and its immediately following location will result in passing an intersection that has a traffic light that is about to turn red, such that if the processing device determines if the vehicle is about to pass an intersection that has a traffic light that is about to turn red, the processing device generates an alert signal;

a transceiver configured to receive the instantaneous real-time location from the GPS receiver for each of a plurality of motor vehicles to transmit an alert signal to the plurality of motor vehicles; and

the processing device is configured to receive said location data of the motor vehicles from said transceiver;

c) a transceiver carried by said vehicle and in communication with said GPS receiver, for transmitting said location data to said server and for receiving said alert signal generated by said processing device; and

d) an alert generator carried by said vehicle in communication with said vehicle transceiver, for outputting an alert to the driver of said vehicle in response to receiving said alert signal, wherein the alert generator warns the driver of said vehicle when said vehicle will not be able to pass an intersection that has a traffic light that is about to turn red based upon said stored map data, traffic regulation data, topographical data, meteorological data, position data, traffic conditions received from the database and the instantaneous color and color changing rate of a traffic light associated with said received location data.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising vehicle carried computer and display, said computer in communication with said GPS receiver and said display in communication with said computer, wherein the server is adapted to transmit map data associated with the location data of the vehicle to said computer and said display is adapted to display the instantaneous location of the motor vehicle being superimposed on said map data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer further comprises one or more sensors in communication therewith, data acquired by said one or more sensors being transmitted to the processing device of the server for assisting in determining an instantaneous state of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensors are selected from the group of accelerometer, gyroscope, velocity sensor, and speedometer of the driven vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instantaneous state is determined by determining the change in location of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device configured to determine the instantaneous color and color changing rate of a traffic light comprises a traffic light database of a transportation authority transmittable via a suitable data network to the remote server.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer configured to input a driver profile prior to the commencement of a driving operation.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a sensitivity of the alert signal is adjustable, based on the input driver profile.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the display is the windshield of the vehicle on which an image generator transmits an image corresponding to the instantaneous location of a motor vehicle being superimposed on suitable map data.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each alert signal is stored in permanent memory and is retrievable by an inspector at a future time.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising communication apparatus for transmitting an alert signal to an external authority.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the alert signal transmitted to an external authority is selected from the group of a telephone call, a short message service (SMS) message, a wireless transmission, an e-mail message, or textual information transmitted via the Internet.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the database is further stored with topographical data of the roads located within the predetermined geographical area, an alert being outputted to the driver when the computer determines, due to the instantaneous state of the vehicle with respect to local topographical data, a risk of impending damage to the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the database is further stored with meteorological data of the predetermined geographical area, an alert being outputted to the driver when the computer determines, due to the instantaneous state of the vehicle with respect to local meteorological data, a risk of impending damage to the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the database of the predetermined geographical area is transmittable from a main database of a transportation authority.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the database is downloadable from the main database of a transportation authority.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the driver profile includes at least one of driver age, gender and years of driving experience.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein if the driver is inexperienced, a sensitivity of the alert signal is longer than that of an experienced driver.

19. A transportation authority monitoring system consisting of:

a) a transmitter mounted on each vehicle located within a predetermined geographical area, each transmitter being in communication with a GPS receiver and adapted to transmit data sensed by said GPS receiver;

b) a regional transceiver positioned within said predetermined geographical area for receiving the data transmitted by each of said transmitters and for transmitting said received data to a monitoring center transceiver;

c) a server comprising;

a database in which are stored map data, traffic regulation data, and position data related to the location of substantially all traffic lights and road signs within said predetermined geographical area;

a processing device configured to determine an instantaneous color of a traffic light in a vicinity of said determined instantaneous real-time location of the motor vehicle and a rate at which the color of the traffic light changes;

a transceiver configured to receive the instantaneous real-time location of each of a plurality of motor vehicles from said regional transceiver; and

a processing device suitable for receiving said location data of a motor vehicle from said transceiver, for determining an instantaneous state of said vehicle, for receiving current traffic conditions from the database, for determining whether the driver of said corresponding vehicle is about to pass an intersection that has a traffic light that is about to turn red by comparing said state with said stored map data, traffic regulation data, position data, the traffic conditions received from the database and with the instantaneous color and color changing rate of a traffic light associated with said received location data, according to predetermined rules, and for generating an alert signal, when said processing device determines if the vehicle is about to pass an intersection that has a traffic light that is about to turn red;

d) a display of said predetermined geographical area on which is displayed the instantaneous state of each motor vehicle being superimposed on said stored map data; and

e) an alert configured to output an alert signal to the driver of the vehicle, when said processing device determines if the vehicle is about to pass an intersection that has a traffic light that is about to turn red based upon said stored map data, traffic regulation data, position data, traffic conditions received from the database and the instantaneous color and color changing rate of a traffic light associated with said received location data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring center transceiver transmits the alert signal to a local transportation representative, so that the driver of the vehicle for which the alert signal was transmitted will be issued a ticket or will be informed by said representative to drive in a more responsible fashion.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the outputted alert signal is an audible alert transmittable to a speaker.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the outputted alert signal is a visible alert displayable on the display.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the outputted alert signal is a selectively triggered alarm signal which is generated by a predetermined vehicular state and distance from a road sign.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein a vehicle mounted transmitter is also in communication with at least one motion sensor mounted on a corresponding vehicle and is also adapted and is also adapted to transmit data sensed by said at least one motion sensor which is associated with the corresponding vehicle.