Truck safety zone using a vehicle gateway

• US 10,315,557 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Terwilliger, Kevin, Tosh, Andrew, Wirtz, Jefferson Walter, Bryan, Rex
• Primary Examiner(s): Dsouza, Adolf
• Application Number:
  US15/884,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20180178712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/508 specific to vehicles driving in fleets or convoys
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2103/60 Projection of signs from lighting devices, e.g. symbols or information being projected onto the road
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]

Abstract

Electronic components may be integrated in objects used by the trucking industry, such as truck, tractor trailer, cargo, and loading bay. These objects may then communicate with each other and with a gateway device to transmit or receive data or commands. The gateway may be configured to attach to the truck, such as by securing to the truck frame or securing to an interior of the truck cab. The gateway may couple to one or more input devices, and receive sensor data through the one or more input devices. The gateway may execute steps that allow the gateway to determine safety margins for operating a vehicle and communicating that information to other nearby vehicles.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

at least one input device configured to couple to a device operating with a vehicle;

a projection device configured to attach to the vehicle; and

a gateway configured to attach to the vehicle and coupled to the at least one input device and the projection device, wherein the gateway is configured to perform steps comprising;

receiving vehicle information through the at least one input device;

determining a no-entry zone around at least a portion of the vehicle based, at least in part, on the vehicle information; and

controlling the projection device to project an image indicating the no-entry zone to nearby vehicles,

wherein the at least one input device further comprises a communications radio for communicating with a second gateway on a second vehicle, and wherein the gateway is further configured to perform steps comprising;

receiving second vehicle information from the second gateway,

wherein the determined no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on the received second vehicle information.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein a first of the at least one input devices is configured to couple to an engine computer, wherein the gateway is configured to receive the vehicle information at least in part from the engine computer, and wherein the gateway is configured to determine the no-entry zone based, at least in part, on a speed of the vehicle received from the engine computer.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein a second of the at least one input devices is configured to couple to a sensor, wherein the gateway is configured to receive second vehicle information from the sensor, and wherein the gateway is configured to determine the no-entry zone based, at least in part, on the second vehicle information.

4. The information handling system of claim 3, wherein the second of the at least one input devices is configured to couple to a camera, wherein the gateway is configured to receive second vehicle information comprising road conditions, and wherein the gateway is configured to determine the no-entry zone based, at least in part, on the vehicle speed and the road conditions.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the projected image is recognizable by a camera vision system of the nearby vehicles.

6. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein a second of the at least one input devices is configured to couple to a radar system configured to determine a distance between the vehicle and the nearby vehicle, and wherein the gateway is configured to receive second vehicle information comprising the distance, and wherein the gateway is configured to determine the no-entry zone based, at least in part, on the distance.

7. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the received second vehicle information indicates a vehicle platoon of the vehicle and the second vehicle, and wherein the determined no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on providing sufficient stopping distance for the vehicle platoon.

8. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the gateway is configured to transmit first vehicle information to the second gateway, wherein the first vehicle information comprises at least one of vehicle type, load, vehicle speed, and safe distance.

9. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device is integrated with the gateway.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a vehicle gateway, vehicle information through the at least one input device;

determining, by the vehicle gateway, a no-entry zone around at least a portion of the vehicle based, at least in part, on the vehicle information;

controlling, by the vehicle gateway, a projection device to project an image indicating the no-entry zone to nearby vehicles; and

receiving, by the vehicle gateway, second vehicle information from a second gateway,

wherein the determined no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on the received second vehicle information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the vehicle information at least in part from the engine computer, and wherein the step of determining the no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on a vehicle speed received from the engine computer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving second vehicle information from a sensor, and wherein the step of determining the no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on the second vehicle information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of receiving second vehicle information comprises receiving road conditions, and wherein the step of determining the no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on the vehicle speed and the road conditions.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the projected image is recognizable by a camera vision system of the nearby vehicles.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting, by the vehicle gateway, vehicle information to the second gateway, wherein the vehicle information comprises at least one of vehicle type, load, vehicle speed, and safe distance.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the received second vehicle information indicates a vehicle platoon of the vehicle and the second vehicle, and wherein the determined no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on providing sufficient stopping distance for the vehicle platoon.

17. A vehicle safety system, comprising:

at least one input device configured to attach to a vehicle; and

a processor coupled to the input device, wherein the processor is configured to perform steps comprising;

receiving nearby vehicle information for a nearby vehicle through one of the at least one input devices, wherein one input device of the at least one input device is configured to couple to a sensor to receive nearby vehicle information comprising position information indicating a relative position of the vehicle to the nearby vehicle;

receiving vehicle information for the vehicle through one of the at least one input devices, wherein one input device of the at least one input devices is configured to couple to an engine computer to receive the vehicle information;

determining a no-entry zone around a portion of the nearby vehicle based, at least in part, on the received nearby vehicle information and the received vehicle information; and

displaying an alert to a user based, at least in part, on the no-entry zone, the received position information, and the received vehicle information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein one of the at least one input devices comprises a camera, and the received position information comprises an image of a visual projection from the nearby vehicle.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein one of the at least one the input devices comprises a communications radio, and the received nearby vehicle information comprises a safe distance for the nearby vehicle.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein one of the at least one input devices comprises a communications radio, and the received nearby vehicle information comprises a vehicle type, a load, and a vehicle speed.