Wrong way vehicle detection and control system

• US 10,351,131 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Central Florida Expressway Authority, University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc. (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc. (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Al-Deek, Haitham, Quinn, Corey
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney A
• Application Number:
  US15/677,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20180050693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/207 Steering angle of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/075 Ramp control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 : event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A wrong way vehicle countermeasure system may include at least one movement sensor positioned along a roadway and a wireless communications device. The system may further include a controller configured to cooperate with the at least one movement sensor to detect a wrong way vehicle on the roadway, and responsive to the detection of the wrong way vehicle on the roadway by the movement sensor, wirelessly send a countermeasure command to the wrong way vehicle via the wireless communications device to cause the wrong way vehicle to perform at least one wrong way driving countermeasure.

Claims

1. A wrong way vehicle countermeasure system comprising:

a first movement sensor positioned along an off ramp of a mainline roadway to detect movement of a wrong way vehicle along the off ramp;

a second movement sensor positioned along the mainline roadway before the off ramp;

a wireless communications device; and

a controller configured to

cooperate with the first and second movement sensors to detect a wrong way vehicle on the off ramp and about to enter the roadway, and

responsive to the detection of the wrong way vehicle on the off ramp and about to enter the roadway, wirelessly send a countermeasure command to the wrong way vehicle via the wireless communications device to control the wrong way vehicle to perform at least one wrong way driving countermeasure before entering the roadway.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wrong way vehicle comprises a Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), and wherein the countermeasure command comprises an LKAS command to steer the wrong way vehicle to the side of the roadway.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the wrong way vehicle comprises a braking system, and wherein the countermeasure command comprises a force stop command to control the wrong way vehicle to actuate the braking system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle comprises a Heads-Up Display (HUD), and wherein the countermeasure command comprises a display warning command to control the HUD to display a wrong way driving warning message.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein

the controller is further configured to wirelessly send a countermeasure command to a right way vehicle approaching the off ramp along the mainline roadway and to cause the right way vehicle to also perform at least one wrong way driving countermeasure.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wrong way indication sign facing away from a direction of oncoming traffic on the roadway, with the first movement sensor being adjacent the wrong way indication sign; and

at least one beacon adjacent the wrong way indication sign;

wherein the controller is configured to cause the at least one beacon to flash responsive to the detection of the wrong way vehicle by the first movement sensor.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one beacon comprises an upper pair of flashing beacons above the wrong way indication sign, and a lower pair of flashing beacons positioned below the wrong way indication sign.

8. A wrong way vehicle countermeasure method for use with a first movement sensor positioned along an off ramp of a mainline roadway to detect movement of the wrong way vehicle along the off ramp, a second movement sensor positioned along the mainline roadway before the off ramp, and a wireless communications device, the method comprising:

cooperating with the first and second movement sensors to detect a wrong way vehicle on the off ramp and about to enter the roadway; and

responsive to the detection of the wrong way vehicle on the off ramp and about to enter the roadway, wirelessly sending a countermeasure command to the wrong way vehicle via the wireless communications device to control the wrong way vehicle to perform at least one wrong way driving countermeasure before entering the roadway.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the wrong way vehicle comprises a Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), and wherein the countermeasure command comprises an LKAS command to steer the wrong way vehicle to the side of the roadway.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the wrong way vehicle comprises a braking system, and wherein the countermeasure command comprises a force stop command to control the wrong way vehicle to actuate the braking system.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the vehicle comprises a Heads-Up Display (HUD), and wherein the countermeasure command comprises a display warning command to control the HUD to display a wrong way driving warning message.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

wirelessly sending a countermeasure command to a right way vehicle approaching the off ramp via the wireless communications device to cause the right way vehicle to also perform at least one wrong way driving countermeasure.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the first movement sensor is adjacent a wrong way indication sign facing away from a direction of oncoming traffic on the roadway with at least one beacon adjacent the wrong way indication sign;

and further comprising causing the at least one beacon to flash responsive to the detection of the wrong way driver by the first movement sensor.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for a computer for use with a first movement sensor positioned along an off ramp of a mainline roadway to detect movement of the wrong way vehicle along the off ramp, a second movement sensor positioned along the mainline roadway before the off ramp, and a wireless communications device, the non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing the computer to perform steps comprising:

cooperating with the first and second movement sensors to detect a wrong way vehicle on the off ramp and about to enter the roadway; and

responsive to the detection of the wrong way vehicle on the off ramp and about to enter the roadway, wirelessly sending a countermeasure command to the wrong way vehicle via the wireless communications device to control the wrong way vehicle to perform at least one wrong way driving countermeasure before entering the roadway.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the wrong way vehicle comprises a Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), and wherein the countermeasure command comprises an LKAS command to steer the wrong way vehicle to the side of the roadway.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the wrong way vehicle comprises a braking system, and wherein the countermeasure command comprises a force stop command to control the wrong way vehicle to actuate the braking system.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the vehicle comprises a Heads-Up Display (HUD), and wherein the countermeasure command comprises a display warning command to control the HUD to display a wrong way driving warning message.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 further having computer-executable instructions for causing the computer to

wirelessly send a countermeasure command to a right way vehicle approaching the off ramp to cause the right way vehicle to also perform at least one wrong way driving countermeasure.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the first movement sensor is adjacent to a wrong way indication sign facing away from a direction of oncoming traffic on the roadway with at least one beacon adjacent the wrong way indication sign;

and further having computer-executable instructions for causing the computer to cause the at least one beacon to flash responsive to the detection of the wrong way driver by the first movement sensor.