Vehicular collaboration for vehicular blind spot detection

• US 10,496,890 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Moore, Jr., John E., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith-Stewart, Demetra R
• Application Number:
  US15/337,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20180121740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/34 Blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17 Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885
• 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: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Embodiments for using vehicular collaboration for vehicular blind spot detection by a processor. A collaboration of images, capturing one or more non-visible areas to an occupant of a vehicle, may be received from a plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the vehicle for aiding in determining an object in the one or more non-visible areas.

Claims

1. A method, by a processor, for using vehicular collaboration for vehicular blind spot detection, comprising:

receiving a collaboration of data capturing one or more non-visible areas to an occupant of a vehicle from one or more devices of a plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the vehicle for aiding in determining an object in the one or more non-visible areas;

requesting access to the plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the vehicle by initiating a series of authentication operations to thereby join the vehicle to a network of the plurality of collaborative vehicles for receiving a one or more images, audio data, video stream, sensor based device data, or combination thereof from each imaging or sensing device associated with the plurality of vehicles, wherein the one or more images, the audio data, the video stream, the sensor based device data, or combination thereof are included in the collaboration of data to facilitate detection of the object such that, upon detection of the object in the one or more non-visible areas, at least one of a plurality of avoidance actions are performed to assist the vehicle in avoiding the object;

wherein detecting the object further includes determining, using the collaboration of data, a height, width, and size of the object such that respective ones of the imaging or sensing devices associated with the collaborative vehicles are used in conjunction with one another to determine the height, width, and size of the object; and

wherein one of the at least one of the plurality of avoidance actions includes using the determined height, width, and size of the object to self-navigate the vehicle around the object to avoid contacting the object with the vehicle; and

providing a notification to a display within the vehicle upon detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas;

wherein vehicle movement is prohibited by a powertrain of the vehicle until a confirmation of dismissal of the notification is received from a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further including capturing the one or more non-visible areas of the vehicle from one or more camera or sensor based devices mounted to the vehicle, wherein the captured one or more non-visible areas are included in the collaboration of data.

3. The method of claim 1, further including detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas using a collaboration of images or video stream.

4. The method of claim 1, further including:

preventing an anticipated movement of the vehicle upon detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas;

or

causing a braking force to the vehicle to terminate a forward motion or a rearward motion of the vehicle upon detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

broadcasting an audible alert via a speaker device associated with the vehicle;

or

determining an alternative route to enable the vehicle to circumvent the object in the one or more non-visible areas.

6. The method of claim 1, further including displaying in real time the collaboration of data in a display of the vehicle.

7. A system for using vehicular collaboration for vehicular blind spot detection, comprising:

a processor, operable to receive input from a vehicular collaboration environment, that;

receives a collaboration of data capturing one or more non-visible areas to an occupant of a vehicle from a plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the vehicle for aiding in determining an object in the one or more non-visible areas;

requests access to the plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the vehicle by initiating a series of authentication operations to thereby join the vehicle to a network of the plurality of collaborative vehicles for receiving a one or more images, audio data, video stream, sensor based device data, or combination thereof from each imaging or sensing device associated with the plurality of vehicles, wherein the one or more images, the audio data, the video stream, the sensor based device data, or combination thereof are included in the collaboration of data to facilitate detection of the object such that, upon detection of the object in the one or more non-visible areas, at least one of a plurality of avoidance actions are performed to assist the vehicle in avoiding the object;

wherein detecting the object further includes determining, using the collaboration of data, a height, width, and size of the object such that respective ones of the imaging or sensing devices associated with the collaborative vehicles are used in conjunction with one another to determine the height, width, and size of the object; and

wherein one of the at least one of the plurality of avoidance actions includes using the determined height, width, and size of the object to self-navigate the vehicle around the object to avoid contacting the object with the vehicle; and

provides a notification to a display within the vehicle upon detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas;

wherein vehicle movement is prohibited by a powertrain of the vehicle until a confirmation of dismissal of the notification is received from a user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor captures the one or more non-visible areas of the vehicle from one or more camera or sensor based devices mounted to the vehicle, wherein the captured one or more non-visible areas are included in the collaboration of data.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor detects the object in the one or more non-visible areas using a collaboration of images or video stream.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor:

prevents an anticipated movement of the vehicle upon detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas;

or

causes a braking force to the vehicle to terminate a forward motion or a rearward motion of the vehicle upon detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor:

broadcasts an audible alert via a speaker device associated with the vehicle;

or

determines an alternative route to enable the vehicle to circumvent the object in the one or more non-visible areas.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor displays in real time the collaboration of data in a display of the vehicle.

13. A computer program product for using vehicular collaboration for vehicular blind spot detection by a processor, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion that receives a collaboration of data capturing one or more non-visible areas to an occupant of a vehicle from a plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the vehicle for aiding in determining an object in the one or more non-visible areas;

an executable portion that requests access to the plurality of collaborative vehicles in substantially close proximity to the vehicle by initiating a series of authentication operations to thereby join the vehicle to a network of the plurality of collaborative vehicles for receiving a one or more images, audio data, video stream, sensor based device data, or combination thereof from each imaging or sensing device associated with the plurality of vehicles, wherein the one or more images, the audio data, the video stream, the sensor based device data, or combination thereof are included in the collaboration of data to facilitate detection of the object such that, upon detection of the object in the one or more non-visible areas, at least one of a plurality of avoidance actions are performed to assist the vehicle in avoiding the object;

wherein detecting the object further includes determining, using the collaboration of data, a height, width, and size of the object such that respective ones of the imaging or sensing devices associated with the collaborative vehicles are used in conjunction with one another to determine the height, width, and size of the object; and

wherein one of the at least one of the plurality of avoidance actions includes using the determined height, width, and size of the object to self-navigate the vehicle around the object to avoid contacting the object with the vehicle; and

an executable portion that provides a notification to a display within the vehicle upon detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas;

wherein vehicle movement is prohibited by a powertrain of the vehicle until a confirmation of dismissal of the notification is received from a user.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further including an executable portion that captures the one or more non-visible areas of the vehicle from one or more camera or sensor based devices mounted to the vehicle, wherein the captured one or more non-visible areas are included in the collaboration of data.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further including an executable portion that detects the object in the one or more non-visible areas using a collaboration of images or video stream.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further including an executable portion that:

prevents an anticipated movement of the vehicle upon detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas;

or

causes a braking force to the vehicle to terminate a forward motion or a rearward motion of the vehicle upon detecting the object in the one or more non-visible areas.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further including an executable portion that:

broadcasts an audible alert via a speaker device associated with the vehicle;

or

determines an alternative route to enable the vehicle to circumvent the object in the one or more non-visible areas.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further including an executable portion that displays in real time the collaboration of data in a display of the vehicle.