Systems and methods for extending detachable automobile sensor capabilities for collision avoidance

• US 10,730,514 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2018
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Frederick, Scott L., Robison, Scott P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US16/128,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20200079363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0049 for non integrated articles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a manner of extending the use of originally-equipped automotive vehicle sensors to other types of transportation. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring data from a vehicle-equipped detachable sensor about one or more object in an environment around a non-automotive entity when the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor is mounted to the non-automotive entity. The vehicle-equipped detachable sensor is capable of sensing a portion of an environment around an automotive vehicle and configured to communicate with a mobile device. The vehicle-equipped detachable sensor is also structured to be detached from the automotive vehicle and mounted to the non-automotive entity. The method includes determining, based on the acquired data, whether a detected object impinges upon a current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity. The method also includes, in response to determining the detected object impinges upon the current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity, outputting at least one notification signal to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A mobility system comprising:

a vehicle-equipped detachable sensor capable of sensing a portion of an environment around an automotive vehicle and configured to communicate with a mobile device, the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor structured to be detached from the automotive vehicle and mounted to a non-automotive entity;

one or more processors;

a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing;

a monitoring module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to acquire data from the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor about one or more objects in an environment around the non-automotive entity when the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor is mounted to the non-automotive entity;

an impingement module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to determine, based on the acquired data, whether a detected object of the one or more objects impinges upon a current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity; and

a notification module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to, in response to determining the detected object impinges upon the current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity, output at least one notification signal to the mobile device.

2. The mobility system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor includes at least one of the one or more processors and the memory.

3. The mobility system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor is configured to wirelessly communicate with the mobile device.

4. The mobility system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor is configured to communicate with the mobile device through the non-automotive entity.

5. The mobility system of claim 1, further comprising a calibration module, the calibration module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to calibrate the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor to a portion of the environment around the non-automotive entity based at least in part on mounting location parameters associated with a mounting location of the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor on the non-automotive entity.

6. The mobility system of claim 1, further comprising a control module, the control module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to, in response to determining the detected object impinges upon the current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity, control one or more vehicle systems of the non-automotive entity to effect movement of the non-automotive entity.

7. The mobility system of claim 1, wherein the impingement module further includes instructions to determine a predicted trajectory of the detected object based at least in part on one or more of a classification of the detected object and the acquired data.

8. The mobility system of claim 1, wherein the impingement module further includes instructions to, in determining whether the detected object impinges upon the current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity, determine whether the detected object and the non-automotive entity come within a predetermined distance from one another.

9. The mobility system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes at least one of the one or more processors and the memory, and the non-automotive entity includes at least one of the one or more processors and the memory.

10. The mobility system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor includes a battery.

11. A method comprising:

acquiring data from a vehicle-equipped detachable sensor about one or more objects in an environment around a non-automotive entity when the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor is mounted to the non-automotive entity, the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor capable of sensing a portion of an environment around an automotive vehicle and configured to communicate with a mobile device, the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor structured to be detached from the automotive vehicle and mounted to the non-automotive entity;

determining, based on the acquired data, whether a detected object impinges upon a current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity; and

in response to determining the detected object impinges upon the current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity, outputting at least one notification signal to the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

calibrating the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor to a portion of the environment around the non-automotive entity based at least in part on mounting location parameters associated with a mounting location of the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor on the non-automotive entity.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to determining the detected object impinges upon the current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity, controlling one or more vehicle systems of the non-automotive entity to effect movement of the non-automotive entity.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a predicted trajectory of the detected object based at least in part on one or more of a classification of the detected object and the acquired data.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in determining whether the detected object impinges upon the current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity, determining whether the detected object and the non-automotive entity come within a predetermined distance from one another.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium and storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processor to:

acquire data from a vehicle-equipped detachable sensor about one or more objects in an environment around a non-automotive entity when the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor is mounted to the non-automotive entity, the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor capable of sensing a portion of an environment around an automotive vehicle and configured to communicate with a mobile device, the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor structured to be detached from the automotive vehicle and mounted to the non-automotive entity;

determine, based on the acquired data, whether a detected object impinges upon a current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity; and

in response to determining the detected object impinges upon the current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity, output at least one notification signal to the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

calibrate the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor to a portion of the environment around the non-automotive entity based at least in part on mounting location parameters associated with a mounting location of the vehicle-equipped detachable sensor on the non-automotive entity.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

in response to determining the detected object impinges upon the current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity, control one or more vehicle systems of the non-automotive entity to effect movement of the non-automotive entity.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

determine a predicted trajectory of the detected object based at least in part on one or more of a classification of the detected object and the acquired data.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

in determining whether the detected object impinges upon the current travel trajectory of the non-automotive entity, determine whether the detected object and the non-automotive entity come within a predetermined distance from one another.