Accident Avoidance Systems and Methods

• US 20070109111A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David, DuVall, Wilbur, Johnson, Wendell
• Granted Patent: US 7,295,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• 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 2050/0071 Controller overrides driver automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0073 Driver overrides controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/046 involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle, e.g. via telemetry, satellite, Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/048 displaying data transmitted between vehicles, e.g. for platooning, control of inter-vehicle distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/40 Photo, light or radio wave sensitive means, e.g. infrared sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/52 Radar, Lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4026 Cycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 : Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 : related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 : Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 : Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 : Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 : Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18159 : Traversing an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 : Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 : Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 : Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 : Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 : Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 : specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 : Map- or contour-matching
• 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: G01S 13/865 : Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 : Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 : Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 : for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 : Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 : Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 : Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/50 : whereby the position solution is constrained to lie upon a particular curve or surface, e.g. for locomotives on railway tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/4975 : of sensor obstruction by, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating, e.g. by reflection measurement on front-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 : Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 : combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 : Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 : Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 : Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 : using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 : Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 : using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 : in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 : in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93273 : on the top of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 : cooperating with reflectors or transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 : for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 : Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 : involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 : involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 : using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 : using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 : comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 : using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0213 : Road vehicle, e.g. car or truck
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 : Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 : where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 : Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 : involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

Method and system for preventing accidents between first and second vehicles includes a positioning system arranged in each vehicle for determining the absolute position thereof, a memory unit arranged in the first vehicle for storing data about travel lanes, a communication system for transmitting the position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle, a receiver system arranged in the first vehicle for receiving position information from the second vehicle, a processor coupled to the positioning system, the receiver system and the memory unit in the first vehicle for predicting a collision between the vehicles based on the position of the vehicles and travel lane data, and a reactive component arranged in the first vehicle and coupled to the processor. The reactive component is arranged to initiate an action or change its operation when a collision is predicted by the processor, e.g., sound or indicate an alarm.

Claims

1. A system for preventing accidents between first and second vehicles, comprising

a first positioning system arranged in the first vehicle for determining the absolute position of the first vehicle,

a memory unit arranged in the first vehicle for storing data about travel lanes,

a second positioning system arranged in the second vehicle for determining the absolute position of the second vehicle,

a communication system arranged at least partially in the second vehicle and coupled to said second positioning system for transmitting the position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle,

a first receiver system arranged in the first vehicle for receiving position information from the second vehicle,

a processor coupled to said first positioning system, said first receiver system and said memory unit for predicting a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the position of the first and second vehicles and the travel lane data, and

a reactive component or system arranged in the first vehicle and coupled to said processor, said component or system being arranged to initiate an action or change its operation when a collision is predicted by said processor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said memory unit stores data about the location of traffic control devices, further comprising a second receiver system arranged in the first vehicle for receiving status information about the status of the traffic control devices, said second receiver system being coupled to said processor which is arranged to predict a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the position of the first and second vehicles, the travel lane data and the status information about the traffic control devices.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a transmission system associated with the traffic control devices for transmitting the status information about the traffic control devices capable of being received by said second receiver system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first positioning system comprises a unit which cooperates with a satellite system including base stations for generating a differential correction signal to the first vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first positioning system further comprises an inertial navigation system.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a determination system arranged on the first vehicle for determining at least one of the presence, position and velocity of other vehicles in the travel lanes.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication unit arranged in the first vehicle for enabling the first vehicle to communicate with other vehicles similarly equipped with the accident preventing system such that the location and optionally velocity of the other vehicles is communicated to the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is structured and arranged to receive data on at least one of weather conditions and traffic accidents and control operation of the vehicle based thereon or display such data to the operator of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said reactive component or system is an alarm.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said reactive component is a vehicle guidance system for automatically guiding the first vehicle.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising

first acceleration means for determining the acceleration of the first vehicle, and

second acceleration means for determining the acceleration of the second vehicle,

said communication system being coupled to said second acceleration means and arranged to transmit the acceleration, velocity or position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle, said first receiver system being arranged to receive acceleration, velocity or position information from the second vehicle,

said processor being coupled to said first acceleration means and arranged to predict a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the position, velocity and/or acceleration of the first and second vehicles and the travel lane data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is arranged to receive traffic control information and predict a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the position of the first and second vehicles, the travel lane data and the traffic control information.

13. A system for preventing accidents between first and second vehicles, comprising

a first positioning system arranged in the first vehicle for determining the absolute position and velocity of the first vehicle,

a memory unit arranged in the first vehicle for storing data relating to travel lanes,

a second positioning system for determining position and velocity of the second vehicle,

a processor coupled to said first positioning system, said memory unit and said second positioning system for

determining whether the second vehicle is traveling in an intersecting path to the first vehicle based on the position and velocity of the second vehicle and the travel lane data, and

when the second vehicle is determined to be in an intersecting path, predicting a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the position and velocity of the first and second vehicles and the travel lane data, and

a reactive component or system arranged in the first vehicle and coupled to said processor, said component or system being arranged to initiate an action or change its operation when a collision is predicted.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said memory unit stores data about the location of traffic control devices, further comprising a receiver system arranged in the first vehicle for receiving status information about the status of the traffic control devices, said receiver system being coupled to said processor which are arranged to determine whether the second vehicle is traveling in an intersecting path to the first vehicle based on the position and velocity of the second vehicle, the travel lane data and the status information about the traffic control devices.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a transmission system associated with the traffic control devices for transmitting the status information about the traffic control devices capable of being received by said receiver system.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

first acceleration means for determining the acceleration of the first vehicle,

said second positioning system being arranged to determine the acceleration of the second vehicle,

said processor being arranged to predict a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the position, velocity and acceleration of the first and second vehicles and the travel data.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said first positioning system comprises a unit which cooperates with a satellite system including base stations for generating a differential correction signal to the first vehicle.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor is structured and arranged to receive data on at least one of weather conditions and traffic accidents and control operation of the first vehicle based thereon or display such data to the driver.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein said reactive component or system is an alarm.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein said reactive component or system is a vehicle guidance system for automatically guiding the first vehicle.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein said second positioning system is arranged on the first vehicle.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein said second positioning system is fixed at a known location and wirelessly coupled to said processor.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor is arranged to receive traffic control information and determine whether the second vehicle is traveling in an intersecting path to the first vehicle based on the position and velocity of the second vehicle, the travel lane data and the traffic control information.

24. A system for monitoring the position of a vehicle relative to an intersection, comprising

a positioning system arranged in the vehicle for determining the absolute position of the vehicle,

a memory unit arranged in the vehicle for storing data relating to at least one travel lane in which the vehicle is traveling and edges of an intersecting travel lane at an intersection, and

a processor coupled to said positioning system and said memory unit for determining when the vehicle has entered the intersection of the travel lane in which the vehicle is traveling and the intersecting travel lane.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

a reactive component or system arranged in the vehicle and coupled to said processor, said component or system being arranged to initiate an action or change its operation based on the position of the vehicle relative to the intersection.

26. A method for preventing accidents between first and second vehicles at intersections, comprising:

determining the absolute position and velocity of the first vehicle,

storing data in a memory unit relating to travel lanes,

determining the absolute position and velocity of the second vehicle,

predicting a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the position and velocity of the first and second vehicles and the travel lane data, and

initiating an action or changing operation by a reactive component or system in the first vehicle when a collision is predicted.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising providing the status of traffic control devices to the first vehicle, the step of predicting a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle including predicting a collision based on the position and velocity of the first and second vehicles, the travel lane data and the status of the traffic control devices.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining the acceleration of the first and second vehicles, and

predicting a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the position, velocity and acceleration of the first and second vehicles, the travel lane data and the status of the traffic control devices.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of providing the status of the traffic control devices to the first vehicle comprises of transmitting information about the status of the traffic control devices to the first vehicle from transmitters associated with the traffic control devices.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising providing traffic control information to the first vehicle, the step of predicting a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle including predicting a collision based on the position and velocity of the first and second vehicles, the travel lane data and the traffic control information.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of determining the position and velocity of the first vehicle comprises arranging a positioning system on the first vehicle and the step of determining the position and velocity of the second vehicle comprises arranging a positioning system on the second vehicle.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

transmitting the position and velocity of the second vehicle to the first vehicle, and

providing a processor in the first vehicle for receiving the determined position and velocity of the first and second vehicles and predicting the collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of determining the position and velocity of the first and second vehicles comprises arranging a positioning system in the first vehicle.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of determining the position and velocity of the first and second vehicles comprises fixedly arranging a positioning system at the intersection of the lanes in which the first and second vehicles are traveling, the positioning system using a wave-propagation phenomena to determine the position and velocity of the first and second vehicles.

35. The method of claim 26, further comprising arranging the memory unit separate from the first and second vehicles.

36. The method of claim 26, wherein the collision is predicted in a processor at a location separate from the first and second vehicles, further comprising providing wireless communications from the processor to the reactive component or system.