DRIVER ALERT SYSTEM

• US 20100007523A1
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuriel Hatav
• Original Assignee: Nuriel Hatav
• Inventors: Hatav, Nuriel
• Granted Patent: US 10,107,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• 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

A driver alert system is carried by a motor vehicle and alerts a driver that he has committed or is about to commit a driving or parking violation, or that the driving conditions are liable to result in damage to a motor vehicle or person.

Claims

1. A driver alert system for alerting a driver that he has committed or is about to commit a driving or parking violation, or that the instantaneous driving conditions are liable to result in damage to a motor vehicle or to a person, comprising:

a) A receiver for a global position system (GPS), said GPS system being adapted to determine the instantaneous real-time location of a corresponding motor vehicle;

b) A remote server comprising;

i. A database in which are stored map data, traffic regulation data, and position data related to the location of substantially all traffic lights and road signs within a predetermined geographical area;

ii. Means for determining the instantaneous color of a traffic light in the vicinity of said determined instantaneous real-time location of the corresponding motor vehicle and the rate at which the color of the traffic light changes;

iii. A transceiver for receiving data relating to the instantaneous real-time location of each of a plurality of motor vehicles from a corresponding GPS receiver and for transmitting an alert signal to a driver of a vehicle; and

iv. Processing means suitable for receiving said location data of a corresponding motor vehicle from said transceiver, for determining an instantaneous state of said corresponding vehicle, for determining whether the driver of said corresponding vehicle has committed or is about to commit a driving or parking violation, and whether said instantaneous state is liable to result in damage to a motor vehicle or to a person, by comparing said state with said stored map data, traffic regulation data, position data and with the instantaneous color and color changing rate of a traffic light associated with said received location data, according to predetermined rules, and for generating an alert signal, when said processing means determines that the driver has committed, or is about to commit, a driving or parking violation, or that the instantaneous state is liable to result in damage to a vehicle or to a person;

c) A transceiver carried by said corresponding vehicle and in communication with said GPS receiver, for transmitting said location data to said server and for receiving said alert signal generated by said processing means; and

d) An alert generator carried by said corresponding vehicle in communication with said vehicle transceiver, for outputting an alert signal to the driver of said corresponding vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising vehicle carried computing means and display, said computing means being in communication with said GPS receiver and said display being in communication with said computing means, wherein the server is adapted to transmit map data associated with the location data of the corresponding vehicle to said computing means and said display is adapted to display the instantaneous location of the corresponding motor vehicle being superimposed on said map data.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the computing means further comprises one or more sensors in communication therewith, data acquired by means of said one or more sensors being transmitted to the processing means of the server for assisting in determining an instantaneous state of the corresponding vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the sensors are selected from the group of accelerometer, gyroscope, velocity sensor, and speedometer of the driven vehicle.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the instantaneous state is determined by determining the change in location of the vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 1, the means for determining the instantaneous color and color changing rate of a traffic light is a traffic light database of a transportation authority transmittable via a suitable data network to the remote server.

7. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a reader in communication with the computing means, by which a driver profile is input prior to the commencement of a driving operation.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein a system sensitivity is adjustable, depending on the input driver profile.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein the display is the windshield of the vehicle on which an image generator transmits an image corresponding to the instantaneous location of a motor vehicle being superimposed on suitable map data.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein each alert signal is stored in permanent memory and is retrievable by an inspector at a future time.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising communication apparatus for transmitting an alert signal to an external authority.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the alert signal transmitted to an external authority is selected from the group of a telephone call, a short message service (SMS) message, a wireless transmission, an e-mail message, or textual information transmitted via the Internet.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the database is further stored with topographical data of the roads located within the predetermined geographical area, an alert being outputted to the driver when the computing means determines, due to the instantaneous state of the vehicle with respect to local topographical data, a risk of impending damage to the vehicle.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the database is further stored with meteorological data of the predetermined geographical area, an alert being outputted to the driver when the computing means determines, due to the instantaneous state of the vehicle with respect to local meteorological data, a risk of impending damage to the vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the database of the predetermined geographical area is transmittable from a main database of a transportation authority.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the database is downloadable from the main database of a transportation authority.

17. A transportation authority monitoring system, comprising—

a) A transmitter mounted on each vehicle located within a predetermined geographical area, each transmitter being in communication with a GPS receiver and adapted to transmit data sensed by said GPS receiver;

b) A regional transceiver positioned within said predetermined geographical area for receiving the data transmitted by each of said transmitters and for transmitting said received data to a monitoring center transceiver;

c) A server comprising;

i. A database in which are stored map data, traffic regulation data, and position data related to the location of substantially all traffic lights and road signs within said predetermined geographical area;

ii. Means for determining the instantaneous color of a traffic light in the vicinity of said determined instantaneous real-time location of the corresponding motor vehicle and the rate at which the color of the traffic light changes;

iii. A transceiver for receiving data relating to the instantaneous real-time location of each of a plurality of motor vehicles from said regional transceiver; and

iv. Processing means suitable for receiving said location data of a corresponding motor vehicle from said transceiver, for determining an instantaneous state of said corresponding vehicle, for determining whether the driver of said corresponding vehicle has committed or is about to commit a driving or parking violation, and whether said instantaneous state is liable to result in damage to a motor vehicle or to a person, by comparing said state with said stored map data, traffic regulation data, position data and with the instantaneous color and color changing rate of a traffic light associated with said received location data, according to predetermined rules, and for generating an alert signal, when said processing means determines that the driver has committed, or is about to commit, a driving or parking violation, or that the instantaneous state is liable to result in damage to a vehicle or to a person;

d) A display of said predetermined geographical area on which is displayed the instantaneous state of each motor vehicle being superimposed on said stored map data; and

e) Means for outputting an alert signal, such as a visible alert displayed on said display, when said processing means determines that a driver has committed, or is about to commit, a driving or parking violation, or that the instantaneous state is liable to result in damage to a vehicle or to a person.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the monitoring center transceiver transmits the alert signal to a local transportation representative, so that the driver of the vehicle for which the alert signal was transmitted will be issued a ticket or will be informed by said representative to drive in a more responsible fashion.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the outputted alert signal is an audible alert transmittable to a speaker.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the outputted alert signal is a visible alert displayable on the display.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein the outputted alert signal is a selectively triggered alarm signal which is generated by a predetermined vehicular state and distance from a road sign.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein a vehicle mounted transmitter is also in communication with at least one motion sensor mounted on a corresponding vehicle and is also adapted and is also adapted to transmit data sensed by said at least one motion sensor which is associated with the corresponding vehicle.

23-24. -24. (canceled)