DRIVING ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20150092056A1
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sackett Solutions & Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Sackett Solutions & Innovations LLC
• Inventors: Rau, Nemoy, Rau, Hans, Rau, Esha
• Granted Patent: US 10,210,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/02 Rear-view mirror arrangements periscope arrangements B60R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/081 avoiding blind spots, e.g. by using a side-by-side association of mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/42 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/21 Voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• 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

Systems and methods for promoting safety during operation of a passenger vehicle. Such a system/method may determine positions of rear and sideview mirrors of a passenger vehicle that are optimized for a particular driver of the passenger vehicle to minimize “blind spots” based on the driver and the particular vehicle configuration, and for moving the rear and sideview mirrors into the optimized positions. Alternatively or in addition, such a system/method may collect data corresponding to internal and external conditions of the vehicle, optionally establish a driver profile of typical driving characteristics from the collected data, determine potential risks and/or hazards from the collected data, and warn the driver of the potential risks and/or hazards.

Claims

1. A system for improving safety during operation of a passenger vehicle having a passenger compartment configured to be occupied by a driver of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a data collection system that collects data corresponding to both internal and external conditions of the vehicle;

a processing system that utilizes algorithms for processing the collected data to create a history database of the collected data, as well as to process the collected data and determine risk factors therefrom; and

a relay system that utilizes the history database to relay potential risks to the driver of the vehicle through physical, audio and/or visual alerts.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data collection system comprises camera subsystems comprising:

a first camera subsystem that collects data regarding the driver'"'"'s facial, body, and eye movements;

a second camera subsystem that collects data corresponding to the driver'"'"'s rearview of the vehicle, and to coordinate and improve rearview capabilities of the driver;

a third camera subsystem that collects data corresponding to images displayed on rear and sideview mirrors of the vehicle and to collect data corresponding to the orientations of the rear and sideview mirrors to the driver;

a fourth camera subsystem for visually capturing objects in front of the vehicle and collecting image data corresponding thereto; and

a fifth camera subsystem for visually capturing objects in the rear of the vehicle and collecting image data corresponding thereto.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the processing system comprises subsystems comprising:

a first subsystem of algorithms that analyzes the data collected by the first, second and third camera subsystems and compiles the history database therefrom;

a second subsystem of algorithms that analyzes the history database to construct a driver profile comprising driving characteristics and skill characteristics of the driver and establishes therefrom safety thresholds for the driver'"'"'s operation of the vehicle;

a third subsystem of algorithms that compares current internal and external driving conditions to the internal and external conditions stored in the history database and to the safety thresholds and determines if there is a safety risk based thereon; and

a fourth subsystem of algorithms that assesses the image data collected by the fourth and fifth camera subsystems to determine if there is an immediate danger.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the relay system relays warnings to the driver that include visual, physical, and/or auditory cues, and wherein the relay system warns the driver of both immediate dangers and potential inconsistencies in driving behavior.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system includes a graphic user interface and means for displaying information collected from the system on the graphic user interface.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the camera subsystems comprise a variety of camera and data collection technologies, including distance-measuring camera techniques.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein the camera subsystems are capable of collecting data in adverse conditions including low-visibility weather, extreme temperatures, and low-light settings.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein the camera subsystems of the data collection system and the algorithms of the subsystems of the processing system can distinguish between noteworthy objects and background information, in order to only relay the potential risks to the driver.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein the processing system is capable of adjusting the rear and sideview mirrors to better suit the driver, based on data collected by the camera subsystems.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data collection system includes an interior microphone to collect auditory data from the driver and/or the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises means for controlling the vehicle to perform corrective maneuvers, including speed or steering adjustments, in the event of driver inability.

12. A method for improving safety during operation of a passenger vehicle occupied by a driver of the vehicle, the method comprising:

collecting data corresponding to internal and external conditions of the vehicle, including weather and traffic conditions as well as driver condition;

processing the collected data to determine useful and/or pertinent data thereof;

establishing a driver profile of typical driving characteristics from the collected data;

determining potential risks and/or hazards from the collected data; and

warning the driver of the potential risks and/or hazards determined from the collected data.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method determines driver distraction by sensing changes in the driver'"'"'s pupils to determine if and for how long the driver'"'"'s focus is away from the road.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method determines driver impairment by sensing the driver'"'"'s eye movement.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method does not replace the driver but instead captures patterns of the driver and works in coordination with these patterns to improve the driver'"'"'s ability to avoid obstacles and potential dangers and to enhance the driver'"'"'s natural driving performance.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising conveying the driver profile to an insurance company as indicative of driving behavior of the driver.

17. A system that is performing the method of claim 12.

18. A system for improving safety during operation of a passenger vehicle having a passenger compartment configured to be occupied by a driver of the vehicle, the system comprising a subsystem of algorithms that determines the optimum setting for rear and sideview mirrors to minimize driver “

blind spots”

based on the driver and the vehicle configuration.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the system further comprises a camera subsystem that collects data corresponding to images displayed on rear and sideview mirrors of the vehicle and a second subsystem of algorithms to collect data corresponding to the orientations of the rear and sideview mirrors to the driver.

20. A system for determining positions of rear and sideview mirrors of a passenger vehicle that are optimized for a driver of the passenger vehicle and for moving the rear and sideview mirrors into the positions, the system comprising:

a data collection system that detects and records a driver seat position of the passenger vehicle, body and face positions of a driver of the passenger vehicle while seated in the driver seat, and preliminary positions of the rear and sideview mirrors;

an algorithm to determine positions of the rear and sideview mirrors to reduce blind spots and increase driver visual awareness of the driver while seated in the driver seat;

means for the driver to initiate the system; and

means for moving the rear and sideview mirrors to the determined positions thereof as a result of the driver initiating the system.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the data collection system comprises a camera system to detect posture, eye, and face movement of the driver while seated in the driver seat.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the system allows the driver to manually alter the rear and sideview mirrors to manually-adjusted positions that are different from the determined positions thereof.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein the system comprises means to save the driver seat position and the determined positions of the rear and sideview mirrors for the driver.

24. The system according to claim 20, wherein the system comprises means for visually informing the driver of the determined positions of the rear and sideview mirrors, the manually-adjusted positions if any, and any blind spots resulting therefrom.