Techniques for improving safe operation of a vehicle

• US 8,583,329 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/896,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 179 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/37, 701/46, 701/96, 701/116, 701/117, 359/841, 359/843, 359/844, 359/850, 359/871, 359/872, 359/866, 359/868, 340/903, 340/905, 340/933, 340/937, 340/942, 180/167, 180/170.197, 342/44, 342/457, 248/479, 343/713, 280/5.5, 332/64
• US Class Current: 701/46
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/102 Regulating or controlling the seed rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/205 inflatable in the direction of an obstacle upon impending impact, e.g. using air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• 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 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/023 Interference mitigation, e.g. reducing or avoiding non-intentional interference with other HF-transmitters, base station transmitters for mobile communication or other radar systems, e.g. using electro-magnetic interference [EMI] reduction techniques auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like G01S7/021; means for anti-jamming G01S7/36
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Vehicle control system and method in which restrictions on travel of the vehicle are determined based on an indication of the visibility of a driver and information about objects moving in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle are considered. The travel restrictions include preventing a passing maneuver on a two-lane road when an oncoming vehicle precludes safely initiating or completing an already-initiated passing maneuver. A warning system is provided to warn a driver about the travel restrictions so that the driver will, hopefully, not attempt an unsafe maneuver.

Claims

1. A driving monitoring system for a vehicle, comprising:

a visibility determining system that provides an indication of the visibility of a driver of the vehicle;

an image obtaining system oriented to obtain images of an area in front of the vehicle and derive information about objects in the obtained images including distance between the vehicle and objects travelling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle; and

a warning system that, based on the determined visibility of the driver and the information about objects travelling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle, warns a driver when an object travelling in the direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle restricts movement of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said visibility determining system is configured to consider topography of a road the vehicle is travelling on when providing the indication of the determined visibility of the driver.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said visibility determining system is configured to access a database of topographical information to obtain information about the topography of the road the vehicle is travelling on.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said topographical information database is arranged partly on the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said topographical information database is arranged partly at a site off of the vehicle and provided to the vehicle via a communications link.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said visibility determining systems is configured to consider atmospheric conditions around the vehicle when providing the indication of the determined visibility of the driver.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising on-board vehicle sensors configured to obtain atmospheric condition information.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said visibility determining system is configured to access a database of atmospheric condition information to obtain information about the atmospheric conditions around the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said visibility determining system comprises a vehicle illumination system and is configured to determine the visibility in consideration of backscatter from said vehicle illumination system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said image obtaining system comprises a lidar or camera system.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor coupled to said visibility determining system, said image obtaining system and said warning system and that controls said warning system based on the indication of the visibility of the driver as provided by said visibility determining system and the information about objects travelling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle as derived by said image obtaining system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor is configured to analyze the visibility of the driver as provided by said visibility determining system and the information about objects travelling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle as derived by said image obtaining system and determine whether the vehicle is able to execute a passing maneuver involving movement of the vehicle into an adjacent travel lane in which the object is travelling in an opposite direction and if not, control said warning system to warn the driver to abort the passing maneuver.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said processor is configured to analyze the visibility of the driver as provided by said visibility determining system and the information about objects travelling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle as derived by said image obtaining system and, after the passing maneuver has been initiated and the vehicle is in the adjacent travel lane, determine whether the vehicle is able to complete the passing maneuver.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor is configured to determine whether the vehicle is able to complete the passing maneuver based on a determined distance between a vehicle being passed, a location in front of the vehicle being passed at which the passing maneuver will be completed and current movement of the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor is configured, when the vehicle has been determined not to be able to complete the passing maneuver, to notify the driver to abort the passing maneuver or increase speed of the vehicle to enable completion of the passing maneuver.

16. A method for monitoring driving of a vehicle, comprising:

obtaining an indication of visibility of a driver of the vehicle;

obtaining images of an area in front of the vehicle using an image acquiring system;

deriving, using a processor, information about objects in the obtained images including distance between the vehicle and objects travelling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle; and

warning a driver via a warning system when an object travelling in the direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle restricts movement of the vehicle, based on the visibility of the driver and the information about objects travelling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of obtaining an indication of the visibility of the driver comprises:

obtaining topographical information about a road the vehicle is travelling on;

obtaining information about atmospheric conditions around the vehicle; and

assessing visibility in view of the obtained topographical information and information about atmospheric conditions when providing the indication of the visibility of the driver.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is able to execute a passing maneuver involving movement into an adjacent travel lane in which the object is travelling based on the indication of the visibility of the driver and the information about objects travelling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle; and

if not,

controlling the warning system to warn the driver to abort the passing maneuver.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, after the passing maneuver has been initiated, determining whether the vehicle is able to complete the passing maneuver based on a determined distance between a vehicle being passed, a location in front of the vehicle being passed at which the passing maneuver will be completed and current movement of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, when the vehicle has been determined not to be able to complete the passing maneuver, notifying the driver to abort the passing maneuver or to increase speed of the vehicle to enable completion of the passing maneuver.