System and method to detect execution of driving maneuvers

• US 8,892,310 B1
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sljivar, Slaven, Palmer, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US14/186,416
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/300, 701/301, 701 41- 44, 701/70, 701/93, 701/96, 701/101, 701/409, 701/410, 701/412, 701/468
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/06 in graphical form
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a system and method for detecting execution of driving maneuvers based on pre-determined driving maneuver profiles. Some or all of the system may be installed in a vehicle and/or be otherwise coupled with a vehicle. In some implementations, the system may detect execution of driving maneuvers by the vehicle based on pre-determined driving maneuver profiles. The system may include one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to the vehicle. In some implementations, the system may detect execution of the driving maneuvers by the vehicle based on a comparison of the information conveyed by the output signals from the sensors to criteria included in the pre-determined driving maneuver profiles.

Claims

1. A system configured to detect execution of driving maneuvers, the system configured to couple with a vehicle, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to operation and/or context of the vehicle; and

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a maneuver trigger module configured to detect, in real-time or near real-time, execution by the vehicle of a specific driving maneuver based on the information conveyed by the output signals from the one or more sensors, and

a control module configured to, responsive to the detection of the specific driving maneuver, facilitate, in real-time or near real-time, wireless communication of the information conveyed by the output signals for a period of time that includes at least the specific driving maneuver to a remote computing device,

wherein the control module is configured such that the period of time that includes at least the specific driving maneuver includes a pre-maneuver period of time and a post-maneuver period of time,

wherein the pre-maneuver period of time and the post-maneuver period of time are determined after detection of the specific driving maneuver, and

wherein the pre-maneuver period of time and the post-maneuver period of time are determined based on the detected specific driving maneuver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured such that the information related to operation and/or context of the vehicle includes video information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to, responsive to the detection of the specific driving maneuver, facilitate electronic storage of the information conveyed by the output signals for the period of time that includes at least the specific driving maneuver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one camera configured to acquire visual information representing a vehicle environment, the vehicle environment including spaces in and around an interior and an exterior of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors include multiple cameras positioned about the vehicle, the multiple cameras synchronized to provide a 360 degree view of the inside of the vehicle and a 360 degree view of the outside of the vehicle, and wherein the control module is configured to associate the visual information with the information related to operation and/or context of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured such that at least one of the one or more sensors is a vehicle subsystem sensor associated with a vehicle engine control module system, the at least one sensor configured to generate output signals conveying information related to mechanical systems of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the maneuver trigger module is configured such that the specific driving maneuver includes one or more of a swerve, a U-turn, freewheeling, over-revving, lane-departure, short following, imminent collision, a sustained left turn indicating a potential overturn on a cloverleaf, or a sustained right turn indicating a potential overturn on a cloverleaf.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the maneuver trigger module is configured to filter the detected driving maneuver based on pre-determined geo-fences, wherein geo-fences are virtual boundaries that define physical areas where one or more driving maneuvers are permissible or are not permissible.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the maneuver trigger module is configured to filter the detected driving maneuver based on the pre-determined geo-fences and the time of day.

10. A method to detect execution of driving maneuvers, the method comprising:

generating, with one or more sensors, output signals conveying information related to operation and/or context of a vehicle;

detecting, in real-time or near real-time, execution by the vehicle of a specific driving maneuver based on the information conveyed by the output signals from the one or more sensors; and

facilitating, in real-time or near real-time, responsive to the detection of the specific driving maneuver, wireless communication of the information conveyed by the output signals for a period of time that includes at least the specific driving maneuver to a remote computing device,

wherein the period of time that includes at least the specific driving maneuver includes a pre-maneuver period of time and a post-maneuver period of time,

wherein the pre-maneuver period of time and the post-maneuver period of time are determined after detection of the specific driving maneuver, and

wherein the pre-maneuver period of time and the post-maneuver period of time are determined based on the detected specific driving maneuver.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising facilitating, responsive to the detection of the specific driving maneuver, electronic storage of the information conveyed by the output signals for the period of time that includes at least the specific driving maneuver.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising acquiring visual information representing a vehicle environment, the vehicle environment including spaces in and around an interior and an exterior of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating output signals conveying information related to mechanical systems of the vehicle via a vehicle subsystem sensor associated with a vehicle engine control module system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the specific driving maneuver includes one or more of a swerve, a U-turn, freewheeling, over-revving, lane-departure, short following, imminent collision, a sustained left turn indicating a potential overturn on a cloverleaf, or a sustained right turn indicating a potential overturn on a cloverleaf.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sustained left turn and/or the sustained right turn are detected based on one or more of a vehicle speed, an engine load, a throttle level, vehicle direction, or a gravitational force being sustained at or above a threshold level for a pre-determined amount of time.

16. A system configured to detect execution of driving maneuvers based on pre-determined driving maneuver profiles, the system configured to couple with a vehicle, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to operation and/or context of the vehicle; and

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a parameter module configured to determine one or more vehicle parameters based on the output signals, the one or more vehicle parameters being related to the operation and/or context of the vehicle;

a profile module configured to obtain one or more pre-determined driving maneuver profiles, the one or more pre-determined driving maneuver profiles including criteria sets associated with driving maneuvers, the one or more pre-determined driving maneuver profiles including a first pre-determined driving maneuver profile having a first criteria set, the first criteria set including a first individual criterion and a second individual criterion;

a maneuver trigger module configured to detect execution by the vehicle of a specific driving maneuver, the specific driving maneuver detected based on the determined vehicle parameters and the obtained pre-determined driving maneuver profiles by comparing the determined vehicle parameters to the criteria sets such that a first specific driving maneuver is detected responsive to the determined parameters satisfying the first individual criterion and the second individual criterion, and

a control module configured to, responsive to the detection of the specific driving maneuver, facilitate, in real-time or near real-time, wireless communication of the information conveyed by the output signals for a period of time that includes at least the specific driving maneuver to a remote computing device,

wherein the control module is configured such that the period of time that includes at least the specific driving maneuver includes a pre-maneuver period of time and a post-maneuver period of time,

wherein the pre-maneuver period of time and the post-maneuver period of time are determined after detection of the specific driving maneuver, and

wherein the pre-maneuver period of time and the post-maneuver period of time are determined based on the detected specific driving maneuver.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the profile module is configured to scale the first individual criterion and/or the second individual criterion in the first pre-determined driving maneuver profile based on the output signals and/or the determined parameters.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the profile module is configured to perform the scaling in real-time or near real-time during operation of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the profile module is configured such that the first individual criterion and the second individual criterion for the first pre-determined driving maneuver profile are associated with information conveyed by output signals from at least two different sensors.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more sensors generate output signals conveying information related to one or more of mechanical systems of the vehicle, movement of the vehicle, an orientation of the vehicle, a geographic position of the vehicle, or a spatial position of the vehicle relative to other objects.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the parameter module is configured to determine the one or more vehicle parameters one or more times in an ongoing manner during operation of the vehicle.

22. A method to detect execution of driving maneuvers based on pre-determined driving maneuver profiles, the method comprising:

generating output signals conveying information related to operation and/or context of a vehicle;

determining one or more vehicle parameters based on the output signals, the one or more vehicle parameters being related to the operation and/or context of the vehicle;

obtaining one or more pre-determined driving maneuver profiles, the one or more pre-determined driving maneuver profiles including criteria sets associated with driving maneuvers, the one or more pre-determined driving maneuver profiles including a first pre-determined driving maneuver profile having a first criteria set, the first criteria set including a first individual criterion and a second individual criterion;

detecting execution by the vehicle of a specific driving maneuver, the specific driving maneuver detected based on the determined vehicle parameters and the obtained pre-determined driving maneuver profiles by comparing the determined vehicle parameters to the criteria sets such that a first specific driving maneuver is detected responsive to the determined parameters satisfying the first individual criterion and the second individual criterion; and

facilitating, in real-time or near real-time, responsive to the detection of the specific driving maneuver, wireless communication of the information conveyed by the output signals for a period of time that includes at least the specific driving maneuver to a remote computing device,

wherein the period of time that includes at least the specific driving maneuver includes a pre-maneuver period of time and a post-maneuver period of time,

wherein the pre-maneuver period of time and the post-maneuver period of time are determined after detection of the specific driving maneuver, and

wherein the pre-maneuver period of time and the post-maneuver period of time are determined based on the detected specific driving maneuver.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising scaling the first individual criterion and/or the second individual criterion in the first pre-determined driving maneuver profile based on the output signals and/or the determined parameters.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising performing the scaling in real-time or near real-time during operation of the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the first individual criterion and the second individual criterion for the first pre-determined driving maneuver profile are associated with information conveyed by output signals from at least two different sensors.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising generating output signals conveying information related to one or more of mechanical systems of the vehicle, movement of the vehicle, an orientation of the vehicle, a geographic position of the vehicle, or a spatial position of the vehicle relative to other objects.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining the one or more vehicle parameters one or more times in an ongoing manner during operation of the vehicle.