Site map interface for vehicular application

• US 9,672,736 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation), Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Caminiti, Lorenzo, Lovell, Jeffrey Clark, Richardson, James Joseph, Higgins, Christopher Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): KANAAN, MAROUN P
• Application Number:
  US12/403,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,007 Days
• Field of Search: 701300, 701301
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A system and method for transferring data between an object detection system and a collision processing circuit is provided. The object detection system includes sensors configured to provide coverage of and detect movement within a predetermined area. The object detection system further includes a path predicting circuit and a plotting circuit operable to predict and plot the location of detected objects. The system further includes a map definition of the predetermined area, a grid system plotted onto the predetermined area, and environmental information relating to the predetermined area, and a series of overlays. Each overlay is plotted with the grid system and the predicted location of the detected objects. The object detection system transmits the map definition and series of overlays to the collision processing circuit so as to determine a probability of a collision.

Claims

1. A system for use in an automotive vehicle, the automotive vehicle having a warning system, the system configured to transfer data so as to reduce processing time by the automotive vehicle, the automotive vehicle having an object detection system having a plurality of sensors configured to detect moving objects within a predetermined area, the predetermined area centered around the object detection system so as to change with the movement of the object detection system, the object detection system further including a path predicting circuit and a plotting circuit, the path predicting circuit predicts the path of each of the detected objects within the predetermined area, the plotting circuit plots the predicted location of the detected objects, and a collision processing circuit in communication with the object detection system, the collision processing circuit processing the predicted location of the detected objects and the predicted location of the automotive vehicle to determine the probability of a collision, the system comprising:

a map definition uploaded into the system, the map definition including the predetermined area of the object detection system, the map definition further includes static environmental information relating to the predetermined area, wherein the static environmental information is environmental information which is not capable of movement, wherein the static environmental information includes signal phase and timing of traffic lights, identified blind spots, traffic signals, the location and orientation of roadside infrastructure and the orientation and dimension of terrain located within the predetermined area;

wherein the map definition is transmitted from the object detection system to the collision processing circuit at a beginning of a predetermined period, the collision processing circuit processing the map definition; and

a series of overlays, each overlay in the series of the series of overlays consisting of a grid system plotted onto the predetermined area of the object detection system, wherein each overlay in the series of overlays is separated from the other by a predetermined interval of time, the grid system is defined by a plurality of grid cells, and the object detection system first uploads the map definition and processes the static environmental information relating to the predetermined area, the plotting circuit sequentially plotting the location of the detected objects and the predicted location of the detected objects onto each overlay in the series of overlays so as to generate distinct overlays, each of which is plotted with dynamic information for a discrete period of time, the dynamic information being objects detected by the object detection system, the collision processing circuit sequentially processing each of the plotted overlay in the series of overlays with the uploaded map definition, processing the static information along with dynamic information plotted on the corresponding overlay so as to calculate a probability of a collision in each grid cell of an overlay of the predetermined area at any given time, wherein the warning system issues a warning when the collision processing circuit generates a predetermined probability of a collision.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including at least one cycle of data transmitted by the object detection system to the collision processing circuit, wherein the at least one cycle of data includes the series of overlays.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, further including an aggregation circuit operable to calculate the probability of a collision in each of the grid cells of the grid system of each of the series of overlays.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3, further including a threshold, wherein the collision processing circuit is operable to filter each grid cell having a value lower than the threshold from further processing, and wherein the collision processing circuit generates a collision prediction when any of the series of overlays includes a value greater than or equal to the threshold.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including a warning system in communication with the collision predicting circuit, wherein the warning system is operable to provide a warning when the collision processing circuit generates a predetermined probability of a collision.

6. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the at least one cycle of data further includes the map definition, and wherein the map definition is first processed by the collision processing circuit.

7. A method for transferring data between an object detection system and a collision processing circuit disposed within an automotive vehicle, the automotive vehicle further including a warning system, wherein the object detection system includes a plurality of sensors configured to detect objects within a predetermined area of the automotive vehicle, the predetermined area centered around the object detection system so as to change with the movement of the object detection system, and wherein the plurality of sensors are also configured to detect the movement of the objects within the predetermined area, and wherein the object detection system further includes a path predicting circuit and a plotting circuit, and wherein the path predicting circuit predicts the path of the detected objects within the predetermined area and the plotting circuit plots the predicted location of the detected objects at a given time, and wherein the object detection system is in communication with the collision processing circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

uploading a map definition, the map definition including static environmental information of the predetermined area, wherein the static environmental information is environmental information which is not capable of movement, wherein the static environmental information includes signal phase and timing of traffic lights, identified blind spots, traffic signals, a grid system having a plurality of grid cells plotted onto the predetermined area, and wherein the map definition includes static environmental information relating to the predetermined area, the static information includes the location and orientation of roadside infrastructure and the orientation and dimension of terrain located within the predetermined area;

generating a series of overlays, having a plurality of overlays, each overlay in the series of overlays consisting of a grid system consisting of a plurality of grid cells plotted onto the predetermined area of the object detection system, wherein each overlay in the series of overlays is separated from the other by a predetermined interval of time;

gathering dynamic information from the plurality of sensors at a predetermined period of time, and sequentially plotting the dynamic information onto a respective overlay of the series of overlays;

first uploading the map definition to the collision processing circuit, wherein the map definition is processed, and subsequently transmitting the series of overlays to the collision processing circuit, wherein the collision processing circuit is operable to sequentially update the map definition with the each overlay in the series of overlays so as to determine a probability of a collision within each of the grid cells; and

generating a cycle of data, wherein the cycle of data includes the series of overlays, and wherein each of the series of overlays is separated from the other by a predetermined interval of time, wherein the map definition is uploaded at the beginning of each cycle of data, wherein a new map definition is uploaded when the automotive vehicle leaves the predetermined area, the warning system issuing a warning when the collision processing circuit generates a predetermined probability of a collision.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, further including the step of providing a location and orientation of infrastructure located within the predetermined area, a signal phase and timing of traffic lights located within the predetermined area, identified blind spots present in the predetermined area, and traffic signals to the map definition.

9. A data transmission system for use in an automotive vehicle having a warning system, the data transmission system directed towards providing data used for determining a probability of a collision comprising:

an object detection system having a plurality of sensors configured to provide coverage of a predetermined area, the plurality of sensors operable to detect the movement of objects within the predetermined area, the predetermined area centered around the object detection system so as to change with the movement of the object detection system, the object detection system further including a path predicting circuit and a plotting circuit, the path predicting circuit predicts the path of each of the detected objects within the predetermined area, the plotting circuit plots the predicted location of the detected objects;

a collision processing circuit in communication with the object detection system, the collision processing circuit operable to process the predicted location of the detected objects to determine the probability of a collision;

a map definition uploaded into the system, the map definition including the predetermined area of the object detection system, the map definition further includes static environmental information relating to the predetermined area, wherein the static environmental information is environmental information which is not capable of movement, the static information includes signal phase and timing of traffic lights, identified blind spots, traffic signals, the location and orientation of roadside infrastructure and the orientation and dimension of terrain located within the predetermined area, and wherein the map definition is transmitted from the object detection system to the automotive vehicle at a predetermined time, the collision processing circuit processing the map definition; and

a series of overlays, each overlay in the series of overlays consisting of a grid system plotted onto the predetermined area of the object detection system, wherein each overlay of the series of overlays is separated from the other by a predetermined interval of time, wherein the grid system is defined by a plurality of grid cells and wherein each overlay in the series of overlays further includes the plotted location of the detected objects gathered by the plurality of sensors at a predetermined time, and wherein the object detection system first uploads the map definition and then sequentially transmits the each overlay in the series of overlays to the collision processing circuit, the collision processing circuit updating the map definition with each of the overlays, updating the map definition with the location of the detected objects on each of the overlays so as to determine the probability of a collision within a given grid cell of the predetermined area, wherein the warning system issues a warning when the collision processing circuit generates a predetermined probability of a collision.

10. The data transmission system as set forth in claim 9, further including at least one cycle of data transmitted by the object detection system to the collision processing circuit, wherein the at least one cycle of data includes the series of overlays.

11. The data transmission system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the static information further includes the location of blind spots signal phase and timing of traffic lights.