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Automobile Vision - Vehicle Interior
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Patent US10332401
Issued 2019-06-25
Running Vehicle Alerting System And Method
A running vehicle alerting system, comprising one or more forwardly directed optical sensors mounted on a same vehicle which are configured to capture road related images; an image processing unit configured to analyze the captured road-related images in real time and to determine, based on the analyzed images, whether the vehicle on which the one or more optical sensors are mounted is to be considered as a running vehicle that is spaced from a traffic light or a traffic sign by a distance shorter than a threshold safe braking distance and that is liable to endanger other vehicles; and an alert signal generating unit responsive to the determination of the vehicle as a running vehicle, for generating a collision avoiding alert signal.
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- 1. A running vehicle alerting system, comprising:
a) a plurality of cellular-assisted and location-indicative vehicle units carried by a different one of a plurality of vehicles; b) one or more forwardly directed optical sensors mounted on a same vehicle which are configured to capture road-related images; c) an image processing unit configured to analyze said captured roadrelated images in real time and to determine, based on said analyzed images, whether the vehicle on which said one or more optical sensors are mounted is to be considered as a running vehicle that is spaced from a traffic light or a traffic sign by a distance shorter than a threshold safe braking distance and that is liable to endanger other vehicles; d) an alert signal generating unit responsive to the determination of said image processing unit as a running vehicle, for generating a collision avoiding alert signal; and e) a remote server adapted to receive each of said alert signals and location data of each of said vehicle units, said server comprising a database in which map data representative of a physical layout of a plurality of inspected areas is stored, wherein said server is operable to process the map data and the received location data of vehicle units for a given inspected area and to determine, for each of the vehicles located within said given inspected area, an instantaneous distance between the vehicle and the traffic light or traffic sign and an instantaneous vehicular speed, and a decision as to whether it is separated from said running vehicle by less than a collision-liable distance, wherein said server is operable to transmit an additional alert signal, based on the processed map data and location data, to the vehicles found to be separated from said running vehicle by less than a collision liable distance, to indicate to each driver thereof that a braking force must be urgently applied or that any other evasive action must be taken.
- 20. A method for alerting neighboring vehicles following identification of a running vehicle, comprising the steps of:
a) providing a database in which map data for a given inspected area is stored; b) capturing road-related images by one or more forwardly directed optical sensors mounted on a same vehicle; c) by an image processing unit in data communication with said one or more optical sensors, analyzing the captured road-related images in real time to identify a traffic light or a traffic sign located within said given inspected area and being approached by said vehicle; d) transmitting location data of a plurality of cellular-assisted and location-indicative vehicle units, carried by a different one of a plurality of vehicles which are located within said given inspected area, to a processor in data communication with said image processing unit and with said database; e) determining, by said processor, an instantaneous distance between said vehicle and the identified traffic light or traffic sign and an instantaneous vehicular speed, and a decision as to whether said vehicle should be considered as a running vehicle that is spaced from the identified traffic light or traffic sign by a distance shorter than a threshold safe braking distance and that is liable to endanger other vehicles, the threshold safe braking distance being a function of said instantaneous distance and said instantaneous speed; f) determining, by said processor, which of said plurality of vehicles is found to be separated from said running vehicle by less than a collision-liable distance; and g) if said vehicle has been determined to be a running vehicle, transmitting a wireless alert signal to a receiver of each of said plurality of vehicles found to be separated from said running vehicle by less than a collision-liable distance, to indicate to a driver of each of said plurality of vehicles found to be separated from said running vehicle by less than a collision-liable distance that a braking force must be urgently applied or that any other evasive action must be taken.
