Truck safety zone using a vehicle gateway

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10315557-B2
Application number	US-201815884368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2018
Priority date	Oct 5, 2016
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

Electronic components may be integrated in objects used by the trucking industry, such as truck, tractor trailer, cargo, and loading bay. These objects may then communicate with each other and with a gateway device to transmit or receive data or commands. The gateway may be configured to attach to the truck, such as by securing to the truck frame or securing to an interior of the truck cab. The gateway may couple to one or more input devices, and receive sensor data through the one or more input devices. The gateway may execute steps that allow the gateway to determine safety margins for operating a vehicle and communicating that information to other nearby vehicles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system, comprising:
at least one input device configured to couple to a device operating with a vehicle;
a projection device configured to attach to the vehicle; and
a gateway configured to attach to the vehicle and coupled to the at least one input device and the projection device, wherein the gateway is configured to perform steps comprising:
receiving vehicle information through the at least one input device;
determining a no-entry zone around at least a portion of the vehicle based, at least in part, on the vehicle information; and
controlling the projection device to project an image indicating the no-entry zone to nearby vehicles,
wherein the at least one input device further comprises a communications radio for communicating with a second gateway on a second vehicle, and wherein the gateway is further configured to perform steps comprising:
receiving second vehicle information from the second gateway,
wherein the determined no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on the received second vehicle information.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein a first of the at least one input devices is configured to couple to an engine computer, wherein the gateway is configured to receive the vehicle information at least in part from the engine computer, and wherein the gateway is configured to determine the no-entry zone based, at least in part, on a speed of the vehicle received from the engine computer.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein a second of the at least one input devices is configured to couple to a sensor, wherein the gateway is configured to receive second vehicle information from the sensor, and wherein the gateway is configured to determine the no-entry zone based, at least in part, on the second vehicle information.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 , wherein the second of the at least one input devices is configured to couple to a camera, wherein the gateway is configured to receive second vehicle information comprising road conditions, and wherein the gateway is configured to determine the no-entry zone based, at least in part, on the vehicle speed and the road conditions.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the projected image is recognizable by a camera vision system of the nearby vehicles.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein a second of the at least one input devices is configured to couple to a radar system configured to determine a distance between the vehicle and the nearby vehicle, and wherein the gateway is configured to receive second vehicle information comprising the distance, and wherein the gateway is configured to determine the no-entry zone based, at least in part, on the distance.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the received second vehicle information indicates a vehicle platoon of the vehicle and the second vehicle, and wherein the determined no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on providing sufficient stopping distance for the vehicle platoon.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the gateway is configured to transmit first vehicle information to the second gateway, wherein the first vehicle information comprises at least one of vehicle type, load, vehicle speed, and safe distance.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input device is integrated with the gateway.

10. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a vehicle gateway, vehicle information through the at least one input device;
determining, by the vehicle gateway, a no-entry zone around at least a portion of the vehicle based, at least in part, on the vehicle information;
controlling, by the vehicle gateway, a projection device to project an image indicating the no-entry zone to nearby vehicles; and
receiving, by the vehicle gateway, second vehicle information from a second gateway,
wherein the determined no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on the received second vehicle information.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the vehicle information at least in part from the engine computer, and wherein the step of determining the no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on a vehicle speed received from the engine computer.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving second vehicle information from a sensor, and wherein the step of determining the no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on the second vehicle information.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of receiving second vehicle information comprises receiving road conditions, and wherein the step of determining the no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on the vehicle speed and the road conditions.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the projected image is recognizable by a camera vision system of the nearby vehicles.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising transmitting, by the vehicle gateway, vehicle information to the second gateway, wherein the vehicle information comprises at least one of vehicle type, load, vehicle speed, and safe distance.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the received second vehicle information indicates a vehicle platoon of the vehicle and the second vehicle, and wherein the determined no-entry zone is based, at least in part, on providing sufficient stopping distance for the vehicle platoon.

17. A vehicle safety system, comprising:
at least one input device configured to attach to a vehicle; and
a processor coupled to the input device, wherein the processor is configured to perform steps comprising:
receiving nearby vehicle information for a nearby vehicle through one of the at least one input devices, wherein one input device of the at least one input device is configured to couple to a sensor to receive nearby vehicle information comprising position information indicating a relative position of the vehicle to the nearby vehicle;
receiving vehicle information for the vehicle through one of the at least one input devices, wherein one input device of the at least one input devices is configured to couple to an engine computer to receive the vehicle information;
determining a no-entry zone around a portion of the nearby vehicle based, at least in part, on the received nearby vehicle information and the received vehicle information; and
displaying an alert to a user based, at least in part, on the no-entry zone, the received position information, and the received vehicle information.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein one of the at least one input devices comprises a camera, and the received position information comprises an image of a visual projection from the nearby vehicle.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein one of the at least one the input devices comprises a communications radio, and the received nearby vehicle information comprises a safe distance for the nearby vehicle.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein one of the at least one input devices comprises a communications radio, and the received nearby vehicle information comprises a vehicle type, a load, and a vehicle speed.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Terwilliger Kevin
• Tosh Andrew
• Wirtz Jefferson Walter
• Bryan Rex

Classifications

• H04W4/40

  for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] · CPC title

• G08G1/162

  event-triggered · CPC title

• H04W88/16

  Gateway arrangements · CPC title

• G08G1/0965

  responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle · CPC title

• H04W4/046

  Electricity · mapped topic