Vehicular alert system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967972-B2
Application number	US-202016805569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2020
Priority date	Jun 5, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A vehicular alert system includes an autonomous aerial vehicle and a central computer. The autonomous aerial vehicle includes a processor, a display, and a detector. The processor controls a data transceiver. The detector detects one or more vehicular condition. The central computer communicates with the autonomous aerial vehicle via the data transceiver. The central computer includes a memory device. The memory device stores vehicular condition data and road condition data. The central computer communicates one of a vehicular condition or a road condition to the autonomous aerial vehicle. The processor of the autonomous aerial vehicle displays the received condition on the display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicular alert system, comprising:
an autonomous aerial vehicle that includes a processor that controls a data transceiver, a display, and a detector that detects a vehicular condition or a road condition,
wherein the data transceiver of the autonomous aerial vehicle transmits the vehicular condition or the road condition directly to at least one vehicle;
and a central computer that communicates with the autonomous aerial vehicle via the data transceiver, the central computer having a memory device that stores the vehicular condition or the road condition,
wherein the central computer communicates one of a vehicular condition or a road condition to the autonomous aerial vehicle, and the processor of the autonomous aerial vehicle displays the received condition on the display,
wherein the autonomous aerial vehicle displays a reduced speed to an approaching vehicle that is reduced with respect to a legal speed limit,
wherein the reduced speed is reduced by a predetermined amount based upon a type of vehicle being driven, a history of accidents nearby, current weather, a future weather forecast and a type of a real-time hazard detected ahead of the approaching vehicle by the autonomous aerial vehicle and compared to preset hazardous parameters stored in a look up table, and
wherein the preset hazardous parameters stored in the lookup table include black ice, slippery roads, a traffic accident, road debris, animal debris, and potholes.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous aerial vehicle includes a speed detector that detects vehicular speed.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein road condition data includes one of current traffic, weather, weather forecast, road conditions, history of accidents, history of a driver, and nearness to hazards.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein upon the autonomous aerial vehicle detecting a hazardous condition, the autonomous aerial vehicle is configured to report the condition to the central computer, display a warning message on the display, and hover at the site of the hazardous condition.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central computer performs data analytics on aggregate crowd-sourced road condition data received from a plurality of vehicles in order to determine locations of real-time hazards contained within the aggregate of crowd-sourced road condition data, and
wherein the autonomous aerial vehicle is deployed by the central computer to a located real-time hazard prioritized according to recency and severity.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous aerial vehicle determines an optimal speed at which a vehicle should move to arrive at the closest traffic light based on at least one of vehicular or road condition data, and the autonomous aerial vehicle outputs the optimal speed via the display.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous aerial vehicle identifies and marks a speeding vehicle, and
wherein the autonomous aerial vehicle marks the speeding vehicle by attaching itself with a suction cup or by using a washable ink.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous aerial vehicle posts a hazardous condition on the display and travels ahead of and positions the display to be viewable by a driver of a vehicle traveling at speed.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein multiple autonomous aerial vehicles are deployed to an estimated region of need to scour for undetected hazards and alert nearby vehicles when a previously undetected hazard is detected based on a rank-ordered estimate of the benefit of the presence of one or more autonomous aerial vehicles, and
wherein the rank-ordered estimate of benefit is based upon at least one of current weather, weather forecast, history of accidents, history of a driver, proximity to schools, work zones, parks, daycares and religious institutions.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein autonomous aerial vehicles survey an area, identify hazards, and make decisions about alerting drivers using local autonomous aerial vehicle-based logic, and
wherein the identified hazards include an estimated likelihood of vehicle skidding given an image-analyzed road curvature.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detector includes a black ice detecting unit to detect black ice.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the location of at least one of road hazards including traffic jam, animal debris, potholes, and black ice is sent to authorities.

13. The vehicular alert system of claim 1 , wherein the detector further includes a microwave generator configured to provide a microwave carrier signal to a road surface, wherein the microwave carrier signal is emitted by a microwave horn-type sensor that includes a microwave diode configured to receive a reflected microwave signal from the road surface.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kundu Ashish
• Pickover Clifford A
• Kozloski James R
• Weisz Justin D
• Gordon Michael

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• G08G1/164 Primary

  Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles · CPC title

• B64U2101/24

  for use as flying displays, e.g. advertising or billboards · CPC title

• B64U2101/20

  for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms · CPC title

• G08G1/0955

  transportable · CPC title