Autonomous mobile attenuator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10995462-B2
Application number	US-201816156047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2018
Priority date	Oct 10, 2018
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an autonomous mobile attenuator system for mitigating vehicular collisions. The system includes one or more mobile attenuators that receive data indicating a need for deployment from one or more sensors. The one or more mobile attenuators perform a collision risk assessment on the received data to determine a probability of a potential vehicle collision. The one or more mobile attenuators determine the probability of the potential vehicle collision exceeds a predetermined risk threshold value. The one or more mobile attenuators determine a predicted location for the potential vehicle collision. The one or more mobile attenuators proceed to the predicted location to mitigate the potential vehicle collision.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous mobile attenuator system, comprising:
one or more sensors; and
one or more mobile attenuators communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors, wherein each of the one or more mobile attenuators includes:
one or more impact attenuators; and
a processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving, from the one or more sensors, data indicating an estimation of need for deployment of the one or more mobile attenuators;
performing a collision risk assessment on the data received from the one or more sensors, to determine a probability of a potential vehicle collision;
determining that the probability of the potential vehicle collision exceeds a predetermined risk threshold value;
determining a predicted location for the potential vehicle collision; and
deploying the one or more mobile attenuators to an intercept location that is based on the predicted location of the potential vehicle collision, wherein the intercept location is along a path between a current location of a vehicle and the predicted location of the potential vehicle collision.

2. The autonomous mobile attenuator system of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining a specific pattern for placement of the one or more mobile attenuators, such that the specific pattern is determined as a highest probability to mitigate the potential vehicle collision; and
instructing the one or more mobile attenuators to arrange at the predicted location in the determined specific pattern.

3. The autonomous mobile attenuator system of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
depositing the one or more impact attenuators at the predicted location of the potential vehicle collision; and
adjusting heights of the one or more impact attenuators to minimize damages to a vehicle intercepted by the one or more mobile attenuators.

4. The autonomous mobile attenuator system of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving updated statistical information for the collision risk assessment from a host device; and
adjusting algorithms for the collision risk assessment and determination criteria for deployment of the one or more mobile attenuators.

5. The autonomous mobile attenuator of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining further immobilization is needed to mitigate the potential vehicle collision; and
deploying an immobilization unit that is temporarily coupled to the one or more mobile attenuators, wherein the immobilization unit is configured to stop a vehicle.

6. The autonomous mobile attenuator system of claim 5 , wherein the immobilization unit is a tack strip.

7. The autonomous mobile attenuator system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more mobile attenuators are configured to communicate between each other.

8. The autonomous mobile attenuator system of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving an indication that the probability of the potential vehicle collision has been mitigated; and
returning the one or more mobile attenuators to a docking station.

9. A method for deploying one or more mobile attenuators using an autonomous mobile attenuator system to mitigate a potential vehicle collision, the method comprising:
receiving, by one or more mobile attenuators, data indicative of an errant vehicle from one or more sensors indicating an estimation of need for deployment of the one or more mobile attenuators;
performing, by the one or more mobile attenuators, a collision risk assessment on the data to determine a probability of a potential vehicle collision;
determining, by the one or more mobile attenuators, the probability of the potential vehicle collision exceeds a predetermined risk threshold value;
determining, by the one or more mobile attenuators, a predicted location for the potential vehicle collision; and
proceeding, by the one or more mobile attenuators, to an intercept location that is based on the predicted location of the potential vehicle collision, wherein the intercept location is along a path between a current location of a vehicle and the predicted location of the potential vehicle collision.

10. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
determining, by the one or more mobile attenuators, a specific pattern for placement of each mobile attenuator, such that the specific pattern is determined as a highest probability to mitigate the potential vehicle collision; and
arranging, by the one or more mobile attenuators, into the determined specific pattern at the predicted location of the potential vehicle collision.

11. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
depositing, by the one or more mobile attenuators, one or more impact attenuators at the predicted location of the potential vehicle collision; and
adjusting, by the one or more mobile attenuators, heights of one or more impact attenuators to minimize damages to one or more vehicles intercepted by the one or more mobile attenuators.

12. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
receiving, by the one or more mobile attenuators, updated statistical information for the collision risk assessment from a host device; and
adjusting, by the one or more mobile attenuators, algorithms for the collision risk assessment and determination criteria for deployment of the one or more mobile attenuators.

13. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
determining, by the one or more mobile attenuators, further immobilization is needed to mitigate the potential vehicle collision; and
deploying, by the one or more mobile attenuators, an immobilization unit, wherein the immobilization unit is configured to stop a vehicle.

14. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
receiving, by the one or more mobile attenuators, an indication that the probability of the potential vehicle collision has been mitigated; and
returning, by the one or more mobile attenuators, to a docking station.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
receiving, from one or more sensors, data indicating an estimation of need for deployment of one or more mobile attenuators;
performing a collision risk assessment on the data to determine a probability of a potential vehicle collision;
determining the probability of the potential vehicle collision exceeds a predetermined risk threshold value;
determining a predicted location for the potential vehicle collision; and
deploying one or more mobile attenuators to an intercept location that is based on the predicted location of the potential vehicle collision, wherein the intercept location is along a path between a current location of a vehicle and the predicted location of the potential vehicle collision.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises:
determining a specific pattern for placement of the one or more mobile attenuators, such that the specific pattern is determined as a highest probability to mitigate the potential vehicle collision; and
instructing the one or more mobile attenuators to arrange at the predicted location in the determined specific pattern.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises:
depositing one or more impact attenuators from the one or mor

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kozloski James R
• Gordon Michael S
• Kundu Ashish
• Pickover Clifford A

Classifications

• G08G1/0116

  from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons · CPC title

• G08G1/0133

  for classifying traffic situation · CPC title

• G08G1/015

  with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles · CPC title

• E01F13/12 Primary

  for forcibly arresting or disabling vehicles, e.g. spiked mats · CPC title

• G08G1/202

  Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching · CPC title