Transportation threat detection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11170639-B2
Application number	US-202016810729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2020
Priority date	Mar 5, 2019
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A transportation threat detection system includes a communication module that receives an inertial event report from a reporting vehicle. The report includes (i) an indication of an inertial event from an inertial sensor at the reporting vehicle, and (ii) an indication of a geographic location associated with the event. The system also includes a fusion processor that associates the inertial event report with a potential transportation threat, consistent with the inertial event report and at the geographic location. The fusion processor generates a measure of support for the transportation threat potentially existing at the geographic location based on a participation rate generated using any additional inertial event reports received from respective additional reporting vehicles. The system also includes a reporting interface that renders output indicative of the potential transportation threat, wherein the output is made as a function of the generated measure of support.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transportation threat detection system comprising:
a communication module configured to receive an inertial event report from a reporting vehicle, the inertial event report including (i) an indication of an inertial event from an inertial sensor at the reporting vehicle, and (ii) an indication of a geographic location associated with the inertial event;
a fusion processor configured to associate the inertial event report with a potential transportation threat, consistent with the inertial event report and at the geographic location, the fusion processor further configured to generate a measure of support for the transportation threat potentially existing at the geographic location based on a participation rate generated using any additional inertial event reports received from respective additional reporting vehicles; and
a reporting interface configured to render output indicative of the potential transportation threat, the reporting interface rendering said output as a function of the generated measure of support, wherein the fusion processor is configured via speed dependent input scaling to distinguish between an inertial event caused only by the potential transportation threat and an inertial event caused by the potential transportation threat and a reaction, to the rendered output, of a receiving vehicle that receives the rendered output.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measure of support is a probability, plausibility, belief or some other quantification of the threat, i.e. a measure of the threat level.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module, fusion processor, and reporting interface form part of a transportation threat management system server.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fusion processor is further configured to generate respective measures of support for a plurality of distinct potential transportation threats potentially existing at the geographic location.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measure of support is an initial measure of support, and wherein the fusion processor is further configured to generate an updated measure of support for the transportation threat potentially continuing to exist at the geographic location, the updated measure of support being generated as a function of both the initial measure of support and an additional inertial event report received subsequent to generation of the initial measure of support.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the potential transportation threat is a hazard resulting from ice, water, oil, or debris on a road; or wherein the potential transportation threat is an animal or human on or near the road, or wherein the potential transportation threat is an oncoming traffic danger, an erratic driver, or another moving threat.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the potential transportation threat is a pothole, a dangerous intersection, a vehicular accident, or an unidentified potential threat.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the potential transportation threat is a limited visibility, a storm, wind, a tornado, a lightning strike, or another weather-based event.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module is further configured to receive the rendered output indicative of the potential transportation threat and to communicate said rendered output to the receiving vehicle, and wherein the receiving vehicle is autonomous, semi-autonomous, or operated by a driver.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module is further configured to receive the rendered output indicative of the potential transportation threat and to communicate said rendered output to a navigation system of the receiving vehicle, a mobile computing device, a mobile telephone, or other mobile communication device.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rendered output indicative of the potential transportation threat forms part of a local threat map indicating one or more threats in a current or future environment of the receiving vehicle that receives the rendered output, or wherein the rendered output forms part of a global threat map indicating one or more threats in a geographic region that is larger than the current or future environment of the receiving vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module is further configured to receive the rendered output indicative of the potential transportation threat and to communicate the rendered output to a governmental, commercial, or news facility.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inertial sensor is in a mobile computing device at the reporting vehicle.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inertial sensor is an on-board vehicle sensor at the reporting vehicle.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the geographic location is provided via a GPS receiver of a mobile computing device or on-board navigation system at the reporting vehicle.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module is further configured to receive the inertial event report from the reporting vehicle via an application running on a mobile computing device at the reporting vehicle.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to query, automatically, through the communication module, vehicles approaching the geographic location associated with the inertial event to obtain the additional inertial event reports to determine the participation rate.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fusion processor is further configured to generate the measure of support using a time-variant, nonlinear threat update equation.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fusion processor is further configured to generate the measure of support for the transportation threat potentially existing at the geographic location based further on information from a lidar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor such as an infrared thermometer, a camera, or a stereo camera device attached to or forming part of a mobile communication device or the reporting vehicle.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measure of support is a normalized threat level.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the speed dependent input scaling is scaling of an acceleration sensor signal at the reporting vehicle.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the speed dependent input scaling is quadratic scaling with speed.

23. A transportation threat detection system comprising:
a communication module configured to receive one or more inertial event reports from one or more respective reporting vehicles, the one or more inertial event reports based on speed dependent input scaling of accelerometer signals;
a fusion processor configured to associate the one or more inertial event reports with a potential transportation threat, the fusion processor further configured to generate a measure of support for the transportation threat; and
a reporting interface configured to render output indicative of the potential transportation threat, the reporting interface rendering said output as a function of the generated measure of support.

Assignees

• Univ Massachusetts
• Bauer Peter

Inventors

• Wickramarathne Thanuka
• Bauer Peter

Classifications

• G01C21/3804

  Creation or updating of map data · CPC title

• G08G1/0141

  for traffic information dissemination · CPC title

• G01C21/3691

  Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions (arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09) · CPC title

• G08G1/096822

  where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times · CPC title

• G08G1/0112 Primary

  from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD] · CPC title