Advanced pedestrian and/or driver alert and/or collision avoidance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11890987-B2
Application number	US-202117196883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2021
Priority date	Mar 11, 2020
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

An advanced pedestrian warning or alert system is a system for automotive vehicles is described herein in various embodiments. This system detects if a vulnerable road user, for example a pedestrian, is at an unsafe distance from the moving vehicle. If a pedestrian is too close to the vehicle when the vehicle is in motion, then the system will issue auditory and/or visual warnings to notify the pedestrian back to safety.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of providing pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance for a large vehicle having a first sensing device, a driver warning system and a pedestrian alarm system, the method comprising:
sensing, by the first sensing device, an exterior hazard in a first field of view responsive to a first predetermined criteria when a vehicle is travelling in a first direction, said first sensing device mounted on a first side of the vehicle;
generating, by the driver warning system, at least one of a driver visual warning or a driver audible alarm configured to alert the driver when the exterior hazard is detected by the first sensing device; and
issuing, by the pedestrian alarm system, a first auditory warning message via a first speaker responsive to the vehicle's speed within a first predetermined speed range or a first predetermined speed, the vehicle's yaw rate, and a pedestrian is within a first predetermined distance to the vehicle, said first speaker mounted on the first side of the vehicle; and
emitting at least one of: an auditory alarm, an auditory message, or continuous sound or bursts of sound at one or more of: a configurable frequency, volume or pattern when in motion and within a distance threshold with a pedestrian, wherein said continuous sound or bursts of sound is a simulated vehicle in motion sound.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
issuing, by the pedestrian alarm system, a first visual warning via at least one of: a first strobe or light source when at least one of: the vehicle's speed is within the first predetermined speed range, the vehicle's yaw rate is within the first predetermined yaw rate range or the pedestrian is within a first predetermined distance to the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle yaw rate is determined responsive to a minimum turn rate being within a first predetermined yaw rate.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining that the vehicle is turning responsive to a minimum turn rate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first auditory warning message includes a voice message to inform the pedestrian.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pedestrian alarm system is configured to issue a second auditory warning message via at least one of the first speaker or other speaker responsive to at least one of: second vehicle speed, second vehicle initiating a turn, second vehicle turn rate, or second pedestrian distance to the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second auditory warning message includes a voice message of “Danger, Step Back”.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said pedestrian alarm system is configured to issue a third auditory warning message via at least one of the first speaker or other speaker responsive to at least one of: third vehicle speed, third vehicle initiating a turn, third vehicle turn rate, or third pedestrian distance to the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first auditory warning message indicates an imminent threat of collision, the second auditory warning message indicates a caution situation of impending collision where the second pedestrian distance is greater than the first pedestrian distance, and the third auditory warning message indicates a potential collision where the third pedestrian distance is greater than the second pedestrian distance.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pedestrian alarm system is configured to generate a pedestrian visual warning or a pedestrian audible alarm to alert the pedestrian responsive to the pedestrian alarm system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pedestrian is provided the visual warning or the audible alarm from the pedestrian alarm system responsive to predetermined criteria including distance between the pedestrian and the pedestrian alarm system.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pedestrian alarm system or driver warning system is configured to generate a warning responsive to a controller area network (CAN) transmission for a CAN/J1939 message.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensing device comprising an object detecting sensor system.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the object detecting sensor system comprising one or more optical sensors configured to emit one of infrared, red or laser light to a target, and wherein the target breaks or reflects the emitted light back to the one or more optical sensors to activate a sensor output.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the object detecting sensor system comprising a radar system configured to emit radio waves to a target, and wherein the target reflects the emitted radio waves back to the radar system to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of the target.

16. A method of providing pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance for a large vehicle having a first sensing device, a driver warning system and a pedestrian alarm system, the method comprising:
sensing, by the first sensing device, an exterior hazard in a first field of view responsive to a first predetermined criteria when a vehicle is travelling in a first direction, said first sensing device mounted on a first side of the vehicle;
generating, by the driver warning system, at least one of a driver visual warning or a driver audible alarm configured to alert the driver when the exterior hazard is detected by the first sensing device; and
issuing, by the pedestrian alarm system, a first auditory warning message via a first speaker responsive to the vehicle's speed within a first predetermined speed range or a first predetermined speed, the vehicle's yaw rate, and a pedestrian is within a first predetermined distance to the vehicle, said first speaker mounted on the first side of the vehicle;
emitting at least one of: an auditory alarm, an auditory message, or continuous sound or bursts of sound at one or more of: a configurable frequency, volume or pattern when in motion and within a distance threshold with a pedestrian;
detecting, by at least one ambient sensor, level of an environmental noise data on at least one side of the vehicle; and
transmitting the environmental noise data to the pedestrian alarm system, wherein a volume of the first speaker is dynamically adjusted responsive to the environmental noise data.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said continuous sound or bursts of sound is a simulated vehicle in motion sound.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the vehicle's yaw rate is determined responsive to a minimum turn rate being within a first predetermined yaw rate.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first auditory warning message includes a voice message to inform the pedestrian.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein said pedestrian alarm system is configured to issue a second auditory warning message via at least one of the first speaker or other speaker responsive to at least one of: second vehicle speed, second vehicle initiating a turn, second vehicle turn rate, or second pedestrian distance to the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said pedestrian alarm system is configured to issue a third auditory warning message via at least one of the first speaker or other speaker responsive to at least one of: third vehicle speed, third vehicle initiating a turn, third vehicle turn rate, or third pedestrian distance to the vehicle.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first auditory warning message indicates an imminent threat of col

Assignees

• Rosco Inc

Inventors

• Englander Benjamin
• Dean Clayton
• Polimeni John
• Cacic Michael
• Locoteta Mathew
• Serer Julian

Classifications

• B60Q5/006 Primary

  indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians · CPC title

• B60Q1/525

  automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data · CPC title

• B60R16/023

  for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems · CPC title

• B60W40/10

  related to vehicle motion · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title