Determining threats based on information from road-based devices in a transportation-related context

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9368028-B2
Application number	US-201213425210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2012
Priority date	Dec 1, 2011
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

Techniques for ability enhancement are described. Some embodiments provide an ability enhancement facilitator system (“AEFS”) configured to enhance a user's ability to operate or function in a transportation-related context as a pedestrian or a vehicle operator. In one embodiment, the AEFS is configured to perform vehicular threat detection based on information received at a road-based device, such as a sensor or processor that is deployed at the side of a road. An example AEFS receives, at a road-based device, information about a first vehicle that is proximate to the road-based device. The AEFS analyzes the received information to determine threat information, such as that the vehicle may collide with the user. The AEFS then informs the user of the determined threat information, such as by transmitting a warning to a wearable device configured to present the warning to the user.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for enhancing ability in a transportation-related context, the method comprising:
receiving, from a road-based device, information about a first vehicle that is proximate to the road-based device;
receiving, from a wearable device of a user, motion-related information about the user, the motion-related information including position information obtained from a position sensor of the wearable device;
determining threat information based at least in part on the information about the first vehicle and the motion-related information about the user; and
presenting the threat information via the wearable device of a user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining threat information includes: determining a likelihood that the first vehicle will collide with some other object.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining a likelihood that the first vehicle will collide with some other object includes: determining a likelihood that the first vehicle will collide with the user.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining a likelihood that the first vehicle will collide with some other object includes: determining that the likelihood that the first vehicle will collide with some other object is greater than a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining threat information includes: determining that the first vehicle is driving with excessive speed.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining that the first vehicle is driving with excessive speed includes: determining that the first vehicle is traveling more than a threshold percentage faster than an average speed of traffic on a road segment at a current time, wherein the average speed of traffic is measured over a time window preceding the current time.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining that the first vehicle is driving with excessive speed includes: determining that the first vehicle is traveling at a speed that is more than a threshold number of standard deviations over an average speed of traffic on a road segment.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the road-based device is a sensor attached to a structure proximate to the first vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the structure proximate to the first vehicle is one of a utility pole, a traffic control signal support, and/or a building.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the receiving information about a first vehicle includes: receiving an image of the first vehicle from a camera deployed at an intersection.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the receiving information about a first vehicle includes: receiving ranging data from a range sensor deployed at an intersection, the ranging data representing a distance between the first vehicle and the intersection.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the road-based device includes at least one of: a camera, a microphone, a radar-based speed sensor, light detection and ranging-based speed sensor, and/or a range sensor.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the road-based device includes a receiver operable to receive motion-related information transmitted from the first vehicle, the motion-related information including at least one of a position of the first vehicle, a velocity of the first vehicle, and/or a trajectory of the first vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the road-based device is embedded in a roadway being traveled over by the first vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the road-based device includes one or more induction loops embedded in the roadway, the one or more induction loops configured to detect the presence and/or velocity of the first vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the receiving information about a first vehicle includes: receiving motion-related information from the induction loop, the motion-related information including at least one of a position of the first vehicle, a velocity of the first vehicle, and/or a trajectory of the first vehicle.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving information about a first vehicle includes: receiving the information about the first vehicle from a sensor attached to the first vehicle.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving information about a first vehicle includes: receiving the information about the first vehicle from a sensor attached to a second vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second vehicle is an aerial vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the aerial vehicle is a drone employed as an instrument platform configured to:
travel over a road segment being traveled by the first vehicle; and
track and provide information about the first vehicle.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving information about a first vehicle includes: receiving the information about the first vehicle from a sensor of the wearable device.

22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving motion-related information about the first vehicle and/or other objects moving about a roadway.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving information about a first vehicle includes: receiving image data from a camera, the image data representing an image of the first vehicle.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the receiving image data from a camera includes: receiving an image from a camera that is attached to a road-side structure or the wearable device.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving information about a first vehicle includes: receiving data representing an audio signal emitted or reflected by the first vehicle.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining threat information includes: determining threat information that is not related to the first vehicle.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the determining threat information that is not related to the first vehicle includes: determining that there is slow traffic in proximity to the user.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the determining that there is slow traffic in proximity to the user includes: receiving information from a traffic information system regarding traffic congestion on a road traveled by the user.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the determining that there is slow traffic in proximity to the user includes: determining that one or more vehicles are traveling slower than an average or posted speed for a road traveled by the user.

30. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying multiple threats to the user;
identifying a first one of the multiple threats that is more significant than at least one other of the multiple threats; and
instructing the user to avoid the first one of the multiple threats.

31. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presenting the threat information includes: presenting the threat information via an audio output device of the wearable device.

32. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presenting the threat information includes: presenting the threat information via a visual display device of the wearable device.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the presenting the threat information via a visual display device includes: displaying an indicator that instructs the user to look towards the first vehicle.

34. The method of claim 32 , wherein t

Assignees

• Lord Richard T
• Lord Robert W
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Hyde Roderick A
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Wood Victoria Y H
• Whitmer Charles
• Bahl Paramvir
• Burger Douglas C
• Chandra Ranveer
• Gates Iii William H
• Holman Paul
• Kare Jordin T
• Mundie Craig J
• Paek Tim
• Tan Desney S
• Zhong Lin
• Dyor Matthew G
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Lord Richard T
• Lord Robert W
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Hyde Roderick A
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Wood Victoria Y H
• Whitmer Charles
• Bahl Paramvir
• Burger Douglas C
• Chandra Ranveer
• Gates Iii William H
• Holman Paul
• Kare Jordin T
• Mundie Craig J
• Paek Tim
• Tan Desney S
• Zhong Lin
• Dyor Matthew G

Classifications

• H04M1/724098

  Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle (for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075) · CPC title

• H04M1/724097

  Worn on the head · CPC title

• G08G1/042 Primary

  using inductive or magnetic detectors · CPC title

• G08G1/056 Primary

  with provision for distinguishing direction of travel · CPC title

• G08G1/096791

  where the origin of the information is another vehicle · CPC title