Adaptive zone of safety

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9656602-B2
Application number	US-201314353146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2013
Priority date	Dec 13, 2013
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

Various systems and methods for providing an adaptive zone of safety are described herein. An apparatus comprises a projector to project a lighted shape on a travel surface, the lighted shape demarcating the adaptive zone of safety; a monitor to monitor a path of a pedestrian travelling over the travel surface; and a computing module to adaptively adjust the lighted shape based on at least one of the travel surface or the path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus to provide an adaptive zone of safety, the apparatus comprising:
a projector to project a lighted shape on a travel surface, the lighted shape demarcating the adaptive zone of safety;
a monitor to monitor a path of a pedestrian travelling over the travel surface; and a computing module to adaptively adjust the lighted shape based on at least one of the travel surface or the path,
wherein to adaptively adjust the lighted shape, the computing module is to: determine a condition of the travel surface; and
adjust a size of the lighted shape according the condition of the travel surface, wherein to determine the condition of the travel surface, the computing module is to:
access a sensor mounted to a personal transportation vehicle that the pedestrian is operating to obtain an environmental variable; and
use the environmental variable to identify the condition of the travel surface, wherein the sensor comprises microphone incorporated in a mobile device, wherein the environment variable comprises a noise level indicative of other traffic on or near the travel surface, and
wherein the condition of the travel surface is identified as being some degree from free flowing to congested.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lighted shape is a single line.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lighted shape comprises a pair of approximately parallel lines.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to adaptively adjust the lighted shape, the computing device is to:
monitor the path to determine a degree of wobble of the path; and
adjust the size of the lighted shape according the degree of wobble.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein to monitor the path to determine the degree of wobble, the computing module is to sense lateral movement of the pedestrian over a period of time using at least one of an accelerometer and a gyrometer.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the computing module is to:
compare the lateral movement to a historical wobble value; and
calculate an appropriate size of the lighted shape based on the comparison.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pedestrian is operating a personal transportation device, and wherein to adaptively adjusts the lighted shape, the computing module is to:
detect an attitude of the personal transportation device; and
adjust the size of the lighted shape according the attitude.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein to detect the attitude of the personal transportation device, the computing module is to use a gyrometer to detect the attitude.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the personal transportation device comprises one of a bicycle, a unicycle, a skateboard, a kick scooter, a wheelchair, or inline skates.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein when detecting the attitude of the personal transportation device the computing module is to detect that the personal transportation device is turning and adjusts the size of the lighted shape to accommodate the turning.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a moisture sensor, and wherein the environmental variable comprises wetness, and wherein the condition of the travel surface is identified as being some degree from dry to wet.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a transceiver to transmit an indication of the adaptive zone of safety to a nearby vehicle, the nearby vehicle to use the indication to display information to an operator of the nearby vehicle in order to notify the operator of the pedestrian's adaptive zone of safety.

13. A method for providing an adaptive zone of safety, the method comprising:
projecting a lighted shape on a travel surface, the lighted shape demarcating the adaptive zone of safety;
monitoring, using a mobile computing device, a path of a pedestrian travelling over the travel surface; and
adaptively adjusting the lighted shape based on at least one of the travel surface or the path,
wherein adaptively adjusting the lighted shape comprises:
determining a condition of the travel surface; and
adjusting a size of the lighted shape according the condition of the travel surface,
wherein determining the condition of the travel surface comprises:
accessing a sensor mounted to a personal transportation vehicle that the pedestrian is operating to obtain an environmental variable; and
using the environmental variable to identify the condition of the travel surface, wherein the sensor comprises microphone incorporated in a mobile device, wherein the environment variable comprises a noise level indicative of other traffic on or near the travel surface, and
wherein the condition of the travel surface is identified as being some degree from free flowing to congested.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the lighted shape is a single line.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the lighted shape comprises a pair of approximately parallel lines.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein adaptively adjusting the lighted shape comprises:
monitoring the path to determine a degree of wobble of the path; and
adjusting the size of the lighted shape according the degree of wobble.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein monitoring the path to determine the degree of wobble comprises sensing lateral movement of the pedestrian over a period of time using at least one of an accelerometer and a gyrometer.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
comparing the lateral movement to a historical wobble value; and
calculating an appropriate size of the lighted shape based on the comparison.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pedestrian is operating a personal transportation device, and wherein adaptively adjusting the lighted shape comprises:
detecting an attitude of the personal transportation device; and
adjusting the size of the lighted shape according the attitude.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions for providing an adaptive zone of safety, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:
project a lighted shape on a travel surface, the lighted shape demarcating the adaptive zone of safety;
monitor a path of a pedestrian travelling over the travel surface; and
adaptively adjust the lighted shape based on at least one of the travel surface or the path, wherein adaptively adjusting the lighted shape comprises:
determining a condition of the travel surface; and
adjusting a size of the lighted shape according the condition of the travel surface, wherein determining the condition of the travel surface comprises:
accessing a sensor mounted to a personal transportation vehicle that the pedestrian is operating to obtain an environmental variable; and
using the environmental variable to identify the condition of the travel surface, wherein the sensor comprises microphone incorporated in a mobile device, wherein the environment variable comprises a noise level indicative of other traffic on or near the travel surface, and
wherein the condition of the travel surface is identified as being some degree from free flowing to congested.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the instructions to adaptively adjust the lighted shape comprise instructions to:
monitor the path to determine a degree of wobble of the path; and
adjust the size of the lighted shape according the degree of wobble.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions to monitor the path t

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Needham Bradford H
• Sia Jr Jose K

Classifications

• H04N9/3173

  wherein the projection device is specially adapted for enhanced portability · CPC title

• B62J6/04

  Rear lights · CPC title

• B60Q1/32 Primary

  for indicating vehicle sides {, e.g. clearance lights} · CPC title

• B60Q2400/50

  Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body · CPC title

• B62J27/00

  Safety equipment · CPC title