CA-3111387-C - ADVANCED PEDESTRIAN AND/OR DRIVER ALERT AND/OR COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM

CA3111387CCA 3111387 CCA3111387 CCA 3111387CCA-3111387-C

Abstract

An advanced pedestrian warning or alert system in 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 a moving vehicle. Moreover, methods 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 are provided herein. If a pedestrian is too close to the vehicle when the vehicle is in motion, the system will emit 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 to notify the pedestrian back to safety.

Inventors

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

Assignees

ROSCO INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20210310
Priority Date: 20200311

Claims (20)

1. A pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system for a large vehicle, comprising: a first sensing device configured to sense 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 interior or exterior side of the vehicle; a driver warning system generating 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 a pedestrian alarm system configured to issue a first auditory warning message via a first speaker when the vehicle's speed is within a first predetermined speed range or a first predetermined speed, the vehicle's yaw rate is within a first predetermined yaw rate range, and a pedestrian is within a first predetermined distance to the vehicle, said first speaker mounted on the first side or a second side of the vehicle.
2. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the pedestrian alarm system is configured to issue a second auditory warning message via the first speaker when at least one of: the vehicle's speed is within a second predetermined speed range, the vehicle's yaw rate is within a second predetermined yaw rate range, or the pedestrian is within a second predetermined distance to the vehicle.
3. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 2, wherein the pedestrian alarm system is configured to issue a third auditory warning message via the first speaker when at least one of: the vehicle's speed is within a third predetermined speed range, the vehicle's yaw 47 CA 3111387 2021-03-10 rate is within a third predetermined yaw rate range, or the pedestrian is within a third predetermined distance to the vehicle.
4. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of: a first strobe or light source positioned on the first side of the vehicle, and wherein the pedestrian alarm system is configured to issue a first visual warning via the at least one of: the 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.
5. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 1 further comprising at least one ambient sensor configured to detect level of an environmental noise data on at least one side of the vehicle and transmit 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.
6. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the pedestrian alarm system is configured to issue the first auditory warning message comprising a foreign language message when the vehicle is detected located within or a predetermined distance from an area where the majority of the spoken language is not English.
7. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the pedestrian alarm system is configurable to wait for a pre-configured time period before generating the first auditory warning message. 48 CA 3111387 2021-03-10
8. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein at least one parameter used to configure the pedestrian alarm system is updated via a wireless transmission.
9. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the pedestrian alarm system is configured to emit 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.
10. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 9, wherein the sound level is configurable based on the vehicle speed or speed range.
11. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 9, wherein the emitted sound is emulated noises generated by an internal combustion engine.
12. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 1 further comprising a first trigger/condition profile associated with the pedestrian and a second trigger/condition profile associated with the driver, wherein selective conditions and/or triggers can be used in determining different actions and/or alerts associated therewith.
13. A pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system for a large vehicle, comprising: a first sensing device configured to sense an exterior hazard in a first field of view responsive to a first predetermined criteria when the vehicle is travelling in a first direction; and 49 CA 3111387 2021-03-10 a pedestrian alarm system configured to generate more than two levels of auditory warning messages and broadcast via at least a first speaker, each of the more than two levels of auditory warning messages corresponding to predetermined criteria comprising factors including at least one of: vehicle speed, vehicle speed range, vehicle's yaw rate or distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle, and said pedestrian alarm system prioritizing the broadcast of the more than two levels of auditory warning messages using the at least one speaker based on a severity level of a potential collision with the pedestrian determined responsive to the at least one of: the vehicle speed, the vehicle speed range, the vehicle yaw rate or the distance between the pedestrian and the vehicle.
14. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 13, wherein the pedestrian alarm system is configured to wait for a pre-configured time period before the system can generate a substantially same level of auditory warning message.
15. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 14, wherein when an auditory warning message corresponding to a higher severity level is played, one or more timeouts are triggered for playing auditory warning messages corresponding to one or more lower severity levels.
16. A pedestrian and driver alert and/or collision avoidance system for a large vehicle, comprising: CA 3111387 2021-03-10 a first sensing device configured to sense 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; a driver warning system generating 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 a pedestrian alarm system configured to issue a first auditory warning message via a first speaker mounted on the first side of the vehicle when: (1) the speed of the vehicle is within a first predetermined speed range or over a first predetermined speed, (2) the vehicle initiates a turn or a turn rate of the vehicle is within a first predetermined rate range or over a first predetermined rate, and (3) a pedestrian is within a first predetermined distance to the vehicle.
17. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 16, wherein the initiating of the turn or the turn rate is determined using at least one of said first sensing device or another sensing device that is independent of the turning of a steering wheel of the vehicle.
18. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 16, wherein said pedestrian alarm system is configured to not issue the first auditory warning message at least when the pedestrian is not within the first predetermined distance to the vehicle.
19. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 16, further comprising at least one of a location detection system or a wireless detection system, and wherein said pedestrian alarm system is configured to not issue the first auditory warning message when a 1 CA 3111387 2021-03-10 location of the vehicle is determined to be within a predetermined area or predetermined location.
20. The pedestrian alert and/or collision avoidance system of claim 16, further comprising a detection system, and wherein said pedestrian alarm system is configured to not issue the first auditory warning message when said detection system: detects the vehicle is located within or entering a predetermined area, or detects a predetermined wireless signal.

Description

ADVANCED PEDESTRIAN AND/OR DRIVER ALERT AND/OR COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/988,314, filed on March 11, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application is related to U.S. Application No. 15/911,853 filed on March 5, 2018, entitled "COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND/OR PEDESTRIAN DETECTION SYSTEM," which is continuation of U.S. Application No. 15/448,432 filed on March 2, 2017, now U.S. Patent No. 9,908,470, which is a continuation of U.S. Application No. 15/078,183, filed on March 23, 2016, now U.S. Patent No. 9,718,405, which claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/136,750, filed on March 23, 2015. All of the above applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. This application is related to U.S. Patent No. 9,286,521, entitled "Camera System for Large Vehicles," issued on March 15, 2016, which is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND [0002] Operating a vehicle, in particular a larger commercial vehicle, entails particular difficulties and risks to the safety of nearby vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as pedestrians, bikers, motorcyclists, etc. [0003] Conventionally, mirrors are attached to various parts of the exterior of the vehicle to enhance the driver's view. Mirrors, however, present their own challenges. First, a mirror and the arm or arms on which it is mounted protrude away from the vehicle. Mirrors can therefore be impact targets when the vehicle is in motion or is stationary. Additionally, mirrors do not provide a unified view from inside the cabin for the driver. For example, if a conventional cross- view mirror is attached to the front right side of the vehicle and a second cross-view mirror is attached on the front left side of the vehicle, then in order to ensure that the vehicle has clearance on both sides and that no pedestrians are in harm's way, the driver must look in opposite directions, to the right and then to the left, and then straight ahead before proceeding, perhaps even repeating this process one or more times. Blind spots may still occur on one or both sides 1 CA3111387 2021-03-10 of the vehicle, especially when the side mirrors are not adjusted properly, and/or in the front of the vehicle. [0004] Pedestrian collision warning systems (or pedestrian collision avoidance systems) have been introduced to eliminate potential blind spots or provide additional warning to the vehicle driver by providing additional display or displays installed inside the cabin of the vehicle to display side views of the vehicle in addition to mirrors. One example of such systems is a blind spot monitor, which can be a vehicle-based sensor device that detects other vehicles located to the driver's side and rear. Warnings can be provided to the driver by flashing on the side mirrors or displays mounted in the vehicle. However, such systems do not provide warning to nearby vulnerable road users and existing driver warnings may be inadequate. [0005] We have determined that improved systems for providing auditory and/or visual alerts to vulnerable road users that are in potentially harmful proximity to a moving vehicle, which address one or more of the foregoing issues and/or other related issues, are needed. [0006] We have also determined that improved systems for intelligently determining whether and/or when to issue an auditory and/or visual warning to pedestrians and/or drivers is needed. [0007] For example, we have determined that there is a need to warn pedestrians and/or drivers about a potential collision in an intelligent manner, and there is also a need to not issue unnecessary warnings that might interfere with the proper operation of a vehicle or generate excessive noise within the vehicle or outside the vehicle. 100081 We have determined that geo fencing techniques can be used to trigger an alert to the driver or even the nearby vulnerable road users when the vehicle entering or exiting a geo-fence. However, we have determined using geo fence technique by making noise outside of the vehicle may annoy pedestrians even if no one is in jeopardy. In addition, we have determined that when the vehicle is in a residential neighborhood, using the geo fencing technique may cause sound pollution to the neighbors. Further, we have determined that when a vehicle is inside a depot and loses GPS connection, if the vehicle is equipped with geo fence technique, it may send out alerts and annoy workers nearby. 2 CA3111387 2021-03-10 SUMMARY [0009] The present invention provides, in some embodiments, an advanced pedestrian alert system for providing auditory and/or visual alerts to vulnerable road users (e.g., pedestrians, bikers, motorcyclists, etc.) that are in potentially harmful proximity to a moving vehicle (e.g., a bus, truck, etc.). This system detects if a vulnerable road