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US-20260127967-A1 - SAFETY SYSTEM CONFIGURED TO DETERMINE WHEN A VEHICLE HAS MADE AN UNWANTED STOP

US20260127967A1US 20260127967 A1US20260127967 A1US 20260127967A1US-20260127967-A1

Abstract

A method for monitoring a vehicle includes determining that the vehicle is stopped and determining a location where the vehicle is stopped. Traffic congestion corresponding to the location where the vehicle is stopped may also be determined. A safety action may be taken based at least in part on whether the vehicle is stopped on a highway and whether the traffic congestion is causing the vehicle to be stopped.

Inventors

  • TJ England

Assignees

  • TJ England

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20260105

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A method for monitoring a vehicle, the method comprising: determining that the vehicle is stopped; determining a location where the vehicle is stopped; determining traffic congestion corresponding to the location where the vehicle is stopped; and taking a safety action based at least in part on one or more of whether the vehicle is stopped on a road and whether the traffic congestion is causing the vehicle to be stopped.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the safety action comprises sending an alert.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein taking a safety action is based at least in part on whether the vehicle is stopped on a highway.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein: a first type of alert is sent if the location of the vehicle is within a threshold distance of a highway on-ramp or a highway off-ramp; and otherwise a second type of alert is sent, the second type of alert indicating higher urgency than the first type of alert.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein: a global positioning system is used to determine the location where the vehicle is stopped; and the vehicle is determined to be stopped on the highway if data from the global positioning system indicates that the location where the vehicle is stopped is on or within a threshold distance of the highway.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle belongs to a fleet and sending the alert comprises sending the alert to a manager of the fleet.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the traffic congestion comprises determining one or more of traffic speed, traffic density, traffic volume, traffic flow, or level of service.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle is determined to be stopped if the vehicle has not moved for a threshold period of time.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining whether a traffic control device is present at the location of the vehicle and wherein taking the safety action may be based at least in part on absence of the traffic control device.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle has at least one associated driver and the safety action further comprises entering a note in a file associated with the at least one associated driver.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 2 , wherein information captured by a camera is used to determine one or more of that the vehicle is stopped, the location where the vehicle is stopped, or traffic congestion corresponding to the location where the vehicle is stopped.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 2 , wherein information from one or more of a radar system or a LIDAR system is used to determine that the vehicle is stopped.
  13. 13 . A system for monitoring a vehicle, comprising: one or more processors; and memory comprising instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining that the vehicle is stopped; determining a location where the vehicle is stopped; determining traffic congestion corresponding to the location where the vehicle is stopped; and taking a safety action based at least in part on one or more of whether the vehicle is stopped on a road and whether the traffic congestion is causing the vehicle to be stopped.
  14. 14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the safety action comprises sending an alert.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein taking a safety action is based at least in part on whether the vehicle is stopped on a highway.
  16. 16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein: a first type of alert is sent if the location of the vehicle is within a threshold distance of a highway on-ramp or a highway off-ramp; and otherwise a second type of alert is sent, the second type of alert indicating higher urgency than the first type of alert.
  17. 17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein: a global positioning system is used to determine the location where the vehicle is stopped; and the vehicle is determined to be stopped on the highway if data from the global positioning system indicates that the location where the vehicle is stopped is on or within a threshold distance of the highway.
  18. 18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein determining the traffic congestion comprises determining one or more of traffic speed, traffic density, traffic volume, traffic flow, or level of service.
  19. 19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle belongs to a fleet and sending the alert comprises sending the alert to a manager of the fleet.
  20. 20 . The system of claim 14 further comprising a camera and wherein information captured by the camera is used to determine one or more of that the vehicle is stopped, the location where the vehicle is stopped, or traffic congestion corresponding to the location where the vehicle is stopped.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/425,394, filed Jan. 29, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/327,866, filed May 24, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,887,484, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/000,454, filed Jun. 5, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,017,676, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. BACKGROUND Motor vehicles travel at speeds much faster than humans can walk. Humans use motor vehicles for many different purposes, including commuting to and from work, traveling for vacations, and running errands. Motor vehicles generally travel on roads. There are different types of roads. Motor vehicles may use local roads to travel around a neighborhood. Local roads may include traffic control devices such as stop lights or stop signs. Motor vehicles may also travel on freeways. Freeways may have speed limits higher than local roads. Freeways may also have on-ramps and off-ramps. Safety is important when motor vehicles travel on a road. Accidents involving motor vehicles may cause significant harm and even death to drivers and passengers of motor vehicles. Semi-trailer trucks may utilize roads to transport goods over long distances, often traveling for several days. Other vehicles, including delivery vans, passenger vehicles, and trucks, may also utilize roads to transport people, freight, or goods. These vehicles often move goods from manufacturers and suppliers to distribution and retail locations. These vehicles may be part of a fleet of vehicles. A carrier may manage a fleet from one or more locations. A carrier may be a company that transports goods for another company. The trucking industry in particular hauls a large percentage of freight in the United States. By some estimates, trucks move more than 10 billion tons of freight every year. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a system in which aspects of the present disclosure may be utilized. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram that illustrates an example of a method that may be implemented for monitoring a vehicle. FIG. 3A is a flow diagram that illustrates an example of a method that may be implemented for determining a type of alert to send with respect to a vehicle. FIG. 3B is a flow diagram that illustrates an example of a method that may be implemented for determining whether to send an alert with respect to a vehicle. FIG. 3C is a flow diagram that illustrates an example of a method that may be implemented for determining a type of alert to send regarding a vehicle. FIG. 4 illustrates examples of situations to which aspects of the present disclosure may be applied. FIG. 5 illustrates another example of a situation to which aspects of the present disclosure may be applied. FIG. 6 illustrates another example of a situation in which aspects of the present disclosure may be applied. FIG. 7 illustrates certain components that may be included within a computer system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Vehicles use roads, including highways, to transport people, freight, or goods. Some vehicles that transport freight, including semi-trailer trucks, are often larger than other motor vehicles travelling on a highway. A collision between a motor vehicle and a semi-trailer truck may cause damage to the motor vehicle and may cause injury to a driver or passenger of the motor vehicle. Vehicles transporting people, freight, or goods may be doing so for an individual or carrier. An accident involving a vehicle hauling freight for a carrier may create liability against the individual or carrier. An accident may also create liability for an owner or insurer of a vehicle. Thus, a carrier may want to monitor when a vehicle transporting people, freight, or goods on its behalf takes an action that increases the potential that the vehicle may be involved in an accident. A vehicle that stops on a road may create a danger to other motor vehicles. For example, a vehicle that stops on a road when traffic is light and no traffic light or traffic sign requires a stop may create an accident because other drivers may not expect a stop in that situation. Another example may be when a vehicle stops on a side of a highway. Motor vehicles may travel at high speeds when travelling on a highway. Due to distracted driving, adverse weather or visibility conditions, lack of familiarity with a road, or for other reasons, a motor vehicle may veer outside its lane and collide with a vehicle stopped on a side of a highway. It may be beneficial for an individual or carrier to know when a vehicle transporting people, freight, or goods on the individual or carrier's behalf has stopped on a road, including on a side of a highway. An individual or carrier may cause a fleet manager to contact a driver or occupant of a stopped vehicle. An individual or carrier may associate a stop with a driver for use in performance reviews and advancem