Patent Issued for Networked vehicle control systems to facilitate situational awareness of vehicles (USPTO 11024157)

2021 JUN 23 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Chan, Leo (Normal, IL, US), Cielocha, Steven C. (Bloomington, IL, US), Crawford, Jennifer L. (Normal, IL, US), Gaudin, Kristopher Keith (Bloomington, IL, US), Kellett, Jennifer Criswell (Lincoln, IL, US), Leise, William J. (Normal, IL, US), Lyons, Roxane (Chenoa, IL, US), Matesevac, III, Edward P. (Normal, IL, US), Megyese, Matthew S. (Bloomington, IL, US), Myers, Jeremy (Normal, IL, US), Nepomuceno, John A. (Bloomington, IL, US), Shah, Rajiv C. (Bloomington, IL, US), filed on January 28, 2020, was published online on June 1, 2021, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 11024157 is assigned to State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “The proliferation of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles creates a new set of problems for other vehicles the roads. Many autonomous vehicles may be capable of carrying out an action without human input, often reacting in ways that differ from how human drivers typically react. Similarly, many vehicles may include semi-autonomous features, such as automatic braking, that cause them to behave unpredictably even if a human driver is usually in control. In either case, other drivers on the road may not be able to tell whether a vehicle is autonomous or semi-autonomous based solely on the car’s appearance. Consequently, these other drivers may be unable to adequately prepare and respond to these unconventional behaviors. Therefore, there exists significant unpredictability and danger for people and property in the vicinity of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles. The present embodiments may overcome these and/or other deficiencies.

“Additionally, all vehicles present a danger to pedestrians and individuals on or near the road when they change status. For example, a parked car is a risk to cyclists if one of its occupants unexpectedly opens a door in front of a cyclist and causes a collision. Similarly, a parked car is a risk to nearby pedestrians who may be injured if one of its occupants unexpectedly opens a door into them. As described above, the cyclists and nearby pedestrians often cannot tell whether a parked car has been parked for a long time and is thus not likely to have one of its doors opened, or if the car has just recently parked and is likely to have one of its doors opened. Therefore, there may exist significant unpredictability and danger for people in the vicinity of vehicles that have recently parked or otherwise changed their status. The present embodiments may overcome these and/or other deficiencies.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The present embodiments disclose systems and methods that may relate to, inter alia, autonomous vehicle control and/or reacting to the behavior of an environment omnidirectional to an autonomous vehicle. Systems and methods may use omnidirectional environment data (such as vehicle collision data, mobile device data, telematics data, vehicle mounted-sensor or image data, autonomous vehicle sensor or image data, and/or smart infrastructure sensor or image data) and/or other data to detect a change in the environmental conditions surrounding a vehicle that requires a reaction in order to ensure safety of individuals and property. The omnidirectional environment data may be used to route or re-route autonomous vehicles, pedestrians, or bicyclists in response to detecting a hazard in the omnidirectional environment. The omnidirectional environment data may be used to generate alerts to human drivers, smart vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and/or mobile devices. Further, wearable electronics may receive warnings from smart infrastructure of an approaching high risk and generate an audible, visual, or haptic alerts for operators.

“Autonomous vehicle features may be engaged or disengaged depending upon whether the autonomous vehicle feature operates better than a manual driver given the type of reaction determined to be required as a response (such as exit ramp, on-ramp, circular traffic pattern, traffic light, road construction involving new daily traffic patterns/risks, high risk parking lot, etc.).

“Advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments which have been shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the present embodiments may be capable of other and different embodiments, and their details are capable of modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

“Exemplary systems and methods for improving vehicle safety are described here. In accordance with a first exemplary aspect, a computer-implemented method for improving vehicle safety may be provided. The computer-implemented method may include: (1) acquiring, by one or more transceivers communicatively coupled to a vehicle awareness system, omnidirectional environment data from one or more transceivers, where the omnidirectional environment data represents kinetic information on one or more physically detectable elements omnidirectional to the vehicle awareness system, and where at least one of the one or more transceivers are not physically coupled to the vehicle awareness system; (2) analyzing, via one or more processors (such as processors associated with the vehicle awareness system), the omnidirectional environment data to detect one or more hazards in the omnidirectional environment data; (3) generating, via the one or more processors, an alert in response to detecting the one or more hazards; and (4) transmitting, via the one or more processors and/or transceivers, the alert to at least one alert device. The method may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“For instance, the one or more of the transceivers may be communicatively coupled to one or more peripheral vehicles (such as via wireless communication or data transmission over one or more radio frequency links or communication channels), where the one or more peripheral vehicles is adjacent to the primary vehicle. The one or more of the transceivers may also be communicatively coupled to one or more pedestrians, where the one or more pedestrians is adjacent to the primary vehicle. The one or more of the transceivers may also be communicatively coupled to one or more physical structures, where the one or more physical structures is adjacent to the primary vehicle.

“The one or more hazards may indicate at least one of (1) an autonomous or semi-autonomous feature of a vehicle in the omnidirectional environment of the vehicle awareness system, (2) the current status of a vehicle in the omnidirectional environment of the vehicle awareness system, and (3) a change in the kinetic behavior of the one or more physically detectable elements omnidirectional to the vehicle awareness system. The current status of a vehicle in the omnidirectional environment of the primary vehicle may include the vehicle’s doors have not been opened since it parked.

“The at least one alert devices may include one of (1) an on-board computer coupled to the primary vehicle, (2) a mobile device associated with one or more of the occupants of a vehicle, and (3) a mobile device associated with one or more pedestrians. Generating an alert may also include selecting one or more of a visual alert, an audio alert, and a haptic alert.

“Analyzing the omnidirectional environment data to detect one or more hazards further may include analyzing the kinematic information of a vehicle to generate a predicted route for the vehicle. The omnidirectional environment data may be acquired over a wireless network from a third-party.

“In accordance with a second exemplary aspect of the invention, a computer system configured to improve vehicle safety may be provided. The computer system may include: (1) one or more transceivers, communicatively coupled to a vehicle awareness system, configured to acquire omnidirectional environment data, where the omnidirectional environment data represents kinetic information on one or more physically detectable elements omnidirectional to the vehicle awareness system, and where at least one of the one or more transceivers are not physically coupled to the vehicle awareness system; (2) one or more processors configured to analyze the omnidirectional environment data, where the one or more processors is configured to detect one or more hazards in the omnidirectional environment data; and (3) one or more alert systems configured to generate an alert in response to the one or more processors detecting the one or more hazards, and configured to transmit the alert to at least one alert device. The system may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“One or more of the transceivers may be communicatively coupled to one or more peripheral vehicles, where the one or more peripheral vehicles is adjacent to the primary vehicle. One or more of the transceivers may also be communicatively coupled to one or more pedestrians, where the one or more pedestrians is adjacent to the primary vehicle. One or more of the transceivers may also be communicatively coupled to one or more physical structures, where the one or more physical structures is adjacent to the primary vehicle.

“The one or more hazards may indicate at least one of (1) an autonomous or semi-autonomous feature of a vehicle in the omnidirectional environment of the vehicle awareness system, (2) the current status of a vehicle in the omnidirectional environment of the vehicle awareness system, and (3) a change in the kinetic behavior of the one or more physically detectable elements omnidirectional to the vehicle awareness system. The current status of a vehicle in the omnidirectional environment of the primary vehicle may include the vehicle’s doors have not been opened since it parked.

“The alert devices may include one of (1) an on-board computer coupled to the primary vehicle, (2) a mobile device associated with one or more of the occupants of a vehicle, and (3) a mobile device associated with one or more pedestrians. The one or more alert systems may be further configured to generate an alert by selecting one or more of a visual alert, an audio alert, and a haptic alert.

“The one or more processors may be further configured to analyze the omnidirectional environment data by analyzing the kinematic information of a vehicle to generate a predicted route for the vehicle. The one or more transceivers may acquire the omnidirectional data over a wireless network from a third-party.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computer-implemented method for improving vehicle safety, the method comprising: receiving, by one or more transceivers communicatively coupled to a vehicle awareness system, omnidirectional environment data associated with an omnidirectional environment of a primary vehicle from one or more transceivers, where the omnidirectional environment data represents kinetic information on one or more physically detectable elements omnidirectional to the vehicle awareness system; analyzing, via one or more processors, the omnidirectional environment data to detect a hazard that includes an autonomous or semi-autonomous feature of a vehicle in the omnidirectional environment; and generating, via the one or more processors, an alert in response to detecting the hazard.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where one or more of the transceivers are communicatively coupled to one or more peripheral vehicles.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where one or more of the transceivers are communicatively coupled to one or more pedestrians.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where one or more of the transceivers are communicatively coupled to one or more physical structures.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where the hazard further indicates a current status of the vehicle in the omnidirectional environment of the vehicle awareness system.

“6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, where the current status of the vehicle in the omnidirectional environment includes the vehicle’s doors have not been opened since the vehicle parked.

“7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where the hazard further indicates a change in the kinetic behavior of the one or more physically detectable elements omnidirectional to the vehicle awareness system.

“8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising: transmitting, via the one or more processors and/or associated transceivers, the alert to at least one alert device, wherein the at least one alert device is one of (1) an on-board vehicle computer, (2) a mobile device associated with a vehicle occupant, and (3) a mobile device associated with a pedestrian.

“9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where generating an alert includes selecting one or more of a visual alert, an audio alert, and a haptic alert.

“10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where analyzing the omnidirectional environment data to detect the hazard further includes analyzing vehicle kinematic information to generate a predicted route for the vehicle.

“11. A computer system of a primary vehicle configured to improve vehicle safety including: one or more transceivers, communicatively coupled to a vehicle awareness system, configured to receive omnidirectional environment data associated with an omnidirectional environment of a primary vehicle, where the omnidirectional environment data represents kinetic information on one or more physically detectable elements omnidirectional to the vehicle awareness system; one or more processors configured to analyze the omnidirectional environment data to detect a hazard that includes an autonomous or semi-autonomous feature of a vehicle in the omnidirectional environment; and one or more alert systems configured to generate an alert in response to the one or more processors detecting the hazard.

“12. The system of claim 11, where the one or more of the transceivers are communicatively coupled to one or more peripheral vehicles, where the one or more peripheral vehicles is adjacent to the primary vehicle.

“13. The system of claim 11, where the one or more of the transceivers are communicatively coupled to one or more pedestrians, where the one or more pedestrians is adjacent to the primary vehicle.

“14. The system of claim 11, where the one or more of the transceivers are communicatively coupled to one or more physical structures, where the one or more physical structures is adjacent to the primary vehicle.

“15. The system of claim 11, where the hazard further indicates a current status of the vehicle in the omnidirectional environment of the vehicle awareness system.

“16. The system of claim 11, where the hazard further indicates a change in the kinetic behavior of the one or more physically detectable elements omnidirectional to the vehicle awareness system.

“17. The system of claim 11, the system further configured to transmit the alert to at least one alert device, wherein the at least one alert devices is one of (1) an on-board computer coupled to the primary vehicle, (2) a mobile device associated with one or more vehicle occupants, and (3) a mobile device associated with one or more pedestrians.

“18. The system of claim 11, where the one or more alert systems are further configured to generate an alert by selecting one or more of a visual alert, an audio alert, and a haptic alert.

“19. The system of claim 11, where the one or more processors are further configured to analyze the omnidirectional environment data by analyzing vehicle kinematic information to generate a predicted route for the vehicle.

“20. The system of claim 11, where the one or more transceivers receive the omnidirectional data over a wireless network from a third-party.”

URL and more information on this patent, see: Chan, Leo. Networked vehicle control systems to facilitate situational awareness of vehicles. U.S. Patent Number 11024157, filed January 28, 2020, and published online on June 1, 2021. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=11024157.PN.&OS=PN/11024157RS=PN/11024157

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)