# US 10,766,412 B1 · Systems and methods for notifying other road users of a change in vehicle speed > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,412 B1 - Document ID: US10766412B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/569,052 - Filed: 2019-09-12 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-12 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Inventors: Benjamin P. Austin; Joshua E. Domeyer; John K. Lenneman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766412B1 ## CPC - G08G 1/005: including pedestrian guidance indicator - B60Q 1/54: for indicating speed {outside of the vehicle} - B60Q 1/543: {for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle (indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045)} - B60Q 5/005: {automatically actuated} - G08G 1/0125: {Traffic data processing} - B60Q 1/442: {visible on the front side of the vehicle, e.g. for pedestrians} - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL ## Abstract Systems and methods for notifying other road users of a change in speed of a vehicle are disclosed herein. One embodiment receives sensor data from one or more sensors; detects, from the sensor data, one or more other road users; determines a lag time, relative to a commencement of the change in speed of the vehicle, that coincides with an estimated moment at which at least one of the one or more other road users perceives the change in speed of the vehicle; and outputs a signal from the vehicle in accordance with the lag time to notify the at least one of the one or more other road users of the change in speed of the vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for notifying other road users of a change in speed of a vehicle, the system comprising: one or more sensors to output sensor data; a signaling subsystem; one or more processors; and a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing: a detection module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to: detect, from the sensor data, one or more other road users; and measure, from the sensor data, a gaze pattern of at least one of the one or more other road users; a perception module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to determine, based at least in part on the measured gaze pattern, a lag time between a commencement of the change in speed of the vehicle and an estimated moment at which the at least one of the one or more other road users perceives the change in speed of the vehicle; and a signaling module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to output a signal from the signaling subsystem at a time that, relative to the commencement of the change in speed of the vehicle, is delayed by the lag time to notify the at least one of the one or more other road users of the change in speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the perception module includes instructions to determine the lag time based, at least in part, on an initial speed of the vehicle immediately prior to the commencement of the change in speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the measured gaze pattern includes a duration of a time period during which the at least one of the one or more other road users is looking at the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the detection module includes further instructions to measure, from the sensor data, a speed at which the at least one of the one or more other road users is moving and the perception module includes instructions to determine the lag time based, at least in part, on the measured speed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the signaling subsystem includes at least one of one or more lights and one or more devices that produce audible sounds. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more lights are one or more of solid, flashing, animated, and colored. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the signaling module includes instructions to output a first version of the signal, when the change in speed of the vehicle is acceleration, and to output a second version of the signal that differs from the first version of the signal, when the change in speed of the vehicle is deceleration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other road users include one or more of a pedestrian and a cyclist. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable medium for notifying other road users of a change in speed of a vehicle and storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to: receive sensor data from one or more sensors; detect, from the sensor data, one or more other road users; measure, from the sensor data, a gaze pattern of at least one of the one or more other road users; determine, based at least in part on the measured gaze pattern, a lag time between a commencement of the change in speed of the vehicle and an estimated moment at which the at least one of the one or more other road users perceives the change in speed of the vehicle; and output a signal from the vehicle at a time that, relative to the commencement of the change in speed of the vehicle, is delayed by the lag time to notify the at least one of the one or more other road users of the change in speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to determine the lag time based, at least in part, on an initial speed of the vehicle immediately prior to the commencement of the change in speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the measured gaze pattern includes a duration of a time period during which the at least one of the one or more other road users is looking at the vehicle. ### Claim 12 A method of notifying other road users of a change in speed of a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving sensor data from one or more sensors; detecting, from the sensor data, one or more other road users; measuring, from the sensor data, a gaze pattern of at least one of the one or more other road users: determining, based at least in part on the measured gaze pattern, a lag time between a commencement of the change in speed of the vehicle and an estimated moment at which the at least one of the one or more other road users perceives the change in speed of the vehicle; and outputting a signal from the vehicle at a time that, relative to the commencement of the change in speed of the vehicle, is delayed by the lag time to notify the at least one of the one or more other road users of the change in speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the lag time is based, at least in part, on an initial speed of the vehicle immediately prior to the commencement of the change in speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the measured gaze pattern includes a duration of a time period during which the at least one of the one or more other road users is looking at the vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising one of determining and estimating an age of the at least one of the one or more other road users, wherein the determining the lag time is based, at least in part, on the age. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising estimating an emotional state of the at least one of the one or more other road users, wherein the determining the lag time is based, at least in part, on the estimated emotional state. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the vehicle is operating in an autonomous driving mode.