Traffic signal alarm device
OwnerRobert D. Fishinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The inventive subject matter provides devices and methods for improving driving safety using information obtained from images taken by a camera in a device. Among other things, contemplated devices and methods can produce alarms when it appear from rates of speed and acceleration/deceleration, that a vehicle will likely go through a red light, or fail to stop or sufficiently slow down at a stop sign. A significant feature of preferred devices and methods is that they are not dependent on WI-FI, cellular, satellite and radio signals, or any other external data transmission, and are not even dependent on speed, acceleration, or other information native to the vehicle.
Claims19
A method for improving safety of a motor vehicle having a windshield, comprising:
- providing a portable device that includes (a) a camera configured to provide image data, and (b) a processor;
- positioning the device in the motor vehicle such that the camera can take at least first, second, and third images through the windshield;
- taking the at least first, second, and third images through the windshield;
- associating the at least first, second, and third images with at least first, second, and third times, respectively;
- using the processor to:
- detect a stop signal within each of the at least first, second, and third images;
- use relative changes in size of the stop signal in the at least first, second, and third images, over the at least first, second, and third times, respectively, to calculate a speed and an acceleration of the vehicle, and to estimate a likelihood that the vehicle will stop before reaching a target location based at least in part upon the calculated speed and acceleration;
- and
- without relying on any information native to the vehicle, trigger an alarm if the estimated likelihood is that the vehicle will enter the target location while the stop signal indicates that the vehicle should stop;
- and
- a human acting to terminate the alarm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.