US 12,609,032 B2 · Vulnerable road user (VRU) collision avoidance system

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for reducing false positives for generating warnings to avoid potential collisions between a vehicle and vulnerable road users (VRUs). This is accomplished via an onboard vehicle safety system that uses crowdsourced map data to determine whether a vehicle is capable of performing a maneuver that results in a lateral shift of the vehicle (which may include a lane-shifting or turning maneuver) within a predetermined threshold time period. The ability for the vehicle to make the turning maneuver, among other driving scenarios, may be used to by the safety system to intelligently determine whether a warning or other action is needed to avoid a potential collision with a VRU. In this way, the occurrence and number of false warnings/interventions are minimized or at least reduced, leading to more attentive drivers and thereby improving VRU safety.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A vehicle, comprising:

one or more cameras configured to acquire image data of a vulnerable road user (VRU);
and
processing circuitry configured to:
determine a position of the vehicle using map data;
detect a speed and position of the VRU with respect to the vehicle based upon the acquired image data;
generate a warning when (i) a potential collision between the vehicle and the VRU is detected based upon the position of the vehicle, and (ii) the potential collision between the vehicle and the VRU is calculated to occur within a subsequent time period that is less than a threshold time period,
wherein the warning is generated further based upon a driving scenario that is defined by the vehicle being located in a predetermined geographic region;
and
adjust the threshold time period based upon a determination of whether the vehicle is capable of executing a turning maneuver from a current lane.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vulnerable road user (VRU) collision avoidance system

Life of this patent

Vulnerable road user (VRU) collision avoidance system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18