# US 2019/0168750 A1 · Vehicle-mounted transducer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168750 A1 - Document ID: US20190168750A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/350,888 - Filed: 2019-01-28 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2007-08-09 - Inventors: Steven Schraga - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168750A1 ## CPC - B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering - B60Q 1/00: Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor (for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00) - B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units - B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems - G01S 7/4017: {of HF systems} - G01S 13/931: of land vehicles - G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)} - G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control - G01S 2013/9315: {Monitoring blind spots} - G01S 2013/9316: {combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations} - G01S 2013/9317: {Driving backwards} - G01S 2013/93185: {Controlling the brakes} - G01S 2013/932: {using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction} - G01S 2013/9321: {Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control} - G01S 2013/9325: {for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons} - G01S 2013/93271: {in the front of the vehicles} - G01S 2013/93272: {in the back of the vehicles} - G01S 2013/93274: {on the side of the vehicles} - G08G 1/16: Anti-collision systems (road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08) - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - 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}) ## Abstract Tools are provided to assisting in the driving of a given vehicle in motion. Memory and a processor are provided. The processor is configured and interoperable with the memory, a transducer driver, and the given vehicle's driving control system. An object transducer carried by the given vehicle is driven in order to detect another moving vehicle in a detection area at a detection distance away from the given vehicle. Notification messages sent from other vehicles are received. The notification messages include a too close notification message sent from one of the other vehicles. A determination is made, based at least in part on the too close notification message sent from the one of the other vehicles, when the given vehicle is positioned in relation to the other moving vehicle such that the given vehicle should be driven differently. The given vehicle automatically takes remedial action upon the determination that the given vehicle is too close to the other moving vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus for assisting in the driving of a given vehicle in motion, the apparatus comprising memory and a processor, the processor being configured and interoperable with the memory, a transducer driver, and the given vehicle's driving control system, to cause: driving of an object transducer carried by the given vehicle in order to detect another moving vehicle in a detection area at a detection distance away from the given vehicle; receiving notification messages sent from other vehicles, the notification messages including a too close notification message sent from one of the other vehicles; determining, based at least in part on the too close notification message sent from the one of the other vehicles, when the given vehicle is positioned in relation to the other moving vehicle such that the given vehicle should be driven differently; and the given vehicle automatically taking remedial action upon the determination that the given vehicle is too close to the other moving vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the given vehicle is an automobile. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising the transducer driver and the object transducer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the remedial action includes slowing the speed of the given vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the remedial action is taken based on the detected distance to the other moving vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the remedial action is based on the too close notification message sent from the one of the other vehicles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the notification message is communicated from the other moving vehicle to the given vehicle via transceivers in the other moving and given vehicles. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the too close distance is a distance where the detection distance is less than a target distance that should be maintained between the other moving vehicle and the given vehicle when each of the other moving vehicle and the given vehicle is being driven in the same direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the remedial action is taken, the given vehicle's driving control system is controlled so that the given vehicle's brakes are automatically applied to slow down the given vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when remedial action is taken, the given vehicle's driving control system is controlled so that the given vehicle is automatically decelerated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the remedial action is taken, the given vehicle's control system is controlled so that a visible warning message is displayed on a display viewable by a user of the given vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to cause capturing and storing images of objects within the detection area in a long term database. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein as the images are captured, they are stored, in real time, in a long term database. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the captured images are annotated by a user via a user interface, and stored in the long term database with the annotations. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transducer comprises an array of object detecting transducers mounted to a front of the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the object detecting transducer includes at least one laser and at least one light detector, the laser generating pulsed laser signals reflected by the object when the object is positioned in a trajectory of the pulsed laser signals, and the reflected pulsed laser signals then being detected by the light detector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the object detecting transducer includes an image analysis detection system including plural image detection transducer elements. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the image analysis detection system is mounted on the front of the given vehicle and includes four image detection transducer elements. ### Claim 19 Computer-readable media encoded with a computer program, the program, when executed with a processor and memory coupled to drivers in a given vehicle, causing: driving of an object transducer carried by the given vehicle in order to detect another moving vehicle in a detection area at a detection distance away from the given vehicle; receiving notification messages sent from other vehicles, the notification messages including a too close notification message sent from one of the other vehicles; determining, based at least in part on a response to the too close notification message sent from the one of the other vehicles, when the given vehicle is positioned in relation to the other moving vehicle such that the given vehicle should be driven differently; and the given vehicle automatically taking remedial action upon the determination that the given vehicle is too close to the other moving vehicle. ### Claim 20 A method for assisting in the driving of a given vehicle in motion, the method comprising: driving of an object transducer carried by the given vehicle in order to detect another moving vehicle in a detection area at a detection distance away from the given vehicle; receiving notification messages sent from other vehicles, the notification messages including a too close notification message sent from one of the other vehicles; determining, based at least in part on a response to the too close notification message sent from the one of the other vehicles, when the given vehicle is positioned in relation to the other moving vehicle such that the given vehicle should be driven differently; and the given vehicle automatically taking remedial action upon the determination that the given vehicle is too close to the other moving vehicle.