Vehicle warning system for actuating a mobile device to alert a vulnerable road user of a predicted collision with a hidden approaching vehicle

A computer of a warning system for alerting a Vulnerable Road User (VRU) of a predicted collision, with the warning system including at least one input device and an Ultra Wideband beacon (UWB beacon) capable of being attached to a first vehicle, the computer comprising:

• at least one processor communicating with the at least one input device and receiving first and second input signals from the at least one input device, the first input signal being associated with a first vehicle positioned in a first lane of a roadway, and the second input signal being associated with a second vehicle positioned in a second lane of the roadway adjacent to the first lane, and the at least one processor further communicates with the UWB beacon that is capable of being attached to the first vehicle, with the UWB beacon receiving a third input signal from a UWB tag of a VRU notification device that is carried by the VRU, and a location of the UWB tag is trackable by way of a third input signal;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium (CRM) for storing instructions, such that the at least one processor is programmed to:
• determine the location of the VRU in response to the at least one processor receiving the third input signal from the UWB beacon;
• determine the predicted collision between the second vehicle and the VRU at a predicted collision site within a predicted time-to-collision based on the second and the third input signals;
• and
• generate a notification actuation signal in response to the at least one processor determining the predicted collision, with the notification actuation signal associated with the VRU positioned at a tracked location;
• where the VRU notification device compares the location of the VRU notification device to the tracked location associated with the notification actuation signal, in response to the VRU notification device receiving the notification actuation signal from the at least one processor;
• and
• where the VRU notification device notifies the VRU that the second vehicle is headed toward the predicted collision site in a crosswalk in response to the VRU notification device determining that the location of the VRU notification device matches the tracked location of the VRU notification device.

A method of operating a warning system of a first vehicle for alerting a Vulnerable Road User (VRU) of a predicted collision, the warning system including at least one input device, a UWB beacon, and a computer having a non-transitory computer readable storage medium (CRM) and at least one processor, the method comprising:

• determining, using the at least one processor, a location of the VRU in response to the at least one processor receiving a third input signal from the UWB beacon;
• determining, using the at least one processor, the predicted collision between a second vehicle and the VRU at a predicted collision site within a predicted time-to-collision based on a second input signal and the third input signal;
• generating, using the at least one processor, a notification actuation signal in response to the at least one processor determining the predicted collision, with the notification actuation signal associated with the VRU positioned at a tracked location;
• comparing, using a VRU notification device, the location of the VRU notification device to the tracked location associated with the notification actuation signal, in response to the VRU notification device receiving the notification actuation signal from the at least one processor;
• and
• notifying, using the VRU notification device, the VRU that the second vehicle is headed toward the predicted collision site in a crosswalk in response to the VRU notification device determining that the location of the VRU notification device matches the tracked location associated with the notification actuation signal.