Systems for mitigating a collision faster than a human driver of ordinary skill

A process for mitigating an imminent collision in traffic, the process comprising:

• a) automatically acquiring, by each sensor of a plurality of sensors on a subject vehicle, sensor data about a second vehicle proximate to the subject vehicle;
• b) analyzing, faster and more precisely than a human driver of ordinary skill, the sensor data, thereby determining, faster and more precisely than a human driver of ordinary skill, whether a collision between the subject vehicle and the second vehicle is imminent;
• c) calculating, faster and more precisely than a human driver of ordinary skill, one or more sequences, each sequence comprising one or more actions, each action comprising steering, braking, or positively accelerating the subject vehicle;
• d) selecting, faster and more precisely than a human driver of ordinary skill, a particular sequence of the plurality of sequences, the particular sequence configured to avoid the imminent collision when the imminent collision is calculated to be avoidable by implementation of the particular sequence, and to minimize or reduce harm of the collision when the particular sequence is calculated to be unavoidable by implementation of each sequence of the one or more sequences;
• and
• e) implementing the particular sequence by activating, faster and more precisely than a human driver of ordinary skill, means for steering or braking or positively accelerating the subject vehicle.

A system comprising:

• a) a vehicle, a plurality of sensors mounted in or on the vehicle, and a processor;
• b) wherein the processor is programmed to:
• i) detect, by analyzing sensor data from the sensors, an imminent collision between the subject vehicle and a second vehicle;
• ii) calculate, fast enough to avoid the imminent collision or to reduce or minimize harm of the imminent collision, one or more actions or sequences of actions, each action comprising activating brakes, throttle, or steering of the subject vehicle;
• iii) select, fast enough to avoid the imminent collision or to reduce or minimize harm of the imminent collision, a particular action or sequence of actions, of the one or more actions or sequences of actions, wherein the particular action or sequence of actions is calculated to avoid the imminent collision when avoidable, and to reduce or minimize harm of the imminent collision when unavoidable;
• and
• iv) implement the particular action or sequence of actions fast enough to avoid the imminent collision or to reduce or minimize harm of the imminent collision, by activating the brakes, throttle, and/or steering of the subject vehicle according to the particular action or sequence of actions.

A system, comprising one or more processors on a subject vehicle programmed to perform the following steps:

• a) analyze, faster than a human driver of ordinary skill, sensor data to detect an imminent collision between the subject vehicle and a second vehicle;
• b) calculate, faster than a human driver of ordinary skill, a strategy designed to avoid the imminent collision or to minimize or reduce harm of the imminent collision;
• and
• c) implement, faster and more precisely than a human driver of ordinary skill, the calculated strategy by activating brakes, steering, or an accelerator of the subject vehicle.