# US 2026/0097779 A1 · Vehicle forward blind spot object detection system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0097779 A1 - Document ID: US20260097779A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/910,533 - Filed: 2024-10-09 - Published: 2026-04-09 - Earliest claimed: 2024-10-09 - Assignees: Fca US LLC - Applicants: Fca US LLC - Inventors: Andrew D. Johnson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260097779A1 ## CPC - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - G06N 20/00: Machine learning - B60W 2520/105: Longitudinal acceleration - B60W 2554/402: Type - B60W 2554/4041: Position - B60W 2554/4044: Direction of movement, e.g. backwards - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - 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 - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract A method of detecting and providing notification of objects in or near a vehicle blind spot includes determining that an object is present in a predetermined area outside a vehicle, determining that the object is animate or that the object is inanimate, setting a closeness threshold based on whether the object is determined to be animate or inanimate, wherein the closeness threshold is different when the object is determined to be animate than when the object is determined to be inanimate, determining a projected path of travel for the vehicle, and comparing the projected path of travel with the closeness threshold. When the projected path of travel has at least a portion that is within a distance equal to or less than the closeness threshold from the object, a notification of alert is provided within the vehicle to make the driver aware of the presence of the object. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of detecting and providing notification of objects in or near a vehicle blind spot, comprising: determining that an object is present in a predetermined area outside a vehicle; determining that the object is animate or that the object is inanimate; setting a closeness threshold based on whether the object is determined to be animate or inanimate, wherein the closeness threshold is different when the object is determined to be animate than when the object is determined to be inanimate; determining a projected path of travel for the vehicle; comparing the projected path of travel with the closeness threshold; and providing a notification within the vehicle when the projected path of travel has at least a portion that is within a distance equal to or less than the closeness threshold from the object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the closeness threshold is greater when the object is determined to be inanimate than when the object is determined to be animate. ### Claim 3 (canceled) ### Claim 4 (canceled) ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined area includes one or more blind spots relative to a driver of the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein at least one of the one or more blind spots includes an area in front of the vehicle and below a hood of the vehicle, or behind, relative to a driver of the vehicle, a pillar or side mirror of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (canceled) ### Claim 8 (canceled) ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 which also includes determining a vehicle dynamic including a vehicle speed or a vehicle acceleration, and wherein the notification is provided as a function of the vehicle dynamic. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the step of detecting that an object is present in a predetermined area outside a vehicle occurs when the vehicle is traveling below a speed threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the speed threshold is ten miles per hour or less. ### Claim 12 (canceled) ### Claim 13 A method of detecting objects in or near a vehicle blind spot, comprising: making a first determination that an object is present in a predetermined area outside a vehicle; making a first determination that the object is animate or that the object is inanimate; making a first determination of a path of movement of the object for an object determined to be moving; making a first determination of a projected path of travel for the vehicle; comparing the projected path of travel with one or both of the location of the object and with the path of movement of the object; providing a notification within the vehicle when the location of the object or the path of movement of the object are within at least one threshold distance of the vehicle or the path of travel for the vehicle; making a second determination that an object is present in a predetermined area outside a vehicle, making a second determination that the object is animate or that the object is inanimate, making a second determination of the path of movement of the object for an object determined to be moving, making a second determination of the projected path of travel for the vehicle, and comparing the second projected path of travel with one or both of the location of the object and with the path of movement of the object to determine if the notification should be terminated or maintained; and comparing at least one first determination with a corresponding second determination and determining a difference between the at least one first determination and the corresponding second determination, and updating at least one program parameter as a function of the difference. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one program parameter relates to determination if the object is animate or inanimate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one program parameter relates to one or more of a shape, size or detection of a limb of an animate object. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one program parameter relates to determination of the travel path of the vehicle, and wherein the at least one program parameter is updated when the difference between the at least one first determination and the corresponding second determination is outside of a threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one program parameter relates to determination of the path of movement of the object, and wherein the at least one program parameter is updated when the difference between the at least one first determination and the corresponding second determination is outside of a threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 which also includes making a first determination of a type of animate object when the object is determined to be an animate object, or making a first determination of a type of inanimate object when the object is determined to be an inanimate object. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 which also includes comparing the first determination of the type of animate object or the type of inanimate object to the corresponding second determination and wherein the at least one program parameter is updated when the first determination is different from the corresponding second determination. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the predetermined area includes one or more blind spots relative to a driver of the vehicle. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one threshold distance is a closeness threshold, and the closeness threshold is greater when the object is determined to be inanimate than when the object is determined to be animate. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20 wherein at least one of the one or more blind spots includes an area in front of the vehicle and below a hood of the vehicle, or behind, relative to a driver of the vehicle, a pillar or side mirror of the vehicle. ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 which also includes determining a vehicle dynamic including a vehicle speed or a vehicle acceleration, and wherein the notification is provided as a function of the vehicle dynamic. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 wherein the step of detecting that an object is present in a predetermined area outside a vehicle occurs when the vehicle is traveling below a speed threshold. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein the speed threshold is ten miles per hour or less.