Vulnerable road user warning system for a vehicle

A method for determining potential imminent contact between a vulnerable road user and a vehicle, the method comprising:

• determining, by one or more controllers, the vehicle is either making a turn or maintaining a straight trajectory based on a path prediction radius of the vehicle, wherein the one or more controllers receive wireless signals from a communication network indicating a location, speed, and trajectory of a vulnerable road user located in an environment surrounding the vehicle;
• in response to determining the vehicle is maintaining the straight trajectory, determining a position and speed of the vulnerable road user based on the wireless signals;
• calculating a relative heading angle between the vulnerable road user and the vehicle;
• comparing the relative heading angle with a lower limit threshold heading angle and an upper limit threshold heading angle;
• in response to determining the relative heading angle is greater than the lower limit threshold heading angle and less than the upper limit threshold heading angle, determining a potential intersection exists between the vehicle and the vulnerable road user;
• in response to determining a potential intersection exists between the vehicle and the vulnerable road user, comparing a position of the vulnerable road user with a lateral distance threshold value and a stopping distance of the vehicle;
• in response to determining the position of the vulnerable road user intersects with the lateral distance threshold value and the stopping distance of the vehicle, determining a conflict box;
• in response to determining a distance measured between the front of the vehicle and a closest side of the conflict box is less than the stopping distance of the vehicle, determining the potential imminent contact exists between the vulnerable road user and the vehicle;
• and
• in response to determining the potential imminent contact exists between the vulnerable road user and the vehicle, instructing the vehicle to execute one or more preventative actions to avoid contact between the vehicle and the vulnerable road user.

A vulnerable road user warning system for a vehicle, the vulnerable road user warning system comprising:

• one or more controllers that receives wireless signals from a communication network indicating a location, speed, and trajectory of a vulnerable road user located in an environment surrounding the vehicle, and wherein the one or more controllers include one or more processors that execute instructions to:
• determine the vehicle is either making a turn or maintaining a straight trajectory based on a path prediction radius of the vehicle;
• in response to determining the vehicle is maintaining the straight trajectory, determine a position and speed of the vulnerable road user based on the wireless signals;
• calculate a relative heading angle between the vulnerable road user and the vehicle;
• compare the relative heading angle with a lower limit threshold heading angle and an upper limit threshold heading angle;
• in response to determining the relative heading angle is greater than the lower limit threshold heading angle and less than the upper limit threshold heading angle, determine a potential intersection exists between the vehicle and the vulnerable road user;
• in response to determining a potential intersection exists between the vehicle and the vulnerable road user, compare a position of the vulnerable road user with a lateral distance threshold value and a stopping distance of the vehicle;
• in response to determining the position of the vulnerable road user intersects with the lateral distance threshold value and the stopping distance of the vehicle, determine a conflict box;
• in response to determining a distance measured between the front of the vehicle and a closest side of the conflict box is less than the stopping distance of the vehicle, determine potential imminent contact exists between the vulnerable road user and the vehicle;
• and
• in response to determining the potential imminent contact exists between the vulnerable road user and the vehicle, instruct an autonomous driving system to change a trajectory of the vehicle to avoid contacting the vulnerable road user.