# US 8,786,421 B2 · Method and system to enhance traffic safety and efficiency for vehicles including calculating the expected future driver'S behavior

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,786,421 B2
- Document ID: US8786421B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/263,340
- Filed: 2009-04-07
- Published: 2012-02-02
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2009-04-07
- Assignees: Volvo Technology Corporation
- Applicants: Marco Dozza
- Inventors: Marco Dozza
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786421B2

## CPC

- B60Q 1/525: {automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data}
- B60Q 1/44: for indicating braking action {or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal}
- B60Q 5/006: {indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians}
- B60Q 9/008: {for anti-collision purposes}
- G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes}
- G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection}
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- 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

A method is provided for enhancing safety and traffic efficiency for vehicles transmitting information on an expected behavior of a driver of an ego vehicle in response to a stimulus including the steps of (i) sensing a parameter of the stimulus in order to generate a stimulus signal function of the sensed parameter, (ii) monitoring the stimulus signal function of the sensed parameter, (iii) calculating an expected future driver's behavior in response to the stimulus using said stimulus signal, (iv) comparing the expected future driver behavior with a standard driver behavior, and (v) emitting a warning signal to the surrounding of the ego vehicle in case the expected future driving behavior is not a standard behavior. Additionally, a system operating according to said method is disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for enhancing traffic safety and efficiency for vehicles by transmitting information on an expected behavior of a driver of an ego vehicle in response to a stimulus, including
elaborating a stimulus signal function of a sensed parameter of the stimulus, the
calculating the expected future driver's behavior in response to the stimulus using the stimulus signal,
comparing the expected future driver's behavior with a standard driver's behavior,
generating a warning signal to be emitted to the surrounding of the ego vehicle in case the expected future driver's behavior is not a standard behavior.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, including the step of emitting the warning signal to the surrounding.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, including, prior to the step of elaborating a stimulus signal function, a step of sensing a parameter of the stimulus in order to generate the stimulus signal function of the sensed parameter.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calculating an expected future driver's behavior includes a step of elaborating information derived from field operational data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calculating an expected future driver's behavior includes an adaptive step and/or a learning step based on the driver's actual responses.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sensing at least, one parameter comprises a step of sensing a plurality of different parameters related to the ego vehicle and/or to its surrounding and/or to the driver's physical condition.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sensing at least one parameter comprises a step of emitting an alert signal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of emitting a warning signal to the surrounding and/or the step of emitting an alert signal includes a step of a wireless communication transmission.

### Claim 9 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of sensing at least one parameter comprises a step of receiving at least one warning signal emitted by a vehicle other than the ego vehicle and/or by a road infrastructure.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of emitting a warning signal to the surrounding of the ego vehicle comprises a step of transmitting the warning signal to the surrounding vehicles and/or infrastructures.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, including, after the step of emitting a warning signal, a step of an active modification of the status of an in-vehicle system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, including, before the step of sensing a parameter, a step of an acquisition of the driver's specific data and/or of the previous driving session data.

### Claim 13

A system to enhance safety and traffic efficiency for vehicles by transmitting information on an expected behavior of a driver of an ego vehicle in response to a stimulus, the system comprising:
a sensor of a first type apt to sense a parameter related to the stimulus and to generate a stimulus signal function of the sensed parameter,
a controller in communication with the sensor of the first type and apt to process the stimulus signal from the sensor, wherein the controller is apt to compute the expected driver's behavior based on the stimulus signal from the sensor of the first type and to compare the expected driver's behavior to a standard behavior, and
a transmission device adapted to transmit to the ego vehicle's surrounding a warning signal in case the expected driver's behavior is not a standard behavior.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system according to claim 13, wherein a software resident on a storage medium (4) is in signal communication with the controller and wherein the software is apt to compute the expected driver's behavior based on the stimulus signal from the sensor of the first type and to compare the expected driver's behavior to a standard behavior.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The system according to claim 13, wherein the transmission device is a wireless transmitter.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The system according to claim 13, comprising a safety system including an emitter to emit an alert signal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system according to claim 16, wherein the safety system is a Forward Collision Warning system or a Lane Departure Warning system or a Lane-Change Warning system or a Curve Speed Warning system and wherein the alert signal is a Forward Collision Warning signal or a Lane Departure Warning signal or a Lane-Change Warning signal or a Curve Speed Warning signal, respectively.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The system according to claim 13, comprising at least one sensor of a second type sensing additional parameters relating to the vehicle's external or internal conditions and/or at least one sensor of a third type sensing additional parameters relating to the driver's physical conditions.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

A network of vehicles, at least one of the vehicles including a system according to claim 13, and the remaining vehicles of the network not including such a system but comprising at least one receiver apt to receive signals from the system, each such system present in the network of vehicles comprising a wireless transmission device apt to communicate with the systems and/or the receivers of the other vehicles present in the network.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The network of vehicles according to claim 19, including a master controller that is in communication with the systems and/or the receivers of the vehicles of the network in order to prioritise and/or disregard within the frame of the communication signals coming from the systems of the network of vehicles.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

A vehicle apt to be part of a network of vehicles according to claim 1.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a computer program comprising computer program instructions adapted to perform, when loaded into a computer memory, all the steps of a method according to claim 1.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium embodying program instructions executable by at least one processor to perform all the steps of a method according claim 1.