Intelligent intersection crosswalk vulnerable road user warning system

A system for warning vulnerable road users (i.e., pedestrians, cyclists, other, etc) that a vehicle or cyclist is approaching and there may be a potential danger of a collision. The system may also provides an alert to an oncoming vehicle or cyclist of the location of a vulnerable road user within a cross-walk. The system includes intelligent intersections which are enabled with dedicated short range communication (“DSRC”) for detecting vehicles and vulnerable road users. This information may be received by DSRC enabled vehicles and allow the vehicles to warn the drivers of various situations which may be potentially dangerous. A plurality of lights is embedded along the edges of a crosswalk which provides an alert or signal to a vulnerable road user that a vehicle or cyclist is approaching. Sections lights may be illuminated to provide an indication of the location of the vulnerable road user within the cross-walk.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field relates generally to warning vulnerable road users of a potential collision.

BACKGROUND

Signalized and unsignalized intersections and cross-walks for pedestrians present some of the most dangerous areas where accidents may occur, such as an automobile hitting a pedestrian. Additionally, pedestrians are also distracted by cell phones, tablet computers, billboards, other pedestrians, and the like, which may limit the ability of the pedestrian to be fully aware of any dangers resulting from vehicles that may be driving unsafely.

Currently, there are many types of systems in place, which are part of a vehicle, to make a driver of the vehicle aware of potential dangers with regard to collisions with pedestrians, other vehicles, and other objects along the side of a road. Some crosswalks also have systems in place which provide blinking lights to alert drivers of approaching vehicles that at least one vulnerable road user is crossing the crosswalk. However, these systems do not alert the driver of where within the crosswalk the pedestrian is located, and do not provide the vulnerable road user with any notification that a vehicle is approaching the crosswalk.

As such, it is desirable to present a warning system, which may be part of the infrastructure of an urban environment, to alert various vulnerable road users of approaching vehicles or cyclists, as well as provide an indication to the driver of a vehicle of the location of a vulnerable road user within a crosswalk. In addition, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present invention is a system for warning vulnerable road users (i.e., pedestrians, cyclists, other, etc) that a vehicle or cyclist is approaching and there may be a potential danger of a collision, and the system also provides an alert to an oncoming vehicle or cyclist of the location of a vulnerable road user within a cross-walk.

In one embodiment, intelligent intersections may be enabled with dedicated short range communication (DSRC) for detecting vehicles and vulnerable road users, and broadcast information about them as a basic safety message (BSM). This information may be received by DSRC enabled vehicles and allow the vehicles to warn the drivers of various situations which may be potentially dangerous. In one embodiment, a plurality of lights, such as a strip of LED lights, is embedded in the concrete along the edges of a crosswalk which provides an alert or signal to a vulnerable road user that a vehicle or cyclist is approaching from one side or another. Sections of the strip of LED lights may be illuminated to provide an indication of the location of the vulnerable road user within the cross-walk. The alert or signal may also include an audio warning given over loudspeaker, for alerting the vision impaired.

Since emergency brake assist (EBA) systems have sensors that may accurately determine the location, speed, and direction of objects (pedestrians, cyclists, etc), and may be equipped with V2x technologies and communicate with the smart city infrastructures, key information may be shared to allow for localized warnings in pedestrian/cyclist areas. This information may be used to determine when to illuminate the strip of LED lights along one or both sides of a cross-walk.

In one embodiment, the present invention is a warning system for alerting a driver of at least one vehicle that at least one vulnerable road user is located within a cross-walk. The warning system includes at least one sensor operable for detecting the vulnerable road user in a detection area, at least one communication device in electrical communication with the sensor, at least one warning device in electrical communication with the communication device, and at least one alert signal produced by the warning device. The sensor and the communication device are connected to at least one infrastructure component, and the infrastructure component is located near an intersection, which includes a cross-walk. The communication device commands the warning device to produce the warning alert when the sensor detects when the vulnerable road user is crossing the cross-walk.

In one embodiment, the warning device is at least one row of lights located along a first side of the cross-walk. In another embodiment, a portion of the row of lights is illuminated which corresponds to the location of the vulnerable road user within the cross-walk.

In yet another embodiment, the warning device is a first row of lights located along a first side of the cross-walk, and a second row of lights located along a second side of the cross-walk. At least a portion of the first row of lights is illuminated when at least one vulnerable road user is located in the cross-walk and a vehicle is located on the first side of the cross-walk. Furthermore, at least a portion of the second row of lights is illuminated when at least one vulnerable road user is located in the cross-walk and a vehicle is located on the second side of the cross-walk.

In an embodiment, a portion of the first row of lights is illuminated which corresponds to the location of the vulnerable road user within the cross-walk, and a portion of the second row of lights is illuminated which corresponds to the location of the vulnerable road user within the cross-walk.

In an embodiment, the first row of lights and the second row of lights are LED lights, but it is within the scope of the invention that other types of lights may be used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

An example of a system for warning vulnerable road users (“VRUs”) is shown in the Figures generally at10. There are also several vulnerable road users VRUs, shown generally at12, travelling near an intersection, shown generally at14. More specifically, there are two vulnerable road users12A,12B attempting to cross the intersection14at a cross-walk, shown generally at16. A first vehicle18A is stopped near the cross-walk16, and a second vehicle18B is moving towards the intersection14in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of travel of each of the VRUs12A,12B.

The warning system10includes some type of infrastructure component, which in this exemplary embodiment is a post20, having at least one sensor22, at least one communication device24, and at least one warning device, of which several embodiments are shown in the Figures. While in this embodiment, the infrastructure component is the post20, it is within the scope of the invention that the warning system10may include any other type of infrastructure component, including, but not limited to, a building, bridge, parking structure, support structure, or the like. In this embodiment, the communication device24is enabled with dedicated short-range communication (“DSRC”) for detecting vehicles and vulnerable road users. In this embodiment, the sensor22and communication device24are integrated into a single component (not numbered), but it is within the scope of the invention that the sensor22and communication device24may be separate components in the same or different locations. The sensor22in this embodiment is configured to detect objects in a detection area, shown generally at22A. In one embodiment, the sensor22is a long-range radar sensor22, but it is within the scope of the invention that other types of sensors maybe used, such as, but not limited to, LIDAR (i.e., light imaging, detection, and ranging), LADAR (i.e., laser imaging, detection, and ranging), other types of radar, a camera, ultrasound, or sonar.

In the example shown in the Figures, the first vehicle18A is blocking the view of each VRU12A,12B crossing the intersection14, such that each VRU12A,12B is unable to see the second vehicle18B approaching the intersection14. If each VRU12A,12B continues to walk through the intersection14unaware of the path of travel of the second vehicle18B, or the driver of the vehicle18B is unaware that the VRUs12A,12B are attempting to walk through the intersection14, the second vehicle18B may collide with and seriously injure or kill one of the VRUs12A,12B. However, the system10of the present invention includes the sensor22which sends a signal to the communication device24providing an indication of the location, speed, and direction of any object (either pedestrian or vehicle) in the detection area22A.

In the Figures, the sensor22is capable of detecting the location, as well as speed and direction of each vehicle18A,18B, and the location, speed, and direction of each VRU12A,12B. While there are two VRUs12A,12B which are walking in the example shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, it is within the scope of the invention that the sensor22is able to detect if each VRU12is walking, traveling by bicycle, scooter, skateboard, rollerblades, or the like. In one embodiment, the warning device is a plurality of lights, or more specifically a first row of LED lights shown generally26A inFIGS. 1 and 2, and a second row of LED lights, shown generally at26B inFIGS. 1 and 2, which provide a first example of an alert signal, shown generally at28, which is the light produced from each of the rows of LED lights26A,26B. The first row of LED lights26A is located on a first side16A of the cross-walk16, and the second row of LED lights26B is located on a second side16B of the cross-walk16.

Once the sensor22detects the location, as well as speed and direction of each vehicle18A,18B, and the location, speed, and direction of each VRU12A,12B, the communication device24commands the warning devices26A,26B to produce the alert signal28. In the example embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, once one or more of the VRUs12A,12B have begun to cross the intersection14, one or more the first plurality of lights26A is illuminated, producing the alert signal28. The first plurality of lights26A are illuminated to provide an alert to one or both of the oncoming vehicles18A,18B that one or both of the VRUs12A,12B are crossing the intersection14. The selection of which of the plurality of lights26A,26B are illuminated is chosen based on which side16A,16B of the cross-walk16is being approached by a vehicle or cyclist. If the first side16A of the cross-walk16is being approached by a vehicle or cyclist, one or more of the first plurality of lights26A is illuminated, and if the second side of the cross-walk16is being approached by a vehicle or cyclist, then one or more of the second plurality of lights26B is illuminated. The illumination of one or more of the plurality of lights26A,26B provides the alert signal28to each driver of the vehicles18A,18B that at least one of the VRUs12A,12B is crossing the cross-walk16.

Additionally, a signal is sent to the communication device24, such that the communication device24sends a signal to another warning device26C to alert each VRU12A,12B that there is a potential danger of collision with the vehicle18B. The warning device26C shown inFIG. 1is integrated into the same component as the sensor22and communication device24, but it is within the scope of the invention that the warning device26C may be a separate component. The warning device26C then sends out another type of alert signal, an example of which is indicated generally at30, indicating to each VRU12A,12B that one or more of the vehicles18A,18B is approaching the cross-walk16. This provides an awareness to each VRU12A,12B such that each VRU12A,12B may take measures if need be to avoid entering the cross-walk16if one or more of the vehicles18A,18B is approaching the cross-walk16at an unsafe speed. The warning device26C may be equipped to send out different types of alert signals30, such as, but not limited to, an audible sound warning or a visual warning as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, or in some embodiments, a haptic warning. In other embodiments, the alert signals28,30may accommodate any type of VRU12traveling under various conditions. For example the VRU12may be deaf, listening to headphones, or have limited hearing ability due to some other condition, and require the alert signals28,30to provide a visual, or in some embodiments, a haptic warning.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown inFIG. 3, with like numbers referring to like elements. In this embodiment, both the first row of LED lights26A and the second row of LED lights26B have a progressive illumination function. The first VRU12A is shown crossing the cross-walk16, with different portions of the second row of LED lights26B illuminated as the VRU12A crosses the cross-walk. More specifically, inFIG. 3the first VRU12A is shown in a first position, shown generally at32A, a second position, shown generally at32B, and a third position, shown generally at32C, with the portion of the second row of LED lights26B illuminated corresponding to the location of the VRU12A within the cross-walk16.

In one embodiment, the communication device24is a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) device24, but it is within the scope of the invention that other types of communication devices maybe used.

Some intersections include a device, such as a button, for initiating a change in a traffic signal to provide the VRU's12A,12B an opportunity to cross the intersection14. In an alternate embodiment, the row of LED lights26A,26B may be illuminated in response to one of the VRU's12A,12B pressing the button to initiate the change in the traffic signal.