COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM

Abstract: The Collision Avoidance System prevents vehicular collisions between vehicles and with pedestrians, trains, and stationary objects by monitoring (50), controlling (40), documenting, and reporting (60) the speed and position of vehicles. The system guards against speeding violations, moving violations, and particular safety hazards by invoking a reduction of vehicle speed or by restricting vehicle movement to control its position. This is primarily accomplished with the activation of a controllable road perturbation (20). The system also monitors pedestrians, school bus loading/unloading, traffic density, trains, road moisture, and traffic control systems to determine the action to take for collision prevention. The capability to monitor various entities that may be involved in a collision or entities that indicate a possible collision is forthcoming allows the system to monitor an entire traffic environment and thus anticipate possible collisions. The system integrates and synchronizes with existing traffic control devices and systems to ensure that it reinforces the traffic laws and safety intent of the environment in which it is installed. A computer (10) is used to determine if the vehicles are adhering to the traffic laws or other safety concerns. Visual displays (70) may accompany the system output to inform the motorist what must be done to prevent a collision.

Description: COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a system to prevent the involvement of vehicles m collisions with other -vehicles, pedestrians, trams, and stationarv objects BACKGROUND ART Motor vehicles and the transportation they provide are significant contributors to the convemence and quality of our lives However, the advantages of motor vehicle travel are offset by the collisions that result in deaths, injuries, property damage and the escalating costs of health care, automobile insurance rates, and court proceedings The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that deaths and injuries from motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for persons of every age from 6 to 27 vears old Efforts to increase seat belt usage and reduce drunk driving have reduced the number of deaths and injuries from collisions over the last 10 years However, much remains to be done as evident by the following NHTSA statistics In 1997. 41,967 people were killed (one death every 13 minutes) in the estimated 6.764,000 police-reported motor vehicle traffic collisions. 3,399,000 people were injured, and 4,542.000 collisions involved propertv damage only In recent years, the economic cost alone of motor vehicle collisions was more than $150 5 billion in a single year Assuming a motoπsf s intent to comply with the traffic laws, collisions are usually attributable to a vehicle's improper speed or position The purpose of traffic laws is to prevent collisions by coordinating the safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians However, the effectiveness of traffic laws depends heavily on the motorist s good conscious to obey the laws and the motoπs s good judgement in executing the laws Although the visible presence of police seems to improve the motorist's conscious and judgement, the availability of police at any time and location is limited What is needed is a way to physically reinforce adherence to the traffic laws to prevent vehicle-related collisions, and do so at any hour of the day and virtually under any driving conditions This invention provides that capability Inventions that address speeding and traffic momtoπng are known m pπor art Inventions by Turner (4,102.156), James (5.486,065), Thompson (5,509,753), Wilson (2,079,356), and Davies (W094/19544) all provide a mechamcal apparatus to invoke a reduction of vehicle speed Inventions by Loeven (5,041.828), Schweitzer (5.066,950), Adktns (5,742,699), and Geduld (5.831,551) relate to measuring vehicle speed or determining traffic statistics However, the primary focus of the Collision Avoidance System is sigmficantly different than pπor art This invention involves the operation of a system to prevent collisions Conversely, most of the pπor art focuses on either the design of a mechamcal apparatus to invoke a reduction of vehicle speed, the design of a vehicle speed measuring system or a system to collect vehicle traffic statistics Inventions by Loeven (5.041,828) and Schweitzer (5,066,950) detail traffic monitoring systems but provide no means to correct the violating actions that are detected The invention by Charbonmer (2,647,132) has a limited focus on the speed measurement of a single target vehicle and subsequent action towards only that vehicle The Collision Avoidance Systems focuses on situations with collision potential and not only monitors a smgle target vehicle but other vehicles, pedestπans, emergency vehicles, and trains, as well as school bus loading / unloading, and traffic congestion Such multifaceted monitoπng and control facilitates the coordmation of traffic movement for safer travel and exceeds the limitation of pπor art m focusing onlv on a single target vehicle For example, the present invention may monitor a vehicle or pedestnan but may direct its output response toward one or more other vehicles, thus demonstrating a sensitivity to the traffic environment and not just a smgle vehicle After all. collisions always involve more than a smgle object None of the pπor art has the complete and immediate capabilitv to prevent collisions to the extent delivered by the Collision Avoidance System The sophistication of the Collision Avoidance System not only monitors a vehicle' s speed and employs speed-reduction but can do so m proportion to the excessive speed of the vehicle This serves as a more effective alert to the motoπst than the limited, static responses presented by the pπor art A significant number of collisions are attπbutable to moving violations but pπor art largely neglects this issue Unlike the Collision Avoidance System, the design of the pπor art does not allow police to adjust system response quickly and remotely to compensate for changes in road conditions that might make dnving more hazardous, such as adverse weather or traffic congestion The most valuable system to prevent collisions will integrate and synchronize with traditional traffic control devices and systems such as usmg the red, green, and yellow status of the traffic light as input to govern system response This capability ensures that the Collision Avoidance Svstem reinforces the traffic laws within the environment m which it is installed Most of the pπor art is reactionary because a vehicle has to actually commit a speeding violation before the pπor art system provides the mtended function This mvention newly defines collision prevention by anticipating potential collisions For example, pedestπans are protected in situations in which the sight of the pedestnan and the motorist are restπcted as they both proceed toward an intersection and a possible collision is forthcoming Real-time notification of collisions and the contπbuting violations are documented and transmitted directly to patrolling police and emergency medical personnel This feedback is also not a part of the pπor art The most effective prevention of collisions must employ automatic and self-adjustment to the changmg conditions within the momtored environment and do so 24 hours a day None of the pπor art provides this capability for many reasons including the fact that none of the pπor art monitors the environment where a collision might occur Thus the Collision Avoidance System allows efficient traffic, defined as the safest traffic at the fastest speed None of the pπor art and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to descπbe the instant invention as claimed Thus a system is desired to prevent vehicular collisions with other vehicles, pedestπans, trams, and stationary objects by monitoπng, controlling, documenting, and reporting the vehicle's speed and position DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines speeding as not only exceeding the posted speed limit but also as dπving too fast for conditions Therefore, safe travel is situational because the conditions that mcrease the demand on motoπsts to travel safelv change frequentlv and are vaπed For example, the conditions that require a change in the speed limit in order to maintam safe travel mclude weather (ram. fog. snow, poor visibility), an existing collision, road construction, approaching an intersection, traffic congestion, approaching a blind curve or hill, approaching a school zone, and others Authoπties know the locations that can quickly become hazardous under less than favorable conditions but do not have a rapid, flexible method to adjust the behavior of motoπsts to ensure that safe travel is maintained when those conditions aπse Posted speed limits on highways and roads are πgid because there has not been a convement way to temporaπly adjust the speed limit, as situations may warrant, and subsequentlv enforce the new speed limit This invention provides the police with the capability to remotely adjust the speed of traffic for vaπous road conditions and situations to ensure efficient traffic, which is the safest traffic at the fastest speed The number of pedestπans hit by vehicles each year proves that traffic lights and signs are not sufficient to ensure pedestnan safety Despite the posted speed limit or traffic lights, motoπst still frequently overlook these controls The safety protection that is provided to children crossing the street m a school zone or at a school bus stop is virtually the same as it has always been However, there are more vehicles on the road and more humed and distracted motoπsts than ever before Consequently, the number of vehicle-to-pedestnan collisions continues to climb Furthermore, authoπties are limited in their means to protect pedestπans from vehicles in an area where a motoπst has limited view such as blind corners or hills Municipalities generally do not employ a physical control to protect pedestπans from wayward vehicles as they cross an intersection The Collision Avoidance System will provide such controls by employing a physical barπer that will not only reduce a vehicle's speed as it approaches a pedestnan crossing but also provide a measure of pedestnan protection from wayward vehicles The Collision Avoidance System takes pedestnan safety to a new level while ensuring more effective compliance to traffic regulations It is a frequent and controversial occurrence for the police and the motoπst to harshly disagree regarding an alleged traffic violation Even as the two parties go through the court process it is still the word of one agamst the other Many motonsts (especially if from outside the state) doubt they will get a fair evaluation by the local judge because they believe the municipality set up a "speed trap" to generate revenue Many motoπsts are so disenchanted with the process that they just concede to pay the fine and never go to court The Collision Avoidance System provides an independent and unbiased interpretation of traffic events within the monitored environment The police will not have access to the inner workings of the Collision Avoidance Svstem or the determination of a traffic violation by the system Therefore, the police can not be justifiably accused of entrapment when acting on a reported violation The system will only capture actual infringements and provide the supporting documentation Therefore, accused motonsts can confidently request to see verification of an alleged violation from the Collision Avoidance System Thus the system will serve as a third-party witness to alleged violations and prove or disprove disputing claims Tvpical speed detection is the manual operation of radar and laser devices by police The wav these devices are used is inherently inefficient and limits the effort to prevent highway collisions Consider a police officer's attempt to monitor a group of speeding vehicles traveling m close proximity The police officer is limited because 1) He can only monitor a smgle vehicle with a smgle speed detector. 2) The nearest vehicles will block his view and ability to measure the speed of suspect vehicles m the far-side lanes, 3) He is challenged to measure the speed and document the identity and license of each vehicle in the group before they all pass. 4) He has limited ability to slow down all of the vehicles The Collision Avoidance System will provide more accurate and widespread monitoring than a police officer with a smgle. manually operated speed detection device The system will independently monitor each lane of traffic with speed detection devices that have a direct hne-of-sight to approachmg vehicles Each speeding vehicle is documented and independently invokes the Collision Avoidance System to slow the speeding vehicle with a proportional and adjustable road perturbation At issue is how to extend the presence of traffic law enforcement in the absence of patrolling police officers Overwhelmingly, automotive collisions occur because a motoπst exercises poor judgement, is not attentive, or blatantly disobeys the traffic laws Consequently, the motonst will operate the vehicle at an improper speed or place the vehicle m an improper location The intent of traffic laws is to prevent collisions by coordinating the safe movement of vehicles and pedestπans However, the effectiveness of traffic laws depends heavily on the motoπst ' s good conscious to obey the laws and the motoπst's good judgement in dm mg according to the laws Although the presence of police seems to improve the motoπst ' s conscious and judgement, the availability of police at any time and location is limited Municipalities can not dedicate police solely to the full time dut of monitoring compliance to traffic laws The Collision Avoidance System can monitor and exert control on traffic 24 hours a day because the system does not require manual operation With The Collision Avoidance System police do not have to be present to enforce traffic laws Controlling the system through its communications link will extend the presence and capability of police Imagine authonties with the capability to remotely alter the speed limit and enforce it faster than a change in the weather makes a sharp curve dangerous The remote control of the Collision Avoidance System ' s operation is just the first part of extending the presence of traffic law enforcement The second part is the feedback that the Collision Avoidance System delivers from the momtored environment The prevention of collisions is really a two step process composed of reinforcement and enforcement The Collision Avoidance System provides reinforcement of the traffic laws through the monitoπng and physical impedance of violating vehicles The police provide enforcement of the traffic laws by issuing warnings and tickets with the intention of altering a negative dπving behavior The Collision Avoidance System ' s monitoπng, reporting, and communication features will enhance the ability of the police to enforce the traffic laws through the real-time transmission of traffic violations to police officers at headquarters and on patrol Thus patrolling officers will be informed of traffic violations even though they were not present when the incident occuπed The current limitations of documenting traffic violations have not contnbuted to a significant reduction of collisions The use of videotape is a challenge because of issues concerning tape storage, loading and unloading tape, and hours of accumulated tape that is recorded just in case a collision occurred Obviously this approach depends heavily of human intervention The Collision Avoidance System monitors vehicles for traffic violations and can employ a digital camera to document the incident and any resulting collision Photographs are taken only when there is a relevant event and the digital technology requires no tape or film and supports the rapid, electronic transmission of the photographs The Collision Avoidance Svstem will capture and automatically transmit to authoπties information revealing a vehicle ' s make, model, color, license tag and include the date, time, and the traffic violation descnption This documentation will help authoπties assess liability for collisions bv serving as an "eye witness " to the occurring incident All documentation can be saved on a computer for later use in court or submitted to the vehicle owner or an insurance company via facsimile or e-mail BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a depiction of the Collision Avoidance Svstem concept, system components, the flow of information between the system controller and the components, and examples of each component Figure 2 is a view of the Collision Avoidance System preventing collisions by controlling vehicle speed on an mterstate highway Figure 3 shows the Collision A\ oidance System preventing collisions by controlling vehicle speed and providing pedestnan protection on a citv street Figure 4 is an illustration of the Collision Avoidance System preventing vehicle-to-pedestπan collisions by protecting children as they leave a school bus Figure 5 is a depiction of the Collision Avoidance System preventing vehicle-to-pedestπan collisions when the motonst does not see an approaching pedestnan Figure 6 is a view of the Collision Avoidance System restncting the position of vehicles to prevent collision with a tram Figure 7 shows the Collision Avoidance System restncting the position of vehicles to prevent collisions at a traffic light mtersection Figure 8 is an illustration of the Collision Avoidance System preventing a collision by reinforcing the vehicle progression order at a four-wav intersection Figure 9 is a depiction of the Collision Avoidance Svstem preventing a collision by controlling the merging of vehicles onto an interstate highway Figure 10 is a view of the Collision Avoidance System preventing a head-on collision by reinforcing directional lane control Figure 11 shows the Collision Avoidance System preventing a rear-end collision by reinforcing the proper traveling distance between vehicles Figure 12 is an illustration of how the Collision Avoidance System allows an emergency vehicle to pass unimpeded with the Emergency Vehicle Pass-Through Function Similar reference characters denote correspondmg features consistently throughout the attached drawings BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION This invention is the Collision Avoidance System It prevents vehicular collisions between vehicles and with pedestrians, trams, and stationary objects by monitoring, controlling, documentmg, and reporting the vehicle ' s speed and position Additionally, the svstem can mom tor pedestπans. traffic density, trams, road moisture, and traffic control systems to determine the action to take for collision prevention This invention is applicable to virtually any situation demanding the prevention of automotive related collisions The pπmary output response of the Collision Avoidance System is the presentation of a safe road perturbation to a vehicle, in accordance to the motoπst ' s adherence to the traffic laws or other safety concerns Such a tactile feedback serves to both remind the motonst of the traffic laws as well as to restrain him from doing otherwise The result is a reduction in the number and seventy of collisions A traditional and rudimentary way to reduce vehicle speed is with a speed breaker to force motoπsts to slow down However, a speed breaker is not practical is many situations because it is static and can not be adjusted for varying conditions Before examining how the Collision Avoidance System will prevent collisions for those varying conditions, consider the descπption and function of the system components m Figure 1 Figure I — Collision Avoidance System Components The Controller 10 hardware is an industπal grade computer used to provide control for the Collision Avoidance Svstem based upon input from sensors and operational settings The Controller 10 then executes the control logic to activate the appropπate outputs The control logic (programming code) will be in accordance with the traffic laws for the situation in which the Collision Avoidance System is used It is to be understood that the Controller 10 includes the programming code throughout the descπption of the mvenhon The industnal design of the computer is needed to seal the computer from the environment smce it will likelv be located at the site of the monitored environment Numerous vendors provide industnal computers as well as the integrating input modules to allow the interpretation of sensor data Vendors also provide output modules that integrate into the Controller 10 to control external components such as switches, valves, motors, and other control components The Tngger Sensors 30 mvoke the Collision Avoidance System response The sensors momtor certain entities that are possible indicators of an impending collision Those entities pnmanly include vehicle presence, vehicle speed, the presence of a tram, loading / unloading of a school bus. the presence of a pedestrian, conditions that indicate the approach of said entities, time, and road moisture These sensors tngger the system by informing the Controller 10 to activate one or more Vehicle Restπctors 20 In some situations, the Conditional Control 40 will provide the closing contingency to actually execute the Vehicle Restπctors 20 and other outputs The type of sensors used for tnggeπng will depend on the entity that is momtored to avoid the collision Some typical sensors used in Collision Avoidance System installations will be speed detection (radar, laser), induction loop, ultrasonic, optical, wireless transmitter / receiver, switch closure, and precipitation (moisture) detectors Basically any reasonable means of detecting the descπbed entities and converting that detection into the appropπate electπcal signals will suffice as a tngger sensor The Conditional Control 40 is a signal from a sensor or command entity that alters (cancels or completes) the preliminary Collision Avoidance System response that was typically initiated by the Tngger Sensor 30 Occasionally, the alteration will be a change in the level of an operational parameter as descπbed in Figure 11 A signal from the Conditional Control 40 will be the result of monitoπng a different target entity than that monitored by the Tngger Sensor 30 A signal from a command entity (such as traffic lights, caution lights, and safety gates) integrates and synchronizes the Collision Avoidance System to the standard safety systems that the Collision Avoidance System is supporting The Monitoring Function 50 is provided by devices, and the capture of data from those devices, that indicates a violation of the Collision Avoidance System intent Examples of monitoπng devices are sensors that will detect a vehicle when motonsts do not adhere to traffic laws and activate a digital camera that will subsequently document the violating vehicle The cameras are positioned to capture the image of the vehicle ' s manufacturer, model, color, license tag. and physical position within the environment The Reporting Function 60 conveys to designated authoπties reportable events such as violations of the Collision Avoidance System intent, deachvation of the Vehicle Restπctors 20 by the Emergency Vehicle Pass-Through Function 100, malfunctions of either the Collision Avoidance System or the existing traffic system being supported The Reporting Function 60 will take the information provided by the Monitoπng Function 50 and integrate the date. time, and location of the reportable event The Reporting Function 60 will also contam a database of designated authoπties and their contact information such as telephone numbers, pager numbers, and e-mail addresses, as well as which person should be contacted for a particular reportable mcident This will facilitate the transmission of the appropnate reportable event to the police, emergency medical personnel, maintenance, school officials. railroad officials or other designated authoπties Some installations may require the Collision Avoidance System to monitor and control against multiple types of violations An example is an intersection in which the violations that could cause a collision are running a red light, speeding, and failure to yield at a pedestnan crossing Different sensors of the Monitoπng Function 50 may be used to detect the different violations and the Reporting Function 60 will provide the corresponding descπption and violation code The information configured by the Reporting Function 60 is transmitted to the secondary computer that is a part of the Secondary Communications 85 The secondary computer will likely be located in a police headquarters as shown in Figures 2 through 12. However, if the system is implemented on pnvate property then the local authoπties will have access to the secondary computer The pnvate property owners can still ensure that the police receive relevant information of reportable incidents by including the appropnate information in the contact database of the Reporting Function 60 The reported information can be stored for indefinite retneval. printed, faxed, or e-mailed for submission to the Department of Motor Vehicles, traffic court officials, an insurance company, or the registered vehicle owner The typical components of the Communications 80 include communications software and hardware, wireless receiver / transmitter, and modem or computer network connections These components are used to receive control commands from or transmit data to a remote entity such as the secondary computer that is part of the Secondary Communications 85 or an emergency vehicle employing the Emergency Vehicle Pass-Through Function 100 The secondary computer located m police headquarters will include software that allows control commands to be sent to the Controller 10 and support bi-directional communication The police at headquarters will have the option to relay reportable incidents that occur in the Collision Avoidance System environment to police vehicles on patrol This transmission will be accomplished by the Secondary Communications 85 An increasmg number of police vehicles are equipped with mobile computers Some of the computers are hardwired into the vehicle while others are environmentally hardened laptops These systems are already configured to provide patrolling officers with access to police computer records such as suspect descπptions and stolen vehicles The Secondary Communications 85 includes the necessary hardware and software to support the transmissions from the secondary computer in the police headquarters to the mobile computers m the police vehicles The data indicating the reported incidents may appear m text or graphical formats The graphical format is preferred because the photographs of the violating vehicle, taken by the Momtonng Function 50. will be conveyed to the patrolling police officers To be effective and efficient, the entire process will occur in real-time and independent of human intervention Thus the Collision Avoidance Sy stem will work in an integrated fashion with traffic law enforcement to provide a new capability in the prevention of collisions As a part of the Secondary Communications 85. the secondary computer shown in Figures 2 through 12 can also be configured to automatically forward (e-mail, fax. telephone call with message) reportable eΛ ents to predetermined emergency medical personnel The hospitals nearest the location where the Collision Avoidance System is installed will be determined and the associated contact information entered into the secondary computer in advance Obviously every reported incident will not demand emergency medical services The value of the photographs taken by the Momtonng Function 50 at the time of the violation and several seconds thereafter will reveal the seventy of any collision Ambulance officials will determine whether to respond immediately by interpreting the photographs Typically emergency medical personnel are not called until after the Emergency 911 service is mformed of the collision by a bystander or after the police arπve on the scene The said feature gives emergency medical personnel a significantly greater lead-time and allows them to respond much faster The improved response time will make the difference in the number of lives that are saved Optical Character Recogmtion (OCR) and License Plate Recognition (LPR) technologies transform a photograph of a license plate into computer-recogmzable text Several vendors provide software to perform this function Linking these technologies with the Collision Avoidance System and the Department of Motor Vehicle will provide transportation and traffic authoπties with a new level of automatic access The OCR/LPR software will reside on the secondary computer of the Secondary Communications 85 shown in Figures 2 through 12 When an incident in reported the captured license plate will be converted to computer-recogmzable text and the license plate number (and state identification) will be sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles to determine the owners of the vehicles The configuration of the DMV computer will allow it to identify an owner by cross-referencing the license tag number in the appropnate database and return that information to the secondary computer The secondary computer will then relav the information to the mobile computer accompanying the patrolling police officers With this capability, police could know the owners of the vehicles involved m the collision before they arπve on the scene This capability will also facilitate notifying the owner of the vehicle involved in the traffic violation or collision in the event that someone else was dnving then- vehicle This capability will also assist the police in identifying vehicles that are mvolved in hit-and-run occurrences The Svstem Status 70 is an output that indicates the status or set point condition of the Collision Avoidance System to those affected by the system ' s operation Examples include updating the message of electronic displays or illuminating informational lights that indicate to the motoπst what must be done in order to prevent a collision The Vehicle Restπctor 20 is a mechanically actuated device capable of providing impedance to the speed and position of a vehicle The operation of the restnctor may vary from fully deployed to inactive One design of the restnctor might be cyhndncal-shaped, resembling a static speed bump but with the capability to vary the height The height vanance is accomplished by extending the cylmder from a recessed area in the road and varying the radius of the cylinder that is above the road surface Another design might resemble a recessed area across a lane, with a retractable door that vanes the width of the recessed area However, a vehicle restnctor is only one component of the Collision Avoidance System and unlike some of the pπor art. the design of a vehicle restπctor is not the focus of this invention In fact, any commercially proven devices that can safely and reliably provide a controllable and vanable road perturbation to impede a vehicle will likely suffice as a vehicle restπctor The best mode of operation will likely be hydraulicallv dnven because of the magmtude of force required to withstand the weight of passing vehicles A servo actuated hydraulic value can receive a signal from the Controller 10 that corresponds to the desired deployment height of the Vehicle Restπctor 20 The configuration (shape and deployable height) of the Vehicle Restnctor 20 will depend on the implementation For example, in a highway implementation safety will demand that the maximum height be moderate because of the higher vehicle speeds. However, a Vehicle Restnctor 20 mtended to provide pedestnan protection at a crosswalk would have a greater deployment height Slower vehicle speeds than the highway implementation would still allow the greater deployable height to be safe The number of restπctors in an implementation may also vary depending on the amount of lead-time the motoπst should have in order to reduce speed or come to a complete stop The Remote Function 90 allows authoπties to remotely adjust the Collision Avoidance System's operational parameters from the secondary computer The first type of adjustable operational parameters is for system hardware and output responses For example, authoπties can set the threshold of the Tngger Sensors 30 required to invoke a system response, set the degree of output response for Vehicle Restnctors 20. set the threshold and duration of camera response, or change the System Status 70 message for visual displays The second type of operational parameter is the update of the contact database (names, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, pager numbers) of persons or organizations to contact for vaπous types of reportable incidents The contact database information serves as the reference for the Reporting Function 60 as descnbed later Threshold parameters (other than component hardware) are the third type of operational parameter that is remotely adjustable through the Remote Function 90 These parameters are unique to a particular implementation and are levels that a momtored entity has to reach before a certain system response is invoked or changed Setting the baseline speed limit within the monitored environment is one example The explanations of Figures 9 and 11 will provide other examples Access to the Remote Function 90 from the secondary computer will be password protected to allow only designated persons to change the operational parameters The Remote Function 90 also provides automatic system changes according to a predetermined schedule Any of the parameters can be scheduled for automatic changes on a penodic basis (such as hourly, daily, weekly) or in anticipation of an upcoming event (such as a sporting event or business convention) that will place a greater or lesser demand on traffic safety The Emergency Vehicle Pass-Through Function 100 allows emergency vehicles (ambulances, fire trucks, and police vehicles) to notify the Collision Avoidance System in advance of the vehicle ' s arπval so that the Controller 10 will deactivate the Vehicle Restnctors 20 and provide unimpeded passing Communications between the emergency vehicle and the Controller 10 is accomplished through the Communications 80 function The explanation of Figure 12 will clarify The most appealing aspect of the Collision Avoidance System is adaptability to many situations requmng the control of a vehicle ' s speed or position This is accomplished by a flexible configuration of system components and a capability to interface with different types of sensors Regardless of the configuration, the basic operation remains the same for any implementation and the purpose is always to prevent vehicle-related collisions Examples are illustrated in Figures 2 through 12 to demonstrate the flexibility and usefulness of the Collision Avoidance System However, the system is not limited to the descπbed uses Also, some features may be presented in some figures but not m others The absence of any feature is based on the depicted situational need and not on the capability of the Collision Avoidance System Figure 2 — Highway Speeding The economic cost for speeding-related collisions is estimated by NHTSA to be $28 9 billion per year In 1997. speedmg was a contnbuting factor m 30% of all fatal collisions, and 13,036 lives were lost in speeding-related collisions Nearly three quarters of a million people suffered lnjuπes from speeding collisions in 1997 Figure 2 depicts the Collision Avoidance System preventing collisions by controlling highway speeding The Tngger Sensors 30a, 30b. 30c m Figure 2 are speed detection sensors such as the radar or laser devices used by the police (The capability of the system is not dependent on the method of speed detection For example, another configuration would be to measure the amount of time it takes a vehicle to pass between two vehicle proximity sensors that are separated by a known distance as in Figure 11 ) The output of the speed sensors 30a, 30b, 30c are the input (Tngger Sensor Data 30) for the Controller 10 The Vehicle Restπctors 20a, 20b. 20c extend across a traffic lane and then- height above the road surface can be vaned from zero to some maximum height The speed limit issued by the police provides the Conditional Control 40 The idea in Figure 2 is to measure the speed of each vehicle in a lane of traffic and independently adjust the height of each Vehicle Restπctor 20a. 20b. 20c relative to the degree of excessive speed Figure 2 show the response of the Collision Avoidance System to three vehicles moving at different speeds The Tngger Sensor 30a for Lane 1 detects that the vehicle is at or below the posted speed limit Therefore, the Vehicle Restnctor 20a in Lane 1 is not deployed and the motonst will feel no perturbation as an indication to slow down The vehicles m Lane 2 and Lane 3 are above the speed limit The deployed height of the Vehicle Restπctor 20c in Lane 3 is greater than the height of the Vehicle Restnctor 20b in Lane 2 since the corresponding vehicle exceeds the speed limit by a greater amount Consequently, the Collision Avoidance System provides each motonst with feedback to slow down m proportion to the excessive speed of the vehicle Although the vehicle speeds tπggers the system, it is the compaπsons of those speeds to the speed limit (Conditional Control 40) that determines the activation of a particular Vehicle Restπctor 20a. 20b. 20c One of the Remote Function 90 features of the Collision Avoidance System is adjustment of the Vehicle Restnctor sensitivity Authonzed operators can change the sensitivity through the Communications 80 interface by issuing the appropnate commands to the Controller 10 One sensitivity setting might raise a Vehicle Restnctor three inches for 10 mph over the speed limit but a different setting produces six mch activation for the same speed The capability to alter svstem response through the sensitivity setting provides authonties with the flexibility to adjust the speed of traffic for varying road conditions and situations, thus ensuπng safer travel Another major component in the prevention of speed-related collisions is the notification to motoπst of the speed limit The System Status 70 m this example includes electronic speed limit displays 70a in advance of and within the Collision Avoidance System environment The command to change the speed limit is issued by authoπties using the Remote Function 90 through the Communications 80 interface The Controller 10 adjusts the operation of the entire Collision Avoidance System accordingly by updating the speed limit display for the motoπsts and then deploying the Vehicle Restπctors 20a. 20b. 20c based on the new speed limit Momtonng Function 50 digital cameras 50a. 50b, 50c in Figure 2 capture violations by using the speed sensors (Tngger Sensors 30a. 30b. 30c) as the momtonng devices Using the Remote Function 90 through the Communications 80 interface, authonties can set the threshold of camera activation, relative to the posted speed limit For example, the camera threshold can be set to capture a speeding vehicle when it exceeds the speed limit by 10 miles per hour or not activate until the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit by 20 miles per hour The digital camera photographs will capture the vehicle ' s identities, including the manufacturer, model, color, and license tag The digital photographs, posted speed limit, actual vehicle speed, location, date, and time are formatted and transmitted to the authoπties by the Reporting Function 60 As previously descπbed the Secondary Communications 85 and secondary computer 85a will relay reportable incidents to patrolling police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other predetermined agencies or persons Figure 3 — Vehicle & Pedestrian Intersections The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration quotes the following statistics regarding \ ehicle-to-pedestπan collisions In 1997. 77.000 pedestπans were injured and 5.307 were killed in traffic collisions m the United States, representing two percent of all the people injured in traffic collisions and 13% of all traffic fatalities On average, a pedestnan is killed in a motor vehicle collision every 99 minutes, and one is injured every seven minutes Nearly one-third of all children between the ages of five and mne who were killed in motor vehicle traffic collisions were pedestnans One-fifth of the traffic fatalities under age 16 were pedestπans Figure 3 depicts the Collision Avoidance System preventing vehicle-to-pedestπan collisions on a city street with a pedestnan crosswalk The functions of the Collision Avoidance System components are as previously descnbed The Tngger Sensors 30a are radar or laser devices that are used for speed detection and provide Tngger Sensor Data 30 mput to the Controller 10 For this Collision Avoidance System implementation, the Vehicle Restπctors 20 must provide pedestnan protection as well as vehicle speed control Therefore, the deployable height of the restnctors is greater than m Figure 2 The Remote Function 90 is as descπbed for Figure 2. for the alteration of Vehicle Restπctor output sensitivity and camera activation threshold The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety provides the following statistics regarding the failure to yield to traffic lights and signals Disregarding red lights and other traffic control devices are the leading cause of urban collisions representing 22% of the total number of collisions Dπvers who run red lights are responsible for an estimated 260.000 collisions each year and at least 750 of those collisions result m fatalities On a national basis, fatal motor vehicle collisions at traffic signals increased 19% between 1992 and 1996. representing a six-percent increase over all other causes of fatal collisions Conditional Control 40 in Figure 3 is provided by the traffic light 40a The traffic light signals (red, yellow, and green) integrate and synchronize the Collision Avoidance System to the traffic laws and safety intent of the intersection When the cycle of the traffic light 40a first displays yellow, the system starts to deploy the Vehicle Restnctors 20 If the Tngger Sensors 30a detect that a vehicle is actually increasing in speed, due to a motoπst attempting to beat the impending red light, the Controller 10 responds by activating the Vehicle Restπctors 20 more aggressively The purpose of this action is to reinforce the true meamng of the yellow light, which is to slow down and prepare to stop The intent is to avoid a collision and protect pedestnans by ensuπng a safer pedestnan crossmg since the impending red light is timed with an indication for pedestnans to cross The passing of a vehicle through the intersection dunng a yellow light will not necessanlv invoke the Momtonng Function ' s 50 cameras 50a to photograph the vehicle However, if the motoπst increases vehicle speed to beat the light or does not slow down sufficiently as the vehicle approaches the intersection, then a photograph of the vehicle ' s identities (manufacturer, model, color, and license tag) will be taken The Reporting Function 60 will time-stamp and format the photograph, include the necessary violation information, and invoke the Communications 80 interface to transmit a report of the violation to authoπties By the time the traffic light 40a (providing Conditional Control 40) displays the red light the Vehicle Restnctors 20 are fully deployed To prevent a motoπst from prematurely moving into the intersection in anticipation of the green light, the Vehicle Restπctors 20 will remain deployed until the green light is displayed Whenever a motonst runs a red light, the Momtonng Function s 50 cameras 50a will photograph the vehicle ' s identities The Reporting Function 60 will time-stamp and format the photograph, include the necessary violation information, and invoke the Communications 80 interface to transmit a report of the violation to authonties via the computer 85a that is a part of the Secondary Communications 85 When the traffic light 40a (providing Conditional Control 40) displays the green light, the Collision Avoidance System initially deactivates the Vehicle Restnctors 20 to let the stopped vehicles proceed ummpeded Thereafter, throughout the duration of the green light, the Collision Avoidance System independently momtors and controls each vehicle in proportion to that vehicle ' s excessive vehicle speed, as an indication to the motonst to slow down, as descπbed for Figure 2 In the event of a traffic light 40a malfunction the Collision Avoidance System can be programmed to either totally deactivate all Vehicle Restnctors 20 or disregard the Conditional Control 40 from the traffic light 40a and use an internal timer based on the same time sequence of the traffic light Thus the system can contmue to control the speed and position of vehicles and coordinate vehicle and pedestnan traffic dunng a malfunctioning traffic light A malfunction of the traffic light 40a is a reportable mcident that the Reporting Function 60 will transmit to authonties Even this feature seeks to prevent collisions through the rapid notification of the malfunction Issues regarding human suffering, insurance, healthcare, and their monetary costs can not be avoided when collisions have occurred Court time and costs associated with determining legal liability are also very significant Therefore, the Momtonng Function 50 and Reporting Function 60 are tremendously valuable in documenting the events that led to the collision as well as documenting the actual collision As previously descnbed. vehicle actions that are inconsistent with the intent of the traffic light 40a or the speed limit are captured and reported Additionally, through the Remote Function 90, authonties can program the Momtonng Function 50 to take photographs repeatedly for a predetermined number of seconds after a violation Thus if the violating incident leads to a collision then the collision will also be photographed and subsequently transmitted to the authoπties Examples of the violations that the Momtonng Function 50 detects and activates the cameras to capture include running a red light, excessive speed (threshold defined by authonties). increasing speed dunng a yellow light, failure to sufficiently decrease speed dunng a yellow light, and failure to yield to a pedestnan nght-of-way before turmng As previously descnbed the Secondary Communications 85 and secondary computer 85a will relay reportable incidents to patrolling police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other predetermined agencies or persons Although it is not shown in Figure 3. the electronic speed limit display shown in Figure 2 could also be a part of this implementation as a System Status if authonties want to alter the speed limit The command to change the system speed limit is issued with the Remote Function 90 Figure 4 — School Bus Loading & Unloading According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, from 1988 to 1998. 73% of the school-age children that died m school bus-related traffic collisions were pedestnan and 50% of those children were between five to seven years old Laws demand that motoπsts stop as school buses load and unload children Despite such laws, children are still killed or injured by motoπsts m vehicles that failed to stop in time In many cases, the motoπst claimed to have never noticed the children in transition to or from the bus The Collision Avoidance System can not only provide motonsts with improved notification but also provide more aggressive child protection, in addition to reinforcing the law to stop Figure 4 shows the prevention of vehicle-to-pedestnan collisions at a school bus stop A school bus is equipped with a concealed Transmitter 32 matched to the frequency of a Receiver 36 that provides input into the Controller 10 The Transmitter / Receiver pair serves as the Tngger Sensor 30 Smce school buses often pass a bus stop without stopping, it is essential that the Vehicle Restπctors 20 only be activated dunng actual loading and unloading For example, the bus will have no children before the first pick up or after the last drop off Other school buses will pass certain stops because those stops are along major thoroughfares but not part of their predetermined pick up locations In order to prevent false activation of the Vehicle Restπctors 20. Conditional Control 40 is provided by the actual loading / unloading operation of the bus as indicated by the deployment of the STOP sign on the side of the bus and the flashing caution lights 40a Only this conditional action will enable the bus Transmitter 32 to communicate to the Receiver 36. thus tnggeπng the Controller 10 At that juncture the Controller 10 will activate Vehicle Restnctors 20 in all lanes Several Vehicle Restnctors 20 can be placed in a given lane with the degree of restπctor deployment being more aggressive as the vehicle approaches the crossing zone Thus the Collision Avoidance System will not only alert the motoπst to slow down but also provide a measure of physical protection for the children The Vehicle Restnctors 20 will be deactivated when the bus dnver terminates the loading / unloading operation by retracting the STOP sign and turning off the bus caution lights 40a To prevent false activation by signals from a source other than a school bus, the signals from the bus Transmitter 32 will be a Coded Transmission 34. and mclude a umque identifier of the specific bus activating the Collision Avoidance System Vehicle movement over the pedestnan crossing dunng loading / unloading is a reportable incident and invokes the Momtonng Function 50 to photograph the vehicle The photographs and the bus identification will be transmitted by the Reporting Function 60 to authoπties through the Communications 80 Since this implementation involves school children, the Reporting Function 60 will also mclude the names and contact information for the appropnate school officials so that they will be notified of the incident As previously descnbed the Secondary Communications 85 and secondary computer 85a will relay reportable incidents to patrolling police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other predetermined agencies or persons The Remote Function 90 will allow authoπties to remotelv alter the previously descnbed system operational parameters Figure 5 — Blind Corners And Unseen Pedestrians The Collision Avoidance System provides pedestnan protection in situations m which the views of the pedestnan and the motonst are restricted and a possible collision is forthcoming An example is the parking facility in Figure 5 The Tngger Sensor 30 input is provided by a pedestnan detector 30a. similar to those in the entrance of grocery stores used to open doors It is positioned to monitor a pedestnan area that precedes an intersection where a vehicle-to-pedestnan collision might occur As the pedestnan and the vehicle advanced toward the same intersection, the Tngger Sensor 30a notifies the Controller 10 to activate the Vehicle Restπctors 20. to provide an mdication to the motoπst to slow down Additional reinforcement is provided when the Controller 10 illuminates a System Status 70 display 70a m direct view of the dπver. to inform of the pedestπan ' s presence Conditional Control 40 is provided by a sensor 40a used to detect the presence of a vehicle traveling in the direction of the mtersection such as an ultrasonic sensor (A ground-mounted mduction loop would also suffice ) The Conditional Control 40 sensor 40a will only allow the Controller 10 to activate the Vehicle Restnctors 20 and the System Status 70 display 70a if there is a vehicle traveling toward the intersection, thus preventing unnecessary system activation An obvious question is why not simply place traditional static speed breakers to always restnct vehicle speed 9 The Collision Avoidance System allows efficient traffic for any situation in which it is installed Efficient traffic is defined as the safest traffic at the fastest speed, which will depend on the circumstance and thus will not always be the same speed Therefore, the vehicle is allowed to travel safely at a faster speed as long as a pedestnan is not in danger of being struck Also, static speed breakers do not invoke the same level of motonst alertness because dnvers expect them to be there Conversely, the sudden activation of Vehicle Restπctors 20 will capture the motonst ' s attention and invoke a greater caution Authonties can limit and enforce a maximum vehicle speed, even in the absence of a pedestnan This is accomplished by setting the Controller 10 to also respond to Conditional Control 40 sensors 40a for speed control as descnbed for Figures 2 and 3 This additional usage will prevent the vehicle shown from colliding with a vehicle traveling in the transverse direction and further emphasizes the flexibility of the Collision Avoidance System The Momtonng Function 50. Reporting Function 60. and Communications 80 will perform as previously descnbed to capture, document, and report any violations and collisions to authonties If the Collision Avoidance System is momtonng pπvate property, then the Reporting Function 60 will reference the names and contact information for those predetermined individuals from its contact database As previously descπbed the Secondary Communications 85 and secondary computer 85a will relay reportable incidents to patrolling police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other predetermined agencies or persons The Remote Function 90 will allow authoπties to remotely alter the previously descπbed system operational parameters Figure 6 - Rail And Road Intersections The Office of Public Affairs / Federal Railroad Administration quotes the following facts regarding collisions at highwav-railroad intersections There are nearly 280,000 highway-rail crossings nationwide Dunng 1994. 610 people were killed and 1.923 injured m 4,921 highway-rail crossing collisions A tram hits someone in Ameπca nearl y everv 90 minutes and a motoπst is 30 times more likely to die in an accident involving a tram than in a collision with another motor vehicle Collisions between trams and vehicles often occur when motoπsts speed up to cross the railroad tracks m an effort to beat the oncoming tram Even at slow speeds, trams are practically impossible to stop m time to prevent a collision with a vehicle The Federal Railroad Administration says that over 50% of collisions at public crossings occur where active warning devices (gates, lights, and bells) exist and function properly Obviously the warning devices are not alwavs sufficient to capture a motonst ' s attention as well as to discourage racing of the train One way to reduce collisions at highway-railroad intersections is with the timely and physical restraint of vehicles as a tram nears the intersection The Collision Avoidance System configuration for preventing vehicle-to-train collisions is presented in Figure 6 A sensor capable of detecting the presence of the tram is the Tngger Sensor 30 This technology could be based on vibration, ultrasonic, or disruption of a light signal Since trams are the only machines that travel on the track the technology used to detect them is not particular The initial presence of the tram is not enough for the Controller 10 to activate the Vehicle Restnctors 20 This prevents unnecessary activation is case the tram only parks (remaimng motionless) in the area However, as the tram approaches the intersection it eventually activates the caution lights and the gates 40a that extend across the lanes These devices provide the Conditional Control 40 that actually completes the indication to the Controller 10 to deploy the Vehicle Restnctors 20 Consequently, motonsts approaching the intersection receive tactile feedback that makes it significantly more difficult to increase vehicle speed and race the tram to the intersection Obviously another configuration for this implementation is to tngger the system directly from the activation of the caution lights and gates 40a However, the descπbed configuration is likely more reliable smce it always ensures that the tram is actually present before disrupting traffic Thus the presence of the tram and activation of the crossing controls 40a provide a double contingency for system activation The Monitoπng Function 50. Reporting Function 60. and Communications 80 will perform as previously descπbed to capture, document, and report any violations and collisions to authonties In this scenano. the Reporting Function 60 contact database will include railroad authoπties As previously descπbed the Secondary Communications 85 and secondary computer 85a will relay reportable incidents to patrolling police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other predetermined agencies or persons The Remote Function 90 will allow authonties to remotely alter the previously descnbed svstem operational parameters Figure 7- Traffic Light Intersections The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides the following statistics and facts regarding collisions at intersections Intersections are among the most dangerous locations on U S roads Approximately 1 95 million collisions occurred at mtersections in 1994 (representing 30% of total collisions), causing over 6.700 fatalities and significant numbers of seπous injuπes There are more intersection collisions than any other collision type The NHTSA also says that it is also more technically challenging to prevent this type of collision with detection and warning technology than other collision situations The Collision Avoidance Svstem prevents collisions at traffic intersections bv restncting vehicle position, in accordance to traffic regulations An additional benefit is the reduction of traffic congestion caused when motonsts block an intersection Collisions are frequently caused by frustrated motoπsts trying to get through congested traffic Consider the typical events at an intersection dunng times of high traffic volume As the light turns green, vehicles proceed into an intersection until the densitv of the traffic causes the lanes on the exit- side of the intersection to fill Unfortunately, motonsts often continue to dπve into the intersection in anticipation that they will clear the intersection before their light turns red Typically those vehicles continue to block the intersection when the light turns green for traffic travelling in the transverse direction As a result, the transverse traffic can not move and the density of traffic preceding the intersection continues to accumulate Motoπsts are frustrated as they go through several traffic light cycles with little advancement Thus when they finally get to the intersection they are more likely to contπbute to additional congestion bv forcing then- way mto the intersection and blocking traffic that is transverse to them This entire scenano mcreases the potential for collisions Figure 7 illustrates the Collision Avoidance System preventing collisions at an intersection dunng a high congestion penod Vehicle Restπctors 20a. 20b, 20c. 20d are only installed on the entry-side of the intersection in order to control access to the intersection A green light allows westbound vehicles to proceed through the intersection until the vehicles begin to fill the lanes on the exit-side of the mtersection Vehicle proximity sensors 30a, 30b provide the Tngger Sensor Data 30 and are installed on the exit-side of the intersection ' s westbound lanes These sensors 30a. 30b are located so that their output allows the Controller 10 to determine that the left lane is occupied while the nght lane can accommodate another vehicle without blocking the intersection The Controller 10 activates the restπctors on the westbound entry-side of the intersection in accordance to the indications from the sensors 30a. 30b As a result the left lane of the westbound Vehicle Restπctor 20b activates to prevent the vehicle from entenng the intersection The nght lane Vehicle Restπctor 20a is deactivated to allow at least one more vehicle to cross the intersection Thereafter the sensor 30a m the nght lane on the exit- side will indicate to the Controller 10 to deploy the Vehicle Restπctor 20a on the entry-side to prevent additional vehicles from entenng the intersection The Collision Avoidance System will minimize the blocking of the intersection thus allowing southbound traffic open access to the mtersection when the southbound light turns green The Vehicle Restπctors 20c, 20d and the Tngger Sensors 30c, 30d support the implementation of the same concept for the movement of southbound traffic It is vital that the Vehicle Restπctors 20a. 20b. 20c. 20d not be deployed and unnecessaπly impede traffic flow if traffic congestion is not an issue The determination of a congested lane on the exit-side of an intersection is really a determination of traffic density Traffic density is defined as the number of vehicles that move pass the sensor m a given penod of time A Vehicle Restπctor 20a. 20b, 20c. 20d is only activated if the corresponding Tngger Sensor 30a. 30b. 30c. 30d mdicates to the Controller 10 that the same vehicle has been positioned at the edge of the exit-side of the intersection for a penod of time that is consistent with traffic congestion The Conditional Control 40 is provided by the traffic light 40a so that the Controller 10 governs system response accordingly Traffic administrators mav decide that activation of vehicle restπctors should only occur if traffic is congested in the direction that has a green light, as descnbe above, to prevent blocking of the intersection The alternate response to the Conditional Control 40 traffic light 40a is to also activate the Vehicle Restπctors 20c. 20d for the traffic that has a red light This action serves to reinforce the red light to prevent motoπsts from trying to anticipate the changing of their light from red to green, thus further preventing a collision The fact that either or both responses could be exercised depends on the Controller's 10 programming logic and further emphasizes the flexibility of this invention The Momtonng Function 50. Reporting Function 60. and Communications 80 will perform as previously descπbed to capture, document, and report any violations and collisions to authonties As previously descnbed the Secondary Communications 85 and secondary computer 85a will relay reportable mcidents to patrolling police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other predetermined agencies or persons The Remote Function 90 will allow authonties to remotely alter the previously descnbed system operational parameters It must be noted that the vehicle speed control and pedestnan protection previously discussed in Figure 3 are also applicable m Figure 7 The programming logic of the Controller 10 will allow the system to perform in whatever way traffic administrators desire Agam the flexibility of the Collision Avoidance System is evident as it can be configured to simultaneously prevent many collision situations Figure 8 - Four-Way Intersections The benefits of the Collision Avoidance System are also applicable to an intersection without a traffic light such as the four-way intersection m Figure 8 This is the type of intersection m which the front end of one vehicle hits another vehicle broad side The major difference m the hardware configurations of Figures 7 and 8 is that the vehicle detection sensors tπggeπng the Collision Avoidance System response are positioned on the entry-side of the intersection in Figure 8 The Tngger Sensors 30a, 30b, 30c. 30d detect a vehicle and are sufficiently positioned in advance of the intersection m order to give the motonst a chance to see and respond to the activation of the Vehicle Restnctors 20a. 20b. 20c, 20d (The northbound sensor 30b and southbound sensor 30d are not visible on the street because the corresponding vehicles are coveπng them ) Smce there is no traffic light to govern a vehicle's progression into the intersection, the progression order is determined bv the arπval order of the vehicles at the intersection The northbound sensor 30b reports the presence of a vehicle first The Controller 10 deactivates the northbound Vehicle Restπctor 20b to allow the northbound vehicle to enter the intersection while deploying the other Vehicle Restnctors 20a, 20c. 20d to restnct the other vehicles The Controller 10 will subsequently deactivate the remaimng Vehicle Restnctors 20a. 20c. 20d according to the order in which the corresponding Tngger Sensors 30a. 30c. 30d reported the presence of a vehicle Simultaneous vehicle arπvals will be controlled according to πght-of-way regulations The Momtonng Function 50. Reporting Function 60, and Communications 80 will perform as previously descπbed to capture, document, and report any violations and collisions to authoπties As previously descπbed the Secondary Communications 85 and secondary computer 85a will relav reportable mcidents to patrolling police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other predetermined agencies or persons The Remote Function 90 will allow authonties to remotely alter the previously descnbed system operational parameters Figure 9 - Merging With Highway Traffic A merging-lane traffic light is one method that transportation authoπties use in an attempt to control rush hour traffic on interstate highways The light alternates green and red on a timed sequence to indicate to motoπsts when to proceed to merge with the highway traffic from a side entrance Figure 9 illustrates the Collision Avoidance System reducing the potential for vehicular collisions with merging lanes of traffic The internal timer of the Controller 10 serves as the Tngger Sensor 30 The sequence of the timer is programmed (through the Remote Function 90) to match the timing used for the traditional merging-lane traffic light Sensors 40a that detect vehicle speed in each highway lane as well as the merging acceleration lane provide Conditional Control 40 The Controller 10 uses the vehicle speed inputs to mcrease or decrease the baseline timing (Tngger Sensor 30) and subsequently adjust the activation timing of the merging-lane traffic light 70a (System Status 70) and the Vehicle Restnctor 20 When highway traffic is very congested the Collision Avoidance System will actually slow the rate at which the emerging traffic enters the highway Conversely, as highway traffic lessens then the system will increase the merging rate If most highway vehicles are traveling above a predetermined threshold speed (as determined by the sensors 40a providing Conditional Control 40) then the Controller 10 will continuously display green on the mergmg-lane traffic light 70a as the System Status 70 If some incident occurs downstream from the Collision Avoidance area that eventually causes the traffic to slow below a predetermined threshold then the system will automatically adjust the merging-lane traffic light 70a as the System Status 70 and the Vehicle Restπctor 20 accordingly Altenng the predetermined threshold speeds is done through the Remote Function 90 The traditional mergmg-lane traffic light uses a static time sequence and thus does not have a feedback loop from the very traffic that it is controlling access to Also, these lights are generally set to only operate dunng the predetermined morning and evening rush hours The Collision Avoidance System provides three major benefits that are not available with only the traditional merging-lane traffic light and not available outside of this invention The first is the synchronization of the merging-lane traffic light 70a with the physical control of the vehicle preparing to merge This will reduce premature starts by motoπsts attempting to merge before the green light indication The second benefit is the capability to automatically adjust merging traffic as a function of the existing highway congestion The third benefit is collision prevention control 24 hours a day and not only at predetermined rush hours Again, the Collision Avoidance System allows efficient traffic, the safest traffic at the fastest speed The Momtonng Function 50. Reporting Function 60. and Communications 80 will perform as previously descπbed to capture, document, and report any violations and collisions to authoπties As previously descnbed the Secondary Communications 85 and secondary computer 85a will relay reportable mcidents to patrolling police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other predetermined agencies or persons Figure 10 — Head-On Collisions & Lane Control Reinforcement The Fatality Analysis Reporting System's 1998 statistics indicate that there were 5.243 head-on collisions involving 18,197 people and 11.324 vehicles A notable solution to reduce these numbers is to provide more forewarning to motoπsts of a potential collision This will improve both motoπst alertness and response time Figure 10 is an overhead view of the Collision Avoidance System preventing head-on collisions on a street with a bi-directional middle lane Dunng the morning hours the middle lane is used to accommodate the heavier southbound traffic However, in the afternoon the middle lane is intended for traffic m the northbound direction Although the appropnate signs are posted over the middle lane, the vehicle at the bottom of the figure (indicated by the dotted-lme trace) has crossed into the middle lane This vehicle and a second vehicle in the middle lane are approaching a head-on collision The detection of a vehicle between successive proximity sensors 30a provides Tngger Sensor 30 mput to allow the Controller 10 to determine the direction of a vehicle in the middle lane The internal time clock 40a of the Controller 10 is the Conditional Control 40 and is referenced to determine the proper direction of travel for middle lane traffic, based on the time of dav The Controller 10 activates the Vehicle Restπctors 20 to alert both motonsts to slow down This early warning will drastically improve the reaction time of both motonsts and prevent the head-on collision Because Vehicle Restnctors 20 can be individually controlled, the system can activate only the Vehicle Restnctors 20 that are between the two approaching vehicles This prevents the disturbance to vehicles that are also in the middle lane but not in danger of a collision The system will deactivate the deployed Vehicle Restnctors 20 when all vehicle movement withm the middle lane is in the proper direction Although it is not depicted in Figure 10. the Controller 10 will also update overhead electronic displays (System Status) to further inform the errant motoπst of the improper direction of travel Since the middle lane is bi-directional the overhead electronic displays facing the motoπst traveling m the proper direction will be updated to inform of an approaching vehicle The Momtonng Function 50, Reporting Function 60. and Communications 80 will perform as previously descnbed to capture, document, and report any violations and collisions to authoπties As previously descπbed the Secondary Communications 85 and secondary computer 85a will relay reportable mcidents to patrolling police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other predetermined agencies or persons The Remote Function 90 will allow authoπties to remotely alter the previously descπbed system operational parameters Figure 11 — Rear-End Collisions The Fatality Analysis Reporting System's 1998 statistics mdicate that there were 1.896 rear-end collisions involving 7,837 people and 4,846 vehicles Figure 11 illustrates two vehicles traveling in a lane of traffic The dotted lines represent the road locations in which a vehicle will be detected by Sensor 0. Sensor 1, and Sensor 2 The technology for vehicle detection could be a loop coil, ultrasonic or disruption of a light beam by a passing vehicle between an optical transmitter / receiver pan- The Tngger Sensor 30 is actually the time difference between the passing of two successive vehicles, as shown between the activation of Sensor 1 and Sensor 2 As long as that time difference exceeds the time difference that is consistent with maintaining the proper distance between vehicles then the Controller 10 is not tnggered The posted speed limit sets the baseline time threshold of system activation (The speed limit and the baseline time threshold can be changed through the Remote Function 90 ) To avoid rear-end collisions for a given speed limit, dnvers are supposed to allow a certam number of seconds between the time that a preceding vehicle passes a point in the road and the time when then- vehicle passes the same point However, safe travel can still be maintamed with lesser times as long as the speed of the trailing vehicle is reduced accordingly Conversely, if the speed of the trailing vehicle is greater than the speed limit then more time must pass between successive vehicles Thus the speed of the trailing vehicle will dictate the extent of an increase or decrease m the baseline time difference between two successive vehicles to maintam a safe travelling distance The same sensors can be used to determine the speed of the trailing vehicle As the trailing vehicle reaches Sensor 1. the vehicle ' s speed is determined by dividing the known distance between Sensor 0 and Sensor 1 by the time difference between the activation of Sensor 0 and Sensor 1 When the trailing vehicle reaches Sensor 1. the time difference smce the passing of the leading vehicle (Tngger Sensor 30) indicates that the trailing vehicle may be following too closely That determination will be confirmed or refuted bv the speed of the trailing vehicle 40a. which serves as the Conditional Control 40 Even if the time between successive vehicles is less than the baseline time as dictated by the speed limit, the trailing vehicle may still be at a safe distance to stop in time to avoid a rear-end collision if the trailing vehicle ' s speed 40a has been sufficiently reduced However, m Figure 11 the speed of the trailing vehicle 40a (Conditional Control 40) confirms that the trailing vehicle is dnving too closely The Controller 10 activates the Vehicle Restπctor 20 and updates the overhead display 70a as the System Status 70 to inform the dnver that he is following too closely The height of the Vehicle Restπctor 20 can even be deployed in proportion to the additional distance the trailing vehicle should attain in order to follow at the mimmum safe distance This feedback provides more aggressive restraint to a vehicle that is dangerously close to the precedmg vehicle but conversely not mvoke too much speed reduction for a vehicle that is not The purpose is to achieve the safest traffic at the fastest speed An additional Conditional Control 42 input is provided by a ram sensor 42a to detect when the road is wet The purpose is to increase the travelmg distance between vehicles smce wet roads increase the braking distance The Controller 10 will factor m the additional input by increasmg the required time between vehicles and governing system response accordingly The Momtonng Function 50 and camera 50a. Reporting Function 60. and Communications 80 will perform as previously descnbed to capture, document, and report any violations and collisions to authoπties As previously descπbed the Secondary Communications 85 and secondary computer 85a will relay reportable mcidents to patrolling police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other predetermined agencies or persons A previously described speed limit display can be added to this implementation Authonties using the Remote Function 90 can alter the baseline speed limit Figure 12 - Emergency Vehicle Pass-Through The Collision Avoidance System will allow emergency vehicles to pass ummpeded Figure 12 shows the Emergency Vehicle Pass-Through Function 100 of the Collision Avoidance System An emergency vehicle is equipped with a concealed Transmitter 32 matched to the frequency of a Receiver 36 that provides input into the Controller 10 The Transmitter / Receiver parr serves as the Tngger Sensor 30 The Transmitter 32 is integrated with the siren of the emergency vehicle so that the Transmitter 32 is only active when the siren is on Thus the activity of the siren 40a provides Conditional Control 40 This feature prevents the emergency vehicle from disabling the Collision Avoidance System when the vehicle is not responding to an emergency call Even emergency vehicles must comply with the standard traffic regulations m the absence of an emergency The functions of the system components in executing the Emergency Vehicle Pass-Through Function 100 are the same as the previous implementations except that the pnnciple output response is deactivation of Vehicle Restπctors 20 mstead of activation As the emergency vehicle nears a Collision Avoidance System installation with an active siren 42a. the Transmitter 32 communicates wireless. Coded Transmissions 34 to the Receiver 36 The Controller 10 gets input from the Receiver 36 that a deactivation signal was transmitted from an approaching emergency vehicle m an emergency mode and deactivates all deployed Vehicle Restπctors 20 to an inactive state 22 Shortly after the passmg of the emergency vehicle the Controller 10 will restore the system and the Vehicle Restnctors 20 to normal operation The transmissions between the Transmitter 32 and the Receiver 36 are coded so that the s stem does not respond to stray signals Only transmissions at the proper frequency and m the proper format will be acknowledged The Coded Transmission 34 will mclude a unique identifier of the approaching vehicle 34a The Momtonng Function 50 may also be invoked if photographs are desired of the emergency vehicle as it passes through the monitored area Thus the vehicle identifier 34a along with the date and time of the deactivation occurrence (and photographs if taken) are compiled by the Reporting Function 60 and transmitted to authoπties through the Communications 80 interface This documentation will reside on the computer 85a of the Secondary Communications 85 The request to take photographs of passing emergency vehicle will be made or cancelled by authonties through the Remote Function 90 The Emergency Vehicle Pass-Through Function 100 is functionally applicable to any Collision Avoidance System implementation However, all situations may not be suited for the Emergency Vehicle Pass-Through Function 100 For example, transportation authonties may not want emergency vehicles, even in an emergency, to be able to deactivate the Vehicle Restπctors as the vehicle approaches the tram intersection in Figure 6 Closing Numerous scenaπos were presented to demonstrate the flexibility of the Collision Avoidance System to prevent vehicle-related collisions in virtually any situation The design of the streets, number of lanes, terrain (hills, curves, dips), vehicular traffic volume, pedestnan traffic volume, local climate, and posted speed limit are just a few of the vanables that can produce an environment with particular safety concerns The depicted uses do not represent the limits of this invention For example, the Collision Avoidance System can provide intersection control even if the northbound and southbound traffic m Figure 8 was designed to always have the nght-of-way before the eastbound and westbound traffic As the four vehicles simultaneously approached the mtersection the system would still determine the proper order of vehicle progression and restπct the vehicles accordingly Another situation with high potential for vehicle-to-pedestnan collision is the left turn of a vehicle off a main street and through a pedestnan crossing The depiction and explanation of Figure 5 are also applicable to this scenaπo because both situations represent a motonst with a limited view of or attention to a pedestnan as the vehicle and the pedestnan proceed toward the same intersection The configuration of Figure 10 will also prevent collisions if a vehicle enters a one-way street in the wrong direction Tngger Sensors would detect the vehicle at the beginning of the one-way entrance and invoke the Controller to deploy Vehicle Restπctors to the wayward vehicle with accompanying displays (System Status) to indicate that the motoπst is traveling in the wrong direction Vehicle Restπctors and System Status indicating the approach of the wayward vehicle would also be deployed to vehicles travelling in the proper direction to slow them down and also give them forewarning The pnmary depicted use of the Conditional Control was to cancel or complete the preliminary output responses of the system However. Figure 1 1 demonstrates that a Conditional Control 42 can also be used to alter an operational parameter based on road moisture, m this case to increase the baseline time that determines the safe traveling distance between vehicles This type of input allows the Collision Avoidance Svstem to automatically adjust to changes in weather conditions that will demand changes in dnving behavior m order or to prevent collisions Vehicle speed on a wet road is a typical example and the speed limit could be automatically lowered, but automatically returned to the baseline speed limit as the road dπed Speed limit displays would keep the motonsts informed of the current speed limit, Vehicle Restπctors would reinforce the changes, and the Reporting Function would inform authonties of the changes that were made as well as report any violations Thus it is to be understood that use of a Conditional Control input to monitor road conditions (such as precipitation) and alter operational parameters are also applicable to previous depictions of the Collision Avoidance System Regardless of the traffic scenaπo, the mission of the Collision Avoidance System is always to prevent collisions through actions that mclude momtonng the environment according to the traffic laws or safety concerns, providing notification to the motoπst regarding the actions to prevent a collision, impeding the proper vehicles in an effort to prevent the collision, documenting and reporting to authoπties any failure to heed to those traffic laws or safety concerns It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to any of the embodiments descnbed above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims

Claims: CLAIMS What I claim as my invention is 1 A system for the prevention of vehicle-related collisions A vehicle mcludes any type of motoπzed machine suitable for or capable of roadwav travel The svstem comprises a computer for the control of said system, including the interpretation of sensor input information, interpretation of the traffic laws, execution of control logic, and the activation of system output responses. devices and sensors for detecting entities compπsmg the speed of vehicles, the presence of vehicles, the presence of pedestπans, the presence of trams, and the presence of conditions that indicate the approach of said entities, time and precipitation. transmitting data and control commands between said system and existing traffic control devices whereby said system m synchronized with existing traffic control systems. a means for documenting actions that are contrary to the mtent of said system, violations of the traffic laws, and the resulting collisions within the environment of said system. an impedance device intended to restπct the speed or the position of vehicles by providing a controllable road perturbation, remote operational control of said system 2 The system according to claim 1. wherein said means for documenting actions that are contrary to the mtent of said system, violations of the traffic laws, and the resulting collisions within the environment of said system compnses (a) photographically captuπng vehicle positions and identities compnsing manufacturer, model, color, condition, and license tag. (b) recording the date. time, and location. (c) associating the applicable descnption. (d) associating the contact information of predetermined persons or organizations. (e) capability to store said documentation on computer accessible media, and. (f) transmission of said documentation to predetermined persons or organizations 3 The system according to claim 1. further compnsing visual displays and indicators that notify motonsts of the required response for collision prevention. 4 The system according to claim 1, further compnsing a means to alter the standard operation of said system based on the emergency operation of emergency vehicles including (a) detection and identification of emergency vehicles. (b) deactivation of said road impedance. (c) optional photographic capture of emergency vehicle identities, (d) documentation of said deactivation event including time. date, location and emergency vehicle identities, (e) associating the contact information of the predetermined authonties to inform. (f) transmission of information to predetermined authoπties, and (g) restoration of said system to normal operation 5 The system according to claim 1. further compnsing a means to convert a license plate photograph into computer-recogmzable text comprising optical character recogmtion and license plate recogmtion technologies, hereby the license content can be computer processed 6 The system according to claim 1. wherein said impedance restncts a vehicle according to that vehicle ' s speed or position 7 The system according to claim 1. wherein said impedance restncts a vehicle according to the speed or position of another vehicle 8 The system according to claim 1. wherein said impedance restncts a vehicle according to the status of traffic control devices 9 The system according to claim 1. wherein said impedance restncts a vehicle according to the loading and unloading of a school bus 10 The system according to claim 1, wherein said impedance restncts a vehicle according to the presence of a pedestnan 11 The system according to claim 1. wherein said impedance restncts a vehicle according to the approach of a tram toward a road-railway mtersection 12 The system according to claim 1. wherein said impedance restncts a vehicle at an mtersection according to the availability of space for that vehicle withm the region and at the exit of the intersection 13 The system according to claim 1. wherein said impedance restncts a vehicle at an intersection according to the order in which that vehicle and other vehicles arπved at the mtersection and according to πght-of-way regulations 14 The system according to claim 1, wherein said impedance restncts a vehicle according to the density or speed of traffic 15 The system according to claim 1. wherein communications between said system and predetermined vehicles allow said system to determine the approach, presence, and identification of those vehicles, 16 The system according to claim 1. wherein the preliminary response of said system is cancelled, completed, or changed in degree based on the status of said entities 17 The system according to claim 1. wherein said system captures, displays, stores, organizes, retneves. and transmits the monitored activities and vehicle identities associated with a vehicle that enters the environment of said system 18 The system according to claim 1. wherein said svstem communicates using technologies compnsing facsimile, e-mail. Internet, computer networks, telephone, modem, mobile telephone, pager, wireless communications, personal digital orgamzer. and pπnter, whereby the monitored activities and vehicle identities within said system are transmitted to designated persons or orgamzations. 19 A method involving the operation and control of vehicle-related collision avoidance compnsing the steps of integrating and synchronizing with existing traffic control devices and systems. detectmg the speed or position of vehicles. evaluatmg a vehicle ' s speed or position relative to the traffic laws and safety concerns. providing feedback to the motonst regarding the actions to prevent a collision. impeding selected vehicles with a controllable road perturbation. documenting and reporting to predetermined authonties the identities of vehicles that violate the method intent and the traffic laws, and further documenting and reporting the identities and involvement of vehicles in collisions 20 A method for the prevention of vehicle-related collisions compnsing detectmg entities compπsmg vehicle speed, vehicle presence, pedestnan presence, the presence of trams, and the presence of conditions that indicate the approach of said entities, time and precipitation, assessmg a potential collision by companng the positions and movements of said entities to determine if the paths of entities may possibly intersect. companng a vehicle ' s actual speed or position to the speed or position that is indicative of a traffic violation, impeding the movement of a vehicle with a controllable road perturbation if a possible collision path is affirmative or if a traffic violation is affirmative

Inventors: HALL BRETT, HALL, BRETT
Applicants: HALL BRETT, HALL, BRETT
Application year: 2000
Main classification: G08G1
IPC codes: B60R21, G08G1