DE202021105565U1 - An intelligent vehicle overtaking assistance system based on the Internet of Things - Google Patents

Abstract

An intelligent vehicle overtaking assistance system, the system comprising:
a pair of cameras mounted on both side mirrors of a vehicle to capture real-time video while driving;
a pair of long-range and short-range radar sensors installed in the vehicle to detect oncoming traffic from blind spots;
a control unit linked to the cameras and radar sensors to assist the driver by giving him a clear view from the camera over the oncoming traffic along with a warning signal acknowledgment for careful overtaking from the radar signal, the radar signal aligning with the signal is verified by the cameras installed on the side mirrors of the vehicle;
a display device installed on a front console to display an image of the approaching path and the vehicle moving in front and approaching to provide a clear view of its right and left sides with switching capability; and
a variety of blind spot assistance nodes mounted on either side of a risky curve or hairpin bend and wirelessly connected to the control unit to generate an alert of oncoming traffic.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to assistance devices for vehicle drivers. More specifically, an Internet of Things (IOT) based intelligent vehicle overtaking assistance system that assists the driver while he/she maneuvers the vehicle around a blind spot like a hairpin bend or another road like an intersection , a roundabout or a multi-lane road.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Road accidents happen for a variety of reasons, but the most common are blind spot accidents, when the driver loses sight because their line of sight is blocked by a part of the vehicle. Blind spots are sometimes “internal” i.e. H. at certain points, e.g. B. over the driver's right or left shoulder, or sometimes "external", i. H. due to the design and construction of roads such as hairpin bends and roundabouts. Whether the blind spot is internal or external, the driver loses full view of the approaching object, increasing the likelihood of a collision resulting in loss of life and property.

There are different types of blind spot accidents, e.g. B. Frontal and side collisions, truck accidents, rollover accidents, cyclist accidents and pedestrian accidents. Car manufacturers have traditionally proposed a variety of solutions to address the problems caused by the blind spot. The use of convex mirrors is a common solution, replacing the side mirrors in vehicles with convex mirrors to provide better visibility. A special blind spot mirror is a small, round mirror that attaches to the side mirrors to improve visibility and reduce blind spots.

When driving a vehicle, it is often difficult for the driver to correctly assess the actual risk of overtaking. When an automobile runs behind a vehicle on a country road, overtaking is made difficult in that the oncoming vehicle is often blinded by the vehicle ahead. As a result, drivers are often forced to keep their heads to the side window and drive well into the oncoming lane to see the oncoming traffic.

Systems that increase safety by supporting the driver in his primary driving tasks are already available on the market and are commonly referred to as driver assistance systems. Driver assistance systems traditionally support cornering systems, collision warnings, improved visibility and other safety-related aspects.

State of the art

In DE 4 313 568 C1 discloses a lane change guidance system in which the rear space and also the space in front of the vehicle in the same lane and the adjacent target and the lane change can be monitored. It measures the speed of the vehicle coming behind the user's vehicle and calculates the safe distance. As soon as the calculated safe distance falls within the range of the predefined good-to-lane-change mean, the system will alert the user to allow the safest lane change.

However, the method is only intended to assist the user in changing lanes when the vehicle is in the same direction of travel in order to overtake slow-moving vehicles.

In DE 3 028 077 C2 a system is disclosed in which a driver drives in front of a vehicle. The driver is warned and takes automatic control measures when necessary. In this patent, too, the data for an overtaking maneuver, e.g. B. for approaching traffic, not calculated.

Similarly, inventions have also been described in the past which describe the use of radar sensors as part of the internal units for detecting vehicles at close range. For example, the WO patent describes WO 2020/070563 A1 the use of radar sensors to control host vehicles by confirming, tracking and selecting targets. Accordingly, a radar-based detection unit is installed in the vehicle together with an image processing-based detection unit in order to detect objects in the vicinity of the vehicle.

In U.S. 2019/0337510 A1 an advanced driver assistance system is disclosed. The system includes radar sensors that are used to detect external vehicles in the vicinity of the host vehicle and provides inputs to the control unit, which controls steering, acceleration and braking based on what is detected by the host vehicle Registration unit controls received information.

Therefore, there are solutions that describe different methods and devices to detect the approaching vehicle in the deadly curve, such as: B. Using mirrors around bends to see the approaching vehicle. There are also some security solutions to detect approaching vehicles in the opposite direction, such as: B. computer vision or automotive imaging, sensors that detect the blind spot and vehicle-to-vehicle Wi-Fi data network systems, etc. Similarly, there are inventions that describe the use of radar sensors installed in the vehicle to inform the driver provide sufficient information to allow it to alter its course in the event of approaching external vehicles around the base vehicle.

In view of the foregoing discussion, it is clear that there is a need for an intelligent vehicle overtaking assistance system based on the Internet of Things.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to provide an intelligent overtaking assistance system that describes a two-stage electronic control system installed both in the vehicle and in the blind spot, operated by Internet-of-Things (IOT) and designed to withstands all conditions and works under all conditions, including cases where there are no nets and poor visibility caused by difficult weather conditions is described by the current proposed invention.

In one embodiment, an intelligent vehicle overtaking assistance system based on the Internet of Things is disclosed. The system includes a pair of cameras mounted on both side mirrors of a vehicle to capture real-time video while driving. The system further includes a pair of long-range and short-range radar sensors installed in the vehicle to detect oncoming traffic in the blind spot.

The system further includes a control unit connected to the cameras and radar sensors to assist the driver by giving him a clear view from the camera over the oncoming traffic along with a warning signal confirmation for a careful overtaking from the radar signal, the radar signal is verified with the signal from the cameras mounted on the vehicle's side mirrors. The system further includes a display device installed on a front console to display the image of the incoming path and the vehicle moving ahead and approaching to provide a clear view of its right and left sides with the possibility of switching . The system also includes a variety of blind spot assistance nodes mounted on either side of a risky bend or hairpin bend and wirelessly connected to the control unit to generate an alert of oncoming traffic.

In another embodiment, the cameras are mounted in the fore and aft directions of a side-mounted structure, such as a a door or side mirror, to capture a desired view at as large a horizontal distance as possible from the center of the vehicle, to detect vehicles ahead along with an oncoming vehicle on the same path, and to alert the driver when overtaking the vehicle ahead support.

In another embodiment, the control unit processes the data received from the cameras: key size, length of the vehicle ahead, total length of the at least one overtaking vehicle, distance, relative speed, time interval when assessing the possibility of overtaking.

In another embodiment, the control unit determines the differential speed of the oncoming vehicle or the approaching obstacle and calculates whether the overtaking maneuver is completed safely while maintaining the current driving condition, the control unit being configured to measure the acceleration of the vehicle ahead, to control the speed and acceleration of your vehicle while overtaking.

In another embodiment, a switching process is provided that allows the driver of the vehicle to choose between a left-side camera and a right-side camera to improve visibility when overtaking.

In another embodiment, the right and left cameras are connected to a turn signal switch of the vehicle so that when an overtaking maneuver is indicated, the camera required to improve visibility is switched to provide the most desired image.

In another embodiment, the blind spot assist node includes a solar panel equipped with a battery to provide electric power in remote areas; an IoT-based camera and radar sensors to record the traffic density in the area of interest at the risky corners or hairpin bends; and a controller to process the collected data and send information about the area of interest to a cloud server via a communication module.

In another embodiment, the vehicle-installed controller receives a warning message when traffic approaches the relevant area.

In another embodiment, after receiving the information from the blind spot assist nodes, the controller automatically turns on the camera view and automatically switches between the right and left camera views based on the object detection in the oncoming traffic.

In another embodiment, the driver receives a warning generated by the nearest blind assistance node from a distance of 50 to 500 meters to avoid an accident, the warning containing a radar signal and a captured image/video.

The aim of the present invention is to design and develop a driver assisting system powered by the Internet of Things, which can be installed both in the vehicle and in the blind spot on the road, and the merging of both methods provides enough information to the driver , when approaching the blind spot and passing it with caution.

Another object of the present invention is to promote the detection of oncoming traffic in the short and long range from the blind spot.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clear view of the right and left sides while driving on the road with the ability to switch.

Another object of the present invention is to detect the traffic density in the area of interest at risky bends or hairpin bends.

Another aim of the present invention is to provide a fast and inexpensive system that works both as a standalone system and in cases of poor network due to extreme weather conditions, as the radars continue to detect, locate and track objects and transmit the information to the Forward base station, which forwards the information to the vehicles.

In order to further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, a more detailed description of the invention will be given by reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that these drawings represent only typical embodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. The invention will be described and illustrated with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

character list

• 1 ein Blockdiagramm eines auf dem Internet der Dinge basierenden intelligenten Fahrzeugüberholassistenzsystems gemäß einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung zeigt; und
• 2 ein Blockdiagramm eines Knotens zur Unterstützung des toten Winkels in Übereinstimmung mit einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung zeigt.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

• 1 Figure 12 shows a block diagram of an IoT based intelligent vehicle overtake assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
• 2 Figure 12 shows a block diagram of a blind spot assist node in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the elements in the drawings are presented for simplicity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method with the most important steps to improve the understanding of the aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, one or more components of the device may be represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings only show the specific details relevant to an understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, not to obscure the drawings with details to overload, which are easily recognizable to those skilled in the art familiar with the present description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and described them in certain words. It should be understood, however, that no limitation on the scope of the invention is intended, and such alterations and further modifications to the illustrated system and such further applications of the principles of the invention set forth therein are contemplated as would occur to those skilled in the art invention would normally come to mind.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the invention and are not to be taken as limiting.

When this specification refers to "an aspect," "another aspect," or the like, it means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is present in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in another embodiment," and similar phrases throughout this specification may or may not all refer to the same embodiment.

The terms "comprises," "including," or other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion such that a method or method that includes a list of steps includes not only those steps, but may also include other steps that are not expressly stated or pertaining to any such process or method. Likewise, any device or subsystem or element or structure or component prefaced with "comprises...includes" does not, without further limitation, include the existence of other devices or other subsystem or other element or other structure or other component or additional device or additional subsystems or additional elements or additional structures or additional components.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting.

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In 1 is a block diagram of an Internet of Things (IOT) based intelligent vehicle overtake assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The IOT-based intelligent overtaking assistance system 100 is designed to assist the driver in overtaking the preceding vehicle safely in the same lane by keeping an eye on the approaching vehicle and the acceleration of the preceding vehicle. The system 100 includes a pair of cameras 102, 104 mounted on both side mirrors of a vehicle to capture real-time video while driving.

In one embodiment, a pair of long-range and short-range radar sensors 106, 108 are installed on the vehicle to detect oncoming traffic in the blind spot.

In one embodiment, a control unit 110 is connected to the cameras 102, 104 and radar sensors 106, 108 to assist the driver by providing a clear view of oncoming traffic from the cameras 102, 104, along with cautionary warning signal confirmation Overtaking from the radar signal, the radar signal being verified with the signal from the cameras 102, 104 mounted on the side mirrors of the vehicle.

In an embodiment, a display device 112 is installed on a front console to display the image of the oncoming road and the vehicle moving in front and approaching to allow a clear view of its right and left sides with the possibility of switching.

In one embodiment, multiple blind spot assist nodes 114 are mounted on either side of a hazardous curve or hairpin bend and wirelessly connected to controller 110 to generate an oncoming traffic alert.

In another embodiment, the fore and aft cameras 102, 104 are mounted on a side-mounted structure, such as a vehicle. a door or side mirror, to capture a desired view at as large a horizontal distance as possible from the center of the vehicle, to detect vehicles ahead along with an oncoming vehicle on the same path, and to alert the driver when overtaking the vehicle ahead support.

In another embodiment, the control unit 110 processes the data received from the cameras 102, 104 received data: key size, length of the vehicle ahead, total length of the at least one vehicle to be overtaken, distance, relative speed, time interval are taken into account when assessing the possibility of overtaking.

In another embodiment, the control unit 110 determines the differential speed of the oncoming vehicle or the approaching obstacle and calculates whether the overtaking is completed safely while maintaining the current driving condition, the control unit 110 being configured to measure the acceleration of the vehicle ahead measures to control the speed and acceleration of your own vehicle when overtaking.

In another embodiment, a switching process is provided that allows the driver of the vehicle to choose between a left side camera 102 and a right side camera 104 to improve visibility when overtaking.

In another embodiment, the right 104 and left 102 cameras are connected to a vehicle turn signal switch 116 so that when an overtaking maneuver is indicated, the camera required to improve visibility is switched to provide the most desired image.

In another embodiment, the sensor fusion data from the cameras 102, 104 and the radar sensors 106, 108 is processed to assist the driver by having the camera provide a clear view of oncoming traffic and the radar signal serving as a cautionary overtaking warning.

In another embodiment, the display device 112 is installed on the front console to display the image of the incoming road and the moving and approaching vehicle. With this system, the driver has a clear view of his right and left side with the ability to switch.

In another embodiment, the arrangement of the various components of the predictive overtaking assistance system is such that the cameras 102, 104 are mounted in a side-mounted structure, such as a door or side mirror, where they provide the desired view at as great a horizontal distance from center as possible of the vehicle. In this way, the camera is well protected from the elements, small bumps and unauthorized persons. The cameras 102, 104 are mounted on the sides of the vehicle and face forward to allow the driver to see the road ahead.

In another embodiment, the display device 112, preferably an LED monitor, is mounted in the front console to show the driver of the vehicle the images of the preceding and approaching vehicle. The LED monitor displays the image of the outside according to the operation of the camera.

2 11 shows a block diagram of a blind spot assistance node 114 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The blind spot assist node 114 includes a solar panel 202 equipped with a battery 204 to provide electrical power in remote areas. The solar panel 202 is attached to a frame of the blind spot assist node 114 .

In one embodiment, an IoT-based camera 206 and radar sensors 208 are deployed to detect traffic density in the area of interest at a risky bend or hairpin bend.

In one embodiment, a controller 210 is coupled to the camera 206 and radar sensors 208 to process the captured data and transmit information about the area of interest to a cloud server 212 via a communication module 214 .

In another embodiment, the vehicle-installed controller 110 receives an alert when traffic approaches the area of interest.

In another embodiment, the controller 110 automatically turns on the camera 206 and automatically switches between the right and left camera views when an object is detected in oncoming traffic after receiving the information from the blind spot assist nodes 114 .

In another embodiment, the driver receives a warning generated by the nearest blind assistance node 114 within a range of 50 to 500 meters to avoid an accident.

The aim of the present system is to design and develop a driver assistance system based on the Internet of Things that can be installed both in the vehicle and in the blind spot on the road. The aim of the present system is to provide advanced overhaul lass assistance system consisting of short- and long-range radar sensors and part of the electronic control system that detects oncoming traffic in the blind spot. In another aspect, the advanced overtake assistance system with the cameras 102, 104 mounted on both forward-facing side mirrors and a display device 112 on the front console is activated to have a clear view of the right and left sides while driving on driving the road, with the possibility of changing. In another aspect, the assistance system is also fixed on both sides of the road and equipped with a solar-powered IOT-based camera and radar sensors to detect the traffic density in the area of interest around the risky bends or hairpin bends. The system is designed to be both Functioning as a standalone system that, even in cases of poor network due to extreme weather conditions, as the radars continue to detect, locate and track objects and continue to send the information to the base station, which transmits the information to the vehicles.

In an alternative embodiment, a global positioning system (GPS) module may be connected to the blind spot assist node 114 to determine the geographic location of the node in the event of an emergency or accident.

The drawings and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that one or more of the elements described may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements can be broken down into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, the order of the processes described herein may be changed and is not limited to the manner described herein. Additionally, the acts of a flowchart need not be performed in the order presented; also, not all actions have to be performed. Also, the actions that are not dependent on other actions can be performed in parallel with the other actions. The scope of the embodiments is in no way limited by these specific examples. Numerous variations are possible, regardless of whether they are explicitly mentioned in the description or not, e.g. B. Differences in structure, dimensions and use of materials. The scope of the embodiments is at least as broad as indicated in the following claims.

Advantages, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with respect to particular embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, problem solutions, and components that can cause an advantage, benefit, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or component of any or all claims.

Reference List

100

Intelligent system to assist in overtaking vehicles

102

Left side camera

104

Right side camera

106

Short-range radar sensor

108

Long-range radar sensor

110

control unit

112

display device

114

Blind Spot Assist Node

116

turn signal switch

202

solar panel

204

battery

206

camera

208

radar sensors

210

steering

212

Cloud servers

214

communication module

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 4313568 C1 [0006]
• DE 3028077 C2 [0008]
• WO 2020/070563 A1 [0009]
• US 2019/0337510 A1 [0010]

Claims (6)

An intelligent vehicle overtaking assistance system, the system comprising: a pair of cameras mounted on both side mirrors of a vehicle to capture real-time video while driving; a pair of long-range and short-range radar sensors installed in the vehicle to detect oncoming traffic from blind spots; a control unit linked to the cameras and radar sensors to assist the driver by giving him a clear view from the camera over the oncoming traffic along with a warning signal acknowledgment for careful overtaking from the radar signal, the radar signal aligning with the signal is verified by the cameras installed on the side mirrors of the vehicle; a display device installed on a front console to display an image of the approaching path and the vehicle moving in front and approaching to provide a clear view of its right and left sides with switching capability; and a variety of blind spot assistance nodes mounted on either side of a risky curve or hairpin bend and wirelessly connected to the control unit to generate an alert of oncoming traffic. system after claim 1 , in which the cameras are arranged in the front and rear directions of a side-mounted structure, such as a door or side mirror, to capture a desired view at a horizontal distance as far as possible from the center of the vehicle to view vehicles ahead along with to detect an oncoming vehicle on the same path and to assist the driver in overtaking the vehicle in front. system after claim 1 , wherein the control unit processes the data received from the cameras: key size, length of the vehicle ahead, total length of the at least one vehicle to be overtaken, distance, relative speed, time interval when assessing the possibility of overtaking. system after claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines the differential speed of the oncoming vehicle or the approaching obstacle and calculates whether the overtaking is performed while maintaining the current driving condition, wherein the control unit is configured to measure the acceleration of the vehicle ahead in order to calculate the speed and acceleration own vehicle while overtaking. The system after claim 1 includes a toggle that allows the driver of the vehicle to choose between a left-side camera and a right-side camera to improve visibility when overtaking. system after claim 1 , in which the right and left cameras are connected to a turn signal switch of the vehicle, so that when an overtaking maneuver is indicated, the camera required to improve visibility is switched to provide the most desired image.

Images