Imminent collision warning system and method

Abstract

The invention is directed to methods and systems for sensing the presence of objects in the intended path of an automobile with a system to warn both the operator of the vehicle and the object of regard.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 sensing by a warning system of a vehicle a presence of an individual within a path, or an intended path, of said vehicle by detecting a signal from a transmitter in a client portable electronic device carried by said individual;   determining by said warning system, if necessary, a distance between the vehicle and said individual; and   providing by said warning system a warning to an operator of the vehicle and a further warning to said individual when the distance between the vehicle and said individual is within an alert zone.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the individual is on a sidewalk, a road, crossing at a traffic light or a road intersection. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said warning or said further warning is an audible signal or a visual signal. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein before providing said warning and said further warning, the method further comprises:
 determining a relative speed between the vehicle and the individual to adjust a size of said alert zone for providing said warning and said further warning.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said further warning is a wireless signal provided to said client portable electronic device carried by said individual or to a client warning device comprised in said client portable electronic device carried by said individual. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein a wireless communication between the warning system and said client portable electronic device or said client warning device comprised in said client portable electronic device is provided by utilizing WLAN IEEE 802.11x, IEEE 802.16x standards, Bluetooth standards, or a laser technology. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said client portable electronic device is one or more of: a mobile phone, a compact disk player, a portable analog/digital video viewer, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant or a mobile personal computer. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said vehicle is an automobile, a truck, a train, a bus, a boat, an airplane, a bicycle or a motorcycle. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said distance corresponding to said alert zone is a maximum distance at which said warning system starts to detect signals from said transmitter. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said transmitter is a part of a client warning device comprised in said client portable electronic device carried by said individual. 
     
     
         31 . A warning system in a vehicle, comprising:
 one or more sensors, configured to detect a presence of an individual within a path, or an intended path, of said vehicle by detecting a signal from a transmitter in a client portable electronic device carried by said individual; and   a controller, configured to determine a distance between the vehicle and said individual using one or more signals from said one or more sensors comprising information about said presence of said individual, and further configured to provide a warning to an operator of the vehicle and a further warning to said individual when the distance between the vehicle and said individual is within an alert zone.   
     
     
         32 . The warning system of  claim 31 , wherein said controller is configured to determine the distance between the vehicle and said individual using said one or more signals from said one or more sensors when the vehicle is moving along said path or starting to move along said intended path. 
     
     
         33 . The warning system of  claim 31 , wherein said warning or said further warning is an audible signal or a visual signal. 
     
     
         34 . The warning system of  claim 31 , wherein said controller is further configured to determine a relative speed between the vehicle and the individual to adjust a size of said alert zone for providing said warning to the operator of the vehicle and said further warning signal to said object when the distance between the vehicle and said object is within the alert zone. 
     
     
         35 . The warning system of  claim 31 , wherein said further warning is a wireless signal, and said warning system further comprises:
 a communication module, configured to provide said wireless signal to said client portable electronic device carried by said individual or to a client warning device comprised in said client portable electronic device carried by said individual.   
     
     
         36 . The warning system of  claim 35 , wherein a wireless communication between the warning system and said client portable electronic device or said client warning device comprised in said client portable electronic device is provided by utilizing WLAN IEEE 802.11x, IEEE 802.16x standards, Bluetooth standards, or a laser technology. 
     
     
         37 . The warning system of  claim 35 , wherein said vehicle is an automobile, a truck, a train, a bus, a boat, an airplane, a bicycle or a motorcycle. 
     
     
         38 . The warning system of  claim 31 , wherein said distance corresponding to said alert zone is a maximum distance at which said warning system starts to detect signals from said transmitter. 
     
     
         39 . A non-transitory computer-usable medium encoded with a computer program comprising computer readable instructions recorded thereon for executing a method, which comprises:
 sensing by a warning system of a vehicle a presence of an individual within a path, or an intended path, of said vehicle by detecting a signal from a transmitter in a client portable electronic device carried by said individual;   determining by said warning system, if necessary, a distance between the vehicle and said individual; and   providing by said warning system a warning to an operator of the vehicle and a further warning to said individual when the distance between the vehicle and said individual is within an alert zone.   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 39 , wherein said warning or said further warning is an audible signal or a visual signal.