Systems and methods for control systems to facilitate situational awareness of a vehicle

Abstract

Systems and methods for control systems for facilitating situational awareness of a vehicle are provided. Sensors located around a vehicle may detect moving objects located in one or more vehicle blind spots. These moving objects pose potentially dangerous situations for the vehicle occupants and for the object. The sensors may further determine that the moving object is a cyclist approaching a vehicle blind spot, and that the vehicle is parked. Processors associated with the vehicle may then direct a corrective action, such as automatically locking the vehicle doors, to prevent a vehicle-cyclist collision. The systems and methods provided herein may thereby make these and similar situations safer.

1 . A computer-implemented method of reducing vehicle collisions, the method comprising:
 collecting, via one or more vehicle-mounted sensors, data associated with one or more vehicle blind spots;   inputting, via the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, the data into a machine learning program that is trained to identify an approaching cyclist using vehicle blind spot data as input;   determining, via one or more vehicle-mounted processors, that a cyclist is approaching a vehicle blind spot based upon an output of the machine learning program;   determining, via the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, that the vehicle is parked; and   directing, via the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, a corrective action to prevent a vehicle-cyclist collision.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the corrective action includes the one or more vehicle-mounted processors generating a warning to a vehicle occupant. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the warning indicates the presence of the cyclist. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the corrective action includes the one or more vehicle-mounted processors temporarily preventing operation of a driver door or a passenger door until the cyclist has passed to facilitate preventing injury to cyclists caused by vehicle doors opening. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the data associated with the one or more vehicle blind spots is received via a wireless communication or a data transmission transmitted by a wearable electronic device of the cyclist or from a bicycle-mounted computing device. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining, via the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, that a cyclist is approaching the vehicle blind spot based upon processor analysis of the data associated with the one or more vehicle blind spots includes inputting, via the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, the data into an object recognition or pattern recognition algorithm or program that identifies an approaching cyclist based upon vehicle blind spot image data, vehicle blind spot radar data, or vehicle blind spot other data. 
     
     
         8 . A computer system configured to reduce vehicle collisions, the computer system comprising:
 one or more vehicle-mounted sensors configured to collect data associated with one or more vehicle blind spots; and   one or more vehicle-mounted processors configured to:
 input the data into a machine learning program that is trained to identify an approaching cyclist using vehicle blind spot data as input; 
 determine that a cyclist is approaching a vehicle blind spot based upon an output of the machine learning program; 
 determine that the vehicle is parked; and 
 direct a corrective action to prevent a vehicle-cyclist collision. 
   
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 8 , wherein the corrective action includes the one or more vehicle-mounted processors generating a warning to a vehicle occupant. 
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 9 , wherein the warning indicates the presence of the cyclist. 
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 8 , wherein the corrective action includes the one or more vehicle-mounted processors temporarily preventing operation of a driver door or a passenger door until the cyclist has passed to facilitate preventing injury to cyclists caused by vehicle doors opening. 
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 8 , wherein the data associated with the one or more vehicle blind spots is received via a wireless communication or a data transmission transmitted by a wearable electronic device of the cyclist or from a bicycle-mounted computing device. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 8 , wherein determining, via the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, that the cyclist is approaching the vehicle blind spot based upon processor analysis of the data associated with the one or more vehicle blind spots includes inputting, via the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, the data into an object recognition or pattern recognition algorithm or program that identifies an approaching cyclist based upon vehicle blind spot image data, vehicle blind spot radar data, or vehicle blind spot other data. 
     
     
         15 . A sensor based computer readable storage medium comprising non-transitory computer readable instructions stored thereon for reducing vehicle collisions, wherein the instructions when executed by one or more computing devices cause the one or more computing devices to:
 collect, via one or more vehicle-mounted sensors, data associated with one or more vehicle blind spots;   input the data into a machine learning program that is trained to identify an approaching cyclist using vehicle blind spot data as input;   determine that a cyclist is approaching a vehicle blind spot based upon an output of the machine learning program;   determine that the vehicle is parked; and   direct a corrective action to prevent a vehicle-cyclist collision.   
     
     
         16 . The sensor based computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the corrective action includes the one or more vehicle-mounted processors generating a warning to a vehicle occupant, the warning indicating the presence of the cyclist. 
     
     
         17 . The sensor based computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the corrective action includes the one or more vehicle-mounted processors temporarily preventing operation of a driver door or a passenger door until the cyclist has passed to facilitate preventing injury to cyclists caused by vehicle doors opening. 
     
     
         18 . The sensor based computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the data associated with the one or more vehicle blind spots is received via a wireless communication or a data transmission transmitted by a wearable electronic device of the cyclist or from a bicycle-mounted computing device. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The sensor based computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein determining that the cyclist is approaching the vehicle blind spot based upon processor analysis of the data associated with the one or more vehicle blind spots includes inputting the data into an object recognition or pattern recognition algorithm or program that identifies an approaching cyclist based upon vehicle blind spot image data, vehicle blind spot radar data, or vehicle blind spot other data.