Pedestrian Warning System
A pedestrian warning system detects vehicle-mounted radar or lidar systems (generally, but not necessarily, provided for avoiding collisions with other vehicles) and alerts the pedestrian of a potential collision.
1 . A pedestrian warning device, comprising:
a radar detector configured to be worn or carried by a pedestrian and to detect vehicle-detection radar signals emanating from a vehicle; and
an alarm configured to warn the pedestrian of the vehicle.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the alarm is audible.
3 .- 5 . (canceled)
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the alarm is visual.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the alarm is haptic.
8 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the alarm includes a command for the pedestrian.
9 . (canceled)
10 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the alarm includes information about the vehicle.
11 . (canceled)
12 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a decision unit configured to determine whether to sound the alarm.
13 .- 14 . (canceled)
15 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising transmission means configured to communicate to the vehicle.
16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the transmission means include a radar transmitter.
17 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the transmission means include a lidar transmitter.
18 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the transmission means include a reflector.
19 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the transmission means include a retroreflector.
20 . (canceled)
21 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a recording unit configured to record at least one member of the group consisting of the signal emanating from the vehicle, the time of the signal, the location of the vehicle, the location of the pedestrian, the speed of the vehicle, the direction of the vehicle, the time-to-impact, the speed of the pedestrian, the position of the pedestrian, any alarms issued, and any reaction of the pedestrian to an issued alarm.
22 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising control means configured to issue a control directive to a pedestrian vehicle under control of the pedestrian.
23 .- 24 . (canceled)
25 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a cellular telephone.
26 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the device is configured to determine a characteristic of the detected radar signal.
27 . The device of claim 26 , wherein the determined characteristic is selected from the list consisting of direction, frequency, Doppler shifts, amplitude, and waveform.
28 . The device of claim 26 , wherein the determined characteristic includes informational modulation of the radar signal.
29 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising an accelerometer.
30 . (canceled)
31 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a GPS receiver.
32 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a digital memory configured to store digital mapping data.
33 . A pedestrian warning device, comprising:
a lidar detector configured to be worn or carried by a pedestrian and to detect vehicle-detection lidar signals emanating from a vehicle; and
an alarm configured to warn the pedestrian of the vehicle.
34 .- 74 . (canceled)
75 . A method of warning a pedestrian of a vehicle, comprising:
receiving a vehicle-detection lidar signal from the vehicle at a lidar detector configured to be worn or carried by the pedestrian; and
alerting the pedestrian with an alarm.
76 . The method of claim 75 , wherein alerting the pedestrian includes alerting the pedestrian with a sound.
77 . The method of claim 75 , wherein alerting the pedestrian includes alerting the pedestrian visually.
78 . The method of claim 75 , wherein alerting the pedestrian includes alerting the pedestrian haptically.
79 . The method of claim 75 , wherein alerting the pedestrian includes issuing a command to the pedestrian.
80 . (canceled)
81 . The method of claim 75 , wherein alerting the pedestrian includes giving the pedestrian information about the vehicle.
82 .- 83 . (canceled)
84 . The method of claim 75 , further comprising transmitting a control directive to a pedestrian vehicle under control of the pedestrian.
85 . The method of claim 75 , further comprising using an accelerometer to determine a response of the pedestrian to the alarm.
86 . A pedestrian warning device, comprising:
a vehicle detector configured to be worn or carried by a pedestrian and to detect vehicle-detection signals emanating from a vehicle; and
an alarm configured to warn the pedestrian of the vehicle.
87 . The device of claim 86 , wherein the vehicle detector comprises a wide-angle camera.
88 . The device of claim 86 , further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit information about the pedestrian to the vehicle.
89 .- 93 . (canceled)
94 .- 95 . (canceled)
96 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the decision unit is configured to determine whether to sound the alarm based at least in part on information selected from the group consisting of the pedestrian's position, the pedestrian's orientation, the pedestrian's movement direction, the pedestrian's speed, the pedestrian's companions, the pedestrian's movement history, the vehicle's range, the vehicle's direction, the vehicle's speed, the vehicle's time to impact, and the position of a second vehicle.
97 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the decision unit is configured to customize the alarm based at least in part on information selected from the group consisting of the pedestrian's position, the pedestrian's orientation, the pedestrian's movement direction, the pedestrian's speed, the pedestrian's companions, the pedestrian's movement history, the vehicle's range, the vehicle's direction, the vehicle's speed, the vehicle's time to impact, and the position of a second vehicle.