IP Library Granted Patent US 10,296,796
Granted Patent B2
US 10,296,796 · App. 15/478,886 · Granted May 21, 2019

Video capturing device for predicting special driving situations

Inventors: Eric Cosatto (Red Bank, NJ); Iain Melvin (Hopewell, NJ); Hans Peter Graf (Lincroft, NJ)
Assignee: NEC Corporation
G06K9/00805B60Q9/008G06K9/00201G06K9/46G06K9/4628G06K9/627G06N3/04G06N3/08G01S19/13
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,296,796
App. No.
15/478,886
Granted
May 21, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A video device for predicting driving situations while a person drives a car is presented. The video device includes multi-modal sensors and knowledge data for extracting feature maps, a deep neural network trained with training data to recognize real-time traffic scenes (TSs) from a viewpoint of the car, and a user interface (UI) for displaying the real-time TSs. The real-time TSs are compared to predetermined TSs to predict the driving situations. The video device can be a video camera. The video camera can be mounted to a windshield of the car. Alternatively, the video camera can be incorporated into the dashboard or console area of the car. The video camera can calculate speed, velocity, type, and/or position information related to other cars within the real-time TS. The video camera can also include warning indicators, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit different colors for the different driving situations.

Claims (31)

1. A video device for predicting driving situations while a person drives a car, the video device comprising:

multi-modal sensors and knowledge data for extracting feature maps;

a deep convolutional neural network trained with training data to recognize real-time traffic scenes (TSs) from a viewpoint of the car; and

a user interface (UI) for displaying the real-time TSs and to warn of possible danger, wherein the real-time TSs are compared to predetermined TSs to predict the driving situations,

wherein the training data is labeled semi-automatically by defining a set of constraints on sensory variables for each label, encoding each label into a set of rules, and employing the multi-modal sensors for which all rules are verified and assigned to a corresponding label.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the video device includes a video camera.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the video camera mounts to a dashboard of the car.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the video device is incorporated into the dashboard or console area of the car.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the UI of the video device displays other cars driving in the real-time traffic scene (TS).

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the video device calculates speed, velocity and/or position information related to the other cars.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the UI of the video device includes warning indicators for notifying the person of the driving situations.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the warning indicators include light emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit different colors for the different driving situations.

9. A method for predicting driving situations while a person drives a car, the method comprising:

extracting feature maps from multi-modal sensors and knowledge data;

training a deep convolutional neural network, with training data, to recognize real-time traffic scenes (TSs) from a viewpoint of the car;

displaying the real-time TSs on a user interface (UI) to warn of possible dangers; and

comparing the real-time TSs to predetermined TSs to predict the driving situations,

wherein the training data is labeled semi-automatically by defining a set of constraints on sensory variables for each label, encoding each label into a set of rules, and using the multi-modal sensors for which all rules are verified and assigned to a corresponding label.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the video device includes a video camera.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the video camera mounts to a dashboard of the car.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the video device is incorporated into the dashboard or console area of the car.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the UI of the video device displays other cars driving in the real-time traffic scene (TS).

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the video device calculates speed, velocity, and/or position information related to the other cars.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the UI of the video device includes warning indicators for notifying the person of the driving situations.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the warning indicators include light emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit different colors for the different driving situations.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a computer-readable program for predicting, by employing a video device, driving situations while a person drives a car, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the steps of:

extracting feature maps from multi-modal sensors and knowledge data;

training a deep convolutional neural network, with training data, to recognize real-time traffic scenes (TSs) from a viewpoint of the car;

displaying the real-time TSs on a user interface (UI) to warn of possible dangers; and

comparing the real-time TSs to predetermined TSs to predict the driving situations,

wherein the training data is labeled semi-automatically by defining a set of constraints on sensory variables for each label, encoding each label into a set of rules, and employing the multi-modal sensors for which all rules are verified and assigned to a corresponding label.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2019
From: NEC LABORATORIES AMERICA, INC.
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048592/0586 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 4, 2017
From: COSATTO, ERIC; MELVIN, IAIN; GRAF, HANS PETER
To: NEC LABORATORIES AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 041849/0037 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62318852 · Apr 6, 2016
Related Publication 20170293815A1 · Oct 12, 2017