IP Library Granted Patent US 11,462,104
Granted Patent B2
US 11,462,104 · App. 16/435,844 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Electrical data processing system for monitoring or affecting movement of a vehicle using a traffic device

Inventors: Regina Madigan (Mountain View, CA); Timothy W. Gibson (Barrington, IL); Howard Hayes (Glencoe, IL); Surender Kumar (Palatine, IL)
Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company
G08G1/095B60W40/09G08B25/016G08G1/005G08G1/012G08G1/0112G08G1/0116G08G1/0129G08G1/0133G08G1/0145G08G1/04G08G1/065G08G1/07G08G1/08G08G1/0965G08G1/096716G08G1/096725G08G1/096741G08G1/096775G08G1/096822G08G1/096838G08G1/096844G08G1/164G08G1/205H04W4/02G08B21/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,462,104
App. No.
16/435,844
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring or affecting movement of a vehicle using a traffic device. An event data source may have a processor and/or a transceiver. The event data source may transmit, via the transceiver and to a vehicle and infrastructure computing device, information indicative of an event affecting a portion of road. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device may comprise a vehicle and infrastructure control computer. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device may receive, from the event data source, the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road. The computing device may determine one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road and configured to control traffic for the portion of road. Based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road, the computing device may send, to the one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road, instructions to change one or more characteristics of the one or more traffic devices.

Claims (37)

1. A system comprising:

a computing device, wherein the first computing device comprises:

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor of the computing device, cause the first computing device to:

receive, from a first autonomous vehicle comprising a second processor, a transceiver, and a second memory storing second computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the second processor of the first autonomous vehicle, cause the first autonomous vehicle to transmit, via the transceiver and to the computing device separate from the first autonomous vehicle, information indicative of one or more traffic conditions associated with a portion of road;

determine one or more autonomous vehicles within a predetermined distance of the portion of road; and

based on the information indicative of the one or more traffic conditions associated with the portion of road, transmit, to each of the one or more autonomous vehicles within the predetermined distance of the portion of road, instructions to modify one or more operating conditions of a receiving autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more autonomous vehicles comprise at least the first autonomous vehicle and the receiving autonomous vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprises a speed of the receiving autonomous vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprises a braking of the receiving autonomous vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 , the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor of the second computing device, cause the computing device to:

transmit one or more control signals to one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein a first traffic device of the one or more traffic devices comprises a traffic light comprising multiple lights, and wherein a first control signal of the one or more control signals comprises a modification in a timing of the multiple lights of the traffic light.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein a first traffic device of the one or more traffic devices comprises a display device, and wherein a first control signal of the one or more control signals comprises data to be output by the display device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprise a level of autonomy of the receiving autonomous vehicle.

8. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

receive, from a first autonomous vehicle separate from the computing device, information indicative of one or more traffic conditions associated with a portion of road;

determine one or more autonomous vehicles within a predetermined distance of the portion of road; and

based on the information indicative of one or more traffic conditions associated with the portion of road, transmit by the computing device and to each of the one or more autonomous vehicles within the predetermined distance of the portion of road, instructions to modify one or more operating conditions of a receiving autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more autonomous vehicles comprise at least the first autonomous vehicle and the receiving autonomous vehicle.

9. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprises speed of the receiving autonomous vehicle.

10. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprises braking of the receiving autonomous vehicle.

11. The computing device of claim 8 , the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor of the computing device, cause the computing device to:

transmit one or more control signals to one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein a first traffic device of the one or more traffic devices comprises a traffic light comprising multiple lights, and wherein a first control signal of the one or more control signals comprises a modification in a timing of the multiple lights of the traffic light.

13. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein a first traffic device of the one or more traffic devices comprises a display device, and wherein a first control signal of the one or more control signals comprises data to be output by the display device.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device and from a second computing device separate from the computing device, information indicative of one or more traffic conditions associated with a portion of road;

determining one or more autonomous vehicles within a predetermined distance of the portion of road; and

transmitting, to each of the one or more autonomous vehicles within the predetermined distance of the portion of road and based on the information indicative of one or more traffic conditions associated with the portion of road, instructions to modify one or more operating conditions of a receiving autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more autonomous vehicles comprise at least the second computing device and the receiving autonomous vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprises speed of the receiving autonomous vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprises braking of the receiving autonomous vehicle.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting one or more control signals to one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein a first traffic device of the one or more traffic devices comprises a traffic light comprising multiple lights, and wherein a first control signal of the one or more control signals comprises a modification in a timing of the multiple lights of the traffic light.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein a first traffic device of the one or more traffic devices comprises a display device, and wherein a first control signal of the one or more control signals comprises data to be output by the display device.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprise a level of autonomy of the receiving autonomous vehicle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2019
From: MADIGAN, REGINA; GIBSON, TIMOTHY W.; HAYES, HOWARD; KUMAR, SURENDER
To: ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 049577/0515 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16142163 · Sep 26, 2018
Continuation 15249556 · Aug 29, 2016
Related Publication 20200286374A1 · Sep 10, 2020