IP Library Granted Patent US 10,870,432
Granted Patent B1
US 10,870,432 · App. 16/553,566 · Granted Dec 22, 2020

Systems and methods for assessing vehicle operation in a direction of sunlight

Inventors: Aaron Scott Chan (Bloomington, IL); Kenneth J. Sanchez (San Francisco, CA); Harshit Agarwal (Urbana, IL); Yue Liu (Urbana, IL); Pravita Tolanavar (Champaign, IL); Yuhao Zhou (New York, NY); Yuetong Xing (Champaign, IL); Keely Renwick (Marshal, IL); Abhinav Rai (New Brunswick, NJ); Shashwat Gupta (Champaign, IL); Utku Pamuksuz (Champaign, IL); Taylor Michael Thiel (Urbana, IL); Sanjiv Kumar (Boston, MA)
Assignee: BLUEOWL, LLC
B60W40/02B60W30/0956B60W50/0098G06K9/00845B60W2520/06B60W2540/20B60W2555/20
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,870,432
App. No.
16/553,566
Granted
Dec 22, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

Systems and methods for assessing vehicle operation are provided. According to certain aspects, an electronic device may receive and analyze image data depicting an individual located within a vehicle. The electronic device may also access and compile certain data related to an environment of the vehicle, and specifically to the vehicle's position relative to the sun. According to embodiments, the electronic device may determine, based on the accessed data, whether the vehicle is traveling into a direction of the sun, and may generate and record an indication of the same.

Claims (77)

1. A computer-implemented method in an electronic device of assessing vehicle operation data, the method comprising:

receiving image data from at least one image sensor located within a vehicle, wherein the image data depicts an operator of the vehicle and the sun;

analyzing, by a computer processor, the image data to (i) identify the operator of the vehicle, and (ii) determine a position of the sun;

identifying a current time corresponding to approximately when the image data is received;

detecting a position metric associated with the vehicle;

determining, based on the position metric, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into a direction of the sun; and

recording an indication that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the position metric associated with the vehicle comprises reading a bearing from a compass.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the position metric associated with the vehicle comprises:

reading, from a location module, an initial location of the vehicle;

reading, from the location module, a subsequent location of the vehicle; and

wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises determining, based on the initial location, the subsequent location, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the position metric associated with the vehicle comprises:

reading a bearing from a compass;

reading, from a location module, a current location of the vehicle; and

wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises determining, based on the bearing, the current location, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises determining, based on the position metric, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of a setting sun or a rising sun.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises:

identifying at least one of a sunrise time and a sunset time; and

determining, based on the position metric, the current time, the position of the sun, and the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of a setting sun or a rising sun.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein identifying the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time comprises requesting, from a remote server, the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun; and

recording the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein determining the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises:

identifying a sunset time;

at the sunset time:

detecting an updated position metric associated with the vehicle, and

determining, based on at least the updated position metric, that the vehicle is driving into the direction of the sun; and

calculating the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun as a difference between the current time and the sunset time.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises determining, based on the position metric, the current time, the position of the sun, and topology information associated with the position metric, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

11. A system in an electronic device for assessing vehicle operation data, comprising:

a memory configured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions; and

a processor configured to interface with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to:

receive image data from at least one image sensor located within a vehicle, wherein the image data depicts an operator of the vehicle and the sun;

analyze the image data to (i) identify the operator of the vehicle, and (ii) determine a position of the sun;

identify a current time corresponding to approximately when the image data is received;

detect a position metric associated with the vehicle;

determine, based on the position metric, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into a direction of the sun; and

record an indication that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a compass;

wherein to detect the position metric associated with the vehicle, the processor is configured to read a bearing from the compass.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a location module;

wherein to detect the position metric associated with the vehicle, the processor is configured to:

read, from the location module, an initial location of the vehicle;

read, from the location module, a subsequent location of the vehicle; and

wherein to determine that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to determine, based on the initial location, the subsequent location, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a compass; and

a location module;

wherein to detect the position metric associated with the vehicle, the processor is configured to:

read a bearing from the compass;

read, from the location module, a current location of the vehicle; and

wherein to determine that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to determine, based on the bearing, the current location, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein to determine that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to determine, based on the position metric, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of a setting sun or a rising sun.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein to determine that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to:

identify at least one of a sunrise time and a sunset time; and

determine, based on the position metric, the current time, the position of the sun, and the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of a setting sun or a rising sun.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein to identify the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time, the processor is configured to request, from a remote server, the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine an amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun; and

record the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein to determine the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to:

identify a sunset time;

at the sunset time:

detect an updated position metric associated with the vehicle, and

determine, based on at least the updated position metric, that the vehicle is driving into the direction of the sun; and

calculate the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun as a difference between the current time and the sunset time.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein to determine that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to determine, based on the position metric, the current time, the position of the sun, and topology information associated with the position metric, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

21. A computer-implemented method in an electronic device of assessing vehicle operation data, the method comprising:

determining a position of the sun based on image data received from a vehicle;

identifying a current time corresponding to when the image data is received;

detecting a position metric associated with the vehicle;

determining, based on the position metric, the current time, and the position of the sun, an amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into a direction of the sun; and

recording the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 29, 2024
From: BLUEOWL, LLC
To: QUANATA, LLC
Reel/Frame 067558/0600 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2020
From: CHAN, AARON SCOTT; LIU, YUE; ZHOU, YUHAO; PAMUKSUZ, UTKU; THIEL, TAYLOR MICHAEL
To: BLUEOWL, LLC
Reel/Frame 054389/0251 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2020
From: SANCHEZ, KENNETH JASON; AGARWAL, HARSHIT; TOLANAVAR, PRAVITA; XING, YUETONG; RENWICK, KEELY; RAI, ABHINAV; GUPTA, SHASHWAT; KUMAR, SANJIV
To: BLUEOWL, LLC
Reel/Frame 054389/0847 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15874152 · Jan 18, 2018
Provisional Application 62447871 · Jan 18, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,333,829