IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,587,438
Granted Patent B2
US 11,587,438 · App. 17/550,626 · Granted Feb 21, 2023

Control apparatus and method for causing light demitting devices to display crosswalk

Inventors: Kazuya Nishimura (Anjo, JP); Shin Sakurada (Toyota, JP); Soutaro Kaneko (Nagoya, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G08G1/07G08G1/005G08G1/052
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 11,587,438
App. No.
17/550,626
Granted
Feb 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control apparatus is a control apparatus for causing light emitting devices to display a crosswalk when the control apparatus detects a pedestrian who is about to cross a road. The control apparatus includes a controlling portion configured to perform: detect, as a first vehicle, a vehicle traveling in a crosswalk display region where a crosswalk is to be displayed; determine whether or not the speed of the first vehicle is less than a reference speed; and in a case where the speed is less than the reference speed and a predetermined safety standard is satisfied, determine to cause the light emitting devices to display the crosswalk.

Claims (30)

1. A control apparatus for causing light emitting devices to display a crosswalk when the control apparatus detects a pedestrian who is about to cross a road, the control apparatus comprising a controlling portion configured to:

detect, as a first vehicle, a vehicle traveling in a crosswalk display region where the crosswalk is to be displayed;

determine whether or not a speed of the first vehicle is less than a reference speed;

in a case where the speed is less than the reference speed and a predetermined safety standard is satisfied, determine to cause the light emitting devices to display the crosswalk;

in a case where the road includes an on-coming lane, the controlling portion determines whether a third vehicle traveling in the on-coming lane is present; and

in a case where the third vehicle is not present and the predetermined safety standard is satisfied, the controlling portion is configured to cause the light emitting devices to display, in an exchanged manner, the on-coming lane and a sidewalk across the road that the pedestrian is about to cross.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the controlling portion causes the light emitting devices to display the crosswalk, the controlling portion causes a roadside object of the road to display information indicating that the crosswalk is being displayed.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the controlling portion specifies, as a second vehicle, a vehicle following the first vehicle; and

in a case where the control apparatus causes the light emitting devices to display the crosswalk, the controlling portion notifies the first vehicle and the second vehicle that the crosswalk is being displayed.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, the controlling portion notifies, via the light emitting devices, the first vehicle and the second vehicle that the crosswalk is being displayed.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

in a case where the road includes an on-coming lane, the controlling portion determines whether a third vehicle as a vehicle traveling in the on-coming lane is present or not; and

in a case where the third vehicle is not present and the predetermined safety standard is satisfied, the controlling portion determines to cause the light emitting devices to display a safety zone across the road that the pedestrian is about to cross.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling portion determines, based on position information of the vehicle, whether or not the vehicle is traveling in the crosswalk display region.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling portion determines whether or not the speed of the first vehicle is less than the reference speed, based on speed information acquired from the first vehicle.

8. A method to be executed by a control apparatus for causing light emitting devices to display a crosswalk when the control apparatus detects a pedestrian who is about to cross a road, the method comprising:

detecting, as a first vehicle, a vehicle traveling in a crosswalk display region where the crosswalk is to be displayed;

determining whether or not a speed of the first vehicle is less than a reference speed;

in a case where the speed is less than the reference speed and a predetermined safety standard is satisfied, determining to cause the light emitting devices to display the crosswalk;

in a case where the road includes an on-coming lane, determining whether a third vehicle in the on-coming lane is present; and

in a case where the third vehicle is not present and the predetermined safety standard is satisfied, causing the light emitting devices to display, in an exchanged manner, the on-coming lane and a sidewalk across the road that the pedestrian is about to cross.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising, in a case where the light emitting devices are caused to display the crosswalk, causing a roadside object of the road to display information indicating that the crosswalk is being displayed.

10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

specifying, as a second vehicle, a vehicle following the first vehicle; and

in a case where the light emitting devices are caused to display the crosswalk, notifying the first vehicle and the second vehicle that the crosswalk is being displayed.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising notifying, via the light emitting devices, the first vehicle and the second vehicle that the crosswalk is being displayed.

12. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

in a case where the road includes an on-coming lane, determining whether a third vehicle as a vehicle traveling in the on-coming lane is present or not; and

in a case where the third vehicle is not present and the predetermined safety standard is satisfied, determining to cause the light emitting devices to display a safety zone across the road that the pedestrian is about to cross.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2021
From: NISHIMURA, KAZUYA; SAKURADA, SHIN; KANEKO, SOUTARO
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 058390/0295 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2021-017773 · Feb 5, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220254252A1 · Aug 11, 2022
Cited By (4)
US 12,205,462 US 12,228,943 US 12,233,775 US 12,725,514