Granted Patent B2

US 12,416,722 · App. 18/198,249 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Inventors: Scott Bergen (New Canaan, CT); Tyler Rather (Redondo Beach, CA); Jennifer Carter (Arlington, VA); Morgan Brewster (Los Alamitos, CA)

Assignee: Spartan Radar, Inc.

G01S13/931

Abstract

Claims (96)

1. An event recording system, comprising:

a sensor suite configured to collect sensor data about a local environment around a first vehicle, wherein the sensor suite comprises one or more sensors that are each attached to the first vehicle;

memory configured to buffer collected sensor data for a first amount of time after being collected by the sensor suite; and

one or more processors configured to:

analyze the sensor data collected by the sensor suite to detect at least one potential event indicator, wherein the at least one potential event indicator is associated with a first type of event and with a first timestamp; and

responsive to detecting the at least one potential event indicator:

select, from the collected sensor data buffered in the memory, a first portion of sensor data, wherein the first portion of sensor data comprises sensor data associated with timestamps in a range beginning a second amount of time before the first timestamp and ending a third amount of time after the first timestamp;

generate a potential event detection report, wherein the potential event detection report comprises location information indicating a geographic location of the first vehicle, data identifying the at least one potential event indicator, timing information indicating a time of occurrence of the at least one potential event indicator, and environment information comprising data from the first portion of sensor data; and

transmit the potential event detection report to an event tracking system.

2. The event recording system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to analyze the sensor data collected by the sensor suite to detect a plurality of nearby objects and to determine tracking data for the detected plurality of nearby objects, wherein the detected tracing data comprises a plurality of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object.

3. The event recording system of claim 2 , wherein:

the at least one potential event indicator comprises a first tracking trace associated with a first nearby object and a second tracking trace associated with a second nearby object, wherein:

the position indicated by the first tracking trace is within a first distance of the position indicated by the second tracking trace; and

the position indicated by the first tracking trace is approaching the position indicated by the second tracking with at least a first velocity;

the first type of event is a traffic collision; and

the environment information comprises the first tracking trace and the second tracking trace.

4. The event recording system of claim 2 , wherein:

the sensor suite comprises at least a first multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar sensor and at least a first image sensor;

the sensor data collected by the sensor suite comprises a first set of sensor data collected by the first MIMO radar sensor and a second set of sensor data collected by the first image sensor; and

analyzing the sensor data to determine tracking data for the detected plurality of nearby objects comprises:

generating a first set of tracking data using the first set of sensor data, the first set of tracking data comprising a first set of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object;

generating a second set of tracking data using the second set of sensor data, the second set of tracking data comprising a second set of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object; and

fusing the first set of tracking data and the second set of tracking data.

5. The event recording system of claim 2 , wherein:

the sensor suite comprises at least a first multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar sensor and at least a first image sensor;

the sensor data collected by the sensor suite comprises a first set of sensor data collected by the first MIMO radar sensor and a second set of sensor data collected by the first image sensor; and

analyzing the sensor data to determine tracking data for the detected plurality of nearby objects comprises generating a first set of tracking data by jointly using the first set of sensor data and the second set of sensor data, the first set of tracking data comprising a first set of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object.

6. The event recording system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor suite comprises:

a first multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar sensor;

a first lidar sensor;

a first image sensor; and

a first ultrasonic sensor.

7. A method for recording events, comprising:

collecting sensor data about a local environment around a first vehicle, wherein the sensor data is collected by a sensor suite comprised of one or more sensors that are each attached to the first vehicle;

buffering collected sensor data for a first amount of time after being collected by the sensor suite;

analyzing the sensor data collected by the sensor suite to detect at least one potential event indicator, wherein the at least one potential event indicator is associated with a first type of event and with a first timestamp; and

responsive to detecting the at least one potential event indicator:

selecting, from the buffered collected sensor data, a first portion of sensor data, wherein the first portion of sensor data comprises sensor data associated with timestamps in a range beginning a second amount of time before the first timestamp and ending a third amount of time after the first timestamp;

generating a potential event detection report, wherein the potential event detection report comprises location information indicating a geographic location of the first vehicle, data identifying the at least one potential event indicator, timing information indicating a time of occurrence of the at least one potential event indicator, and environment information comprising data from the first portion of sensor data; and

transmitting the potential event detection report to an event tracking system.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising analyzing the sensor data collected by the sensor suite to detect a plurality of nearby objects and to determine tracking data for the detected plurality of nearby objects, wherein the detected tracing data comprises a plurality of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the at least one potential event indicator comprises a first tracking trace associated with a first nearby object and a second tracking trace associated with a second nearby object, wherein:

the position indicated by the first tracking trace is within a first distance of the position indicated by the second tracking trace; and

the position indicated by the first tracking trace is approaching the position indicated by the second tracking with at least a first velocity;

the first type of event is a traffic collision; and

the environment information comprises the first tracking trace and the second tracking trace.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the sensor suite comprises at least a first multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar sensor and at least a first image sensor;

the sensor data collected by the sensor suite comprises a first set of sensor data collected by the first MIMO radar sensor and a second set of sensor data collected by the first image sensor; and

analyzing the sensor data to determine tracking data for the detected plurality of nearby objects comprises:

generating a first set of tracking data using the first set of sensor data, the first set of tracking data comprising a first set of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object;

generating a second set of tracking data using the second set of sensor data, the second set of tracking data comprising a second set of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object; and

fusing the first set of tracking data and the second set of tracking data.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the sensor suite comprises at least a first multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar sensor and at least a first image sensor;

the sensor data collected by the sensor suite comprises a first set of sensor data collected by the first MIMO radar sensor and a second set of sensor data collected by the first image sensor; and

analyzing the sensor data to determine tracking data for the detected plurality of nearby objects comprises generating a first set of tracking data by jointly using the first set of sensor data and the second set of sensor data, the first set of tracking data comprising a first set of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to record nearby events by:

collecting sensor data about a local environment around a first vehicle, wherein the sensor data is collected by a sensor suite comprised of one or more sensors that are each attached to the first vehicle;

buffering collected sensor data for a first amount of time after being collected by the sensor suite;

analyzing the sensor data collected by the sensor suite to detect at least one potential event indicator, wherein the at least one potential event indicator is associated with a first type of event and with a first timestamp; and

responsive to detecting the at least one potential event indicator:

selecting, from the buffered collected sensor data, a first portion of sensor data, wherein the first portion of sensor data comprises sensor data associated with timestamps in a range beginning a second amount of time before the first timestamp and ending a third amount of time after the first timestamp;

generating a potential event detection report, wherein the potential event detection report comprises location information indicating a geographic location of the first vehicle, data identifying the at least one potential event indicator, timing information indicating a time of occurrence of the at least one potential event indicator, and environment information comprising data from the first portion of sensor data; and

transmitting the potential event detection report to an event tracking system.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the processors to record nearby events by further comprising analyzing the sensor data collected by the sensor suite to detect a plurality of nearby objects and to determine tracking data for the detected plurality of nearby objects, wherein the detected tracing data comprises a plurality of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the at least one potential event indicator comprises a first tracking trace associated with a first nearby object and a second tracking trace associated with a second nearby object, wherein:

the position indicated by the first tracking trace is within a first distance of the position indicated by the second tracking trace; and

the position indicated by the first tracking trace is approaching the position indicated by the second tracking with at least a first velocity;

the first type of event is a traffic collision; and

the environment information comprises the first tracking trace and the second tracking trace.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the sensor suite comprises at least a first multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar sensor and at least a first image sensor;

the sensor data collected by the sensor suite comprises a first set of sensor data collected by the first MIMO radar sensor and a second set of sensor data collected by the first image sensor; and

analyzing the sensor data to determine tracking data for the detected plurality of nearby objects comprises:

generating a first set of tracking data using the first set of sensor data, the first set of tracking data comprising a first set of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object;

generating a second set of tracking data using the second set of sensor data, the second set of tracking data comprising a second set of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object; and

fusing the first set of tracking data and the second set of tracking data.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the sensor suite comprises at least a first multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar sensor and at least a first image sensor;

the sensor data collected by the sensor suite comprises a first set of sensor data collected by the first MIMO radar sensor and a second set of sensor data collected by the first image sensor; and

analyzing the sensor data to determine tracking data for the detected plurality of nearby objects comprises generating a first set of tracking data by jointly using the first set of sensor data and the second set of sensor data, the first set of tracking data comprising a first set of tracking traces that each indicate, for an associated one of the plurality of nearby objects, a position, velocity, and acceleration of the respective nearby object.

17. An event tracking system, comprising:

a networking unit configured to receive a plurality of potential event detection reports from a plurality of event recording systems, wherein each of the plurality of potential event detection reports comprises location information indicating a geographic location of a first vehicle, data identifying at least one potential event indicator, timing information indicating a time of occurrence of the at least one potential event indicator, and environment information comprising data from a first portion of sensor data, wherein:

the detected potential event indicator is detected by analyzing the sensor data collected by the sensor suite; and

the detected potential event indicator is associated with a first type of event and with a first timestamp;

the first portion of sensor data is selected from a sensor suite configured to collect sensor data about a local environment around the first vehicle; and

the sensor suite comprises one or more sensors that are each attached to the first vehicle; and

the first portion of sensor data comprises sensor data associated with timestamps in a range beginning a second amount of time before the first timestamp and ending a third amount of time after the first timestamp;

memory configured to store at least a portion of the received plurality of potential event detection reports; and

one or more processors configured to:

analyze the received plurality of potential event detection reports to detect an occurrence of at least one tracked event; and

responsive to detecting the occurrence of the at least one tracked event, generating an event record for the at least one tracked event, wherein:

the tracked event record comprises location information indicating a geographic location of the at least one tracked event, data identifying a type of at least one tracked event, and scene information comprising data obtained from the environment information of a first set of the received plurality of potential event reports, wherein the environment information of each of the first set of potential event detection reports comprises data derived from sensor data collected in a local environment containing the tracked event.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (19)