System and method for automatically activating turn indicators in a vehicle

1. A method for automatically activating turn indicators of a motor vehicle, comprising:

determining, by a processor, a traffic condition of the motor vehicle using an external sensor of the motor vehicle;

determining, by the processor, based on one or more database rules, whether the traffic condition of the motor vehicle is suitable for changing a direction of the motor vehicle,

wherein at least one database rule specifies that a time for the motor vehicle to approach another motor vehicle in the same lane is less than a threshold, and wherein the time is determined by: calculating a distance between the two motor vehicles, calculating a difference between speeds of the two motor vehicles, and dividing the distance by the difference in vehicles' speeds;

responsive to determining that the traffic condition of the motor vehicle is suitable for changing a direction of the motor vehicle, determining, by the processor, a change in driver behavior using a driver sensor of the motor vehicle;

determining, by the processor, a target direction of the motor vehicle based on the traffic condition of the motor vehicle and on the determined change in driver behavior; and

automatically activating, by the processor, a turn indicator of the motor vehicle based on the determined target direction of the motor vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the change in driver behavior using the driver sensor of the motor vehicle further comprises:

detecting a change in a driver's gaze in a side mirror of the motor vehicle, wherein the side mirror disposed on a side of the motor vehicle corresponding to the target direction.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the change in driver behavior using the driver sensor of the motor vehicle further comprises:

detecting a change in a position of at least one hand of the driver on a steering wheel of the motor vehicle in a direction of rotation opposite to a direction of rotation of the steering wheel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first rule of the database rules specifies a time to enter to an identified intersection is less than a threshold time period, wherein determining that the traffic condition of the motor vehicle based on the first rule comprises:

determining a current vehicle speed of the motor vehicle;

determining a distance to the intersection identified using the external sensor of the first motor vehicle; and

dividing the distance to the identified intersection by the determined current vehicle speed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first rule of the database rules specifies a time to an identified road sign at a first distance in less than a threshold time period based on a content of the identified road sign.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a blind-spot warning to the driver responsive to detecting an obstacle in a blind spot of the motor vehicle associated with the target direction without manual activation of the turn indicator.

7. A system for automatically activating turn indicators of a motor vehicle, comprising:

an external sensor configured to detect an environment external to a motor vehicle;

a driver sensor configured to detect a state of a driver operating the motor vehicle; and

a hardware processor configured to:

determine a traffic condition of the motor vehicle using the external sensor;

determine based on one or more database rules whether the traffic condition of the motor vehicle is suitable for changing a direction of the motor vehicle,

wherein at least one database rule specifies that a time for the motor vehicle to approach another motor vehicle in the same lane is less than a threshold, and wherein the time is determined by: calculating a distance between the two motor vehicles, calculating a difference between speeds of the two motor vehicles, and dividing the distance by the difference in vehicles' speeds;

responsive to determining that the traffic condition of the motor vehicle is suitable for changing a direction of the motor vehicle, determine a change in driver behavior using the driver sensor;

determine a target direction of the motor vehicle based on the traffic condition of the motor vehicle and on the determined change in driver behavior; and

automatically activate a turn indicator of the motor vehicle based on the determined target direction of the motor vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor configured to determine the change in driver behavior using the driver sensor of the motor vehicle is further configured to:

detect a change in a driver's gaze in a side mirror of the motor vehicle, wherein the side mirror disposed on a side of the motor vehicle corresponding to the target direction.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor configured to determine the change in driver behavior using the driver sensor of the motor vehicle is further configured to:

detect a change in a position of at least one hand of the driver on a steering wheel of the motor vehicle in a direction of rotation opposite to a direction of rotation of the steering wheel.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein a first rule of the database rules specifies a time to enter to an identified intersection is less than a threshold time period, wherein the processor configured to determine that the traffic condition of the motor vehicle based on the first rule is further configured to:

determine a current vehicle speed of the motor vehicle;

determine a distance to the intersection identified using the external sensor of the first motor vehicle; and

divide the distance to the identified intersection by the determined current vehicle speed.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein a first rule of the database rules specifies a time to an identified road sign at a first distance in less than a threshold time period based on a content of the identified road sign.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a blind-spot warning to the driver responsive to detecting an obstacle in a blind spot of the motor vehicle associated with the target direction without manual activation of the turn indicator.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for automatically activating turn indicators of a motor vehicle, including instructions for:

determining a traffic condition of the motor vehicle using an external sensor of the motor vehicle;

determining based on one or more database rules whether the traffic condition of the motor vehicle is suitable for changing a direction of the motor vehicle,

wherein at least one database rule specifies that a time for the motor vehicle to approach another motor vehicle in the same lane is less than a threshold, and wherein the time is determined by: calculating a distance between the two motor vehicles, calculating a difference between speeds of the two motor vehicles, and dividing the distance by the difference in vehicles' speeds;

responsive to determining that the traffic condition of the motor vehicle is suitable for changing a direction of the motor vehicle, determining a change in driver behavior using a driver sensor of the motor vehicle;

determining a target direction of the motor vehicle based on the traffic condition of the motor vehicle and on the determined change in driver behavior; and

automatically activating a turn indicator of the motor vehicle based on the determined target direction of the motor vehicle.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for determining the change in driver behavior using the driver sensor of the motor vehicle further comprises instructions for:

detecting a change in a driver's gaze in a side mirror of the motor vehicle, wherein the side mirror disposed on a side of the motor vehicle corresponding to the target direction.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for determining the change in driver behavior using the driver sensor of the motor vehicle further comprises instructions for:

detecting a change in a position of at least one hand of the driver on a steering wheel of the motor vehicle in a direction of rotation opposite to a direction of rotation of the steering wheel.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

generating a blind-spot warning to the driver responsive to detecting an obstacle in a blind spot of the motor vehicle associated with the target direction without manual activation of the turn indicator.