IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,899,344
Granted Patent B2
US 10,899,344 · App. 15/865,488 · Granted Jan 26, 2021

Vehicular accident prevention

Inventors: Nixon Cheaz (Cary, NC); Anthony Diaz (Cary, NC); Michael E. Head (Cary, NC); Jordana H. Kerr (Raleigh, NC); Rohit Shetty (Cary, NC)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
B60W30/09B60W30/095B60W30/18109B60W2552/00B60W2554/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,899,344
App. No.
15/865,488
Granted
Jan 26, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and system enabling a process for preventing a vehicular accident is provided. The method includes continuously monitoring vehicular impact conditions associated with a vehicle in motion. In response, an imminent impact event associated with the vehicle in motion and an external object is detected and a surface of a roadway below the vehicle in motion is scanned by sensors of the vehicle. Results of the scanning indicate that the roadway surface is safe for deployment of a destructive friction based braking mechanism of the vehicle. The destructive friction based braking mechanism is deployed with respect to a first braking force threshold and it is determined if rate of speed decrease exceeds a specified speed decrease threshold.

Claims (50)

1. A vehicular accident prevention improvement method comprising:

continuously monitoring, by a processor of a hardware device within a vehicle, vehicular impact conditions associated with said vehicle in motion;

detecting, by the processor based on results of said continuously monitoring, an imminent impact event associated with said vehicle in motion and an external object;

scanning via a plurality of sensors of said vehicle, by said processor in response to said detecting, a surface of a roadway below said vehicle in motion, wherein results of said scanning indicate that said surface of said roadway below said vehicle in motion comprises a solid surface roadway selected from the group consisting of an asphalt based roadway and a cement based roadway;

first determining, by said processor based on said results of said scanning, that said surface is safe for deployment of a destructive friction based braking mechanism of said vehicle;

deploying, by said processor in response to said first determining, said destructive friction based braking mechanism with respect to a first braking force threshold; and

second determining, by said processor, if a rate of speed decrease exceeds a specified speed decrease threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein results of said second determining indicate that said rate of speed decrease does not exceed said specified speed decrease threshold, and wherein said method further comprises:

deploying, by said processor in response to said results of said second determining, said destructive friction based braking mechanism with respect to a second braking force threshold exceeding said first braking force threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein results of said second determining indicate that said rate of speed decrease exceeds said specified speed decrease threshold, and wherein said method further comprises:

sensing, by said processor via a speed sensor of said vehicle, a current speed of said vehicle; and

third determining, by said processor, if said current speed of said vehicle exceeds a specified speed threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein results of said third determining indicate that said current speed of said vehicle exceeds said specified speed threshold, and wherein said method further comprises:

deploying, by said processor in response to said results of said third determining, said destructive friction based braking mechanism with respect to a third braking force threshold exceeding said second braking force threshold.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein results of said third determining indicate that said current speed of said vehicle does not exceed said specified speed threshold, and wherein said method further comprises:

disabling, by said processor in response to said results of said third determining, said destructive friction based braking mechanism.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting said imminent impact event further comprises:

automatically detecting, by said processor, an object within a pathway of said vehicle in motion.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting said imminent impact event comprises:

detecting, by said processor, an amount of force applied to a brake pedal of said vehicle;

comparing, by said processor, said amount of force to a predetermined force threshold; and

determining, by said processor, that said amount of force exceeds said predetermined force threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said detecting said imminent impact event further comprises:

detecting, by said processor, an object within a pathway of said vehicle in motion.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said deploying said destructive friction based braking mechanism comprises activating elongated members of said vehicle such that portions of said elongated members are extended into said surface of a roadway, and wherein said first braking force threshold comprises a length of said portions.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said elongated members comprise metal members.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said elongated members are extended into said surface of a roadway via a motor apparatus.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein said elongated members are extended into said surface of a roadway via a solenoid apparatus.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein said elongated members are extended into said surface of a roadway via usage of device using kinetic energy generated by movement of at least one tire of said vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said results of said scanning indicate that said surface of said roadway below said vehicle in motion is clear from any non-penetrable roadway surfaces.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in the computing system, said code being executed by the computer processor to implement: said continuously monitoring, said detecting, said scanning, said first determining, said deploying, and said second determining.

16. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a hardware device within a vehicle implements a vehicular accident prevention improvement method, said method comprising:

continuously monitoring, by said processor, vehicular impact conditions associated with said vehicle in motion;

detecting, by said processor based on results of said continuously monitoring, an imminent impact event associated with said vehicle in motion and an external object;

scanning via a plurality of sensors of said vehicle, by said processor in response to said detecting, a surface of a roadway below said vehicle in motion, wherein results of said scanning indicate that said surface of said roadway below said vehicle in motion comprises a solid surface roadway selected from the group consisting of an asphalt based roadway and a cement based roadway;

first determining, by said processor based on said results of said scanning, that said surface is safe for deployment of a destructive friction based braking mechanism of said vehicle;

deploying, by said processor in response to said first determining, said destructive friction based braking mechanism with respect to a first braking force threshold; and

second determining, by said processor, if a rate of speed decrease exceeds a specified speed decrease threshold.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein results of said second determining indicate that said rate of speed decrease does not exceed said specified speed decrease threshold, and wherein said method further comprises:

deploying, by said processor in response to said results of said second determining, said destructive friction based braking mechanism with respect to a second braking force threshold exceeding said first braking force threshold.

18. A hardware device, within a vehicle, comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the computer processor implements a vehicular accident prevention improvement method comprising:

continuously monitoring, by said processor, vehicular impact conditions associated with said vehicle in motion;

detecting, by said processor based on results of said continuously monitoring, an imminent impact event associated with said vehicle in motion and an external object;

scanning via a plurality of sensors of said vehicle, by said processor in response to said detecting, a surface of a roadway below said vehicle in motion, wherein results of said scanning indicate that said surface of said roadway below said vehicle in motion comprises a solid surface roadway selected from the group consisting of an asphalt based roadway and a cement based roadway;

first determining, by said processor based on said results of said scanning, that said surface is safe for deployment of a destructive friction based braking mechanism of said vehicle;

deploying, by said processor in response to said first determining, said destructive friction based braking mechanism with respect to a first braking force threshold; and

second determining, by said processor, if a rate of speed decrease exceeds a specified speed decrease threshold.

19. The hardware device of claim 18 , wherein results of said second determining indicate that said rate of speed decrease does not exceed said specified speed decrease threshold, and wherein said method further comprises:

deploying, by said processor in response to said results of said second determining, said destructive friction based braking mechanism with respect to a second braking force threshold exceeding said first braking force threshold.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2018
From: CHEAZ, NIXON; DIAZ, ANTHONY; HEAD, MICHAEL E.; KERR, JORDANA H.; SHETTY, ROHIT
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044571/0147 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190210595A1 · Jul 11, 2019