OBJECT DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention concerns a system and method for increasing traffic awareness of a driver of a vehicle. More particularly the present invention relates to a system and method for making a driver aware of an object, such as a pedestrian, an animal, a cyclist, a motorcyclist, another vehicle or any other road user or obstacle, such as a roadway structure or parked car, in the vicinity of the driver's vehicle. The invention is intended for use particularly but not exclusively in trucks, buses and heavy good vehicles but is applicable to any other vehicle such as a passenger car or a snow plough.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Despite the provision of mirrors, cameras and proximity sensors in vehicles to make drivers aware of objects in blind spots in their field of view, drivers sometimes fail to check their side mirrors before making a turn for example or they interpret the information from proximity sensors incorrectly. Today's well insulated vehicles also prevent drivers from hearing other road users in their vicinity.

Parking sensors that calculate the distance of a vehicle from a stationary object are well known. The driver of a vehicle is provided with information concerning the proximity of an object located within a predetermined distance from the back or front of his/her vehicle while he/she is parking the vehicle. Such information is usually provided by means of a beeping sound whose frequency varies depending on the distance of the detected object from the driver's vehicle. A disadvantage with such parking sensors is that they only detect objects directly in the path of the rearward-/forward-moving vehicle and they are limited to detecting objects behind or in front of the vehicle.

US 2003 156019 concerns a vehicle object detection system that audibly conveys the direction of a detected object relative to the driver's vehicle to the driver through the vehicle's audio system by means of a beeping sound. The frequency of the beeping sound varies depending on the distance of the object from the driver's vehicle and the tone of the beeping sound varies depending on the size of the object.

A disadvantage with this system is that beeping sounds may disrupt the driver's concentration. A driver also has to be trained to distinguish the frequency and tone of different beeping sounds so as to be able to interpret the beeping sounds correctly. Furthermore when a vehicle is driving through heavy traffic and surrounded by several road users it may be difficult for even a trained driver to comprehend the traffic situation around his/her vehicle when he/she hears several beeping sounds of different and varying frequencies and tones simultaneously.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide a system for increasing the traffic awareness of a driver of a vehicle whereby the presence of an object in the vicinity of the driver's vehicle is communicated to the driver in an easily comprehensible way.

This object is achieved by a system comprising detection means to detect an object in the vicinity of a driver's vehicle, i.e. to detect the presence of an object adjacent to or approaching the driver's vehicle, and the position of the object relative to the driver's vehicle. The system comprises means for generating a signal upon detecting the object and its position and a plurality of speakers inside the driver's vehicle, whereby the expression "speaker" is intended to mean any sound signal generator. The system also comprises processing means for receiving the signal from the detection means and creating a drive signal for said plurality of speakers. The system further comprises means to transmit sound from at least two of said plurality of speakers to give an indication of the position and direction of motion of that object with respect to the vehicle and consequently an indication of the speed at which that object is moving with respect to the vehicle, by sound panning for example i.e. fading a sound from one speaker while intensifying it on another.

By transmitting sound from two or more speakers simultaneously sound sources can be virtually placed even in between speaker locations. A driver can therefore hear sounds coming from every direction inside his/her vehicle, which realistically reproduces the traffic situation outside his/her vehicle. The driver will hear objects passing or being passed by his/her vehicle. Depending on the initial and/or instantaneous position of an object with respect to the driver's vehicle and the number and/or configuration of speakers in the driver's vehicle, sound may initially or instantaneously be transmitted from only one speaker. However

as an object passes the driver's vehicle or is passed by the driver's vehicle at least two speakers will be used simultaneously or consecutively to provide the driver with an indication of the position and direction of motion of the object.

According to an embodiment of the invention sound is transmitted from said plurality of speakers in 3D or "surround sound" i.e. from three or more directions whereby a panning algorithm is used to control the output amplification of each speaker.

According to another embodiment of the invention the system comprises means to identify the type of object detected, i.e. whether the object is moving or stationary or whether it is a pedestrian, animal, cyclist etc. and to transmit a sound indicative of the type of object.

The characteristics of the transmitted sounds representing the different types of object are chosen so that each sound is distinct from other sounds being transmitted simultaneously and so that loud sounds do not mask quieter sounds. Different sounds indicative of different types of object, such as special tones or a voice saying a word indicating the type of object passing or being passed by the driver's vehicle, will immediately attract the driver's attention even if he/she is concentrating on something else.

According to an embodiment of the invention the transmitted sound is arranged to substantially reproduce the natural or realistic sound of the detected object. A motorbike can for example be represented by the sound of an accelerating motorbike shifting up a gear every fifth second, a pedestrian can for example be represented by the sound of footsteps and a cyclist can be represented by the clatter from a chain and the ticking of a back hub and an irregularly ringing bell (so as not to be masked by louder sounds being transmitted simultaneously). Such natural or realistic sounds are immediately distinguishable from other noise in the driver's vehicle. A driver will therefore immediately and intuitively recognise such sounds and know which objects they represent. Drivers will therefore not require special training before they can use the system. Furthermore the transmitted sound will not annoy or distract the driver since it will sound similar to the sound a driver normally hears while driving. The driver will not however hear noise from objects outside the detection zone of the detection means, which allows him/her to concentrate only on objects in the vicinity of his/her vehicle. The inventive system therefore "filters out" noise from objects that it is not necessary for the driver to be made aware of.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the system comprises means to detect objects within a predetermined distance of the driver's vehicle, such as within an area or a volume of 5-10 metres radius from the driver's vehicle. The predetermined distance may vary depending on the speed of the vehicle. If the vehicle is standing still, a detection range of e.g. zero to 3 meters may be used. By increased speed, the detection range may also increase. The distance-detecting means can not only be arranged to detect objects within a predetermined distance of the driver's vehicle but optionally also to detect objects only in a certain part or parts of the area/volume around the driver's vehicle.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the system alters the detection range in a specific direction. This is advantageous e.g. if the driver is going to turn and has started the direction indicator and/or is turning the steering wheel in that direction. In this case, it is possible to increase the detection sensitivity in that direction. It is also possible to increase the detection sensitivity at the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle is put in reverse.

According to another embodiment of the invention the transmitted sound is simulated, i.e. a sound effect is recorded in a dubbing studio or created on a computer. According to a further embodiment of the invention the transmitted sound is an actual recording of the object that it is indicative of or it is an actual recording from which noise has been filtered away by means of real-time signal processing for example.

According to another embodiment of the invention the system comprises means to detect the distance of an object from the driver's vehicle. According to a further embodiment of the invention the intensity of the transmitted sound, i.e. its loudness, is arranged to vary depending on the distance of the object from the driver's vehicle; the closer the object, the louder the transmitted sound, as would normally be the case.

According to another embodiment of the invention the system comprises at least four speakers. For example one speaker is located on each side of the driver, one speaker in front of the driver and one speaker behind the driver. Any number of speakers or configuration of speakers is however possible. If said vehicle is a truck or heavy goods vehicle two or more speakers could be located in the vehicle's trailer to make a person inside the trailer aware of any objects in the vicinity of the trailer before he/she opens up the trailer to begin loading or unloading cargo for example.

According to a yet further embodiment of the invention said plurality of speakers is incorporated into headphones, an earpiece or a helmet worn by the driver.

According to an embodiment of the invention the system is arranged to detect temporarily or permanently stationary objects such as parked cars or roadway structures as well as moving objects while the driver's vehicle is in motion and/or while it is stationary.

The present invention also concerns a method for increasing the traffic awareness of a driver of a vehicle which comprises the steps of detecting an object and the position of the object with respect to the driver's vehicle and providing the driver with sound indicative of the object's position and direction of motion from at least two speakers located inside the driver's vehicle.

According to an embodiment of the invention the method comprises the step of providing the driver with sound transmitted in 3D or "surround sound" i.e. from three or more directions.

According to another embodiment of the invention the method comprises the step of identifying the type of object and providing the driver with sound indicative of the type of object.

According to an embodiment of the invention the method comprises the step of providing the driver with realistic sound that substantially resembles the natural sound of the detected object.

According to another embodiment of the invention the method comprises the step of detecting the distance of the object from the driver's vehicle and providing the driver with a sound whose intensity is indicative of the distance of the object from the driver's vehicle.

The present invention also concerns a computer program product comprising a computer program containing computer program code means arranged to cause a computer or processor to execute at least one of the steps of a method according to any of the embodiments of the invention stored on a computer-readable medium or a carrier wave.

Furthermore the present invention relates to an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising said computer program product.

The present invention further relates to a vehicle that comprises a system and/or an ECU according to any of the embodiments of the invention.

The inventive system may be solely informative or may be arranged to provide an audible or a visual warning, and/or to activate other vehicle safety features, such as automatically activating an anti-lock braking system or even applying the vehicle's brakes if a driver attempts to turn into the path of a moving object for example. According to an embodiment of the invention the ECU is arranged to provide the driver with a warning and/or activate other vehicle safety features if it detects that a collision may occur based on data concerning a detected object and the direction of motion of the vehicle or the actions of the driver. According to another embodiment the ECU is arranged to log information concerning the position and direction of motion of a detected object in the event of a collision.

Further embodiments and advantages of the invention will be apparent from dependent claims and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will hereinafter be further explained by means of non-limiting examples with reference to the appended figures where;

Figure 1 shows in a schematic manner a vehicle comprising a system according to an embodiment of the invention travelling along the central lane of a road,

Figure 2 depicts a driver's cabin comprising a system according to an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 3 is a flow chart showing a method according to an embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 4 shows a vehicle comprising an ECU according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 shows a vehicle, in the present case a truck 10 provided with a system according to the present invention travelling along the central lane 12b of a three-lane road. The truck 10 comprises detection means 14 to detect the presence and position of objects within a predetermined distance, in this example 10m of the truck 10 such as the car 16, the cyclist 18 and the motorcyclist 20 in the right-hand lane 12a and the heavy goods vehicle 22 in left-hand lane 12c. Said detection 14 means may for example comprise cameras, microphones, radar sensors, ultrasonic or infrared devices or a combination thereof. In this example the truck 10 is provided with six sensors 14 located around the truck 11 so that the presence and position of objects 16, 18, 20, 22 anywhere within an area of 10m radius from the truck 10 can be detected. Detection means 14 could however be arranged to detect objects 16, 18, 20, 22 only in a certain part or certain parts of the area/volume around the truck 10. Furthermore the truck 10 may be provided with a plurality of detection means 14 that are arranged to detect objects 16, 18, 20, 22 within different distances of the truck 10.

When the driver of the truck 10 changes lane he/she will be aware of the traffic situation around his/her truck and will be able to do so safely thus ensuring his/her own safety and the safety of fellow road users. The inventive system is not only useful when a vehicle is about to change lanes but also when it is approaching a cycle path or pedestrian crossing, making turns, pulling out of a parking space or when driving in poor visibility, such as in fog, heavy rain, snow or darkness for example.

Figure 2 shows a driver 24 in a driver's cabin 10a waiting at a pedestrian crossing. The driver 24 is surrounded by speakers 26 inside the illustrated cabin 10a. Three speakers are located in front of the driver, two behind the driver and one at the side of the driver. All of the speakers 26 are adjusted to generate the same intensity at the driver's position.

If an object such as a person walks directly in front of the truck 10 the driver 26 may not see him/her from his/her elevated position in the driver's cabin 10a. The person will however be detected by the inventive system. On detection of the person a sound is transmitted from at least two of the speakers 26 in the driver's cabin 10a, which will

indicate exactly where that person is located as he/she is walking in front of the truck 10 and consequently how quickly that person is walking past the truck 10. The driver 24 will therefore be able to ensure that the road ahead is clear before he/she drives on. The inventive system could optionally be arranged to apply the truck's brakes and keep the brakes on until the truck's detection means 14 indicate that there are no objects in front of the truck.

According to an embodiment of the invention the type of object in front of the truck is identified, as a moving person in this case, by processing information and/or still or scanned images from the truck's detection means 14 and using information/image recognition means to resolve which type of object is in front of the truck 10. A sound such as footsteps may then be transmitted from at least two of the speakers 26 in the driver's cabin 10a.

Figure 3 is a flow chart showing a method comprising the steps of detecting the presence and position of an object in the vicinity of a driver's vehicle and providing the driver with a sound that is indicative of the detected object's position and direction of motion from at least two speakers inside the driver's vehicle.

Figure 4 shows a vehicle 1 comprising an electronic control unit (ECU) 28 that contains a computer program product comprising a computer program containing computer program code means arranged to cause a computer or processor to execute at least one of the steps of a method according to any of the embodiments of the invention. The ECU 28 may also be arranged to activate an anti-lock braking system 30 if it detects that a collision may occur.

It should be understood that various changes of the embodiments described above could be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.