72results about "Simultaneous traffic control systems" patented technology

Systems, methods, and devices for controlling and limiting use of functions, such as calling, texting, chatting, emailing, Internet surfing, and similar applications, on a mobile device when the mobile device is in a moving vehicle, includes use of an on-board computer installed within the vehicle, a transmitter in electronic communication with the on-board computer that periodically transmits speed data of the vehicle to a receiver installed on the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes suitable software and a rules-based policy that define and control when and which functions of the mobile device are disabled or interrupted by the software when the vehicle is in motion above a minimum threshold speed. Policies are set by default but may be customized for particular individuals, devices, or circumstances. Policies may also be customized for particular groups or subgroups of employees or contractors for company or legal compliance to reduce distracted driving.

A system to monitor vehicle accidents using a network of aerial based monitoring systems, terrestrial based monitoring systems and in-vehicle monitoring systems is described. Aerial vehicles used for this surveillance include manned and unmanned aircraft, satellites and lighter than air craft. Aerial vehicles can also be deployed from vehicles. The deployment is triggered by sensors registering a pattern in the data that is indicative of an accident that has happened or an accident about to happen.

Systems, methods, and devices for controlling and limiting use of functions, such as calling, texting, chatting, emailing, Internet surfing, and similar applications, on a mobile device when the mobile device is in a moving vehicle, includes use of an on-board computer installed within the vehicle, a transmitter in electronic communication with the on-board computer that periodically transmits speed data of the vehicle to a receiver installed on the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes suitable software and a rules-based policy that define and control when and which functions of the mobile device are disabled or interrupted by the software when the vehicle is in motion above a minimum threshold speed. Policies are set by default but may be customized for particular individuals, devices, or circumstances. Policies may also be customized for particular groups or subgroups of employees or contractors for company or legal compliance to reduce distracted driving.

A computer-implemented method of generating and broadcasting telematics and / or image data is provided. Telematics and / or image data may be collected, with customer permission, in real-time by a mobile device (or a Telematics App running thereon) traveling within an originating vehicle. The telematics data may include acceleration, braking, speed, heading, and location data associated with the originating vehicle. The mobile device may generate an updated telematics data broadcast including up-to-date telematics data at least every few seconds; and then broadcast the updated telematics data broadcast at least every few seconds via wireless communication to another computing device to facilitate alerting another vehicle or driver of an abnormal traffic condition or event that the originating vehicle is experiencing. An amount that an insured uses or otherwise employs the telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality may be used with usage-based insurance, or to calculate or adjust insurance premiums or discounts.

Systems and methods that may be employed to communicate location information between two or more aerial vehicles or other types of vehicles or other entities, and / or that may be used to facilitate coordinated operations of two or more such entities. In one example, an aerial vehicle may be kept aware of one or more location (e.g., longitude, latitude, etc.) and / or flight characteristics (e.g., altitude, directional heading, airspeed, attitude, etc.) of one or more other adjacent aerial vehicles, and each such aerial vehicle may use that location information to adjust its flight path to maintain a safe sphere of empty airspace around itself.

Methods and apparatus for controlling movement of aircraft through a defined air space are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a model of the defined air space. The model is configured to indicate a safe subset of the defined air space for movement. Receiving a trajectory datum from an aircraft facilitates placing the aircraft at an aircraft position in the generated model of the defined air space according to the trajectory datum. A route is generated for the aircraft through the defined air space according to the aircraft position and the safe subset. Control commands are transmitted to the aircraft; the control commands are configured to control the aircraft according to the route.

Stochastic models of aircraft flight paths and a method for deriving such models from recorded air traffic data. Each stochastic model involves identifying the flight plan for one or more aircraft; identifying important parameters from each flight plan, such as aircraft type, cruise altitude, and airspeed; optionally identifying flight plan amendments for each flight; representing each route of flight as a series of navigational fixes; representing at least one aircraft flight parameter probabilistically; modeling realistic differences in at least one dimension between each planned route of flight and the flight path as it might actually be flown; and communicating the modeled deviations or simulated flight paths to the user. At least one aircraft flight parameter is represented as a random variable with a particular statistical distribution, such as a normal (Gaussian), Laplacian, or logistic distribution; or with a more complex algorithm containing one or more random elements. The modeled flight parameters may be any of lateral position, longitudinal position, climb altitude, descent altitude, climb airspeed, descent airspeed, cruise airspeed, cruise altitude transition, or response time to a flight plan amendment.

An aviation navigational system and method for predicting glide range for an aircraft for specific airports and other potential emergency landing locations in proximity to the aircraft. Information is presented to the pilot by complementing a conventional moving map display with symbols centered on each landing location. GPS altitude, airport elevation, and the aircraft's glide ratio are factored into an equation to determine glide range for each airport within proximity to the aircraft. A circular symbol representing the glide range boundary is displayed around each airport. Each circular symbol represents a sectional view of an imaginary inverted cone, having the apex thereof centered on a given landing location. The size and shape of the cone is based on the gliding performance of the aircraft and the altitude differential between the aircraft and the target landing location. As the altitude differential increases the radius of the circle increases. Conversely as the altitude differential decreases, the radius of the circle decreases. As long as the aircraft is anywhere within any one of the three-dimensional inverted cones displayed, as represented by one or more circles on a two dimensional display, it can safely glide to the landing location. This display concept is selectively referred to herein as “cones of safety.”

A modular hovercar comprises a car body and a plane body, wherein the car body comprises a chassis, a first seat cabin and a parking platform; the parking platform is used for parking the plane body;the plane body comprises a second seat cabin and a flight mechanism; the plane body can perpendicularly land on the parking platform and is connected with the car body by a lock catch; and the plane body can take off vertically from the parking platform. The invention further discloses a hovercar system and a hovercar sharing method.

A mobile device configured to receive telematics data from another vehicle when the mobile device is traveling in a moving vehicle and take corrective action when a travel event exists may be provided. The mobile device may receive telematics data associated with an originating vehicle, analyze the telematics data, and determine or identify that a travel event associated with the originating vehicle exists and, when the travel event is determined to exist, determine whether the travel event is relevant to the moving vehicle or a route that the moving vehicle is presently traveling, and if so, direct corrective action such that safer vehicle travel for the moving vehicle is facilitated based upon the telematics data that is collected by the originating vehicle. An insurance provider may collect an insured's usage of the vehicle safety functionality to calculate, update, and / or adjust insurance premiums, rates, discounts, points, or programs.

Warping vectors of an image and audio are used to determine visual and verbal interaction effectiveness. A probability of successful placement of an unmanned vehicle is determined based on placement policies and the visual and verbal interaction effectiveness. A direction of movement is then determined that maximizes the probability of successful placement. Instructions are issued to move the unmanned vehicle towards the direction that maximizes the probability of successful placement.

Methods for road safety enhancement use mobile communication device (MCD) onboard vehicle to share traveling data through inter-vehicle communication broadcasting, perform road hazard warning, enhance road navigation, and provide autonomous road assistance. The methods have a variety of vehicle status data, such as moving data, steering data, or indicator data, obtained through GPS or image capturing and recognition of instrument cluster of vehicle. The image capturing and recognition allows to get speed data from indication of speedometer, indication of left or right turn signal, steering action data corresponding to steering wheel rotation, and light-on indication of system status indicators. To facilitate that, the MCD may be placed in front of steering wheel, and, if applicable, also in coupling with movement of steering wheel. The MCD may perform relative positioning map-matching lane correlation and GPS-update-interval speed positioning to improve data quality regarding vehicle moving status.

Smart environments represent the next evolutionary development step in transportation systems. Like any functioning organism, the smart environment relies first and foremost on sensory data from the real world. Sensory data comes from multiple sensors of different modalities in distributed locations. Sensors used by various moving, flying and stationary objects exchange information through broadcasting or indirectly through public or private networks. The information helps various moving vehicles and stationary objects coexist and operate freely without any interruption, interference, and collision.

The present invention is directed to a system and method for identifying manoeuvres for a vehicle in conflict situations. A plurality of miss points are calculated for the vehicle and as well as object conditions at which the vehicle will miss an impact with the at least one other object by a range of miss distances. The miss points are displayed such that a plurality of miss points at which the vehicle would miss impact by a given miss distance indicative of a given degree of conflict is visually distinguishable from other miss points at which the vehicle would miss impact by greater miss distances indicative of a lesser degree of conflict. The resulting display indicates varying degrees of potential conflict to present, in a directional view display, a range of available manoeuvres for the vehicle in accordance with varying degrees of conflict.

A method of and a system for controlling personal air vehicle (PAV) traffic provides a take-off-and-landing zone, and a forward flight zone. The take-off-and-landing zone may be from the ground up to a first altitude. The forward flight zone may be from the first altitude up to a second altitude. A maximum airspeed is provided in the take-off-and-landing zone. Minimum and maximum airspeeds are provided in the forward flight zone. In the forward flight zone there is a single heading for each altitude. Any change in heading must be accompanied by a change in altitude.

A blocked rail crossing detection and notification system is described. The system includes a processing device, a communications interface communicatively coupled to the processing device and operable for facilitating communications between the processing device and at least one external device, and at least one vehicle detection mechanism placed proximate to a rail grade crossing. The at least one vehicle detection mechanism is communicatively coupled to the processing device and operable to provide signals to the processing device indicative of the presence or non-presence of a vehicle within a defined area surrounding an intersection of a roadway and one or more railroad tracks. The processing device is further programmed to communicate the presence or non-presence of a vehicle along with supporting correlative visual data within the defined area to the at least one external device via the communications interface.