Method, apparatus, and system for detecting an event based on information from a vehicle

By using vehicle sensors to detect and report road event information, and combining it with vehicle statistics to confirm events, the time-consuming and labor-intensive detection issues of existing technologies are resolved, achieving efficient and accurate event detection.

CN113971878BActive Publication Date: 2025-09-19BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202010710740.X
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2020-07-22
Publication Date
2025-09-19
Estimated Expiration
2040-07-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In existing technologies, detecting specific events on and/or around roads (such as damaged road infrastructure and excessive harmful gas emissions) is usually time-consuming, labor-intensive, and inefficient, making it difficult to detect them in a timely manner.

Method used

Vehicles on the road detect specific events through sensors and use cellular radio technology to report the information to a remote platform. The occurrence of events is confirmed by counting the number of vehicles and indications within a time period, and monitoring events are generated and updated.

Benefits of technology

It enables efficient and cost-effective detection of specific events on and around roads, improving the accuracy and timeliness of event discovery.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present invention provides a method for detecting an event based on information from a vehicle, which may include: receiving a first indication from a first vehicle that a specific event has been detected at a specific geographic location; generating a monitoring event corresponding to the specific event in response to the first indication; receiving one or more subsequent indications from one or more subsequent vehicles that the specific event has been detected at the specific geographic location; determining whether more than a threshold number of vehicles have detected the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period; and updating the monitoring event based on the determination. In addition, the present invention also provides an apparatus and system for detecting an event based on information from a vehicle. By adopting the method, apparatus, and system of the present invention, specific events occurring on and / or around a road can be detected efficiently and cost-effectively.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to information processing, and more particularly, to a method, apparatus, and system for detecting an event based on information from a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Nowadays, with the vigorous development of transportation infrastructure construction, various roads have made transportation more convenient. In order to monitor whether road infrastructure (for example, lane markings, traffic signs, etc.) is working properly, patrol cars are usually used to drive on the road or fixed monitoring equipment (for example, cameras at fixed positions) are used to implement monitoring. However, due to the limitations on the number and monitoring range of patrol cars or fixed monitoring equipment, it is often difficult to detect damage to road infrastructure in a timely manner (for example, disappearance of lane markings, damage to traffic signs, etc.), which may cause serious traffic accidents. Similarly, for other situations that may occur on and / or around the road, detection through manual inspection or fixed monitoring equipment is often time-consuming, labor-intensive and inefficient.

[0003] Accordingly, there is a need to efficiently and cost-effectively detect certain events occurring on and / or around roads. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This Summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] As mentioned above, in the prior art, manual inspection or fixed monitoring equipment is usually used to detect specific events occurring on and / or around roads. This approach is sometimes inefficient and requires a large amount of manpower and material resources. With the continuous development of intelligent vehicles, today's vehicles often have a large number of sensors, powerful data processing capabilities, and remote communication capabilities. In the present invention, by utilizing data information detected and reported by numerous vehicles traveling on the road (e.g., crowdsourced data), specific events occurring on and / or around roads can be detected efficiently and cost-effectively.

[0006] According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, a method for detecting an event based on information from a vehicle is provided, which may include: receiving a first indication from a first vehicle that a specific event has been detected at a specific geographic location; generating a monitoring event corresponding to the specific event in response to the first indication; receiving one or more subsequent indications from one or more subsequent vehicles that the specific event has been detected at the specific geographic location; determining whether more than a threshold number of vehicles have detected the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period; and updating the monitoring event based on the determination.

[0007] According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, a device for detecting an event based on information from a vehicle is provided, which may include: a receiving unit configured to receive a first indication from a first vehicle that a specific event is detected at a specific geographic location, and to receive one or more subsequent indications from one or more subsequent vehicles that the specific event is detected at the specific geographic location; a generating unit configured to generate a monitoring event corresponding to the specific event in response to the first indication; a determining unit configured to determine whether more than a threshold number of vehicles detect the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period; and an updating unit configured to update the monitoring event based on the determination.

[0008] According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided, which may include: a sensor configured to detect a specific event; a processor configured to generate an indication indicating detection of the specific event based on the sensor detecting the specific event; and a communication unit configured to transmit the indication using cellular radio technology.

[0009] According to yet another exemplary aspect of the present invention, a system for detecting an event based on information from a vehicle is provided. The system may include a vehicle according to the present invention and an apparatus for detecting an event based on information from a vehicle according to the present invention.

[0010] According to yet another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program which, when executed by a processor, performs the method according to the present invention.

[0011] These and other features and advantages will become apparent from reading the following detailed description and referring to the associated drawings.It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are illustrative only and are not restrictive of the aspects claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In order that the manner in which the above-mentioned features of the present invention are understood in detail, a more particular description of the contents briefly summarized above may be given with reference to various embodiments, some aspects of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of the invention and are not to be considered limiting of its scope, as the description may admit to other equally effective aspects.

[0013] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary scenario in which the present invention can be applied according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating another exemplary scenario in which the present invention can be applied according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0015] Figure 3 A flow chart illustrating a method for detecting a specific event based on information from a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0016] Figure 4 Explained in Figure 1 Schematic diagram for determining the geographic scope of a specific event in the scenario shown.

[0017] Figure 5 A block diagram of an apparatus for detecting a specific event based on information from a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0018] Figure 6 A block diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0019] Figure 7 A system for detecting a specific event based on information from a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is explained.

[0020] Figure 8 A general hardware environment in which the present disclosure may be applied is illustrated according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the described exemplary embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other exemplary embodiments, well-known structures or processing steps are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0022] The term "vehicle" as used in this specification refers to automobiles, airplanes, helicopters, ships, and the like. For simplicity, the present invention is described in conjunction with "automobiles," but the embodiments described herein are not limited to "automobiles" and are applicable to other types of vehicles. The term "A or B" as used in this specification refers to "A and B" and "A or B," and does not imply that A and B are exclusive, unless otherwise specified.

[0023] As mentioned above, with the continuous development of intelligent vehicles, today's vehicles often have a large number of sensors, powerful data processing capabilities, and remote communication capabilities. For example, a vehicle can be equipped with sensors such as visual sensors (e.g., various cameras), radars, lidars, gas sensors, etc. to perceive various physical objects inside and / or outside the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle can also have an on-board processor to process the data collected from the sensors and control various components of the vehicle. With the development of wireless communication technology, more and more vehicles can also use various radio technologies (e.g., 4G, 5G cellular radio technologies, etc.) to send and receive various data information to achieve communication between vehicles and between vehicles and networks. In the present invention, using these vehicles traveling on the road to collect and report information related to specific events can effectively overcome the defects and shortcomings of using manual inspections or fixed monitoring equipment to detect specific events, thereby efficiently and cost-effectively detecting specific events occurring on the road and / or around the road.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary scenario 100 in which the present invention can be applied according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Scenario 100 may include various road infrastructures, such as lane markings, lane indicator signs, traffic signs (e.g., speed limit warning signs), etc. These road infrastructures play an important role in traffic safety. However, due to various reasons (e.g., disrepair, man-made damage, etc.), such road infrastructures may be damaged and require maintenance and updating. Obviously, it is time-consuming and labor-intensive to discover such damage using traditional methods such as patrol cars or fixed detection equipment, and it may not be possible to find it. In the present invention, vehicles traveling on the road can be used to help discover damage to road infrastructure.

[0025] Figure 2A schematic diagram of another exemplary scenario 200 in which the present invention can be applied according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Scenario 200 may include a road and factories around the road. According to relevant laws and regulations, the content of harmful gases emitted from factories must be lower than a specific value. However, there are still factories that do not abide by the law and secretly emit excessive amounts of harmful gases, which has a bad impact on the surrounding environment. In order to detect illegal activities, environmental monitoring departments usually conduct inspections around factories on a regular basis. However, this does not ensure that every factory can abide by the law at all times. In the present invention, vehicles traveling on the road can be used to help detect excessive harmful gas emissions.

[0026] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to Figure 1 and Figure 2 Rather, the scenario shown in FIG can be applied to any other scenario where detection can be performed using vehicle-mounted sensors.

[0027] Figure 3 A flow chart illustrating a method 300 for detecting a specific event based on information from a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 In the scenario shown, the specific event may be damage to the road infrastructure. Figure 2 In the illustrated scenario, the specific event may be an excessive emission of harmful gases. For example, method 300 may be executed by a remote platform (e.g., a remote computer, a remote server, etc.) separate from the vehicle. This remote platform may be a service platform managed by a relevant department (e.g., a road infrastructure maintenance department, an environmental monitoring department, etc.), or a service platform managed by any third party.

[0028] Method 300 may begin in box 310, where a first indication is received from a first vehicle regarding the detection of a specific event at a specific geographic location. The first indication may include the type of the specific event detected and the geographic location where the specific event was detected. It should be noted that in this document, the term "first vehicle" refers to the first vehicle that reports the detection of a specific event at a specific geographic location; the term "one or more subsequent vehicles" refers to other vehicles that report the detection of the specific event at the specific geographic location after the first vehicle. In one example, the "first vehicle" and the "one or more subsequent vehicles" may have the same or similar capabilities (for example, the ability to detect the surrounding environment using sensors, the ability to process data using on-board processors, and / or the ability to send and receive signals using wireless communication technology, etc.). In another example, the "first vehicle" and the "one or more subsequent vehicles" may have different capabilities (for example, some vehicles have autonomous driving capabilities, etc.).

[0029] exist Figure 1In the scenario shown, the first vehicle can be equipped with a visual sensor, such as a monocular camera, a binocular camera, a surround-view camera, etc. In one example, the visual sensor can detect lane markings on the road. If the visual sensor does not detect lane markings, the visual sensor can send information to the processor indicating that the lane markings were not detected. The processor can generate an indication that damaged road infrastructure has been detected at the geographic location based on this information and the geographic location of the first vehicle (for example, the geographic location can be obtained by an onboard navigation positioning system). In another example, the visual sensor can detect traffic signs (for example, speed limit signs) beside the road. If the visual sensor does not detect traffic signs, if the onboard map indicates that there should be traffic signs at the current geographic location, the processor can generate an indication that damaged road infrastructure has been detected at the geographic location. The generated indication can be sent to a remote platform via a communication unit installed in the first vehicle using radio technology (such as, for example, cellular radio technology such as 4G or 5G).

[0030] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated scenario, the first vehicle may be equipped with gas sensors, such as SO2 sensors, PM2.5 sensors, and NO2 sensors. These gas sensors can detect the concentration or content of corresponding gases and / or particulate matter in the air inside and / or outside the vehicle. If the concentration or content of the corresponding gases and / or particulate matter measured by the gas sensors significantly increases and exceeds a specific value when the vehicle passes through a certain geographic location, the onboard processor may generate an indication that excessive harmful gas emissions have been detected at that geographic location. Similarly, the generated indication may be transmitted to a remote platform using radio technology via a communication unit installed in the first vehicle.

[0031] At block 320, method 300 may include generating a monitoring event corresponding to the specific event in response to the first indication. In one embodiment, the remote platform may check whether it has previously received an indication that the specific event (e.g., damaged road infrastructure, excessive hazardous gas emissions, etc.) has been detected at the specific geographic location. If the same indication has not been received, the remote platform may, for example, create a monitoring event corresponding to the specific event (e.g., a road infrastructure maintenance monitoring event, an excessive hazardous gas emissions monitoring event, etc.) in its database.

[0032] At block 330, method 300 may include receiving one or more subsequent indications from one or more subsequent vehicles regarding the detection of the specific event at the specific geographic location. For example, vehicles traveling along the same road segment may also utilize their visual sensors or gas sensors to detect specific events, such as damaged road infrastructure or excessive hazardous gas emissions, and transmit similar indications to the remote platform based on the detection of the specific event. Similarly, the indication may also include the type of specific event detected and the geographic location where the specific event was detected.

[0033] At block 340, method 300 may include determining whether more than a threshold number of vehicles detected the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period. Because individual vehicles may fail to detect the specific event or erroneously detect the specific event for various reasons (e.g., failing to detect a lane line due to a wheel pressing on a lane line, failing to detect a warning sign on the side of the road due to a line of sight blocked by a vehicle ahead, failing to detect a traffic sign on the side of the road due to weather conditions, etc.), by counting the number of vehicles from which an indication of the detection of the specific event at the specific geographic location is received within a time period to determine whether more than a threshold number of vehicles detected the specific event within the time period, it is possible to more accurately reflect whether the specific event actually occurred and reduce false positives. In one example, the time period may be one hour, several hours, one day, or some other suitable time period. In one example, the threshold may be a threshold number, such as 10, 100, 1000, or some other suitable number. In another example, the threshold value can be a threshold percentage (i.e., the percentage of vehicles reporting a specific event out of the vehicles traveling through the corresponding road section), which can be 40%, 50%, 60% or some other suitable percentage. The number of vehicles traveling through the corresponding road section can be determined by conventional traffic flow statistics methods. In yet another example, the threshold value can be adjusted based on various factors (e.g., environmental conditions, weather conditions, empirical data, or a combination thereof) to more accurately reflect the actual situation. For example, if there are many trees on the corresponding road and they may partially block the traffic signs, the threshold percentage can be increased. If it is rainy or foggy, the threshold percentage can also be increased accordingly. The magnitude of the adjustment can be determined based on empirical data or manual detection feedback.

[0034] At block 350, the method 300 may include updating the monitoring event based on determining whether more than a threshold number of vehicles have detected the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period. For example, if more than a threshold number of vehicles have detected the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period, the monitoring event is maintained, and if no more than a threshold number of vehicles have detected the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period, the monitoring event is terminated (e.g., deleted). In one example, if the monitoring event is maintained, a corresponding action for handling the monitoring event may be performed. For example, Figure 1 In the scenario shown, when the road infrastructure maintenance monitoring event is maintained, the traffic management department can be notified to maintain or repair the corresponding road infrastructure. Figure 2 In the scenario shown, when the monitoring event of harmful gas emissions exceeding the standard is maintained, the environmental protection department can be notified to conduct an investigation at the corresponding factory.

[0035] Figure 4 Explained in Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the geographical extent of a particular event in the scenario shown. Figure 4 The upper portion of FIG. 4 shows six vehicles V1-V6 reporting that no lane markings were detected on road 400. The first vehicle V1 reported, in its indication transmitted to the remote platform, that no lane markings were detected between points 412 and 413 and between points 416 and 422 on road 400. The second vehicle V2 reported, in its indication transmitted to the remote platform, that no lane markings were detected between points 412 and 422 on road 400. The third vehicle V3 reported, in its indication transmitted to the remote platform, that no lane markings were detected between points 411 and 414 and between points 417 and 420 on road 400. The fourth vehicle V4 reported, in its indication transmitted to the remote platform, that no lane markings were detected between points 411 and 420 on road 400. The fifth vehicle V5 reported, in its indication transmitted to the remote platform, that no lane markings were detected between points 411 and 415, between points 417 and 418, and between points 419 and 421 on road 400. The sixth vehicle V6 reports in transmitting an indication to the remote platform that no lane markings are detected between point 411 and point 420 on the road 400 .

[0036] In one embodiment, the geographical range of the undetected lane line can be determined by calculating the range from the start point to the end point of the undetected lane line reported by each vehicle. Figure 4 The lower portion of FIG. 4 shows the geographical range covering the range reported by each of vehicles V1-V6, namely, point 411 to point 420. In another embodiment not shown, the geographical range where the lane line is not detected, namely, point 411 to point 422, can also be determined by calculating the maximum range.

[0037] Figure 5 A block diagram of an apparatus 500 for detecting a specific event based on information from a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. All functional blocks of the apparatus 500 (including the various units in the apparatus 500) can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that Figure 5 The functional blocks described in the can be combined into a single functional block or divided into multiple sub-functional blocks.

[0038] The device 500 may include a receiving unit 510 configured to receive a first indication from a first vehicle regarding the detection of a specific event at a specific geographic location, and receive one or more subsequent indications from one or more subsequent vehicles regarding the detection of the specific event at the specific geographic location. In one example, the specific event may include damage to road infrastructure and is detected by a visual sensor mounted on a vehicle. In another example, the specific event may include excessive harmful gas emissions and is detected by a gas sensor mounted on a vehicle. The device 500 may also include a generating unit 520 configured to generate a monitoring event corresponding to the specific event in response to the first indication. The device 500 may further include a determining unit 530 configured to determine whether more than a threshold number of vehicles have detected the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period; and an updating unit 540 configured to update the monitoring event based on the determination.

[0039] Figure 6A block diagram of a vehicle 600 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The vehicle 600 may include one or more sensors that may be configured to detect specific events. For example, the sensor may be a visual sensor (such as various cameras) that may detect specific events (e.g., whether road infrastructure is damaged) by identifying whether a specific object (e.g., road infrastructure such as lane lines or traffic signs) exists. The sensor may also be a gas sensor (such as an SO2 sensor, a PM2.5 sensor, an NO2 sensor, etc.) that may detect the concentration or content of a specific gas contained in the air inside / outside the vehicle to determine whether the concentration or content exceeds a prescribed value (e.g., whether harmful gases exceed a standard). The vehicle 600 may further include a processor 620 that may be configured to generate an indication indicating that a specific event has been detected based on the sensor 610 detecting the specific event. The indication may include the type of the specific event and the geographic location where the specific event was detected. The indication generated by the processor 620 may be transmitted to the communication unit 630 , which may send the indication to the service platform via a wireless communication network, for example using a radio access technology (eg, a cellular radio access technology such as 4G, 5G).

[0040] Figure 7 A system 700 for detecting a specific event based on information from a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The system 700 may include Figure 5 The device 500 shown in FIG. 5 may be an example of a remote platform and may be used to perform the method for detecting a specific event based on information from a vehicle according to the present invention. The system 700 may further include one or more vehicles 710-730. It should be noted that although Figure 7 Three vehicles are shown in FIG, but in practice there may be more vehicles. Vehicles 710-730 may be Figure 6 An example of vehicle 600 is shown in FIG. Vehicles 710 - 730 may communicate with apparatus 500 via a network (eg, a wireless communication network).

[0041] Figure 8 A block diagram of an exemplary computing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown, which is one example of a hardware device applicable to various aspects of the present invention.

[0042] refer to Figure 8A computing device 800 will now be described, which is an example of a hardware device applicable to various aspects of the present invention. Computing device 800 can be any machine configured to perform processing and / or computing, and can be, but is not limited to, a workstation, server, desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, personal digital assistant, smartphone, in-vehicle computer, or any combination thereof. The various methods / apparatus / servers described above can be implemented in whole or in part by computing device 800 or similar devices or systems.

[0043] The computing device 800 may include components that can be connected or communicated with a bus 802 via one or more interfaces. For example, the computing device 800 may include a bus 802, one or more processors 804, one or more input devices 806, and one or more output devices 808. The one or more processors 804 may be any type of processor and may include, but are not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors and / or one or more special-purpose processors (e.g., specialized processing chips). The input device 806 may be any type of device that can input information to the computing device and may include, but are not limited to, a mouse, keyboard, touch screen, microphone, and / or remote controller. The output device 808 may be any type of device that can present information and may include, but are not limited to, a display, a speaker, a video / audio output terminal, a vibrator, and / or a printer. The computing device 800 may also include or be connected to a non-transient storage device 810, which may be any storage device that is non-transient and capable of storing data, and may include, but is not limited to, a disk drive, an optical storage device, a solid-state memory, a floppy disk, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape or any other magnetic medium, an optical disk or any other optical medium, a ROM (read-only memory), a RAM (random access memory), a cache memory and / or any memory chip or cassette, and / or any other medium from which a computer can read data, instructions and / or code. The non-transient storage device 810 may be detachable from the interface. The non-transient storage device 810 may have data / instructions / code for implementing the above methods and steps. The computing device 800 may also include a communication device 812. The communication device 812 can be any type of device or system that can communicate with internal devices and / or with a network and can include, but is not limited to, a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device and / or a chipset, such as a Bluetooth device, an IEEE 1302.11 device, a WiFi device, a WiMax device, a cellular communication device and / or the like.

[0044] When the computing device 800 is used as an in-vehicle device, it can also be connected to external devices (e.g., a GPS receiver, sensors for sensing various environmental data (such as accelerometers, wheel speed sensors, gyroscopes, etc.)). In this way, the computing device 800 can receive, for example, positioning data and sensor data indicating the driving conditions of the vehicle. When the computing device 800 is used as an in-vehicle device, it can also be connected to other devices for controlling the driving and operation of the vehicle (e.g., engine systems, wipers, anti-lock brake systems, etc.).

[0045] In addition, the non-transitory storage device 810 may contain map information and software components so that the processor 804 can implement route guidance processing. In addition, the output device 806 may include a display for displaying a map, a location marker for the vehicle, and an image indicating the vehicle's driving status. The output device 806 may also include a speaker or a headphone jack for audio guidance.

[0046] The bus 802 may include, but is not limited to, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, an Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus. Specifically, for in-vehicle devices, the bus 802 may also include a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus or other architectures designed for automotive applications.

[0047] The computing device 800 may also include a working memory 814 , which may be any type of working memory capable of storing instructions and / or data that facilitate the operation of the processor 804 and may include, but is not limited to, random access memory and / or read-only storage devices.

[0048] Software components may be located in the working memory 814, including but not limited to an operating system 816, one or more application programs 818, drivers, and / or other data and code. Instructions for implementing the aforementioned methods and steps may be included in the one or more application programs 818, and the modules / units / components of the various aforementioned devices / servers may be implemented by the processor 804 reading and executing the instructions of the one or more application programs 818.

[0049] It should also be appreciated that variations may be made based on specific needs. For example, custom hardware may also be used, and / or specific components may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or any combination thereof. In addition, connections to other computing devices, such as network input / output devices, etc., may be employed. For example, some or all of the disclosed methods and apparatus may be implemented using logic and algorithms according to the present invention using programming hardware (e.g., programmable logic circuits including field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and / or programmable logic arrays (PLAs)) in assembly language or a hardware programming language (e.g., VERILOG, VHDL, C++).

[0050] Although various aspects of the present invention have been described so far with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above-described methods, systems, and devices are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these aspects, but is defined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents. Various components may be omitted or replaced by equivalent components. In addition, the steps described may be performed in an order different from that described in the present invention. Furthermore, the various components may be combined in various ways. It is also important to note that as technology develops, many of the components described may be replaced by equivalent components that become available later.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an event based on information from a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving a first indication from a first vehicle that a particular event was detected at a particular geographic location; generating a monitoring event corresponding to the specific event in response to the first indication; receiving one or more subsequent indications from one or more subsequent vehicles regarding detection of the particular event at the particular geographic location; determining whether more than a threshold number of vehicles detected the particular event at the particular geographic location within a time period, wherein the threshold comprises a threshold percentage that is adjustable based on one or more of: environmental conditions, weather conditions, empirical data, or a combination thereof; and updating the monitoring event based on the determination, The specific incidents mentioned include damage to road infrastructure, Wherein the first indication and the one or more subsequent indications each include a geographic location where damage to the road infrastructure is detected by the corresponding vehicle, the method further comprising: A geographical extent to which road infrastructure is damaged is determined based on the first indication and the one or more subsequent indications, the geographical extent including a geographical extent covering a geographical location included in the first indication and each of the one or more subsequent indications.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein If more than a threshold number of vehicles detect the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period, the monitoring event is maintained, and if no more than a threshold number of vehicles detect the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period, the monitoring event is terminated.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein In a case where the monitoring event is maintained, a corresponding action for handling the monitoring event is executed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first indication and the one or more subsequent indications are received from respective vehicles via cellular radio technology.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The damaged road infrastructure is detected by vision sensors mounted on the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The specific event further includes harmful gas emissions exceeding a standard and being detected by a gas sensor installed on the vehicle.

7. An apparatus for detecting an event based on information from a vehicle, comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a first indication from a first vehicle regarding detection of a specific event at a specific geographic location, and to receive one or more subsequent indications from one or more subsequent vehicles regarding detection of the specific event at the specific geographic location; a generating unit configured to generate a monitoring event corresponding to the specific event in response to the first indication; a determination unit configured to determine whether more than a threshold number of vehicles detect the specific event at the specific geographic location within a time period, wherein the threshold includes a threshold percentage that is adjustable based on one or more of: environmental conditions, weather conditions, empirical data, or a combination thereof; as well as an updating unit configured to update the monitoring event based on the determination, The specific incidents mentioned include damage to road infrastructure, The first indication and the one or more subsequent indications each include a geographical location where damage to the road infrastructure is detected by the corresponding vehicle, and the determining unit is further configured to: A geographical extent to which road infrastructure is damaged is determined based on the first indication and the one or more subsequent indications, the geographical extent including a geographical extent covering a geographical location included in the first indication and each of the one or more subsequent indications.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein The damaged road infrastructure is detected by a visual sensor installed on a vehicle, and the specific event further includes excessive harmful gas emissions and is detected by a gas sensor installed on the vehicle.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, performs the method of any one of claims 1 to 6.

Citation Information

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