System and method for contextually alerting driver of objects identified in A-pillar blind spot

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for initiating an alert in a vehicle. The method includes: receiving sensor data associated with an environment of the vehicle; determining at least one road user based on the sensor data; determining at least one blind spot area associated with a pillar of the vehicle and the road scene; determining that the at least one road user is a vulnerable road user based on the blind spot area and the size and location of the at least one road user; determining the sight of the driver; determining, by the processor, whether the at least one road user is within the driver's line of sight; and in response to determining whether the at least one road user is within the driver's line of sight, selectively generating, by the processor, alert signal data to an alert system of the vehicle.

Description

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to warning systems and methods for vehicles, and more particularly to systems and methods for contextually warning a driver of vulnerable road users in an A-pillar blind spot or area. Background Art

[0002] The vehicle body forming the outer shape of the vehicle generally includes a floor panel forming the lower portion of the vehicle, a frame for achieving strength of the vehicle body, pillars arranged on side walls of the vehicle body, a roof panel forming the upper portion of the outer shape of the vehicle body, and doors.

[0003] When driving, the driver usually observes the front surrounding area through the windshield of the vehicle, observes the rear surrounding area or the side rear surrounding area through the rearview mirror or side mirrors, and observes the side surrounding areas on the left and right sides of the vehicle through the door windows of the vehicle. In this case, when driving, the pillars of the vehicle interfere with the driver's front and side fields of view. This means that the pillars in the front and side areas of the vehicle create so-called "blind spots". In some cases, pedestrians, cyclists or other vehicles may appear in these "blind spots" without the driver being aware of it.

[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to provide methods and systems for contextually alerting drivers to objects identified in a "blind spot." Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present disclosure will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background. Summary of the invention

[0005] A method and system for initiating an alert to a driver in a vehicle is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes: receiving, by a processor, sensor data associated with an environment of the vehicle; determining, by the processor, at least one road user based on the sensor data; determining, by the processor, at least one blind spot area associated with a pillar of the vehicle and a road scene; determining, by the processor, that the at least one road user is a vulnerable road user based on the size and position of the blind spot area and the at least one road user; determining, by the processor, a line of sight of the driver; determining, by the processor, whether the at least one road user is within the line of sight of the driver; and selectively generating, by the processor, alert signal data to an alert system of the vehicle in response to determining whether the at least one road user is within the line of sight of the driver.

[0006] In various embodiments, the method includes determining a percentage of at least one road user within at least one blind spot based on a size and position of the at least one road user, and wherein determining that the at least one road user is a vulnerable road user is based on the percentage within the at least one blind spot.

[0007] In various embodiments, the method includes comparing the percentage within the at least one blind spot to a threshold percentage, and wherein determining that the at least one road user is a vulnerable road user is based on the comparison.

[0008] In various embodiments, the method includes defining at least one blind spot area based on a road scene, a size of the pillar, and an orientation of the pillar.

[0009] In various embodiments, determining that the at least one road user is a vulnerable road user is further based on a threshold time within the blind spot area, and wherein the threshold time is based on a distance of the at least one road user from the vehicle.

[0010] In various embodiments, when it is determined that a vulnerable road user is not within the driver's line of sight, a change in the line of sight of at least one road user is monitored and when the change does not exceed a threshold change, warning signal data is generated to a warning system of the vehicle.

[0011] In various embodiments, the warning system includes a color changing fabric associated with a pillar of the vehicle.

[0012] In various embodiments, the warning system includes at least one light configured to illuminate a pillar of the vehicle.

[0013] In various embodiments, the warning signal data includes at least one of a color, brightness, and frequency of light to be illuminated by the warning system.

[0014] In another embodiment, a system includes: a controller configured to, by a processor: receive sensor data associated with an environment of a vehicle; determine at least one road user based on the sensor data; determine at least one blind spot area associated with a pillar and a road scene of the vehicle; determine at least one road user is a vulnerable road user based on the blind spot area and the size and position of the at least one road user; determine a driver's line of sight; determine whether at least one road user is within the driver's line of sight; and selectively generate warning signal data to a warning system of the vehicle in response to determining whether at least one road user is within the driver's line of sight.

[0015] In various embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine a percentage of the at least one road user within the at least one blind spot based on the size and position of the at least one road user, and wherein determining that the at least one road user is a vulnerable road user is based on the percentage within the at least one blind spot.

[0016] In various embodiments, the controller is further configured to compare the percentage within the at least one blind spot to a threshold percentage, and wherein determining that the at least one road user is a vulnerable road user is based on the comparison.

[0017] In various embodiments, the controller is further configured to define at least one blind spot area based on the road scene, the size of the pillars, and the orientation of the pillars.

[0018] In various embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine that the at least one road user is a vulnerable road user further based on a threshold time within the blind spot area, and wherein the threshold time is based on a distance of the at least one road user from the vehicle.

[0019] In various embodiments, the controller is further configured to monitor a change in the line of sight of at least one road user when it is determined that the vulnerable road user is not within the driver's line of sight, and generate warning signal data to a warning system of the vehicle when the change does not exceed a threshold change.

[0020] In various embodiments, the warning system includes a color changing fabric associated with a pillar of the vehicle.

[0021] In various embodiments, the warning system includes at least one light configured to illuminate a pillar of the vehicle.

[0022] In various embodiments, at least one light is configured along a side of the support column.

[0023] In various embodiments, at least one light is integrated with the support column.

[0024] In various embodiments, the warning signal data includes at least one of a color, brightness, and frequency of light to be illuminated by the warning system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Exemplary embodiments will be described below with reference to the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

[0026] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle having a blind spot warning system according to various embodiments;

[0027] Figure 2 is a data flow diagram illustrating features of a blind spot warning system according to various embodiments;

[0028] Figure 3 is an illustration of display elements of a blind spot warning system according to various embodiments; and

[0029] Figure 4 is a process flow diagram illustrating an example process of a blind spot warning method according to various embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit application and use. In addition, it is not intended to be bound by any express or implied theory presented in the previous technical field, background technology, invention content or the following detailed description. As used herein, the term module refers to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated or group) and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit and / or other suitable components that provide the described functions.

[0031] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit application and use. In addition, it is not intended to be bound by any express or implied theory presented in the previous technical field, background technology, invention content or the following detailed description. As used herein, the term "module" refers to any hardware, software, firmware, electronic control component, processing logic and / or processor device alone or in any combination, including but not limited to: application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), electronic circuits, processors (shared, dedicated or groups) and memories that execute one or more software or firmware programs, combinational logic circuits and / or other suitable components that provide the described functions.

[0032] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be described herein in terms of functional and / or logical block components and various processing steps. It should be understood that these block components may be implemented by any number of hardware, software and / or firmware components configured to perform a specified function. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may employ various integrated circuit components, such as memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, lookup tables, etc., which may perform various functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced in conjunction with any number of systems, and the systems described herein are merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to signal processing, data transmission, signaling, control, machine learning models, radar, lidar, image analysis, and other functional aspects of the system (and the various operating components of the system) may not be described in detail herein. In addition, the connecting lines shown in the various figures included herein are intended to represent example functional relationships and / or physical connections between various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may exist in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] refer to Figure 1According to various embodiments, a blind spot warning system, shown generally at 100, is associated with a vehicle 10. Generally, the blind spot warning system 100 identifies vulnerable road users due to blind spots associated with one or more pillars of the vehicle 10 and strategically generates alerts to the driver or other vehicle user to notify the driver or other vehicle user of the vulnerable road user.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle 10 generally includes a chassis 12, a body 14, front wheels 16, and rear wheels 18. The body 14 is disposed on the chassis 12 and substantially surrounds the components of the vehicle 10. The body 14 and the chassis 12 may together form a frame. The wheels 16 to 18 are each rotatably coupled to the chassis 12 near a corresponding corner of the body 14.

[0036] In various embodiments, the frame includes a pair of pillars 13 that support the roof on each side of the vehicle 10. The pair of pillars are generally labeled as A-pillars, B-pillars, C-pillars, D-pillars, etc. from the front of the vehicle 10 to the rear of the vehicle 10. The pair of pillars 13 are generally arranged next to one or two windows of the vehicle 10 according to a vertical or partially vertical arrangement. For example, the pair of A-pillars are arranged to support the windshield of the vehicle 10.

[0037] As shown, the vehicle 10 generally includes a propulsion system 20, a transmission system 22, a steering system 24, a braking system 26, a sensor system 28, an actuator system 30, at least one data storage device 32, at least one controller 34, a communication system 36 and a warning system 37. In various embodiments, the propulsion system 20 may include an internal combustion engine, an electric motor (such as a traction motor) and / or a fuel cell propulsion system. The transmission system 22 is configured to transfer power from the propulsion system 20 to the wheels 16 to 18 according to a selectable speed ratio. According to various embodiments, the transmission system 22 may include a stepped automatic transmission, a continuously variable transmission or other suitable transmission. The braking system 26 is configured to provide braking torque to the wheels 16 to 18. In various embodiments, the braking system 26 may include a friction brake, a wire control brake, a regenerative braking system (such as a motor) and / or other suitable braking systems. The steering system 24 affects the position of the wheels 16 to 18 and may or may not include a steering wheel as shown.

[0038] The sensor system 28 includes one or more sensing devices 40a to 40n that sense the external environment and / or the internal environment or observable conditions of the cabin of the vehicle 10. The sensing devices 40a to 40n may include, but are not limited to, radar, lidar, global positioning system, optical camera, thermal camera, ultrasonic sensor, and / or other sensors. The actuator system 30 includes one or more actuator devices 42a to 42n that control one or more vehicle features, such as, but not limited to, the propulsion system 20, the transmission system 22, the steering system 24, and the braking system 26. In various embodiments, the vehicle features may also include interior vehicle features and / or exterior vehicle features, such as, but not limited to, doors, windows, trunks, and cabin features, such as air, music, lighting, etc. (not numbered).

[0039] Warning system 37 includes interior ambient surface lights and / or color changing fabric. In various embodiments, the fabric or lights can be integrated into the pillar 13 (e.g., A-pillar), or multiple light / fabric areas can be coordinated to point to the pillar 13, such as on the door trim, dashboard, etc.

[0040] The communication system 36 is configured to wirelessly transmit information to and from other entities 48, such as, but not limited to, other vehicles ("V2V" communications), infrastructure ("V2I" communications), remote systems, and / or personal devices (for example, Figure 2 In an exemplary embodiment, the communication system 36 is a wireless communication system configured to communicate via a wireless local area network (WLAN) using the IEEE 802.11 standard or by using cellular data communications. However, additional or alternative communication methods, such as dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) channels, are also considered within the scope of the present disclosure. A DSRC channel refers to a one-way or two-way short-range to medium-range wireless communication channel designed specifically for automotive use and a corresponding set of protocols and standards.

[0041] The data storage device 32 stores data for controlling the vehicle 10. In various embodiments, the data storage device 32 stores a defined map of the navigable environment. In various embodiments, the defined map may be predefined by a remote system and obtained from the remote system. For example, the defined map may be assembled by a remote system and transmitted to the vehicle 10 (wirelessly and / or in a wired manner) and stored in the data storage device 32. It will be appreciated that the data storage device 32 may be part of the controller 34, separate from the controller 34, or part of the controller 34 and part of a separate system.

[0042] The controller 34 includes at least one processor 44 and a computer readable storage device or medium 46. The processor 44 can be any custom or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a secondary processor in a number of processors associated with the controller 34, a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chipset), a macroprocessor, any combination thereof, or generally any device for executing instructions. For example, the computer readable storage device or medium 46 can include volatile and non-volatile storage in read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and keep-alive memory (KAM). KAM is a permanent or non-volatile memory that can be used to store various operating variables when the processor 44 is powered off. The computer readable storage device or medium 46 can be implemented using any of a variety of known memory devices, such as PROM (programmable read-only memory), EPROM (electrical PROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable PROM), flash memory, or any other electrical, magnetic, optical, or combination memory device capable of storing data, some of which represents executable instructions used by the controller 34 in controlling the vehicle 10.

[0043] The instructions may include one or more separate programs, each of which includes an ordered list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. When executed by the processor 44, the instructions receive and process signals from the sensor system 28, execute logic, calculations, methods and / or algorithms for automatically controlling components of the vehicle 10, and generate control signals to the actuator system 30 to automatically control components of the vehicle 10 based on the logic, calculations, methods and / or algorithms. Although Figure 1 Only one controller 34 is shown, but embodiments of the vehicle 10 may include any number of controllers 34 that communicate via any suitable communication medium or combination of communication mediums and collaborate to process sensor signals, execute logic, calculations, methods and / or algorithms, and generate control signals to automatically control features of the vehicle 10.

[0044] In various embodiments, as discussed in detail below, one or more instructions of the controller 34 are embodied in the blind spot warning system 100 and, when executed by the processor 44, process the sensor data and / or other data to determine vulnerable road users due to blind spots created by pillars of the vehicle 10. When executed by the processor 44, the instructions of the controller 34 generate a warning signal to the warning system 37 to strategically notify the driver or other vehicle user of the identified vulnerable road user.

[0045] In various embodiments, the vehicle 10 is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, and the blind spot warning system 100 is incorporated into the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle 10. For example, the vehicle 10 can be configured to perform autonomous features such as, but not limited to, adaptive cruise control, super cruise, super cruise, etc., with the presence of a driver and / or other user in the vehicle 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle 10 is shown as a passenger car, but it should be understood that any other vehicle may also be used, including motorcycles, trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), recreational vehicles (RVs), marine vessels, aircraft, etc.

[0046] Reference now Figure 2 , and continue to refer to Figure 1 , a data flow diagram showing the Figure 1 It is understood that various embodiments of the blind spot warning system 100 according to the present disclosure may include any number of modules embedded within the controller 34, which modules may be combined and / or further partitioned to similarly implement the systems and methods described herein. In addition, inputs to the blind spot warning system 100 may be received from the sensor system 28, from other control modules (not shown) associated with the vehicle 10, and / or by Figure 1 The input may be subjected to preprocessing such as sub-sampling, noise reduction, normalization, feature extraction, missing data reduction, etc.

[0047] In various embodiments, the controller 34 includes a road user identification module 102, a vulnerable road user identification module 104, a sight line identification module 106, an alert generation module 108, and a blind spot data repository 110. In various embodiments, the blind spot data repository 110 stores data that defines areas in the blind spot environment due to the pillars 13 of the vehicle 10. For example, Figure 3 , a first blind spot area 302 is defined relative to a map of an intersection 300 in a road and an A-pillar on the driver's side of the vehicle 10, and a second blind spot area 304 is defined relative to the mapped intersection 300 and the A-pillar on the passenger's side of the vehicle 10. These areas are defined based on the size and orientation of the A-pillar 13 of the vehicle 10. It will be appreciated that similar blind spot areas may be defined relative to other pillars 13 of the vehicle 10 and other mapped road scenes, as the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0048] Return to reference Figure 2, the blind spot data datastore 110 also stores blind spot data that defines one or more threshold times that a user will be within the defined area. In various embodiments, the threshold time is associated with a distance from the vehicle 10. In various embodiments, the blind spot data datastore 110 also stores blind spot data that defines one or more threshold percentages that a user will be within the defined area.

[0049] In various embodiments, the road user identification module 102 receives sensor data 112 as input from external environment sensors such as the sensor system 28. The road user identification module 102 identifies road users and certain characteristics of road users in the environment of the vehicle 10 (e.g., trajectory, range or distance from the vehicle 10, size of the user, type of user, etc.) based on one or more machine learning and / or classification techniques. The road user identification module 102 generates road user data 114 based on this.

[0050] In various embodiments, the vulnerable road user identification module 104 receives road user data 114 as input. The vulnerable road user identification module 104 determines whether any identified road users are vulnerable due to blind spots (including passenger-side blind spots or driver-side blind spots) of the vehicle 10. For example, the vulnerable road user identification module 104 retrieves blind spot definition data 116 from the blind spot data repository 110 and compares the location and / or size of the road users to the blind spot areas to determine the percentage of road users located within the blind spot areas. When the percentage of road users is greater than a defined threshold percentage (e.g., 50%) in the driver-side blind spot area or greater than a defined threshold percentage (e.g., 60%) in the passenger-side blind spot area, then the vulnerable road user identification module 104 generates road user data to track road users considered vulnerable in the identified blind spot areas.

[0051] The vulnerable road user identification module 104 then determines the time at which the road user is considered vulnerable. When the road user is considered vulnerable for a defined threshold time associated with the range or distance of the road user, the vulnerable road user identification module 104 generates vulnerable road user data 118 to indicate that the road user is considered vulnerable within the identified blind spot area.

[0052] In various embodiments, the sight line identification module 106 receives as inputs the vulnerable road user data 118 and sensor data 120 from, for example, an internal environment sensor of the sensor system 28. The sight line identification module 106 determines the driver's sight line based on the sensor data 120. The sight line identification module 106 then determines whether the vulnerable road user is within the driver's sight line.

[0053] When the vulnerable road user is within the driver's line of sight, the line of sight identification module 106 generates line of sight data 122 indicating that the driver has noticed the vulnerable road user. When the vulnerable road user is not within the driver's line of sight, the line of sight identification module 106 determines whether a change in the driver's head position or eye gaze is above a threshold (e.g., a value indicating a change due to the driver noticing the road user) based on the sensor data 120. When the change in the driver's head position or eye gaze is above the threshold, the line of sight identification module 106 generates line of sight data 122 indicating that the driver has noticed the vulnerable road user. When it is determined that the change in the driver's head position or eye gaze is below the threshold, the line of sight identification module 106 generates line of sight data 122 indicating that the driver has not noticed the vulnerable road user.

[0054] In various embodiments, the alert generation module 108 receives as input the sight line data 122 and the ambient light data 124. When the sight line data 122 indicates that the driver is not paying attention to the vulnerable road user, the alert generation module 108 determines the alert type and generates the alert signal data 126 based thereon. For example, the alert generation module 108 generates an alert signal to the alert system 37 to cause the lights and / or fabric to dynamically change color and / or brightness and / or frequency and appear to "flow" (i.e., provide concentric motion) toward the pillar 13 from all three directions (i.e., dashboard, door, A-pillar), or to simply highlight the pillar 13.

[0055] Reference now Figure 4 , and continue to refer to Figure 1 to Figure 2 , the flow chart shows that according to the present disclosure, Figures 1 to 3 The process 400 is performed by the blind spot warning system 100. It can be understood from the present disclosure that the order of operations in the process 400 is not limited to the following. Figure 4 The process 400 is not performed in the order shown, but may be performed in one or more different orders as applicable and in accordance with the present disclosure. In various embodiments, the process 400 may be scheduled to run based on one or more predetermined events, and / or may be run continuously during operation of the vehicle 10, and / or may be run offline prior to operation of the vehicle 10.

[0056] In one example, process 400 may begin at 405. At 410, it is determined whether vehicle 10 has approached an intersection. At 410, when it is determined that vehicle 10 is not approaching an intersection, process 400 may end at 428.

[0057] When it is determined at 410 that the vehicle 10 has approached an intersection, at 412, environmental sensor data is received, and at 414, road user data is determined, including but not limited to the type, track, size, and position of each identified road user. At 416, predefined blind spot areas are obtained. Thereafter, at 418, the size and position of the road user are compared to the blind spot areas (including, for example, the passenger side blind spot area and the driver side blind spot area).

[0058] When it is determined that the road user is in the blind spot area for a threshold amount of time, such as greater than a threshold percentage in the passenger side blind spot (e.g., sixty percent or some other value) or greater than another threshold percentage in the driver side blind spot (e.g., fifty percent or some other value), the road user is determined to be a vulnerable road user, and at 420 and 422, the driver's line of sight is determined and evaluated.

[0059] When the vulnerable road user is determined to be within the driver's line of sight at 422, the alert is suppressed at 424. Thereafter, the method may end at 428. When the vulnerable road user is determined to be out of the driver's line of sight at 422, the line of sight is monitored for a defined amount of time at 430 and 432. When a change in head position is identified within the amount of time at 432, the alert is suppressed at 424 because it may be inferred that the driver is aware of the vulnerable road user, and process 400 may end at 428.

[0060] When the vulnerable road user is determined to be out of the driver's line of sight at 422, and a change in head or gaze position is not identified at 432, alert criteria are determined at 434, for example based on ambient light conditions, and alert signal data is generated at 436 to alert the driver via the alert system 37. Thereafter, process 400 may end at 428.

[0061] Although at least one exemplary embodiment has been proposed in the foregoing detailed description, it should be understood that there are a large number of variations. It should also be understood that one or more exemplary embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure in any way. On the contrary, the foregoing detailed description will provide a convenient roadmap for implementing one or more exemplary embodiments for those skilled in the art. It should be understood that various changes may be made to the functions and arrangements of the elements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the attached claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for initiating a warning to a driver in a vehicle, comprising: receiving, by a processor, sensor data associated with an environment of the vehicle; determining, by the processor, at least one road user based on the sensor data; determining, by the processor, at least one blind spot region associated with a pillar of the vehicle and a road scene; determining, by the processor, that the at least one road user is a vulnerable road user based on the size and position of the blind spot area and the at least one road user; determining, by the processor, a line of sight of the driver; determining, by the processor, whether the at least one road user is within the line of sight of the driver; as well as In response to the determining whether the at least one road user is within the line of sight of the driver, alert signal data is selectively generated by the processor to an alert system of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a percentage of the at least one road user within the at least one blind spot based on the size and the position of the at least one road user, and wherein, The determining that the at least one road user is the vulnerable road user is based on the percentage within the at least one blind spot.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising comparing the percentage within the at least one blind spot to a threshold percentage, and wherein, Said determining that said at least one road user is said vulnerable road user is based on said comparing. 4 . The method of claim 1 , defining the at least one blind spot area based on the road scene, the size of the pillar, and the orientation of the pillar.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The determining that the at least one road user is the vulnerable road user is further based on a threshold time within the blind spot area, and wherein the threshold time is based on a distance of the at least one road user from the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 5 further includes monitoring changes in the line of sight of at least one road user when it is determined that the vulnerable road user is not in the driver's line of sight, and generating the warning signal data to the warning system of the vehicle when the change does not exceed a threshold change.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The warning system includes a color changing fabric associated with the pillar of the vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The warning system includes at least one light configured to illuminate the pillar of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The warning signal data includes at least one of a color, brightness, and frequency of light to be illuminated by the warning system.

10. A system for initiating a warning to a driver in a vehicle, comprising: A controller, the controller being configured to include a processor: receiving sensor data associated with an environment of the vehicle; determining at least one road user based on the sensor data; determining at least one blind spot area associated with a pillar of the vehicle and a road scene; determining that the at least one road user is a vulnerable road user based on the size and position of the blind spot area and the at least one road user; determining a line of sight of the driver; determining whether the at least one road user is within the line of sight of the driver; as well as In response to the determining whether the at least one road user is within the line of sight of the driver, selectively generating alert signal data to an alert system of the vehicle.

Images