System and method for communication between infrastructure, vehicle and user device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for communication between an infrastructure, a vehicle, and a user device. A small diameter crossing system is disclosed. The system may include a detection unit and a processor. The detection unit may be configured to detect the presence of vehicles and persons near an intersection on a road network. The processor may be configured to obtain an input from the detection unit. In response to obtaining the input, the processor may be configured to determine that a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition may be satisfied when the distance between the vehicle and the intersection and the distance between the person and the intersection are less than respective thresholds. The processor may also be configured to output a notification to at least one of user devices associated with the person and the vehicle in response to a determination that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for communication between infrastructure, vehicles and user devices on a road network. Background Art

[0002] Trails are unpaved or small paved roads that are commonly used by people for walking, running, and biking. In some scenarios, trails may cross roads with vehicular traffic. In such cases, trails often include stop signs to remind people to check for traffic on the road before crossing.

[0003] Even though people usually check for traffic in both directions before crossing a road, there are known cases of disadvantageous situations on such trails. One reason for such situations is that a person may not be able to check for traffic in both directions at the same time. Additionally, in some cases, there may be scenarios where nearby vehicles on the road may not be in the person's field of view or may be obscured due to the structure of the road network or traffic lights. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure describes a system and method for communication between infrastructure, vehicles and user devices on a road network to facilitate users (e.g., walkers, runners or cyclists) to conveniently cross roads. The system can determine the presence of people and vehicles near an intersection (at the intersection, the trail passes through the road network), and can output visual / auditory notifications to the people and / or vehicles via the network. The notification can indicate to the people and vehicles that each other exists near the intersection, thereby enabling the people and vehicles to avoid any adverse situations. In some aspects, the system can be part of an infrastructure arranged near the intersection. Additionally or alternatively, the system can be part of a vehicle and / or a user device associated with the people.

[0005] When the system is part of an infrastructure, the system can detect the presence of people and vehicles near an intersection via, for example, a camera disposed at the infrastructure. In response to such detection, the system can output an audible notification to a user device to indicate that a vehicle may be approaching an intersection. In some aspects, the system can activate lights associated with the infrastructure (e.g., activating lights associated with a stop sign, a lamp post, etc. in a predetermined pattern). Additionally or alternatively, the system can output a notification to a vehicle (e.g., to a vehicle human-machine interface HMI) to indicate that the person may be approaching the intersection.

[0006] When the system is part of a vehicle, the system can detect the presence of personnel and intersections via, for example, a vehicle front camera, a thermal camera, and / or other vehicle sensors. In response to such detection, the system can output a notification to infrastructure and / or user devices located near the intersection so that the infrastructure and / or user devices can take remedial action. For example, in response to receiving a notification from the system, the infrastructure can flash a light associated with a lamppost. In additional aspects, the vehicle can activate one or more components (such as exterior lights / speakers) in a predetermined manner to provide an indication to a person that the vehicle may be approaching an intersection. In further aspects, when the system detects the presence of the person near the intersection, the system can cause the vehicle to automatically slow down.

[0007] When the system is part of the user device, the system can detect that the person may be approaching the intersection based on the real-time user device location. In response to such detection, the user device can output a notification to the infrastructure and / or vehicle to indicate that the person may be approaching the intersection. As described above, the infrastructure and / or vehicle can receive the notification and can perform remedial actions.

[0008] The present disclosure discloses a system for facilitating people to conveniently cross roads while minimizing the probability of any adverse situation. In addition, the system facilitates infrastructure to provide notifications to user devices and vehicles located near the infrastructure so that the people and / or vehicles can perform timely remedial actions.

[0009] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those shown in the accompanying drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0011] Figure 1 An environment is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0012] Figure 2 A block diagram of a trail traversal system according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0013] Figure 3 Depicted are snapshots of notifications provided to personnel in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 4Depicted are snapshots of notifications displayed on a vehicle human machine interface (HMI) in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 5 A flow chart of a notification method according to the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the disclosure are shown and which are not intended to be limiting.

[0017] Figure 1 An example environment 100 is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. The environment 100 may include a road network 102 on which one or more vehicles 104a, 104b (collectively, vehicles 104) may travel. The vehicles 104 may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as a car, a work vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a truck, a van, a minivan, a taxi, a bus, a motorcycle, a train, etc. In addition, the vehicles 104 may be manually driven vehicles, and / or may be configured to operate in a fully autonomous (e.g., unmanned) mode or a partially autonomous mode, and may include any powertrain, such as a gasoline engine, one or more electric actuation motors, a hybrid powertrain, etc.

[0018] Environment 100 may also include trails 106, which may be unpaved roads or small paved roads. Personnel 108 may use trails 106 for walking, running, etc. In some aspects, personnel 108 may include disabled occupants such as in wheelchairs or modified vehicles. In some aspects, trails 106 may cross over or connect to road network 102 via intersections 110. In other words, intersections 110 may be points on road network 102 where trails 106 meet road network 102. In other aspects, intersections 110 may be any intersection on road network 102.

[0019] In some aspects, the intersection 110 may include infrastructure, which may include, for example, a lamp post 114, a sign 116 (e.g., a stop sign), etc. In some aspects, the infrastructure may be configured to communicate with the network (e.g., Figure 2104) and a user device 112 associated with a person 108. For example, when the vehicle 104 and the user device 112 may be near the intersection 110, the infrastructure provided at the intersection 110 can communicate with the vehicle 104 and the user device 112. In addition, the vehicle 104 and the user device 112 can be configured to communicate with each other and with the infrastructure via the network. In other words, the vehicle 104, the user device 112 and the infrastructure (e.g., lamp posts 114 and sign boards 116) can communicate with each other via the network. In some aspects, the user device 112 can be, for example, a smart phone, a wearable device (such as a smart phone, a bracelet, a ring, glasses), or any other device with communication capabilities.

[0020] The network by which the above-mentioned units communicate with each other illustrates an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure can communicate. The network can be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations that operate using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), BLE, Wi-Fi based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, ultra-wideband (UWB), and cellular technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPDA), long-term evolution (LTE), global system for mobile communications (GSM), and fifth generation (5G), to name a few examples.

[0021] In other aspects, environment 100 may include a notification system or a trail traversal system (in Figure 2100 ), the notification system or trail crossing system may be part of a vehicle 104, infrastructure (such as a lamp post 114 or a sign 116), or a user device 112, and combinations thereof. The system may be configured to detect the presence of a vehicle 104 and a person 108 near an intersection 110, and based on the detection, determine that a predetermined condition may be met. In response to determining that the predefined condition may be met, the system may transmit one or more notifications to the user device 112 (or person 108) and / or the vehicle 104. The notification may indicate to the person 108 that the vehicle 104 may be approaching the intersection 110, and therefore the person 108 should run / walk carefully. Similarly, the notification may indicate to the vehicle operator / vehicle 104 that the person 108 may be approaching the intersection 110, and therefore the vehicle 104 should proceed with caution. If the vehicle 104 is a manually driven vehicle, the vehicle operator may hear / see the notification and may manipulate the vehicle movement accordingly. If the vehicle 104 is an autonomous vehicle, the vehicle 104 itself may manipulate its movement in response to receiving notifications from the system.

[0022] In an exemplary aspect, the system may determine that a predetermined condition may be satisfied when the distance between the vehicle 104 and the intersection 110 may be less than a first predefined threshold (e.g., 15 to 50 meters) and the distance between the person 108 and the intersection 110 may be less than a second predefined threshold (e.g., 5 to 20 meters). When the above conditions may be satisfied, the system may output a notification to the user device 112, the person 108 (e.g., via a lamp post 114 or a sign 116), and / or the vehicle 104.

[0023] In a scenario where the system is part of an infrastructure, the infrastructure can detect the presence of vehicles 104 and people 108 near an intersection 110. In this case, the infrastructure can include a camera that can be configured to capture images of the intersection in real time. In some aspects, the camera can be set near the intersection 110 and can be stationary at the intersection 110 so that the camera can effectively capture images of the intersection. The system can obtain input (e.g., an image) from a camera installed at the intersection 110, and can determine that a predetermined condition can be met based on the input obtained. In response to such a determination, the infrastructure can output a notification to the vehicle 104 and / or the user device 112, as described above. In an exemplary aspect, the infrastructure can output an audio notification to the user device 112 via a wireless network such as BLE, and / or via a vehicle human-machine interface (HMI) (shown as Figure 2The HMI 214 in the example embodiment may output an audio / visual notification to the vehicle 104. Additionally or alternatively, the infrastructure may output a visual notification to the vehicle 104 or the person 108 via the sign 116 (e.g., by activating a light associated with the sign 116 in a predetermined pattern).

[0024] In a scenario where the system is part of a vehicle 104, the vehicle 104 can detect the intersection 110 via, for example, vehicle sensors, cameras, GPS locations, etc. In addition, the vehicle 104 can detect the presence of a person near the intersection 110 by using input obtained from a vehicle sensor / camera and / or a camera installed at the intersection 110 (which can be communicatively connected to the vehicle 104). In response to such detection, the vehicle 104 can output a notification to the infrastructure and / or user device 112 via a network. In addition or alternatively, the vehicle 104 can perform one or more actions, including but not limited to activating an external speaker of the vehicle and outputting a notification, activating an external light of the vehicle in a predetermined mode to provide an indication of stopping to the person 108. In addition, in this case, the infrastructure and user device 112 can receive a notification from the vehicle 104 and can provide / display a notification to the person 108. The person 108 can perform remedial actions accordingly to prevent an adverse situation. In addition, the vehicle 104 can output a notification to the vehicle HMI requesting the vehicle operator to slow down, or if the vehicle 104 is an autonomous vehicle, the vehicle 104 can automatically slow down.

[0025] In a scenario where the system is part of a user device 112, the user device 112 may determine that the person 108 may be near the intersection 110 based on the real-time geographic location of the user device and the intersection geographic location. The user device 112 may also determine that the vehicle 104 may be near the intersection 110 based on input obtained from a camera installed at the intersection 110 (which may be communicatively coupled to the user device 112) and / or the real-time geographic location of the vehicle obtained from the vehicle 104. In response to such a determination, the user device 112 may output a notification to the infrastructure and / or the vehicle 104 via the network. The infrastructure and the vehicle 104 may receive the notification and may display / output the notification for the person 108 and / or the vehicle operator to take remedial action.

[0026] In some aspects, the system may be located in all infrastructure, vehicles 104, and user devices 112. Any of the above-mentioned devices may detect the presence of vehicles 104 and people 108 near the intersection 110 and may output notifications to other devices (infrastructure, vehicles 104, and / or user devices 112) based on the detection. Other devices may receive the notifications and may display / provide the notifications or autonomously perform remedial actions to prevent the adverse situation.

[0027] Combined with the following Figure 2Describe the system in further detail.

[0028] The vehicle 104, infrastructure, and systems implement and / or perform operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the vehicle owner's manual and safety guidelines. Additionally, any actions taken by a person 108 or vehicle 104 based on messages or notifications provided by the vehicle 104 / system / infrastructure should comply with all rules specific to the location (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.) and operation of the vehicle 104. Messages or notifications as provided by the vehicle 104, infrastructure, and / or systems should be considered advisories and followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 104.

[0029] Figure 2 A block diagram of a trail traversal system 200 (or system 200) according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 3 and Figure 4 To describe Figure 2 In some aspects, the system 200 can be external to the vehicle 104. For example, the system 200 can be part of the infrastructure and / or the user device 112. In other aspects, the system 200 can be part of the vehicle 104.

[0030] The system 200 may be communicatively coupled to the vehicle 104, the user device 112, and one or more servers 202 (or servers 202) via one or more networks 204 (or networks 204). The server 202 may be part of a cloud-based computing infrastructure and may be associated with and / or include a telematics service delivery network (SDN) that provides digital data services to the vehicle 104, the infrastructure, and / or the user device 112. In some aspects, the server 202 may be configured to store information associated with the intersection 110 (e.g., the intersection geographic location), a road network map, a geographic area map, images captured by a camera associated with the infrastructure, etc. The server 202 may be configured to transmit the information to the vehicle 104 / system 200 at a predefined frequency or when the vehicle 104 / system 200 transmits a request to the server 202 to obtain the above information.

[0031] The vehicle 104 may include a plurality of units including, but not limited to, a vehicle transceiver 206, a vehicle detection unit 208, a vehicle memory 210, a vehicle processor 212, and a vehicle human-machine interface 214 (HMI 214) that may be communicatively coupled to one another. The vehicle detection unit 208 may include a vehicle camera, an ultrasonic sensor, a radio detection and ranging (radar) sensor, a light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor, a thermal camera, etc. The vehicle detection unit 208 may be configured to capture images of the intersection 110 (and the person 108) near the vehicle 104. Additionally, the vehicle detection unit 208 may be configured to detect the presence of an intersection on the road network 102.

[0032] The HMI 214 may be configured to receive user input to control vehicle operation and / or receive user requests to control system operation. In addition, the HMI 214 may be configured to output one or more notifications to the vehicle operator based on input obtained from the vehicle detection unit 208 (and / or other components or devices, such as the system 200, infrastructure, user device 112, etc.).

[0033] The vehicle transceiver 206 may be configured to transmit / receive signals / information / data to / from external systems and devices via the network 204. For example, the vehicle transceiver 206 may transmit information / signals / data obtained from the vehicle detection unit 208 to the system 200 via the network 204. As another example, the vehicle transceiver 206 may receive one or more notifications from the system 200 (and / or other devices) via the network 204 and transmit the notifications to the HMI 214.

[0034] The vehicle processor 212 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., the vehicle memory 210 and / or Figure 2 The vehicle processor 212 may utilize the vehicle memory 210 to store programs and / or store data in code to perform various aspects of the present disclosure. The vehicle memory 210 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores program code that enables the vehicle processor 212 to perform operations according to the present disclosure. The vehicle memory 210 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0035] The system 200 may include a system detection unit 216, a system transceiver 218, a system processor 220, and a system memory 222 that are communicatively coupled to each other. The system transceiver 218 may be configured to transmit / receive signals / information / data to / from systems and devices via the network 204, including the vehicle 104 (e.g., via the vehicle transceiver 206), the user device 112, the server 202, the lamp post 114, the sign 116, etc.

[0036] The system detection unit 216 may be configured to detect the presence of vehicles 104 and persons 108 near an intersection 110 on the road network 102. In some aspects, the system detection unit 216 may include one or more cameras (or any other sensor device) that may be configured to capture images of the persons 108, vehicles 104 located near the intersection 110, and / or a geographic area where the intersection 110 may be located.

[0037] The system processor 220 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (eg, system memory 222 and / or Figure 2 The system processor 220 may utilize the system memory 222 to store programs and / or store data in code form to perform various aspects of the present disclosure. The system memory 222 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores program code that enables the system processor 220 to perform operations according to the present disclosure. The system memory 222 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0038] In operation, the system transceiver 218 may receive input from the system detection unit 216 and may transmit the input to the system memory 222 for storage purposes. Additionally or alternatively, the system transceiver 218 may transmit the input to the system processor 220. The system processor 220 may obtain the input directly from the system transceiver 218 or from the system memory 222. In response to obtaining the input, the system processor 220 may determine whether a predetermined condition may be satisfied. For example, the system processor 220 may determine whether the distance between the vehicle 104 and the intersection 110 may be less than a first predefined threshold and whether the distance between the person 108 (or the user device 112) may be less than a second predefined threshold. When the distance between the vehicle 104 and the intersection 110 is less than the first predefined threshold and the distance between the person 108 (or the user device 112) is less than the second predefined threshold, the system processor 220 may determine that the predetermined condition may be satisfied. In response to a determination that the predetermined condition is met, the system processor 220 may output a notification to the user device 112 , the person 108 (eg, via a lamp post 114 or a sign 116 ), and / or to the vehicle 104 via the system transceiver 218 and the network 204 .

[0039] As described above, in some aspects, the system 200 may be part of an infrastructure, a user device 112, or a vehicle 104. The operation of the system 200 is described in detail below for different scenarios.

[0040] In a first scenario, the system 200 may be part of an infrastructure (including a lamp post 114 and a sign 116) disposed at an intersection 110. In such a scenario, the system detection unit 216 may be a camera (not shown) that may be disposed at the infrastructure. The camera may be configured to capture images of the person 108 and the vehicle 104 located near the intersection 110 (e.g., in the camera's field of view). The system detection unit 216 may transmit the captured images to the system processor 220 (e.g., via the system transceiver 218). The system processor 220 may obtain the images, determine that the above-mentioned predetermined conditions may be satisfied based on the obtained images, and output a notification to the vehicle 104 and / or the person 108 (or the user device 112) in response to determining that the predetermined conditions may be satisfied.

[0041] In some aspects, the system processor 220 may output a notification (e.g., Figure 3). In further aspects, the system processor 220 may output a notification to the person 108 by outputting a first visual signal / notification via the infrastructure. For example, in the first visual signal / notification, the system processor 220 may activate a light associated with a first lamp post (e.g., lamp post 114) and / or a first sign (e.g., sign 116) disposed at the intersection 110. In some aspects, to output the first visual signal / notification, the system processor 220 may transmit a command signal to the first lamp post and / or the first sign to activate the light in a first predetermined manner. In some aspects, the first lamp post and the first sign may be disposed at a location facing the person 108 near the intersection 110. In response to outputting the first visual signal / notification, the person 108 may receive / view the signal / notification and may perform remedial actions to prevent any adverse situation caused by the presence of a vehicle near the intersection 110.

[0042] In some aspects, the system processor 220 may output a notification to the vehicle 104 by transmitting an audio notification signal or a visual notification to the HMI 214 (e.g., via the vehicle transceiver 206 and the network 204). In other aspects, the system processor 220 may output a notification to the vehicle 104 by outputting a second visual signal / notification via the infrastructure. For example, in the second visual signal / notification, the system processor 220 may activate a light of a second lamp post and / or a second sign disposed at the intersection 110. In some aspects, to output the second visual signal / notification, the system processor 220 may transmit a command signal to the second lamp post and / or the second sign to activate the light in a second predetermined manner (which may be the same as or different from the first predetermined manner). In some aspects, the second lamp post and the second sign may be disposed at a location facing the vehicle 104 at the intersection 110. The vehicle operator and / or the vehicle 104 may receive / view the signal / notification and may manipulate vehicle movement accordingly. For example, when the vehicle 104 may be an autonomous vehicle, the vehicle 104 may automatically (via the vehicle processor 212) reduce its speed in response to receiving a signal / notification from the system processor 220. Alternatively, when the vehicle 104 may be a manually driven vehicle, the vehicle operator may reduce the vehicle speed in response to seeing / hearing the notification.

[0043] In a second scenario, the system 200 may be part of the vehicle 104. In this scenario, the system detection unit 216 may be the same as the vehicle detection unit 208, the system processor 220 may be the same as the vehicle processor 212, and the system transceiver 218 may be the same as the vehicle transceiver 206. In this case, the system detection unit 216 may include a vehicle front camera, a thermal camera, a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. In some aspects, when the vehicle 104 may be within a predefined distance from the intersection 110, the system detection unit 216 may capture an image of a person near the intersection 110. The system detection unit 216 may also be configured to detect that the intersection 110 may be in front of the vehicle 104 in the direction of movement of the vehicle (or that the vehicle 104 may be approaching the intersection 110). In another aspect, the vehicle 104 can be configured to obtain a real-time vehicle position using a global positioning system (GPS) and detect that the intersection 110 may be in front of the vehicle 104 based on the real-time vehicle position and a geographic area map (stored in the vehicle memory 210 or on the server 202) associated with the geographic area where the intersection 110 may be located.

[0044] The system processor 220 may be configured to obtain input from the system detection unit 216 and determine whether the above-described predetermined condition may be satisfied based on the obtained input. In response to determining that the predetermined condition may be satisfied, the system processor 220 may output a notification to the infrastructure and / or the user device 112 (via the system transceiver 218) indicating that the vehicle 104 may be approaching the intersection 110. The infrastructure may receive the notification from the system processor 220 and may output the notification to the person 108. As an example, the infrastructure may output an audible or visual notification to the person 108 (or the user device 112) in the manner described above. In another aspect, the system processor 220 may output a notification (such as a notification to the HMI 214) to the HMI 214. Figure 4 ) to indicate that person 108 may be approaching intersection 110 or may be near intersection 110, and therefore, vehicle 104 should slow down (as shown in FIG. Figure 4 In further aspects, the vehicle 104 may perform one or more additional actions, including but not limited to activating an exterior speaker of the vehicle and outputting a notification as an audible signal, activating exterior lights in a predetermined pattern, etc., to provide instructions to the person 108 to stop or walk carefully.

[0045] In a third scenario, the system 200 may be part of the user device 112. In this scenario, the system detection unit 216 may detect the real-time location of the user device (e.g., by using GPS) to determine the presence of the user device near the intersection 110 (e.g., by using a geographic area map stored in the system memory 222 or the server 202). The system processor 220 may obtain input from the system detection unit 216 and may determine whether the above-mentioned predetermined condition may be met. In response to the determination that the predetermined condition may be met, the system processor 220 may output a notification to the infrastructure and / or the vehicle 104 via the network 204. The infrastructure and / or the vehicle 104 may receive the notification and may display / output the notification in the manner described above.

[0046] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example notification method 500 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 5 The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than shown or described herein, and may include the steps in an order different from that described in the example embodiments below.

[0047] The method 500 begins at step 502. At step 504, the method 500 may include obtaining, by the system processor 220, input from the system detection unit 216. At step 506, the method 500 may include determining, by the system processor 220 based on the input, that a predetermined condition may be satisfied. As described above, the predetermined condition may be satisfied when the distance between the vehicle 104 and the intersection 110 and the distance between the person 108 and the intersection 110 may be less than respective thresholds (e.g., 20 meters for the vehicle 104 and 5 meters for the person 108).

[0048] At step 508 , the method 500 may include outputting, by the system processor 220 , a notification to a user device 112 associated with the person 108 and / or the vehicle 104 , in response to a determination that the predetermined condition may be satisfied.

[0049] At step 510 , method 500 may stop.

[0050] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present disclosure can be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments can be utilized and structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References to "one embodiment", "embodiment", "example embodiment" and the like in this specification indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures or characteristics, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the specific features, structures or characteristics. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when features, structures or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0051] In addition, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and procedures described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that have different names but the same function.

[0052] It should also be understood that the word "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the word "example" as used herein indicates one of several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the specific example described.

[0053] Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions are executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0054] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes may be practiced by performing the described steps in an order different from the order described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0055] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should be determined with reference to the entire scope of the appended claims and equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and change.

[0056] Unless explicitly indicated to the contrary in this article, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless the claim states an explicit limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" and the like should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood in other ways within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "may", "can" or "may" is generally intended to express that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements and / or steps. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require each feature, element and / or step in any way.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present invention, outputting the notification to the user device includes outputting an audio signal to the user device.

[0058] According to an embodiment of the present invention, outputting the notification to the vehicle includes outputting a visual signal or an audio signal to a vehicle human machine interface (HMI).

[0059] According to an embodiment of the present invention, outputting the notification further comprises outputting a first visual signal to the person via a first signboard disposed at the intersection, and wherein the first signboard is disposed at a position facing the person.

[0060] According to an embodiment of the present invention, outputting the notification further includes outputting a second visual signal to the vehicle via a second sign provided at the intersection, and wherein the second sign is provided at a position facing the vehicle.

[0061] According to an embodiment of the present invention, outputting the first visual signal and the second visual signal comprises activating lights associated with the first sign and the second sign in a predetermined pattern.

Claims

1. A system comprising: a detection unit configured to detect the presence of vehicles and persons near an intersection on a road network; as well as a processor communicatively coupled to the detection unit, wherein the processor is configured to: obtaining an input from the detection unit; determining based on the input that a predetermined condition is satisfied, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when a distance between the vehicle and the intersection is less than a first predefined threshold and a distance between the person and the intersection is less than a second predefined threshold; as well as A notification is output to at least one of user devices associated with the person and the vehicle in response to a determination that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor outputs the notification by outputting an audio signal to the user device. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor outputs the notification to the vehicle by outputting a visual signal or an audio signal to a vehicle human machine interface (HMI). 4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to output a first visual signal to the person via a first sign disposed at the intersection, and wherein the first sign is disposed at a position facing the person. 5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to output a second visual signal to the vehicle via a second sign disposed at the intersection, and wherein the second sign is disposed at a position facing the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor outputs the first visual signal and the second visual signal by activating lights associated with the first sign and the second sign in a predetermined pattern.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection unit is disposed proximate the intersection on the road network, and wherein the detection unit is stationary at the intersection.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises a camera.

9. A method comprising: obtaining, by a processor, input from a detection unit, wherein the detection unit is configured to detect the presence of vehicles and persons near an intersection on a road network; determining, by the processor, based on the input, that a predetermined condition is satisfied, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when a distance between the vehicle and the intersection is less than a first predefined threshold and a distance between the person and the intersection is less than a second predefined threshold; as well as A notification is outputted, by the processor, to at least one of user devices associated with the person and the vehicle in response to a determination that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein outputting the notification to the user device comprises outputting an audio signal to the user device. 11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein outputting the notification to the vehicle comprises outputting a visual signal or an audio signal to a vehicle human machine interface (HMI).

12. The method of claim 9, wherein outputting the notification further comprises outputting a first visual signal to the person via a first sign disposed at the intersection, and wherein the first sign is disposed at a position facing the person. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein outputting the notification further comprises outputting a second visual signal to the vehicle via a second sign disposed at the intersection, and wherein the second sign is disposed at a position facing the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein outputting the first visual signal and the second visual signal comprises activating lights associated with the first sign and the second sign in a predetermined pattern.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtaining input from a detection unit, wherein the detection unit is configured to detect the presence of vehicles and persons near an intersection on a road network; determining based on the input that a predetermined condition is satisfied, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when a distance between the vehicle and the intersection is less than a first predefined threshold and a distance between the person and the intersection is less than a second predefined threshold; and A notification is output to at least one of user devices associated with the person and the vehicle in response to a determination that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

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