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Patent

Collision avoidance system

03 Feb 2000-
TL;DR: The Collision Avoidance System as discussed by the authors prevents vehicular collisions between vehicles and with pedestrians, trains, and stationary objects by monitoring (50), controlling (40), documenting, and reporting (60) the speed and position of vehicles.
Abstract: The Collision Avoidance System prevents vehicular collisions between vehicles and with pedestrians, trains, and stationary objects by monitoring (50), controlling (40), documenting, and reporting (60) the speed and position of vehicles. The system guards against speeding violations, moving violations, and particular safety hazards by invoking a reduction of vehicle speed or by restricting vehicle movement to control its position. This is primarily accomplished with the activation of a controllable road perturbation (20). The system also monitors pedestrians, school bus loading/unloading, traffic density, trains, road moisture, and traffic control systems to determine the action to take for collision prevention. The capability to monitor various entities that may be involved in a collision or entities that indicate a possible collision is forthcoming allows the system to monitor an entire traffic environment and thus anticipate possible collisions. The system integrates and synchronizes with existing traffic control devices and systems to ensure that it reinforces the traffic laws and safety intent of the environment in which it is installed. A computer (10) is used to determine if the vehicles are adhering to the traffic laws or other safety concerns. Visual displays (70) may accompany the system output to inform the motorist what must be done to prevent a collision.
Citations
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Patent
26 Nov 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, a system for issuing identification documents to a plurality of individuals, comprising a first database, a first server, and a workstation, was proposed, where each digitized image contained a biometric image of an individual seeking an identification document.
Abstract: We provide a system for issuing identification documents to a plurality of individuals, comprising a first database, a first server, and a workstation. The first database stores a plurality of digitized images, each digitized image comprising a biometric image of an individual seeking an identification document. The first server is in operable communication with the first database and is programmed to send, at a predetermined time, one or more digitized images from the first database to a biometric recognition system, the biometric recognition system in operable communication with a second database, the second database containing biometric templates associated with individuals whose images have been previously captured, and to receive from the biometric recognition system, for each digitized image sent, an indicator, based on the biometric searching of the second database, as to whether the second database contains any images of individuals who may at least partially resemble the digitized image that was sent. The a workstation is in operable communication with the first server and is configured to permit a user to review the indicator and to make a determination as to whether the individual is authorized to be issued an identification document or to keep an identification document in the individual's possession.

261 citations

Patent
22 Jun 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, the position and orientation of an out-of-view tool from the viewing area are indicated by the size, color, brightness, or blinking or oscillation frequency of the symbol.
Abstract: An endoscope captures images of a surgical site for display in a viewing area of a monitor. When a tool is outside the viewing area, a GUI indicates the position of the tool by positioning a symbol in a boundary area around the viewing area so as to indicate the tool position. The distance of the out-of-view tool from the viewing area may be indicated by the size, color, brightness, or blinking or oscillation frequency of the symbol. A distance number may also be displayed on the symbol. The orientation of the shaft or end effector of the tool may be indicated by an orientation indicator superimposed over the symbol, or by the orientation of the symbol itself. When the tool is inside the viewing area, but occluded by an object, the GUI superimposes a ghost tool at its current position and orientation over the occluding object.

248 citations

Patent
16 Aug 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a system and methods for analyzing data collected from sensors monitoring property, in particular, the systems and methods analyze the data to make property insurance underwriting decisions based on the collected sensor data using a computerized process that varies the way in which it manipulates the collected sensors data based on a characteristic of the property being insured, the entity seeking the insurance, and/or on the value of one or more collected data parameters.
Abstract: The invention relates to systems and methods for analyzing data collected from sensors monitoring property. In particular, the systems and methods analyze the data to make property insurance underwriting decisions based on the collected sensor data using a computerized process that varies the way in which it manipulates the collected sensor data based on a characteristic of the property being insured, a characteristic of the entity seeking the insurance, and/or on the value of one or more collected data parameters. The invention also relates to systems and methods of making property insurance pricing decisions based on a similarly dynamic computerized process.

216 citations

Patent
23 Sep 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, a system and method for generating pedestrian alerts is presented, where vehicle operators are provided with alerts regarding potential vehicle-pedestrian collisions and other dangers involving pedestrians.
Abstract: A system and method for generating pedestrian alerts are provided. Vehicle operators are provided with alerts regarding potential vehicle-pedestrian collisions and other dangers involving pedestrians. Additionally, pedestrians may be provided with alerts regarding potential dangers, including dangers of vehicle-pedestrian collisions. Mobile devices, which can be carried or worn by pedestrians, respond to activation signals from a vehicular device. The vehicular device receives positional information from each mobile device within transmission range, and determines relative positions of each of the mobile devices with respect to the position of the vehicular device. A determination of the probability of intersection of any mobile device with a warning zone near the vehicular device is calculated and predicted according to pre-determined rules. If the probability of intersection meets or exceeds a pre-determined threshold, an alert is generated.

210 citations

Patent
03 Dec 2013
TL;DR: In this article, a surgeon directly controls movement of an associated slave manipulator with an input device while indirectly controlling movement of one or more non-associated slave manipulators, in response to commanded motion of the directly controlled manipulator, to achieve a secondary objective.
Abstract: In a coupled control mode, the surgeon directly controls movement of an associated slave manipulator with an input device while indirectly controlling movement of one or more non-associated slave manipulators, in response to commanded motion of the directly controlled slave manipulator, to achieve a secondary objective. By automatically performing secondary tasks through coupled control modes, the system's usability is enhanced by reducing the surgeon's need to switch to another direct mode to manually achieve the desired secondary objective. Thus, coupled control modes allow the surgeon to better focus on performing medical procedures and to pay less attention to managing the system.

204 citations

References
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Patent
06 Oct 1994
TL;DR: In this article, a method and system in automobile traffic control for warning drivers that they are exceeding the speed limit using an alpha-numeric variable message sign (50) proximate the roadway.
Abstract: A method and system in automobile traffic control for warning drivers that they are exceeding the speed limit using an alpha-numeric variable message sign (50) proximate the roadway. The sign displays the license plate number, owner's name and the vehicle's speed. The system includes an opto-electric license plate reader (10) and a computer system (31) having a database of license numbers and associated information, including owner's names and make and model of licensed vehicles.

230 citations

Patent
31 Jul 1996
TL;DR: A traffic violation processing method is described in this paper, which includes the steps of monitoring a vehicle; determining whether the vehicle is in violation of a traffic violation and recording the image of the vehicle on a camera when the vehicle was determined to have violated a traffic violations; providing a digital image of vehicle; recording and storing deployment data corresponding to the violation, wherein the deployment data includes an identifier associated with the traffic violation; assigning the identifier to the digital traffic image, together with the identifier, on a storage medium.
Abstract: A traffic violation processing method is disclosed, which includes the steps of monitoring a vehicle; determining whether the vehicle is in violation of a traffic violation and recording the image of the vehicle on a camera when the vehicle is determined to have violated a traffic violation; providing a digital image of the vehicle; recording and storing deployment data corresponding to the violation, wherein the deployment data includes an identifier associated with the traffic violation; assigning the identifier to the digital traffic image; storing the digital image of the vehicle, together with the identifier, on a storage medium; matching the deployment data with the stored digital image by correlating or matching the identifier associated with the deployment data with the identifier associated with the stored digital image; and generating a traffic document that includes the stored digital image and the deployment data.

193 citations

Patent
16 Dec 1985
TL;DR: In this article, a system for providing early warning of the approach and egress of emergency vehicles in which the warning system provides a display to indicate the direction from which the emergency vehicle is approaching and in addition provides preemption control of the traffic signals at an intersection.
Abstract: A system for providing early warning of the approach and egress of emergency vehicles in which the warning system provides a display to indicate the direction from which the emergency vehicle is approaching and in addition provides preemption control of the traffic signals at an intersection. A transmitter mounted on an emergency vehicle transmits a signal whenever it is on an emergency call which is received by infrared (I.R.) receivers positioned at an intersection to respond to the transmitted signals. The received signal is then processed by a master controller which in turn pre-empts operation of traffic signals to control traffic flow at the intersection to which the emergency vehicle is approaching. The master controller also provides an output to display signs facing approaching traffic on each road approaching the intersection which displays messages and symbols indicating the direction of the approaching emergency vehicle. Additionally, the display system indicates whether the emergency vehicle has passed through and is departing the intersection. After a predetermined interval when an emergency vehicle has passed through an intersection the display system is deactivated and the traffic signals are returned to the traffic light control system.

166 citations

Patent
06 Sep 1995
TL;DR: In this article, road and traffic conditions are detected with roadside traffic sensing equipment, and the conditions are displayed over luminescent elements with signal lamps distributed at intervals along the road and combined into chains of lamps.
Abstract: An arrangement for monitoring vehicular traffic and providing information and warnings to drivers of traffic disruptions, driver error, dangerous road conditions, and severe weather. Road and traffic conditions are detected with roadside traffic sensing equipment, and the conditions are displayed over luminescent elements with signal lamps distributed at intervals along the road and combined into chains of lamps. The luminescent elements are illuminated simultaneously or in sequence for providing continuous traffic information. A processor network and a signal network are combined through a communication network to regulate the luminescent elements by processing, if necessary, under real time controlled conditions.

104 citations

Patent
20 Feb 1998
TL;DR: In this paper, a system and corresponding method for monitoring traffic violations is proposed, where a satellite-based system determines the location, and upon which roadway, a vehicle is traveling, and a memory (e.g., RAM) in the vehicle system stores speed limit data relating to different roads, speed limits, and/or red lights across the globe.
Abstract: A system and corresponding method for monitoring traffic violations. A satellite based system determines the location, and upon which roadway, a vehicle is traveling. A memory (e.g. RAM) in the vehicle system stores speed limit data relating to different roads, speed limits, and/or red lights across the globe. A controller in the vehicle compares, for example, speed limit data relative to determined speed of the vehicle so as to detect when the speed limit on the road upon which the vehicle is traveling is exceeded. When the speed limit is exceeded, a transmitter on the vehicle transmits a signal to at least one satellite indicative of the violation. The at least one satellite forwards the violation signal to a motor vehicle department so that a ticket can be issued to the vehicle operator. In a similar manner, the satellite based system can detect other infractions such as running of red lights, and issue tickets in response to same.

103 citations