Motorola Patent Details Sharing Of Auto-Detected Road Obstacles With Drivers

Camera systems on cars offer increased visibility to obstacles and items around the driver, but may not give enough of a head's up when it comes to unexpected items and otherwise attention-necessary elements wherever you happen to be driving. According to a Motorola patent that has surfaced, this could be mitigated via a system that talks amongst cars.

The patent, which is posted on the USPTO, details a camera system with various wireless technologies that will watch the road for obstacles, whether those obstacles are debris in the road, something out of place, or perhaps just a sharp turn or sudden stop. When noticed, it will inform other drives nearby of the problem.

Says the patent in part: "Automobiles are more frequently incorporating anti-collision systems that utilize radio detection and ranging (radar) technology to detect obstructions at the front and possibly also sides and rear of a moving vehicle ... In traffic, although such systems may provide warnings that a vehicle in front is getting too close, or is slowing down, such systems do not provide any information for obstructions that may be located one or more vehicles ahead and possibly around a curve in the road."

How the Google company would utilize this technology isn't clear, but it seems it could be part of a product users could buy and that will work in conjunction with other drivers who have the same product. As an alternative, it could perhaps work in conjunction with Waze, providing information to a far larger set of drivers in the vicinity.

VIA: Phandroid

SOURCE: USPTO