US Patent 11951979 Rapid, automatic, AI-based collision avoidance and mitigation preliminary

Disclosed are systems and methods for autonomous vehicles and vehicles with automatic driver-assistance systems (ADAS) to automatically detect an imminent collision, determine whether the collision is avoidable or unavoidable, and plot a course minimizing the hazard using an artificial intelligence (AI) model. For example, a collision is avoidable if the vehicle can avoid it by steering, braking, and/or accelerating in a particular sequence. The AI model finds the best sequence for collision avoidance, and if that is not possible, it finds the best sequence for minimizing the harm. The harm is based on an estimated number of fatalities, injuries, and property damage predicted to be caused in the collision. The AI-based situation analysis and sequence selection are directly applicable to human-driven vehicles with an emergency-intervention ADAS system, as well as fully autonomous vehicles. With fast electronic reflexes and multi-sensor situation awareness, the AI model can save lives on the highway.