External communication for vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10657819-B2
Application number	US-201715711705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2017
Priority date	Sep 21, 2016
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer readable storage media for external vehicle communication are described. A method for external vehicle communication may include determining a vehicular path for a vehicle and an extra-vehicular path for an extra-vehicular object external to the vehicle, the vehicular path based on vehicle state data including a vehicle velocity and a vehicle orientation, the extra-vehicular path based on extra-vehicular state data including an object velocity and an object orientation of the extra-vehicular object; determining when the vehicular path will intercept the extra-vehicular path based on the vehicle state data and the extra-vehicular state data; determining an object identity for the extra-vehicular object and a distance between the vehicle and the extra-vehicular object; and generating at least one external communication based on the object identity when the distance between the vehicle and the extra-vehicular object is less than a predetermined threshold distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for external vehicle communication, the method comprising:
determining, by a processor, a vehicular path for a vehicle and an extra-vehicular path for an extra-vehicular object external to the vehicle, the vehicular path based on vehicle state data including a vehicle velocity and a vehicle orientation, the extra-vehicular path based on extra-vehicular state data including an object velocity and an object orientation of the extra-vehicular object;
in accordance with determining, by the processor, based on the vehicle state data and the extra vehicular state data, that the vehicular path intersects the extra-vehicular path, determining, by the processor, an object identity for the extra-vehicular object and a distance between the vehicle and the extra-vehicular object, wherein the object identity is based on the extra-vehicular state data;
selecting, by the processor, a communication type based on a determination of whether a display portion of the vehicle is visible to the extra-vehicular object, the display portion being used for displaying external communications directed at the extravehicular object; and
generating, by the processor, at least one external communication directed at the extra-vehicular object, the at least one external communication generated based on the object identity when the distance between the vehicle and the extra-vehicular object is less than a predetermined threshold distance, wherein the at least one external communication is further generated using the communication type.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the communication type comprises:
determining, by the processor, the communication type based on communication factors including the vehicle velocity, the object velocity, the distance between the vehicle and the extra-vehicular object, the object orientation relative to the vehicle, or the object identity, the communication type including an audible communication or a visual communication, the audible communication including a verbal instruction, and the visual communication including a ground projection to indicate the vehicular path, wherein the external communication includes at least one communication type.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, a communication magnitude based on the communication factors, wherein the communication magnitude modifies a frequency or an intensity of the external communication.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, an ambient sound level, wherein the communication type or the communication magnitude is based on the ambient sound level.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, a forward-facing side of the extra-vehicular object based on the object identity, wherein the communication type or the communication magnitude is based on whether the forward-facing side of the extra-vehicular object is oriented towards the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, based on the vehicle state data and the extra-vehicular state data, a period of time that will elapse before the vehicle intercepts the extra-vehicular object; and
generating, by the processor, the external communication when the period of time is less than an intercept threshold time.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the processor, an extra-vehicular response by the extra-vehicular object to the external communication, the extra-vehicular response including a change in the object orientation or the object velocity that modifies the extra-vehicular path to avoid intercepting the vehicular path; and
generating, by the processor, a secondary external communication in response to the extra-vehicular response.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, a context based on sensory cues including visual cues or auditory cues from the extra-vehicular object or an area within a predetermined distance of the vehicle, wherein the visual cues include cues corresponding to weather conditions within the predetermined distance of the vehicle and the external communication is further based on the context.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, a geographic location of the vehicle; and
retrieving, by the processor, zoning data corresponding to the geographic location of the vehicle and a predetermined area associated with the geographic location of the vehicle, wherein the external communication is further based on the zoning data.

10. A method for external vehicle communication, the method comprising:
determining, by a processor, extra-vehicular paths for at least two extra-vehicular objects external to a vehicle, each extra-vehicular path based on extra-vehicular state data including an object identity, an object velocity, and an object orientation for a respective extra-vehicular object;
in accordance with determining, by the processor, based on the extra-vehicular state data, that two of the extra-vehicular paths intersect, determining, by the processor, object identities and a distance between the two extra-vehicular objects corresponding to the two extra-vehicular paths that will intersect, wherein the object identities are based on the extra-vehicular state data; and
generating, by the processor, at least one external communication directed at one or more of the at least two extra-vehicular objects, the at least one external communication generated based on the extra-vehicular state data when the distance between the two extra-vehicular objects is less than a predetermined threshold distance,
wherein the at least one external communication is further generated using a communication type that is determined based on whether a display portion of the vehicle is visible to the extra-vehicular object, the display portion being used for displaying external communications directed at the extravehicular object.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, the communication type based on communication factors including the distance between the two extra-vehicular objects, the object identity for each extra vehicular object, the object velocity for each extra-vehicular object, or the object orientation for each extra-vehicular object, the communication type including an audible communication or a visual communication, the audible communication including a verbal instruction, and the visual communication including a ground projection to indicate the extra-vehicular paths, wherein the external communication includes at least one communication type.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, a communication magnitude based on the communication factors, wherein the communication magnitude modifies a frequency or an intensity of the external communication.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, an ambient sound level, wherein the communication type or the communication magnitude is based on the ambient sound level.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, forward-facing sides corresponding to the extra-vehicular objects based on the object identity for each of the respective extra-vehicular objects, wherein the communication type or the communication magnitude is based on whether the forward facing sides corresponding to the extra-vehicular objects are oriented towards the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, by t

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Wan Kit-Man
• Jonsson Lilli I

Classifications

• B60W30/18154

  Approaching an intersection · CPC title

• B60W30/0953

  the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters · CPC title

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• G08G1/163 Primary

  involving continuous checking · CPC title

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title