Method for providing track information on a vehicle track, and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814872-B2
Application number	US-201615775691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2016
Priority date	Nov 12, 2015
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A trajectory of a motor vehicle relative to a vehicle-external reference system is determined during a movement of the motor vehicle along a track of the motor vehicle. The determined trajectory of the motor vehicle is transmitted to a vehicle-external central track information collection device, and track information is determined based on the transmitted trajectory by the track information collection device and provided to at least one additional motor vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a central lane information collection device, respective driving trajectories transmitted from a plurality of motor vehicles with respect to a reference system outside a first motor vehicle during movement of the first motor vehicle in a lane, the plurality of motor vehicles including the first motor vehicle;
receiving, as an external parameter, by the central lane information collection device, a driver type of a driver of each of the plurality of motor vehicles together with the driving trajectories;
allocating, by the central lane information collection device, lane information to a lane information category among a plurality of predetermined lane information categories;
clustering, by the central lane information collection device, the driving trajectories with respect to a plurality of items of lane information having different lane guidance properties based on the driver type of the driver of each of the plurality of motor vehicles;
determining, by the central lane information collection device, an item of lane information from a respective lane information category and from the plurality of items of lane information, based on the driving trajectories and on a situation of a second motor vehicle;
when a distance between the second motor vehicle and the lane is less than a predetermined distance value and a most likely travel route of the second motor vehicle, determined according to a probability calculation, includes the lane, transmitting, by the central lane information collection device, the determined item of lane information to the second motor vehicle,
wherein the central lane information collection device is a stationary server, located remotely from the plurality of motor vehicles.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising determining the item of lane information based on a reliability value of the driving trajectory of the first motor vehicle obtained from sensor data of the first motor vehicle indicating a position accuracy of the driving trajectory of the first motor vehicle.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising receiving, as another external parameter, a weather condition in an area surrounding the first motor vehicle during movement of the first motor vehicle, together with the driving trajectory of the first motor vehicle,
wherein the clustering the plurality of driving trajectories with respect to the plurality of items of lane information having different lane guidance properties is further based on the weather condition in the area surrounding the first motor vehicle during movement of the first motor vehicle.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the determined item of lane information to the second motor vehicle is performed automatically by the central lane information collection device based on a current position of the second motor vehicle in the reference system outside the first motor vehicle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the determined item of lane information to the second motor vehicle is performed in response to a request from the second motor vehicle when the distance between the second motor vehicle and the lane is less than the predetermined distance value and the most likely travel route of the second motor vehicle includes the lane.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the determined item of lane information is for guiding the second motor vehicle laterally during travel of the second motor vehicle in the lane.

7. A central lane information collection device, comprising:
a memory to store machine readable instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the machine readable instructions stored in the memory to:
receive respective driving trajectories transmitted from a plurality of motor vehicles with respect to a reference system outside a first motor vehicle during movement of first motor vehicle in a lane, the plurality of motor vehicles including the first motor vehicle, and
receive, as an external parameter, a driver type of a driver of each of the plurality of motor vehicles together the driving trajectories,
allocate lane information to a lane information category among a plurality of predetermined lane information categories,
cluster the driving trajectories with respect to a plurality of items of lane information having different lane guidance properties based on the driver type of the driver of each of the plurality of motor vehicles,
generate an item of lane information from a respective lane information category and from the plurality of items of lane information, based on the driving trajectories and on a situation of a second motor vehicle, and
when a distance between the second motor vehicle and the lane is less than a predetermined distance value and a most likely travel route of the second motor vehicle, determined according to a probability calculation, includes the lane, transmit the generated item of lane information to the second motor vehicle,

wherein the central lane information collection device is a stationary server, located remotely from the plurality of motor vehicles.

8. The central lane information collection device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the generated item of lane information is to control lateral guidance of the second motor vehicle in the lane.

9. The central lane information collection device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to store the driving trajectories in the memory for a predetermined period of time.

10. The central lane information collection device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit the generated item of lane information to the second motor vehicle in response to a request from the second motor vehicle for the item of lane information.

11. The central lane information collection device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to automatically transmit the generated item of lane information to the second motor vehicle based on a current position of the second motor vehicle in the reference system outside the first motor vehicle.

12. The central lane information collection device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the situation of the second motor vehicle is determined based on at least one of a driver type of a driver of the second motor vehicle or a weather condition in an area surrounding the second motor vehicle.

13. The central lane information collection device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the generated item of lane information includes at least one of a direction of travel of the lane or position information of the lane referenced in a predetermined coordinate system.

14. The central lane information collection device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of motor vehicles and the second motor vehicle belong to a same vehicle fleet.

15. The central lane information collection device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to compare the driving trajectories with one another to determine whether an outlier driving trajectory exists among the driving trajectories using a random sample consensus algorithm.

16. The central lane information collection device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether an item of lane information is valid based on at least one of a respective steering angle of the plurality of motor vehicles during movement in the lane, a lane marking arrangement of a road including the lane, or

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Sofra Nikoletta
• Burczyk Artur
• Rührschneck Simon

Classifications

• B60W2554/20

  Static objects · CPC title

• B60W2556/45

  External transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W2556/50

  of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data · CPC title

• B60W2556/10

  Historical data · CPC title

• B60W2554/80

  Spatial relation or speed relative to objects · CPC title