Assessing U-turn feasibility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889294-B2
Application number	US-201616069921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 14, 2016
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

Methods, devices and apparatuses pertaining to U-turn assistance. The method may include detecting an intention of an operator of a vehicle of rendering a U-turn at a location. A computing device may obtain geographic information associated with the U-turn, and assess feasibility of the U-turn at the location based on the geographic information. Further, the computing device may provide a notification to the operator based on the feasibility of the U-turn to assist the operator to operate the U-turn of the vehicle at the location.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising: detecting an intention of an operator of a vehicle of rendering a U-turn at a location; obtaining geographic information associated with the U-turn; assessing feasibility of the U-turn at the location based on the geographic information; providing a notification to the operator based on the feasibility of the U-turn to assist the operator to operate the U-turn of the vehicle at the location; wherein the assessing of the feasibility of the U-turn at the location based on the geographic information comprises assessing the feasibility of the U-turn at the location based on the trajectory; further comprising: identifying one or more obstructions in the trajectory of the U-turn at the location; generating a U-turn map that indicates the identified one or more obstructions in relation to the trajectory; and presenting the U-turn map to the operator; and wherein the identifying of the one or more obstructions in the trajectory of the U-turn at the location comprises identifying the one or more obstructions in the trajectory of the U-turn at the location using one or more sensors attached to the vehicle, pre-stored geographic information associated with the location, or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining of the geographic information associated with the U-turn comprises:
determining or collecting geographic information of a starting point of the U-turn and an endpoint of the U-turn at the location; and
determining a trajectory of the U-turn at the location based on the geographic information of the starting point and the endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the assessing of the feasibility of the U-turn at the location comprises:
determining a candidate operation of the U-turn at the location based on the geographic information and vehicle information of the vehicle using a path planning algorithm, the candidate operation of the U-turn comprising:
geographic information of a desired starting point of the U-turn and a desired endpoint of the U-turn;
a trajectory of the U-turn at the location based on the geographic information of the desired starting point and the desired endpoint;
one or more desired speeds of the vehicle along the trajectory; and
a heading of the vehicle along the trajectory; and

generating a feasible operation of the U-turn by modifying the candidate operation of the U-turn.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the modifying of the candidate operation of the U-turn comprises modifying the candidate operation of the U-turn based on information of a coming traffic at the location, one or more real-time inputs from the vehicle, one or more real-time inputs from the operator, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
presenting the feasible operation of the U-turn to the operator,
monitoring an operation of the U-turn performed by the operator, and
providing feedback to the operator or assisting the operation of the U-turn based on the monitoring.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the vehicle information of the vehicle comprises a length and a width of the vehicle and a turning radius of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting of the intention of the operator of rendering the U-turn comprises detecting a predetermined event indicating the intention of the operator of rendering the U-turn.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting of the intention of the operator of rendering the U-turn comprises receiving, from an interface, a U-turn assistance request for rendering the U-turn.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform acts comprising: detecting a predetermined event indicating an intention of an operator of a vehicle of rendering a U-turn at a location; obtaining geographic information associated with the U-turn; assessing feasibility of the U-turn at the location based on the geographic information; providing a notification to the operator based on the feasibility of the U-turn to assist the operator to operate the U-turn of the vehicle at the location; wherein the obtaining of the geographic information associated with the U-turn comprises: determining or collecting geographic information of a starting point of the U-turn and an endpoint of the U-turn at the location; determining a trajectory of the U-turn at the location based on the geographic information of the starting point and the endpoint, and wherein the assessing of the feasibility of the U-turn at the location based on the geographic information comprises assessing the feasibility of the U-turn at the location based on the trajectory; wherein the acts further comprise: identifying one or more obstructions in the trajectory of the U-turn at the location; generating a U-turn map that indicates the identified one or more obstructions in relation to the trajectory; and presenting the U-turn map to the operator; wherein the identifying of the one or more obstructions in the trajectory of the U-turn at the location comprises identifying the one or more obstructions in the trajectory of the U-turn at the location using one or more sensors attached to the vehicle, pre-stored geographic information associated with the location, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Schein Victoria Leigh
• Mullen Jonathan Thomas

Classifications

• G01C21/3407 Primary

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• G06V20/58

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title

• G01C21/34

  Route searching; Route guidance · CPC title

• B60W40/06

  Road conditions · CPC title

• G08G1/096741

  where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle · CPC title