Method of automatically controlling an autonomous vehicle based on electronic messages from roadside infrastructure or other vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10991247-B2
Application number	US-201816172133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2018
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A method of operating a vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle, includes the steps of receiving a message from roadside infrastructure via an electronic receiver and providing, by a computer system in communication with said electronic receiver, instructions based on the message to automatically implement countermeasure behavior by a vehicle system. Additionally or alternatively, the method may include the steps of receiving a message from another vehicle via an electronic receiver and providing, by a computer system in communication with said electronic receiver, instructions based on the message to automatically implement countermeasure behavior by a vehicle system.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of operating a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
receiving a message from a maintenance vehicle via an electronic receiver, wherein data contained in the message includes a maintenance vehicle location and a safe required following distance;
determining a distance between the vehicle and the maintenance vehicle location;
determining a difference between the safe required following distance and the distance between the vehicle and the maintenance vehicle location; and further comprising at least one of the steps selected from the list consisting of:
applying vehicle brakes in response to instructions to a vehicle braking system provided by a computer system in communication with said electronic receiver in accordance with a determination that the difference between the safe required following distance and the distance between the vehicle and the maintenance vehicle location is less than zero; and
adjusting a vehicle speed in response to instructions to a powertrain system provided by the computer system in accordance with a determination that the difference between the safe required following distance and the distance between the vehicle and the maintenance vehicle location is less than or equal to zero.

2. A method of operating a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
receiving a message from an emergency vehicle via an electronic receiver, wherein data contained in the message includes an emergency vehicle location, an emergency vehicle speed, and a warning light status;
determining a distance between the vehicle and the emergency vehicle;
determine a location of an unobstructed portion of a road shoulder via a forward looking sensor based on the distance between the vehicle and the emergency vehicle, the emergency vehicle speed, and the warning light status; and

further comprising at least one of the steps selected from the list consisting of:
applying vehicle brakes in response to instructions to a vehicle braking system provided by a computer system in communication with said electronic receiver, said instructions based on the distance between the vehicle and the emergency vehicle, the emergency vehicle speed, and the location of the unobstructed portion of the road shoulder;
adjusting a vehicle path in response to instructions to a vehicle steering system provided by the computer system, said instructions based on the distance between the vehicle and the emergency vehicle, the emergency vehicle speed, the warning light status, and the location of the unobstructed portion of the road shoulder; and
adjusting a vehicle speed in response to instructions to a vehicle powertrain system provided by the computer system, said instructions based on the distance between the vehicle and the emergency vehicle, the emergency vehicle speed, the warning light status, and the location of the unobstructed portion of the road shoulder.

3. A method of operating a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
receiving a message from a portable school crossing warning device via an electronic receiver, wherein data contained in the message includes a school crossing device location;
determining a vehicle speed;
determining a lateral location of the school crossing device location within a roadway;
determining a distance between the vehicle and the school crossing device location; and
applying vehicle brakes in response to instructions to a vehicle braking system provided by a computer system in communication with said electronic receiver, said instructions based on the vehicle speed, the lateral location of the school crossing device location within the roadway, and the distance between the vehicle and the school crossing device location.

Assignees

• Aptiv Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Baldwin Craig A
• Myers Robert James

Classifications

• B60W60/00184

  related to infrastructure · CPC title

• B60W2556/45

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

• B60W2720/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W2554/804

  Relative longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W10/04

  including control of propulsion units · CPC title