Vehicular communications network and methods of use and manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11009364-B2
Application number	US-201815871412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2018
Priority date	Mar 17, 2016
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

Some embodiments are directed to a computer-implemented method for controlling a vehicle and includes determining a current environment of the vehicle based on a current location of the vehicle, and detecting vulnerable road users (VRUs) disposed in proximity to the vehicle based on messages communicated using a vehicular communications network. The method includes modifying a collision warning system of the vehicle according to the current environment of the vehicle and a number of the detected VRUs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a vehicle, comprising:
determining a current environment of the vehicle based on a current location of the vehicle;
detecting vulnerable road users (VRUs) disposed in proximity to the vehicle based on messages communicated using a vehicular communications network; and
modifying a collision warning system of the vehicle to actuate a warning mode associated with a rural environment, a suburban environment, or an urban environment according to the current environment of the vehicle and a number of the detected VRUs, wherein an alert level of an alert provided by the collision warning system is modified between alert levels associated with at least two driving environments to account for the current environment and the number of the detected VRUs, wherein the alert level includes a frequency of the alert and a type of alert.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , including setting a warning mode of the collision warning system based on the current environment of the vehicle.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the current environment of the vehicle is a classification of a path on which the vehicle is traveling.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the current environment of the vehicle is at least one of a rural zone, a suburban zone, and an urban zone, wherein the current environment is determined based on a comparison of number of the detected VRUs within the current environment of the vehicle to at least one threshold value that is specifically associated with the rural zone, the suburban zone, and the urban zone.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , including sensing entity movement of the detected VRUs relevant to a path on which the vehicle is traveling, and modifying the collision warning system of the vehicle according to the entity movement.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , including determining whether the number of the detected VRUs indicates high pedestrian traffic according to the current environment of the vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , including determining a predetermined threshold number of VRUs for the current environment of the vehicle.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined threshold number of VRUs indicates high pedestrian traffic for the current environment of the vehicle either simultaneously or over a predefined time period.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein upon determining the number of detected VRUs exceeds a predetermined threshold number of VRUs, modifying the collision warning system includes adjusting the frequency of the alert thereby generating the alerts less frequently.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein upon determining the number of detected VRUs exceeds a predetermined threshold number of VRUs, modifying the collision warning system includes changing the type of alert to display information about the VRUs on a driver vehicle interface.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further including determining an event pattern of entity movement of the detected VRUs indicating a potential of the detected VRUs to move onto a path on which the vehicle is traveling based on current path data, and wherein a processor is configured to modify the driver vehicle interface according to the event pattern.

12. A vehicle system of a vehicle traveling along a path, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to:
determine a current environment and a current location of the vehicle based on vehicle location data,
determine a number of VRUs disposed in proximity to the vehicle based on V2P signals, and
modify the vehicle system to actuate a warning mode associated with a rural environment, a suburban environment, or an urban environment according to the current environment of the vehicle and the number of VRUs, wherein an alert level of an alert provided by the vehicle system is modified between alert levels associated with at least two driving environments to account for the current environment and the number of the VRUs, wherein the alert level includes a frequency of the alert and a type of alert.

13. The vehicle system of claim 12 , including at least one sensor that is configured to sense current path data relevant to current conditions of the path, wherein the current path data includes entity movement of the VRUs relevant to the path, wherein the processor is configured to determine an event pattern of entity movement of the VRUs relevant to the current location of the vehicle, and modify the vehicle system according to the event pattern.

14. The vehicle system of claim 12 , wherein the current environment of the vehicle is at least one of a rural zone, a suburban zone, and an urban zone, wherein the current environment is determined based on a comparison of the number of the VRUs within the current environment of the vehicle to at least one threshold value that is specifically associated with the rural zone, the suburban zone, and the urban zone.

15. The vehicle system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a predetermined threshold number of VRUs indicating high pedestrian traffic for the current environment of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to modify a frequency of alerts of the vehicle system communicated by a driver vehicle interface upon determining the number of VRUs exceeds the predetermined threshold number of VRUs.

17. A vehicular communications network for use with a vehicle configured for travel along a path, at least one source of vehicle location data, and at least one source of current path data relevant to current conditions of the path, the vehicular communications network comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions then when executed by the processor causes the processor to:
access the vehicle location data and the current path data;
determine a current environment of the vehicle based on the vehicle location data;
detect vulnerable road users (VRUs) disposed in proximity to the vehicle based on the current path data; and
modify a driver vehicle interface to actuate a warning mode associated with a rural environment, a suburban environment, or an urban environment according to the current environment of the vehicle and a number of the detected VRUs, wherein an alert level of an alert provided through the driver vehicle interface is modified between alert levels associated with at least two driving environments to account for the current environment and the number of the detected VRUs, wherein the alert level includes a frequency of the alert and a type of alert.

18. The vehicular communications network of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to determine an event pattern of entity movement of the detected VRUs indicating a potential of the detected VRUs to move onto the path based on the current path data, and wherein the processor is configured to modify the driver vehicle interface according to the event pattern.

19. The vehicular communications network of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to set a warning mode of a collision warning system of the vehicle based on the current environment of the vehicle.

20. The vehicular communications network of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to modify a frequency of alerts communicate

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bai Xue
• Miucic Radovan

Classifications

• G01C21/3484 Primary

  Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles · CPC title

• G08G1/162

  event-triggered · CPC title

• G08G1/164

  Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/0141

  for traffic information dissemination · CPC title

• G08G1/005

  including pedestrian guidance indicator · CPC title