Safe-to-proceed system for an automated vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11087624-B2
Application number	US-201716303075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2017
Priority date	May 19, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A safe-to-proceed system (10) for operating an automated vehicle proximate to an intersection (14) includes an intersection-detector (18), a vehicle-detector (20), and a controller (24). The intersection-detector (18) is suitable for use on a host-vehicle (12). The intersection-detector (18) is used to determine when a host-vehicle (12) is proximate to an intersection (14). The vehicle-detector (20) is also suitable for use on the host-vehicle (12). The vehicle-detector (20) is used to estimate a stopping-distance (22) of an other-vehicle (16) approaching the intersection (14). The controller (24) is in communication with the intersection-detector (18) and the vehicle-detector (20). The controller (24) is configured to prevent the host-vehicle (12) from entering the intersection (14) when the stopping-distance (22) indicates that the other-vehicle (16) will enter the intersection (14) before stopping.

First claim

We claim:

1. A safe-to-proceed system for operating an automated vehicle proximate to an intersection, said system comprising:
an intersection-detector suitable for use on a host-vehicle, said intersection-detector used to determine when the host-vehicle is proximate to an intersection;
a vehicle-detector suitable for use on the host-vehicle, said vehicle-detector used to estimate a stopping-distance of an other-vehicle approaching the intersection, wherein the estimate of the stopping-distance of the other-vehicle is influenced by road condition messages received by the host-vehicle that originate from vehicles that have previously passed the intersection; and
a controller in communication with the intersection-detector and the vehicle-detector, said controller configured to prevent the host-vehicle from entering the intersection when the estimate of the stopping-distance indicates that the other-vehicle will enter the intersection before stopping.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the intersection-detector includes one of a digital-map, a camera, a lidar-unit, and a radar-unit.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the host-vehicle is equipped with headlights and a horn, and the controller is configured to flash the headlights and activate the horn when the stopping-distance indicates that the other-vehicle will enter the intersection before stopping.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a transmitter used to transmit a warning-signal, and the controller is further configured to activate the transmitter to transmit the warning-signal when the stopping-distance indicates that the other-vehicle will enter the intersection before stopping.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the vehicle-detector influences the estimate of the stopping-distance in response to less than optimum road traction-conditions by increasing the stopping-distance of the other-vehicle.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the vehicle-detector influences the estimate of the stopping-distance in response to detected traction loss by the host-vehicle by increasing the estimate of the stopping-distance of the other-vehicle.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the vehicle-detector influences the estimate of the stopping-distance of the other-vehicle based on, at least in part, a slope of a travel-lane of the other-vehicle.

Assignees

• Motional Ad Llc

Inventors

• Wei Junqing
• Bhatia Gaurav
• Xu Wenda

Classifications

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title

• B60W30/09

  Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering · CPC title

• B60W2420/403

  Image sensing, e.g. optical camera · CPC title

• B60W30/18154

  Approaching an intersection · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title