Systems and methods for addressing a moving vehicle response to a stationary vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11276304-B2
Application number	US-201816226933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to dynamically determining an appropriate responsive action for a moving vehicle in accordance with local traffic regulations. In one embodiment, the disclosed system identifies a stationary vehicle in an environment of the subject vehicle based at least in part on information from a plurality of sensors disposed on the subject vehicle and classifies a type of the stationary vehicle as valid or abandoned based at least in part on the information from the plurality of sensors. A classification of valid indicates that a traffic regulation requires the subject vehicle to undertake a responsive action toward the stationary vehicle. The disclosed system obtains a local traffic regulation based on a location of the subject vehicle and modifies a trajectory of the subject vehicle based on the local traffic regulation when the type of the stationary vehicle is determined to be valid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle control system for a subject vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of sensors that output information describing an environment around the subject vehicle;
a global positioning system that determines a location of the subject vehicle;
one or more processors; and
a memory communicably connected to the one or more processors and storing:
a first set of computer-readable instructions including one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to identify a stationary vehicle in the environment based at least in part on the information from the plurality of sensors and classify a type of the stationary vehicle as valid or abandoned based at least in part on the information, wherein a classification of valid indicates that a traffic regulation requires the subject vehicle to undertake a responsive action toward the stationary vehicle;
a second set of computer-readable instructions including one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to obtain a local traffic regulation based on the location of the subject vehicle; and
a third set of computer-readable instructions including one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to modify a trajectory of the subject vehicle based on the local traffic regulation when the type of the stationary vehicle is determined to be valid and maintain a current trajectory of the subject vehicle when the type of the stationary vehicle is determined to be abandoned.

2. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the first set of computer-readable instructions includes instructions to process at least some of the information from the plurality of sensors to detect a presence of a pedestrian in a vicinity of the stationary vehicle and determine a lateral distance between the pedestrian and the stationary vehicle, and the identification module further includes instructions that classify the type of the stationary vehicle as valid or abandoned based at least in part on the lateral distance.

3. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth set of computer-readable instructions including one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to provide a notification to a user of the vehicle, the notification indicating at least the type of the stationary vehicle.

4. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein, when the first set of computer-readable instructions determines the type of the stationary vehicle to be valid, the fourth set of computer-readable instructions includes instructions to indicate in the notification that the trajectory of the subject vehicle will be modified based on the local traffic regulation.

5. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes a forward radar, a forward camera, or forward LIDAR sensors that contribute to the information such that the information indicates the stationary vehicle is ahead of the subject vehicle, and two or more radars that contribute to the information such that the information indicates whether a second vehicle is in an adjacent lane to the subject vehicle.

6. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the third set of computer-readable instructions includes instructions to modify the trajectory by shifting to an edge of a current lane when the information indicates that the second vehicle is in the adjacent lane, and to modify the trajectory by changing lanes to the adjacent lane when the information indicates that the second vehicle is not in the adjacent lane.

7. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the local traffic regulation includes a maximum speed to pass valid vehicles and includes a distance from valid vehicles over which the maximum speed is to be maintained, and the third set of computer-readable instructions includes instructions to modify the trajectory by maintaining the maximum speed over a span of the distance between the subject vehicle approaching and departing from the stationary vehicle identified as valid.

8. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) device to receive a communication from the stationary vehicle indicating that the stationary vehicle is valid, and the first set of computer-readable instructions includes instructions to classify the type of the stationary vehicle based at least in part on the communication.

9. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , further comprising a network interface that wirelessly communicates with one or more external systems, and the first set of computer-readable instructions includes instructions to:
request identification of the type of the stationary vehicle from the one or more external systems via the network interface; and
classify the type of the stationary vehicle based at least in part on a response to the request received via the network interface,
wherein the one or more external systems are separate from and external to the subject vehicle.

10. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , further comprising a network interface that wirelessly communicates with one or more external systems, and the first set of computer-readable instructions includes instructions to transmit data indicating the type of the stationary vehicle to one or more external systems via the network interface, wherein the one or more external systems are separate from and external to the subject vehicle.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for controlling a subject vehicle and that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
identify a stationary vehicle in an environment of the subject vehicle based at least in part on information from a plurality of sensors disposed on the subject vehicle;
classify a type of the stationary vehicle as valid or abandoned based at least in part on the information, wherein a classification of valid indicates that a traffic regulation requires the subject vehicle to undertake a responsive action toward the stationary vehicle;
obtain a local traffic regulation based on a location of the subject vehicle; and
control the subject vehicle by modifying a trajectory of the subject vehicle based on the local traffic regulation when the type of the stationary vehicle is determined to be valid and maintaining a current trajectory of the subject vehicle when the type of the stationary vehicle is determined to be abandoned.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to classify the type of the stationary vehicle include instructions to:
process at least some of the information from the plurality of sensors to detect a presence of a pedestrian in a vicinity of the stationary vehicle;
determine a lateral distance between the pedestrian and the stationary vehicle; and
classify the type of the stationary vehicle as valid or abandoned based at least in part on the lateral distance between the pedestrian and the stationary vehicle.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , the instructions to control the subject vehicle further comprising instructions to provide a notification to a user of the vehicle, the notification indicating at least the type of the stationary vehicle.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions to provide the notification further include instructions to, when the type of the stationary vehicle is valid, indicate in the notifi

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Gesch Matthew
• Kurumisawa Jin
• Mueller Andrew

Classifications

• B60Q9/00

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title

• G08G1/096725 Primary

  where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control · CPC title

• G08G1/165 Primary

  for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees · CPC title

• G08G1/0965

  responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle · CPC title

• G08G1/096791

  where the origin of the information is another vehicle · CPC title