Methods, devices and computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for determining applicable traffic regulations for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11538341-B2
Application number	US-201816611320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2018
Priority date	May 24, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

Methods, devices and a computer-readable medium comprising instructions for determining applicable traffic regulations for a motor vehicle are provided. In some embodiments, the position and direction of movement of the motor vehicle are determined. The position and direction of movement of the motor vehicle are then transmitted to a back end by a transmission apparatus of the motor vehicle. In response to the information transmitted to the back end, information concerning traffic regulations applicable to the position of the motor vehicle is received by the transmission apparatus. The transmission of the position and direction of movement of the motor vehicle to the back end is carried out in a cyclical manner or in accordance with information concerning the validity of the traffic regulations, which is included in the information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining applicable traffic regulations for a motor vehicle, comprising:
transmitting at least one position and one direction of movement of the motor vehicle to a back end using a transmission apparatus of the motor vehicle; and
in response, receiving, using the transmission apparatus, information concerning traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle, and additionally receiving validity information concerning the traffic regulations, the validity information comprising at least a minimum distance in the direction of movement of the motor vehicle to a point where a change in traffic regulations occurs;
repeating transmitting the at least one position and the one direction of movement of the motor vehicle to the back end when the vehicle is close to the point where the change in traffic regulations occurs to keep the required volume of data to be transmitted small.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a history of positions of the motor vehicle is transmitted to the back end.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the validity information comprises an indicator that the position of the motor vehicle is in or adjacent to a region of an intersection.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the validity information relate to one or more of a geographical validity and a geographical validity that depends on a travel route.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the transmission of at least one position and one direction of movement of the motor vehicle to the back end is carried out again when the geographical validity ceases to apply.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle comprises detailed information relating to at least one intersection.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle relate to a speed limit, a right of way or a restriction on overtaking.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the steps of the method of claim 1 for determining applicable traffic regulations for a motor vehicle.

9. A motor vehicle, configured to execute a method according to claim 1 for determining applicable traffic regulations.

10. The method of claim 1 , a transmission interval of transmitting the at least one position and the one direction of movement of the motor vehicle to a back end is dependent on the validity information.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein an increased cycle frequency is used for the transmission of at least one position and one direction of movement of the motor vehicle to the back end if the position of the motor vehicle is in or adjacent to a region of an intersection.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in case the vehicle is approaching an intersection, the information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle comprises a simple intersection model comprising one or more intersection arms leading off the intersection, wherein each intersection arm is associated with one or more applicable traffic regulations.

13. A method for determining applicable traffic regulations for a motor vehicle, comprising:
receiving at least one position and one direction of movement of the motor vehicle;
in response, determining information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle and determining validity information concerning the traffic regulations, the validity information comprising at least a minimum distance in the direction of movement of the motor vehicle to a point where a change in traffic regulations occurs; and
transmitting the information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle to the motor vehicle and transmitting the validity information; wherein the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle relate to a right of way or a restriction on overtaking.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determination of the information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle and the determination of the validity information comprises:
assigning the position of the motor vehicle to a road in a road network;
determining traffic regulations applicable to the road at the position of the motor vehicle; and
determining at least one distance within the road network until a change in the applicable traffic regulations.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the validity information comprise an indicator that the position of the motor vehicle is in or adjacent to a region of an intersection.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the validity information relate to one or more of a geographical validity and a geographical validity that depends on a travel route.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the steps of the method of claim 13 for determining applicable traffic regulations for a motor vehicle.

18. A device for determining applicable traffic regulations for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a transmission apparatus for transmitting at least one position and one direction of movement of the motor vehicle to a back end and for receiving information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle, which information concerning the traffic regulations comprises validity information concerning the traffic regulations, wherein the validity information comprising at least a minimum distance in the direction of movement of the motor vehicle to a point where a change in traffic regulations occurs; and
a data processing unit for evaluating the information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle;
wherein the transmission apparatus is configured to repeat transmitting the at least one position and one direction of movement of the motor vehicle to the back end when the vehicle is close to the point where the change in traffic regulations occurs.

19. A motor vehicle, comprising a device according to claim 18 for determining applicable traffic regulations.

20. A device for determining applicable traffic regulations for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a transmission apparatus for receiving at least one position and one direction of movement of the motor vehicle and for transmitting information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle to the motor vehicle; and
a computing unit for determining the information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle and for determining validity information concerning the traffic regulations, the validity information comprising at least a minimum distance in the direction of movement of the motor vehicle to a point where a change in traffic regulations occurs;
wherein the computing unit is configured to provide the information concerning the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle with the validity information; and wherein the traffic regulations applicable at the position of the motor vehicle relate to a right of way or a restriction on overtaking.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Franke Kai
• Max Stephan
• Baumann Peter

Classifications

• G08G1/096775 Primary

  where the origin of the information is a central station · CPC title

• G08G1/096725

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

• G08G1/127 Primary

  to a central station {; Indicators in a central station} · CPC title

• G08G1/096741

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

• G08G1/0129

  for creating historical data or processing based on historical data · CPC title