Vehicle operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11794737-B2
Application number	US-202117224211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2021
Priority date	Apr 7, 2021
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

While operating a vehicle on a travel path, a width of the travel path is determined based on a map. Upon detecting a presence or an absence of a target vehicle in the travel path, a lateral position for the vehicle on the travel path is determined based on the width of the travel path and the presence or absence of the target vehicle. The vehicle is controlled to operate according to the determined lateral position on the travel path and a speed of the vehicle that is based on the determined lateral position on the travel path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
while operating a vehicle on a travel path, determine a width of the travel path based on a map;
upon detecting a presence or an absence of a target vehicle in the travel path, determine a lateral position for the vehicle on the travel path based on the width of the travel path and the presence or absence of the target vehicle; and
control the vehicle to operate according to the determined lateral position on the travel path and a speed of the vehicle that is based on the determined lateral position on the travel path; wherein the instructions to determine the lateral position for the vehicle on the travel path further include at least one of instructions to:
(i) determine the lateral position for the vehicle on the travel path additionally based on detecting lane markings on the travel path and, upon detecting the absence of the target vehicle, determine the lateral position to be closer to the lane markings on the travel path than to a boundary of the travel path;
(ii) upon detecting the absence of the target vehicle, determine the lateral position to be centered on the travel path;
(iii) upon detecting a presence of the target vehicle, determine the lateral position to be centered between the target vehicle and a boundary of the travel path; or
(iv) upon detecting a presence of the target vehicle, determine the lateral position to be closer to the target vehicle than to a boundary of the travel path.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon determining a risk level for the travel path from the map, determine the speed for the vehicle on the travel path additionally based on the risk level of the travel path.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a remote computer including a second processor and a second memory, the second memory storing instructions executable by the second processor to generate the map based on aggregated data including messages from a plurality of vehicles indicating the risk level of the travel path.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to:
determine a risk level for the travel path based on a type of object detected alongside the travel path; and
determine the speed for the vehicle within the travel path additionally based on the risk level of the travel path.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the risk level for the travel path additionally based on detecting a blind zone alongside the travel path.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon detecting a presence of the target vehicle, stop the vehicle based on the determined speed being less than a speed threshold.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon detecting an object entering the travel path, stop the vehicle based on the object being within a distance threshold of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to generate the map based on sensor data obtained while operating the vehicle in a training mode.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to provide the map to a remote computer.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the target vehicle is traveling in an opposite direction than the vehicle.

11. A method, comprising:
while operating a vehicle on a travel path, determining a width of the travel path based on a map;
upon detecting a presence or an absence of a target vehicle in the travel path, determining a lateral position for the vehicle on the travel path based on the width of the travel path and the presence or absence of the target vehicle; and
controlling the vehicle to operate according to the determined lateral position on the travel path and a speed of the vehicle that is based on the determined lateral position on the travel path; wherein determining the lateral position for the vehicle on the travel path includes at least one of:
(i) determining the lateral position for the vehicle on the travel path additionally based on detecting lane markings on the travel path and, upon detecting the absence of the target vehicle, determining the lateral position to be closer to the lane markings on the travel path than to a boundary of the travel path;
(ii) upon detecting the absence of the target vehicle, determining the lateral position to be centered on the travel path;
(iii) upon detecting a presence of the target vehicle, determining the lateral position to be centered between the target vehicle and a boundary of the travel path; or
(iv) upon detecting a presence of the target vehicle, determining the lateral position to be closer to the target vehicle than to a boundary of the travel path.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, upon determining a risk level for the travel path from the map, determining the speed for the vehicle on the travel path additionally based on the risk level of the travel path.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the map is generated based on aggregated data including messages from a plurality of vehicles indicating the risk level of the travel path.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining a risk level for the travel path based on a type of object detected alongside the travel path; and
determining the speed for the vehicle within the travel path additionally based on the risk level of the travel path.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining the risk level for the travel path additionally based on detecting a blind zone alongside the travel path.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon detecting a presence of the target vehicle, stop the vehicle based on the determined speed being less than a speed threshold.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, upon detecting an object entering the travel path, stopping the vehicle based on the object being within a distance threshold of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating the map based on sensor data obtained while operating the vehicle in a training mode.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing the map to a remote computer.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the target vehicle is traveling in an opposite direction than the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ma Chenhao
• Pak Tony Tae-Jin
• Benmimoun Ahmed
• Golgiri Hamid M

Classifications

• B60W30/12 Primary

  Lane keeping · CPC title

• G08G1/167

  Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection · CPC title

• B60W2554/801

  Lateral distance · CPC title

• B60W2554/806

  Relative heading · CPC title

• B60W2720/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title