Method, system, module and software for intelligently governing a multi-way stop intersection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12260748-B2
Application number	US-202017420506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2020
Priority date	Jan 4, 2019
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

Movement of vehicles through an intersection relative to one another is actively coordinated. The coordination includes sharing data among the vehicles using Vehicle-to-Everything messaging technology. The shared data is used to sequence the movement of the vehicles through the intersection.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of coordinating a launch of a first vehicle, a second vehicle, a third vehicle and a fourth vehicle approaching a four-way stop intersection from different directions comprising:
evaluating vehicle data of the first vehicle, approaching the four-way stop intersection according to first predefined approaching criteria from a first direction, to determine a first stop time at a first predefined stop location and a first intended direction the first vehicle;
evaluating vehicle data of the second vehicle, approaching the four-way stop intersection according to second predefined approaching criteria from a second direction, which is different from the first direction, to determine a second stop time at a second predefined stop location and a second intended direction of the second vehicle;
evaluating vehicle data of the third vehicle, approaching the four-way stop intersection according to third predefined approaching criteria from a third direction, which is different from the first direction and the second direction, to determine a third stop time at a third predefined stop location and a third intended direction of the third vehicle,
evaluating vehicle data of the fourth vehicle, approaching the four-way stop intersection according to fourth predefined approaching criteria from a fourth direction, which is different from the first direction, the second direction and the third direction, to determine a fourth stop time at a fourth predefined stop location and a fourth intended direction of the fourth vehicle;
allocating the first vehicle, the second vehicle, the third vehicle and the fourth vehicle with respective sequence numbers, based on which a launch sequence for the first vehicle, the second vehicle, the third vehicle and the fourth vehicle will be specified according to the following:
setting a base sequence number;
verifying whether all of the four vehicles are turning right and, if yes, allocating respective sequence numbers of the four vehicles with the base sequence number added by 1;
if no: verifying whether the first vehicle, the second vehicle and the third vehicle are turning right; if yes, the respective sequence numbers of the first vehicle, the second vehicle and the third vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 1, and a fourth sequence number of the fourth vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 2;
if no: verifying whether the first vehicle, the second vehicle and the fourth vehicle are turning right; if yes, the respective sequence numbers of the first vehicle, the second vehicle and the fourth vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 1, and a third sequence number of the third vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 2;
if no: verifying whether the first vehicle, the third vehicle and the fourth vehicle are turning right; if yes, the respective sequence numbers of the first vehicle, the third vehicle and the fourth vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 1, and a second sequence number of the second vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 2;
if no: verifying whether the second vehicle, the third vehicle and the fourth vehicle are turning right; if yes, the respective sequence numbers of the second vehicle, third vehicle and the fourth vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 1, and a first sequence number of the first vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 2;
if no: determining a first collision parameter by comparing the first intended direction and the first predefined stop location of the first vehicle in relation to the second intended direction and the second predefined stop location of the second vehicle; if no conflict or collision might occur: the respective sequence numbers of the first vehicle and the second vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 1; and determining a second collision parameter by comparing the third intended direction and the third predefined stop location of the third vehicle in relation to the fourth intended direction and the fourth predefined stop location of the fourth vehicle; if no conflict or collision might occur: the respective sequence numbers of the third vehicle and the fourth vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 2; if conflict or collision might occur: the third vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 2 and the fourth vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 3;
if conflict or collision might occur: determining a third collision parameter by comparing the first intended direction and the first predefined stop location of the first vehicle in relation to the third intended direction and the third predefined stop location of the third vehicle; if no conflict or collision might occur: the respective sequence numbers of the first vehicle and the third vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 1; and determining a fourth collision parameter by comparing the second intended direction and the second predefined stop location of the second vehicle in relation to the fourth intended direction and the fourth predefined stop location of the fourth vehicle; if no conflict or collision might occur: the respective sequence numbers of the second vehicle and the fourth vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 2; if conflict or collision might occur: the second vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 2 and the fourth vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 3;
if conflict or collision might occur: determining a fifth collision parameter by comparing the first intended direction and the first predefined stop location of the first vehicle in relation to the fourth intended direction and the fourth predefined stop location of the fourth vehicle; if no conflict or collision might occur: the respective sequence numbers of the first vehicle and the fourth vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 1; and determining a sixth collision parameter by comparing the second intended direction and the second predefined stop location of the second vehicle in relation to the third intended direction and the third predefined stop location of the third vehicle; if no conflict or collision might occur: the respective sequence numbers of the second vehicle and the third vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 2; if conflict or collision might occur: the second vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 2 and the third vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 3;
if conflict or collision might occur: determining the sixth collision parameter by comparing the second intended direction and the second predefined stop location of the second vehicle in relation to the third intended direction and the third predefined stop location of the third vehicle; if no conflict or collision might occur: the respective sequence numbers of the second vehicle and the third vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 1; and determining the fifth collision parameter by comparing the first intended direction and the first predefined stop location of the first vehicle in relation to the fourth intended direction and the fourth predefined stop location of the fourth vehicle; if no conflict or collision might occur: the respective sequence numbers of the first vehicle and the fourth vehicle are allocated with the base sequence number added by 2; if conflict or collision might occur: the first vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 2 and the fourth vehicle is allocated with the base sequence number added by 3;
if conflict or collision might occur: determining the fourth collision parameter by comparing the second intended direction and the second predefined stop

Assignees

• Audi Ag
• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Hehn Thorsten
• Plechinger Joerg
• Pfaller Daniel
• Mueller Markus
• Walpuck John
• Zagajac Jovan
• Guenther Hendrik-Joern
• Lieberman Kevin

Classifications

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• G08G1/0125

  Traffic data processing · CPC title

• G07C5/06

  in graphical form · CPC title

• G08G1/0145 Primary

  for active traffic flow control · CPC title

• G08G1/0967

  Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits (transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968) · CPC title