Ego vehicle having a system for passing a remote vehicle associated with a predicted slowndown event

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12304464-B2
Application number	US-202217821015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2022
Priority date	Aug 19, 2022
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

An ego vehicle includes a system having one or more input devices for generating an input signal associated with a remote vehicle. The system further includes a computer having one or more processors programmed to receive the input signal from the input device. The processor is further programmed to determine a speed profile of the remote vehicle based on the input signal, determine that the remote vehicle is a traffic impediment based on the input signal, and determine a predicted slowdown event associated with the traffic impediment and the speed profile. The processor is further programmed to generate an actuation signal, in response to the processor determining the speed profile, the traffic impediment, and the predicted slowdown event. The notification device provides the notification of the predicted slowdown event to a user in response to the notification device receiving the actuation signal from the processor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ego vehicle comprising:
a longitudinal control submodule for controlling at least one of a propulsion actuation device and a braking actuation device of the ego vehicle;
a lateral control submodule for controlling a steering actuation device of the ego vehicle; and
a system comprising:
at least one input device for generating an input signal associated with a remote vehicle;
at least one notification device for providing a notification to a user that the remote vehicle is a traffic impediment associated with a predicted slowdown event; and
a computer comprising at least one processor electronically connected to the longitudinal control submodule, the lateral control submodule, the at least one input device, and the at least one notification device, and the computer further comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium (CRM) storing instructions such that the at least one processor is programmed to:
receive the input signal from the at least one input device;
determine a speed profile of the remote vehicle based on the input signal;
determine that the remote vehicle is a traffic impediment based on the input signal;
determine a predicted slowdown event associated with the traffic impediment and the speed profile based on the input signal; and
generate an actuation signal in response to the at least one processor determining the traffic impediment, the speed profile, and the predicted slowdown event; and

where the at least one notification device provides the notification to the user that the remote vehicle is a traffic impediment associated with a predicted slowdown event in response to the at least one notification device receiving the actuation signal from the at least one processor,
wherein the speed profile of the remote vehicle indicates a predicted frequency of stops, and the at least one processor is further programmed to:
compare the predicted frequency of stops for the remote vehicle to a stop frequency threshold; and
determine that the remote vehicle is the traffic impediment in response to the at least one processor determining that the predicted frequency of stops is above the stop frequency threshold,

wherein the speed profile indicates an average acceleration of the remote vehicle, and the at least one processor is further programmed to:
compare the average acceleration of the remote vehicle to an acceleration threshold; and
determine that the remote vehicle is the traffic impediment in response to the at least one processor determining that the average acceleration is below the acceleration threshold,

wherein the speed profile indicates an estimated weight of the remote vehicle, and the at least one processor is further programmed to:
compare the estimated weight of the remote vehicle to a predetermined weight threshold; and
determine that the remote vehicle is the traffic impediment in response to the at least one processor determining that the estimated weight is above the predetermined weight threshold, and

wherein the speed profile indicates an average speed of the remote vehicle, and the at least one processor is further programmed to:
compare the average speed of the remote vehicle to a predetermined average speed threshold; and
determine that the remote vehicle is the traffic impediment in response to the at least one processor determining that the average speed is below the predetermined average speed threshold.

2. The ego vehicle of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal control submodule controls at least one of the propulsion actuation device and the braking actuation device to enable the ego vehicle to pass the remote vehicle in response to the longitudinal control submodule receiving the actuation signal from the at least one processor, and the lateral control submodule controls the steering actuation device to enable the ego vehicle to pass the remote vehicle in response to the lateral control submodule receiving the actuation signal from the at least one processor.

3. The ego vehicle of claim 2 wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:
determine a classification of the remote vehicle in response to the at least one processor receiving the input signal from the at least one input device;
compare the classification of the remote vehicle to a lookup table comprising a plurality of predetermined classifications and a plurality of associated empirical speed profiles in response to the at least one processor determining the classification of the remote vehicle;
determine the speed profile of the remote vehicle in response to the at least one processor comparing the classification of the remote vehicle to the lookup table.

4. The ego vehicle of claim 2 wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:
determine at least one surrounding vehicle in response to the at least one processor receiving the input signal from the at least one input device, where the remote vehicle and the at least one surrounding vehicle are located in a common region and have at least one of a common make, a common model, a common model year, a common engine type, and a common engine size;
determine a surrounding speed profile of the at least one surrounding vehicle; and
define the speed profile of the remote vehicle as the surrounding speed profile of the at least one surrounding vehicle.

5. The ego vehicle of claim 2 wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to determine the predicted slowdown event in response to the at least one processor determining that the remote vehicle is the traffic impediment and further based on the input signal being associated with at least one of:
an intersection located downstream of the remote vehicle;
a highway onramp located downstream of the remote vehicle;
a highway exit ramp located downstream of the remote vehicle;
a traffic control device located downstream of the remote vehicle;
a stop sign located downstream of the remote vehicle;
a bus stop located downstream of the remote vehicle;
a mail box located downstream of the remote vehicle;
a business delivery entrance located downstream of the remote vehicle;
a train crossing located downstream of the remote vehicle; and
a curbside garbage pickup located downstream of the remote vehicle.

6. The ego vehicle of claim 2 wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:
determine a target lane to be navigated by the ego vehicle for passing the remote vehicle in response to the processor receiving the input signal;
determine an obstruction level associated with the target lane in response to the processor receiving the input signal from the input device;
compare the obstruction level to a predetermined obstruction threshold;
determine that the target lane is free of an obstruction in response to the at least one processor determining that the obstruction level is below the predetermined obstruction threshold;
generate the actuation signal in further response to the at least one processor determining that the target lane is free of the obstruction;
determine that the target lane is not free of an obstruction in response to the processor determining that the obstruction level is not below the predetermined obstruction threshold; and
refrain from generating the actuation signal in response to the at least one processor determining that the target lane is not free of the obstruction.

7. The ego vehicle of claim 2 wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:
determine an upcoming turn for the ego vehicle and an associated closing distance between the upcoming turn and a current location of the remote vehicle;
compare the associated closing distance to a closing distance threshold;
generate the actuation signal in furth

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Ali Kamran
• Grimm Donald K
• Shami Constandi John

Classifications

• B60W50/14

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

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title

• B60W2050/143

  Alarm means · CPC title

• B60W50/0097

  Predicting future conditions · CPC title

• B60W2554/80

  Spatial relation or speed relative to objects · CPC title