Method for ascertaining a vehicle trajectory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12377880-B2
Application number	US-202017609251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2020
Priority date	May 7, 2019
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

Technologies and techniques for ascertaining a vehicle trajectory, via a system that includes a motor vehicle and a network server. Individual trajectories of a plurality of motor vehicles being traversed, and secondary information linked to the individual trajectories are detected. The individual trajectories of the plurality of motor vehicles, and the linked secondary information may be transmitted to a network server. A swarm trajectory may be ascertained by a network server as an average of the individual trajectories using the individual trajectories and the linked secondary information, wherein the average may be weighted using the secondary information. The network server may transmit the swarm trajectory to at least one motor vehicle. An associated motor vehicle configured for the system and network server is further disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for ascertaining a vehicle trajectory, comprising:
detecting, by a plurality of motor vehicles, traveled individual trajectories and secondary information linked to the individual trajectories, wherein the individual trajectories comprise position information and lane information linked thereto, and the secondary information includes data related to vehicle dynamics, road conditions, and/or traffic patterns as sensed by onboard sensors and processed to form the individual trajectories and associated secondary information;
transmitting, by the plurality of motor vehicles, the individual trajectories and the secondary information linked thereto to a network server;
aggregating and processing, by the network server, the received individual trajectories, including the position information and the secondary information linked thereto to ascertain a swarm trajectory, wherein the network server utilizes the secondary information to dynamically weight the individual trajectories based on varying road conditions, vehicle dynamics, and traffic patterns;
configuring the swarm trajectory for transmission to at least one motor vehicle based on the aggregated position information and the secondary information; and
transmitting, via wireless communication, the configured swarm trajectory to the at least one motor vehicle; and
automatically adjusting, by the at least one motor vehicle using a driving system, its current trajectory based on the received swarm trajectory, resulting in modified vehicle steering, acceleration, or braking.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary information comprises vehicle body movement data detected by the onboard sensors.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary information comprises position information and driving dynamics information, shock absorption information or roadway information linked thereto.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the shock absorption information for at least one position defined by position information comprises a sag of at least one shock absorber of a motor vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the driving dynamics information for at least one position defined by position information comprises at least one of (i) information about a vehicle body movement, (ii) transverse acceleration of a motor vehicle, and/or (iii) information about a friction coefficient of a roadway pavement.

6. The method according to claim 1 , furthermore comprising:
classifying, by the network server, the detected individual trajectories based on the secondary information into first individual trajectories and second individual trajectories;
ascertaining, by the network server, a first swarm trajectory based on the first individual trajectories and a second swarm trajectory based on the second individual trajectories, and based in each case on secondary information linked thereto.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising transmitting, from the network server, the first swarm trajectory to at least one first motor vehicle corresponding to a first individual trajectory, and the second swarm trajectory to at least one second motor vehicle corresponding to a second individual trajectory.

8. A motor vehicle, comprising:
at least one first sensor, configured to detect environment data;
at least one second sensor configured to detect vehicle data;
a first communication module for communicating with a network server and a global positioning system (GPS); and
a control unit, the control unit being configured to:
detect secondary information, comprising one or more of driving dynamics, shock absorption and/or roadway information corresponding to an associated individual trajectory which is traveled by the motor vehicle and determined by position information and lane information via the first sensors and/or second sensors;
transmit the individual trajectory and secondary information linked thereto to the network server for aggregating and processing; and
receive a swarm trajectory from the network server, the swarm trajectory being based on aggregated and processed data from multiple motor vehicles; and
adjust the motor vehicle's trajectory based on the received swarm trajectory and current vehicular and environmental data.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the secondary information comprises one of position information, driving dynamics information, shock absorption information or roadway information.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the shock absorption information comprises a sag of at least one shock absorber of the motor vehicle.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the driving dynamics information comprises at least one of (i) information about a vehicle body movement, (ii) transverse acceleration of a motor vehicle, and/or (iii) information about a friction coefficient of a roadway pavement.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 8 , furthermore comprising, receiving, from the network server, a first swarm trajectory to at least one first motor vehicle corresponding to a first individual trajectory, and a second swarm trajectory to at least one second motor vehicle corresponding to a second individual trajectory.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the received first swarm trajectory is based on classified first individual trajectories and second individual trajectories, based on the secondary information.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 12 , furthermore comprising:
a driving system configured to automatically drive the motor vehicle, wherein the control unit is further configured to
receive the first swarm trajectory, determined by position information and lane information, from the network server; and
ascertain a trajectory for the motor vehicle via the driving system, based on the swarm trajectory.

15. A method for ascertaining a vehicle trajectory at a network server, comprising:
receiving, from a plurality of motor vehicles, traveled individual trajectories and secondary information linked to the individual trajectories, wherein the individual trajectories comprise position information and lane information linked thereto, and the secondary information comprises data related to vehicle dynamics, road conditions, and/or traffic patterns as sensed by onboard sensors;
aggregating and processing, by the network server, the received individual trajectories including the position information and the secondary information linked thereto to ascertain a swarm trajectory, wherein the network server utilizes the secondary information to dynamically weight the individual trajectories based on varying road conditions, vehicle dynamics, and traffic patterns; and
configuring the swarm trajectory for at least one motor vehicle based on the aggregated position information and the secondary information; and
transmitting, via wireless communication, the configured swarm trajectory to the at least one motor vehicle; and
automatically adjusting, by the at least one motor vehicle using a driving system its current trajectory based on the received swarm trajectory, resulting in modified vehicle steering, acceleration, or braking.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the secondary information includes vehicle body movement data detected by the onboard sensors.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the secondary information comprises position information and driving dynamics information, shock absorption information or roadway information linked thereto.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Klomp Sven
• Max Stephan
• Bärecke Frank

Classifications

• B60W2510/22

  Suspension systems · CPC title

• B60W60/0051

  from occupants to vehicle · CPC title

• B60W2552/53

  Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk · CPC title

• B60W2552/40

  Coefficient of friction · CPC title

• B60W2554/4041

  Position · CPC title