A Driving Assistance System, Vehicle and Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016018228-A1
Application number	US-201414773768-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A dynamic route finding system for a follower vehicle comprises a display, for disposition inside the vehicle, a navigation system, employing satellite position sensing for the vehicle, a storage device, including map data of a given territory, and an input system for the navigation system to input the location of a potentially dynamic destination of a subject (vehicle), wherein the navigation system is arranged to permit dynamic updating of the destination through said input system whilst guiding the user towards the subject from its current position. The input system may comprise an optical sensor, for front-facing disposition in the vehicle; a computer, to display on the display images captured by the optical sensor; and a user interface, enabling user commands to be input to the computer, the computer being arranged dynamically to calculate the position of a subject that is captured as an image by the optical sensing means, that has been displayed on the display, and that has been selected by the user, and to input said position as the dynamic destination of the navigation system. The input system may also comprise a telephone transceiver capable of wireless communication with another telephone, whereby the navigation system and a subject telephone may be interconnected and through which the subject telephone, when provided with a requisite application and a GPS position sensor, transmits the position of the subject telephone to the navigation system for use as the destination of the navigation system of said follower vehicle. The input system may also comprise a network of communication modules in multiple vehicles.

First claim

1 . A system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
a display, for disposition inside the vehicle; a navigation system, employing satellite position sensing for the vehicle; a storage device, including map data of a given territory; and an input system for the navigation system to input a location of a potentially dynamic destination of a subject, wherein the navigation system is arranged to permit dynamic updating of the destination through said input system while guiding a user towards the subject from a current position of the user, wherein the input system comprises: an optical sensor for front-facing disposition in the vehicle; a computer configured to display on the display images captured by the optical sensor; and a user interface configured to enable user commands to be input to the computer, the computer being arranged to dynamically calculate a position of the subject that:
is captured as an image by the optical sensor, and
has been displayed on the display, and
has been selected by the user, and
to input the position of the subject as a destination of the navigation system.

2 . The system of claim 1 , in which the subject is another vehicle.

3 . The system of claim 1 , in which the input system is adapted to update the position of the subject when the subject moves.

4 . (canceled)

5 . The system of claim 1 , in which the position of the subject is estimated from historical movements of the subject.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The system of claim 1 , in which the optical sensor is a camera.

8 . The system of claim 6 , in which the optical sensor is that of an emergency braking system.

9 . The system of claim 8 , in which the computer is a computer of one of the emergency braking system and satellite navigation system, and is arranged to correlate data from the emergency braking system and satellite navigation system.

10 . The system of claim 1 , in which the display is a touch screen whereby instructions as to an identity of the subject are entered by touching the screen in a vicinity of an image of the subject.

11 . The system of claim 10 , in which the subject is indicated as an object identified by the computer from image data currently received from the optical sensor by highlighting the object.

12 . (canceled)

13 . The system of claim 1 , in which the input system comprises a telephone transceiver capable of wireless communication with a telephone of a follower vehicle through a wireless telephone network, the telephone transceiver being adapted to receive a position of the subject telephone through the wireless telephone network and transmit it to the navigation system for use as the destination of a navigation system of the follower vehicle.

14 . The system of claim 13 in combination with the telephone of the follower vehicle, in which the telephone of the follower vehicle has a GPS position sensor and has an application installed to effect transmission of a position of the telephone of the follower vehicle through the wireless telephone network.

15 . (canceled)

16 . The system of claim 14 ,
wherein the application is adapted to transmit the position of the telephone of the follower vehicle as and when that position changes; and wherein the input system updates the destination of the navigation system when a new position of the telephone of the follower vehicle is received.

17 . The system of claim 13 , in which:
the transceiver is integrated with the navigation system; or the transceiver is provided for on-board integration in the vehicle separate from the navigation system; or the transceiver is an entirely separate mobile telephone of the driver of the follower vehicle in which the dynamic route finding system is fitted, wherein said mobile telephone includes a connector for connection with the navigation system.

18 . The system of claim 17 , in which the connector is wireless.

19 . The system of claim 1 , in which the input system comprises an inter-vehicle wireless communication module that enables communication with multiple adjacent vehicles in a vicinity of the follower vehicle and also provided with similar communication modules, wherein, when a communication network is established through the adjacent vehicles and with more remote vehicles also provided with similar communication modules, and when a position of a subject vehicle, which subject vehicle being one of said adjacent or more remote vehicles, is communicated through said network to the follower vehicle, said wireless communication module is adapted to input said communicated position as the destination of the navigation system.

20 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the navigation system is configured to provide audible or visual instructions to a driver of the vehicle.

21 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the navigation system is configured to actively control the follower vehicle.

22 . The system of claim 21 , in which the navigation system is adapted to control the follower vehicle to follow a route of the subject in reaching a current location.

23 . A vehicle comprising the system of claim 1 .

24 . A method of operating a follower vehicle incorporating a system as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising:
a) invoking a “Follow-me” function of the navigation system; b) operating the input system to enter the position of the subject as a destination for the navigation system; c) updating the destination as the subject moves; and d) providing user navigation system instructions to drive to the destination.

25 - 35 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Parker Dirk
• Cockings Kevin

Classifications

• G08G1/166

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

• B60W30/165 Primary

  Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar" · CPC title

• G08G1/22

  Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles · CPC title

• G01C21/3623

  using a camera or code reader, e.g. for optical or magnetic codes · CPC title

• G01C21/3415

  Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents · CPC title