Horizon-based driver assistance systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016231124-A1
Application number	US-201614992335-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Jan 15, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A driver assistance method includes determining, with a horizon provider module, a first path comprising a first road segment and a second road segment based on a position of a vehicle and a predetermined horizon distance. A second path comprising the first road segment and a third road segment is determined based on the position of the vehicle and the predetermined horizon distance. Path data characterizing the first path, the second path, a position of the vehicle relative to the first path, and a position of the vehicle relative to the second path is then transmitted to a reconstructor module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A driver assistance method comprising:
determining, with a horizon provider module, a first path comprising a first road segment and a second road segment based on a position of a vehicle and a predetermined horizon distance; determining a second path comprising the first road segment and a third road segment based on the position of the vehicle and the predetermined horizon distance; transmitting, to a reconstructor module, path data characterizing the first path, the second path, a position of the vehicle relative to the first path, and a position of the vehicle relative to the second path.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the path data characterizing the first and second path is transmitted over a car area network (CAN).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first road segment is selected from the group consisting of an intersection, a freeway entrance, a freeway entrance, and a roadway.

4 . The method of claim, wherein the path data includes a sequence of road segments ordered based on driving direction and including an alphanumerical path record.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further including determining whether the first road segment is fully described and, if the road segment is not fully described, determining a new path corresponding to the first road segment.

6 . A driver assistance system comprising:
a horizon provider module, including a processor; a reconstructor module, including a processor, communicatively coupled to the horizon provider module via a data bus; wherein the horizon provider module is configured to determine a first path comprising a first road segment and a second road segment based on a position of a vehicle and a predetermined horizon distance; determine a second path comprising the first road segment and a third road segment based on the position of the vehicle and the predetermined horizon distance; and simultaneously transmit, to the reconstructor module, path data characterizing the first path, the second path, a position of the vehicle relative to the first path, and a position of the vehicle relative to the second path.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the path data characterizing the first and second path is transmitted over a car area network (CAN).

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the first road segment is selected from the group consisting of an intersection, a freeway entrance, a freeway entrance, and a roadway.

9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the path data includes a sequence of road segments ordered based on driving direction and including an alphanumerical path record.

10 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the horizon provider module further determines whether the first road segment is fully described and, if the road segment is not fully described, determines a new path corresponding to the first road segment.

11 . A horizon provider module including a processor and software instructions configured to cause the processor to perform the steps of:
determining a first path comprising a first road segment and a second road segment based on a position of a vehicle and a predetermined horizon distance; determining a second path comprising the first road segment and a third road segment based on the position of the vehicle and the predetermined horizon distance; and simultaneously transmitting, to a reconstructor module communicatively coupled to the horizon provider module via a bus, path data characterizing the first path, the second path, a position of a vehicle relative to the first path, and a position of the vehicle relative to the second path.

12 . The horizon provider module of claim 11 , wherein the path data characterizing the first and second path is transmitted over a car area network (CAN).

13 . The horizon provider module of claim 11 , wherein the first road segment is selected from the group consisting of an intersection, a freeway entrance, a freeway entrance, and a roadway.

14 . The horizon provider module of claim 11 , wherein the path data includes a sequence of road segments ordered based on driving direction and including an alphanumerical path record.

15 . The horizon provider module of claim 11 , wherein the horizon provider module further determines whether the first road segment is fully described and, if the road segment is not fully described, determines a new path corresponding to the first road segment.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Nickolaou James N
• Hermiz Sarmad Y

Classifications

• G01C21/34 Primary

  Route searching; Route guidance · CPC title

• B60R16/023

  for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems · CPC title

• G01C21/28 Primary

  with correlation of data from several navigational instruments · CPC title

• G09B29/003

  Maps · CPC title

• G01C21/32 Primary

  Structuring or formatting of map data · CPC title