Remote driving assistance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016249180-A1
Application number	US-201414440239-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 29, 2014
Priority date	May 29, 2014
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In at least some examples, a control center, which provides remote driving assistance service, may be configured to receive traffic data from sensors and to identify an area of congested traffic, based on the received traffic data, within a predetermined range of the sensors. When the control center receives a request for the remote driving assistance service, from a vehicle within the predetermined range of the sensor, the control center may generate and transmit remote driving commands to the vehicle.

First claim

1 . A system to control a vehicle, comprising:
a traffic receiver configured to receive traffic data from a sensor; a traffic evaluator configured to identify an area of congested traffic, based on the received traffic data, within a predetermined range of the sensor; a service transmitter configured to announce availability of a remote driving assistance service to at least some vehicles within the predetermined range of the sensor; a request receiver configured to receive a request for the remote driving assistance service from a requesting one of the vehicles; and a remote driving assistance manager configured to transmit remote driving commands to the requesting vehicle at least within the area of congested traffic.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the service transmitter is configured to announce availability of the remote driving assistance service to vehicles having a subscription to the remote driving assistance service.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the traffic data includes thermal images, picture images, or weight collected by the sensor.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote driving assistance manager is further configured to generate the remote driving commands based at least on road conditions or traffic signals.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote driving assistance manager is further configured to cease transmitting remote driving commands by initially transmitting a warning indicator.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the request receiver is configured to decrypt the request.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote driving assistance manager is further configured to determine a location of the vehicle relative to the area of congested traffic.

8 . A method for controlling vehicles remotely, comprising:
receiving traffic data from a sensor; identifying an area of congested traffic, based on the received traffic data, within a predetermined range of the sensor; receiving, from a vehicle within the predetermined range of the sensor, a request for remote driving assistance service; and transmitting remote driving commands to the vehicle at least within the area of congested traffic.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein, prior to the receiving, the method further comprises broadcasting an announcement regarding availability of the remote driving assistance service to at least the vehicle within the predetermined range of the sensor.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising generating the remote driving commands based at least on road conditions or traffic signals.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the broadcasting is directed to one or more vehicles having a subscription to the remote driving assistance service.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the broadcasting is directed to all vehicles that are capable of being remotely driven within at least the predetermined range of the sensor.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising ceasing the transmitting by transmitting a warning message and ceasing transmission of the remote driving commands.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the receiving the request includes decrypting the request for the remote driving assistance service.

15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the receiving the traffic data includes determining a location of the vehicle relative to the area of congested traffic.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium on a vehicle that stores executable-instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving traffic data from a sensor; identifying an area of congested traffic, based on the received traffic data, within a predetermined range of the sensor; broadcasting an announcement regarding availability of a remote driving assistance service to at least some vehicles within the predetermined range of the sensor; receiving, from one of the vehicles within the predetermined range of the sensor, a request for the remote driving assistance service; and transmitting remote driving commands to the vehicle at least within the predetermined range of the sensor.

17 . The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the broadcasting is directed to one or more vehicles having a subscription to the remote driving assistance service.

18 . The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising generating the remote driving commands based at least on data regarding road conditions or traffic signals.

19 . The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the receiving the traffic data includes determining a location of the vehicle relative to the area of congested traffic.

20 . A system to control a vehicle, comprising:
a real time traffic tracker configured to identify an area of congested traffic by monitoring real time traffic information; a positioning device configured to monitor location information of a vehicle having a subscription to a remote driving assistance service; a request receiver configured to receive, from the vehicle, a request for the remote driving assistance service; and a remote driving assistance configured to transmit remote driving commands to the vehicle when the vehicle is within the area of congested traffic.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the location information of the vehicle is generated by a global positioning system (GPS) device associated with the vehicle.

22 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the request receiver is further configured to receive environmental information collected from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle, and
wherein further the environmental information includes a distance between the vehicle and a surrounding object, a speed of the vehicle, ambient brightness, traffic signals of the area of congested traffic, or road conditions of the area of congested traffic.

Assignees

• Li Daqi
• Fang Jun
• Empire Technology Dev Llc

Inventors

• Li Daqi
• Fang Jun

Classifications

• G08G1/096716 Primary

  where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control · CPC title

• H04W4/046 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B1/3822

  specially adapted for use in vehicles (H04B1/3827 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04W4/025

  using location based information parameters · CPC title

• H04W4/06

  Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services · CPC title