System and Method for Vehicle Assisted Response to Road Conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017158191-A1
Application number	US-201615137447-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 25, 2016
Priority date	Dec 3, 2015
Publication date	Jun 8, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention pertains to methods and systems for assisting drivers, automated driver systems, and other vehicle operators with detection, avoidance, and mitigation of the hazards posed by aberrations in roadways. The invention provides complete or partial relief to vehicles traveling on roadways in a variety of conditions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
communicating to a vehicle a probable geo-location of a road aberration and a recommended vehicle action for traversing the road aberration, wherein the communicating causes an action selected from: a change in the vehicle operation; a physical change to the vehicle; and a change in a driver alert system within the vehicle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the probable geo-location for the road aberration is determined from aggregated sensor data, and the recommended vehicle action is determined from aggregated sensor data.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the probable geo-location for the road aberration is determined from aggregated sensor data, and the recommended vehicle action is determined from aggregated sensor data, and wherein the aggregated sensor data comprises geo-location and vehicle action data from a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle having encountered the road aberration.

4 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a computer system via a network, sensor data pertaining to a road segment from a plurality of vehicles, wherein the road segment comprises a road aberration and wherein the sensor data from each of the plurality of vehicles corresponds to an encounter of the vehicle with the road aberration, and wherein the sensor data comprises geo-location data and vehicle action data; determining a probable geo-location for the road aberration from the aggregated sensor data; determining a recommended vehicle action for the road aberration from the aggregated sensor data; and communicating to a vehicle positioned in the road segment or adjacent to the road segment the determined probable geo-location of the road aberration and the determined recommended vehicle action.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises adding the determined probable geo-location for the road aberration and the determined recommended vehicle action to a digital map comprising the road segment.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the communicating causes an action selected from: a change in the vehicle operation; a physical change to the vehicle; and a change in a driver alert system within the vehicle.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the communicating causes a change in the vehicle operation, and wherein the vehicle takes an action consistent with the determined recommended vehicle action.

8 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the communicating causes a physical change to the vehicle, and wherein the physical component is the suspension system of the vehicle.

9 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the sensor data for each of the plurality of vehicles is obtained from a mobile device disposed within the vehicle.

10 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises adding the determined probable geo-location for the road aberration and the determined recommended vehicle action to a digital map comprising the road segment, and wherein the communicating causes an action selected from: a change in the vehicle operation; a physical change to the vehicle; and a change in a driver alert system within the vehicle.

11 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises characterizing and labeling the road aberration according to the sensor data and wherein the communicating causes an action selected from: a change in the vehicle operation; a physical change to the vehicle; and a change in a driver alert system within the vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the sensor data further comprises vehicle type information and wherein the communicating causes an action selected from: a change in the vehicle operation; a physical change to the vehicle; and a change in a driver alert system within the vehicle.

13 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the determined recommended vehicle action is vehicle type dependent, and wherein the communicating is vehicle type dependent.

14 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the sensor data further comprises vehicle type information, and wherein the method further comprises adding to a digital map the determined probable geo-location for the road aberration, and the determined recommended vehicle action indexed by vehicle type.

15 . A computer system, comprising:
a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to cause the computer system to carry out the method of claim 4 .

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the system further comprises a digital map, and wherein the computer system is configured to add the determined probable geo-location for the road aberration and the determined recommended vehicle action to the digital map, and wherein the communication is configured to cause an action selected from: a change in the vehicle operation; a physical change to the vehicle; and a change in a driver alert system within the vehicle.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the system is further configured to characterize and label the road aberration according to the sensor data and wherein the communication is configured to cause an action selected from: a change in the vehicle operation; a physical change to the vehicle; and a change in a driver alert system within the vehicle.

18 . A method comprising:
communicating to a vehicle positioned in a road segment a probable geo-location of a road aberration and a recommended vehicle action, the road aberration being located in the road segment or adjacent to the road segment, the probable geo-location of the road aberration and the recommended vehicle action having been calculated from sensor data from a plurality of vehicles.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining a feature selected from vehicle type, vehicle age, vehicle performance capability, driver age, driver skill, and environmental situation, and
further comprising matching the recommended vehicle action with the determined feature.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality of vehicles is characterized by vehicle type, and wherein the method comprises forming a digital map of road aberrations and corresponding recommended vehicle actions from sensor data received from the plurality of vehicles, and wherein the communicating is initiated when the vehicle's position drops below a threshold distance from the road aberration.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bills Tierra
• Branch Joel W
• Bryant Reginald
• Kaguma David
• Tatsubori Michiaki
• Walcott Aisha
• Wamburu John Mbari

Classifications

• B60W30/025 Primary

  related to comfort of drivers or passengers · CPC title

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title

• B60W50/14

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

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W2710/22

  Suspension systems · CPC title