Regional driving trend modification using autonomous vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9349284-B2
Application number	US-201414260397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2014
Priority date	Apr 24, 2014
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and a computer system for modifying regional driving habits. A computer determines a first value associated with a regional driving habit for a region. The computer determines a second value associated with a target driving habit, wherein the second value is not substantially equivalent to the first value. The computer determines that a number of at least semi-autonomous vehicles in an area is above a threshold value. The computer transmits information instructing the number of at least semi-autonomous vehicles to operate based on the second value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for modifying regional driving habits, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to determine a first value associated with a regional driving habit for a region;
program instructions to determine a second value associated with a target driving habit, wherein the second value is not equivalent to the first value;
program instructions to determine that a number of at least semi-autonomous vehicles in an area is above a threshold value; and
program instructions to transmit information instructing the number of at least semi-autonomous vehicles to operate based on the second value.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions further comprise:
program instructions to receive data detailing the operation of the one or more at least partially manually operated vehicles related to the regional driving habit with which the first value is associated; and
program instructions to update the first value based, at least in part, on the data detailing the operation of the one or more at least partially manually operated vehicles.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions further comprise:
program instructions to determine that a second number of at least semi-autonomous vehicles in the area is below the threshold value; and
program instructions to transmit, by one or more computer processors, information instructing the number of at least semi-autonomous vehicles to operate based on the updated first value.

4. The computer program product of claim 2 , wherein the data detailing the operation of one or more at least partially manually operated vehicles is collected using one or more sensors mounted on one or more of the at least semi-autonomous vehicles.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the area is a subset of the region.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the first value and the second value are numerical representations of a quantifiable driving habit.

7. A computer system for modifying regional driving habits, the computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer-readable storage media;
program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to determine a first value associated with a regional driving habit for a region;
program instructions to determine a second value associated with a target driving habit, wherein the second value is not equivalent to the first value;
program instructions to determine that a number of at least semi-autonomous vehicles in an area is above a threshold value; and
program instructions to transmit information instructing the number of at least semi-autonomous vehicles to operate based on the second value.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions further comprise:
program instructions to receive data detailing the operation of the one or more at least partially manually operated vehicles related to the regional driving habit with which the first value is associated; and
program instructions to update the first value based, at least in part, on the data detailing the operation of the one or more at least partially manually operated vehicles.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions further comprise:
program instructions to determine that a second number of at least semi-autonomous vehicles in the area is below the threshold value; and
program instructions to transmit, by one or more computer processors, information instructing the number of at least semi-autonomous vehicles to operate based on the updated first value.

10. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the data detailing the operation of one or more at least partially manually operated vehicles is collected using one or more sensors mounted on one or more of the at least semi-autonomous vehicles.

11. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the area is a subset of the region.

12. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the first value and the second value are numerical representations of a quantifiable driving habit.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Cudak Gary D
• Hardee Christopher J
• Roberts Adam
• Rodriguez Adrian X

Classifications

• G01C21/26 Primary

  specially adapted for navigation in a road network · CPC title

• G08G1/00 Primary

  Traffic control systems for road vehicles (arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 {; automatic vehicle control B62D}) · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0278

  using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS · CPC title