Optimal warning distance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9514651-B2
Application number	US-201414462841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2014
Priority date	Aug 19, 2014
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for determining an optimal warning distance for a vehicle. For example, the geographic location of the vehicle is received along with a reaction profile of the operator of the vehicle. Based on the geographic location, a roadway condition is determined. An optimal warning distance is then determined based on a braking distance of the vehicle and the reaction profile of the operator of the vehicle. The operator of the vehicle, or a navigation system of the vehicle itself, is alerted to the roadway condition when the vehicle is located at the optimal warning distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a geographic location of a vehicle;
receiving a reaction profile of an operator of the vehicle;
determining, using a processor, a roadway condition based on the geographic location of the vehicle;
calculating an optimal warning distance from the roadway condition based on a braking distance of the vehicle and the reaction profile of the operator; and
alerting the operator or a navigation system of the vehicle to the roadway condition when the vehicle is located at the optimal warning distance;
wherein the reaction profile includes a vehicle computed reaction time of the operator of the vehicle, the vehicle computed reaction time selected from a database comprising a plurality of times from historical probe data that an operator adjusted a velocity ahead of a roadway condition, wherein the roadway condition is a scenario for which the vehicle reduces speed for safety.

2. A method comprising:
receiving a geographic location of a vehicle;
receiving a reaction profile of an operator of the vehicle from a profile database including reaction profiles for multiple operators;
determining, using a processor, a roadway condition based on the geographic location of the vehicle;
calculating an optimal warning distance from the roadway condition based on a braking distance of the vehicle and the reaction profile of the operator; and
alerting the operator or a navigation system of the vehicle to the roadway condition when the vehicle is located at the optimal warning distance,
wherein the reaction profile comprises a reaction time of the vehicle operator,
wherein the reaction time is a vehicle computed reaction time, the vehicle computed reaction time selected from a database comprising a plurality of times an operator adjusted velocity of a vehicle, each time associated with a distance from a known roadway condition.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reaction time is an operator computed reaction time, wherein the operator is subjected to a series of visual tests or audio tests.

4. A method comprising:
receiving a geographic location of a vehicle;
receiving a reaction profile of an operator of the vehicle from a profile database including reaction profiles for multiple operators;
determining, using a processor, a roadway condition based on the geographic location of the vehicle;
calculating an optimal warning distance from the roadway condition based on a braking distance of the vehicle and the reaction profile of the operator; and
alerting the operator or a navigation system of the vehicle to the roadway condition when the vehicle is located at the optimal warning distance,
wherein the reaction profile comprises a reaction time of the vehicle operator,
wherein the reaction time is a vehicle computed reaction time, the vehicle computed reaction time selected from a database comprising a plurality of times an operator adjusted velocity of the vehicle, each time associated with a known roadway condition and a distance from the known roadway condition.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reaction time is a variable reaction time based on a time of day, day of week, or day of year of operation of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction profile of the operator comprises an operator's age, an operator's health, an operator's driving experience and accident history, an operator's knowledge of the geographic location, an operator's experience operating the vehicle, an operator's employer's driving profile preferences, an operator's insurance provider's driving profile preferences, an operator's personal driving preferences, an operator's reaction time, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the reaction profile of the operator is a weighted combination of the reaction time of the operator and at least one of: the operator's age, the operator's health, the operator's driving experience and accident history, the operator's knowledge of the geographic location, the operator's experience operating the vehicle, the operator's employer's driving profile preferences, the operator's insurance provider's driving profile preferences, or the operator's personal driving preferences.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the braking distance of the vehicle is determined from a predetermined fixed distance, a calculated distance based on physics principles, an average braking distance based on historical probe data, a vehicle queue length from the roadway condition, or a weighted combination thereof.

9. A non-transient computer readable medium containing program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of:
receiving a geographic location and direction of travel of an autonomous vehicle;
receiving a reaction profile including historically recorded driver characteristics including braking distances for a roadway condition, and including an operator's age, an operator's health, an operator's driving experience and accident history, an operator's knowledge of the geographic location, an operator's experience operating the vehicle, an operator's employer's driving profile preferences, an operator's insurance provider's driving profile preferences, an operator's personal driving preferences, or a combination thereof;
determining a roadway condition in the direction of travel of the vehicle based on the geographic location of the vehicle;
calculating an optimal warning distance from the roadway condition based on a braking distance of the vehicle and the reaction profile of the operator; and
alerting a navigation system of the autonomous vehicle to the roadway condition when the vehicle is located at the optimal warning distance.

10. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform:
receive a geographic location and direction of travel of a vehicle;
receive a reaction profile of an operator of the vehicle from a plurality of reaction profiles for a plurality of operators in a database, wherein the reaction profile includes historically recorded driver characteristics including braking distances for a roadway condition;
determine the roadway condition exists in the direction of travel of the vehicle based on the geographic location of the vehicle;
calculate an optimal warning distance from the roadway condition based on a braking distance of the vehicle and the reaction profile of the operator including historically recorded driver characteristics for the roadway condition; and
alert the operator or a navigation system of the vehicle to the roadway condition when the vehicle is located at the optimal warning distance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the reaction profile is a manually entered reaction time by the vehicle operator.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the reaction profile is an operator computed reaction time, wherein the operator is subjected to a series of visual tests or audio tests.

13. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform:
receive a geographic location and direction of travel of a vehicle;
receive a reaction profile of an operator of the vehicle;
determine a roadway condition in the direction of travel of the vehicle based on the geographic location of the veh

Assignees

• Here Global Bv

Inventors

• Linder Eric
• Giurgiu Gavril
• Stenneth Leon

Classifications

• B60W2540/221

  Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs · CPC title

• B60W40/064

  Degree of grip · CPC title

• G08G1/096716

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

• G08G1/096725

  where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control · CPC title

• B60W2552/40

  Coefficient of friction · CPC title