Management of autonomous vehicle lanes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9821809-B2
Application number	US-201614992089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Jan 11, 2016
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A system of one or more computers can be configured to perform particular operations or actions by virtue of having software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of them installed on the system that in operation causes or cause the system to perform the actions. One general aspect includes a system, including a server computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to detect a first vehicle in a first lane adjacent to a second lane and plan a first vehicle trajectory for the first vehicle to be placed in a queue in the first lane and, from the queue, transition from the first lane to the second lane based upon at least one determined characteristic of the first vehicle and a second vehicle trajectory and control the first vehicle based upon the first vehicle trajectory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising a server computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to:
detect a first vehicle in a first lane adjacent to a second lane;
plan a first vehicle trajectory for the first vehicle to be placed in a queue in the first lane and, from the queue, transition from the first lane to the second lane based upon two or more determined characteristics of the first vehicle and a second vehicle trajectory, wherein the determined characteristics include a first vehicle acceleration capability and a first vehicle destination; and
control the first vehicle based upon the first vehicle trajectory.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the characteristics includes one or more of a first vehicle identity and a first vehicle status.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server computer is further programmed to detect a second vehicle in the second lane.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server computer is further programmed to determine at least one of the second vehicle trajectory and the planned first vehicle trajectory from data received from one or more of a first lane proximity sensor, a first camera and a first lane speed measuring device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server computer is further programmed to determine at least one of the second vehicle trajectory and the planned first vehicle trajectory in part from weather data.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server computer is further programmed to determine at least one of the second vehicle trajectory and the planned first vehicle trajectory in part from traffic data.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server computer is further programmed to receive at least a second vehicle identity, a second vehicle geolocation, and a second vehicle velocity.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle is capable of a semi-autonomous mode of operation in addition to an autonomous mode of operation.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server computer is further programmed to:
plan a first vehicle trajectory for the first vehicle to transition from the second lane to the first lane based upon at least the first vehicle destination, the second vehicle trajectory and a status of the first lane; and
control the first vehicle based upon the first vehicle trajectory.

10. A method comprising:
detecting a first vehicle in a first lane adjacent to a second lane;
detecting a second vehicle in the second lane;
planning a first vehicle trajectory for the first vehicle to be placed in a queue in the first lane and, from the queue, transition from the first lane to the second lane based upon two or more determined characteristics of the first vehicle and a second vehicle trajectory, wherein the determined characteristics include a first vehicle acceleration capability and a first vehicle destination; and
controlling the first vehicle based upon the first vehicle trajectory.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the characteristics include one or more of a first vehicle identity and a first vehicle status.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining at least one of the second vehicle trajectory and the planned first vehicle trajectory from data received from one or more of a first lane proximity sensor, a first camera, and a first lane speed measuring device.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining at least one of the second vehicle trajectory and the planned first vehicle trajectory in part from weather data.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining at least one of the second vehicle trajectory and the planned first vehicle trajectory in part from traffic data.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving at least a second vehicle identify, a second vehicle geolocation, a second vehicle velocity.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first vehicle is capable of a semi-autonomous mode of operation in addition to an autonomous mode of operation.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining a plan a first vehicle trajectory for the first vehicle to transition from the second lane to the first lane based upon at least the first vehicle destination, the second vehicle trajectory and a status of the first lane; and
controlling the first vehicle based upon the first vehicle trajectory.

18. An apparatus for controlling an ingress of a first vehicle from a first lane to a second lane, comprising
a processor programmed to:
determine a first vehicle geolocation;
based on the first vehicle geolocation, roadway infrastructure network data, and a second vehicle trajectory, determine a first vehicle trajectory of the first vehicle;
determine an ingress start time for the first vehicle to ingress the second lane from the first lane; and
send a control message to the first vehicle to execute the first vehicle trajectory for the start of the ingress at the ingress start time.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further programmed to determine the second vehicle trajectory from at least a second vehicle identity, a second vehicle geolocation, a second vehicle velocity.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further programmed to determine at least one of the second vehicle trajectory and the first vehicle trajectory in part from traffic data.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Jammoussi Hassene
• Kumar Pankaj
• Makki Imad Hassan

Classifications

• G08G1/0116

  from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons · CPC title

• G08G1/164

  Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/052

  with provision for determining speed or overspeed {(speed measuring in general G01P)} · CPC title

• G08G1/042

  using inductive or magnetic detectors · CPC title

• G08G1/04

  using optical or ultrasonic detectors · CPC title