Vehicle assistance systems and methods utilizing vehicle to vehicle communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9922553-B2
Application number	US-201514978203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

Methods, systems, and storage media are described for assisting the operation of a first vehicle. In embodiments, a computing device of the first vehicle may obtain first sensor data from a first sensor of the first vehicle. The first sensor data may be representative of a second vehicle proximate to the first vehicle. The computing device may determine a first position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle; initiate a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the second vehicle; receive second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session; and determine a second position based on the second sensor data. The second position may be a position of the second vehicle relative to a third vehicle. The computing device may display an image of the third vehicle on a display device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

First claim

I claim:

1. A computer device for assisting a first vehicle, the computer device comprising:
device interface circuitry to obtain first sensor data from a first sensor in or on the first vehicle, wherein the first sensor data is representative of a second vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; and
a detection module to be operated by at least one processor, the detection module to:
obtain the first sensor data from the device interface circuitry;
determine, based on the first sensor data, a first position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle;
in response to a determination of the first position, initiate a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the second vehicle; and
receive second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session, wherein the second sensor data is to be captured by a second sensor on or in the second vehicle, and the second sensor data is representative of an object that is a potential obstacle with respect to the first vehicle, and
wherein on receipt of the second sensor data, the detection module is to:
determine, based on the second sensor data, a second position of the object relative to the second vehicle, and
determine, based on the second position, a third position of the object relative to the first vehicle.

2. The computer device of claim 1 , wherein the detection module is to poll, on a periodic basis, the first sensor via the device interface circuitry to obtain the first sensor data.

3. The computer device of claim 1 , wherein the detection module is to determine, based on the first position, whether the second vehicle is within a threshold distance from the first vehicle.

4. The computer device of claim 3 , wherein the detection module is to dynamically adjust the threshold distance based on a size of the second vehicle and a field of view of the first sensor.

5. The computer device of claim 3 , wherein the detection module is to determine whether the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for a desired period of time, and the detection module is to initiate the V2V communications session when the detection module determines that the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for the desired period of time.

6. The computer device of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor data are raw data captured by the second sensor.

7. The computer device of claim 1 , wherein the object that is a potential obstacle with respect to the first vehicle is a third vehicle that is different than the first vehicle and the second vehicle, and the computer device further comprises:
an image generator, to be operated by the at least one processor, the image generator to obtain the second sensor data or position data associated with the second position of the third vehicle, and generate one or more images based on the second sensor data or the position data associated with the second position of the third vehicle; and
a display module, to be operated by the at least one processor, the display module to provide the one or more images to be displayed in a display device of the first vehicle.

8. The computer device of claim 7 , wherein the display device is a head-up display (HUD) integrated into a windshield of the first vehicle.

9. The computer device of claim 7 , wherein the first sensor is arranged in the first vehicle such that a field of view of the first sensor is in front of the first vehicle, and the second sensor is arranged in the second vehicle such that a field of view of the second sensor is in front of the second vehicle.

10. The computer device of claim 1 , wherein the device interface circuitry is to obtain the first sensor data from the first sensor during operation of the first vehicle.

11. The computer device of claim 1 , wherein to determine the third position the detection module is to combine the first position with the second position.

12. The computer device of claim 1 , wherein to generate one or more images, an image generator is to generate an image representative of the object, and a display module is to map the third position to a corresponding region of a display device such that the image representative of the object is to be displayed in the corresponding region.

13. The computer device of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle includes the computer device, the first sensor, radio frequency (RF) circuitry, and baseband circuitry, wherein the baseband circuitry is coupled with the RF circuitry to initiate the V2V communications session with the second vehicle, and receive the second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session.

14. A computer device for assisting a first vehicle, the computer device comprising:
device interface circuitry to obtain first sensor data from a sensor in or on the first vehicle, wherein the first sensor data is representative of a second vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; and
a detection module to be operated by at least one processor, the detection module to:
obtain the first sensor data from the device interface circuitry;
determine, based on the first sensor data, a position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle;
determine, based on the position, whether the second vehicle is within a threshold distance from the first vehicle;
dynamically adjust the threshold distance based on a size of the second vehicle and a field of view of the sensor;
in response to a determination of the position, initiate a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the second vehicle; and
receive second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session.

15. The computer device of claim 14 , wherein the detection module is to poll, on a periodic basis, the sensor via the device interface circuitry to obtain the first sensor data.

16. The computer device of claim 14 , wherein the detection module is to:
determine whether the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for a desired period of time; and
initiate the V2V communications session when the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for the desired period of time.

17. The computer device of claim 14 , wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and the second sensor data is to be captured by a second sensor on or in the second vehicle, and wherein the second sensor data are raw data captured by the second sensor.

18. The computer device of claim 14 , wherein the sensor is a first sensor and the position is a first position, and wherein the detection module is to obtain the second sensor data from a second sensor on or in the second vehicle or obtain position data based on a second position of an object relative to the second vehicle derived based on the second sensor data, wherein the object is a potential obstacle with respect to the first vehicle, and the computer device further comprises:
an image generator, to be operated by the at least one processor, the image generator to obtain the second sensor data or the position data associated with the second position of the object, and generate one or more images based on the second sensor data or the position data associated with the second position of the object; and
a display module, to be operated by the at least one processor, the display module to provide the one or more images to be displayed in a display device of the first vehicle.

19. The computer device of claim 14 , wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and the first vehi

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Mcerlean Donal

Classifications

• G08G1/163 Primary

  involving continuous checking · CPC title

• G08G1/0112 Primary

  from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD] · CPC title

• B60R1/00

  Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles · CPC title

• B60R2300/802

  for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views · CPC title

• B60K35/00

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title