Vehicular communications network and methods of use and manufacture thereof
First Claim
1. A vehicle control system for use with a host vehicle configured for travel along a path, and at least one source of host vehicle speed and location data, and traffic data relevant to the host vehicle'"'"'s location on the path, the vehicle control system comprising:
- a processor that is configured to;
access a current host vehicle location and speed data that is provided by the at least one source,detect, using a vehicular communications network, data from a merging vehicle intending to merge into the path of the host vehicle,detect, using the vehicular communications network, data from preceding traffic in the path of the host vehicle,determine a speed and location of the merging vehicle intending to merge into the path of the host vehicle from data transmitted over the vehicular communications network,determine a speed and location of preceding traffic on the path of the host vehicle from data transmitted over the vehicular communications network, andpredict whether the speed of the preceding traffic or the speed of the merging vehicle will slow down during the merge based on statistical analysis using the speed and the location of the preceding traffic and the speed and the location of the merging vehicle, anda vehicle controller configured to receive an instruction from the processor to control a speed of the host vehicle based on a predicted speed of preceding traffic and a predicted speed of the merging vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Some embodiments are directed to methods and apparatus for predicting traffic conditions and controlling a host vehicle based on the predicted conditions for travel along a path. The methods and apparatus can perform the following: accessing current path data relevant to a location and speed the host vehicle; detecting data, from a vehicular communications network, from a merging vehicle intending to merge into the path of the host vehicle; detecting data, from the vehicular communications network, of preceding traffic in the path of the host vehicle; determining a speed and location of the merging vehicle from the data transmitted over the vehicle communications network; determining a speed and location of preceding traffic on the path of the host vehicle from the data transmitted over the vehicular communications network; and predicting whether the speed of the preceding traffic or the speed of the merging vehicle will slow down during the merge.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle control system for use with a host vehicle configured for travel along a path, and at least one source of host vehicle speed and location data, and traffic data relevant to the host vehicle'"'"'s location on the path, the vehicle control system comprising:
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a processor that is configured to; access a current host vehicle location and speed data that is provided by the at least one source, detect, using a vehicular communications network, data from a merging vehicle intending to merge into the path of the host vehicle, detect, using the vehicular communications network, data from preceding traffic in the path of the host vehicle, determine a speed and location of the merging vehicle intending to merge into the path of the host vehicle from data transmitted over the vehicular communications network, determine a speed and location of preceding traffic on the path of the host vehicle from data transmitted over the vehicular communications network, and predict whether the speed of the preceding traffic or the speed of the merging vehicle will slow down during the merge based on statistical analysis using the speed and the location of the preceding traffic and the speed and the location of the merging vehicle, and a vehicle controller configured to receive an instruction from the processor to control a speed of the host vehicle based on a predicted speed of preceding traffic and a predicted speed of the merging vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A vehicle control system for use with a host vehicle configured for travel along a path, and at least one source of host vehicle speed and location data, and traffic data relevant to the host vehicle'"'"'s location on the path, the vehicle control system comprising:
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at least one wireless transceiver that is configured to receive current path data relevant to a speed and a location of at least one traffic vehicle in traffic preceding the host vehicle and a speed and a location of a merging vehicle intending to merge into the path from a vehicular communications network; an electronic storage medium that is configured to store at least one of the current path data, preceding traffic data, and data relevant to a merging vehicle; a processor that is configured to; detect, using the vehicular communications network, data from the merging vehicle intending to merge into the path of the host vehicle, detect, using the vehicular communications network, data from proceeding traffic in the path of the host vehicle, determine a speed and location of the preceding traffic in proximity to the path of the host vehicle from data transmitted over the vehicular communications network, and determine a speed and location of the merging vehicle intending to merge into the path of the host vehicle relative to the speed and the location of the preceding traffic, from data transmitted over the vehicular communications network, predict whether the speed of the preceding traffic or the speed of the merging vehicle will slow down during the merge based on a statistical calculation using the speed and the location of the merging vehicle; and a vehicle controller configured to receive an instruction to control a speed of the host vehicle based on a predicted speed of preceding traffic and a predicted speed of the merging vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of predicting traffic conditions and controlling a host vehicle based on the predicted conditions for travel along a path, the method being implemented by a processor and a vehicle control system, the method comprising:
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accessing current path data relevant to a location and speed the host vehicle; detecting data, from a vehicular communications network, from a merging vehicle intending to merge into the path of the host vehicle; detecting data, from the vehicular communications network, of preceding traffic in the path of the host vehicle; determining a speed and location of the merging vehicle relative to a speed and location of preceding traffic from the data transmitted over the vehicular communications network; predicting whether the speed of the preceding traffic or the speed of the merging vehicle will slow down during the merge based on probabilities determined based on conditions associated with the speed and the location of the merging vehicle relative to the speed and the location of the preceding traffic; and controlling a speed of the host vehicle, based on a predicted speed of the preceding traffic and a predicted speed of the merging vehicle during the merge.
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Specification