Vehicle assistance

• US 10,121,376 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: She, Eric, Lauffer, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldman, Richard A
• Application Number:
  US15/285,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20180096602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 701 25, 701 23, 701 314, 701 70, 701 2, 701 36, 701 41, 701 96, 701 292, 701 93
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0292 Fail-safe or redundant systems, e.g. limp-home or backup systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/00 Output or target parameters relating to a particular sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/029 Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 : Network topologies

Abstract

A computer is programmed to receive a message from a second vehicle indicating a fault in a second vehicle component. The computer is further programmed to modify an area of control of the first vehicle to include a location of the second vehicle, and to provide a control instruction to the second vehicle.

Claims

1. A first vehicle computer, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to:

receive a message from a second vehicle indicating a fault in a second vehicle component;

upon receipt of the message, expand an area of control beyond first vehicle boundaries to include a second vehicle location; and

provide a control instruction to actuate a second vehicle actuator.

2. The computer of claim 1, further programmed to receive data from a sensor of the first vehicle, and to provide the control instruction to the second vehicle at least partially based on the received data from the sensor of the first vehicle.

3. The computer of claim 2, further programmed to provide the control instruction at least partially based on a distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

4. The computer of claim 1, wherein the control instruction is based in part on the expanded area of control.

5. The computer of claim 1, further programmed to identify a stopping location for the second vehicle and to provide a plurality of control instructions to navigate the second vehicle to the identified stopping location.

6. The computer of claim 5, further programmed to set a second vehicle computer to an inactive state upon determining that the second vehicle reached the identified stopping location.

7. The computer of claim 1, further programmed to receive, from the second vehicle, data specifying a location of the second vehicle.

8. The computer of claim 1, further programmed to broadcast a message indicating that the second vehicle is at least partially controlled by the first vehicle.

9. The computer of claim 1, wherein the expanded area of control is defined by an area at least including the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

10. A computer for a first vehicle, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to:

detect a fault in a first vehicle subsystem;

detect a second vehicle in a first vehicle sensing area;

transmit a message indicating the fault to the second vehicle; and

apply a control signal specified in a reply from the second vehicle to actuate a first vehicle actuator.

11. The computer for a first vehicle of claim 10, further programmed to verify whether a vehicle-to-vehicle communication interface of the first vehicle is operational.

12. The computer for a first vehicle of claim 10, further programmed to verify whether an actuator of the first vehicle is operational.

13. The computer for a first vehicle of claim 10, wherein the computer is further programmed to detect the second vehicle by at least:

detecting a plurality of other vehicles in the first vehicle sensing area; and

selecting the second vehicle based on the detected plurality of other vehicles.

14. The computer for a first vehicle of claim 13, wherein the computer is further programmed to receive data associated with the plurality of other vehicles from at least one of (i) sensors of the first vehicle and (ii) the detected plurality of other vehicles.

15. The computer for a first vehicle of claim 14, wherein the received data include at least one of distance, location, and speed of the plurality of other vehicles relative to the first vehicle, and the computer is further programmed to select the second vehicle based at least in part on one of the distance, location, and speed of the plurality of other vehicles.

16. The computer for a first vehicle of claim 10, wherein applying the control instruction includes instructions to actuate at least one of a brake, a powertrain, and steering.

17. The computer for a first vehicle of claim 10, further programmed to broadcast a message indicating that the first vehicle is controlled by the second vehicle.

18. A method, comprising:

detecting a fault in a first vehicle subsystem;

detecting a second vehicle in a first vehicle sensing area of the first vehicle;

transmitting a message indicating the detected fault to the second vehicle; and

receiving, in the second vehicle, the message from the first vehicle indicating the fault;

expanding an area of control beyond second vehicle boundaries to include a first vehicle location;

providing, by the second vehicle, one or more control instructions to actuate a first vehicle actuator; and

applying a control signal specified in a reply from the second vehicle to actuate the first vehicle actuator.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising broadcasting a message, by at least one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, indicating that the first vehicle is at least partially controlled by the second vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising verifying whether a vehicle-to-vehicle communication interface of the first vehicle is operational.