Selective remote control of ADAS functionality of vehicle

• US 10,203,699 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2018
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, BaekGyu, Lin, Chung-Wei, Shiraishi, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US15/942,392
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0285 using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

An example method broadcasts a first message to a vehicle entering a coverage area of an access point proximate a roadway, and receives a response from the vehicle under local advanced drive assistance system (ADAS) control within the coverage area. The method determines, based on the ADAS capability of the vehicle, whether to assume a first remote ADAS control of the vehicle by a remote ADAS controller communicating with the vehicle via the access point. In response to determining to assume the first remote ADAS control, the method requests override permission for the first remote ADAS control from a local ADAS controller of the vehicle, receives an override confirmation from the local ADAS controller permitting the first remote ADAS control within the coverage area of the access point, and responsive to receive the override confirmation, provides a first remote ADAS control instruction to the local ADAS controller of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

broadcasting a first message to a vehicle entering a coverage area of an access point proximate a roadway;

receiving a response from the vehicle under local advanced drive assistance system (ADAS) control within the coverage area, the response reflecting an ADAS capability of the vehicle;

determining, based on the ADAS capability of the vehicle, whether to assume a first remote ADAS control of the vehicle by a remote ADAS controller communicating with the vehicle via the access point;

in response to determining to assume the first remote ADAS control, requesting override permission for the first remote ADAS control from a local ADAS controller of the vehicle;

receiving an override confirmation from the local ADAS controller permitting the first remote ADAS control within the coverage area of the access point; and

responsive to receiving the override confirmation, providing a first remote ADAS control instruction to the local ADAS controller of the vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeatedly, while the vehicle is located in the coverage area;

receiving real-time vehicle information reflecting one or more dynamics of the vehicle;

evaluating the one or more dynamics of the vehicle relative to dynamic information of other vehicles in the coverage area to determine a subsequent remote ADAS control instruction for controlling the ADAS capability of the vehicle; and

transmitting the subsequent remote ADAS control instruction via the access point to the vehicle for controlling the ADAS capability of the vehicle based on the subsequent remote ADAS control instruction.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle is leaving the coverage area; and

terminating the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

broadcasting a second message to the vehicle entering a subsequent coverage area of a subsequent access point proximate the roadway;

receiving an ADAS capability of the vehicle at the subsequent access point; and

determining, based on one or more of the ADAS capability of the vehicle, computing resources of the subsequent access point, and a characteristic of a connection between the vehicle and the subsequent access point, not to assume remote ADAS control of the vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to assume the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle includes:

receiving from the local ADAS controller data specifying a local driving objective for driving the vehicle in the coverage area;

determining a remote driving objective for the vehicle; and

determining whether to assume the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle based on the local driving objective and the remote driving objective.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing the first remote ADAS control instruction to the local ADAS controller of the vehicle includes:

receiving real-time vehicle information describing one or more dynamics of the vehicle from the local ADAS controller of the vehicle; and

generating the first remote ADAS control instruction based on the one or more dynamics of the vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the real-time vehicle information describing the one or more dynamics of the vehicle includes one or more of a speed, a position, and a steering angle of the vehicle.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from a vehicle management cloud service, updated map data for the coverage area of the access point, wherein the first remote ADAS control instruction is further generated based on the updated map data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the ADAS capability of the vehicle, whether to assume the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle by the remote ADAS controller communicating with the vehicle via the access point includes:

analyzing one or more signal characteristics of a data connection between the vehicle and the access point;

determining that the data connection between the vehicle and the access points is sufficient for the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle; and

determining to assume the first remote ADAS control based on the determining that the data connection between the vehicle and the access point is sufficient.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein requesting the override permission for the first remote ADAS control from the local ADAS controller of the vehicle includes providing to the local ADAS controller a cost for the remote ADAS control, and wherein receiving the override confirmation from the local ADAS controller includes receiving an acceptance of the cost from the local ADAS controller.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a local ADAS controller of a vehicle, a first broadcast message from an access point proximate a roadway, the first broadcast message informing the vehicle that the vehicle is present in a coverage area of the access point;

sending an ADAS profile of the vehicle to the access point, the ADAS profile specifying an ADAS capability of the vehicle;

receiving, from the access point, an override request requesting a first remote ADAS control of the vehicle by a remote ADAS controller;

providing, to the remote ADAS controller via the access point, an override confirmation providing permission to the remote ADAS controller to assume the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle; and

repeatedly, while the vehicle is located in the coverage area;

determining real-time vehicle information reflecting one or more dynamics of the vehicle;

transmitting the real-time vehicle information to the access point for processing by the remote ADAS controller;

receiving a remote ADAS control instruction for controlling the ADAS capability of the vehicle; and

controlling the ADAS capability of the vehicle based on the remote ADAS control instruction.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring the presence of the vehicle in the coverage area of the access point as the vehicle drives through the coverage area;

detecting that the vehicle is leaving the coverage area of the access point; and

transferring control of the ADAS capability from the remote ADAS controller to the local ADAS controller.

13. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

broadcasting a first message to a vehicle entering a coverage area of an access point proximate a roadway;

receiving a response from the vehicle under local advanced drive assistance system (ADAS) control within the coverage area, the response reflecting an ADAS capability of the vehicle;

determining, based on the ADAS capability of the vehicle, whether to assume a first remote ADAS control of the vehicle by a remote ADAS controller communicating with the vehicle via the access point;

in response to determining to assume the first remote ADAS control, requesting override permission for the first remote ADAS control from a local ADAS controller of the vehicle;

receiving an override confirmation from the local ADAS controller permitting the first remote ADAS control within the coverage area of the access point; and

responsive to receiving the override confirmation, providing a first remote ADAS control instruction to the local ADAS controller of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

repeatedly, while the vehicle is located in the coverage area;

receiving real-time vehicle information reflecting one or more dynamics of the vehicle;

evaluating the one or more dynamics of the vehicle relative to dynamic information of other vehicles in the coverage area to determine a subsequent remote ADAS control instruction for controlling the ADAS capability of the vehicle; and

transmitting the subsequent remote ADAS control instruction via the access point to the vehicle for controlling the ADAS capability of the vehicle based on the subsequent remote ADAS control instruction.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the vehicle is leaving the coverage area; and

terminating the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

broadcasting a second message to the vehicle entering a subsequent coverage area of a subsequent access point proximate the roadway;

receiving an ADAS capability of the vehicle at the subsequent access point; and

determining, based on one or more of the ADAS capability of the vehicle, computing resources of the subsequent access point, and a characteristic of a connection between the vehicle and the subsequent access point, not to assume remote ADAS control of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein determining whether to assume the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle includes:

receiving from the local ADAS controller specifying a local driving objective for driving the vehicle in the coverage area;

determining a remote driving objective for the vehicle; and

determining whether to assume the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle based on the local driving objective and the remote driving objective.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein providing the first remote ADAS control instruction to the local ADAS controller of the vehicle includes:

receiving real-time vehicle information describing one or more dynamics of the vehicle from the local ADAS controller of the vehicle; and

generating the first remote ADAS control instruction based on the one or more dynamics of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the real-time vehicle information describing the one or more dynamics of vehicle includes one or more of a speed, a position, and a steering angle of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from a vehicle management cloud service, updated map data for the coverage area of the access point, wherein the first remote ADAS control instruction is further generated based on the updated map data.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein determining, based on the ADAS capability of the vehicle, whether to assume the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle by the remote ADAS controller communicating with the vehicle via the access point includes:

analyzing one or more signal characteristics of a data connection between the vehicle and the access point;

determining that the data connection between the vehicle and the access points is sufficient for the first remote ADAS control of the vehicle; and

determining to assume the first remote ADAS control based on the determining that the data connection between the vehicle and the access point is sufficient.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein requesting the override permission for the first remote ADAS control from the local ADAS controller of the vehicle includes providing to the local ADAS controller a cost for the remote ADAS control, and wherein receiving the override confirmation from the local ADAS controller includes receiving an acceptance of the cost from the local ADAS controller.