Driving ratings for leading or following vehicle selection

• US 10,239,527 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2016
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hada, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutchinson, Alan D
• Application Number:
  US15/052,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20170243504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

Driving rating information for other vehicles in an external environment of a vehicle can be provided. The external environment of the vehicle can be sensed to detect the other vehicles. Driving rating information for the other vehicles can be received, such as directly from the other vehicles or from a remote driving ratings source. The driving rating information for the other vehicles can be presented within the vehicle. Based on such driving rating information, a vehicle occupant can decide whether or not to lead or follow a particular vehicle in the external environment. If a selection of one of the identified one or more vehicles is received from a vehicle occupant, the vehicle can be caused to implement one or more driving maneuvers relative to the selected vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of providing driving ratings for a sensing vehicle, the method comprising:

sensing an external environment of the sensing vehicle to detect one or more nearby vehicles therein;

receiving driving rating information for each nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles, the driving rating information received for a nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles including one or more previous driving ratings for the nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles, wherein each of the one or more previous driving ratings for the nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles was generated by a vehicle that was previously either followed or led by the nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles; and

presenting within the sensing vehicle the driving rating information and an identifier for the one or more nearby vehicles, the driving rating information being associated with a respective identifier for the one or more nearby vehicles, the driving rating information including a driving rating score based at least partially on an average of the one or more previous driving ratings for the one or more nearby vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving rating information received for a nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles includes preferences of a driver of the nearby vehicle regarding one or both of being followed by the sensing vehicle or being led by the sensing vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving driving rating information for the one or more nearby vehicles includes receiving the driving rating information directly from the one or more nearby vehicles.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving driving rating information for the one or more nearby vehicles includes receiving from the driving rating information from a remote rating server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting within the sensing vehicle the driving rating information for the one or more nearby vehicles includes visually presenting on a display within the sensing vehicle the driving rating information for the one or more nearby vehicles.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

receiving from a sensing vehicle occupant a selected vehicle of the one of the one or more nearby vehicles, and

causing the sensing vehicle to implement one or more driving maneuvers relative to the selected vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sensing the external environment of the sensing vehicle to detect one or more nearby vehicles therein includes sensing the external environment of the sensing vehicle to detect one or more leading vehicles therein, and wherein causing the sensing vehicle to implement one or more driving maneuvers relative to the selected vehicle includes causing the sensing vehicle to follow the selected vehicle, and wherein the one or more driving maneuvers relate to following the selected vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein sensing the external environment of the sensing vehicle to detect one or more nearby vehicles therein includes sensing the external environment of the sensing vehicle to detect one or more following vehicles therein, and wherein causing the sensing vehicle to implement one or more driving maneuvers relative to the selected vehicle includes causing the sensing vehicle to lead the selected vehicle, and wherein the one or more driving maneuvers relate to leading the selected vehicle.

9. The method of claim 6, further including:

determining a driving rating for the selected vehicle; and

sending the determined driving rating for the selected vehicle to a driving rating information source.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein one or more driving maneuvers includes following or leading the selected vehicle, and further including:

if the driving rating of the selected vehicle is above a predetermined driving rating threshold, set a predetermined minimum distance between the sensing vehicle and the selected vehicle at a first distance; and

if the driving rating of the selected vehicle is below a predetermined driving rating threshold, set a predetermined minimum distance between the sensing vehicle and the selected vehicle at a second distance, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

11. The method of claim 1, further including:

receiving a request for driving rating information for the sensing vehicle from a requesting vehicle in the external environment; and

sending the driving rating information for the sensing vehicle to the requesting vehicle, wherein the driving rating information includes preferences of a driver of the sensing vehicle related to being followed by the requesting vehicle or being led by the requesting vehicle.

12. A driving rating system for a sensing vehicle, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to sense an external environment of the sensing vehicle to detect one or more nearby vehicles located therein; and

a processor operatively connected to one or more sensors, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising;

receiving driving rating information for each nearby vehicle the one or more nearby vehicles, the driving rating information received for a nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles including one or more previous driving ratings for the nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles, wherein each of the one or more previous driving ratings for the nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles was generated by a vehicle that was previously either followed or led by the nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles; and

presenting within the sensing vehicle the driving rating information and an identifier for the one or more vehicles, the driving rating information being associated with a respective identifier for the one or more nearby vehicles, the driving rating information including a driving rating score based at least partially on an average of the one or more previous driving ratings for the one or more nearby vehicles.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the driving rating information received for a nearby vehicle of the one or more nearby vehicles includes preferences of a driver of the nearby vehicle regarding one or both of being followed by the sensing vehicle or being led by the sensing vehicle.

14. The system of claim 12, further including a display operatively connected to the processor, wherein presenting within the sensing vehicle the driving rating information for the one or more nearby vehicles includes visually presenting on a display within the sensing vehicle the driving rating information for the one or more nearby vehicles.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the executable operations further include:

receiving from a sensing vehicle occupant a selection of one of the identified one or more nearby vehicles, and

causing the sensing vehicle to implement one or more driving maneuvers relative to the selected vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein sensing the external environment of the sensing vehicle to detect one or more nearby vehicles therein includes sensing the external environment of the sensing vehicle to detect one or more leading vehicles therein, and wherein causing the sensing vehicle to implement one or more driving maneuvers relative to the selected vehicle includes causing the sensing vehicle to follow the selected vehicle, and wherein the one or more driving maneuvers relate to following the selected vehicle.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein sensing the external environment of the sensing vehicle to detect one or more nearby vehicles therein includes sensing the external environment of the sensing vehicle to detect one or more following vehicles therein, and wherein causing the sensing vehicle to implement one or more driving maneuvers relative to the selected vehicle includes causing the sensing vehicle to lead the selected vehicle, and wherein the one or more driving maneuvers relate to leading the selected vehicle.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the executable operations further include:

determining a driving rating for the selected vehicle; and

sending the determined driving rating for the selected vehicle to a driving rating information source.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein one or more driving maneuvers includes following or leading the selected vehicle, and wherein the executable operations further include:

if the driving rating of the selected vehicle is above a predetermined driving rating threshold, set a predetermined minimum distance between the sensing vehicle and the selected vehicle at a first distance; and

if the driving rating of the selected vehicle is below a predetermined driving rating threshold, set a predetermined minimum distance between the sensing vehicle and the selected vehicle at a second distance, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the executable operations further include:

receiving a request for a driving rating of the vehicle from a requesting vehicle in the external environment; and

sending the driving rating for the sensing vehicle to the requesting vehicle, wherein the driving rating information includes preferences of a driver of the sensing vehicle related to being followed by the requesting vehicle or being led by the requesting vehicle.