Systems and methods for vehicle-to-vehicle communication

• US 10,332,322 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Nix, Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/799,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20180068496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

Systems and method for vehicle-to-vehicle communication are provided. In one example, a vehicle system may include one or more sub-systems, an in-vehicle computing system, and an inter-vehicle communication system. The in-vehicle computing system may be configured to generate and/or update trust scores for the one or more sub-systems based on a functional safety classification of the one or more sub-systems. The trust scores may be transmitted to one or more other vehicles near the vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication system. The in-vehicle computing system may also receive trust scores from the one or more other vehicles. Based on the received trust scores, the in-vehicle computing system may adjust longitudinal and/or lateral control of the vehicle via one or more actuators.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

one or more sub-systems including one or more components;

an inter-vehicle communication system configured to receive and transmit information between a vehicle and one or more other vehicles;

an in-vehicle computing system including a processor and a storage device, the storage device storing functional safety classification data and instructions executable by the processor to;

determine first trust scores for the one or more sub-systems based on a functional safety classification of the sub-system, the functional safety classification based on a functional safety standard;

broadcast the first trust scores of the one or more sub-systems to the one or more other vehicles via the inter-vehicle communication systems;

receive second trust score data from a second vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication system, the second trust score data including a second trust score for one or more second sub-systems of the second vehicle, wherein the second trust score is based on the functional safety standard and indicates reliability of information or data output by each of the one or more second sub-systems; and

adjust one or more actuators of the vehicle system based on the received second trust score data, wherein adjusting the one or more actuators of the vehicle system based on the received second trust score data includes, in response to at least one of the second trust scores below a threshold, adjusting one or more drivetrain actuators to increase a distance between the vehicle and the second vehicle, and wherein the first trust scores and the second trust score have enumerated or integer values to reflect a risk classification scheme of the functional safety standard.

2. The vehicle system as in claim 1, wherein the one or more components include at least one of one or more sensors and one or more actuators within the vehicle;

and

wherein the instructions are further executable to broadcast a sub-system operation data for each of the one or more sub-systems along with the first trust score for each sub-system, the sub-system operation data including a sub-system operating status indicating an activity of the sub-system, and a sub-system operating parameter.

3. The vehicle system as in claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable to adjust one or more braking actuators of the vehicle based on the received second trust score data.

4. The vehicle system as in claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable to, responsive to determination of degradation of at least one sub-system of the one or more sub-systems, broadcast a sub-system diagnostic data of the at least one sub-system along with a diagnostic data trust score for the at least one sub-system.

5. The vehicle system as in claim 1, wherein determining the first trust scores for the one or more sub-systems based on the functional safety classification includes determining, for each of the one or more sub-systems, a component trust score for each component of sub-system, the component trust score based on a functional safety classification of each component.

6. The vehicle system as in claim 5, wherein the first trust score of a sub-system is higher than the component trust score of each of its components if two or more components are operating in parallel such that a failure of one component can be mitigated by operation of another component.

7. The vehicle system as in claim 5, wherein the first trust score of a sub-system is lower than the component trust score of each of its components if two or more components are operating in series such that a failure of either component leads to a failure of the sub-system.

8. The vehicle system as in claim 5, wherein the instructions are further executable to, when a functional safety classification of at least one component of a subsystem is not known, determine the first trust score of the sub-system based on whether the at least one component is proven in use based on a number of hours of accumulated component operation of similar components in a plurality of vehicles.

9. The vehicle system as in claim 5, wherein the one or more components further include one or more processors;

and wherein the first trust score for each of the one or more sub-systems is further based on a processor trust score of each of the one or more processors, the processor trust score of each processor based on a functional safety classification of each processor.

10. The vehicle system as in claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable to update the first trust scores for each sub-system based on a number of hours of operation of each sub-system in the vehicle and a total number of hours of operation of similar sub-systems in a plurality of vehicles.

11. The vehicle system as in claim 1, wherein the one or more sub-systems is at least one of a braking system and a drivetrain system, wherein the functional safety classification provides an indication of functional safety standards employed during development and production of the at least one of the braking system and the drivetrain system, and wherein the second vehicle is a trailing vehicle operating behind the vehicle in a same lane.

12. A vehicle system comprising:

one or more sub-systems including one or more sensors and one or more actuators;

an inter-vehicle communication system configured to receive and transmit information between a vehicle and a second vehicle;

an in-vehicle computing system including a processor and a storage device, the storage device storing a first trust score data including a first trust score for the one or more sub-systems and instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a second trust score data from the second vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication system, the second trust score data including a second trust score for one or more second sub-systems of the second vehicle; and

adjust the one or more actuators of the vehicle system based on the received second trust score data;

wherein the first trust score and the second trust score are based on functional safety classifications of the one or more sub-systems and the one or more second sub-systems respectively and wherein the first trust score and the second trust score indicate reliability of information or data output by each of the one or more sub-systems and the one or more second sub-systems, respectively,

wherein the second vehicle is a leading vehicle travelling in front of the vehicle in a same lane, and

wherein adjusting the one or more actuators of the vehicle based on the received second trust score data includes, in response to at least one of the second trust scores below a threshold, adjusting one or more braking actuators to increase a distance between the vehicle and the second vehicle.

13. The vehicle system as in claim 12, wherein the instructions are further executable to transmit the first trust score data via the inter-vehicle communication system, transmit a first sub-system operation data including a first sub-system operating status, a first sub-system operating parameter, and a first sub-system diagnostic status of each of the one or more sub-systems to the second vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication system;

and receive a second sub-system operation data, the second sub-system operation data including a second sub-system operating status, a second sub-system operating parameter, and a second sub-system diagnostic status of each of the one or more second sub-systems from the second vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication system.

14. The vehicle system as in claim 12, wherein the inter-vehicle communication system is further configured to receive and transmit information between the vehicle and a third vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in an adjacent lane;

and wherein the instructions are further executable to;

receive a third trust score data from the third vehicle, the third trust score data including a third trust score for each of one or more sub-systems of the third vehicle;

compare the second trust score of each sub-system of a first subset of the sub-systems of the second vehicle with the third trust score of each sub-system of a second subset of the sub-systems of the third vehicle, the second subset corresponding to the first subset; and

adjust one or more actuators of the vehicle based on the comparison.

15. The vehicle system as in claim 14, wherein the vehicle is developed by a first manufacturer, the second vehicle is developed by a second manufacturer, and the third vehicle is developed by a third manufacturer, the first manufacturer different from the second manufacturer and the third manufacturer different from the first and the second manufacturers.

16. A method for an advanced driver assistance system for a vehicle, comprising:

receiving a trust score data from a leading vehicle operating in a same lane as the vehicle, the trust score data including a first trust score for a first sub-system of the leading vehicle;

during a first condition when the first trust score is greater than a threshold, adjusting one or more actuators of the vehicle to maintain a first threshold separation between the vehicle and the leading vehicle; and

during a second condition when the first trust score is less than the threshold, adjusting the one or more actuators of the vehicle to maintain a second threshold separation between the vehicle and the leading vehicle;

wherein the first trust score is based on a certified functional safety classification of the first sub-system reflecting an automotive safety integrity level of the first sub-system according to a predefined standard; and

wherein the first threshold separation is shorter than the second threshold separation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first trust score remains unchanged over a life of the leading vehicle.