Apparatus, method and computer program for controlling a vehicle

• US 10,532,744 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Tuukkanen, Marko, Aarnio, Ari, Beaurepaire, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/105,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20160320193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: 701117, 701301, 701 28, 701 22, 701 70, 701 23, 701400, 701 27, 701 3, 701 45
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• 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 2900/00 Indexing codes relating to the purpose of, or problem solved of road vehicle drive control systems not otherwise provided for in groups B60W30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0015 specially adapted for safety
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 : for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

An apparatus, method and computer program wherein the apparatus comprises: processing circuitry; and memory circuitry including computer program code; the memory circuitry and the computer program code configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus at least to perform: obtaining information from at least one sensor wherein the information comprises a current location of a vehicle; using the obtained information to determine an autonomous evacuation strategy for the vehicle; and enabling the vehicle to access the autonomous evacuation strategy when an emergency is detected.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry; and

memory circuitry including computer program code;

the memory circuitry and the computer program code configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

obtaining information from at least one sensor wherein the information comprises a current location of a vehicle;

receiving an indication of an emergency;

obtaining information regarding a route of emergency responders responding to the emergency;

using the obtained information regarding the current location of the vehicle and the route of emergency responders to determine an autonomous evacuation strategy for the vehicle, wherein the autonomous evacuation strategy comprises a destination parking location determined to be familiar to a user of the vehicle based on one or more previous routes taken by the vehicle and determined to have available capacity;

enabling the vehicle to access the autonomous evacuation strategy including a route of the autonomous evacuation strategy in response to detecting the emergency; and

at least partially autonomously controlling the vehicle to proceed along the route of the autonomous evacuation strategy from the current location of the vehicle to the destination parking location,

wherein obtaining information from the at least one sensor further comprises gathering information during the one or more previous routes taken by the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein obtaining information comprises obtaining information from at least one remote server.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the information obtained from the at least one remote server comprises one or more of map information and information personal to a user of the vehicle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the information obtained from the at least one sensor is analysed to define at least one of a type of emergency, a critical level of emergency.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to enable the autonomous evacuation strategy to be implemented in response to receiving an indication of an emergency without any input from a user.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to enable a user to remotely change the evacuation strategy.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the determined evacuation strategy comprises one or more of moving the vehicle away from the detected emergency and a route for the vehicle away from the current location of the vehicle.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the obtained information regarding a route of emergency responders responding to the emergency comprises current traffic information.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the evacuation strategy is determined by one or more of in response to receiving the indication of the emergency and at least partially determined before receiving the indication of the emergency.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory circuitry and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to enable the vehicle to communicate with at least one other vehicle to determine an autonomous evacuation strategy for the vehicles.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory circuitry and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to enable the vehicle to communicate with at least one other vehicle to implement an autonomous evacuation strategy for the vehicles.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone further comprising:

user interface circuitry and user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display and configured to respond to user input; and

a display and display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone, the display and display circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein using the obtained information regarding the current location of the vehicle and the route of emergency responders to determine an autonomous evacuation strategy for the vehicle comprises determining an autonomous evacuation strategy that avoids the route of emergency responders responding to the detected emergency.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the delay is based on allowing other vehicles proceed along the route of the autonomous evacuation strategy ahead of the vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is moved autonomously to the parking location.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein upon arrival to the parking space by the vehicle, a notification is sent to the user to indicate the parking location.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive an indication from a parking facility regarding available capacity at the parking facility.

18. A method comprising:

obtaining information from at least one sensor wherein the information comprises a current location of a vehicle;

receiving an indication of an emergency;

obtaining information regarding a route of emergency responders responding to the emergency;

using the obtained information regarding the current location of the vehicle and the route of emergency responders to determine an autonomous evacuation strategy for the vehicle, wherein the autonomous evacuation strategy comprises a destination parking location determined to be familiar to a user of the vehicle based on one or more previous routes taken by the vehicle and determined to have available capacity;

enabling the vehicle to access the autonomous evacuation strategy including a route of the autonomous evacuation strategy in response to detecting the emergency; and

at least partially autonomously controlling the vehicle to proceed along the route of the autonomous evacuation strategy from the current location of the vehicle to the destination parking location,

wherein obtaining information from the at least one sensor further comprises gathering information during the one or more previous routes taken by the vehicle.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium including one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform at least a method comprising:

obtaining information from at least one sensor wherein the information comprises a current location of a vehicle;

receiving an indication of an emergency;

obtaining information regarding a route of emergency responders responding to the emergency;

using the obtained information regarding the current location of the vehicle and the route of emergency responders to determine an autonomous evacuation strategy for the vehicle, wherein the autonomous evacuation strategy comprises a destination parking location determined to be familiar to a user of the vehicle based on one or more previous routes taken by the vehicle and determined to have available capacity;

enabling the vehicle to access the autonomous evacuation strategy including a route of the autonomous evacuation strategy in response to detecting the emergency; and

at least partially autonomously controlling the vehicle to proceed along the route of the autonomous evacuation strategy from the current location of the vehicle to the destination parking location,

wherein obtaining information from the at least one sensor further comprises gathering information during the one or more previous routes taken by the vehicle.