Rules of the road advisor using vehicle telematics

• US 10,535,260 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MacNeille, Perry Robinson, Kowalski, David Allen, Gusikhin, Oleg Yurievitch
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US14/574,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20160180707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/14 having dimming means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/38 using immovably-mounted light sources, e.g. fixed flashing lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle may request road rules information from local jurisdiction information servers and compile the road rules information into compiled rules for a current location of the vehicle. The vehicle may also monitor system bus activity to identify occurrence of a road situation; determine whether a driving behavior is in conflict with a compiled rule corresponding to the road situation for the current location of the vehicle. When a conflict is detected, the vehicle may invoke an interaction associated with the compiled rule to address the driving behavior.

Claims

1. A system of a vehicle comprising:

a processor configured to

send, to a global jurisdiction information server, a request for addresses of a plurality of local jurisdiction information servers and associated jurisdictional boundaries;

request road rules information from the plurality of local jurisdiction information servers having associated jurisdictional boundaries including a current location of the vehicle;

compile, from a hierarchy of the road rules information, rules for the current location, such that road rules information for smaller geofence areas including the current location override road rules information for larger geofence areas including the current location;

monitor system bus activity of the vehicle to identify occurrence of a road situation for which driving rules vary by locale;

determine whether a driving behavior is in conflict with a rule for the current location corresponding to the road situation; and

when a conflict is detected, invoke an interaction associated with the compiled rule to address the driving behavior.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to at least one of:

automatically correct the driving behavior of a driver of the vehicle according to the interaction; and

prompt the driver of the vehicle, in a human-machine interface of the vehicle, to correct the driving behavior according to a response prompt of the interaction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

retrieve road rules information from at least one jurisdiction information server; and

compile the road rules information into compiled rules for the current location of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send, to a global jurisdiction information server, a request for road rules information for the location of the vehicle; and

receive, from the global jurisdiction information server, the road rules information based on collection, by the global jurisdiction information server, of road rules information from at least one local jurisdiction server overriding a road rule of the global jurisdiction information server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

customize trigger criteria of a context for execution of the interaction in accordance with the compiled rule for the current location; and

determine that the driving behavior is in conflict with the compiled rule when the system bus activity indicates that the context for execution has occurred.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the road situation includes at least one of headlights off during a time of day where the compiled rule indicates headlights should be on, headlights off when wipers are on where the compiled rule indicates headlights should be on when wipers are on, high beam headlights on with oncoming traffic nearer than allowable by the compiled rule, following distance too close than allowable by the compiled rule, performing a turn-on-red indicated as improper by the compiled rule, use of a lane indicated as being improper by the compiled rule, lack of activation of turn signals at least a distance before a turn or lane change specified by the compiled rule as improper passing according to the compiled rule, exceeding a lower speed limit for towing when towing as specified according to the compiled rule, use of a mobile device within the vehicle in contravention of the compiled rule, and lack of compliance with a boulevard yielding rule specified by the compiled rule.

7. A system comprising:

a computing device associated with a vehicle and executing a road rules application configured to;

send, to a global jurisdiction information server, a request for addresses of a plurality of local jurisdiction information servers and associated jurisdictional boundaries;

request road rules information from the plurality of local jurisdiction information servers having associated jurisdictional boundaries including a location of the vehicle;

compile the road rules information into compiled rules for the location;

identify occurrence of a road situation in which a driving behavior is in conflict with one of the compiled rules; and

invoke an interaction associated with the one of the compiled rules to address the driving behavior.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing device is further configured to execute the road rules application to:

customize trigger criteria of a context for execution of the interaction in accordance with the compiled rule for the location of the vehicle; and

determine that the driving behavior is in conflict with the compiled rule when system bus activity indicates that the context for execution has occurred.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing device is further configured to execute the road rules application to:

retrieve a second location of the vehicle;

determine that the second location of the vehicle is located in a jurisdictional boundary in which the compiled rules lack associated road rules information;

request road rules information from the plurality of local jurisdiction information servers having associated jurisdictional boundaries including the second location of the vehicle; and

recompile the road rules information into updated compiled rules for the second location.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further configured to execute the road rules application to:

identify occurrence of a road situation in which a driving behavior is in conflict with one of the updated compiled rules; and

invoke an interaction associated with the one of the updated compiled rules to address the driving behavior.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing device is further configured to compile the road rules information into compiled rules for the location such that road rules information for jurisdictional boundaries including smaller geofence areas override road rules information for jurisdictional boundaries including larger geofence areas.

11. A method comprising:

sending, to a global jurisdiction information server, a request for addresses of a plurality of local jurisdiction information servers and associated jurisdictional boundaries;

requesting road rules information from the plurality of local jurisdiction information servers having associated jurisdictional boundaries including a location of a vehicle;

compiling the road rules information into compiled rules for the current location;

determining whether a driving behavior is in conflict with a rule for the current location corresponding to an identified road situation; and

when a conflict is detected, invoking an interaction associated with the rule to address the driving behavior.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically correcting the driving behavior of a driver of the vehicle according to the interaction; and

prompting the driver of the vehicle, in a human-machine interface of the vehicle, to correct the driving behavior according to a response prompt of the interaction.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving road rules information from at least one jurisdiction information server; and

compiling the road rules information into compiled rules for the current location of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending, to a global jurisdiction information server, a request for road rules information for the location of the vehicle; and

receiving, from the global jurisdiction information server, the road rules information based on collection, by the global jurisdiction information server, of road rules information from at least one local jurisdiction server overriding a road rule of the global jurisdiction information server.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

customizing trigger criteria of a context for execution of the interaction in accordance with the compiled rule for the current location; and

determining that the driving behavior is in conflict with the compiled rule when the system bus activity indicates that the context for execution has occurred.