VEHICLE LANE DETERMINATION

• US 20140257686A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: FELDMAN, DMITRIY, NICKOLAOU, JAMES N., O'DEA, KEVIN A.
• Application Number:
  US13/785,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20140257686A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/081 using distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/042 by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/50 Barriers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4042 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4043 Lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 : Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for making lane determinations as to a roadway on which the vehicle is travelling. A determination is made as to a lane of a roadway in which a vehicle is travelling. An identification is made as to an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is travelling. An assessment is made as to a drivability of the adjacent lane.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a lane of a roadway in which a vehicle is travelling;

identifying an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is travelling; and

assessing a drivability of the adjacent lane using a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a lateral displacement of a vehicle while the vehicle is travelling along a roadway;

wherein the step of determining the lane comprises determining the lane using the lateral displacement.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the lateral displacement comprises determining a relative lateral displacement of the vehicle with respect to a lane marker on the roadway using data from a camera of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the lane comprises making a first determination as to the lane based at least in part on the lateral displacement, and the method further comprises:

making a second determination as to within which of the lanes the vehicle is travelling based at least in part on radar, laser or ultrasound data pertaining to an edge or a guard rail of the roadway; and

comparing the first determination with the second determination.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the lane comprises making a first determination as to the lane based at least in part on the lateral displacement, and the method further comprises:

making a second determination as to the lane based at least in part on map data from a map of the roadway or from a global positioning system (GPS) device; and

comparing the first determination with the second determination.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an entrance for the roadway is on a right side or a left side of the vehicle;

wherein the step of determining the lane comprises determining the lane based at least in part on the entrance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assessing the drivability of the adjacent lane comprises:

determining one or more physical characteristics of a lane marker for the adjacent lane using data from a camera or a Lidar device of the vehicle; and

determining a likelihood that the adjacent lane is suitable for travel in the same direction in which the vehicle is travelling using the one or more physical characteristics.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining one or more physical characteristics comprises determining whether the lane marker comprises a dashed line versus a solid line, a width of the lane marker, or both.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining one or more physical characteristics comprises determining a color of the lane marker, a width of the lane marker, or both.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assessing the drivability of the adjacent lane comprises:

determining one or more physical characteristics of known structures of the roadway, the known structures comprising one or more of a guard rail, a pole, a pole, a median, a light, a barrier, or a sign post; and

determining a likelihood that the adjacent lane is suitable for travel in the same direction in which the vehicle is travelling using the one or more physical characteristics.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking movement or non-movement of a second vehicle driven in the adjacent lane that is adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is travelling; and

determining a likelihood that the adjacent lane is suitable for travel in the same direction based at least in part of the tracking.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

estimating a trajectory of the second vehicle; and

predicting drivability for the adjacent lane forward of a current position of the vehicle by comparing a known curvature of the adjacent lane using map data and the expected trajectory of the second vehicle.

13. A system comprising:

a sensing unit configured to obtain sensing unit data; and

a processor coupled to the sensing unit and configured to, using the sensing unit data;

determine a lane of a roadway in which a vehicle is travelling;

identify an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is travelling; and

assess a drivability of the adjacent lane.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the sensing unit is configured to obtain sensing unit data pertaining to a lateral displacement of the vehicle; and

the processor is configured to determine the lane using the lateral displacement.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to:

make a first determination as to the lane based at least in part on the lateral displacement;

make a second determination as to within which of the lanes the vehicle is travelling based at least in part on radar, laser or ultrasound data pertaining to an edge or a guard rail of the roadway; and

compare the first determination with the second determination.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to:

make a first determination as to the lane based at least in part on the lateral displacement;

make a second determination as to the lane based at least in part on map data from a map of the roadway or from a global positioning system (GPS) device; and

compare the first determination with the second determination.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine one or more physical characteristics of a lane marker for the adjacent lane using camera data from a camera of the vehicle; and

determine a likelihood that the adjacent lane is suitable for travel in the same direction in which the vehicle is travelling using the one or more physical characteristics.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine one or more physical characteristics of known structures of the roadway using the sensing unit data, the known structures comprising one or more of a guard rail, a pole, a pole, a median, a light, a barrier, or a sign post; and

determine a likelihood that the adjacent lane is suitable for travel in the same direction in which the vehicle is travelling using the one or more physical characteristics.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

track movement or non-movement of a second vehicle driven in the adjacent lane that is adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is travelling using the sensing unit data; and

determine a likelihood that the adjacent lane is suitable for travel in the same direction based at least in part of the tracking.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

estimate a trajectory of the second vehicle; and

predict drivability for the adjacent lane forward of a current position of the vehicle by comparing a known curvature of the adjacent lane using map data and the expected trajectory of the second vehicle.