VEHICLE ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS AND METHODS UTILIZING VEHICLE TO VEHICLE COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20170178498A1
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Mcerlean, Donal
• Granted Patent: US 9,922,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/177 Augmented reality
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/48 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5915 Inter vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/285 for improving awareness by directing driver's gaze direction or eye points
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Methods, systems, and storage media are described for assisting the operation of a first vehicle. In embodiments, a computing device of the first vehicle may obtain first sensor data from a first sensor of the first vehicle. The first sensor data may be representative of a second vehicle proximate to the first vehicle. The computing device may determine a first position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle; initiate a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the second vehicle; receive second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session; and determine a second position based on the second sensor data. The second position may be a position of the second vehicle relative to a third vehicle. The computing device may display an image of the third vehicle on a display device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims

1. A computing device for assisting a first vehicle, the computing device comprising:

device interface circuitry to obtain first sensor data from a sensor in or on the first vehicle, wherein the first sensor data is representative of a second vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; and

a detection module to be operated by at least one processor, the detection module to obtain the first sensor data from the device interface circuitry;

determine based on the first sensor data, a position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle;

in response to a determination of the position, initiate a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the second vehicle; and

receive second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the detection module is to poll, on a periodic basis, the sensor via the device interface circuitry to obtain the first sensor data.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the detection module is to determine, based on the position, whether the second vehicle is within a threshold distance from the first vehicle.

4. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the detection module is to dynamically adjust the threshold distance based on a size of the second vehicle and a field of view of the sensor.

5. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the detection module is to determine whether the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for a desired period of time, and detection module is to initiate the V2V communications session when the detection module determines that the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for the desired period of time.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and the second sensor data is to be captured by a second sensor on or in the second vehicle, and wherein the second sensor data are raw data captured by the second sensor.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a first sensor and the position is a first position, and wherein the detection module is to obtain the second sensor data from a second sensor on or in the second vehicle or obtain position data based on a second position of a third vehicle relative to the second vehicle derived based on the second sensor data, and the computing device further comprises:

an image generator, to be operated by the at least one processor, the image generator to obtain the second sensor data or the position data associated with the second position of the third vehicle, and generate one or more images based on the second sensor data or the position data associated with the second position of the third vehicle; and

a display module, to be operated by the at least one processor, the display module to provide the one or more images to be displayed in a display device of the first vehicle.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the display device is a head-up display (HUD) integrated into a windshield of the first vehicle.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the first sensor is arranged in the first vehicle such that a field of view of the first sensor is in front of the first vehicle, and the second sensor is arranged in the second vehicle such that a field of view of the second sensor is in front of the second vehicle.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the device interface module is to obtain the first sensor data from the first sensor during operation of the first vehicle.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the second sensor data is representative of at least the third vehicle to be detected by the second sensor, and wherein on receipt of the second sensor data, the detection module is to determine, based on the second sensor data, the second position of the third vehicle relative to the second vehicle, and the detection module is to further determine, based on the second position, a third position wherein the third position is a position of the third vehicle relative to the first vehicle.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein to determine the third position the detection module is to combine the first position with the second position.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein to generate the one or more images, the image generator is to generate an image representative of the third vehicle, and the display module is to map the third position to a corresponding region of the display device such that the image representative of the third vehicle is to be displayed in the corresponding region.

14. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle includes the computing device, the first sensor, radio frequency (RF) circuitry, and baseband circuitry, wherein the baseband circuitry is coupled with the RF circuitry to initiate the V2V communications session with the second vehicle, and receive the second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session.

15. At least one computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device associated with a first vehicle, cause the computing device to:

obtain first sensor data from a sensor on or in the first vehicle, wherein the first sensor data is representative of a second vehicle proximate to the first vehicle;

determine based on the first sensor data, a first position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle;

initiate a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the second vehicle;

receive second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session;

determine a second position based on the second sensor data, wherein the second position is a position of the second vehicle relative to a third vehicle detected by a second sensor of the second vehicle; and

display an image representative of the third vehicle on a display device associated with the computing device.

16. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to poll the sensor on a periodic basis to obtain the first sensor data.

17. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to:

determine, based on the first position, whether the second vehicle is within a threshold distance from the first vehicle.

18. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to dynamically adjust the threshold distance based on a size of the second vehicle and a field of view of the sensor.

19. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to:

determine whether the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for a desired period of time, and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to initiate the V2V communications session when the second vehicle is determined to be within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for the desired period of time.

20. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second sensor data is raw sensor data captured by a second sensor on or in the second vehicle.

21. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second sensor data is representative of at least a third vehicle to be detected by the second sensor, and the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to:

determine, based on the second position, a third position wherein the third position is a position of the third vehicle relative to the first vehicle, and wherein to determine the third position, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to combine the first position with the second position.

22. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein to display the image, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to map the third position to a corresponding region of a display device such that the image representative of the third vehicle is to be displayed in the corresponding region.

23. A method for assisting a first vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a computing device, sensor data from a sensor associated with a second vehicle, wherein the sensor data is representative of a third vehicle that is to approach the second vehicle in an opposite direction of travel; and

providing, by the computing device, the sensor data or position data associated with the position of the third vehicle to the first vehicle during a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the first vehicle.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a message that is to initiate the V2V communications session between the second vehicle and the first vehicle; and

providing, by the computing device, the sensor data to the first vehicle in response to receipt of the message.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first vehicle is to travel in a same direction of travel as the second vehicle and the second vehicle is to travel in front of the first vehicle.