METHOD FOR THE AUTONOMOUS OR PARTLY AUTONOMOUS EXECUTION OF A COOPERATIVE DRIVING MANEUVER

• US 20170291608A1
• Filed: 04/11/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: ENGEL, Monique, RECH, Bernd, GLSER, Stefan, BUBURUZAN, Teodor, LEHMANN, Bernd, KLEINAU, Sandra, GNTHER, Hendrik-Jrn, HARTOG, Johannes
• Granted Patent: US 11,180,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4046 Behavior, e.g. aggressive or erratic
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00274 considering possible movement changes
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• 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 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for autonomously or semi-autonomously carrying out a cooperative driving maneuver and a vehicle. Provision is made for a maneuvering vehicle which plans the execution of a driving maneuver to determine a maneuvering area of a road in which the driving maneuver is potentially executed, to communicate with one or more vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication to detect one or more cooperation vehicles which will presumably be inside the maneuvering area during the execution of the driving maneuver, and to adapt its own driving behavior to the presumable driving behavior of the one or more cooperation vehicles to execute the planned driving maneuver. The disclosure provides a possibility which, by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, allows vehicles for jointly carrying out a cooperative driving maneuver to be identified and then allows the cooperative driving maneuver to be executed.

Claims

1. A method for autonomously or semi-autonomously carrying out a cooperative driving maneuver, wherein a maneuvering vehicle, which plans the execution of a driving maneuver, executes the following operations:

determining a maneuvering area of a road in which the driving maneuver is potentially executed;

communicating with one or more vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, filtering taking place according to vehicles which are relevant to carrying out the planned driving maneuver to detect one or more cooperation vehicles which will presumably be inside the maneuvering area during the execution of the driving maneuver; and

adapting the maneuvering vehicle'"'"'s own driving behavior to the presumable driving behavior of the one or more cooperation vehicles to execute the planned driving maneuver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the maneuvering vehicle determines an approach period in which the maneuvering vehicle will presumably reach the maneuvering area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the maneuvering vehicle executes at least one of the following operations to detect the one or more cooperation vehicles:

determining the message formats of the messages received via vehicle-to-vehicle communication;

determining one or more potential cooperation vehicles based on the message format transmitted by these vehicles;

determining approach areas of the road, from which the maneuvering area is theoretically reached within the approach period;

determining one or more potential cooperation vehicles which are in the approach areas by the data received via vehicle-to-vehicle communication,

predicting the driving behavior of each potential cooperation vehicle by the data received via vehicle-to-vehicle communication;

predicting its own driving behavior; and

comparing the predicted driving behavior of the one or more potential cooperation vehicles with the maneuvering vehicle'"'"'s own predicted driving behavior to determine one or the plurality of cooperation vehicles.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the maneuvering vehicle continuously detects and evaluates the development of free areas between vehicles and, for this purpose, executes one, a plurality or all of the following operations:

determining the minimum size of a free area for carrying out the driving maneuver, the vehicle dimensions of the maneuvering vehicle and/or a safety distance;

comparing the size of the detected free areas with the determined minimum size; and

selecting a suitable free area which will presumably be inside the maneuvering area during the planned execution of the maneuver and will have at least the minimum size for executing the driving maneuver.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the adaptation of the driving behavior of the maneuvering vehicle to the presumable driving behavior of the one or more cooperation vehicles comprises the following operations:

adapting the trajectory of the maneuvering vehicle to reach the selected free area in response to the latter being inside the maneuvering area, the executability being cyclically checked as the free area is approached.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising the following operations:

determining a maneuvering area of a road in which a driving maneuver of a vehicle is expected;

communicating between the cooperation vehicle and one or more vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication to detect a maneuvering vehicle which plans the execution of a driving maneuver and will presumably be inside the maneuvering area during the execution of the driving maneuver; and

adapting the driving behavior of the cooperation vehicle to the presumable driving behavior of the maneuvering vehicle to assist with the planned driving maneuver of the maneuvering vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the cooperation vehicle determines the maneuvering area and/or an approach period in which it will presumably reach the maneuvering area.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the cooperation vehicle executes at least one of the following operations to detect the maneuvering vehicle:

determining the message formats of the messages received via vehicle-to-vehicle communication;

determining one or more potential maneuvering vehicles based on the message format transmitted by these vehicles;

determining approach areas of the road, from which the maneuvering area is theoretically reached within the approach period;

determining one or more potential maneuvering vehicles which are in the approach areas by the data received via vehicle-to-vehicle communication;

predicting the driving behavior of each potential maneuvering vehicle by the data received via vehicle-to-vehicle communication;

predicting its own driving behavior; and

comparing the predicted driving behavior of the one or more potential maneuvering vehicles with the maneuvering vehicle'"'"'s own predicted driving behavior to determine one or more maneuvering vehicles.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the adaptation of the driving behavior of the cooperation vehicle to the presumable driving behavior of the maneuvering vehicle comprises the following operations:

adapting the trajectory of the cooperation vehicle to enlarge a free area in which the driving maneuver of the maneuvering vehicle is executed inside the maneuvering area.

10. A vehicle, comprising:

a communication device for communicating with other vehicles by vehicle-to-vehicle communication; and

a control device for autonomously or semi-autonomously carrying out a driving maneuver,

the vehicle being configured to, as operate as a maneuvering vehicle and/or as a cooperation vehicle, autonomously or semi-autonomously carrying out a cooperative driving maneuver, wherein a maneuvering vehicle, which plans the execution of a driving maneuver, executes the following operations;

determining a maneuvering area of a road in which the driving maneuver is potentially executed;

communicating with one or more vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, filtering taking place according to vehicles which are relevant to carrying out the planned driving maneuver to detect one or more cooperation vehicles which will presumably be inside the maneuvering area during the execution of the driving maneuver; and

adapting the maneuvering vehicle'"'"'s own driving behavior to the presumable driving behavior of the one or more cooperation vehicles to execute the planned driving maneuver.