Affecting Functions of a Vehicle Based on Function-Related Information about its Environment

• US 20180004206A1
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motional AD, LLC (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: nuTonomy, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Iagnemma, Karl, Qin, Baoxing, Robbel, Philipp
• Granted Patent: US 10,829,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• 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 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4026 Cycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• 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 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 : Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Among other things, information is received that identifies or defines a function-related feature of an environment of a vehicle. Function-related information is generated that corresponds to the function-related feature.

Claims

1. A method comprising

receiving information that identifies or defines a function-related feature of an environment of a vehicle, and

generating function-related information that corresponds to the function-related feature.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the information is received from an automated process.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the information is received from a user interacting with a user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the information is received from a combination of an automated process and a user interacting with a user interface.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the function-related information comprises a location that corresponds to the function-related feature.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the function-related feature comprises a geographic region that corresponds to the function-related feature.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the function-related feature comprises a road feature.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the information is received while the vehicle is traveling in the vicinity of the function-related feature.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising storing the generated function-related information in a database.

10. The method of claim 1 in which the database comprises a road network information database that includes information about road segments.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising feeding the function-related information through a communication network to a location where road network information is accumulated.