VEHICLE ROUNDABOUT MANAGEMENT

• US 20180111611A1
• Filed: 10/25/2016
• Published: 04/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2016
• 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, Liu, Yimin, Weber, David Charles
• Granted Patent: US 10,399,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/346 with automatic actuation
• 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 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/60 Doppler effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• 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 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/10 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 : Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 : Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 : Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 : ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 : involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 : Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

A first phantom vehicle is projected into one of a branch and a circle lane of a roundabout in association with a first autonomous vehicle. The first autonomous vehicle is caused to enter the circle lane upon predicting no collision with oncoming vehicles. The first autonomous vehicle is caused to exit from the roundabout.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computing device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

project a first phantom vehicle into one of a branch and a circle lane of a roundabout in association with a first autonomous vehicle;

cause the autonomous vehicle to enter the circle lane when upon predicting no collision with oncoming vehicles; and

cause the autonomous vehicle to exit the roundabout.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further programmed to meld the first autonomous vehicle into the first phantom vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

project the first phantom vehicle into the circle lane; and

meld the autonomous vehicle with the phantom vehicle in the circle lane.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the computing device is further programmed to create the phantom vehicle only after receiving permission of a vehicle ahead of a vehicle for which the phantom is created.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein when the roundabout has a plurality of circle lanes and a plurality of branch lanes, the computing device is further programmed to:

select a branch lane for the autonomous vehicle to enter and cause the autonomous vehicle to enter the selected branch lane.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

select a circle lane for the autonomous vehicle to enter and cause the autonomous vehicle to enter the selected circle lane.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

create a plurality of phantom vehicles, with the first phantom vehicle being located at a yield line of a branch; and

cause vehicles arriving in a branch to queue up behind the first phantom vehicle to form a platoon.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

cause the first phantom vehicle to lead the platoon from the branch into a selected circle lane.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

cause the platoon to leave the branch lane for the selected circle lane when one of the vehicles in the platoon has been in the branch more than a predetermined period of time.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

require the vehicles in the platoon to maintain a distance between the vehicles of less than one vehicle length.

11. A method of controlling an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

projecting a first phantom vehicle into one of a branch and a circle lane of a roundabout in association with a first autonomous vehicle;

causing the autonomous vehicle to enter the circle lane when upon predicting no collision with oncoming vehicles; and

causing the autonomous vehicle to exit the roundabout.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of melding the first autonomous vehicle into the first phantom vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

projecting the first phantom vehicle into the circle lane; and

melding the autonomous vehicle with the phantom vehicle in the circle lane.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, creating the phantom vehicle only after receiving permission of a vehicle ahead of a vehicle for which the phantom is created.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, when the roundabout has a plurality of circle lanes and a plurality of branch lanes, the steps of selecting a branch lane for the autonomous vehicle to enter and of causing the autonomous vehicle to enter the selected branch lane.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of entering the vehicle into the roundabout from a first branch of the roundabout and exiting the vehicle at a second branch of the roundabout.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

creating a plurality of phantom vehicles, with the first phantom vehicle being located at a yield line of a branch; and

causing vehicles arriving in a branch to queue up behind the first phantom vehicle to form a platoon.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of causing the first phantom vehicles to lead the platoon from the branch into a selected circle lane.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of causing the platoon to leave the branch lane for the selected circle lane when one of the vehicles in the platoon has been in the branch more than a predetermined period of time.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of requiring the vehicles in the platoon maintain a distance between the vehicles of less than one vehicle length.