TRAFFIC CIRCLE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20180284264A1
• Filed: 04/03/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: CHAMBERS, Jeremy, GOUDY, Roy, PROBERT, Neal
• Granted Patent: US 10,909,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A traffic circle identification system and method employ a receiver and a controller. The receiver is disposed onboard a host vehicle and configured to receive remote vehicle information representing a travel condition of at least one remote vehicle. The controller is configured to determine whether a traffic circle exists along a current travel path of the host vehicle based on the remote vehicle information.

Claims

1. A traffic circle identification system comprising:

a receiver, disposed onboard a host vehicle and configured to receive remote vehicle information representing a travel condition of at least one remote vehicle; and

a controller configured to determine whether a traffic circle exists along a current travel path of the host vehicle based on the remote vehicle information.

2. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 1, wherein

the remote vehicle information includes information representing a respective heading of a remote vehicle at each of a plurality of locations of the remote vehicle.

3. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 2, wherein

the remote vehicle information includes information representing a respective turning radius of the remote vehicle at each of the plurality of locations of the remote vehicle.

4. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 1, wherein

the remote vehicle information includes information representing respective locations and headings of a plurality of remote vehicles at a predetermined time.

5. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 4, wherein

the remote vehicle information includes information representing a respective turning radius of each of the remote vehicles at the predetermined time.

6. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to determine a diameter of the traffic circle when the controller determines that the traffic circle exists.

7. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to determine a location of the traffic circle relative to the location of the host vehicle at a predetermined time when the controller determines that the traffic circle exists.

8. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to determine, based on the remote vehicle information, a movement characteristic of the remote vehicle in the traffic circle when the controller determines that the traffic circle exists.

9. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 8, wherein

the controller is further configured to control a warning system onboard the host vehicle to issue a warning based on the movement characteristic of the remote vehicle relative to the host vehicle.

10. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 9, wherein

the movement characteristic of the remote vehicle indicates a direction of movement of the remote vehicle in the traffic circle.

11. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 10, wherein

the controller is configured to control the warning system to issue a warning upon determining that the direction of movement the remote vehicle in the traffic circle is opposite to a direction of movement of the host vehicle in the traffic circle.

12. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 9, wherein

the movement characteristic of the remote vehicle indicates a distance of the remote vehicle in the traffic circle from the host vehicle.

13. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 12, wherein

the controller is configured to control the warning system to issue a warning upon determining that the distance of the remote vehicle in the traffic circle from the host vehicle is decreasing.

14. The traffic circle identification system according to claim 1, wherein

the receiver is configured to receive the remote vehicle information via direct communication with the at least one remote vehicle.

15. A method for identifying a traffic circle comprising:

operating a receiver, disposed onboard a host vehicle, to receive remote vehicle information representing a travel condition of at least one remote vehicle; and

determining, by a controller, whether a traffic circle exists along a current travel path of the host vehicle based on the remote vehicle information.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising

determining, by the controller, a location of the traffic circle relative to the location of the host vehicle at a predetermined time when the controller determines that the traffic circle exists.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising

determining, by the controller, a movement characteristic of the remote vehicle in the traffic circle when the controller determines that the traffic circle exists;

and

controlling, by the controller, a warning system onboard the host vehicle to issue a warning based on the movement characteristic of the remote vehicle relative to the host vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein

the controlling controls, by the controller, the warning system to issue a warning upon determining that the direction of movement the remote vehicle in the traffic circle is opposite to a direction of movement of the host vehicle in the traffic circle.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein

the movement characteristic of the remote vehicle indicates a distance of the remote vehicle in the traffic circle from the host vehicle;

and

the controlling controls, by the controller, the warning system to issue a warning upon determining that the distance of the remote vehicle in the traffic circle from the host vehicle is decreasing.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein

the operating operates the receiver to receive the remote vehicle information via direct communication with the at least one remote vehicle.