NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20190056738A1
• Filed: 08/18/2017
• Published: 02/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Prasad, Premchand Krishna
• Application Number:
  US15/680,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20190056738A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/60 Traversable objects, e.g. speed bumps or curbs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18009 related to particular drive situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2302/05 Leading to automatic stopping of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30188 Vegetation; Agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees

Abstract

A navigation-system for use on an automated vehicle includes a perception-sensor and a controller. The perception-sensor detects objects present proximate to a host-vehicle and detects a gradient of an area proximate to the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the perception-sensor. The controller is configured to control the host-vehicle. The controller determines a free-space defined as off of a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle, and drives the host-vehicle through the free-space when the gradient of the free-space is less than a slope-threshold and the objects can be traversed.

Claims

1. A navigation-system for use on an automated vehicle, said system comprising:

a perception-sensor that detects objects present proximate to a host-vehicle and detects a gradient of an area proximate to the host-vehicle; and

a controller in communication with the perception-sensor, said controller configured to control the host-vehicle, wherein the controller determines a free-space defined as off of a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle, and drives the host-vehicle through the free-space when the gradient of the free-space is less than a slope-threshold and the objects can be traversed.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller distinguishes between the objects that are a barrier and the objects that are grass based on the perception-sensor.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the controller further determines a height of the grass.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the slope-threshold is determined based on a dynamic-model of the host-vehicle.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller further determines a path to drive the host-vehicle from the roadway through the free-space and return to the roadway.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system further includes an alert-device in communication with the controller, wherein the alert-device notifies an operator of the host-vehicle of the free-space.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system further includes a vehicle-to-vehicle transceiver in communication with the controller, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle transceiver notifies an other-vehicle that the host-vehicle is driving to the free-space.

8. A method of operating a navigation-system, comprising:

detecting, with a perception-sensor, objects present proximate to a host-vehicle and detecting a gradient of an area proximate to the host-vehicle;

determining, with a controller in communication with the perception-sensor, said controller configured to control the host-vehicle, a free-space defined as off of a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle; and

driving, with the controller, the host-vehicle through the free-space when the gradient of the free-space is less than a slope-threshold and the objects can be traversed.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the controller distinguishes between the objects that are a barrier and the objects that are grass based on the perception-sensor.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the controller further determines a height of the grass.

11. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the slope-threshold is determined based on a dynamic-model of the host-vehicle.

12. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the controller further determines a path to drive the host-vehicle from the roadway through the free-space and return to the roadway.

13. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the system further includes an alert-device in communication with the controller, wherein the alert-device notifies an operator of the host-vehicle of the free-space.

14. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the system further includes a vehicle-to-vehicle transceiver in communication with the controller, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle transceiver notifies an other-vehicle that the host-vehicle is driving to the free-space.

15. An automated vehicular navigation-system, comprising:

a perception-sensor that detects objects and an off-road-gradient; and

a controller in communication with the perception-sensor, said controller determines an off-road-path based on the perception-sensor and drives a host-vehicle along the off-road-path when objects and the off-road-gradient can be traversed.