Relevancy check for vehicle safety messages using a path history

• US 7,813,877 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Samples, Michael E., Caminiti, Lorenzo, Caveney, Derek S., Laberteaux, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan; Peter D
• Application Number:
  US11/554,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20080103697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

There is disclosed a method for avoiding a collision in a vehicle including the steps of: providing a transmitting vehicle, providing a receiving vehicle, creating data information in the transmitting vehicle, sending the data information to the receiving vehicle, and determining the relevancy of the data information to the receiving vehicle using a current position and heading of the receiving vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for avoiding a collision in a vehicle comprising the steps of:

providing a transmitting vehicle;

providing a receiving vehicle;

creating data information including a plurality of data points having a position element and a temporal element in the transmitting vehicle;

sending the data information to the receiving vehicle;

creating a bounding area in the receiving vehicle;

calculating a line segment formula for each consecutive pair of data points of the data information and determining if the line segment intersects with a perimeter of the bounding area; and

computing a vector of the intersection point, if any, and determining if the vector is within an angular bound of the orientation of the receiver'"'"'s current orientation to determine if the data information is relevant.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data information is sent to the receiving vehicle periodically.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data information is sent to the receiving vehicle in response to an event of the transmitting vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of data points have equally spaced temporal elements.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of data points is determined by run time calculations.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data information is represented by curves.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the data information is represented by cubic spline interpolations.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the bounding area is selected from polygons and circular shapes.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the bounding area is created in relation to vehicle and road parameters.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the bounding area is variable for incorporating dynamic vehicle and driving parameters.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the bounding area is centered about the receiving vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the data information includes the current position and current temporal information of the transmitting vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1 including the steps of:

computing a temporal value of the intersection point; and

storing a value of the intersection point.

14. A method for avoiding a collision in a vehicle comprising the steps of:

providing a transmitting vehicle;

providing a receiving vehicle;

creating data information having a plurality of data points in the transmitting vehicle;

sending the data information to the receiving vehicle;

creating a bounding area in the receiving vehicle;

calculating a line segment formula for each consecutive pair of data points of the data information; and

determining if the line segment intersects with a perimeter of the bounding area;

computing a vector of the intersection point, if any, and determining if the vector is within an angular bound of the orientation of the receiver'"'"'s current orientation and then determining if the data information is relevant.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein when there is no intersection point the sent data information is determined to be irrelevant.

16. The method of claim 14 including the steps of:

computing a temporal value of the intersection point if determined; and

storing a value of the intersection point.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein a single intersection point is determined and the vector is formed from the intersection point to the current position of the transmitting vehicle.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein multiple intersection points are determined and the multiple intersection points are sorted by the temporal values and the two most recent temporal intersection points are used to form the vector from the second newest temporal value to the newest temporal value.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the angular bound is from plus or minus 5 degrees to plus or minus 35 degrees.