Method of estimating intersection control

• US 8,823,556 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yester, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US12/874,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20120056756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/991, 340/910, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995.28, 340/995.13, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/120, 404/9, 116/63.R
• US Class Current: 340/995.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968

Abstract

A method of estimating the type of intersection control for two or more roadways includes steps of classifying each roadway at an intersection and estimating the type of intersection control used for each roadway. Roadways can be classified by size, traveling speed, number of lanes as well as any other roadway characteristics. In some cases, a warning system can be operated using the estimated intersection control type for each roadway.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a motor vehicle with a control system, the method comprising:

monitoring, with the control system, the motor vehicle at or near an intersection of a first roadway and a second roadway;

determining, by the control system, whether traffic control information associated with the intersection is stored in a database available to the control system;

wherein, upon a determination by the control system that traffic control information is not available for the intersection, the control system estimating a type of intersection control device associated with the intersection by performing a steps of;

retrieving a first characteristic of the first roadway;

retrieving a second characteristic of the second roadway;

associating the first roadway with a first class using the first characteristic to select the first class from a plurality of classes according to a roadway classification scheme;

associating the second roadway with a second class using the second characteristic to select the second class from the plurality of classes;

comparing the first class and the second class; and

determining the type of intersection control device based on the comparison of the first class and the second class, the intersection control device being associated with the first roadway;

wherein the step of determining the type of intersection control device for the first roadway is followed by a step of determining a type of intersection control device for the second roadway.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first characteristic and the second characteristic are roadway size.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the roadway size is roadway width.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first characteristic and the second characteristic are associated with the number of lanes for each roadway.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first characteristic and the second characteristic are associated with the speed limit of each roadway.

6. A method of controlling a motor vehicle with a control system, the method comprising:

monitoring, with the control system, the motor vehicle at or near an intersection of a first roadway and a second roadway;

the control system estimating a presence of one or more intersection control devices associated with the intersection of the first roadway and the second roadway by performing the steps of;

retrieving a first characteristic of the first roadway;

retrieving a second characteristic of the second roadway;

associating the first roadway with a first class using the first characteristic to select the first class from a plurality of classes according to a roadway classification scheme;

associating the second roadway with a second class using the second characteristic to select the second class from the plurality of classes;

comparing the first class and the second class;

determining if the first roadway is controlled by an intersection control device based on the comparison of the first class and the second class; and

determining if the second roadway is controlled by an intersection control device based on the comparison of the first class and the second class;

wherein the plurality of classes according to the roadway classification scheme includes two or more classes; and

wherein each roadway is assigned to one of the two or more classes.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a warning system is operated by the control system using information about the presence of an intersection control device on the first roadway.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the warning system is operated by the control system using information about the presence of an intersection control device on the second roadway.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of classes according to the roadway classification scheme includes five classes;

and

wherein each roadway is assigned to one of the five classes.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein each roadway is classified in the roadway classification scheme by size.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein each roadway is classified in the roadway classification scheme according to traffic capacity.

12. A method of controlling a motor vehicle with a control system, the method comprising:

monitoring, with the control system, the motor vehicle at or near an intersection of a first roadway and a second roadway;

estimating, by the control system, a type of intersection control device associated with the intersection by performing the steps of;

retrieving a first class for the first roadway at the intersection;

retrieving a second class for the second roadway at the intersection;

comparing the first class and the second class;

determining the type of intersection control device based on the comparison of the first class and the second class, the intersection control device being associated with the first roadway;

the method further comprising;

receiving information from a target vehicle by the control system of the motor vehicle;

retrieving information by the control system about a host vehicle on which the control system is disposed; and

controlling a warning system on the host vehicle using the control system based on the type of intersection control device determined for the first roadway;

wherein the method includes a step of determining a type of intersection control device for the second roadway.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the target vehicle information is received using a vehicle communication network.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein a warning is displayed for a driver by the control system when the host vehicle behavior or target vehicle behavior is different from the expected behavior based on the type of intersection control device determined for the first roadway.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the information from the target vehicle includes a speed and a position of the target vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the information about the host vehicle includes a speed and a position of the host vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the warning system is controlled using the control system based on the type of intersection control device determined for the first roadway and the type of intersection control device determined for the second roadway.