Method and system for using intersecting electronic horizons

• US 9,330,564 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Durekovic, Sinisa, Smith, Nicholas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US14/251,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119, 701/300, 701/301, 701/96, 340/903, 340/905, 340/435, 340/933, 340/988
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

A method and system for using data associated with a first vehicle and a given road segment defined for a road network and using data associated with a second vehicle and the given road segment to determine a multi-vehicle probability value that indicates a probability that the first vehicle and the second vehicle will arrive at a common position of the given road segment simultaneously. The multi-vehicle probability value can be compared to a threshold probability value to determine whether the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle should take a responsive measure to avoid those vehicles arriving at the common position of the given road segment simultaneously. The data associated the first vehicle and the data associated with the second vehicle can each include a respective electronic horizon for that vehicle, and time parameters and probability values associated with those vehicles being on the given road segment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

calculating a first set of vehicle data for a first vehicle, wherein the first set of vehicle data describes future positions for the first vehicle on a first plurality of road segments;

receiving a second set of vehicle data for a second vehicle, wherein the second set of vehicle data describes future positions for the second vehicle on a second plurality of road segments;

identifying, using a processor, a common road segment included in the first plurality of road segments as the future positions for the first vehicle and included in the second plurality of road segments as the future positions for the second vehicle,

wherein the first set of vehicle data includes a first probability that the first vehicle will travel on the common road segment and a second probability that the second vehicle will travel on the common road segment; and

calculating a multi-vehicle probability, from multiplication of the first probability and second probability, that the first vehicle and the second vehicle both arrive at the common road segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of vehicle data includes time parameters for each of the first plurality of road segments.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of vehicle data is received from the second vehicle using wireless communication.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an alert to a driver when the multi-vehicle probability exceeds a threshold probability value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of vehicle data includes speed probability values, wherein each of the speed probability values is associated with the first vehicle traveling on the common road segment at a different speed.

6. A method comprising:

calculating a first set of vehicle data for a first vehicle, wherein the first set of vehicle data describes future positions for the first vehicle on a first plurality of road segments;

receiving a second set of vehicle data for a second vehicle, wherein the second set of vehicle data describes future positions for the second vehicle on a second plurality of road segments; and

identifying, using a processor, a common road segment included in the first plurality of road segments as the future positions for the first vehicle and included in the second plurality of road segments as the future positions for the second vehicle,

wherein the first set of vehicle data includes time parameters for each of the first plurality of road segments,

wherein the time parameters include a first time that the first vehicle travels to a first position on the common road segment and a second time that the first vehicle travels to a second position on the common road segment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first position is a beginning node of the common road segment and the second position is an ending node of the common road segment.

8. A method comprising:

calculating a first set of vehicle data for a first vehicle, wherein the first set of vehicle data describes future positions for the first vehicle on a first plurality of road segments;

receiving a second set of vehicle data for a second vehicle, wherein the second set of vehicle data describes future positions for the second vehicle on a second plurality of road segments; and

identifying, using a processor, a common road segment included in the first plurality of road segments as the future positions for the first vehicle and included in the second plurality of road segments as the future positions for the second vehicle;

wherein the first set of vehicle data includes speed probability values, wherein each of the speed probability values is associated with the first vehicle traveling on the common road segment at a different speed.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface of a first vehicle configured to receive vehicle data from a second vehicle; and

a processor configured to calculate vehicle data for the first vehicle;

wherein the vehicle data from the second vehicle describes future road segments for the second vehicle and the vehicle data for the first vehicle describes future road segments for the first vehicle, and

wherein the processor is configured to identify a common road segment included in the future road segments for the first vehicle and included in the future road segments for the second vehicle,

wherein vehicle data from the second vehicle includes a speed candidate for the second vehicle, a vehicle speed probability corresponding to the speed candidate, and a first time parameter indicating when the second vehicle is expected to arrive at the common road segment.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the vehicle data for the first vehicle includes probabilities that the first vehicle will travel on each of a plurality of road segments.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the vehicle data for the first vehicle includes time parameters for each of the plurality of road segments.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a multi-vehicle probability value that indicates a probability that the first vehicle and the second vehicle will arrive at the common road segment simultaneously.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a user interface configured to notify a driver to adjust a speed of the first vehicle to be within a range of speeds to change a time the first vehicle arrives at the common road segment.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface of a first vehicle configured to receive vehicle data from a second vehicle; and

a processor configured to calculate vehicle data for the first vehicle;

wherein the vehicle data from the second vehicle describes future road segments for the second vehicle and the vehicle data for the first vehicle describes future road segments for the first vehicle, and

wherein the processor is configured to identify a common road segment included in the future road segments for the first vehicle and included in the future road segments for the second vehicle,

wherein the vehicle data for the first vehicle includes time parameters for each of the future road segments,

wherein the time parameters include a first time that the first vehicle travels to a first position on the common road segment and a second time that the first vehicle travels to a second position on the common road segment.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first position is a beginning node of the common road segment and the second position is an ending node of the common road segment.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the vehicle data for the first vehicle includes speed probability values, wherein each of the speed probability values is associated with the first vehicle traveling on the common road segment at a different speed.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a first set of vehicle data from a first vehicle, wherein the first set of vehicle data describes future positions for the first vehicle on a first plurality of road segments;

receiving a second set of vehicle data from a second vehicle, wherein the second set of vehicle data describes future positions for the second vehicle on a second plurality of road segments; and

identifying, using a processor, a common road segment included in the first plurality of road segments as the future positions for the first vehicle and included in the second plurality of road segments as the future positions for the second vehicle,

wherein the first set of vehicle data includes probabilities that the first vehicle will travel on each of the first plurality of road segments and time parameters for each of the first plurality of road segments, wherein the time parameters include a first time that the first vehicle travels to a first position on the common road segment and a second time that the first vehicle travels to a second position on the common road segment.