Vehicle cut-in strategy

• US 9,412,277 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nath, Nitendra, Mills, Aaron L.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, RODNEY ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US14/512,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20160104381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/42 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/52 Radar, Lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0027 using trajectory prediction for other traffic participants
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a first sensor configured to output a first signal and a second sensor configured to output a second signal. The first and second signals represent movement of a potential cut-in vehicle. The vehicle system further includes a processing device programmed to compare the movement of the potential cut-in vehicle to at least one threshold. The processing device selects the potential cut-in vehicle as an in-path vehicle if the movement exceeds the at least one threshold.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

a first sensor configured to output a first signal;

a second sensor configured to output a second signal, wherein the first signal and the second signal represent movement of a potential cut-in vehicle; and

a processing device programmed to compare the movement of the potential cut-in vehicle to at least one threshold and select the potential cut-in vehicle as an in-path vehicle if the movement exceeds the at least one threshold,

wherein the threshold includes a virtual boundary, and wherein the processing device is programmed to compare the movement of the potential cut-in vehicle to the virtual boundary by determining whether a centroid of the potential cut-in vehicle has crossed the virtual boundary.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the at least one threshold includes a lateral speed threshold.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein comparing the movement to the virtual boundary includes determining whether an edge of the potential cut-in vehicle has crossed the virtual boundary.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the virtual boundary includes an inner boundary and an outer boundary, wherein the inner boundary is disposed within the outer boundary.

5. The vehicle system of claim 4, wherein comparing the movement to the virtual boundary includes determining whether an edge of the potential cut-in vehicle has crossed the inner boundary.

6. The vehicle system of claim 4, wherein comparing the movement to the virtual boundary includes determining whether the centroid of the potential cut-in vehicle has crossed the inner boundary.

7. The vehicle system of claim 4, wherein the inner boundary includes a first inner boundary side and a second inner boundary side and the outer boundary includes a first outer boundary side and a second outer boundary side, wherein the first and second inner boundary sides are disposed between the first and second outer boundary sides.

8. The vehicle system of claim 7, wherein comparing the movement to the virtual boundary includes determining whether an edge of the potential cut-in vehicle each of the first outer boundary side, the first inner boundary side, the second inner boundary side, and the second outer boundary side.

9. The vehicle system of claim 7, wherein comparing the movement to the virtual boundary includes determining whether an edge of the potential cut-in vehicle crossed the first outer boundary side multiple times.

10. The vehicle system of claim 7, wherein comparing the movement to the virtual boundary includes determining whether a centroid of the potential cut-in vehicle is disposed between the first and second inner boundary sides.

11. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to determine a cut-in direction.

12. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor includes a radar sensor and the second sensor includes a vision sensor.

13. A method for an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal representing movement of a potential cut-in vehicle;

receiving a second signal representing movement of the potential cut-in vehicle;

comparing the movement to at least one threshold, the threshold including a virtual boundary and wherein comparing the movement includes determining whether a centroid of the potential cut-in vehicle has crossed the virtual boundary;

selecting the potential cut-in vehicle as an in-path vehicle if the movement exceeds the at least one threshold; and

controlling operation of the autonomous vehicle according to the in-path vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating the virtual boundary, and wherein comparing the movement to the threshold includes comparing the movement to the virtual boundary.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein comparing the movement to the virtual boundary includes determining whether an edge of the potential cut-in vehicle has crossed the virtual boundary.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual boundary includes an inner boundary and an outer boundary, wherein the inner boundary is disposed within the outer boundary.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein comparing the movement to the virtual boundary includes determining whether both an edge of the potential cut-in vehicle and the centroid of the potential cut-in vehicle has crossed at least one of the inner boundary and the outer boundary.