Semi-autonomous mode control

• US 9,511,764 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Rupp, Matthew Y., Trombley, Roger Arnold, Waldis, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, ISAAC G
• Application Number:
  US14/193,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20150246672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/422, 701/29.3, 701/482, 701/96
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• 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 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4042 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4044 Direction of movement, e.g. backwards
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

A first vehicle may receive at least one message from a second vehicle, the message including data provided by the second vehicle. A computing device in the first vehicle is configured to analyze the data of the at least one message to determine that the second vehicle can operate as a lead vehicle. The computing device in the first vehicle is further configured to implement at least one operation in the first vehicle according to the data from the lead vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a first vehicle, at least one message including data provided by a second vehicle;

determining that the second vehicle data is from at least one of (a) a sensor of a type unavailable in the first vehicle and (b) a number of sensors greater than a number of sensors available in the first vehicle, thereby identifying the second vehicle as a lead vehicle, wherein the second vehicle data is to be processed by a first vehicle computer to operate the first vehicle; and

after the second vehicle is identified as the lead vehicle, implementing at least one operation in the first vehicle according to the second vehicle data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes data collected by one or more sensors in the second vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first vehicle lacks sensors to provide the data collected by one or more sensors in the second vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message data includes an identification of the second vehicle as a lead vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensors in the second vehicle include at least one of a camera, a lidar sensor, and a radar sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is formatted in part according to a dedicated short range communications (DSRC) standard.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data included in the message includes a location of the second vehicle and a distance of the second vehicle from one of an object and a third vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising using the location of the second vehicle and the distance of the second vehicle from one of an object and a third vehicle to determine a distance from the first vehicle of one of the object and the third vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one operation includes an autonomous operation that includes at least one of changing a speed of, adjusting a suspension of, and steering, the first vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one operation includes yielding to manual control of at least one function in the first vehicle, the method further comprising providing an alert via a human machine interface in the vehicle that the manual control is to be provided.

11. A system, comprising a computer in a vehicle, the computer comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the computer is programmed to:

receive at least one message from a second vehicle, the message including data provided by the second vehicle;

determining that the second vehicle data is from at least one of (a) a sensor of a type unavailable in the first vehicle and (b) a number of sensors greater than a number of sensors available in the first vehicle, thereby identifying the second vehicle as a lead vehicle; and

after the second vehicle is identified as the lead vehicle, implement at least one operation in the first vehicle according to the data from the lead vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data includes data collected by one or more sensors in the second vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first vehicle lacks sensors to provide the data collected by one or more sensors in the second vehicle.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the message data includes an identification that the second vehicle is a lead vehicle.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the sensors in the second vehicle include at least one of a camera, a lidar sensor, and a radar sensor.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the message is formatted in part according to a dedicated short range communications (DSRC) standard.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the data included in the message includes a location of the second vehicle and a distance of the second vehicle from at least one of an object and a third vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising using the location of the second vehicle and the distance of the second vehicle from one of an object and a third vehicle to determine a distance from the first vehicle of one of the object and the third vehicle.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one operation includes an autonomous operation that includes at least one of changing a speed of, adjusting a suspension of, and steering the first vehicle.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one operation includes yielding to manual control of at least one function in the first vehicle, the method further comprising providing an alert via a human machine interface in the vehicle that the manual control is to be provided.