Detecting low-speed close-range vehicle cut-in

• US 9,746,550 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2014
• 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): Brainard, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US14/509,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 342 28
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle system includes an input device interface and a processing device. The input device interface receives a radar signal. The processing device defines a region of interest between a host vehicle and a front vehicle, detects that a potential cut-in vehicle has entered the region of interest, and selects the potential cut-in vehicle as the new front vehicle. The vehicle system may be incorporated into an autonomous or partially autonomous vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

an input device interface configured to receive a radar signal;

a processing device programmed to define a region of interest between a host vehicle and an initial front vehicle, detect a potential cut-in vehicle in the region of interest, select the potential cut-in vehicle as a new front vehicle based at least in part on whether the potential cut-in vehicle is slowing down; and

an autonomous mode controller programmed to autonomously control the host vehicle according to the new front vehicle.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to detect the initial front vehicle from the radar signal.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to define the region of interest based at least in part on a location of the initial front vehicle relative to the host vehicle.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to detect the potential cut-in vehicle from the radar signal.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to select the potential cut-in vehicle as the new front vehicle based on a speed of the potential cut-in vehicle.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to select the potential cut-in vehicle as the new front vehicle based on whether the potential cut-in vehicle is moving or stationary.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising a trigger module programmed to output a trigger signal, wherein the processing device is programmed to select the potential cut-in vehicle as the new front vehicle in accordance with the processing device receiving the trigger signal.

8. The vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the trigger module is programmed to output the trigger signal if a speed of the host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold.

9. The vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the trigger module is programmed to output the trigger signal if a distance between the front vehicle and the host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold.

10. A vehicle system comprising:

a radar system configured to output a radar signal representing an initial front vehicle and a potential cut-in vehicle;

an input device interface configured to receive the radar signal;

a processing device programmed to detect the initial front vehicle and the potential cut-in vehicle from the radar signal, define a region of interest between a host vehicle and the initial front vehicle, detect that the potential cut-in vehicle has entered the region of interest, select the potential cut-in vehicle as a new front vehicle based at least in part on whether the potential cut-in vehicle is slowing down; and

an autonomous mode controller programmed to autonomously control the host vehicle according to the new front vehicle.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the processing device is programmed to select the potential cut-in vehicle as the new front vehicle based on a speed of the potential cut-in vehicle.

12. The vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the processing device is programmed to select the potential cut-in vehicle as the new front vehicle based on whether the potential cut-in vehicle is moving or stationary.

13. The vehicle system of claim 10, further comprising a trigger module programmed to output a trigger signal, wherein the processing device is programmed to select the potential cut-in vehicle as the new front vehicle in accordance with the processing device receiving the trigger signal.

14. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the trigger module is programmed to output the trigger signal if a speed of the host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold.

15. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the trigger module is programmed to output the trigger signal if a distance between the initial front vehicle and the host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a radar signal representing an initial front vehicle and a potential cut-in vehicle;

defining a region of interest between a host vehicle and the initial front vehicle;

detecting that the potential cut-in vehicle has entered the region of interest and is slowing down;

selecting the potential cut-in vehicle as a new front vehicle as a result of detecting that the potential cut-in vehicle is slowing down; and

autonomously controlling the host vehicle according to the new front vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the potential cut-in vehicle as a new front vehicle includes determining whether the potential cut-in vehicle is slowing down, whether the potential cut-in vehicle is moving, and whether the potential cut-in vehicle is stationary.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a trigger signal prior to selecting the potential cut-in vehicle as the new front vehicle, wherein the trigger signal is received if a speed of the host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold and if a distance between the initial front vehicle and the host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold.