Enhanced vehicle operation

• US 9,969,389 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Stephens, Brett, Elwart, Shane, Neal, Joseph Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Application Number:
  US15/145,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20170320493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A confidence value is determined for data collected for a lane assist subsystem in a vehicle. A section curvature is identified for a section of a roadway when the confidence value is below a confidence value, threshold. The section curvature includes at least one section start point and at least one section end point. The section curvature is based at least in part on a heading angle, the heading angle defining an angle between a projected line of travel of the vehicle and a line segment from a vehicle position to the section end point. A distance to a lane boundary is predicted based at least in part on the identified section curvature. One or more vehicle subsystems is actuated based at least in part on the predicted distance to the lane boundary.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the computer to:

determine a sensor confidence value that is a measure of reliability of roadway data collected by a sensor in a lane assist subsystem in a vehicle;

upon determining that the sensor confidence value is below a confidence value threshold, then determine a section curvature for a section of a roadway, the section curvature including at least one section start point and at least one section end point, wherein the section curvature is determined based at least in part on a heading angle, the heading angle defining an angle between a projected line of travel of the vehicle and a line segment from a vehicle position to the section end point;

replace a lane boundary distance determined by the roadway data collected for the lane assist subsystem for the section of the roadway by predicting a distance to a lane boundary based at least in part on the determined section curvature; and

actuate one or more vehicle subsystems to operate in the section of the roadway based at least in part on the predicted distance to the lane boundary in the section of the roadway.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to terminate control by the computer of one or more vehicle subsystems when the vehicle is at the distance to the lane boundary and the confidence value is below the confidence value threshold.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the section includes a plurality of subsections, the instructions further including instructions to determine a subsection curvature for each subsection.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions further include instructions to sum the subsection curvatures to determine the section curvature.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine an offset heading section curvature based at least in part on an offset heading angle, the offset heading angle defined as a sum of the heading angle and a predetermined offset angle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the instructions further include instructions to:

determine a plurality of offset heading section curvatures, each offset heading section curvature being the offset heading section curvature for a respective one of a plurality of predetermined offset angles, wherein the section curvature and the plurality of offset heading section curvatures define a plurality of curvatures;

determine a magnitude for each of the plurality of curvatures, defining a plurality of magnitudes;

determine a largest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes and a smallest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes;

determine an intersection point of the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the largest magnitude and the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the smallest magnitude; and

determine a selected curvature that is an arc defined by the vehicle position, the intersection point, and the heading angle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine an offset start section curvature based on an offset start angle, the offset start angle defining an angle between the projected line of travel of the vehicle and a line segment connecting the section end point of the section in which the vehicle is operating and an offset start point that is the sum of the vehicle position and a predetermined distance.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions farther include instructions to:

determine a plurality of offset start section curvatures, each offset start section curvature being the offset start section curvature for one of a plurality of offset start angles, wherein the section curvature and the plurality of offset start section curvatures define a plurality of curvatures;

determine a magnitude for each of the plurality of curvatures, defining a plurality of magnitudes;

determine a largest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes and a smallest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes;

determine an intersection point of the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the largest magnitude and the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the smallest magnitude; and

determine a selected curvature that is an arc defined by the vehicle position, the intersection point, and the heading angle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine an offset end section curvature based on an offset end angle, the offset end angle defining an angle between the projected line of travel of the vehicle and a line segment connecting the vehicle position and an offset end point that is the sum of the section end point and a predetermined distance.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further include instructions to:

determine a plurality of offset end section curvatures, each offset end section curvature being the offset end section curvature for one of a plurality of offset end angles, wherein the section curvature and the plurality of offset end section curvatures define a plurality of curvatures;

determine a magnitude for each of the plurality of curvatures, defining a plurality of magnitudes;

determine a largest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes and a smallest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes;

determine an intersection point of the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the largest magnitude and the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the smallest magnitude; and

determine a selected curvature that is an arc defined by the vehicle position, the intersection point, and the heading angle.

11. A method, comprising:

determining a sensor confidence value that is a measure of reliability of roadway data collected by a sensor in a lane assist subsystem in a vehicle;

upon determining that the sensor confidence value is below a confidence value threshold, then determining a section curvature for a section of a roadway, the section curvature including at least one section start point and at least one section end point, wherein the section curvature is based at least in part on a heading angle, the heading angle defining an angle between a projected line of travel of the vehicle and a line segment from a vehicle position to the section end point;

replacing a lane boundary distance determined by the roadway data collected for the lane assist subsystem for the section of the roadway by predicting a distance to a lane boundary based at least in part on the determined section curvature; and

actuating one or more vehicle subsystems based at least in part on the predicted distance to the lane boundary.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising terminating control by the computer of one or more vehicle subsystems when the vehicle is at the distance to the lane boundary and the confidence value is below the confidence value threshold.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the section includes a plurality of subsections, the method further comprising determining a subsection curvature for each subsection.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising summing the curvatures for each subsection to determine the section curvature.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining an offset heading section curvature based at least in part on an offset heading angle, the offset heading angle defined as a sum of the heading angle and a predetermined offset angle.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a plurality of offset heading section curvatures, each offset heading section curvature being the offset heading section curvature for one of a plurality of predetermined offset angles, wherein the section curvature and the plurality of offset heading section curvatures define a plurality of curvatures;

determining a magnitude for each of the plurality of curvatures, defining a plurality of magnitudes;

determining a largest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes and a smallest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes;

determining an intersection point of the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the largest magnitude and the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the smallest magnitude; and

determining a selected curvature that is an arc defined by the vehicle position, the intersection point, and the heading angle.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining an offset start section curvature based on an offset start angle, the offset start angle defining an angle between the projected line of travel of the vehicle and a line segment connecting the section end point of the section in which the vehicle is operating and an offset start point that is the sum of the vehicle position and a predetermined distance.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining a plurality of offset start section curvatures, each offset start section curvature being the offset start section curvature for one of a plurality of offset start angles, wherein the section curvature and the plurality of offset start section curvatures define a plurality of curvatures;

determining a magnitude for each of the plurality of curvatures, defining a plurality of magnitudes;

determining a largest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes and a smallest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes;

determining an intersection point of the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the largest magnitude and the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the smallest magnitude; and

determining a selected curvature that is an arc defined by the vehicle position, the intersection point, and the heading angle.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining an offset end section curvature based on an offset end angle, the offset end angle defining an angle between the projected line of travel of the vehicle and a line segment connecting the vehicle position and an offset end point that is the sum of the section end point and a predetermined distance.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a plurality of offset end section curvatures, each offset end section curvature being the offset end section curvature for one of a plurality of offset end angles, wherein the section curvature and the plurality of offset end section curvatures define a plurality of curvatures;

determining a magnitude for each of the plurality of curvatures, defining a plurality of magnitudes;

determining a largest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes and a smallest magnitude of the plurality of magnitudes;

determining an intersection point of the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the largest magnitude and the one of the plurality of curvatures associated with the smallest magnitude; and

determining a selected curvature that is an arc defined by the vehicle position, the intersection point, and the heading angle.