Target vehicle deselection

• US 10,093,315 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nath, Nitendra, Tamm, Brian, Mills, Aaron L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US15/269,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20180079409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 382103, 342 66, 342 70- 71, 701 27
• 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 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4043 Lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/10 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

To deselect a target vehicle, certain actions are taken by an autonomously operating vehicle. An identified lane is identified. A target vehicle in the identified lane is selected. The target vehicle is determined to be departing the identified lane when an edge of the target vehicle crosses a virtual boundary. The target vehicle is deselected after determining that the target vehicle is departing the identified lane.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computing device that includes processor and a memory; and

a sensor connected to the computing device;

the memory of the computing device storing instructions executable by the processor to;

identify an identified lane based on data from the sensor;

select, from a host vehicle that includes the computing device and the sensor, a target vehicle in the identified lane;

establish a model of the identified lane in the form of a virtual lane with the virtual lane having a virtual outer boundary line;

determine that the target vehicle is departing the identified lane when a vehicle target edge based on data from the sensor crosses the virtual outer boundary line; and

deselect the target vehicle after determining that the target vehicle is departing the identified lane.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise an instruction to set a cutting-out flag when the target edge crosses the virtual outer boundary line and the target vehicle is moving in an outboard direction relative to the identified lane as a necessary condition to deselect the target vehicle.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the instructions further comprise requiring the target vehicle be moving in the outboard direction at a lateral speed exceeding a threshold value as a condition of setting the cutting-out flag.

4. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the instructions further comprise an instruction to clear the cutting-out flag when the target edge is no more than ten percent of a width of the target vehicle outside the virtual outer boundary line.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the instructions further include instructions to deselect the target vehicle when the cutting-out flag is set, the identified lane is straight, and a collision risk factor threshold is not exceeded.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the instructions further comprise establishing that the target vehicle is moving in an inboard direction relative to the identified lane as a condition of clearing the cutting-out flag.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the instructions further comprise establishing that the edge is no more than ten percent of the width of the target vehicle outside of the virtual outer boundary line for a predetermined period of time as a condition of clearing the cutting-out flag.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the virtual lane is generated for a predetermined range.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein a virtual inner boundary line of the virtual lane is conformed to lane markings when the lane markings are available and the virtual inner boundary line of the virtual lane is conformed to values from a look-up table when the lane markings are not available.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the virtual outer boundary line of the virtual lane is positioned beyond the virtual inner boundary line by 5 to 15 percent of a width of the target vehicle.

11. A method of controlling an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

in a computing device, identifying an identified lane based on data from a sensor connected to the computing device;

selecting, from a host vehicle that includes the computing device and the sensor, a target vehicle in the identified lane;

establishing a model of the identified lane in the form of a virtual lane with the virtual lane having a virtual outer boundary line;

determining that the target vehicle is departing the identified lane when a vehicle target edge based on data from the sensor crosses the virtual outer boundary line; and

deselecting the target vehicle after determining that the target vehicle is departing the identified lane.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of setting a cutting-out flag when the target edge crosses the virtual outer boundary line and the target vehicle is moving in an outboard direction relative to the identified lane as a necessary condition to deselect the target vehicle.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, further requiring the target vehicle be moving in the outboard direction at a lateral speed exceeding a threshold value as a condition of setting the cutting-out flag.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of clearing the cutting-out flag when the target edge is no more than ten percent of a width of the target vehicle outside the virtual outer boundary line.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of deselecting the target vehicle when the cutting-out flag is set, the identified lane is straight, and a collision risk factor threshold is not exceeded.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, further establishing that the target vehicle is moving in an inboard direction relative to the identified lane as a condition of clearing the cutting-out flag.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, further establishing that the edge is no more than ten percent of the width of the target vehicle outside of the virtual outer boundary line for a predetermined period of time as a condition of clearing the cutting-out flag.

18. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of generating the virtual lane for a predetermined range.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the step of conforming a virtual inner boundary line of the virtual lane to lane markings when the lane markings are available and conforming the virtual inner boundary line of the virtual lane to values from a look-up table when the lane markings are not available.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the step of establishing the virtual outer boundary line of the virtual lane at a position beyond the inner boundary line by 5 to 15 percent of a width of the target vehicle.