Virtual steerable path

• US 10,145,953 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Talamonti, Walter Joseph, Szwabowski, Steven Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US15/608,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20180281804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/161 Explanation of functions, e.g. instructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• 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 2554/406 Traffic density
• 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 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• 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: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 : Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 : using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 : Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 : with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 : where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 : where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 : Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 : event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A computing device in a vehicle can be programmed to determine a virtual steerable path polynomial including a lane change maneuver, update the virtual steerable path polynomial by controlling a vehicle trajectory, and, pilot the vehicle based on the virtual steerable path polynomial. The computer further programmed to determine the virtual steerable path polynomial based on the vehicle trajectory.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a virtual steerable path polynomial including a lane change maneuver;

then updating the virtual steerable path polynomial to pilot the vehicle for the lane change maneuver;

piloting the vehicle based on the updated virtual steerable path polynomial;

then canceling the lane change maneuver;

further updating, by inverting portions of, the virtual steerable path polynomial; and

piloting the vehicle based on the further updated virtual steerable path polynomial.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the virtual steerable path polynomial based on the vehicle trajectory, wherein the vehicle trajectory includes vehicle position, vehicle direction, vehicle speed and vehicle lateral acceleration and vehicle longitudinal acceleration.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the lane change maneuver based on the vehicle trajectory, adjacent lane traffic and lateral acceleration constraints.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein piloting the vehicle based on the virtual steerable path polynomial includes determining when to perform the lane change maneuver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein piloting the vehicle based on the virtual steerable path polynomial includes switching from a steerable path polynomial lacking the lane change maneuver to the virtual steerable path polynomial that includes the lane change maneuver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the trajectory includes adjusting vehicle speed based on adjacent lane traffic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein controlling the trajectory includes increasing or decreasing vehicle speed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising inverting the trajectory upon canceling the lane change maneuver.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual steerable path polynomial is based on Bezier curves.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual steerable path polynomial is based on lateral acceleration constraints.

11. A computer comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to:

determine a virtual steerable path polynomial including a lane change maneuver;

then update the virtual steerable path polynomial to pilot the vehicle for the lane change maneuver;

pilot the vehicle based on the updated virtual steerable path polynomial;

then cancel the lane change maneuver;

further update, by inverting portions of, the virtual steerable path polynomial; and

pilot the vehicle based on the further updated virtual steerable path polynomial.

12. The computer of claim 11, further programmed to determine the virtual steerable path polynomial based on the vehicle trajectory, wherein the vehicle trajectory includes vehicle position, vehicle direction, vehicle speed and vehicle lateral and longitudinal acceleration.

13. The computer of claim 12, further programmed to determine the lane change maneuver based on the vehicle trajectory, adjacent lane traffic and lateral acceleration constraints.

14. The computer of claim 11, further programmed to pilot the vehicle based on the virtual steerable path polynomial including by determining when to perform the lane change maneuver.

15. The computer of claim 11, further programmed to pilot the vehicle based on the virtual steerable path polynomial including by switching from a steerable path polynomial not including the lane change maneuver to the virtual steerable path polynomial including the lane change maneuver.

16. The computer of claim 11, further programmed to control the trajectory including adjusting vehicle speed based on adjacent lane traffic.

17. The computer of claim 15, wherein control the trajectory includes increasing or decreasing vehicle speed.

18. The computer of claim 11, further programmed to invert the trajectory upon canceling the lane change maneuver.

19. The computer of claim 11, wherein the virtual steerable path polynomial is based on Bezier curves.

20. The computer of claim 11, wherein the virtual steerable path polynomial is based on lateral acceleration constraints.