Local navigation system for vehicle navigation

• US 10,403,139 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Farooq, S.M. Iskander, Cuddihy, Mark A., Faruque, Mohammad Omar, Jaradi, Dean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US15/710,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20190088123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 701420
• 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: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096708 where the received information might be used to generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A system includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to, upon receiving a first message including a map, a vehicle location, and a first location, navigate the vehicle to the first location, and then, after stopping the vehicle at the first location, navigate the vehicle to a second location upon receiving a second message.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a processor;

and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

upon receiving a first message including a map, and a vehicle location, navigate the vehicle to a first location by actuating a vehicle actuator based on a strength of a wireless signal received from a first local navigation system at the first location; and

then, after stopping the vehicle at the location, navigate the vehicle to a second location by actuating at least one of the vehicle actuator or a second actuator based on a strength of a second wireless signal received from a second local navigation system at the second location, upon receiving a second message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second message includes the second location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the map specifies locations according to a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the map includes coordinates of location markers including at least one of a cone, a post, a pattern, a text, and a sign.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the map further includes physical characteristics of the location markers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores further instructions executable by the processor to determine current location coordinates of the vehicle by:

detecting a location marker based on received image data;

determining a location of the vehicle relative to the location marker; and

determining the current location coordinates of the vehicle based on the detected location marker and the determined location of the vehicle relative to the location marker.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores further instructions executable by the processor to:

receive image data from a vehicle sensor;

identify a path to the first location based on the received image data and the first message; and

navigate the vehicle to the first location via the identified path.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the memory stores further instructions executable by the processor to identify the path based on at least one of lane markings and location markers detected in the received image data.

9. A method, comprising:

upon receiving a first message including a map, and a vehicle location, navigating the vehicle to a first location by actuating a vehicle actuator based on a strength of a wireless signal received from a first local navigation system at the first location; and

then, after stopping the vehicle at the location, navigating the vehicle to a second location by actuating at least one of the vehicle actuator or a second actuator based on a strength of a second wireless signal received from a second local navigation system at the second location, upon receiving a second message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second message includes the second location.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the map specifies locations according to a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the map includes coordinates of location markers including at least one of a cone, a post, a pattern, a text, and a sign.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the map further includes physical characteristics of the location markers.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining current location coordinates by:

detecting a location marker based on received image data;

determining a location of the vehicle relative to the location marker; and

determining the current location coordinates of the vehicle based on the detected location marker and the determined location of the vehicle relative to the location marker.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving image data from a vehicle sensor;

identifying a path to the first location based on the received image data and the first message; and

navigating the vehicle to the first location via the identified path.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying the path is based on at least one of lane markings and location markers detected in the received image data.

17. A system, comprising a processor;

and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

upon receiving a first message including a map and a vehicle location from a first local navigation system at a first location, navigate the vehicle to the first location by actuating a vehicle actuator based on a strength of a wireless signal received from a first local navigation system; and

then, after stopping the vehicle at the location, navigate the vehicle to a second location by actuating at least one of the vehicle actuator or a second actuator based on a strength of a second wireless signal received from a second local navigation system at the second location upon receiving a second message from the second local navigation system at the second location.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the memory stores further instructions executable by the processor to:

receive image data from a vehicle sensor;

identify a path to the first location based on the received image data and the first message; and

navigate the vehicle to the first location via the identified path.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the memory stores further instructions executable by the processor to identify the path based on lane markings detected in the received image data.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the memory stores further instructions executable by the processor to deactivate a vehicle powertrain upon arriving at the first location.