Vehicle route control

• US 10,571,285 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wang, Bo, Ma, Jiaqi, Liu, Yimin, MacNeille, Perry Robinson
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US15/488,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20180299283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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 21/3691 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: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• 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 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096805 where the transmitted instructions are used to compute a route
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• 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 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data

Abstract

An apparatus includes a processor configured to send detour instructions defining a travel path that avoids a location of the traffic event. The detour instructions may be sent responsive to receiving notification of a traffic event. The processor is further configured to update the detour instructions to alter the travel path based on the proposed vehicle routes such that autonomous vehicles operate to follow the altered travel path. The update may be responsive to proposed vehicle routes different than the travel path received from vehicles in a vicinity of the location.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to,

responsive to receiving notification of an event, send detour instructions based on a recognized gesture from sensors worn by a responder to the event defining a travel path that avoids the event,

receive proposed vehicle routes from vehicles in the vicinity of the event, the proposed vehicle routes being different than the travel path, and

responsive to receiving the proposed vehicle routes and responsive to an aggregate rejection rate of the travel path being above a predetermined value, update the detour instructions to alter the travel path based on the proposed vehicle routes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gesture is indicative of a turn.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive an explicit rejection of the travel path from at least one of the vehicles in the vicinity of the event.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the aggregate rejection rate is derived from explicit rejection.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is 20%.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proposed vehicle routes shorten overall travel time with respect to the travel path.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the event is an accident.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the event is a roadway hazard.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the travel path includes a route that avoids the event via a lane change.

10. A method comprising:

responsive to receiving notification of a traffic event, sending detour instructions based on a recognized gesture from sensors worn by a responder to the traffic event and defining a travel path that avoids a location of the traffic event, and

receive proposed vehicle routes from vehicles in the vicinity of the event, the proposed vehicle routes being different than the travel path, and

responsive to receiving the proposed vehicle routes and responsive to an aggregate rejection rate of the travel path being above a predetermined value, updating the detour instructions to alter the travel path based on the proposed vehicle routes such that autonomous vehicles operate to follow the altered travel path.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving an explicit rejection of the travel path from at least one of the vehicles in the vicinity of the event.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the aggregate rejection rate is derived from differences between the proposed vehicle routes and the travel path.

13. A method comprising:

responsive to receiving notification of a traffic event, sending detour instructions, based on a recognized gesture of a responder to the traffic event, defining a travel path that avoids a location of the traffic event, and

responsive to proposed vehicle routes including an explicit rejection of the travel path received from vehicles in a vicinity of the event and responsive to an aggregate rejection rate derived from differences between the proposed vehicle route and the travel path being above a predetermined value, updating the detour instructions to alter the travel path based on the proposed vehicle routes such that autonomous vehicles operate to follow the altered travel path.