Vehicle behavior using information from other vehicles lights

• US 10,632,913 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2018
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Mehdi, Syed B., Hu, Yasen, Mudalige, Upali P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US15/952,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20190315274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/005 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• 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: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

A method for controlling an operating vehicle includes: (a) determining, via a controller, a confidence level that the light of the other vehicle is ON based on images captured by a camera of the operating vehicle; and (b) controlling, via the controller, an alarm of the operating vehicle based on the confidence level that the light of the other vehicle is ON.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an operating vehicle, comprising:

determining, via a controller, a confidence level that a light of an other vehicle is ON based on images captured by a camera of the operating vehicle; and

controlling, via the controller, an alarm of the operating vehicle based on the confidence level that the light of the other vehicle is ON;

wherein controlling, via the controller, the alarm of the operating vehicle includes;

determining, via the controller, that the confidence level is greater than a first predetermined threshold;

activating, via the controller, the alarm of the operating vehicle in response to determining that the confidence level is greater than the first predetermined threshold;

determining, via the controller, that the confidence level is less than a second predetermined threshold;

deactivating, via the controller, the alarm of the operating vehicle in response to determining that the confidence level is less than the second predetermined threshold wherein the first predetermined threshold is greater than the second predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling, via the controller, the alarm of the operating vehicle includes:

determining, via the controller, that the confidence level is less than the second predetermined threshold; and

maintaining, via the controller, the alarm of the operating vehicle deactivated in response to determining that the confidence level is less than the first predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm includes a haptic feedback emitted from a haptic seat of the operating vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating, via the controller, a trajectory cost based on a speed of the operating vehicle and the confidence level.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein updating the trajectory cost includes increasing the trajectory cost as a function of the confidence level, wherein an increase in the trajectory cost is proportional to the confidence level.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein updating the trajectory cost includes increasing the trajectory cost as a function of a speed of the operating vehicle, wherein an increase in the trajectory cost is proportional to the speed of the operating vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising updating a maximum allowed speed of the operating vehicle as a function of the confidence level, wherein the maximum allowed speed of the operating vehicle is inversely proportional to the confidence level.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a distance from the operating vehicle to the other vehicle;

wherein updating the trajectory cost includes increasing the trajectory cost as a function of the distance from the operating vehicle to the other vehicle; and

wherein an increase in the trajectory cost is inversely proportional to the distance from the operating vehicle to the other vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating a minimum allowed distance from the operating vehicle to the other vehicle as a function of the confidence level, wherein the minimum allowed distance from the operating vehicle to the other vehicle is directly proportional to the confidence level.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a final trajectory of the operating vehicle based on the trajectory cost, the maximum allowed speed of the operating vehicle, and the minimum allowed distance from the operating vehicle to the other vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after determining the confidence level that the light of the other vehicle is ON, determining a confidence level that a reverse light of the other vehicle is ON; and

determining a time from the determining the confidence level that the light of the other vehicle is ON to a present moment; and

updating a trajectory cost of the operating vehicle as a function of the time, the confidence level that the light of the other vehicle is ON, and the confidence level that a reverse light of the other vehicle is ON.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the confidence level that the light of the other vehicle is ON includes:

bounding the other vehicle in a bounding box;

using, via the controller, an orientation of the other vehicle to identify areas of interest as possible pixel locations for the light of the other vehicle;

and searching, via the controller, for predetermined pixel color ranges in the areas of interest;

searching, via the controller, for a difference in brightness between the areas of interest and a remaining area within the bounding box.

4. A method for controlling an operating vehicle, comprising:

determining, via a controller, a confidence level that a light of an other vehicle is ON based on images captured by a camera of the operating vehicle; and

controlling, via the controller, an alarm of the operating vehicle based on the confidence level that the light of the other vehicle is ON;

determining, via the controller, that the confidence level is greater than a first predetermined threshold; and

redistributing computational resources of the controller to increase an allocation of the computational resources of the controller used to visually analyze the other vehicle in response to determining that the confidence level is greater than the first predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining, via the controller, that the confidence level is less than a second predetermined threshold; and

redistributing computational resources of the controller to decrease an allocation of the computational resources of the controller used to visually analyze the other vehicle in response to determining that the confidence level of is less than the second predetermined threshold.

15. A subject vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body;

a camera coupled to the vehicle body, wherein the camera is configured to capture images;

a controller coupled to the camera, wherein the controller is programmed to;

continuously determine a confidence level that a light of an other vehicle is ON based on the images captured by the camera; and

control an alarm of the subject vehicle based on the confidence level that the light of the other vehicle is ON; and

update a trajectory cost based on a speed of the subject vehicle and the confidence level.

16. The subject vehicle of claim 15, wherein, in determining the confidence level that the light of the other vehicle is ON, the controller is programmed to:

bound the other vehicle in a bounding box;

use an orientation of the other vehicle to identify areas of interest as possible pixel locations for the light of the other vehicle;

search for predetermined pixel color ranges in the areas of interest;

search for a difference in brightness between the areas of interest and a remaining area within the bounding box;

determine that the light of the other vehicle is ON in response to;

determining that a predetermined color pixel ranges are found in the areas of interest; and

determining that the difference in brightness between the areas of interest and the remaining area within the bounding box is greater than a predetermined brightness threshold;

wherein the controller is further programmed to;

activate the alarm of the subject vehicle in response to determining that the confidence level is greater than a first predetermined threshold, wherein the alarm includes a haptic feedback emitted from a haptic seat of the subject vehicle;

redistribute computational resources of the controller to increase an allocation of the computational resources of the controller used to visually analyze the other vehicle in response to determining that the confidence level is greater than the first predetermined threshold;

increase the trajectory cost as a function of the confidence level, wherein the increase in the trajectory cost is proportional to the confidence level;

increase the trajectory cost as a function of a speed of the subject vehicle, wherein the increase in the trajectory cost is proportional to the speed of the subject vehicle;

update a maximum allowed speed of the subject vehicle as a function of the confidence level, wherein the maximum allowed speed of the subject vehicle is inversely proportional to the confidence level;

determine a distance from a from a potential trajectory to the other vehicle;

increase the trajectory cost as a function of the distance from the potential trajectory to the other vehicle, wherein the increase in the trajectory cost is inversely proportional to the distance from the potential trajectory to the other vehicle;

update a minimum allowed distance from the subject vehicle to the other vehicle as a function of the confidence level, wherein the minimum allowed distance from the subject vehicle to the other vehicle is directly proportional to the confidence level;

generate a final trajectory of the subject vehicle based on the trajectory cost, the maximum allowed speed of the subject vehicle, and the minimum allowed distance from the subject vehicle to the other vehicle;

control the subject vehicle to follow the final trajectory; and

after activating the alarm, deactivating the alarm in response to determining that the confidence level is less than a second predetermined threshold, wherein the first predetermined threshold is greater than the second predetermined threshold.