METHOD, HOST VEHICLE AND FOLLOWING SPACE MANAGEMENT UNIT FOR MANAGING FOLLOWING SPACE

• US 20150246677A1
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Published: 09/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polestar Performance AB (Polestar Automotive Holding UK Plc)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: EKENBERG, Andreas, NORDIN, Oskar, STENBORG, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 9,725,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/02 Active or adaptive cruise control system; Distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle

Abstract

A method and a following space management unit of a host vehicle for managing a following space are disclosed. The following space management unit obtains a set of parameters including one or more of a difference parameter, indicating a difference between a velocity of the host vehicle and a speed limit for the host vehicle at a current location, and a road marking parameter, indicating whether a surrounding vehicle is allowed to enter the current lane. The following space management unit determines the following space based on the set of parameters.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a following space management unit of a host vehicle, for managing a following space relating to a time for the host vehicle to reach a preceding vehicle location at which a preceding vehicle, preceding the host vehicle, is currently located, wherein the host vehicle is travelling with a velocity and has a current location on a road, and wherein the host vehicle is travelling in a current lane of the road, the method comprising:

obtaining a set of parameters comprising one or more of;

a difference parameter indicating a difference between the velocity and a speed limit for the host vehicle at the current location; and

a road marking parameter indicating whether a road marking on the road indicates that a surrounding vehicle is allowed to enter the current lane (130), wherein the surrounding vehicle is travelling in a lane of the road adjacent to the current lane; and

determining the following space based on the set of parameters.

2. The method according to claim 1, when the set of parameters comprises the road marking parameter, wherein the road marking parameter comprises one or more of:

a first line parameter, indicating whether a first line on the road indicates that the surrounding vehicle is allowed to enter the current lane from a left hand side of the host vehicle relative to a travelling direction thereof; and

a second line parameter, indicating whether a second line on the road indicates that the surrounding vehicle is allowed to enter the current lane from a right hand side of the host vehicle relative to a travelling direction thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set of parameters comprises:

an average following space parameter relating to an average time between a plurality of surrounding vehicles in the lane or lanes adjacent to the current lane.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set of parameters comprises one or more of:

a first set of following space parameters, indicating a first group of a plurality of surrounding vehicles that are travelling in a left lane to the left relatively to a travelling direction of the host vehicle; and

a second set of following space parameters for a second group of a plurality of surrounding vehicles that are travelling in a right lane to the right relatively to a travelling direction of the host vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the following space comprises:

calculating the following space from the set of parameters by use of a formula.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the following space is a recorded following space associated with the set of parameters according to a database including sets of parameters associated with recorded following spaces.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the recorded following spaces and the associated set of parameters are acquired when the following space management unit is active with respect to control of the estimated speed of the host vehicle according to a following space which is set manually, or

wherein the recorded following spaces and the associated set of parameters are acquired when the following space management unit is inactive with respect to management of the following space.

8. A following space management unit for managing a following space relating to a time for the host vehicle to reach a preceding vehicle location at which a preceding vehicle, preceding the host vehicle, is currently located, wherein the host vehicle is travelling with a velocity and has a current location on a road, and wherein the host vehicle is travelling in a current lane of the road, the following space management unit configured to:

obtain a set of parameters comprising one or more of;

a difference parameter indicating a difference between the velocity of and a speed limit for the host vehicle at the current location; and

a road marking parameter indicating whether a road marking on the road indicates that a surrounding vehicle is allowed to enter the current lane, wherein the surrounding vehicle is travelling in a lane of the road adjacent to the current lane; and

determine the following space based on the set of parameters.

9. The following space management unit according to claim 8, when the set of parameters comprises the road marking parameter, wherein the road marking parameter comprises one or more of:

a first line parameter, indicating whether a first line on the road indicates that the surrounding vehicle is allowed to enter the current lane from a left hand side of the host vehicle relative to a travelling direction thereof; and

a second line parameter, indicating whether a second line on the road indicates that the surrounding vehicle is allowed to enter the current lane from a right hand side of the host vehicle relative to a travelling direction thereof.

10. The following space management unit according to claim 8, wherein the set of parameters comprises:

an average following space parameter, relating to an average time between a plurality of surrounding vehicles in the lane or lanes adjacent to the current lane.

11. The following space management unit according to claim 8, wherein the set of parameters comprises one or more of:

a first set of following space parameters, indicating a first group of a plurality of surrounding vehicles that are travelling in a left lane to the left relatively to a travelling direction of the host vehicle; and

a second set of following space parameters for a second group of a plurality of surrounding vehicles that are travelling in a right lane to the right relatively to a travelling direction of the host vehicle.

12. The following space management unit according to claim 8, wherein the following space management is configured to calculate the following space from the set of parameters by use of a formula.

13. The following space management unit according to claim 8, wherein the following space is a recorded following space associated with the set of parameters according to a database including sets of parameters associated with recorded following spaces.

14. The following space management unit according to claim 13, wherein the recorded following spaces and the associated set of parameters are acquired when the following space management unit is active with respect to control of the estimated speed of the host vehicle according to a manually set following space, or

wherein the recorded following spaces and the associated set of parameters are acquired when the following space management unit is inactive with respect to management of the following space.

15. A host vehicle comprising a following space management unit according to claim 8.

16. A non-transitory computer readable memory having computer executable instructions stored therein for managing a following space relating to a time for the host vehicle to reach a preceding vehicle location at which a preceding vehicle, preceding the host vehicle, is currently located, wherein the host vehicle is travelling with a velocity and has a current location on a road, and wherein the host vehicle is travelling in a current lane of the road, the computer executable instructions comprising instruction for:

obtaining a set of parameters comprising one or more of;

a difference parameter indicating a difference between the velocity of and a speed limit for the host vehicle at the current location; and

a road marking parameter indicating whether a road marking on the road indicates that a surrounding vehicle is allowed to enter the current lane, wherein the surrounding vehicle is travelling in a lane of the road adjacent to the current lane; and

determining the following space based on the set of parameters.