Notification regarding an estimated movement path of a vehicle

• US 20180240340A1
• Filed: 02/22/2018
• Published: 08/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Wittorf, Marten, Kahler, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 10,249,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A system and method provide notification regarding an estimated movement path of a vehicle. A first vehicle includes an identification feature. A second vehicle includes an identification feature detection unit, an output unit and a transmission unit. A heuristic unit is configured to determine an estimation of an imminent movement path of the first vehicle. A position detection unit is configured to detect a current position of the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle and to transmit the detected current position to the heuristic unit. The identification feature detection unit is configured to detect and transmit the identification feature to the heuristic unit via the transmission unit. The heuristic unit is configured to transmit the current estimation for the first vehicle to the output unit via the transmission unit. The output unit is configured to communicate the estimation to a driver of the second vehicle.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A system comprising:

a first vehicle having an identification feature;

a heuristic unit configured to estimate an imminent movement path of the first vehicle path;

a position detection unit configured to detect a current first vehicle position of the first vehicle and to transmit the current first vehicle position to the heuristic unit;

a second vehicle including an identification feature detection unit for detecting the identification feature of the first vehicle, a transmission unit and an output unit, wherein the identification feature detection unit is configured to detect and transmit the identification feature to the heuristic unit by the transmission unit;

wherein the heuristic unit is configured to transmit the current estimation for the first vehicle to the transmission unit which is in communication with the output unit for communicating the current estimation to a driver of the second vehicle.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the position detection unit is configured to detect a current second vehicle position of the second vehicle and to transmit the current second vehicle position to the heuristic unit.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the first vehicle further comprises:

a vehicle locating unit configured to identify a first vehicle location; and

a second transmission unit configured to transmit the first vehicle location to the position detection unit.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first vehicle further comprises:

a navigation system with an active routing to a predetermined destination position; and

a second transmission unit configured to transmit the active routing to the heuristic unit.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the identification feature comprises at least one of the following elements:

a shape of the first vehicle;

a color scheme of the first vehicle;

a movement pattern of the first vehicle;

an optically readable characteristic mark;

an electromagnetically readable characteristic mark; and

an identification signal emitted by the first vehicle.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the identification signal comprises a light signal.

21. The system according to claim 15, wherein the heuristic unit comprises a central processing unit.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the heuristic unit is configured to estimate the imminent movement path of the first vehicle path by a statistical evaluation of the routes travelled by the first vehicle in the past.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein the heuristic unit is configured to estimate the imminent movement path of the first vehicle path by a current routing of a navigation system of the first vehicle.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein the heuristic unit is configured to estimate the imminent movement path of the first vehicle path by a calendar entry in an electronic device of a driver of the first vehicle.

25. The system according to claim 15, wherein the output unit comprises a head-up display of the second vehicle.

26. The system according to claim 15, wherein the output unit comprises a display of the second vehicle.

27. The system according to claim 15, wherein the output unit comprises an electroacoustic transducer of the second vehicle.

28. The system according to claim 15, further comprises a car-to-X communication device of the first vehicle.

29. The system according to claim 15, further comprising a control unit of the first vehicle and an autopilot of the second vehicle, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit a control signal to the autopilot of the second vehicle.

30. The system according to claim 15, wherein the transmission unit is configured to provide encrypted transmissions.

31. The system according to claim 15, wherein the transmission unit is configured to provide transmissions in an anonymous manner.

32. A method for outputting an estimation of an imminent movement path of a first vehicle to an output unit of a second vehicle comprising:

detecting a current position of at least one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

transmitting the current position to a heuristic unit;

detecting an identification feature of the first vehicle;

transmitting the identification feature to the heuristic unit;

estimating a current estimation of the imminent movement path of the first vehicle with the heuristic unit;

transmitting the current estimation to the output unit of the second vehicle; and

displaying the current estimation on the output unit.