On-board vehicle control system and method for determining whether a value is within an area of interest for extraneous warning suppression

• US 9,153,132 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Probert, Neal, Christensen, Andrew, Chambers, Jeremy S, Goudy, Roy W
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US14/197,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20150254982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/438, 340/466, 340/901, 340/903, 340/905, 340/995.1, 701/36, 701/301, 701/409, 701/468
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An on-board vehicle control system and method employ a storage device that stores information representing a plurality of boundary points of a boundary circumscribing an area of interest in which the boundary points are defined by two prescribed parameters, and a controller that obtains at least one condition point defined by current values of the prescribed parameters, determines a first boundary point of the boundary points that is closest to the condition point, and generates geometric data representing a geometric relationship between the first boundary point, the condition point and a second boundary point of the boundary points. The controller performs further calculations taking into account the geometric data to generate coordinate condition data, and determines whether a warning condition exists by determining whether the condition point lies within the area of interest based on a comparison between coordinates of the condition point and the coordinate condition data.

Claims

1. An on-board warning system control method comprising:

storing information representing a plurality of boundary points of a boundary that circumscribes an area of interest in which the boundary points are defined by two prescribed parameters;

obtaining via an on-board controller at least one condition point defined by current values of the prescribed parameters;

determining via the on-board controller a first boundary point of the boundary points that is closest to the condition point;

generating via the on-board controller geometric data representing a geometric relationship between the first boundary point, the condition point and a second boundary point of the boundary points, the geometric relationship including a first straight line connecting the first boundary point and the condition point, a second straight line connecting the second boundary point and the condition point and a third straight line connecting the first boundary point and the second boundary point;

calculating via the on-board controller reference point data representing a reference point based on the geometric data;

determining via the on-board controller coordinate condition data based on an angle between a predetermined direction and a reference line connecting the first boundary point and the reference point; and

determining via the on-board controller whether a warning condition exists by determining whether the condition point lies within the area of interest based on a comparison between coordinates of the condition point and the coordinate condition data.

2. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 1, further comprising

controlling the on-board controller differently upon a determination that the warning condition exists while the condition point is located within the area of interest from a determination that the warning condition fails to exist while the condition point is located outside of the area of interest.

3. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 1, wherein

the condition point is defined by the current values of the prescribed parameters which pertain to a vehicle of interest.

4. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 3, wherein

the vehicle of interest is a host vehicle on which the on-board controller is disposed.

5. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 4, wherein

the area of interest is a geographic area defining a jurisdiction governed by regulations pertaining to certain vehicle operating conditions.

6. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 5, further comprising

controlling an aspect of the host vehicle via the on-board controller to operate in accordance with the regulations pertaining to the certain vehicle operating conditions.

7. The on-board warning system method according to claim 3, further comprising

controlling an aspect of a host vehicle, on which the on-board controller is disposed, differently upon a determination of the condition point pertaining to the vehicle of interest being located within the area of interest from a determination of the condition point pertaining to the vehicle of interest being located outside of the area of interest.

8. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 7, wherein

the vehicle of interest is a remote vehicle which is different than the host vehicle, and the controlling of the aspect of the host vehicle includes classifying a remote vehicle message, received by the host vehicle from the remote vehicle, as irrelevant upon determination of the condition point pertaining to the remote vehicle being located outside of the area of interest.

9. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 7, wherein

the vehicle of interest is a remote vehicle which is different than the host vehicle, and the controlling of the aspect of the host vehicle includes performing a vehicle control process upon the determination of the condition point pertaining to the remote vehicle being located within the area of interest from the determination of the condition point pertaining to the remote vehicle being located outside of the area of interest.

10. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 1, further comprising

performing a determination of whether at least one additional condition point is located within the area of interest based on a comparison between the additional condition point and additional coordinate condition data, with the additional coordinate condition data of the at least one additional remote vehicle being obtained by

determining via the on-board controller an additional first boundary point of the boundary points that is closest to the additional condition point,

generating via the on-board controller additional geometric data representing an additional geometric relationship between the additional first boundary point, the additional condition point and an additional second boundary point of the boundary points, the geometric relationship including an additional first straight line connecting the additional first boundary point and the additional condition point, an additional second straight line connecting the additional second boundary point and the additional condition point and an additional third straight line connecting the additional first boundary point and the additional second boundary point,

calculating via the on-board controller additional reference point data representing an additional reference point for the additional condition point based on the additional data representing the additional geometric relationship, and

determining via the on-board controller the additional coordinate condition data based on an angle between a predetermined direction and a reference line connecting between the additional first boundary point and the additional reference point.

11. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 1, further comprising

obtaining at least one updated condition point in response to a change of the current values of the prescribed parameters;

determining via the on-board controller a updated first boundary point of the boundary points that is closest to the updated condition point;

generating via the on-board controller updated geometric data representing a updated geometric relationship between the updated first boundary point, the updated condition point and a updated second boundary point of the boundary points, the updated geometric relationship including a updated first straight line connecting the updated first boundary point and the updated condition point, a updated second straight line connecting the updated second boundary point and the updated condition point and a updated third straight line connecting the updated first boundary point and the updated second boundary point;

calculating via the on-board controller updated reference point data representing a updated reference point based on the updated geometric data;

determining via the on-board controller updated coordinate condition data based on a updated angle between the predetermined direction and a updated reference line connecting the updated first boundary point and the updated reference point; and

determining via the on-board controller whether the updated condition point lies within the area of interest based on a comparison between coordinates of the updated condition point and the updated coordinate condition data.

12. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 1, further comprising

updating the stored information to represent a plurality of updated boundary points of an updated boundary that circumscribes an updated area of interest that is different from the area of interest;

obtaining at least one updated condition point;

determining via the on-board controller an updated first boundary point of the updated boundary points that is closest to the updated condition point;

generating via the on-board controller updated geometric data representing an updated geometric relationship between the updated first boundary point, the updated condition point and an updated second boundary point of the updated boundary points, the updated geometric relationship including an updated first straight line connecting the updated first boundary point and the updated condition point, an updated second straight line connecting the updated second boundary point and the updated condition point and an updated third straight line connecting the updated first boundary point and the updated second boundary point;

calculating via the on-board controller updated reference point data representing an updated reference point based on the updated data representing the updated geometric relationship;

determining via the on-board controller updated coordinate condition data based on an updated angle between the predetermined direction and an updated reference line connecting between the updated first boundary point and the updated reference point; and

determining via the on-board controller whether the updated condition point lies within the updated area of interest based on a comparison between coordinates of the updated condition point and the updated coordinate condition data.

13. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 1, further comprising

storing information representing a plurality of additional boundary points of an additional boundary that circumscribes an additional area of interest;

obtaining at least one updated condition point;

determining via the on-board controller an additional first boundary point of the additional boundary points that is closest to the updated condition point;

generating via the on-board controller additional geometric data representing an additional geometric relationship between the additional first boundary point, the updated condition point and an additional second boundary point of the additional boundary points, the additional geometric relationship including an additional first straight line connecting the additional first boundary point and the updated condition point, an additional second straight line connecting the additional second boundary point and the updated condition point and an additional third straight line connecting the additional first boundary point and the additional second boundary point;

calculating via the on-board controller additional reference point data representing an additional reference point based on the additional geometric data;

determining via the on-board controller additional coordinate condition data based on an additional angle between the predetermined direction and an additional reference line connecting the additional first boundary point and the additional reference point; and

determining via the on-board controller whether the updated condition point lies within the additional area of interest based on a comparison between coordinates of the updated condition point and the additional coordinate condition data.

14. The on-board warning system control method according to claim 1, further comprising

determining the second boundary point by identifying via the on-board controller an adjacent one of the boundary points that is next in sequence from the first boundary point in a preselected direction along the boundary, and selecting the adjacent one of the boundary points as the second boundary point.

15. An on-board vehicle control system comprising:

a storage device configured to store information representing a plurality of boundary points of a boundary that circumscribes an area of interest in which the boundary points are defined by two prescribed parameters; and

a controller configured to obtain at least one condition point defined by current values of the prescribed parameters, determine a first boundary point of the boundary points that is closest to the condition point, generate geometric data representing a geometric relationship between the first boundary point, the condition point and a second boundary point of the boundary points, with the geometric relationship including a first straight line connecting the first boundary point and the condition point, a second straight line connecting the second boundary point and the condition point and a third straight line connecting the first boundary point and the second boundary point, calculate reference point data representing a reference point based on the geometric data, determine coordinate condition data based on an angle between a predetermined direction and a reference line connecting the first boundary point and the reference point, and determine whether a warning condition exists by determining whether the condition point lies within the area of interest based on a comparison between coordinates of the condition point and the coordinate condition data.

16. The on-board vehicle control system according to claim 15, wherein

the controller is configured to control an aspect of a host vehicle upon which the controller is disposed differently upon determination of the condition point being located within the area of interest from a determination of the condition point being located outside of the area of interest.

17. The on-board vehicle control system according to claim 16, wherein

the vehicle of interest is a remote vehicle which is different from a host vehicle on which the controller is disposed.

18. The on-board vehicle control method according to claim 17, wherein

the controller is further configured to classify a message from the remote vehicle as irrelevant upon determination of the condition point pertaining to the remote vehicle being located outside of the area of interest.

19. The on-board vehicle control system according to claim 16, wherein

the vehicle of interest is a host vehicle on which the controller is disposed.

20. The on-board vehicle control system according to claim 16, wherein

the two prescribed parameters include a vehicle speed parameter and a vehicle acceleration parameter;

and

the controller is further configured to determine that a vehicle of interest is preparing to make a turn while the condition point lies within the area of interest and determine that the warning condition exists while the vehicle of interest is determined to be preparing to make the turn.