Travel lane advisor

• US 9,406,229 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Basnayake, Chaminda, Grimm, Donald K.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, MIRZA F
• Application Number:
  US12/616,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,455 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933, 340/936, 340/908, 340/937, 340/589, 340/904, 340/902, 340/916, 340/539, 340/436, 340/439, 340/914, 701/117, 701/414.1, 701/118, 701/119, 406/06, 406/07, 406/12, 405/44
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate 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 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A traffic flow advisory system includes a locating device for identifying a position of a driven vehicle. A communication device exchanges vehicle position data, speed data, and heading data with remote vehicles. A processor constructs a traffic flow rate in a plurality of road lanes based on the position data and speed data. A human machine interface indicates to a driver of the driven vehicle the traffic flow rate of each of the road lanes.

Claims

1. A traffic flow advisory system comprising:

a locating device for identifying a position of a driven vehicle;

a communication device for exchanging vehicle position data, speed data, and heading data with remote vehicles;

a processor for constructing a traffic flow rate in each of a plurality of lanes of a road based on the position data and speed data; and

a human machine interface for indicating to a driver of the driven vehicle the traffic flow rate of each of the road lanes.

2. The traffic flow advisory system of claim 1 further comprising object detection sensors, the processor constructing the traffic flow rate in the plurality of road lanes utilizing the data sensed by the object detection sensors.

3. The traffic flow advisory system of claim 1 wherein the global positioning device is a navigation system.

4. The traffic flow advisory system of claim 1 wherein the communication device is a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device.

5. The traffic flow advisory system of claim 1 wherein the communication device is a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication device.

6. The traffic flow advisory system of claim 1 wherein the communication device is a cellular device.

7. The traffic flow advisory system of claim 1 wherein the human machine interface device is a visual display device.

8. The traffic flow advisory system of claim 1 wherein the human machine interface device is an audible device.

9. The traffic flow advisory system of claim 1 wherein the human machine interface device is a haptic device.

10. The traffic flow advisory system of claim 1 wherein the processor, the global positioning device, the communication device, and the human machine interface device are integrated as a single module.

11. A method for advising a driver of a host vehicle of traffic flow rates of the lanes of a traveled road, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a position of the host vehicle;

receiving position data, speed data, and heading data from remote vehicles in the traveled road;

constructing a traffic flow rate for each of the plurality of road lanes of the traveled road based on the position of the host vehicle and the position data, speed data, and heading data of the remote vehicles; and

advising the driver of the host vehicle of the traffic flow rates for each of the plurality of road lanes of the traveled road.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a local roadway map is retrieved that identifies the local roadway, wherein the position data, speed data, and heading data is mapped onto the local roadway map for identifying respective vehicles in the lanes of the traveled road.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein position data and heading data of the host vehicle and remote vehicles are grouped for constructing the lanes of the traveled road, the grouping of respective vehicles within a localized region establishes the lanes of the traveled road.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the traffic flow rates for each of the plurality of road lanes of the traveled road are displayed based on a speed parameter.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein a heat map is used to identify traffic flow rates in each of the respective lanes of the traveled road.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein audible communication is used to identify traffic flow rates in each of the respective lanes of the traveled road.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein object detection sensors are provided to sense remote vehicles in proximity to the host vehicle, wherein the global position data, speed data, and heading data are determined from the object detection sensors and are used to establish the traffic flow rates.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein suggestions provided to the driver of the host vehicle are based on optimizing a travel speed of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein suggestions provided to the driver of the host vehicle are based on optimizing a fuel economy of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein suggestions provided to the driver of the host vehicle are based on a host driver profile that best matches a driver'"'"'s driving behavior.