Method of determining the position of a vehicle in a traffic lane of a road and methods for detecting alignment and risk of collision between two vehicles

• US 9,711,051 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2016
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Segarra, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): STREGE, JOHN B
• Application Number:
  US15/209,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20160321928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A method for determining a positioning of a subject motor vehicle in a traffic lane of a highway is provided, including: acquiring a number of traffic lanes of the highway; acquiring an image of the highway showing at least a lateral part of the highway; acquiring a datum relating to a direction of travel of the subject motor vehicle on the highway; receiving by the subject motor vehicle one message from another motor vehicle, the message including a first information item relating to a positioning of the other motor vehicle, and a second information item relating to a direction of travel of the other motor vehicle; and deducting the positioning of the subject motor vehicle in one of the traffic lanes, as a function of the number of traffic lanes, the datum, the acquired image, the first and second information item.

Claims

1. A method for determining a positioning of a subject motor vehicle in a traffic lane of a highway, comprising:

a) acquiring a number of traffic lanes of the highway;

b) acquiring an image of the highway showing at least a lateral part of the highway;

c) acquiring a datum relating to a direction of travel of the subject motor vehicle on the highway;

d) receiving by the subject motor vehicle at least one message from at least one other motor vehicle, the message including a first information item relating to a positioning of the other motor vehicle in one of the traffic lanes of the highway, and a second information item relating to a direction of travel of the other motor vehicle on the highway; and

e) deducting the positioning of the subject motor vehicle in one of the traffic lanes of the highway, as a function of the number of traffic lanes, the datum relating to the direction of travel, the acquired image, the first information item, and the second information item.

2. The determination method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second information item is a heading.

3. The determination method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second information item comprises at least two successive geolocation coordinates of the other motor vehicle.

4. The determination method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a), the subject motor vehicle receives and processes a signal which is sent by a roadside unit and which comprises at least the number of traffic lanes of the highway.

5. The determination method as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

prior to e), further comprising acquiring a change of traffic lane datum of the subject motor vehicle on the highway, and

in e), the positioning of the subject motor vehicle in one of the traffic lanes of the highway is deduced as a function also of the change of traffic lane datum of the subject motor vehicle on the highway.

6. A method for determining a positioning of a subject motor vehicle in a traffic lane of a highway, comprising:

a) acquiring a number of traffic lanes of the highway;

b) acquiring an image of the highway showing at least a lateral part of the highway;

c) acquiring a datum relating to a direction of travel of the subject motor vehicle on the highway, wherein the datum relating to the direction of travel is at least one of a first longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal direction opposite to the first longitudinal direction; and

d) deducing the positioning of the subject motor vehicle in one of the traffic lanes of the highway, as a function of the number of traffic lanes, the datum relating to the direction of travel, and the acquired image.

7. The determination method as claimed in claim 6, wherein, in a), there are provided:

an operation of acquiring geolocation coordinates of the subject motor vehicle,

an operation of reading a global digital map in which roads are stored, and, for each highway, a corresponding number of traffic lanes, and

an operation of deducing the number of traffic lanes of the highway as a function of the acquired geolocation coordinates and of the global digital map read.

8. The determination method as claimed in claim 6, wherein, in a), the subject motor vehicle receives and processes a signal which is sent by a roadside unit and which comprises at least the number of traffic lanes of the highway.

9. A method of detecting longitudinal alignment between a first subject motor vehicle and a second subject motor vehicle, comprising:

an operation of determining a positioning of the first subject motor vehicle and a second subject motor vehicle in traffic lanes of a highway by a determination method as claimed in claim 6;

an operation of sending, by the first subject motor vehicle, and receiving by the second subject motor vehicle, a message including the positioning of the first subject motor vehicle in one of the traffic lanes of the highway, and

if the second subject motor vehicle and the first subject motor vehicle are positioned in a same traffic lane of the highway, an operation of detecting a longitudinal alignment of the first and second subject motor vehicles.

10. A method of detecting a risk of longitudinal collision between a first subject motor vehicle and a second subject motor vehicle, comprising:

an operation of detecting, by the second subject motor vehicle, a longitudinal alignment with the first subject motor vehicle by a method of detecting longitudinal alignment as claimed in claim 9;

an operation of sending, by the first subject motor vehicle, and receiving by the second subject motor vehicle, a message including a speed and a direction of travel of the first subject motor vehicle;

acquiring, by the second subject motor vehicle, its speed and its direction of travel; and

if a longitudinal alignment is detected between the first subject motor vehicle and the second subject motor vehicle, an operation of detecting a risk of collision between the first subject motor vehicle and the second subject motor vehicle as a function of the respective positionings, speeds, and directions of travel of the first and second subject motor vehicles.

11. A method for determining a positioning of a subject motor vehicle in a traffic lane of a highway, comprising:

a) acquiring a number of traffic lanes of the highway;

b) acquiring an image of the highway showing at least a lateral part of the highway;

c) acquiring a datum relating to a direction of travel of the subject motor vehicle on the highway;

d) receiving by the subject motor vehicle at least one message from at least one other motor vehicle, the message including a first information item relating to a positioning of the other motor vehicle in one of the traffic lanes of the highway, and a second information item relating to a direction of travel of the other motor vehicle on the highway;

e) acquiring a change of traffic lane datum of the subject motor vehicle on the highway; and

f) deducting the positioning of the subject motor vehicle in one of the traffic lanes of the highway, as a function of the number of traffic lanes, the datum relating to the direction of travel, the acquired image, the first information item, the second information item, and change of traffic lane datum of the subject motor vehicle on the highway.