Vehicle assistance systems and methods utilizing vehicle to vehicle communications

• US 9,922,553 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: McErlean, Donal
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US14/978,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20170178498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/177 Augmented reality
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/48 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5915 Inter vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/285 for improving awareness by directing driver's gaze direction or eye points
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Methods, systems, and storage media are described for assisting the operation of a first vehicle. In embodiments, a computing device of the first vehicle may obtain first sensor data from a first sensor of the first vehicle. The first sensor data may be representative of a second vehicle proximate to the first vehicle. The computing device may determine a first position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle; initiate a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the second vehicle; receive second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session; and determine a second position based on the second sensor data. The second position may be a position of the second vehicle relative to a third vehicle. The computing device may display an image of the third vehicle on a display device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims

1. A computer device for assisting a first vehicle, the computer device comprising:

device interface circuitry to obtain first sensor data from a first sensor in or on the first vehicle, wherein the first sensor data is representative of a second vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; and

a detection module to be operated by at least one processor, the detection module to;

obtain the first sensor data from the device interface circuitry;

determine, based on the first sensor data, a first position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle;

in response to a determination of the first position, initiate a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the second vehicle; and

receive second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session, wherein the second sensor data is to be captured by a second sensor on or in the second vehicle, and the second sensor data is representative of an object that is a potential obstacle with respect to the first vehicle, and

wherein on receipt of the second sensor data, the detection module is to;

determine, based on the second sensor data, a second position of the object relative to the second vehicle, and

determine, based on the second position, a third position of the object relative to the first vehicle.

2. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the detection module is to poll, on a periodic basis, the first sensor via the device interface circuitry to obtain the first sensor data.

3. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the detection module is to determine, based on the first position, whether the second vehicle is within a threshold distance from the first vehicle.

4. The computer device of claim 3, wherein the detection module is to dynamically adjust the threshold distance based on a size of the second vehicle and a field of view of the first sensor.

5. The computer device of claim 3, wherein the detection module is to determine whether the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for a desired period of time, and the detection module is to initiate the V2V communications session when the detection module determines that the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for the desired period of time.

6. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the second sensor data are raw data captured by the second sensor.

7. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the object that is a potential obstacle with respect to the first vehicle is a third vehicle that is different than the first vehicle and the second vehicle, and the computer device further comprises:

an image generator, to be operated by the at least one processor, the image generator to obtain the second sensor data or position data associated with the second position of the third vehicle, and generate one or more images based on the second sensor data or the position data associated with the second position of the third vehicle; and

a display module, to be operated by the at least one processor, the display module to provide the one or more images to be displayed in a display device of the first vehicle.

8. The computer device of claim 7, wherein the display device is a head-up display (HUD) integrated into a windshield of the first vehicle.

9. The computer device of claim 7, wherein the first sensor is arranged in the first vehicle such that a field of view of the first sensor is in front of the first vehicle, and the second sensor is arranged in the second vehicle such that a field of view of the second sensor is in front of the second vehicle.

10. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the device interface circuitry is to obtain the first sensor data from the first sensor during operation of the first vehicle.

11. The computer device of claim 1, wherein to determine the third position the detection module is to combine the first position with the second position.

12. The computer device of claim 1, wherein to generate one or more images, an image generator is to generate an image representative of the object, and a display module is to map the third position to a corresponding region of a display device such that the image representative of the object is to be displayed in the corresponding region.

13. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle includes the computer device, the first sensor, radio frequency (RF) circuitry, and baseband circuitry, wherein the baseband circuitry is coupled with the RF circuitry to initiate the V2V communications session with the second vehicle, and receive the second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session.

14. A computer device for assisting a first vehicle, the computer device comprising:

device interface circuitry to obtain first sensor data from a sensor in or on the first vehicle, wherein the first sensor data is representative of a second vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; and

a detection module to be operated by at least one processor, the detection module to;

obtain the first sensor data from the device interface circuitry;

determine, based on the first sensor data, a position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle;

determine, based on the position, whether the second vehicle is within a threshold distance from the first vehicle;

dynamically adjust the threshold distance based on a size of the second vehicle and a field of view of the sensor;

in response to a determination of the position, initiate a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the second vehicle; and

receive second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session.

15. The computer device of claim 14, wherein the detection module is to poll, on a periodic basis, the sensor via the device interface circuitry to obtain the first sensor data.

16. The computer device of claim 14, wherein the detection module is to:

determine whether the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for a desired period of time; and

initiate the V2V communications session when the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for the desired period of time.

17. The computer device of claim 14, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and the second sensor data is to be captured by a second sensor on or in the second vehicle, and wherein the second sensor data are raw data captured by the second sensor.

18. The computer device of claim 14, wherein the sensor is a first sensor and the position is a first position, and wherein the detection module is to obtain the second sensor data from a second sensor on or in the second vehicle or obtain position data based on a second position of an object relative to the second vehicle derived based on the second sensor data, wherein the object is a potential obstacle with respect to the first vehicle, and the computer device further comprises:

an image generator, to be operated by the at least one processor, the image generator to obtain the second sensor data or the position data associated with the second position of the object, and generate one or more images based on the second sensor data or the position data associated with the second position of the object; and

a display module, to be operated by the at least one processor, the display module to provide the one or more images to be displayed in a display device of the first vehicle.

19. The computer device of claim 14, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and the first vehicle comprises:

the computer device;

the first sensor;

radio frequency (RF) circuitry;

baseband circuitry communicatively coupled with the RF circuitry to initiate the V2V communications session with the second vehicle, and receive the second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session; and

a head-up display (HUD) device integrated into a windshield of the first vehicle and communicatively coupled with the computer device.

20. The computer device of claim 18, wherein the first sensor is arranged in the first vehicle such that a field of view of the first sensor is in front of the first vehicle, and the second sensor is arranged in the second vehicle such that a field of view of the second sensor is in front of the second vehicle, and wherein the device interface circuitry is to obtain the first sensor data from the first sensor during operation of the first vehicle.

21. The computer device of claim 20, wherein the second sensor data is representative of at least the object to be detected by the second sensor, and wherein on receipt of the second sensor data, the detection module is to determine, based on the second sensor data, the second position of the object relative to the second vehicle, and the detection module is to further determine, based on the second position, a third position wherein the third position is a position of the object relative to the first vehicle, and wherein to determine the third position the detection module is to combine the first position with the second position.

22. The computer device of claim 21, wherein to generate the one or more images, the image generator is to generate an image representative of the object, and the display module is to map the third position to a corresponding region of the display device such that the image representative of the object is to be displayed in the corresponding region.

23. The computer device of claim 22, wherein the object is a third vehicle that is different than the first vehicle and different than the second vehicle.

24. A first vehicle comprising:

a head-up display (HUD) device;

a computer device comprising processor circuitry, memory circuitry, and device interface circuitry; and

a system on chip (SoC) communicatively coupled with radio frequency (RF) circuitry, the SoC comprising baseband circuitry and on-board memory, wherein;

the device interface circuitry is to obtain first sensor data from a first sensor in or on the first vehicle, wherein the first sensor data is representative of a second vehicle proximate to the first vehicle,

the processor circuitry is to execute instructions of a detection module stored by the memory circuitry, the detection module to;

obtain the first sensor data from the device interface circuitry;

obtain second sensor data from a second sensor on or in the second vehicle or obtain position data based on a second position of an object relative to the second vehicle derived based on the second sensor data, wherein the object is a potential obstacle with respect to the first vehicle;

determine, based on the first sensor data, a first position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle;

in response to a determination of the first position, trigger the baseband circuitry to initiate a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications session with the second vehicle via the RF circuitry, and the baseband circuitry to control the RF circuitry to receive the second sensor data from the second vehicle during the V2V communications session;

the processor circuitry to execute instructions of an image generator stored by the memory circuitry, the image generator to;

obtain the second sensor data or the position data associated with the second position of the object; and

generate one or more images based on the second sensor data or the position data associated with the second position of the object; and

the processor circuitry to execute instructions of a display module stored by the memory circuitry, the display module to provide the one or more images to be displayed by the HUD device.

25. The first vehicle of claim 24, wherein the detection module is to:

determine, based on the first position, whether the second vehicle is within a threshold distance from the first vehicle;

dynamically adjust the threshold distance based on a size of the second vehicle and a field of view of the first sensor; and

trigger the baseband circuitry to initiate the V2V communications session when the second vehicle is within the threshold distance from the first vehicle for a desired period of time.

26. The first vehicle of claim 24, wherein the first sensor is arranged in the first vehicle such that a field of view of the first sensor is in front of the first vehicle, and the second sensor is arranged in the second vehicle such that a field of view of the second sensor is in front of the second vehicle, and wherein the object is a third vehicle that is different than the first vehicle and different than the second vehicle.