Driving scenario prediction and automatic vehicle setting adjustment

• US 9,988,037 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Yang, Hsin-hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Shardul D
• Application Number:
  US14/253,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20150291146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 701 37, 180 652
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/188 hydraulic brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions

Abstract

A vehicle processor may track vehicle input during vehicle traversal of a travel path within a location region, match the vehicle input against a condition of a rule, such that when the vehicle input matches the condition, a driving scenario indication of a type corresponding to the rule is associated with the location region, and update a location demand identifier associated with the location region based on the driving scenario indication. The vehicle processor may further identify a location demand identifier for an approaching location region, the location demand identifier determined according to vehicle input satisfying a rule identifying a driving scenario and indicative of a level of likelihood of occurrence of the driving scenario; and when the location demand identifier exceeds a vehicle sensitivity level, provide a settings update to the vehicle to improve vehicle maneuverability during occurrence of the driving scenario.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one vehicle system including an engine start/stop system, a braking system, a transmission, or a suspension system; and

a vehicle processor configured to;

track vehicle input during vehicle traversal of a travel path within a location region, match the vehicle input against a condition of a rule, such that when the vehicle input matches the condition, a driving scenario indication of a type corresponding to the rule is associated with the location region, update a location demand identifier associated with the location region based on the driving scenario indication, identify the location demand identifier according to vehicle approach to the location region;

when the location demand identifier exceeds a vehicle sensitivity level, provide a settings update to the at least one vehicle system to improve vehicle maneuverability during occurrence of the driving scenario;

analyze second vehicle inputs tracked during a second traversal of the travel path within the location region by matching the second vehicle input to the rule;

determine a second driving scenario indication of the type corresponding to the rule; and

update a location demand identifier associated with the location region based on a weighting of the driving scenario indication and second driving scenario indication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to analyze the vehicle inputs upon condition that the vehicle exits the location region.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to update a location demand identifier associated with the location region based on a weighting of the driving scenario indication and a driving scenario indication determined from a previous vehicle traversal of the travel path.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the weighting utilizes a decaying factor weighting driving scenario indications determined from more recent traversals of the travel path more heavily in computation of the location demand identifier than driving scenario indications determined from less recent traversals of the travel path.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to analyze the vehicle input by matching the vehicle input to a second rule, such that when the vehicle input matches a condition of the second rule, a driving scenario indication of a second type different from the type and corresponding to the second rule is associated with the location region.

6. A system comprising:

at least one vehicle system including an engine start/stop system, a braking system, a transmission, or a suspension system; and

a vehicle processor configured to;

identify a location demand identifier for an approaching location region, the location demand identifier determined according to vehicle input satisfying a rule identifying a driving scenario and indicative of a level of likelihood of occurrence of the driving scenario;

when the location demand identifier exceeds a vehicle sensitivity level, provide a settings update to the at least one vehicle system to improve vehicle maneuverability during occurrence of the driving scenario;

track vehicle input during vehicle traversal of a travel path within a location region;

analyze the vehicle input by matching the vehicle input to a rule, such that when the vehicle input matches a condition of the rule, a driving scenario indication of a type corresponding to the rule is associated with the location region; and

update a location demand identifier associated with the location region based on a weighting of the driving scenario indication and a driving scenario indication determined from a previous vehicle traversal of the travel path.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to determine anticipatory changes to include the settings update according to a type of the driving scenario.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the settings update is based on comparing the type of driving scenario to a configuration of anticipatory changes including at least three of:

(i) the type of the driving scenario is high acceleration demand, and the anticipatory changes include to request a vehicle engine start/stop system to start an internal combustion engine of the vehicle;

(ii) the type of the driving scenario is high braking demand, and the anticipatory changes include to request a vehicle braking system to pre-charge brake pressure;

(iii) the type of the driving scenario is intersection maneuver, and the anticipatory changes include at least one of to request the vehicle braking system to pre-charge brake pressure or to request a vehicle suspension system to adjust suspension characteristics;

(iv) the type of the driving scenario is merge maneuver, and the anticipatory changes include at least one of to request the vehicle suspension system to adjust suspension characteristics and to request a vehicle transmission to downshift;

or (v) the type of the driving scenario is rough road, and the anticipatory changes include at least one of to request the vehicle suspension system to adjust suspension characteristics.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to identify the vehicle sensitivity level based on the driving scenario.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle processor is further configured to update a location demand identifier associated with the location region based on a weighting of the driving scenario indication and a driving scenario indication determined from a previous vehicle traversal of the travel path.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the weighting utilizes a decaying factor weighting driving scenario indications determined from more recent traversals of the travel path more heavily in computation of the location demand identifier than driving scenario indications determined from less recent traversals of the travel path.

12. A method comprising:

identifying a location demand identifier for an approaching location region, the location demand identifier determined according to vehicle input satisfying a rule identifying a driving scenario and indicative of a level of likelihood of occurrence of the driving scenario;

when the location demand identifier exceeds a vehicle sensitivity level, providing, by a vehicle processor, a settings update to the vehicle to modify vehicle maneuverability during occurrence of the driving scenario, the settings update based on comparing a type of the driving scenario to a configuration of anticipatory changes and including at least one of;

(i) the type of the driving scenario including high acceleration demand, and the anticipatory changes including to request a vehicle engine start/stop system to start an internal combustion engine of the vehicle;

(ii) the type of the driving scenario including high braking demand, and the anticipatory changes including to request a vehicle braking system to pre-charge brake pressure;

(iii) the type of the driving scenario including intersection maneuver, and the anticipatory changes including at least one of to request the vehicle braking system to pre-charge brake pressure or to request a vehicle suspension system to adjust suspension characteristics;

(iv) the type of the driving scenario including a merge maneuver, and the anticipatory changes including at least one of to request the vehicle suspension system to adjust suspension characteristics and to request a vehicle transmission to downshift;

or (v) the type of the driving scenario including rough road, and the anticipatory changes including at least one of to request the vehicle suspension system to adjust suspension characteristics;

tracking vehicle input during vehicle traversal of a travel path within a location region;

analyzing the vehicle input by matching the vehicle input to a rule, such that when the vehicle input matches a condition of the rule, a driving scenario indication of a type corresponding to the rule is associated with the location region; and

updating a location demand identifier associated with the location region based on a weighting of the driving scenario indication and a driving scenario indication determined from a previous vehicle traversal of the travel path.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining, by the vehicle processor, anticipatory changes to include the settings update according to a type of the driving scenario.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising identifying, by the vehicle processor, the vehicle sensitivity level based on the driving scenario.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising updating, by the vehicle processor, a location demand identifier associated with the location region based on a weighting of the driving scenario indication and a driving scenario indication determined from a previous vehicle traversal of the travel path, and the weighting utilizing a decaying factor weighting driving scenario indications determined from more recent traversals of the travel path more heavily in computation of the location demand identifier than driving scenario indications determined from less recent traversals of the travel path.