The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using geofences to restrict vehicle operation. Aspects of the invention include creating dynamic geofences and limiting vehicle movements (e.g., speed, acceleration, steering, etc.) within and in the vicinity of the dynamic geofences to protect pedestrians from physical harm. In general, radio devices track people in an area by counting the number of devices and calculating the number of people based on average number of devices per person. Using count and location data, a geofence is created when population or population density within an area exceeds a threshold. The geofence can be sent to vehicles to restrict vehicle operation, for example, slowing down or stopping the vehicle, within and around the geofence.

In one embodiment, described herein is a system and method for filtering obstacles to reduce the number of obstacles for an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) to process in a given planning phase. The ADV can identify a first set of obstacles based on a set of criteria in a first lane where the ADV is travelling, filter out the remaining obstacles in the first lane, and expand each identified obstacle to a width of the first lane from the view of the ADV so that the ADV cannot nudge any of the first set of identified obstacles. When switching from the first lane to a second lane, the ADV can identify a second set of obstacles in the second lane using the same set of criteria, and expand each obstacle in the second set of obstacles to a width of the second lane while keep tracking the first set of identified obstacles. When the lane switching is completed, the ADV can stop tracking the first set of identified obstacles.

A driving assist system executes driving assist control for avoiding a collision with a target ahead of a vehicle. The driving assist control operates when the target exists within an assist area. First and second roadway boundaries of a roadway area are located on first and second sides as viewed from the vehicle, respectively. A crossing target is the target crossing the roadway area ahead of the vehicle from the first side toward the second side. The assist area for the crossing target is an area between an assist start boundary located on the first side as viewed from the vehicle and an assist end boundary located on the second side as viewed from the vehicle. The driving assist system sets the assist end boundary at a position between the vehicle and the second roadway boundary of the roadway area.

A future location of a movable object is predicted to intersect a planned path of a host vehicle. A host vehicle component is actuated to output a signal indicating to move the movable object. Then, at least one of the movable object is determined to have moved or the planned path of the host vehicle is updated. Then, the host vehicle is operated along the planned path or the updated planned path.

Systems and methods for connected vehicle and mobile device communications are provided herein. An example method includes determining a distracted condition for at least one of a driver or a pedestrian by evaluating actions occurring within in a vehicle of the driver or on a mobile device of the pedestrian; determining a distraction level for either the driver or the pedestrian based on the actions occurring within in the vehicle or on the mobile device; and providing an alert message to the mobile device or a human machine interface of the vehicle based on the distraction level, the alert message warning of a distracted condition of the pedestrian or the driver.

A driving assist system executes driving assist control for avoiding a collision with a target ahead of a vehicle. The driving assist control operates when the target exists within an assist area. A crossing target is the target crossing a roadway area ahead of the vehicle from a first side toward a second side. The assist area for the crossing target is divided into a plurality of divided assist areas including a first assist area located on the first side as viewed from the vehicle and a second assist area located on the second side as viewed from the vehicle. When the crossing target exists in the second assist area, the driving assist system decreases a control strength of the driving assist control as compared with a case where the crossing target exists in the first assist area.

A vehicle control device facilitates giving a feeling of security to a driver and passengers of an autonomous driving host vehicle M. The vehicle control device includes a recognition unit recognizing circumstances surrounding the vehicle, a travel control unit controlling at least one of steering and acceleration of the vehicle based on the circumstances surrounding the vehicle, an external notification unit notifying the traffic participants recognized by the recognition unit of a behavior of the host vehicle based on a control by the travel control unit, an internal notification unit notifying the driver of the information notified to the traffic participant through the external notification unit when the host vehicle M is within a predetermined area of the intersection, and a notification control unit stopping the notifications when the vehicle is not in the area.

A method for detecting pedestrians in a vicinity of a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes: receiving image data acquired using one or more cameras, the image data depicting at least a portion of the vehicle's surroundings and at least one human subject; determining image coordinates corresponding to one or more parts of a body of the at least one human subject that are detected in the image data; obtaining vehicle environment information for the vehicle, the vehicle environment information identifying a plurality of regions that are defined in an area surrounding the vehicle; determining that the at least one human subject is present within a first one of the plurality of regions based on the image coordinates corresponding to the one or more detected body parts; and generating a notification indicating the detected presence of the at least one human subject in the first region.

An apparatus for assisting driving of a host vehicle includes a camera mounted to the host vehicle and having a field of view outside of the host vehicle, the camera configured to obtain image data; and a controller configured to process the image data, identify at least one object obstructing the host vehicle's driving based on the image data, predict a collision with the at least one object, identify whether the host vehicle is moving forward or backward based on the image data and control a braking device of the host vehicle to brake the host vehicle depending on whether the host vehicle is moving forward or backward.

A driving assistance apparatus includes a controller programmed to perform a deceleration assistance process of assisting in decelerating a vehicle before the vehicle arrives at a deceleration object, and to control a display apparatus to display, in a first display area, first notification information for notifying an occupant of the vehicle of the deceleration object that is a target for the deceleration assistance process. When a first object and a second object that is different from the first object are both detected as the deceleration object and the second object is the target for the deceleration assistance process but the first object is not the target for the deceleration assistance process, the controller is programmed to control the display apparatus to display, in a second display area, second notification information for notifying the occupant of the first object, the second display area is different from the first display area.