ENHANCED VEHICLE OPERATION

Abstract

A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to predict a path of a target vehicle through an intersection, determine a sequence for the target vehicle and a host vehicle to cross through the intersection based the predicted path of the target vehicle and a planned path of the host vehicle, the sequence determined to improve a vehicle parameter among a fleet of vehicles including the host vehicle and the target vehicle, transmit the determined sequence to the target vehicle, and actuate one or more components to move the host vehicle along the planned path according to the determined sequence.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to: predict a path of a target vehicle through an intersection; determine a sequence for the target vehicle and a host vehicle to cross through the intersection based the predicted path of the target vehicle and a planned path of the host vehicle, the sequence determined to improve a vehicle parameter among a fleet of vehicles including the host vehicle and the target vehicle; transmit the determined sequence to the target vehicle; and actuate one or more components to move the host vehicle along the planned path according to the determined sequence.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further include instructions to adjust the planned path of the host vehicle based on the sequence.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle parameter includes at least one of a vehicle acceleration, a vehicle acceleration duration, a vehicle speed, emission production rate, or a fuel consumption rate.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further include instructions to receive a planned path from the target vehicle and to adjust the planned path of the host vehicle based on the planned path of the target vehicle.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle parameter is a carbon dioxide production rate and the instructions further include instructions to determine the sequence to reduce the carbon dioxide production rate of the fleet of vehicles below a production rate threshold.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate the components to adjust at least one of lateral movement or longitudinal movement of the host vehicle.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle parameter is a traffic rate, the traffic rate being a maximum number of vehicles traveling through the intersection during a specified period of time.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the sequence to improve an aggregated vehicle parameter for the fleet of vehicles, the aggregated vehicle parameter being combined values of the vehicle parameter for all of the vehicles in the fleet of vehicles.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle parameter is a maximum vehicle speed, the instructions further include instructions to actuate the one or more components of the host vehicle to maintain a current speed of the host vehicle that does not exceed the maximum vehicle speed.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle parameter is a minimum vehicle spacing, and the instructions further include instructions to determine the sequence to maintain a distance between the host vehicle and the target vehicle that exceeds the minimum vehicle spacing.

26. A method, comprising: predicting a path of a target vehicle through an intersection; determining a sequence for the target vehicle and a host vehicle to cross through the intersection based the predicted path of the target vehicle and a planned path of the host vehicle, the sequence determined to improve a vehicle parameter among a fleet of vehicles including the host vehicle and the target vehicle; transmitting the determined sequence to the target vehicle; and actuating one or more components to move the host vehicle according to the determined sequence.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising adjusting the planned path of the host vehicle based on the sequence.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the vehicle parameter includes at least one of a vehicle acceleration, a vehicle acceleration duration, a vehicle speed, emission production rate, or a fuel consumption rate.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving a planned path from the target vehicle and adjusting the planned path of the host vehicle based on the planned path of the target vehicle.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the vehicle parameter is a carbon dioxide production rate and the method further comprises determining the sequence to reduce the carbon dioxide production rate of the fleet of vehicles below a production rate threshold.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising actuating the components to adjust at least one of lateral movement or longitudinal movement of the host vehicle.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the vehicle parameter is a traffic rate, the traffic rate being a maximum number of vehicles traveling through the intersection during a specified period of time.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising determine the sequencing to improve an aggregated vehicle parameter for the fleet of vehicles, the aggregated vehicle parameter being combined values of the vehicle parameter for all of the vehicles in the fleet of vehicles.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the vehicle parameter is a maximum vehicle speed, the method further comprises actuating the one or more components of the host vehicle to maintain a current speed of the host vehicle that does not exceed the maximum vehicle speed.

25. The method of claim 26, wherein the vehicle parameter is a minimum vehicle spacing, and the method further comprises determining the sequence to maintain a distance between the host vehicle and the target vehicle that exceeds the minimum vehicle spacing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an example of a system for cooperatively adapting vehicle movements in the region of a roadway junction.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an example of a vehicle having movement control device.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of diagrams of the curve of speed and interval of two vehicles during the crossing of an intersection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Other examples can be used and structural or logical changes can be performed without deviating from the scope of protection of the present disclosure. The features of the various examples described above and hereinafter can be combined with one another if not specifically indicated otherwise. The description is therefore not to be interpreted in a restrictive sense, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure is described by the appended claims.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an example of a system for cooperative adaptation of vehicle movements in the region of a roadway junction. The system 100 is used for cooperative adaptation of vehicle movements in the region of a roadway junction 101. In the example shown, the roadway junction is an intersection and has a first feed 102, a second feed 103, a third feed 104, and a fourth feed 105. The system 100 comprises a vehicle fleet, which consists in the example shown of a first vehicle 106 and a second vehicle 107 in the region of the roadway junction 101, wherein both the first vehicle 106 and also the second vehicle 107 have a vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 108, 109, a position detection unit 110, 111, and a movement control device 112, 113, respectively. The first vehicle 106 and the second vehicle 107 are located in the region of the roadway junction 101, which in the example shown comprises the actual intersection region, in which the roadways overlap, and additionally a component of the feeds 102, 103, 104, 105, which is defined in the example shown at a constant length, for example 50 m per feed.

[0048] The movement control device 112 of the first vehicle 106, which is located at a first position in a region of a roadway junction 101, determines its own first position on the basis of the items of position information currently provided by the position detection unit 110 and the further position of the second vehicle 107 with the aid of its own vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 108, via which a communication connection is established to the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 109 of the second vehicle 107 and the other position of which is retrieved or provided by the movement control device 113 thereof. In order to be able to provide the position information of the second vehicle, the movement control device 113 of the second vehicle 107 ascertains it with the aid of the position detection unit 111 of the second vehicle 107. Moreover, the movement control device 112 of the first vehicle is configured to request at least one operating parameter from the first vehicle 106 and with the aid of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication from the second vehicle 107 and to ascertain a crossing sequence of the vehicles 106, 107 of the vehicle fleet through the region on the basis of a general fleet-related optimization criterion. In the example shown, it is provided that the movement control device 113 of the second vehicle 107 performs the same ascertainment of the crossing sequence and a comparison of the ascertained crossing sequences takes place via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication connection.

[0049] The general fleet-related optimization criterion, which is known to the vehicles of the vehicle fleet, relates, for example, to minimizing the pollutant emission, for example carbon dioxide emission, of the vehicle fleet as a whole or maximizing the throughput of vehicles through the roadway junction, which in the present case means the selection of the sequence in which both the first vehicle 106 having a planned travel route 114 from the first feed 102 to the third feed 104 and also the second vehicle 107 having a planned travel route 115 from the second feed 103 to the fourth feed 105 can traverse the intersection in the overall shortest timeframe. The operating parameter is dependent on the fleet-related optimization criterion. For example, if the total carbon dioxide emission is to be minimized, for example, the carbon dioxide emission of the respective vehicle is ascertained as the operating parameter, for example the current value at the currently traveled speed, an average value, or a characteristic curve of the carbon dioxide emission as a function of the speed of the vehicle and/or as a function of speed changes of the vehicle and possibly further operating parameters, for example the respective current operating temperature.

[0050] A schematic illustration of an example of a vehicle having movement control device is shown in FIG. 2. The vehicle 200 shown is configured to be operated as first vehicle 106 or second vehicle 107 of the vehicle fleet of the system 100 shown in FIG. 1 for cooperative adaptation of vehicle movements in the region of a roadway junction 101. The vehicle 200 has a vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit, which is shown separately here as receiving module 201 of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit and transmitting module 202 of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit. Moreover, the vehicle 200 has a position detection unit 203. In the example shown, a GPS receiving unit 204, i.e. a receiver of a global position determination system, and additionally a surroundings sensor unit 205, for example comprising a camera sensor unit and/or a radar sensor unit and/or a lidar sensor unit are provided for position detection, wherein in particular also the position of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings and other vehicles in the region of the roadway junction is detected by analyzing the sensor signals.

[0051] Moreover, the vehicle has a movement control device 206, which is configured to ascertain the respective position and at least one operating parameter of vehicles of the vehicle fleet, including the ego vehicle 200, with the aid of the position detection unit 203 and the receiving module 201 and the transmitting module 202 of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit, when the vehicle 200 and one or more other vehicles of the vehicle fleet are located in the region of a roadway junction. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the movement control device 206 comprises for this purpose a positioning unit 207 having a first interface 208, and also a vehicle control unit 209, which is connected to the positioning unit 207, having a second interface 210.

[0052] The positioning unit 207 of the movement control device 206 is connected via the first interface 208 to the GPS receiving unit 204 and the surroundings sensor unit 205 of the position detection unit 203, and also at least to the receiving module 201 of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit. Moreover, there is a connection via the first interface 208 to the vehicle bus 211, for example a CAN bus, via which requests for operating parameter values from vehicle components (not shown) connected to the vehicle bus 211 can take place. The first and the second interface 208, 210 can each themselves consist of a plurality of interfaces.

[0053] The positioning unit is configured to detect positions and operating parameters of the vehicle 200 and of other vehicles of the vehicle fleet in the region of a roadway junction as input signals via the first interface 208 and relate them to one another, i.e. place them in a shared context.

[0054] For this purpose, the positioning unit 207 shown has a programmable device 212 having a processor 213 and a memory 214. A program is stored in the memory 214, which contains code components which are loaded and executed by the processor 213, whereby it generates a model of the surroundings of the vehicle 200, in which the roadway route in the region of the roadway junction and other vehicles or the items of position information and possibly for example items of movement information thereof are contained. This can also include, for example, a classification of other vehicles or of their planned travel routes, in particular a determination of a possible risk of collision with respect to the ego planned travel route. Moreover, for example, also taking into consideration additional items of information about the infrastructure ascertained from the analysis of the surroundings sensor signals or received via the communication unit can be provided.

[0055] The vehicle control unit 209 connected to the positioning unit 207 evaluates the input signals related to one another by the positioning unit 207 based at least on a fleet-related optimization criterion in consideration of the positions and operating parameters of the vehicle. This also includes that for the vehicles of the fleet included in the model, the crossing sequence is ascertained in which the fleet-related optimization criterion is fulfilled as well as possible.

[0056] The vehicle control unit 209 shown has for this purpose a separate programmable device 216 having a processor 217 and a memory 218, wherein a program is stored in the memory 218 which contains code components, which are loaded and executed by the processor 217. The movement control device 206 can also have a shared programmable device for the positioning unit 207 and the vehicle control unit 209 or as a whole can provide all features of both the positioning unit 207 and the vehicle control unit 209 in only one control unit.

[0057] The crossing sequence is then communicated via the second interface 210 with the aid of the transmitting module 202 of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit to the other vehicles of the fleet in the region of the roadway junction. The other vehicles can comply with the ascertained crossing sequence or communicate whether the crossing sequences ascertained by the other vehicles themselves correspond to the transmitted one, wherein one of the crossing sequences is defined as binding cooperatively in the event of deviations. In addition, it is provided that the vehicle control unit 209 takes into consideration a vehicle-related optimization criterion which is oriented, for example, to improving the specific driving comfort, and effects resulting from this consideration on the travel route are used for an updated ascertainment of the crossing sequence, in order to cooperatively approximate an optimization of both the fleet-related criteria and also the vehicle-related criteria and at the same time to avoid collisions in spite of dynamic adaptation.

[0058] The vehicle control unit 209 is configured to transmit signals via the second interface 210 to actuators 215 of the vehicle 200 based on the evaluation, in order to control the vehicle dynamics, in order to steer the vehicle through the region of the roadway junction. Depending on the example or operating mode, the vehicle control unit 209 transmits signals for longitudinal or additionally also for lateral control of the vehicle dynamics and thus of the vehicle 200. For the longitudinal control, the vehicle dynamics are influenced by signals which act on the brakes of the vehicle 200 and/or accelerate it, for example. For additional lateral control, the vehicle dynamics are influenced by signals which influence a steering actuator, for example.

[0059] A schematic illustration of diagrams of the curve of speed and interval of two vehicles when traversing an intersection is shown in FIG. 3, wherein the two vehicles are associated with a vehicle fleet of a system for cooperative adaptation of vehicle movements in the region of a roadway junction. The case thus corresponds to the case shown in FIG. 1 of a vehicle fleet consisting of two vehicles having overlapping longitudinal planned travel routes at an intersection. The crossing sequence was ascertained on the basis of a fleet-related optimization criterion. According to the ascertained crossing sequence, for example, the second vehicle receives the priority of being allowed to cross the intersection. The vehicle-related optimization criterion is for both vehicles the desired recommended speed, which was defined for the first vehicle as 15 m/s, i.e. 15 meters per second, and for the second vehicle as 11 m/s.

[0060] In the first diagram 310, the exemplary curve 311 of the speed v1 (in meters per second) of the first vehicle over the time t (in seconds) and the desired recommended speed 312 for the first vehicle (also in meters per second) are illustrated. In the second diagram 320, the exemplary curve 321 of the speed v2 (in meters per second) of the second vehicle over the time t (in seconds) and the desired recommended speed 322 for the second vehicle (also in meters per second) are illustrated. In the third diagram 330, the associated exemplary curve 331 of an interval, i.e. a distance d (in meters) between the first vehicle and the second vehicle over the time t (in seconds) and a provided minimum interval 332 to be maintained (also in meters) between both vehicles are illustrated.

[0061] While the speed 321 of the second vehicle is increased up to its desired recommended speed 322 of 11 m/s, the speed 311 of the first vehicle, which initially even moves at its desired recommended speed 312 of 15 m/s, is reduced until the decreasing distance 331 between the two vehicles is not reduced below the minimum interval 332, wherein from the point in time at which a collision is no longer possible, the speed 311 of the first vehicle is increased again to approximate it again to the desired recommended speed 312 of the first vehicle. In contrast, it was possible for the second vehicle to traverse the intersection with essentially unchanged speed 321, which is close to the desired recommended speed 322 for the second vehicle.

[0062] The figures are not necessarily accurate in detail and scale and can be illustrated enlarged or reduced in size to offer a better overview. Therefore, functional details disclosed here are not to be understood as restrictive, but rather as an illustrative foundation which offers guidance to a person skilled in the art in this field of technology in order to use the present disclosure in manifold ways.

[0063] The expression “and/or” used here, if it is used in a series of two or more elements, means that each of the listed elements can be used alone, or any combination of two or more of the listed elements can be used. For example, if a combination is described that contains the components A, B, and/or C, the combination can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.

[0064] The present disclosure was described in detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments for explanatory purposes. A person skilled in the art recognizes that details described with respect to one embodiment can also be used in other embodiments. The disclosure is therefore not to be restricted to individual embodiments, but rather solely by the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0065] 100 system [0066] 101 roadway junction [0067] 102 first feed [0068] 103 second feed [0069] 104 third feed [0070] 105 fourth feed [0071] 106 first vehicle [0072] 107 second vehicle [0073] 108 vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit of the first vehicle [0074] 109 vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit of the second vehicle [0075] 110 position detection unit of the first vehicle [0076] 111 position detection unit of the second vehicle [0077] 112 movement control device of the first vehicle [0078] 113 movement control device of the second vehicle [0079] 114 planned travel route of the first vehicle [0080] 115 planned travel route of the second vehicle [0081] 200 vehicle [0082] 201 receiving module of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit [0083] 202 transmitting module of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit [0084] 203 position detection unit [0085] 204 GPS receiving unit [0086] 205 surroundings sensor unit [0087] 206 movement control device [0088] 207 positioning unit [0089] 208 first interface [0090] 209 vehicle control unit [0091] 210 second interface [0092] 211 vehicle bus [0093] 212 programmable device [0094] 213 processor [0095] 214 memory [0096] 215 actuators [0097] 216 programmable device [0098] 217 processor [0099] 218 memory [0100] 310 first diagram [0101] 311 curve of the speed of the first vehicle [0102] 312 desired recommended speed for the first vehicle [0103] 320 second diagram [0104] 321 speed of the second vehicle [0105] 322 desired recommended speed for the second vehicle [0106] 330 third diagram [0107] 331 distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle [0108] 332 minimum distance between the two vehicles