Crossroads intersection control

Abstract

A method includes: designating a first vehicle as a leading vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at an intersection; actuating a second vehicle to follow the leading vehicle; and after determining that the leading vehicle has entered the intersection, designating the second vehicle as the leading vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to vehicles which may, for example, stop in a line or queue at an intersection due to a red traffic light, i.e., stop one after another at the intersection. After the traffic light changes to green, each vehicle in the queue should wait for the vehicle in front of it to start moving before it can move itself, except for the first vehicle (i.e., the vehicle in front of the queue which has no other vehicle in front of it) which can start moving without worrying about other vehicles in front of it. However, the vehicle that is not the leading vehicle must maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front; the problem with this is that the operation of the following vehicle may be inefficient, not able to move through the intersection as fast as possible, thus consuming additional fuel and brake wear, and in addition causing inefficiency in the traffic flow. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles may, for example, stop in a line or queue at an intersection due to a red traffic light, i.e., stop one after another at the intersection. After the traffic light changes to green, each vehicle in the queue should wait for the vehicle in front of it to start moving before it can move itself, except for the first vehicle (i.e., the vehicle in front of the queue which has no other vehicle in front of it) which can start moving without worrying about other vehicles in front of it. However, the vehicle that is not the leading vehicle must maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front; the problem with this is that the operation of the following vehicle may be inefficient, not able to move through the intersection as fast as possible, thus consuming additional fuel and brake wear, and in addition causing inefficiency in the traffic flow. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Disclosed herein is a method, which includes: designating a first vehicle as a leading vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at an intersection; actuating a second vehicle to follow the leading vehicle; and after determining that the leading vehicle has entered the intersection, designating the second vehicle as the leading vehicle.

[0004] The method may further include actuating a third vehicle to follow the second vehicle after the second vehicle has been designated as the leading vehicle.

[0005] The second vehicle may be between the first vehicle and the third vehicle.

[0006] The second vehicle may closely follow the first vehicle in the driving direction.

[0007] The method may further include identifying the plurality of vehicles when the vehicles are stopped at the intersection.

[0008] The method may further include instructing the second vehicle to accelerate based on the acceleration of the leading vehicle.

[0009] The method may further include receiving a wireless signal from each of the plurality of vehicles and identifying the plurality of vehicles at the intersection based on the received wireless signal.

[0010] The method may further include receiving a wireless signal at a transceiver above each of the lanes at the intersection using a directional antenna pointing to the corresponding lane and determining the order of the vehicles at the corresponding lane based on the received wireless signal.

[0011] The method may further include determining a respective distance of each of the vehicles from the intersection based on the time between transmitting a wireless signal from a transceiver at the intersection and receiving the wireless signal from the corresponding vehicle in response to the transmitted signal.

[0012] The method may further include determining a first distance between the intersection and a front transceiver of each of the plurality of vehicles; determining a second distance between the intersection and a rear transceiver of each corresponding vehicle; and determining the driving direction of the corresponding vehicle based on the determined first and second distances.

[0013] Also disclosed herein is a system that includes a computer programmed to designate a first vehicle as a lead vehicle from a plurality of vehicles at an intersection; actuate a second vehicle to follow the lead vehicle; and, after determining that the lead vehicle has entered the intersection, designate the second vehicle as the lead vehicle.

[0014] The computer may further be programmed to actuate a third vehicle to follow the second vehicle after the second vehicle has been designated as the lead vehicle.

[0015] The computer may further be programmed to identify the plurality of vehicles when the vehicles are stopped at the intersection.

[0016] The computer may further be programmed to receive an acceleration of the lead vehicle and indicate for the second vehicle to accelerate based on the received acceleration of the lead vehicle.

[0017] The computer may further be programmed to receive a wireless signal from each of the plurality of vehicles and identify the plurality of vehicles at the intersection based on the received wireless signal.

[0018] The computer may further be programmed to determine the driving direction of each of the vehicles by receiving a first wireless signal from a front transceiver installed at the front of each of the vehicles and a second wireless signal from a rear transceiver installed at the rear of each of the vehicles.

[0019] The system may further include first and second antennas installed at the intersection and respectively pointing to the first and second lanes, wherein the computer is further programmed to specify a first guided vehicle in the first lane and a second guided vehicle in the second lane based on wireless signals received via the first and second antennas.

[0020] The computer may further be programmed to determine the order of the vehicles at each of the first and second lanes based on the received wireless signals.

[0021] The computer may further be programmed to determine a respective distance of each of the vehicles from the intersection based on the time between transmitting a wireless signal from a transceiver at the intersection and receiving the wireless signal from the respective vehicle in response to the transmitted signal.

[0022] The computer may further be programmed to determine a first distance between the intersection and a front transceiver of each of the plurality of vehicles; determine a second distance between the intersection and a rear transceiver of each respective vehicle; and determine a driving direction of the respective vehicle based on the determined first and second distances.

[0023] Also disclosed is a computing device programmed to perform any of the above method steps.

[0024] Also disclosed is a computer program product including a computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer processor to perform any of the above method steps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for controlling movement in vehicles arranged in a line.

[0026] Figure 2 is a diagram showing Figure 1 vehicles and traffic lights in the context of the system of

[0027] Figure 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary process for controlling vehicles at an intersection.

[0028] Figure 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary process for controlling vehicle operations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] INTRODUCTION

[0030] This disclosure relates to a method that includes: designating a first vehicle as a leading vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at an intersection; actuating a second vehicle to follow the leading vehicle; and, after determining that the leading vehicle has entered the intersection, designating the second vehicle as the leading vehicle.

[0031] The method may further include actuating a third vehicle to follow the second vehicle after the second vehicle has been designated as the leading vehicle.

[0032] The second vehicle may be between the first vehicle and the third vehicle.

[0033] The second vehicle may closely follow the first vehicle in the direction of travel.

[0034] The method may further include identifying the plurality of vehicles when the vehicles are stopped at the intersection.

[0035] The method may further include instructing the second vehicle to accelerate based on the acceleration of the leading vehicle.

[0036] The method may further include receiving a wireless signal from each of the plurality of vehicles and identifying the plurality of vehicles at the intersection based on the received wireless signals.

[0037] The method may further include receiving wireless signals at a transceiver above each of the lanes at the intersection using a directional antenna pointed at the corresponding lane and determining the order of the vehicles at the corresponding lane based on the received wireless signals.

[0038] The method may further include determining a respective distance of each of the vehicles from the intersection based on the time between transmitting a wireless signal from a transceiver at the intersection and receiving the wireless signal from the corresponding vehicle in response to the transmitted signal.

[0039] The method may further include determining a first distance between the intersection and a front transceiver of each of the plurality of vehicles; determining a second distance between the intersection and a rear transceiver of each corresponding vehicle; and determining the direction of travel of the corresponding vehicle based on the determined first and second distances.

[0040] This disclosure also relates to a system that includes a computer programmed to designate a first vehicle as a leading vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at an intersection; actuating a second vehicle to follow the leading vehicle; and, after determining that the leading vehicle has entered the intersection, designating the second vehicle as the leading vehicle.

[0041] The computer may also be programmed to actuate a third vehicle to follow the second vehicle after the second vehicle has been designated as the leading vehicle.

[0042] The computer may also be programmed to identify the plurality of vehicles when the vehicles are stopped at the intersection.

[0043] The computer may also be programmed to receive the acceleration of the leading vehicle and instruct the second vehicle to accelerate based on the received acceleration of the leading vehicle.

[0044] The computer may also be programmed to receive a wireless signal from each of the plurality of vehicles and identify the plurality of vehicles at the intersection based on the received wireless signals.

[0045] The computer may also be programmed to determine the driving direction of each of the vehicles by receiving a first wireless signal from a front transceiver mounted to the front of each of the vehicles and a second wireless signal from a rear transceiver mounted to the rear of each of the vehicles.

[0046] The system may further include first and second antennas installed at the intersection and respectively pointing to the first and second lanes, wherein the computer is further programmed to designate a first leading vehicle in the first lane and a second leading vehicle in the second lane based on wireless signals received via the first and second antennas.

[0047] The computer may also be programmed to determine the order of the vehicles at each of the first and second lanes based on the received wireless signals.

[0048] The computer may also be programmed to determine the respective distance of each of the vehicles from the intersection based on the time between transmitting a wireless signal from a transceiver at the intersection and receiving the wireless signal from the corresponding vehicle in response to the transmitted signal.

[0049] The computer may also be programmed to determine a first distance between the intersection and the front transceiver of each of the plurality of vehicles; determine a second distance between the intersection and the rear transceiver of each corresponding vehicle; and determine the driving direction of the corresponding vehicle based on the determined first and second distances.

[0050] A computing device programmed to perform any of the above method steps is also disclosed.

[0051] A computer program product including a computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer processor to perform any of the above method steps is also disclosed.

[0052] Exemplary system components

[0053] Reference Figures 1 to 2 , system 100 includes vehicle 110, wireless communication network 120, traffic signal controller 130, and one or more transceivers 140A, 140B.

[0054] Traffic signal controller 130 is typically a computer having, for example, a known processor and memory. The memory includes one or more forms of computer-readable media and stores instructions executable by the processor for performing various operations including those disclosed herein. The processor of traffic signal controller 130 can include programming to receive data from transceivers 140A, 140B via network 120 (e.g., a wired or wireless network interface).

[0055] Traffic signal controller 130 can include programming to change lights at a specified time or time interval, e.g., to control the green-yellow-red cycle. Additionally, controller 130 can include a wired or wireless communication mechanism, such as those known for communicating via network 120 with corresponding computers 210 in vehicle 110 and / or other remote computers. For example, the wired or wireless communication mechanism can provide instructions to control operations, such as the timing of traffic signal controller 130 for traffic signals.

[0056] Traffic signal controller 130 can be programmed to communicate with vehicle 110 transceivers 250, 260 and determine the distance between transceivers 140A, 140B and other transceivers installed in vehicle 110 (see Figure 3 ). Transceivers 140A, 140B can be mounted to traffic signal poles 280 at intersection 265. In one example, controller 130 can be programmed to determine the distance between transceivers 140A, 140B and vehicle 110 transceivers 250, 260 based on known travel time techniques, as discussed below with reference to Figure 3 .

[0057] Figure 1 is a block diagram of vehicle 110. Vehicle 110 can be powered in various known ways, such as by an electric motor and / or an internal combustion engine. Vehicle 110 can include computer 210, one or more actuators 220, one or more sensors 230, a human-machine interface (HMI) 240, and one or more wireless signal transceivers 250, 260, each of which will be discussed in detail below.

[0058] Computer 210 includes, for example, a known processor and memory. The memory includes one or more forms of computer-readable media and stores instructions executable by computer 210 for performing various operations including those disclosed herein.

[0059] The computer 210 may operate the vehicle 110 in autonomous, semi-autonomous, and / or non-autonomous modes. For the purposes of this disclosure, the autonomous mode is defined as a mode in which the computer 210 controls each of the propulsion (e.g., via a powertrain including an electric motor and / or an internal combustion engine), braking, and steering of the vehicle 110; in the semi-autonomous mode, the computer 210 controls one or both of the propulsion, braking, and steering of the vehicle 110; and in the non-autonomous mode, the user of the vehicle 110 controls the propulsion, braking, and steering of the vehicle 110.

[0060] The computer 210 may include programming to operate one or more of vehicle braking, propulsion (e.g., controlling the acceleration of the vehicle by controlling one or more of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a hybrid engine, etc.), steering, climate control, interior and / or exterior lights, etc., and to determine whether and when the computer 210 rather than an operator controls such operations.

[0061] The computer 210 is generally arranged to communicate on a vehicle communication network (e.g., including a communication bus such as a Controller Area Network (CAN)). The computer 210 may include or be communicatively coupled to more than one processor, such as controllers included in the vehicle for monitoring and / or controlling various subsystems such as a powertrain, braking, steering, etc., for example via a vehicle communication bus as further described below.

[0062] Via the vehicle network, the computer 210 may transmit messages to and / or receive messages from various devices in the vehicle 110 (e.g., controllers, actuators, sensors (including sensor 230), etc.). Optionally or additionally, in the case where the computer 210 actually includes multiple devices, the vehicle communication network may be used for communication between the devices represented as the computer 210 in this disclosure. Further, as described below, various controllers and / or the sensor 230 may provide data to the computer 210 via the vehicle communication network.

[0063] Additionally, the computer 210 may be configured to communicate with a remote computer such as the controller 130 via a wireless communication interface (e.g., transceivers 250, 260). The wireless communication interface may communicate via a communication network 120. The communication network 120 may be one or more wireless communication mechanisms, which include any desired combination of wireless (e.g., cellular, wireless, satellite, microwave, and radio frequency) communication mechanisms with any desired network topology (or multiple topologies when multiple communication mechanisms are utilized). Exemplary V2V communication networks include cellular (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE)), Bluetooth that provide data communication services TM, IEEE 802.11, dedicated short range communication (DSRC), and / or wide area network (WAN), which includes the Internet.

[0064] Sensor 230 may include various devices known to provide data via a vehicle communication bus. For example, sensor 230 may include one or more cameras, radars, and / or light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors disposed in vehicle 110, which provide data including at least some of the exterior of the vehicle. The data may be received by computer 210 via a suitable communication mechanism (e.g., a vehicle network, e.g., a controller area network (CAN) bus, etc.) or other network.

[0065] Actuator 220 generally includes circuits, chips, or other electronic components that can actuate various vehicle subsystems according to known appropriate control signals. For example, actuator 220 may include one or more relays, servo motors, etc. Thus, actuator 220 can be used to control the braking, acceleration, and steering of vehicle 110. The control signals for controlling actuator 220 may be generated by computer 210, a control unit (e.g., a brake controller, etc.) located in vehicle 110.

[0066] HMI 140 may be configured to receive user input, for example, during the operation of vehicle 110. As an example, HMI 140 may include a touch screen, buttons, knobs, keypads, microphones, etc. for receiving information from the user. In addition, HMI 140 may include various interfaces for receiving information from and / or outputting information to the user, such as Ford computing interface, smart phone, etc.

[0067] The transceivers 250, 260 of vehicle 110 and / or transceivers 140A, 140B may include known electronic circuits such as wireless (or radio frequency) signal transmitters, wireless (or radio frequency) signal receivers, and amplifier circuits to enhance outgoing and incoming radio frequency signals. The vehicle 110 computer 210 may be programmed to receive wireless signals via a wireless signal receiver. The wireless signal transceivers 140A, 140B, 250, 260 may be configured to receive wireless signals based on various wireless communication protocols (e.g., LTE, Bluetooth TM , WAN, etc.).

[0068] The computer 210 can be programmed to receive instructions from a remote computer such as the controller 130 via a wireless communication network 120 such as LTE, and control the operation of the vehicle 110 based on the received instructions. The received instructions can include instructions to accelerate. Thus, the computer 210 can be programmed to accelerate the vehicle 110 based on the received instructions. The received instructions can include a following distance instruction (e.g., 5 meters), a specific acceleration rate, a time at which a specific speed should be reached, etc. For example, the computer 210 can be programmed to actuate the operation of the vehicle 110, e.g., propulsion and / or braking, to maintain a following distance from the next vehicle 110 based on the received following distance.

[0069] Figure 3 An exemplary intersection 265 is shown. The term "intersection" is generally understood with respect to roads and in the context of the present disclosure refers to the intersection of two or more roads (such as roads 290, 360). One or more traffic signal poles 280 can be installed at the intersection 265, e.g., to provide guidance (e.g., whether to allow the vehicle 110 to move through the intersection 265) to the vehicle 110 via traffic signals 285 mounted to the pole 280. As discussed above, the controller 130 can be programmed to control the red-yellow-green cycle of the lights 285. Additionally or alternatively, the traffic signals 285 can be installed in various ways, e.g., mounted to an overhead gantry where the crossbeam is mounted parallel to the ground.

[0070] The roads at the intersection can be one-way or two-way and / or single-lane or multi-lane. For example, as Figure 3 shown, the multi-lane two-way road 290 intersects the single-lane two-way road 360 at the intersection 265. The lanes 270, 275 are in the direction of travel towards the intersection 265. The lanes of the road 290 in the direction opposite to the lanes 270, 275 are not numbered.

[0071] The controller 130 can be programmed to determine the distances between transceivers 140A, 140B and vehicle 110 transceivers 250, 260, such as the distances d1, d2 between 140A and vehicle 110 transceivers 250, 260. In one example, the controller 130 broadcasts a wireless signal from transceiver 140A and determines the distances d1, d2 to vehicle 110 based on wireless responses received from vehicle 110 based on the signal transmission time (i.e., the time from the broadcast to the receipt of the response from the corresponding vehicle 110 transceivers 250, 260). The controller 130 can be programmed to determine the respective distances of each of the vehicles 110 from intersection 265 based on the time between transmitting a wireless signal from a transceiver at intersection 265 and receiving a wireless signal from the corresponding vehicle 110 in response to the transmitted signal. The received wireless signals can include the identifiers of the respective vehicles 110. That is, the controller 130 can also be programmed to associate the distance d1 with the identifier of the corresponding vehicle 110.

[0072] In Figures 2 to 3 In one example shown, the front transceiver 250 is mounted at the front of vehicle 110, and the rear transceiver 260 is mounted at the rear of vehicle 110. Transceivers 140A, 140B can be mounted to the traffic signal pole 280. Transceivers 140A, 140B can be associated with lanes 270, 275, for example, in the directions of the respective lanes 270, 275. Transceivers 140A, 140B can each include a directional antenna that broadcasts a wireless signal on the associated lane. For example, transceivers 140A, 140B can broadcast to lanes 270, 275, respectively. As is commonly understood by the term, a directional antenna in the current context refers to an antenna whose main lobe of the radiation pattern points in a given direction (e.g., along lane 270). Thus, vehicles 110 in adjacent lanes (e.g., lane 275) may receive a weak signal or may not receive a signal from an antenna pointing to lane 270.

[0073] Vehicles 110 traveling on lanes 270, 275 can stop at intersection 265, for example, when red light 285 is activated. For example, the first vehicle 110A stops at red light 285. Other vehicles 110 (e.g., the second vehicle 110B and the third vehicle 110C) can stop behind the first vehicle 110A and wait. After the light 285 turns "green", all vehicles 110A, 110B, 110C can be ready to move forward, but the second vehicle 110B may have to wait for the first vehicle 110A to move. The third vehicle 110C can wait for the first vehicle 110A and the second vehicle 110B before moving. Especially for a vehicle 110 with multiple other vehicles 110 in front, starting of the vehicles 110 queuing at the intersection can be a long process based on the number of vehicles 110 in lane 270, the reaction time of each vehicle 110 after the vehicle 110 in front of it moves, the acceleration of each of the vehicles 110, etc. Advantageously, the controller 130 can be programmed to designate the first vehicle 110A as a leading vehicle 110 from the vehicles 110 at intersection 265 and actuate the second vehicle 110B to follow the leading vehicle 110. The controller 130 can also be programmed to designate the second vehicle 110B as the leading vehicle 110 after determining that the leading vehicle 110 has entered intersection 265.

[0074] In the current context, "a vehicle 110 enters intersection 265" can mean that the vehicle 110 passes through the geometric center of intersection 265, for example, at the position where the axial axes of the roads intersect. Additionally or alternatively, "entering intersection 265" can mean passing through the traffic signal 285 associated with the vehicle lane (such as lane 270 for vehicle 110A), and / or passing through a line drawn on the surface of road 290 at intersection 265 where the vehicle 110 should stop when the light 285 is red. The controller 130 can be programmed to determine that the leading vehicle 110 has entered intersection 265 when determining that the distance d1 from the front transceiver 250 of the vehicle 110 is greater than the distance d2 from the rear transceiver 260 of the vehicle 110.

[0075] In the current context, "designating" a vehicle 110 means selecting the vehicle 110 as a leading vehicle 110 or a following vehicle 110. The controller 130 can be programmed to designate a vehicle 110 as, for example, a leading vehicle 110 by storing the assignment of the identifier of the corresponding vehicle 110 as a leading vehicle 110 in the memory of the controller 130. When changing the designation, for example, when selecting the second vehicle 110B as the leading vehicle 110, the controller 130 can update the information in the memory of the controller 130, for example, store the assignment of the identifier of the second vehicle 110B as a leading vehicle 110 in the memory of the controller 130.

[0076] The second vehicle 110B can closely follow the first vehicle 110A in the driving direction, that is, there can be no other vehicles 110, motorcycles, etc. between them. In the current context, the "driving direction" refers to the moving direction of the vehicle 110 relative to the intersection 265. For example, the driving direction can be "approaching" or "leaving" the intersection 265.

[0077] The controller 130 can be programmed to identify the vehicles 110 at the intersection 265, for example, by receiving wireless signals from each of the vehicles 110 and identifying the vehicles 110 at the intersection 265 based on the received wireless signals. In one example, the computer 210 can be programmed to identify the vehicles 110 when the vehicles 110 stop at the intersection 265. Additionally, for example, when the traffic signal 285 is in the "red" state, the controller 130 can be programmed to further identify the vehicles 110 stopped at the traffic signal 285 based on the state of the traffic signal 285. The second vehicle 110B can be between the first vehicle 110A and the third vehicle 110C, that is, when the first vehicle 110A, the second vehicle 110B, and the third vehicle 110C are in the same lane 310, one of the vehicles (e.g., the first vehicle 110A) is in front of the second vehicle 110B, and one of the vehicles (e.g., the third vehicle 110C) is behind the second vehicle 110B. In other words, in the current context, "between" means the vehicles 110 are in the same lane.

[0078] The controller 130 can be programmed to identify multiple vehicles 110 stopped on the lane behind the traffic signal 285 and / or approaching the intersection 265. In one example, the controller 130 can be programmed to identify the vehicles 110 within a predetermined distance (e.g., 100 meters) from the intersection 265.

[0079] The controller 130 can be programmed to determine the leading vehicle 110 only when two or more vehicles 110 are identified. In other words, the computer 210 can be programmed to designate the leading vehicle only when at least one following vehicle 110 can be determined.

[0080] To identify which vehicle 110 is approaching the intersection, the controller 130 can be programmed to determine the driving direction of the vehicle 110. For example, the controller 130 can be programmed to determine a first distance d1 between the intersection 265 (e.g., the transceiver 140A at the pole 280) and the front transceiver 250 of each of the vehicles 110 (e.g., mounted to the front bumper of the vehicle 110). The controller 130 can then determine a second distance d2 between the intersection 265 and the rear transceiver 260 of the corresponding vehicle 110 and determine the driving direction of the corresponding vehicle 110 based on the determined first distance d1 and second distance d2.

[0081] The controller 130 can also be programmed to actuate the second vehicle 110B to accelerate based on the acceleration of the leading vehicle 110 and to transmit an acceleration command to the second vehicle 110B based on the received acceleration of the leading vehicle 110. The controller 130 can be programmed to accelerate the second vehicle 110 at the same acceleration as the first vehicle 110A, at an acceleration slightly less (e.g., 5% less) than the acceleration of the first vehicle 110A, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the acceleration command can include a following distance between the vehicles 110, such as 5 meters. Thus, the controller 130 can actuate the second vehicle 110B to accelerate and / or brake while maintaining a 5-meter distance from the leading vehicle 110. In one example, the second vehicle 110B computer 210 can be programmed to maintain the following distance based on vehicle 110B radar and / or camera sensor 230 data. Additionally, the controller 130 can be programmed to actuate other vehicles 110 (such as a third vehicle 110C in lane 270) to follow the leading vehicle 110. For example, the controller 130 can be programmed to actuate multiple following vehicles 110 to follow the leading vehicle 110 while instructing the following vehicles 110 to maintain a distance of, for example, 5 meters from each other (i.e., between two adjacent following vehicles 110 in the same lane).

[0082] As discussed above, the controller 130 can designate another vehicle 110 after determining that the leading vehicle 110 has entered an intersection. Additionally, the controller 130 can be programmed to actuate a third vehicle 110C to follow the second vehicle 110B after the second vehicle has been designated as the leading vehicle 110. In Figure 3 the example shown, the second vehicle 110B and the third vehicle 110C follow the first vehicle 110A as the leading vehicle 110 until the first vehicle 110A enters the intersection 265. Then, the controller 130 designates the second vehicle 110B as the leading vehicle 110. That is, the third vehicle 110C then follows the second vehicle 110B, which is now the leading vehicle 110.

[0083] In one example, the controller 130 can be programmed to receive a wireless signal at transceiver 140A, for example, above lane 270 installed at intersection 265, using a directional antenna pointing to the corresponding lane 270. The controller 130 can then be programmed to determine the order of vehicles 110 at the corresponding lane 270 based on the received wireless signal. For example, the controller 130 can determine the order such as: (i) vehicle 110A, (ii) vehicle 110B, (iii) vehicle 110C. In other words, the controller 130 can determine that the first vehicle 110A is the vehicle 110 closest to intersection 265. The second vehicle 110B is behind the first vehicle 110A, and the third vehicle 110C is behind the second vehicle 110B. As an example, the controller 130 can be programmed to store the determined order in the memory of the controller 130 in the form of an array and periodically update the stored data based on the received wireless signal.

[0084] Processing

[0085] Figure 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary process 300 for controlling vehicles 110 at intersection 265. In one example, the traffic signal controller 130 can be programmed to execute the blocks of process 300.

[0086] Process 300 begins at block 310, where controller 130 identifies one or more vehicles 110, such as at intersection 265. Controller 130 may be programmed to identify vehicles 110 to be guided or controlled by controller 130 during this process 300 by broadcasting one or more wireless signals via one or more transceivers 140A, 140B, and to determine a respective distance to each of the vehicles 110 based on the received wireless signals transmitted by vehicle 110 transceivers 250, 260 in response to the broadcast signals. Controller 130 may be programmed to identify vehicles at intersection 265 by determining the travel direction and / or distance of each respective vehicle 110 relative to intersection 265. Controller 130 may also be programmed to identify only vehicles 110 within a predetermined distance (e.g., 100 meters) of the intersection and / or having a travel direction toward intersection 265. Additionally or alternatively, controller 130 may be programmed to determine the order of vehicles 110 at intersection 265, e.g., a sequence of a first vehicle 110A, a second vehicle 110B, a third vehicle 110C. When the road includes more than one lane (e.g., lanes 270, 275 of road 290), controller 130 may be programmed to identify vehicles 110 in each respective lane 270, 275. Thus, controller 130 may be programmed to determine the order of vehicles 110 for each of lanes 270, 275, e.g., based on wireless signals received from transceivers 140A, 140B associated with each lane 270, 275.

[0087] Next, at block 320, controller 130 designates a lead vehicle 110, e.g., a first vehicle 110A (see Figure 3 ). Controller 130 may be programmed to designate the lead vehicle 110 based on the determined order of vehicles 110. Thus, controller 130 may be programmed to designate as the lead vehicle 110 the vehicle that is closest but has not entered intersection 265. Additionally, controller 130 may also be programmed to designate other vehicles 110 in the same lane as the designated following vehicles 110 (i.e., to follow the designated vehicle 110 in the same lane as the lead vehicle 110).

[0088] Next, at block 330, controller 130 provides instructions to the designated following vehicles 110 to follow the designated lead vehicle 110. For example, controller 130 may be programmed to transmit acceleration instructions and / or following distances to a following second vehicle 110B and a following third vehicle 110C that follow, e.g., a first vehicle 110A as the lead vehicle 110. Controller 130 may be programmed to determine the acceleration and / or following distance at least in part based on data received from the lead vehicle 110 (e.g., acceleration, speed, etc.).

[0089] Next, in decision block 340, the controller determines whether the lead vehicle 110 has entered the intersection 265. For example, the controller 130 can be programmed to determine whether the lead vehicle 110 has entered the intersection 265 based on the distances d1, d2 from the transceivers 250, 260 of the lead vehicle 110. That is, the controller 130 can determine that the lead vehicle 110 has entered the intersection 265 when determining that the distance d1 is greater than the distance d2. If the controller 130 determines that the lead vehicle 110 has entered the intersection 265, the process 300 proceeds to decision block 350; otherwise, the process 300 returns to block 330.

[0090] In decision block 350, the controller 130 determines whether there are two or more vehicles 110 in lanes 270, 275 that have not entered the intersection 265. For example, the controller 130 can be programmed to determine the number of vehicles 110 that have not entered the intersection 265 and are within a predetermined distance threshold (e.g., 100 meters) from the intersection 265. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 130 can be programmed to determine that there are no vehicles 110 when determining that the traffic signal 285 has changed to a yellow or red state, although other vehicles 110 may be within the predetermined distance. If the controller 130 determines that there are two or more vehicles 110 that have not passed through the intersection 265, the process 300 returns to block 320; otherwise, the process 300 ends, or optionally returns to block 310, although not shown in Figure 4 it.

[0091] Figure 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary process 400 for controlling the operation of a vehicle 110. For example, one or more vehicle 110 computers 210 can be programmed to execute the blocks of process 400.

[0092] Process 400 begins at decision block 410, where the computer 210 determines whether a broadcast wireless signal is received from transceivers 140A, 140B. For example, as Figure 3 shown, vehicles 110A, 110B, 110C can receive a broadcast wireless signal from transceiver 140A. If the computer 210 determines that a broadcast wireless signal is received from transceiver 140A, the process 400 proceeds to block 420; otherwise, the process 400 proceeds to decision block 430.

[0093] In block 420, the computer 210 replies to the received broadcast wireless signal. The computer 210 can be programmed to transmit a response including the identifier of the corresponding vehicle 110.

[0094] In decision block 430, computer 210 determines whether it has received, for example, a follow instruction from controller 130, i.e., an instruction to follow lead vehicle 110 at a specified distance, speed, and / or acceleration. In one example, computer 210 may receive the follow instruction from transceivers 140A, 140B. Additionally or alternatively, computer 210 may be programmed to receive instructions via a wireless communication network 120 such as LTE. The received instruction may include an identifier of the corresponding vehicle 110, and computer 210 may be programmed to determine that the received follow instruction is for vehicle 110 based on the included identifier. The follow instruction may include an acceleration instruction, a follow distance from the next vehicle 110 in front of the corresponding vehicle 110 in the same lane 270, etc. If computer 210 determines that it has received a follow instruction for vehicle 110, process 400 proceeds to block 440; otherwise, process 400 returns to decision block 410.

[0095] In block 440, computer 210 receives sensor 230 data for vehicle 110. For example, computer 210 may be programmed to receive object data from camera sensor 230, radar sensor 230, etc.

[0096] Next, in block 450, computer 210 actuates one or more vehicle 110 actuators 220. Computer 210 may be programmed to actuate vehicle 110 actuators 220 to accelerate, brake, maintain a distance from the next vehicle 110 in front of the corresponding vehicle 110 in the same lane 270, etc. Computer 210 may be programmed to actuate vehicle 110 actuators 220 based on instructions received from controller 130, vehicle 110 sensor 230 data, etc. For example, computer 210 may be programmed to actuate vehicle 110 propulsion actuator 220 to accelerate vehicle 110 based on the received instruction. Additionally or alternatively, computer 210 may be programmed to actuate vehicle 110 actuators 220 to accelerate or brake based on an instruction including the received follow distance (e.g., 5 meters).

[0097] After block 450, process 400 ends, or alternatively returns to block 410.

[0098] Computing devices as discussed herein generally each include instructions executable by one or more computing devices such as those identified above and for performing the blocks or steps of the processes described above. The computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted by computer programs created using various programming languages and / or technologies, which alone or in combination include, but are not limited to, Java TM, C, C++, Visual Basic, Java Script, Perl, HTML, etc. Generally speaking, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions from, for example, a memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, which include one or more of the processes described herein. A variety of computer-readable media can be used to store and transmit such instructions and other data. Files in a computing device are typically a collection of data stored on a computer-readable medium (such as a storage medium, random access memory, etc.).

[0099] A computer-readable medium includes any medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, etc. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical discs or magnetic disks and other permanent memories. Volatile media includes dynamic random access memory (DRAM) that typically constitutes main memory. Common forms of computer-readable media include (for example) floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, any other magnetic media, CD-ROMs, DVDs, any other optical media, punch cards, paper tapes, any other physical media with punched patterns, RAMs, PROMs, EPROMs, FLASH-EEPROMs, any other memory chips or memory cartridges, or any other media that can be read by a computer.

[0100] Regarding the media, processes, systems, methods, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes can be practiced with the described steps executed in an order other than the order described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps can be executed simultaneously, other steps can be added, or certain steps described herein can be omitted. In other words, the description of the system and / or process herein is provided for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0101] Therefore, it should be understood that the present disclosure, including the above description, the drawings, and the following claims, is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. After reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the provided examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be determined with reference to the above description, but rather should be determined with reference to the appended and / or included in the non-provisional patent application claims, together with the full scope of the equivalents of the rights conferred by such claims. Future developments can be envisioned and expected to occur in the technologies discussed herein, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In summary, it should be understood that the disclosed subject matter is capable of modification and variation.

Claims

1. A method for intersection control at an intersection, comprising: Designating a first vehicle as a leading vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at the intersection; Actuating a second vehicle to follow the leading vehicle; And After determining that the leading vehicle has entered the intersection, designating the second vehicle as the leading vehicle; It further comprises: Determining a first distance between the intersection and a front transceiver of each of the plurality of vehicles; Determining a second distance between the intersection and a rear transceiver of each corresponding vehicle; and Determining the driving direction of the corresponding vehicle based on the determined first and second distances.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising actuating a third vehicle to follow the second vehicle after the second vehicle has been designated as the leading vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second vehicle is between the first vehicle and the third vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second vehicle closely follows the first vehicle in the driving direction.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying the plurality of vehicles when the vehicles are stopped at the intersection.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising instructing the second vehicle to accelerate based on the acceleration of the leading vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving wireless signals from each of the plurality of vehicles and identifying the plurality of vehicles at the intersection based on the received wireless signals.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving wireless signals at a transceiver above each lane installed at the intersection using a directional antenna pointing to the corresponding lane and determining the order of the vehicles at the corresponding lane based on the received wireless signals.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the respective distance of each of the vehicles from the intersection based on the time between transmitting a wireless signal from a transceiver at the intersection and receiving the wireless signal from the corresponding vehicle in response to the transmitted signal.

10. A system for intersection control at an intersection, comprising a computer programmed to: Designate a first vehicle as a leading vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at the intersection; Actuate a second vehicle to follow the leading vehicle; And After determining that the leading vehicle has entered the intersection, designate the second vehicle as the leading vehicle; Wherein the computer is further programmed to: Determine a first distance between the intersection and a front transceiver of each of the plurality of vehicles; Determine a second distance between the intersection and a rear transceiver of each corresponding vehicle; And Determine the driving direction of the corresponding vehicle based on the determined first and second distances.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the computer is further programmed to actuate a third vehicle to follow the second vehicle after the second vehicle has been designated as the leading vehicle.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the computer is further programmed to identify the plurality of vehicles when the vehicle is stopped at the intersection.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the computer is further programmed to receive an acceleration of the leading vehicle and to instruct the second vehicle to accelerate based on the received acceleration of the leading vehicle.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the computer is further programmed to receive a wireless signal from each of the plurality of vehicles and to identify the plurality of vehicles at the intersection based on the received wireless signals.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the computer is further programmed to determine a driving direction of each of the vehicles by receiving a first wireless signal from a front transceiver mounted to a front portion of each of the vehicles and a second wireless signal from a rear transceiver mounted to a rear portion of each of the vehicles.

16. The system according to claim 10, further comprising first and second antennas mounted at the intersection and respectively pointing to a first lane and a second lane, wherein the computer is further programmed to designate a first leading vehicle in the first lane and a second leading vehicle in the second lane based on wireless signals received via the first and second antennas.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the computer is further programmed to determine an order of the vehicles at each of the first and second lanes based on the received wireless signals.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the computer is further programmed to determine a respective distance of each of the vehicles from the intersection based on a time between transmission of a wireless signal from a transceiver at the intersection and reception of the wireless signal from the corresponding vehicle in response to the transmitted signal.

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