Method and apparatus for vehicle maneuver planning and messaging

Abstract

The present invention provides techniques that can be implemented using various methods and / or devices in a vehicle to utilize vehicle external sensor data, vehicle internal sensor data, vehicle capabilities, and external V2X inputs to determine, send, receive, and utilize V2X information and control data sent between the vehicle and a roadside unit (RSU) to determine intersection entry and vehicle behavior when approaching an intersection.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 839,981, filed on April 29, 2019, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Vehicle Maneuver Planning and Messaging”, which is assigned to the present assignee and incorporated herein by reference. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 16 / 545,298, filed on August 20, 2019, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Vehicle Maneuver Planning and Messaging”, which is assigned to the present assignee and incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to automotive devices, and more particularly to methods, messaging, and apparatus for use in or with automotive devices to facilitate vehicle operation. Background Art

[0004] Autonomous vehicles enable autonomous driving to enhance the safety, efficiency and convenience of vehicle-borne transportation. Paths and maneuvering plans for vehicles with vehicle-to-everything (V2X) capabilities (referred to herein as autonomous vehicles) depend on understanding the capabilities and behaviors of surrounding vehicles. The capabilities and behaviors of surrounding vehicles help determine, for example, safe inter-vehicle spacing and lane change maneuvers. It will be necessary to communicate the capabilities and behaviors of surrounding vehicles, for example, via a set of data elements (DE) for vehicles through the V2X application layer standard to exchange capability information. Using these data elements will enable vehicles to optimize the time and distance for inter-vehicle spacing and maneuvers. It should be understood that, as used herein, references to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and cellular vehicle-to-everything (CV2X) may apply to and encompass a variety of communication embodiments and standards, such as, but not limited to, 5G New Radio (NR) communication standards, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), 802.11p, the Surface Vehicle Standard (SVS) from the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE), Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) standards from the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), such as basic safety messages or cooperative awareness messages, and / or other vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), cellular vehicle-to-everything (CV2X), and other vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication embodiments that may exist or may be defined in the future. Summary of the invention

[0005] Presented herein are some exemplary techniques that may be implemented in various methods and devices in a vehicle to determine, send, receive, and utilize data elements to determine vehicle-to-vehicle spacing, intersection priority, lane change behavior and spacing, and other autonomous vehicle behaviors.

[0006] In an embodiment, a vehicle coordination method may include: receiving, at an autonomous vehicle, a first message from a first vehicle, wherein the first message includes an identification data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a combination thereof; receiving, at the autonomous vehicle, a second message from a second vehicle, wherein the second message includes an identification data element for the second vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the second vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; determining, at least in part, a size of the autonomous vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the second vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; The invention relates to a method of controlling the autonomous vehicle to move the autonomous vehicle to the target space based on an autonomous vehicle state data element of the first vehicle, a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; sending a third message from the autonomous vehicle to the first vehicle to request the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; sending a fourth message from the autonomous vehicle to the second vehicle to request the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; receiving at least one response in a fifth message from the first vehicle or in a sixth message from the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; and maneuvering the autonomous vehicle into the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the at least one response.

[0007] In an embodiment, an autonomous vehicle may include: one or more wireless transceivers; vehicle interior sensors; vehicle exterior sensors; memory; and one or more processors, the one or more processors being communicatively coupled to the one or more wireless transceivers, the vehicle interior sensors, the vehicle exterior sensors, and the memory; wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive a first message from a first vehicle at the one or more wireless transceivers, wherein the first message includes an identification data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a combination thereof; receive a second message from a second vehicle at the one or more wireless transceivers, wherein the second message includes an identification data element for the second vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the second vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle a braking distance data element or a combination thereof; determining a target space based at least in part on a size of the autonomous vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the second vehicle, a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; sending a third message from the one or more wireless transceivers to the first vehicle, thereby requesting the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; sending a fourth message from the one or more wireless transceivers to the second vehicle, thereby requesting the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; receiving at least one response in a fifth message from the first vehicle or in a sixth message from the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; and maneuvering the autonomous vehicle into the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the at least one response.

[0008] In an embodiment, an autonomous vehicle may include: a component for receiving a first message at the autonomous vehicle from a first vehicle, wherein the first message includes an identification data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a combination thereof; a component for receiving a second message at the autonomous vehicle from a second vehicle, wherein the second message includes an identification data element for the second vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the second vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; and a component for determining, at least in part, a size of the autonomous vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the second vehicle, a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof. a component for determining a target space based on a vehicle status data element, a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; a component for sending a third message from the autonomous vehicle to the first vehicle to request the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; a component for sending a fourth message from the autonomous vehicle to the second vehicle to request the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; a component for receiving at least one response in a fifth message from the first vehicle or in a sixth message from the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; and a component for maneuvering the autonomous vehicle into the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the at least one response.

[0009] In an embodiment, a vehicle coordination method may include: receiving a first message at an autonomous vehicle from a first vehicle, wherein the first message includes an identification data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a combination thereof; receiving a second message at the autonomous vehicle from a second vehicle, wherein the second message includes an identification data element for the second vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the second vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; determining a first target space between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle based on the autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, the autonomous vehicle status of the autonomous vehicle, the braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance of the autonomous vehicle, or a combination thereof; determining a first target space between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle based on the autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, the autonomous vehicle status of the autonomous vehicle, the braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance of the autonomous vehicle, or a combination thereof; determining a first target space between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle based on the autonomous vehicle status data element for the second vehicle The invention relates to a method of controlling the autonomous vehicle to determine a second target space between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle based on an autonomous vehicle state data element of the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle state of the autonomous vehicle, a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a braking distance of the autonomous vehicle, or a combination thereof; sending a third message from the autonomous vehicle to the first vehicle to request the first target space between the first vehicle and the autonomous vehicle; sending a fourth message from the autonomous vehicle to the second vehicle to request the second target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; receiving at least one response in a fifth message from the first vehicle or in a sixth message from the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; and manipulating the autonomous vehicle based on the at least one received response to create or maintain the first target space between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle and the second target space between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle.

[0010] In an embodiment, an autonomous vehicle may include: one or more wireless transceivers; vehicle interior sensors; vehicle exterior sensors; memory; and one or more processors, the one or more processors being communicatively coupled to the one or more wireless transceivers, the vehicle interior sensors, the vehicle exterior sensors, and the memory; wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive a first message from a first vehicle at the one or more wireless transceivers, wherein the first message includes an identification data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a combination thereof; receive a second message from a second vehicle at the one or more wireless transceivers, wherein the second message includes an identification data element for the second vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the second vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; based on the autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, the autonomous vehicle status of the autonomous vehicle, the braking distance data element for the first vehicle or the braking distance of the autonomous vehicle, or a combination thereof; determine a second target space between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle based on the autonomous vehicle state data element for the second vehicle, the autonomous vehicle state of the autonomous vehicle, the braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or the braking distance of the autonomous vehicle, or a combination thereof; send a third message from the one or more wireless transceivers to the first vehicle, thereby requesting the first target space between the first vehicle and the autonomous vehicle; send a fourth message from the one or more wireless transceivers to the second vehicle, thereby requesting the second target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; receive at least one response in a fifth message from the first vehicle or in a sixth message from the second vehicle, or a combination thereof, at the one or more wireless transceivers; and manipulate the autonomous vehicle based on the at least one received response to create or maintain the first target space between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle and the second target space between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle.

[0011] In an embodiment, an autonomous vehicle may include: a component for receiving a first message from a first vehicle at the autonomous vehicle, wherein the first message includes an identification data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a combination thereof; a component for receiving a second message from a second vehicle at the autonomous vehicle, wherein the second message includes an identification data element for the second vehicle, an autonomous vehicle status data element for the second vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; a component for determining a first target space between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle based on the autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, the autonomous vehicle status of the autonomous vehicle, the braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance of the autonomous vehicle, or a combination thereof; and a component for determining a first target space between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle based on the autonomous vehicle status data element for the first vehicle, the autonomous vehicle status of the autonomous vehicle, the braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance of the autonomous vehicle, or a combination thereof. A component for determining a second target space between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle based on a state data element, an autonomous vehicle state of the autonomous vehicle, a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a braking distance of the autonomous vehicle, or a combination thereof; a component for sending a third message from the autonomous vehicle to the first vehicle to request the first target space between the first vehicle and the autonomous vehicle; a component for sending a fourth message from the autonomous vehicle to the second vehicle to request the second target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; a component for receiving at the autonomous vehicle at least one response in a fifth message from the first vehicle or in a sixth message from the second vehicle, or a combination thereof; and a component for manipulating the autonomous vehicle based on the at least one received response to create or maintain the first target space between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle and the second target space between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive aspects are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like element numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.

[0013] Figure 1 is a device diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment for determining and communicating V2X capability data element values ​​based on vehicle internal and external sensors, vehicle capabilities, and external V2X input.

[0014] Figure 2 is a device diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment for determining and communicating a vehicle stopping distance based on internal and external vehicle sensors, vehicle capabilities, and external V2X input.

[0015] Figure 3A and Figure 3B An exemplary process of a lane change of an autonomous vehicle is shown.

[0016] Figure 4A and Figure 4B An exemplary process for a lane change of a non-autonomous vehicle is shown.

[0017] Figure 5A and Figure 5B An exemplary process for changing lanes for a vehicle with autonomous mode turned off is shown.

[0018] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B An example process for determining and announcing a stopping distance for vehicle platooning is shown.

[0019] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B An example process for a vehicle to determine a stopping distance at an intersection and announce a maneuver is shown.

[0020] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B An exemplary process for determining vehicle behavior at an intersection in the presence of environmental conditions such as a surface water hazard is shown.

[0021] Fig. 9 An exemplary system-level embodiment for autonomously controlling a vehicle is shown.

[0022] Fig.10 An exemplary physical embodiment for a self-controlled vehicle is shown.

[0023] Fig.11 An exemplary system-level embodiment for an autonomous vehicle to perform V2X autonomous vehicle sensing, prediction, planning, and execution is shown.

[0024] Fig.12 An exemplary system-level embodiment for autonomous vehicles to use capability data elements to perform V2X autonomous vehicle sensing, prediction, planning, and execution is shown.

[0025] Fig.13A and Fig. 13B Exchanging vehicle autonomy capability messaging to achieve tighter inter-vehicle spacing is shown.

[0026] Fig.14 Exchanging vehicle autonomy capability messaging to achieve tighter inter-vehicle spacing is shown.

[0027] Fig.15A and Fig. 15B Exchanging vehicle non-autonomous capability messaging to achieve safe inter-vehicle spacing is shown.

[0028] Fig.16 Exchanging vehicle non-autonomous capability messaging to achieve safe inter-vehicle spacing is shown.

[0029] Fig.17The stopping distances announced by the swapping vehicles are shown to determine the spacing between the vehicles in the platoon.

[0030] Fig.18 The stopping distances announced by the swapping vehicles are shown to determine the spacing between the vehicles in the platoon.

[0031] Fig.19A and Fig.19B Exchanging stopping distance information to enable surrounding vehicles to stop so that the emergency vehicle can cross the intersection is shown.

[0032] Fig. 20 Exchanging stopping distance information to enable surrounding vehicles to stop so that the emergency vehicle can cross the intersection is shown.

[0033] Fig.21A and Fig. 21B Stopping distance information is shown to be exchanged to enable surrounding vehicles that can stop to stop, while the emergency vehicle may slow down before passing through the intersection to enable surrounding vehicles that cannot stop to cross the intersection ahead of the emergency vehicle.

[0034] Fig. 22 Stopping distance information is shown to be exchanged to enable surrounding vehicles that can stop to stop, while the emergency vehicle may slow down before passing through the intersection to enable surrounding vehicles that cannot stop to cross the intersection ahead of the emergency vehicle.

[0035] Fig.23 A method of vehicle communication for lane changing is shown.

[0036] Fig.24 A method for vehicle communication for requesting a spacing between a vehicle and a neighboring vehicle is shown.

[0037] Fig.25 A method of vehicle communications with a roadside unit is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Some exemplary techniques are presented herein, which can be implemented in a vehicle in various methods, manners and devices. The exemplary techniques presented herein set forth various methods and devices in a vehicle to prepare or otherwise support the determination and use of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) data elements. The exemplary techniques described herein are generally applicable to V2X capability data elements (DE) that are not currently defined in the V2X application layer standard to describe V2X-enabled vehicle capabilities, including autonomous or non-autonomous driving, stopping distance, acceleration, turning radius at current speed, and / or measures of maneuverability at current speed. These DEs can be applied to V2X messages, such as messages defined in the Ground Vehicle Standard (SVS) from the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) of the United States or messages defined in the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) standard from the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), such as basic safety messages or cooperative awareness messages. Exemplary techniques and embodiments are provided for determining and providing these data elements. In an embodiment, the vehicle is capable of dynamically updating or adjusting the values ​​of capability data elements using vehicle sensor data related to sensed static or dynamic conditions and using external V2X inputs (such as data elements from other vehicles) to determine internal vehicle state, behavior, and external environmental conditions and provide the latest data elements to nearby vehicles over the air (OTA).

[0039] In an embodiment, some exemplary V2X data elements may include whether the vehicle is driven autonomously or non-autonomously (e.g., based on a vehicle state stored in memory or determined upon request), vehicle stopping distance, vehicle acceleration, and vehicle turning radius at current speed and / or a measure of maneuverability at current speed. In an embodiment, the V2X data elements describing whether the vehicle is driven autonomously or non-autonomously may be predetermined based on vehicle capabilities, particularly based on whether the vehicle is capable of autonomous driving. However, for vehicles capable of autonomous driving, the autonomous driving capability may be disabled for manual driving mode. In some embodiments, the autonomous driving capability may be manually disabled by the driver of the vehicle, by turning off the autonomous driving mode, or by taking driving-related actions such as adjusting steering, applying acceleration, or applying braking. In some embodiments, the autonomous driving mode may be disabled by the vehicle when the vehicle encounters a situation that it is not adequately equipped to drive into; in an embodiment, the manual mode switch may be accompanied by a notification to the driver that the autonomous driving mode may or should be terminated and that in some embodiments the driver may also be required to confirm that the driver is able to control the vehicle before initiating a move out of the autonomous mode. The data elements may include, for example, the vehicle state of the autonomous mode or the vehicle state of the manual mode (or other non-autonomous mode). Data elements may be used to describe details about why autonomous mode was terminated; including, for example, whether autonomous mode was manually overridden by the driver, or was automatically terminated due to adverse conditions or other reasons such that the vehicle cannot automatically drive in autonomous mode.

[0040] In an embodiment, the vehicle stopping distance may be estimated based on predetermined factory specifications and / or test data stored in a memory such as a non-volatile RAM / ROM or hard drive in the vehicle. In an embodiment, the vehicle stopping distance may be estimated based on internal and external sensor measurements, vehicle capabilities, and external V2X inputs. In an embodiment, the vehicle stopping distance may be estimated based on a combination of predetermined factory specifications and / or test data and predetermined vehicle specifications and internal and external sensor measurements, vehicle capabilities, and / or external V2X inputs.

[0041] In an embodiment, the vehicle acceleration may be estimated based on predetermined factory specifications and / or test data stored in a memory such as a non-volatile RAM / ROM or hard drive in the vehicle. In an embodiment, the acceleration may be estimated based on internal and external sensor measurements, vehicle capabilities, and external V2X inputs. In an embodiment, the vehicle acceleration may be estimated based on both predetermined factory specifications and / or test data and predetermined vehicle specifications and a combination of internal and external sensor measurements, vehicle capabilities, and / or external V2X inputs.

[0042] In an embodiment, the vehicle turning radius at the current speed and / or a measure of maneuverability at the current speed may be estimated based on predetermined factory specifications and / or test data stored in a memory such as a non-volatile RAM / ROM or hard drive in the vehicle. In an embodiment, the vehicle turning radius at the current speed and / or a measure of maneuverability at the current speed may be estimated based on internal and external sensor measurements, vehicle capabilities, and external V2X inputs. In an embodiment, the vehicle turning radius at the current speed and / or a measure of maneuverability at the current speed may be estimated based on both predetermined factory specifications and / or test data and predetermined vehicle specifications and a combination of internal and external sensor measurements, vehicle capabilities, and / or external V2X inputs.

[0043] Figure 1 Systems and components for implementing the various methods, devices, and techniques described in the figures and background herein are shown. In an embodiment, the vehicle may contain various vehicle external sensors (100), such as cameras 935, LIDAR 950, radar 953, rain and weather sensors 945, GNSS receiver 970, and data such as map data and weather conditions provided from a WAN or other communication network via a wireless transceiver 930. In an embodiment, measurement data from various vehicle external sensors 100 and input sources such as cameras 935, LIDAR 950, radar 953, rain and weather sensors 945, GNSS receiver 970, and map data may be utilized to determine data elements that may be shared between the host (autonomous) vehicle and other vehicles and / or with other network-connected devices.

[0044] In the vehicle, there may be multiple cameras 935. For example, in an embodiment, there may be a camera in the front window assembly associated with the rearview mirror, a camera in the front bumper, a camera in the exterior rearview side mirror (connected to the front passenger door), and a camera in both the trunk assembly and / or the rear bumper, which in some embodiments will present a full 360-degree view around the car and / or near and far view points. One or more cameras may be present in various vehicle embodiments. Camera 935 can be used to determine and verify the distance between the vehicle and external objects, such as to determine lane changes and stop positions. The camera can also be used to determine weather and road conditions, such as determining or verifying that the road is wet based on the reflectivity of the road surface. This data can be used alone or in combination with wheel sensor data such as from traction control sensors, accelerometers and / or gyroscopes to determine, for example, the slippage of the road surface, which can be used to increase the estimated stopping distance. A combination of wheel and traction control sensor and camera data can also be used to further determine the quality or type of water and / or ice on the road surface, the road surface (asphalt, concrete, dust or gravel). In various embodiments, the camera may also be used to determine weather conditions, day versus night, and other external conditions.

[0045] The LIDAR 950 may be implemented in a central roof mounted unit, or the LIDAR 950 may be implemented using multiple smaller units using, for example, a solid state LIDAR 950 sensor and oriented in a particular direction. The LIDAR 950 may be used to determine the distance between the vehicle and external objects and may also be used in combination with other sensors such as a GNSS receiver 970 or other position sensors, cameras, wheel scale / distance sensors, and other position and distance related sensors to measure and / or verify stopping distance and / or measure and / or calibrate stopping response relative to applied braking force. The LIDAR 950 measurements may also be used in combination with tire pressure sensors, brake pad sensors, and other tire related sensors to predict and / or adjust stopping distance estimates and / or braking performance characteristics; for example, based on a predefined brake pressure characteristic, the LIDAR 950 may be used to measure the in situ relationship between braking force, tire pressure, and actual stopping performance relative to a nominally defined braking distance, which in situ relationship will be related to the ground and weather such that the braking distance may be increased due to adverse weather, wet or icy roads, and / or different road surfaces.

[0046] Tire pressure, as measurable by various wheel sensors 1012 or other sensors 945, affects stopping distance and acceleration. Tire pressure affects the amount of contact that the tire surface has with the road or other driving surface, thereby affecting stopping distance, acceleration, and the handling and work required to maneuver the vehicle. Tire pressure also affects tire wear and the useful life of the tread. For example, an over-inflated tire may exhibit a significant increase in stopping distance, e.g., a 20% increase in tire pressure may cause as much as a 20% increase in stopping distance, depending on the tire, tread, actual pressure, and road surface. On the other hand, despite the increased tread-road contact, a tire that is under-inflated by 20% may exhibit little or no decrease in stopping distance, possibly due to the effect of less force per applied surface when the tire surface is applied to the road surface. Because the actual interaction of the tire surface with the road surface will vary depending on tire pressure, environmental factors such as temperature, road composition, and other factors, LIDAR 950, radar 953, GNSS 970, inter-object signal-based measurements (e.g., based on signal strength or signal timing, such as RTT or TOA), or other distance measurement sensors can be used to determine current acceleration and braking performance by observing the real-time effects of the application of brakes on acceleration and deceleration. In addition, the selection of different braking and / or acceleration methods that are most suitable for weather, environmental, and road conditions can also be determined by real-time monitoring during actual traffic-related acceleration and braking and by test acceleration and braking as needed to determine current parameters using LIDAR 950, radar 953, GNSS, and / or RTT, TOA, RSSI, or other signal-based measurements (e.g., based on inter-vehicle messaging signals using wireless transceiver 930).

[0047] In an embodiment, the turning radius of the vehicle at the current speed and / or the measure of the maneuverability at the current speed will depend on the speed, with the turning radius increasing with speed and the maneuverability decreasing with speed. The turning radius of the vehicle at the current speed and / or the measure of the maneuverability at the current speed are also affected by the road surface conditions; (e.g., slip increases the turning radius and reduces the maneuverability at the current speed). An increase in road traction reduces the turning radius at the current speed and increases the maneuverability at the current speed; a decrease in road traction will show the opposite. Increased tire inflation reduces the contact of the tire surface with the road, thereby reducing traction, and thereby increases the turning radius of the vehicle at the current speed and reduces the maneuverability at the current speed. Sufficient tire tread increases road traction and thus reduces the turning radius at the current speed and increases the maneuverability at the current speed. Increasing vehicle weight increases the turning radius at the current speed and reduces the maneuverability at the current speed. Uneven load distribution increases the turning radius at the current speed and reduces the maneuverability at the current speed. The vehicle turning radius at the current speed and measures of maneuverability at the current speed may be determined based on some or all of these variables and / or may be monitored in real time relative to current conditions using external and internal sensors (e.g., to monitor loss of tire traction and tire slip relative to the road surface and / or relative to other tires).

[0048] In an embodiment, radar 953 may be implemented in an assembly 1108 mounted with a fender / bumper, wherein the fender / bumper is composed of a non-metallic substance such as plastic or fiberglass, which provides good forward coverage for radar signals and provides good signal penetration of the fender in the forward direction. Additional radar assemblies 953 may be added for rearward coverage via the rear bumper. In an embodiment, radar 953 may be implemented in other forward ways, so that the antenna is embedded or attached to, for example, the windshield / on it. The assembly is usually isolated from the environment by plastic (such as a plastic bumper or other radar transparent substances). Some vehicle embodiments may also have a rearward radar. As with LIDAR, in an embodiment, radar-based distance measurements relative to objects at known or fixed positions may be used to determine the performance characteristics of the vehicle, such as braking performance relative to applied pressure and acceleration relative to a specific throttle curve. LIDAR 950 may be combined with or used in place of LIDAR with respect to distance determination for braking calibration and acceleration calibration and / or determination of braking and acceleration distances for specific speeds. For example, radar may replace or supplement LIDAR 950 and / or camera-based approaches in the presence of snow, fog, rain or other visually obstructing conditions.

[0049] A measure of braking performance can be determined by the ratio of the distance traveled in the elapsed time when a particular braking curve or pressure is applied. Another measure of braking performance includes determining and / or estimating the stopping distance from the current speed to zero speed. The distance required to stop from the current speed can be determined in various ways using distance measurements from various systems such as LIDAR, radar, wheel rotation and / or GNSS. Even if a complete stop is not measured, the distance traveled by the vehicle when the brakes are applied to slow the vehicle can be used to estimate and / or proportionally increase or proportionally decrease the estimated stopping distance at the current speed. In some embodiments, an additional margin can be applied to the estimated stopping distance at the current speed to provide a safety margin.

[0050] Redundant and / or complementary approaches to measuring position and distance may be particularly useful for determining braking performance on wet or icy roads in weather situations where visual methods such as cameras are impaired and non-visual sensor systems such as radar and wheel rotation may be used to provide distance estimates. As discussed, braking performance and stopping distance may be estimated by measuring the distance and speed effects of applying various brakes at pressures and frequencies, and may be used to estimate appropriate braking distances for the condition and to optimize brake actuator application strategies. Fixed objects or objects of known locations may be used as reference points and may include vehicles of known locations, road markings, signs, trees, buildings, and other reference objects visible to the sensor system. The vehicle may initiate test braking and / or acceleration to characterize the surface and or braking / acceleration performance and / or optimize braking strategies and / or steering strategies as well as determine appropriate braking distances and determine driving strategies.

[0051] Measurements based on the camera 935 and LIDAR 950 and / or sensors (such as accelerometer and gyroscope measurements) can be used to determine and characterize handling performance, such as the amount of steering at any given speed achieved by applying a known force or a known degree of wheel rotation by the steering system. Like braking and acceleration, handling performance also depends on conditions including effects such as weather, road surface, road and / or ambient temperature, as well as tire tread, tire pressure and other vehicle factors. The characterized performance of the vehicle relative to the current conditions can be used to determine vehicle performance parameters, such as braking performance and stopping distance at the current speed, acceleration, and turning radius and / or maneuverability at the current speed. These parameters can be used to determine safe vehicle-to-vehicle spacing relative to acceleration, braking and handling. In addition, when determining the spacing between cars, the performance of adjacent and nearby vehicles can also be used, so that a vehicle with a longer braking distance (e.g., a truck) behind a vehicle with a shorter braking distance (e.g., a motorcycle) will add additional braking distances to account for the better performance of the leading vehicle relative to the self-controlled vehicle to avoid collisions when the leading vehicle decelerates faster than the vehicle behind. Similarly, a vehicle with a shorter braking distance following a vehicle with a longer braking distance may, at least in theory, utilize a positive performance increment to achieve tighter vehicle spacing, for example, to optimize overall vehicle spacing and traffic flow.

[0052] Rain, light and weather sensors and various other sensors 945 may also be present in some vehicles, and in some embodiments, as part of the dashboard and / or front window assembly or under the hood assembly. Other weather-related information may also be received from external sources such as other vehicles, roadside weather repeaters, and via data connections (such as 4G and 5G data connections) to weather and roadside condition monitoring and information delivery services. Weather-related sensors may also be used to control the weighting and / or use of various sensor measurements. For example, vision-based measurements from cameras may be reduced in weight relative to radar measurements in dark conditions. In situations where visual measurements are obscured, such as in extreme weather (such as heavy rain, heavy snow, and / or hail or dense fog), LIDAR 950 and camera measurements may be reduced in weight or even ignored, which helps reduce the impact on systems such as radar on the vehicle.

[0053] In an embodiment, in addition to using tire traction sensors (such as anti-lock, traction control and all-wheel drive traction control related sensor systems 945) for traction control, anti-lock braking and all-wheel drive systems, tire traction sensors may also be used to estimate road conditions, which may be used at least in part to estimate braking distance or modify a nominal braking distance estimate. In an embodiment, an empirically derived braking estimate or other braking estimate may be increased based on an estimate of road slip. Thus, road conditions that produce more tire slip as measured by traction control or other tire systems may increase the braking distance estimate more relative to road conditions that produce little or no tire slip. In an embodiment, an estimate of road slip may be measured and the braking distance estimate may be increased in proportion to the amount of road slip (loss of tire traction). In an embodiment, the estimate may be classified as being below or above a threshold for tire slip, which may affect the braking estimate by a predetermined amount.

[0054] GNSS 970 is typically implemented in a roof mounted antenna assembly, such as in a shark fin antenna assembly 1002 on the rear of the roof. Particularly in open air conditions, GNSS can be used to determine absolute and relative position and velocity (e.g., using Doppler measurements or by using continuous position and time measurements) and also determine velocity changes (such as via Doppler changes over time based on continuous measurement signals from the same GNSS satellite). Relative position can be determined via differences between continuous absolute positions via trilateration of the GNSS constellation and / or by comparing changes in Doppler and / or phase offsets of GNSS signals at continuous times / positions. Particularly in open air conditions, GNSS based relative position and velocity measurements can be sufficient to characterize vehicle capabilities, such as braking performance and acceleration relative to specific road conditions and / or vehicle states (tire inflation, brake pad wear, fluid states, and motion states such as current speed and / or heading, yaw). Doppler-based velocity measurements may be determined over time and correlated to braking or acceleration parameters such as braking or acceleration parameters to be determined (such as braking force applied, brake application pattern, fuel or energy supplied, etc.) and / or curve braking and acceleration performance for specific conditions inherent to the vehicle (such as brake pad thickness, applied pressure, tire inflation) and specific conditions not inherent to the vehicle (such as road conditions, weather conditions, etc.). In embodiments, Doppler-based velocity measurements and Doppler-based incremental velocity measurements may be used to characterize actual acceleration and braking performance of the vehicle independently or in conjunction with other sensor systems such as radar, LIDAR 950 and camera-based systems and powertrain-based systems such as wheel rotation and steering angle, accelerometers, and gyroscopes.

[0055] The map data may be stored locally in memory 960 such as flash memory, RAM, ROM, disk drive or other memory device and / or the map data may be obtained in batches or in real time and / or updated wirelessly from a network-connected map database accessed, for example, via a wireless data network using wireless transceiver 930. The map data may be combined with sensor data and used to record map metadata, such as annotated changes in parameters and conditions based on map locations. This map metadata information may be shared between vehicles to enable more accurate and earlier predictions of upcoming vehicle performance parameters and external conditions at any given location and / or shared with a map information server and / or crowdsourcing server.

[0056] In an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 will determine a capability value based on vehicle external sensors 100 (such as cameras, LIDAR, radar, rain, weather, GNSS, and map data), vehicle internal sensors 110 (such as tire pressure sensors, brake pads and brake status sensors, speed and heading, and yaw), vehicle capabilities 120 (such as stopping / braking performance, and acceleration), and / or external V2X inputs 130 (such as external vehicle messaging and infrastructure (RSU) messaging). The capability value may be determined 140 as a function of the input, and the determined capability value may be used to update the V2X capability data element 150. In some embodiments, steps 140 and 150 may be performed using a processor 910 and / or DSP 920 and memory 960 and / or various combinations thereof, which are configured to perform steps 140 and 150 using inputs from vehicle external sensors 100, vehicle internal sensors 110, vehicle capabilities 120, and / or external V2X inputs 130 or various combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the capability data element may be shared with other vehicles or systems using step 160, V2X vehicle-to-vehicle communication, or other modes of vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-network communication. It should be understood that this is an exemplary embodiment and that sensor types and capabilities may vary between different vehicles.

[0057] like Figure 2As shown in , in an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 may estimate the vehicle stopping distance and provide the estimate as a V2X data element via V2X vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 will determine the vehicle stopping distance based on vehicle external sensors 200 (such as cameras, LIDAR, radar, rain, weather, GNSS, and map data), vehicle internal sensors 210 (such as tire pressure sensors, brake pads and brake status sensors, speed and heading and yaw), vehicle capabilities 220 (such as stopping / braking performance, and acceleration) and / or external V2X inputs 230 (such as external vehicle messaging and infrastructure (RSU) messaging). The processor 910 and / or DSP 920 and memory 960 may be configured to update the V2X capability data element value for the vehicle stopping distance. The vehicle stopping distance may be determined 240 based on inputs from vehicle external sensors 200, vehicle internal sensors 210, vehicle capabilities 220, and / or external V2X inputs 230, and the determined vehicle stopping distance may be used to update the V2X capability data element 250. In some embodiments, steps 240 and 250 may be performed using a processor 910 and / or DSP 920 and memory 960 and / or various combinations thereof, which are configured to perform steps 240 and 250 using various inputs from vehicle external sensors 200, vehicle internal sensors 210, vehicle capabilities 220 and / or external V2X inputs 230 or various combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the capability data element may be shared with other vehicles or systems using step 260, V2X vehicle-to-vehicle communication, or other modes of vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-network communication. It should be understood that this is an exemplary embodiment and that sensor types and capabilities may vary between different vehicles.

[0058] like Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown in , in an embodiment, a vehicle 1000 (eg, a car, truck, motorcycle, and / or other motor vehicle) may exchange vehicle autonomy capabilities to achieve a desired lane change maneuver in a tighter vehicle spacing situation. Figure 3A In an embodiment, vehicle A 300 intends to change lanes to the right from lane 3 to lane 2. Vehicles 305A, 305B, and 305C in lane 2 advertise their autonomous driving capabilities. In an embodiment, each of the lane 2 vehicles (autonomous vehicles) sends a basic safety message (BSM) that includes data elements depicting that the respective vehicle is being driven autonomously. In an embodiment, equivalent messaging may also be implemented using an ETSI Collaborative Awareness Message (CAM) that includes data elements depicting that the respective vehicle is being driven autonomously. Vehicle A 300 receives messages from vehicles 305A, 305B, and 305C in lane 2 that include data elements depicting that the respective vehicle is being driven autonomously. In Figure 3B , vehicle A 300 executes a lane change from lane 3 to lane 2, signals cars 305A, 305B, and 305C in lane 2 to request and / or announce the upcoming lane change, and then executes a lane change from lane 3 to lane 2, thereby inserting between cars 315A and 315B with a reduced inter-car spacing relative to a situation where cars 315A and 315B are non-autonomous based on the declared autonomous capabilities of cars 315A and 315B.

[0059] like Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown in FIG. 1 , in an embodiment, a vehicle 1000 (e.g., a car, truck, motorcycle, and / or other motor vehicle) may receive (or infer) vehicle non-autonomous capability messages and / or information to determine whether the vehicle is capable of performing the following operations: Figure 3A and Figure 3B The autonomous vehicles 305A, 305B, and 305C in FIG. 3 will utilize the vehicle spacing to achieve the desired lane change maneuver with a wider vehicle spacing. Figure 4A In an embodiment, vehicle A 400 intends to change lanes to the left from lane 3 to lane 4. Vehicles 410A, 410B, and 410C in lane 4 advertise their non-autonomous driving capabilities. In an embodiment, each of the lane 4 vehicles (non-autonomously driven) 410A, 410B, and 410C sends a basic safety message (BSM) that includes data elements depicting that the respective vehicle is being driven non-autonomously. In an embodiment, equivalent messaging may also be implemented using ETSI Collaborative Aware Messages (CAMs) that include data elements depicting that the respective vehicles are being driven non-autonomously. Vehicle A 400 receives messaging from vehicles 410A, 410B, and 410C in lane 4 that includes data elements depicting that the respective vehicles are being driven non-autonomously. In Figure 4B , vehicle 400 negotiates and executes a lane change from lane 3 to lane 4, signals vehicles 410A, 410B, and 410C in lane 4 to request and / or announce the upcoming lane change, and then executes the lane change from lane 3 to lane 4, inserting between cars 410A, 410B with an increased inter-car spacing relative to the inter-car spacing that would be utilized if cars 410A, 410B were declared autonomous based on the declared non-autonomous capabilities of cars 410A, 410B. In an embodiment, detected but unresponsive cars that do not provide BSM and / or CAM messaging responses and / or announcements may be assumed to be non-autonomous.

[0060] like Figure 5A and Figure 5BAs shown in , in an embodiment, vehicle 1000 (e.g., a car, truck, motorcycle, and / or other motor vehicle) may receive a vehicle autonomous capability message for a car in a target lane followed by a vehicle non-autonomous capability message, thereby causing vehicle A500 to postpone or re-plan a lane change until a safe lane change distance is available, and vehicle A500 directs the lane change into the target lane. Figure 5A In an embodiment, vehicle A 500 intends to change lanes to the right from lane 3 to lane 2. Vehicles 505A, 505B, and 505C in lane 2 advertise their autonomous driving capabilities. In an embodiment, each of the lane 2 vehicles (autonomously driving) 505A, 505B, and 505C sends a basic safety message (BSM) that includes data elements depicting that the respective vehicle is being driven autonomously. In an embodiment, equivalent messaging may also be implemented using ETSI Collaborative Aware Messages (CAMs) that include data elements depicting that the respective vehicles are being driven autonomously. Vehicle A 500 receives messages from vehicles 505A, 505B, and 505C in lane 2 that include data elements depicting that the respective vehicles are being driven autonomously. However, in Figure 5B , the middle vehicle in lane 2 (vehicle 505B) turns off its autonomous capabilities or otherwise switches to a non-autonomous driving mode and sends a BSM or CAM message with the autonomous capabilities field changed to non-autonomous. Vehicle A500 receives the BSM or CAM message with the autonomous capabilities field set to non-autonomous and postpones or replans the lane change to the right in response to the non-autonomous capabilities of vehicle 505B. For example, in an embodiment, vehicle A500 may wait for an appropriate spacing for a non-autonomous lane change to the right or wait for an adjacent autonomous vehicle to negotiate a lane change to the right. In an embodiment, a detected but unresponsive car that does not provide a BSM and / or CAM messaging response and / or announcement may be assumed to be non-autonomous; for example, vehicle 505B stops sending autonomous capabilities, in an embodiment, vehicle A500 may infer that vehicle 505B is not (or is no longer) being driven autonomously.

[0061] In an embodiment, an exemplary data element for autonomous and non-autonomous vehicle determination, as would be used in a lane change or possible lane change, may be implemented as follows. The SAE data element definition may include a new data element that includes values ​​for DE_DriverAutonomous and DE_DriverNonAutonomous. These values ​​may be assigned to the existing SAE J2735 data element DE_BasicVehicleClass. In this embodiment, it assigns currently unused (reserved) values ​​to represent the DriverAutonomous and DriverNonAutonomous data elements including V2X_DriverAutonomous and V2X_DriverNonAutonomous.

[0062] In an embodiment, the ETSI-ITS data element definition may include a new data element including values ​​for DE_DriverAutonomous and DE_DriverNonAutonomous. In this embodiment, the new value is assigned to the existing ETSI-ITS TS 102 894-2 common data dictionary DE_StationType, thereby assigning currently unused (reserved) values ​​to represent values ​​for autonomous and non-autonomous driving, including V2X_DriverAutonomous and V2X_DriverNonAutonomous.

[0063] like Fig. 6A and Figure 6B As shown in , in embodiments, vehicles 1000 (e.g., cars, trucks, motorcycles, and / or other motor vehicles) may announce stopping distances, which in embodiments may be used to determine inter-vehicle spacing for platooning and other purposes, such as for autonomous lanes only to optimize traffic flow. Inter-vehicle spacing may vary depending on road conditions, such as dry roads, wet roads, icy roads, snowy roads, asphalt roads, concrete roads, dirt roads, or gravel roads.

[0064] exist Fig. 6A In the figure, in an embodiment, the inter-vehicle spacing under dry road conditions is shown. Individual vehicles determine stopping distances based on detected parameters such as vehicle speed, detected road and / or weather conditions, inherent braking capabilities, vehicle internal states (e.g., tire pressure), vehicle driving states such as autonomous or non-autonomous driving mode. BSM and / or CAM messaging or other inter-vehicle messaging is used to advertise stopping distance capabilities to nearby cars. Based on car-to-car V2X communication and coordination and / or with the assistance of a platooning server accessed via a wireless network connection, inter-vehicle and / or platoon spacing and the announced stopping distance of each vehicle are determined. As shown, larger vehicles (such as trucks) with longer stopping distances will maintain a larger inter-vehicle distance in front of them.

[0065] exist Figure 6B , in an embodiment, vehicle-to-vehicle spacing under wet road conditions is shown. The road condition (water) detected by the vehicle causes an increased stopping distance to be announced in the BSM and / or CAM messaging. The vehicle-to-vehicle spacing and / or platoon spacing does not have a larger announced stopping distance due to the detected road condition. It should be understood that other adverse conditions that produce longer stopping distances (such as slick or low traction roads, icy roads, snowy roads, and dirt or gravel roads) will similarly cause an increased stopping distance to be announced in the BSM and / or CAM messaging.

[0066] like Fig. 7A and Figure 7B As shown in , in an embodiment, a vehicle 1000 (e.g., a car, truck, motorcycle, and / or other motor vehicle) may announce a stopping distance, which in an embodiment may be used to determine that a non-emergency vehicle can and will stop at an intersection with a passing emergency vehicle.

[0067] exist Fig. 7A In an embodiment, vehicles approaching an intersection are shown, wherein an emergency vehicle approaches the same intersection. Emergency vehicle A broadcasts its required maneuvers to continue through the intersection as it approaches the intersection. Non-emergency vehicle B and vehicle C each use their respective positions and distances from the intersection, speeds and headings, detected road conditions, and / or stopping / braking capabilities, or a combination thereof, to determine their respective stopping distances, which in an embodiment can be used to determine whether each vehicle can stop before the intersection. If present, an infrastructure entity (e.g., a roadside unit (RSU)) can enhance the vehicle's understanding of the environment (weather, road conditions, vulnerable road users (VRUs), etc.). In an embodiment, the calculated stopping distance can be used to update the BSM and / or CAM messaging data element values ​​for the stopping distance.

[0068] exist Figure 7B , in an embodiment, vehicles B and C are shown stopped at an intersection to allow emergency vehicle A to cross the intersection. In an embodiment, emergency vehicle A negotiates with vehicles B and C. Vehicles B and C send stopping distances and confirm the ability to stop at the intersection. Vehicles B and C stop at the intersection. Vehicle A then continues to travel through the intersection. In an embodiment, if vehicle B or vehicle C cannot stop, vehicle A will therefore stop or adjust speed to avoid the vehicle that cannot stop, such as Fig. 8A and Figure 8B shown.

[0069] like Fig. 8A and Figure 8B As shown in , in an embodiment, a vehicle 1000 (e.g., a car, truck, motorcycle, and / or other motor vehicle) may announce a stopping distance, which in an embodiment may be used to determine whether a non-emergency vehicle may or may not be able to stop at an intersection with a passing emergency vehicle.

[0070] exist Fig. 8A, in an embodiment, vehicles approaching an intersection are shown, where an emergency vehicle approaches the same intersection. However, in this example, vehicle C detects a hazard of surface water (or other road conditions that may affect its stopping ability, such as snow, ice, oil, dust, gravel, etc.) and may adjust its advertised stopping distance by updating its BSM and / or CAM messaging data element value for stopping distance. Emergency vehicle A broadcasts its required maneuvers to continue through the intersection as it approaches the intersection. Non-emergency vehicles B and C each use their respective positions and distances from the intersection, speeds and headings, detected road conditions (vehicle C detects surface water) and / or stopping / braking capabilities or a combination thereof to determine their respective stopping distances, which in an embodiment may be used to determine whether each vehicle can stop before the intersection. If present, an infrastructure entity (e.g., a roadside unit (RSU)) may enhance the vehicle's understanding of the environment (weather, road conditions, vulnerable road users (VRUs), etc.). In an embodiment, the calculated stopping distance may be used to update the BSM and / or CAM messaging data element value for stopping distance.

[0071] exist Figure 8B , in an embodiment, it is shown that vehicle B stops at an intersection and vehicle C continues to travel through the intersection due to a determination that the vehicles cannot stop before the intersection to allow emergency vehicle A to cross the intersection. In an embodiment, emergency vehicle A negotiates with vehicle B and vehicle C. Vehicle B determines that it will be able to stop in real time and sends its stopping distance. Vehicle C determines that it cannot stop in real time due to a ground water hazard. Emergency vehicle A negotiates with vehicle B and vehicle C. Vehicle B stops at the intersection, while vehicle C continues to travel through the intersection. Vehicle A slows down (or stops as needed) to allow vehicle C to cross the intersection before continuing.

[0072] In an embodiment, new V2X data element (DE) types may be added to car-to-car messaging. In an embodiment, these new V2X data element (DE) types may include autonomous driver and non-autonomous driver, stopping distance, turning radius at speed, and / or acceleration at speed, or various combinations thereof. In an embodiment, dynamic adjustment of data element values ​​using function blocks may incorporate vehicle static conditions (e.g., tire pressure, brake pad wear, trailer or load), vehicle dynamic conditions (e.g., speed, heading, acceleration, yaw), vehicle intrinsic capabilities (e.g., braking, acceleration, turning radius), including externally sensed road conditions. In an embodiment, new V2X data element types and dynamic adjustment of data element values ​​may be implemented in V2X messaging with standards such as SAE and ETSI-ITS.

[0073] like Fig. 9As shown in , in an embodiment, a vehicle 1000 (e.g., a car, truck, motorcycle, and / or other motor vehicle) may send radio signals to other vehicles 1000 and receive radio signals from other vehicles and / or from a wireless communication network, for example, via V2X vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In one example, the vehicle 1000 may communicate with other vehicles and / or a wireless communication network via a wide area network (WAN) wireless transceiver 930 and a wireless antenna 932 by sending wireless signals to or receiving wireless signals from a remote wireless transceiver 930, which may include another vehicle 1000', a wireless base transceiver subsystem (BTS), a Node B or an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), or a next generation NodeB (gNodeB) on a wireless communication link. Similarly, the vehicle 1000 may send wireless signals to or receive wireless signals from a local area transceiver on a wireless communication link, for example, by using a wireless local area network (WLAN) and / or a personal area network (PAN) wireless transceiver 930 and a wireless antenna 932. In an embodiment, the wireless transceiver 930 may include various combinations of WAN, WLAN and / or PAN transceivers. In an embodiment, the local transceiver may also be a Bluetooth transceiver, a ZigBee transceiver, or other PAN transceiver. In an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 may send wireless signals to or receive wireless signals from the wireless transceiver 930 on the vehicle 1000 via a wireless communication link 934. The local transceiver, WAN wireless transceiver and / or mobile wireless transceiver may include a WAN transceiver, an access point (AP), a femtocell, a home base station, a small cell base station, a home node B (HNB) or a home eNodeB (HeNB) or a next generation eNodeB (gNodeB) and may provide access to a wireless local area network (WLAN, e.g., an IEEE 802.11 network), a wireless personal area network (PAN, e.g., Of course, it should be understood that these are merely examples of networks that can communicate with the vehicle via a wireless link, and the claimed subject matter is not limited in this regard. It should also be understood that the wireless transceiver 930 can be located on various vehicles 1000, ships, ferries, cars, buses, drones, and various transportation vehicles. In an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 can be used for passenger transportation, package transportation, or other purposes. In an embodiment, GNSS signals 974 from GNSS satellites are used by the vehicle 1000 for position determination. In an embodiment, signals 934 from a WAN transceiver, WLAN, and / or PAN local area transceiver are used alone or in combination with GNSS signals 974 for position determination.

[0074] Examples of network technologies that can support the wireless transceiver 930 are Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5th Generation Wireless (5G) or New Radio Access Technology (NR), High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), and V2X vehicle-to-vehicle communications. V2X can be defined by various standards such as SAE, ETS-ITS standards. GSM, WCDMA, and LTE are technologies defined by 3GPP. CDMA and HRPD are technologies defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). WCDMA is also part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and can be supported by HNB.

[0075] The wireless transceiver 930 may communicate with the communication network via a WAN wireless base station, which may include equipment deployment that provides subscriber access to a wireless communication network for service (e.g., under a service contract). Here, the WAN wireless base station may perform the functions of a wide area network (WAN) or a cell base station when servicing subscriber devices within a cell, which is determined at least in part based on the range at which the WAN wireless base station can provide access service. Examples of WAN base stations include GSM TM 、WCDMA TM , LTE TM 、CDMA TM , HRPD TM , WiFi TM , BT, WiMax TM and / or 5th generation (5G) base stations. In embodiments, other wireless base stations may include wireless LAN (WLAN) and / or PAN transceivers.

[0076] In an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 may contain multiple wireless transceivers, including WAN, WLAN, and / or PAN transceivers. In an embodiment, the radio technologies that may support the wireless communication link further include wireless local area network (e.g., WLAN, e.g., IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth TM (BT) and / or ZigBee TM .

[0077] In an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 may contain one or more cameras 935. In an embodiment, the camera may include a camera sensor and a mounting assembly. Different mounting assemblies may be used for different cameras on the vehicle 1000. For example, a front camera may be mounted in the front bumper, in the trunk of a rearview mirror assembly, or in other front areas of the vehicle 1000. A rear camera may be mounted in a rear bumper / fender, on a rear windshield, on a trunk or other rear areas of the vehicle. A side mirror may be mounted on the side of the vehicle, such as integrated into a mirror assembly or a door assembly. The camera may provide object detection and distance estimation, in particular, for objects of known size and / or shape (e.g., stop signs and license plates both have standardized sizes and shapes), and may also provide information about rotational motion relative to the axis of the vehicle, such as during a turn. When used with other sensors, the camera may be calibrated to verify the distance and angular orientation of travel by using other systems, such as by using LIDAR, wheel scale / distance sensors, and / or GNSS. Cameras may similarly be used to verify and calibrate other systems to verify that distance measurements are correct, e.g., by calibrating against known distances between known objects (landmarks, roadside markings, road mile markers, etc.), and also to verify that object detection is performed accurately so that objects are therefore mapped to the correct position relative to the car by LIDAR and other systems. Similarly, when combined with, e.g., accelerometers, impact times of road hazards (elapsed time before impacting, e.g., a pothole) may be estimated, which may be verified against actual impact times and / or against stopping models (e.g., compared to estimated stopping distances in the case of an attempt to stop before impacting an object) and / or handling models (verifying whether current estimates of metrics for turning radius at current speed and / or maneuverability at current speed are accurate under current conditions and modified accordingly to update estimated parameters based on camera and other sensor measurements).

[0078] In an embodiment, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers 940 may be used to provide and / or verify motion and direction information. Accelerometers and gyroscopes may be used to monitor wheel and driveline performance. In an embodiment, accelerometers may also be used to verify the actual time of the impact of road hazards such as potholes relative to predicted times based on existing stop and acceleration models and steering models. In an embodiment, gyroscopes and magnetometers may be used to measure the rotational state of the vehicle and the orientation relative to magnetic north, respectively, and particularly when used in conjunction with measurements from other external and internal sensors (such as other sensors 945, such as speed sensors, wheel scale sensors) and / or odometer measurements, to measure and calibrate estimates and / or models for a measure of turning radius at current speed and / or maneuverability at current speed.

[0079] Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) uses pulsed lasers to measure the distance to an object. While cameras can be used for object detection, LIDAR provides a more certain way to detect the distance of an object, especially with respect to objects of unknown size and shape. LIDAR measurements can also be used to estimate stopping distances at different speeds and under different conditions by providing accurate distance measurements and incremental distance measurements, which can be measured during braking and / or acceleration in an embodiment to determine the actual stopping distance and / or acceleration distance, which can be directly utilized or can be used to calibrate predictive stopping, turning and acceleration models. For example, measurements of stopping distances and possibly also stopping curves relative to time and brake pressure at a speed of 25 miles per hour can be used as input to change estimates of stopping performance at other speeds (such as at 60mph). These estimates can be made as estimates based on sensor measurements or as estimated changes to curves determined under reference conditions or applied to curves determined under reference conditions. Similar estimates can be made for acceleration and maneuverability to adjust a specific model or apply changes to the model to estimate performance under given road, environment and vehicle conditions.

[0080] The memory 960 may be used with the processor 910 and / or the DSP 920 and may include flash memory, RAM, ROM, a disk drive, or a flash memory card or other memory device or various combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the memory 960 may contain instructions for implementing the various methods described throughout this description. In an embodiment, the memory may contain instructions for estimating stopping distance, maneuverability, and acceleration parameters. In an embodiment, the memory may contain instructions for operating and calibrating sensors and for receiving map, weather, vehicle (vehicle 1000 and surrounding vehicles) and other data and for determining performance parameters (such as stopping distance, acceleration and turning radius at current speed and / or maneuverability at current speed) and determining operating parameters (such as inter-car distance, turn initiation / timing and performance and initiation / timing of merging operations into traffic).

[0081] In an embodiment, the power and drive systems (generator, battery, transmission, engine) and related systems 975 and systems (brakes, actuators, throttle control, steering and electrical) 955 may be controlled by a processor and / or hardware or software or by an operator of the vehicle or by some combination thereof. The systems (brakes, actuators, throttle control, steering, electrical, etc.) 955 and power and drive or other systems 975 may be used in conjunction with performance parameters and operating parameters to enable autonomously (and manually, with respect to alarms and emergency overrides / braking / stopping) safe and accurate driving and operation of the vehicle 1000 in order to safely, effectively and efficiently merge into traffic, stop the vehicle 1000, accelerate the vehicle and otherwise operate the vehicle.

[0082] Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers can be used to determine position relative to the Earth (absolute position) and, when used with other information such as measurements and / or mapping data from other objects, to determine position relative to other objects (such as relative to other cars and / or relative to the road).

[0083] The GNSS receiver 970 may be used to determine a position that may be used to calibrate other sensors, such as for determining the distance between two points in time under clear sky conditions and using that distance data to calibrate other sensors such as odometers and / or LIDAR, when appropriate. GNSS Doppler measurements may also be used to determine the linear and rotational motion of the vehicle, which may be used in conjunction with gyroscopes and / or magnetometers and other sensor systems to maintain calibration of those systems based on the measured position data.

[0084] The radio detection and ranging radar 953 uses the transmitted radio waves reflected from the object. The reflected radio waves are analyzed based on the time taken for the reflection to arrive and other signal characteristics of the reflected waves to determine the position of the nearby object. The radar 953 can be used to detect the position of the nearby cars, roadside objects (signs, other vehicles, pedestrians, etc.) and will generally achieve the detection of the object, even if there is hazy weather such as snow, rain or hail. Therefore, when the vision-based system usually fails, the radar 953 can be used to supplement the LIDAR 950 system and the camera 935 system to provide ranging information to other objects by providing ranging and distance measurement and information. In addition, the radar 953 can be used to calibrate and / or rationality checks on other systems such as LIDAR 955 and camera 935. The ranging measurement from the radar 953 can be used to determine / measure the stopping distance at the current speed, the acceleration, the maneuverability at the current speed and / or the turning radius at the current speed and / or the maneuverability at the current speed.

[0085] like Fig.10As shown in , in an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 may have cameras, such as a camera 1006 mounted on a rearview mirror, a camera mounted on a front fender (not shown), a camera mounted on a side mirror (not shown), and a rear camera (not shown, but typically on a trunk, hatch, or rear bumper). The vehicle 1000 may also have a LIDAR 1004, which is used to detect objects and measure distances to these objects; the LIDAR 1004 is often mounted on the roof, however, if there are multiple LIDAR units, they can be oriented around the front, rear, and sides of the vehicle. The vehicle 1000 may have various other location-related systems, such as a GNSS receiver (typically located in a shark fin unit on the rear of the roof), various wireless transceivers (such as WAN, WLAN, V2X; typically but not necessarily located in a shark fin) 1002, a radar 1008 (typically in the front bumper), and a SONAR 1010 (typically located on both sides of the vehicle, if present). Various wheel 1012 and driveline sensors may also be present, such as tire pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and wheel rotation detection and / or counters. It should be appreciated that in embodiments of vehicle 1000, this list is not intended to be limiting and Fig.10 is intended to provide typical locations for various sensors. Fig. 9 Describes additional details about a specific sensor.

[0086] like Fig.11 As shown in , in an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 may receive vehicle and environment information from vehicle external sensors 1102, vehicle internal sensors 1104, vehicle capabilities 1106, external V2X inputs from the environment 1108, from other vehicles, from system servers, and / or from vehicle motion states 1110 (describing current and / or future motion states). The received vehicle and environment information may be processed in one or more processors 910, DSP 920, and memory in an embodiment, which are connected and configured to provide external object sensing and classification, prediction and planning and maneuver execution, and determine and update V2X capability data element values ​​and send V2X messaging including the determined data elements via one or more wireless transceivers 930 (such as via a V2X transceiver). The messaging and data elements may be sent and received via various means, protocols, and standards (such as via SAE or ETSI SV2X messages and data elements or other wireless protocols supported by the wireless transceiver 930).

[0087] The V2X capability data element value determination block 1128 includes a block 1130 for determining a capability value as a function of an input and a block 1132 for updating the V2X capability data element and forwarding the V2X capability data element to the block 1124 V2X vehicle-to-vehicle negotiation, which can communicate various V2X data elements and V2X vehicle requests and communications via the wireless transceiver 930. The block 1130 for determining capability values ​​based on input receives input from blocks 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, and 1110, which in an embodiment include internal and external sensors, capabilities, external V2X inputs, and / or vehicle motion states. For example, in an embodiment, the inputs may include vehicle external sensors 1102, vehicle internal sensors 1104, vehicle capabilities 1106, external V2X inputs 1108, and / or vehicle motion states 1110. Based on and / or in accordance with the inputs described above and other vehicle-related input sources (such as servers 1255, 1245, 1260, 1250, and 1240, which provide, for example, vehicle information, routes, location assistance, map data, and environmental data, and provide input on and / or supplement other inputs and / or use in conjunction with other inputs, such as road location data, map data, driving condition data, and other vehicle-related data inputs), the autonomous vehicle determines a capability value, which is determined as a function of the inputs 1130. The capability value provided by block 1130 is determined as a function of the inputs from blocks 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, and / or 1110, and is provided to update the V2X capability data element in block 1132, where the capability data element is determined and formatted for use in V2X inter-vehicle messaging. Blocks 1130 and 1132 may be implemented using a variety of dedicated or general purpose hardware and software, such as using processor 910 and / or DSP 920 and memory 960, or in embodiments may be implemented in dedicated hardware blocks such as dedicated sensor processing and / or vehicle messaging cores. In embodiments, blocks 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, and 1110 may have dedicated processing cores or may share processing with blocks 1130 and 1132.

[0088] In some embodiments, vehicle external sensors 1102 may include cameras 1006, LIDAR 1004, radar 1008, proximity sensors, rain sensors, weather sensors, GNSS receivers 1002, and received data used with the sensors, such as map data, environmental data, location, routes, and / or other vehicle information, such as may be received from other vehicles, devices, and servers (in embodiments, such as map servers 1250, route servers 1245, vehicle information servers 1255, environmental data servers 1240, location servers 1260) and / or from associated devices (such as mobile devices 1200, which may be present in or near vehicles such as vehicle A 1280). It should be understood that there may be one or more cameras. In embodiments, the camera may be front-facing, side-facing, rear-facing, or with adjustable viewing angles (such as rotatable cameras). In embodiments, there may be multiple cameras 1006 facing the same plane. For example, the camera 1006 may include two front cameras, one camera focused on lower objects and / or lower viewing angles (such as mounted on a bumper) for parking purposes, and one camera focused on higher viewing angles to track traffic, other vehicles, pedestrians, and more distant objects. In embodiments, the various views may be stitched and / or may be correlated with other inputs such as V2X inputs from other vehicles to optimize tracking of other vehicles and external entities and objects and / or calibrate sensor systems against each other. The LIDAR 1004 may be mounted on the roof and may rotate, or may be focused on a specific viewing angle (such as front, rear, side). The LIDAR 1004 may be solid-state or mechanical. The proximity sensor may be ultrasonic, radar-based, light-based (such as infrared-based ranging), and / or capacitive (ground touch orientation or capacitive detection of a metal body). The rain and weather sensor may include various sensing capabilities and technologies, such as an atmospheric pressure sensor, a moisture detector, a rain sensor, and / or a light sensor and / or may make full use of other pre-existing sensor systems. The GNSS receiver may be mounted on the roof of the vehicle, such as in a fin antenna assembly at the rear of the roof of the vehicle, mounted on the hood or dashboard, or otherwise placed on the exterior or interior of the vehicle.

[0089] In an embodiment, the vehicle internal sensors 1104 may include wheel sensors 1012, such as tire pressure sensors, brake pad sensors, brake status sensors, speedometers and other speed sensors, heading sensors and / or orientation sensors (such as magnetometers and geomagnetic compasses), distance sensors (such as odometers and wheel scale sensors), inertial sensors (such as accelerometers and gyroscopes and inertial positioning results using the sensors mentioned above), and yaw, pitch and / or roll sensors (which can be determined individually or as determined using other sensor systems such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and / or tilt sensors).

[0090] Both the vehicle interior sensor 1104 and the vehicle exterior sensor 1102 may have shared or dedicated processing capabilities. For example, a sensor system or subsystem may have one or more sensor processing cores that determine vehicle state values, such as yaw, pitch, roll, heading, speed, acceleration capability, and / or distance and / or stopping distance, based on measurements and other inputs from accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and / or other sensing systems. Different sensing systems may communicate with each other to determine measurements or send values ​​to block 1130 to combine measurements and determine capability values ​​based on inputs. The vehicle state values ​​derived from measurements from interior and exterior sensors may be further combined with vehicle state values ​​and / or measurements from other sensor systems using a general purpose or application processor. For example, blocks 1130, 1132, and / or 1124 may be implemented on a dedicated or centralized processor to determine data element values ​​for V2X messaging, which may be sent using wireless transceiver 930 or via other communication transceivers. In an embodiment, the sensors may be separated into related systems, such as LIDAR, radar, motion, wheel systems, etc., which are processed by dedicated cores to operate so that the raw results from each core output a vehicle state value that is combined and interpreted to derive a combined vehicle state value, the combined vehicle state value including capability data elements and state data elements that can be used to control or otherwise affect vehicle operation and / or be used as a messaging step to share with other vehicles and / or systems via V2X or other messaging capabilities. In an embodiment, these messaging capabilities may be based on a variety of wireless-related, optical-related or other communication standards, such as those supported by the wireless transceiver 930 and antenna 932.

[0091] In an embodiment, vehicle capabilities 1106 may include performance estimates for stopping, braking, acceleration, and turning radius, and autonomous and / or non-autonomous states and / or capabilities. In an embodiment, the capability estimates may be formula-based or stored estimates that may be loaded into memory in an embodiment. In an embodiment, the stored estimates may be based on empirical performance figures for a particular vehicle or for an average across one or more vehicles and / or for one or more models for a given performance map. In the case where performance estimates for multiple models are averaged or otherwise combined, they may be selected based on similar or common features. For example, vehicles with similar or identical weights and identical or similar drivetrains may share performance estimates for driving performance-related estimates, such as braking / stopping distance, turning radius, and acceleration performance. For example, vehicle performance estimates may also be obtained through a wireless network from a vehicle data server on a network using an external V2X input 1108. This is particularly useful for obtaining information for vehicles that do not have wireless capabilities and cannot directly provide vehicle information. In an embodiment, vehicle capabilities 1106 may also be affected by the state of vehicle components, such as tire wear, tire brand capabilities, brake pad wear, brake brand and capabilities, and engine status. In embodiments, vehicle capability 1106 may also be affected by overall vehicle state such as speed, heading, and by external factors such as road surface, road conditions (wet, dry, slip / traction), weather (windy, rainy, snowy, black ice, slippery roads). In many cases, wear or other system degradation and external factors such as weather, road surface, road conditions, etc. may be used to reduce, verify, or improve performance estimates when determining capability values ​​as a function of input 1130. Similarly, in embodiments, brand-related performance (such as installing tires with better traction, such as snow tires for use in winter snowy environments) may be used to modify or improve performance or inhibit degradation of performance. In embodiments, multiple factors such as those mentioned above may be combined to estimate performance and determine capability values ​​as a function of input 1130. In some embodiments, actual measured vehicle performance (such as measuring vehicle stopping distance and / or acceleration time per distance) may be measured and / or estimated based on actual vehicle driving-related performance. In embodiments, if the measurements are inconsistent, the most recently measured performance may be weighted more heavily or given priority over older measurements. Similarly, in an embodiment, measurements currently detected by the autonomous vehicle (such as via vehicle external sensors 1102 and / or vehicle internal sensors 1104) taken during similar conditions such as the same type of weather or on the same type of road surface may be weighted more heavily and / or given priority in function 1130 that determines a capability value as an input.

[0092] The determined capability value of the function determined as an input in block 1130 is provided to block 1132 to update the V2X capability data element sent via block 1124 (V2X vehicle-to-vehicle negotiation), which may be implemented via various means (such as via communication on the wireless transceiver 930 and utilizing various V2X messaging standards, such as via SAE or ETSI SV2X messages and data elements). In an embodiment, one or more processors 910 and / or DSP 920 and memory 960 and the systems or components described herein may be connected and configured to perform the Fig.11 and throughout the processes described in this specification. The capability value 1130 of the function as input may be modified to a different data format and / or unit and / or may require other conversion or combination of one or more capability values ​​before being used as a V2X capability data element. In an embodiment, adjusting the data format and / or unit and / or conversion or combination of one or more capability values ​​may be performed in the processor 910 and update the V2X capability data element block 1132 or elsewhere in the architecture.

[0093] V2X vehicle sensing, prediction, planning execution 1112 handles the receipt and processing of information from blocks 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, and 1110 via external object sensing and classification block 1114, in part utilizing sensor fusion and object classification block 1116 to correlate, validate, and / or combine data from input blocks 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, and 1110. Block 1114 external object sensing and classification determines the presence of objects, determines the type of object (car, truck, bicycle, motorcycle, pedestrian, animal, etc.) and / or the state of the object relative to the autonomous vehicle, such as movement state, proximity, heading relative to the autonomous vehicle, size, hazard level, and vulnerability priority (e.g., a pedestrian will have a higher vulnerability priority relative to road debris). This output from block 1114 may be provided to a prediction and planning block 1118 which determines detected objects and vehicles and their associated trajectories via block 1120 and determines vehicle maneuvers and path plans in block 1122, the output of which is used for vehicle maneuver execution in block 1126 either directly or via a V2X inter-vehicle negotiation block 1124 which integrates and takes into account maneuver plans, positions and states received from other vehicles. V2X inter-vehicle negotiation takes into account the states of neighboring vehicles and enables negotiation and coordination between neighboring or otherwise affected vehicles based on vehicle priority, vehicle capabilities (such as the ability to stop, slow down or speed up to avoid collisions) and in some embodiments based on various conditions such as weather conditions (rainy, foggy, snowy, windy), road conditions (dry, wet, icy, slippery). These include, for example, negotiation of the timing and order of intersections between cars approaching an intersection, negotiation of lane changes between adjacent cars, negotiation of parking spaces, negotiation of directional travel or passing another vehicle on a single lane road. The inter-vehicle negotiation may also include time-based and / or distance-based factors, such as appointment time, distance to destination, and estimated route time to the destination, and in some embodiments, appointment type and importance of the appointment.

[0094] like Fig.12As emphasized in the foregoing, autonomous vehicles may communicate over various networks and with various devices and servers. In an embodiment, V2X vehicle A 1280 may communicate with V2X or otherwise with a communication transceiver enabled vehicle B 1290 over link 1223 using a V2X or other wireless or communication transceiver to, for example, perform vehicle-to-vehicle negotiation for lane change or for passing through an intersection in an embodiment, and exchange V2X capability data elements, such as vehicle status, location and capabilities, measurement data and / or calculated status, and exchange other V2X vehicle status steps not covered in the V2X capability data elements. In an embodiment, vehicle A may also communicate with vehicle B over a network, such as via a base station 1220 and / or access point 1230 or via a communication enabled roadside unit (RSU) 1225 (any of which may relay communications, information and / or convert protocols for use by other vehicles such as vehicle B, particularly in embodiments where vehicle B is unable to communicate directly with vehicle A 1280 in a common protocol). In an embodiment, vehicle A 1280 may also communicate with a roadside unit 1225, which in various embodiments may be various roadside beacons, traffic and / or vehicle monitors, traffic control devices, and location beacons.

[0095] In an embodiment, the roadside unit (RSU) 1225 may have a processor 1225A configured to operate a wireless transceiver 1225E to send and receive wireless messages from the base station 1220 and / or the access point 1230, such as basic safety messages (BSM) or cooperative awareness messages (CAM) or other V2X messages to and from the vehicle A 1280 and / or the vehicle B 1290. For example, the wireless transceiver 1225E may send and / or receive wireless messages such as various protocols for V2X communication with the vehicle and / or using various WAN, WLAN and / or PAN protocols for communication via the wireless communication network. In an embodiment, the wireless transceiver 1225E may communicate through the wireless communication network by sending or receiving wireless signals from a wireless base transceiver subsystem (BTS), Node B or an evolved NodeB (eNodeB) or a next generation NodeB (gNodeB) over a wireless communication link. In an embodiment, the wireless transceiver 1225E may include various combinations of WAN, WLAN and / or PAN transceivers. In an embodiment, the local area transceiver may also be a Bluetooth transceiver, a ZigBee transceiver or other PAN transceiver. The local transceiver, the WAN wireless transceiver and / or the mobile wireless transceiver may include a WAN transceiver, an access point (AP), a femtocell, a home base station, a small cell base station, a home node B (HNB) or a home eNodeB (HeNB) or a next generation eNodeB (gNodeB) and may provide access to a wireless local area network (WLAN, e.g., an IEEE 802.11 network), a wireless personal area network (PAN, e.g., It should be understood that these are merely examples of networks that can communicate with the roadside unit (RSU) 1225 via a wireless link, and the claimed subject matter is not limited in this regard.

[0096] The RSU 1225 may receive location, status, and capability information, such as speed, heading, location, stopping distance, priority or emergency status, and other vehicle-related information, and in some embodiments, environmental information, such as road surface information / status, weather conditions, and camera information, from vehicle A 1280 and / or vehicle B 1290. The RSU 1225 may coordinate and direct traffic flow and provide environmental, vehicle, safety, and announcement messages to vehicle A 1280 and vehicle B 1290 using information received from vehicle A 1280 and / or vehicle B 1290 via wireless transceiver 1225E, environmental and roadside sensors 1225D, and network information and control messages from, for example, a traffic control and optimization server 1265.

[0097] The processor 1225A may be configured to operate a network interface 1225B, which in embodiments may be connected to a network 1270 via a backhaul and which may be used in embodiments to communicate and coordinate with various centralized servers such as a centralized traffic control and optimization server 1265 that monitors and optimizes traffic flow in an area or region such as within a city or a portion of a city. The network interface 1225B may also be used to remotely access a roadside unit (RSU) 1225 for crowdsourcing of vehicle data, maintenance of the roadside unit (RSU) 1225, and / or coordination with other roadside units 1225, or other purposes. The roadside unit (RSU) 1225 may have a processor 1225A configured to operate a traffic control unit 1225C, which may be configured to process data received from vehicles such as vehicle A 1280 and vehicle B 1290, such as location data, stopping distance data, road condition data, identification data, and other information related to the status and location of nearby vehicles and the environment. The roadside unit (RSU) 1225 may have a processor 1225A that is configured to obtain data from environmental and roadside sensors 1225D, which may include temperature, weather, cameras, pressure sensors, road sensors (e.g., for car detection), accident detection, movement detection, speed detection, and other vehicle and environmental monitoring sensors.

[0098] In an embodiment, vehicle A 1280 may also communicate with the mobile device 1200 using short-range communications and personal networks such as Bluetooth, WiFi, or Zigbee or via V2X or other vehicle-related communication protocols, such as in an embodiment to access a WAN and / or WiFi network and / or in an embodiment to obtain sensor and / or location measurements from the mobile device 1200. In an embodiment, vehicle A 1280 may communicate with the mobile device 1200 using WAN-related protocols over a WAN network such as via a WAN base station 1220 or using WiFi direct point-to-point or via a WiFi access point. Vehicle A 1280 and / or vehicle B 1290 may communicate using various communication protocols. In an embodiment, vehicle A 1280 and / or vehicle B 1290 may support various and multiple wireless communication modes such as, for example, using V2X, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, CDMA, HRPD, Wi-Fi, BT, WiMAX, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5th Generation Wireless (5G) New Radio Access Technology (NR) communication protocols, etc.

[0099] In an embodiment, vehicle A may communicate on a WAN network via base station 1220 using a WAN protocol or communicate with a wireless LAN access point 1230 using a wireless LAN protocol such as WiFi. The vehicle may also communicate using, for example, a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth. TM Wireless communication is supported over a personal area network (PAN) such as ZigBee, DSL, or packet cable.

[0100] In an embodiment, vehicle A 1280 and / or vehicle B 1290 may contain one or more GNSS receivers, such as GNSS receiver 970, for receiving GNSS signals 1212 from GNSS satellites 1210 for position determination, time acquisition, and time maintenance. GNSS receiver 970 or other receivers may be used to support various GNSS systems, alone or in combination, to receive signals from Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, and / or GPS, as well as various regional navigation systems such as QZSS and NavIC or IRNSS. Other wireless systems may be utilized, such as wireless systems that rely on beacons, such as one or more roadside units (RSUs) 1225, one or more wireless LAN access points 1230, or one or more base stations 1220 in one example. Various GNSS signals 1212 may be utilized in conjunction with vehicle sensors 940 and / or 945 to determine position, speed, proximity to other vehicles, such as between vehicle A 1280 and vehicle B 1290.

[0101] In embodiments, vehicle A and / or vehicle B may have access to GNSS measurements and / or positions determined at least in part using GNSS as provided by mobile device 1200, which in embodiments will also have GNSS, WAN, WiFi, and other communications receivers and / or transceivers. In embodiments, vehicle A 1280 and / or vehicle B 1290 may have access to GNSS measurements and / or positions determined at least in part using GNSS as provided by mobile device 1200 as a fallback in the event that GNSS receiver 970 fails or provides less than a threshold level of position accuracy.

[0102] In an embodiment, vehicle A 1280 and / or vehicle B 1290 may directly or indirectly (such as through a roadside unit) access various servers on the network, such as a vehicle information server 1255, a route server 1245, a location server 1260, a map server 1250, an environmental data server 1240, and a traffic control and optimization server 1265. The various servers including the vehicle information server 1255, the route server 1245, the location server 1260, the map server 1250, the environmental data server 1240, and the traffic control and optimization server 1265 include: at least one processor, which may include a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a dedicated processor, and various combinations thereof; a memory, which includes RAM, ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, and virtual memory, or various combinations thereof; and at least one network interface, which may include a physical link, such as a LAN cable, optical fiber, or other physical connection, a wireless link, such as a wide area network (WAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a personal area network, and a short-range network connection (PAN), such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, and some 5G device-to-device communication, and / or any combination thereof.

[0103] The vehicle information server 1255 may provide information describing various vehicles, such as may be used to make decisions about nearby cars, such as whether a vehicle is capable of stopping or accelerating in real time, whether a vehicle is driving autonomously, whether it is capable of driving autonomously, and / or whether it is capable of communicating. In embodiments, the vehicle information server 1255 may also provide information about the vehicle's size, shape, capabilities, identification, ownership, occupancy, and / or determined location points (such as the location of a GNSS receiver) and the location of the vehicle's boundaries relative to the determined location points.

[0104] Route server 1245 may receive current location and destination information and provide route information, map data, alternate route data, and / or traffic and street condition data for the vehicle.

[0105] In an embodiment, the location server 1260 may provide location determination capabilities, transmitter signal acquisition assistance (such as GNSS satellite orbit prediction information, time information, approximate location information, and / or approximate time information), a transceiver almanac such as containing the identification and location of WiFi access points and base stations, and in some embodiments, additional information relative to the route, such as speed limits, traffic, and road status / construction status. The map server 1250 may provide map data, such as road locations, points of interest along the road, address locations along the road, road size, road speed limits, traffic conditions and / or road conditions (wet, slippery, snowy / icy, etc.), road status (open, construction, accident, etc.). In an embodiment, the environmental data server 1240 may provide weather and / or road related information, traffic information, terrain information, and / or road quality and speed information and / or other relevant environmental data.

[0106] In an embodiment, Fig.12 The vehicles 1280 and 1290 and the mobile device 1200 can communicate through the network 1270 via various network access points such as the wireless LAN access point 1230 or the wireless WAN base station 1220 on the network 1270. In some embodiments, Fig.12 Vehicles 1280 and 1290 and mobile device 1200 may also use various short-range communication mechanisms to communicate directly between devices, between vehicles, and between devices and vehicles and between devices without going through network 1270, such as via Bluetooth, Zigbee and 5G new radio standards.

[0107] like Fig.13A and Fig. 13B As shown in , in an embodiment, a vehicle 1000 (eg, a car, truck, motorcycle, and / or other motor vehicle) may exchange vehicle autonomy capabilities to achieve a desired lane change maneuver in a tighter vehicle spacing situation. Fig.13A and Fig. 13BIn an embodiment, autonomous vehicle E 1300 changes lanes to merge between the vehicles on its right, moves from lane 3 to lane 2, and enters the gap between two autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B. The BSM (or CAM or other V2X) message from the autonomous vehicle in lane 2 includes a data element that designates vehicle A as autonomously driven. The BSM (or CAM or other V2X) message for autonomous vehicle E (the vehicle that plans to change lanes from lane 3 to lane 2) also includes a data element that designates vehicle E as autonomously driven. Vehicle E 1300 negotiates with vehicles A 1305A and 1305B in lane 2 and performs a lane change. Since vehicle E 1300 and vehicles A 1305A and 1305 know each other that they are autonomous, a closer inter-vehicle spacing will be achieved relative to the case where vehicle A in lane 2 is non-autonomous and / or cannot communicate status and desired lane change information.

[0108] exist Fig.14 In the embodiments, Fig.14 Autonomous vehicle E 1300, shown as autonomous vehicle (E) 1404, and Fig.14 An example message flow between autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B, shown as autonomous vehicle (A) 1402, is for Fig.13A and Fig. 13B1305B. In step 1406, autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B send a BSM / CAM message containing a data element indicating the autonomous vehicle capabilities for vehicles A 1305A and 1305B. In step 1408, autonomous vehicle E 1300 sends a BSM / CAM message containing a data element indicating the autonomous vehicle capabilities for vehicle E 1300. In embodiments, these messages may be broadcast or may be point-to-point. In step 1410, autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B negotiate a lane change with autonomous vehicle E 1300 via BSM and / or CAM messages. In embodiments, autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B and autonomous vehicle E 1300 may negotiate the timing, inter-vehicle spacing, and event schedule involved so that the lane change can be completed safely. In an embodiment, autonomous vehicle E 1300 sends a request to autonomous vehicle (A) corresponding to vehicles 1305A and 1305B of FIG. 13, thereby requesting a lane change at a destination location between autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B. The request may be broadcast to nearby vehicles or may be sent point-to-point from autonomous vehicle (E) 1300 to autonomous vehicles 1305A and 1305B of FIG. 13. In an embodiment, autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B may respond to autonomous vehicle (E) 1300 with confirmation and acceptance or rejection of the request to increase the inter-vehicle spacing between autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B. Autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B may send messages between each other to negotiate whether vehicle 1305A accelerates or vehicle 1305B decelerates or a combination thereof. If either of autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B is unable to increase the spacing or if one of the autonomous vehicles can move into a larger available space in front of it (1305A) or behind it (1305B), then that vehicle may be selected or proactively increase the spacing between autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B without the other of the other pair of autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B taking any other action. In an embodiment, once autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B have reached the requested spacing, one or both of autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B will send a message to the requesting autonomous vehicle (E) 1300 indicating that the required spacing has been reached, thereby enabling autonomous vehicle (E) 1300 to move from its current lane into the space created between autonomous vehicles A 1305A and 1305B. If one of the vehicles in the target lane is non-autonomous, the autonomous vehicle (E) may alternatively request the space between a nearby pair of autonomous vehicles, or in the alternative, an autonomous vehicle in a pair of autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles may create an entire space for the autonomous vehicle (E) to merge into.Furthermore, if one of the two cars is non-autonomous, the autonomous vehicle may increase the spacing between that one vehicle and the non-autonomous vehicle to be greater than the other spacing allocated between the two autonomous vehicles to provide additional margin for a safe lane change.

[0109] In an embodiment, Fig.15A and Fig. 15B As shown in , vehicles 1000 (e.g., cars, trucks, motorcycles, and / or other motor vehicles) may exchange vehicle autonomy capability messaging between autonomous vehicle E (1500) and non-autonomous vehicles (1510A, 1510B, 1510C) in a target lane to achieve a desired lane change maneuver, but with a larger vehicle spacing relative to the autonomous vehicles. Fig.15A and Fig. 15B In an embodiment, vehicle E (1500) intends to change lanes to the left from lane 3 to lane 4 between two non-autonomous vehicles (1510A, 1510B). The BSM (or CAM or other V2X) message from the non-autonomous vehicle in lane 4 includes a data element that specifies vehicles 1510A and 1510B as driving non-autonomously. The BSM (or CAM or other V2X) message for the autonomous vehicle E (1500) (the vehicle that plans to change lanes from lane 3 to lane 4) includes a data element that specifies vehicle E (1500) as driving autonomously. Vehicle E (1500) negotiates a lane change with the vehicle in lane 4 and executes the lane change. Since vehicle E (1500) and vehicles 1510A and 1510B understand each other that vehicles 1510A and 1510B are non-autonomous, a larger lane spacing between vehicles is utilized relative to the case where vehicles 1510A and 1510B are autonomous in lane 4. If any of the non-autonomous vehicles (1510A, 1510B) is unable to respond to the lane change request of the autonomous self-controlled vehicle 1500, it may respond with an insufficient capability message (a rejection or other message indicating that it cannot respond). If another of the non-autonomous vehicles (1510A, 1510B) is able to respond, it may create the entire gap without the additional participation of the other of the non-autonomous vehicles (1510A, 1510B). Otherwise, based on the request failure, the autonomous self-controlled vehicle 1300 may re-aim the lane merge to another space and / or another pair of cars.

[0110] exist Fig.16 In an embodiment, autonomous vehicle (E) 1604 and non-autonomous vehicle 1602 (e.g., Fig.15A and Fig. 15B An exemplary message flow between 1510A and 1510B) for Fig.15A and Fig. 15B The lane change is shown. Fig.16 In an embodiment, autonomous vehicle E 1604 (e.g., Fig.15A and Fig. 15B 1500) and non-autonomous vehicles 1602 (e.g., 1510A and 1510B, as shown in FIG. Fig.15A and Fig. 15B ) for an exemplary message flow between Fig.15A and Fig. 15B 1604. The lane change shown in FIG. 1604 is illustrated. In step 1606, non-autonomous vehicle A 1602 sends a BSM and / or CAM message containing data elements indicating the non-autonomous vehicle status or lack of autonomous vehicle capabilities for the non-autonomous vehicle 1602. In embodiments, the message may be broadcast to nearby vehicles or sent point-to-point in response to a request from a nearby vehicle, or both. In step 1608, autonomous self-controlled vehicle (E) 1604 sends a BSM / CAM message containing data elements indicating autonomous vehicle capabilities for the autonomous self-controlled vehicle (E) 1604. In embodiments, these messages may be broadcast or may be point-to-point. In step 1610, autonomous vehicle 1602 (e.g., Fig.15A and Fig. 15B 1510A and 1510B) negotiate the lane change with the autonomous self-controlled vehicle (E) 1604 via BSM and / or CAM messages. In an embodiment, the non-autonomous vehicle 1602 and the autonomous self-controlled vehicle (E) 1604 may negotiate the timing, inter-car spacing, and schedule of events involved so that the lane change can be completed safely. In an embodiment, the autonomous self-controlled vehicle (E) 1604 sends the request to the Fig.15A and Fig. 15BThe non-autonomous vehicles 1602 corresponding to the vehicles 1510A and 1510B of the present invention are contacted to request a lane change at a destination location between the two non-autonomous vehicles 1602. The request may be broadcast to nearby vehicles or may be sent point-to-point from the autonomous vehicle (E) 1604 to the non-autonomous vehicles 1602. In an embodiment, the non-autonomous vehicles 1602 may respond to the request to the autonomous vehicle (E) 1604 to increase the inter-vehicle spacing between the non-autonomous vehicles 1602 in response to confirmation and acceptance or rejection of the request. The non-autonomous vehicles 1602 may send messaging between each other to negotiate whether one non-autonomous vehicle accelerates or another non-autonomous vehicle decelerates or a combination thereof. If the non-autonomous vehicles 1602 cannot increase the spacing (e.g., blocked by a non-autonomous vehicle or a vehicle that is otherwise not capable of supporting automatic lane change) or if one of the non-autonomous vehicles 1602 can enter a larger available space in front of or behind it, the vehicle may be selected or actively increase the spacing between the non-autonomous vehicles 1602 without requiring additional action by the other of the pair of non-autonomous vehicles 1602. In an embodiment, once the non-autonomous vehicles 1602 reach the requested spacing, one or both of the non-autonomous vehicles 1602 will send a message to the requesting autonomous vehicle (E) 1604 indicating that the required spacing has been reached, thereby enabling the autonomous vehicle (E) 1604 to move from its current lane into the space created between the non-autonomous vehicles 1602. Alternatively, because the vehicle in the target lane is non-autonomous, the autonomous vehicle (E) may instead request the space between a pair of nearby autonomous vehicles, or as another alternative, the autonomous vehicle in a pair of autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles may create the entire space for the autonomous self-controlled vehicle (E) 1604 to merge into. Furthermore, because both vehicles in the target lane are non-autonomous, the autonomous vehicle requesting the lane change may request an increased spacing between the two non-autonomous vehicles before merging into its lane to provide additional margin for a safe lane change, relative to the situation where it would request spacing from both autonomous vehicles.

[0111] like Fig.17 As shown in , in an embodiment, vehicles 1000 (e.g., cars, trucks, motorcycles, and / or other motor vehicles) may exchange vehicle-announced stopping distances to determine platoon or other inter-vehicle spacing. In an embodiment, the vehicles determine stopping distances based on detected parameters such as vehicle speed, detected road / weather conditions, inherent braking capabilities, vehicle internal states (e.g., tire pressure), and vehicle driving state (autonomous or non-autonomous). Fig.17 In the example, V5 (1706) announces a larger stopping distance due to a detected road condition (water on the road or other road hazard (such as ice, gravel or sand on the road)). The platoon or other inter-vehicle spacing has a larger announced stopping distance due to one or more detected road conditions. Here, in Fig.17In the example, since V5 (1706) announces a larger stopping distance due to water or other road hazards, V4 (1704) and V5 (1706) may increase the inter-vehicle spacing between each other.

[0112] exist Fig.18 , in an embodiment, an exemplary message flow between autonomous vehicles V1 (1802), V2 (1804), V3 (1806), V4 (1808) and V5 (1810) is shown, which has a stopping distance based on the vehicle state and the sensed environment. In step 1812, each of V1 (1802) to V5 (1810) broadcasts based on the corresponding vehicle state (e.g., tire tread, tire inflation, current weight) and environment (hazards on the road such as water, ice, gravel or sand, road composition, weather, wind and / or visibility distance) using BSM or CAM messaging. The vehicle will utilize the broadcast stopping distance of each nearby vehicle to negotiate the platoon and / or other inter-vehicle spacing using the stopping distance provided by the BSM (or CAM or otherwise) in step 1814 if it is able to do so (i.e., platoon formation does not necessarily use such technology). If the vehicle is not capable of messaging or otherwise does not support inter-vehicle spacing adjustments based on broadcast stopping distance related measurements, neighboring vehicles can adjust around it to compensate. Fig.18 In the process, each vehicle dynamically updates its BSM (or CAM) messaging procedure for stopping distance based on self-detected vehicle conditions, externally detected environmental and / or road conditions, and externally received road conditions from other vehicles and / or infrastructure entities (such as environmental data server 1240 and / or map server 1250 and / or roadside unit (RSU) 1225).

[0113] exist Fig.19A and Fig.19B In an embodiment, surrounding vehicles stop to allow the emergency vehicle to cross the intersection. Fig.19A and Fig.19BIn an embodiment, vehicles V1, V2, V3 broadcast a BSM (or other V2X, such as CAM messaging) message with a calculated stopping distance. The emergency (or other priority) vehicle V2 sends an intersection priority request to a roadside unit (RSU), such as a signal request message SRM. Based on the respective stopping distances provided by V1 and V3 (using the respective stopping distances and the estimated distances to the intersection, the RSU can determine whether V1 and V3 can stop safely before the intersection), the RSU grants V2 intersection entry (sending a signal status message, SSM) after determining that V1 and V3 can stop safely. The RSU then sends a revised intersection timing (e.g., a SPAT message). The RSU then sends a signal status message (SSM) to V1 and V3, requesting a stop at the intersection. The emergency / priority vehicle V2 continues to travel through the intersection, while V1 and V3 stop at the intersection.

[0114] exist Fig. 20 , in an embodiment, an exemplary message flow between vehicles approaching an intersection is shown, which includes a message including a stopping distance. In an embodiment, vehicles V1, V2, and V3 use a message step to send a BSM message containing the corresponding stopping distance of the vehicle based on the vehicle state and the sensed environment. In the case where V2 is an emergency vehicle, in an embodiment, the RSU will verify that vehicles V1 and V3 can stop safely before the intersection based on the stopping distance provided by V1 and V3. If V1 and V3 are able to stop, the RSU will grant V2 intersection entry based on the stopping distance provided by V1 and V3. The RSU will also update the intersection signal timing, for example, using a SPAT message, so that the emergency vehicle V2 can continue to travel through the intersection without stopping. The RSU sends a signal status message (intersection entry message) to V2 to convey the grant of intersection entry to V2. Similarly, the RSU sends a signal status message that denies intersection entry to V1 and V3, thereby requesting V1 and V3 to stop at the intersection. Emergency vehicle V2 then proceeds through the intersection, while V1 and V3 stop at the intersection. In the case where all three vehicles are non-emergency vehicles, in an embodiment, the RSU can allocate intersection entries in a manner that minimizes the number of vehicles stopped at the intersection to maximize traffic throughput (so here, V1 and V3 would be instructed / messaged to proceed through the intersection, and V2 would be instructed to stop, assuming that V2's stopping distance provided via the BSM allows for a safe stop before the intersection).

[0115] exist Fig.21A and Fig. 21B In an embodiment, the emergency vehicle slows down and / or stops before passing through the checkpoint to allow vehicles that may not be able to stop to cross the intersection. Fig.21A and Fig. 21B In an embodiment, vehicles V1, V2, V3 broadcast a BSM (or other V2X messaging) with a calculated stopping distance; here, the V1 stopping distance is increased due to water hazard and / or due to other factors such as vehicle speed, vehicle weight, and road conditions (it should be noted here that in the example, V1 may be a truck; however, V1 may also be a car or other vehicle type). Emergency (or other emergency) vehicle V2 sends an intersection priority request (such as, for example, a signal request message SRM) to a roadside unit (RSU). Based on the stopping distance provided by V1, the RSU determines that V1 cannot stop safely before the intersection and denies V2 intersection entry, sending a signal status message SSM so that V2 will slow down or stop for the intersection to allow V1 to cross the intersection first. The RSU then sends a revised intersection timing (e.g., a SPAT message). The RSU then sends the SSM to V1, V3. V1 continues to travel through the intersection. Emergency / priority vehicle V2 and vehicle V3 stop at the intersection. In an embodiment, if V3 can also proceed safely and V1 proceeds through the intersection, V1 and V3 may cross the intersection, being granted entry due to V1's broadcast stopping distance. Once V1 has crossed the intersection or if V3 is also allowed to pass, once V1 and V3 have crossed the intersection, the RSU sends a signal status message indicating that emergency vehicle V2 has crossed the intersection.

[0116] exist Fig. 22 In an embodiment, an exemplary message flow between vehicles approaching an intersection is shown, which includes a stopping distance and further includes the message transmission of a vehicle having an increased stopping distance due to a sensed environmental condition, the message flow reflecting Fig.21A and Fig. 21B Therefore, in an embodiment, in step 2210, vehicles V1, V2, and V3 broadcast BSM messaging including corresponding stopping distance data elements based on vehicle status and sensed environmental data. Fig.21A and Fig. 21BAs shown, vehicle V1 determines environmental data indicating the presence of a wet / slippery road condition and therefore broadcasts a longer stopping distance in a BSM message. In step 2212, emergency vehicle V2 sends a signal request message for intersection entry to a roadside unit (RSU). Based on V1's broadcasted BSM stopping distance, the roadside unit (RSU) 2208 will determine that vehicle V1 cannot stop safely before the intersection and the RSU will deny V2's intersection entry request based on the stopping distance provided by V1, thereby updating the intersection signal timing via SPAT or other messages, thereby enabling vehicle V1, or in some embodiments, allowing vehicles V1 and V3 to cross the intersection if both can pass safely at the same time. Therefore, in step 2214, a signal status message will be sent from the RSU to vehicle V2, thereby denying intersection entry, allowing vehicle V2 to subsequently stop at the intersection. Moreover, in step 2216, a signal status message will be sent from the RSU to vehicle V1, thereby granting intersection entry to vehicle V1, which will subsequently cross the intersection. In an embodiment, a signal status message or other message may be sent to vehicle V3, thereby denying entry into the intersection, which causes vehicle V3 to subsequently stop at the intersection while waiting for vehicle V1 and then waiting for vehicle V2 to cross the intersection; or, in an embodiment, the RSU may determine that V1 and V3 are traveling in the same direction or at least determine that their respective paths do not conflict (for example, V3 and V1 are traveling straight through the intersection or turning right) and can cross the intersection at the same time, in which case vehicle V3 may receive a signal status message or other message that allows vehicle V3 and vehicle V1 to enter the intersection at the same time before allowing emergency vehicle V2 to enter the intersection.

[0117] Thus, once V1 crosses the intersection (or both V1 and V3 cross the intersection if both are allowed), the RSU 2208 sends a new signal state message or other message granting intersection entry to V2, thereby instructing V2 to proceed through the intersection. Once vehicle V2 proceeds through the intersection, the signal state instruction may then be sent to vehicle V3, authorizing vehicle V3 to cross the intersection, if V3 was previously not allowed to cross the intersection and V1 crossed the intersection.

[0118] exist Fig.23In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle communicates with the first and second vehicles to request the first and second vehicles to provide lane entry and requested spacing so that the autonomous vehicle merges into its lane. In an embodiment, the requested spacing may take into account whether the other vehicles are autonomous or non-autonomous (autonomous vehicle state) and the braking distances for various vehicles. For example, in an embodiment, if the car in front of the autonomous vehicle can stop at a distance X and the autonomous vehicle can stop at a distance Y, where the distance X is shorter than Y, the autonomous vehicle may request additional space (e.g., YX or more additional distances) between the autonomous vehicle and the vehicle in front of it to allow the autonomous vehicle to not stop within the X distance. Similarly, the vehicle behind the autonomous vehicle will negotiate for the appropriate spacing between the autonomous vehicle and the vehicle behind it. Therefore, if the autonomous vehicle can stop at a distance X and the vehicle behind it can stop at Y; if X>Y, the vehicle behind it needs to allow at least Y distance. However, if X<Y, the vehicle behind it needs to allow at least Y+(YX) distance between the two cars. It should be understood that stopping distance is dynamic and may vary depending on many factors, including vehicle weight, cargo weight, tire pressure, road surface type, road surface condition, weather, tire tread, brake wear, brake pressure, and other factors. Therefore, in an embodiment, each of the vehicles will send a message transmission (e.g., a broadcast message) that includes a basic safety message (BSM) or a cooperative awareness message (CAM), wherein the message includes an identification data element, an autonomous vehicle state data element, and / or a braking distance data element that can be used to determine and request the appropriate spacing between vehicles and the appropriate spacing allowed when the vehicles merge lanes. It should also be understood that other factors besides the stated factors may also affect the safe distance between vehicles and additional space between vehicles that takes into account these factors (such as vehicle decision delays, unforeseen obstacles, etc.) may be allocated.

[0119] exist Fig.23 In the embodiment, it should be understood that messages can be sent and received via the wireless transceiver 930 and the antenna 932, and can be directed by the processor 910 and / or utilize the DSP 920 and / or store data and instructions in the memory 960, such as Fig. 9. It will also be appreciated that various sensors 945, accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers 940, cameras 935, LIDAR 950 and / or systems 955 and / or externally provided information received via wireless transceiver 930 or by other means are used to determine braking distance and other data elements. It will further be appreciated that various controls, actions and / or manipulations and analyses used to determine controls, actions and / or manipulations may be directed or performed by processor 910 and / or DSP 920 using data and / or instructions in memory 960, and that processor 910 and / or DSP 920 using data and / or instructions in memory 960 may interact with various systems 955 and / or power and drive systems 975 and / or other systems, such as Figures 9 to 11 Described in .

[0120] In step 2310, the autonomous vehicle receives a first message from a first vehicle, wherein the message includes an identification data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle state data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a combination thereof. The messaging between vehicles may be sent as a basic safety message (BSM) or a cooperative awareness message (CAM) or by utilizing other message protocols supported by the wireless transceiver 930.

[0121] In an embodiment, the first and second vehicles are target vehicles that will be in front of or behind the autonomous vehicle after the autonomous vehicle changes lanes to insert between the first and second vehicles. In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle determines an indication of the autonomous vehicle state (autonomously driven or manually driven) and / or braking distance required for the first and second vehicles. The indication enables negotiation directly between the autonomous vehicle and the first and second vehicles.

[0122] The braking distance information may be used to determine a minimum safe distance between the autonomous vehicle and the merged first and second vehicles. For example, the distance between the vehicles may be determined so that a collision will be avoided when the vehicles suddenly stop. In an embodiment, if the car targeted below requires more stopping distance than the vehicle in front of it, the additional distance is added to the inter-vehicle spacing (e.g., the additional buffer of the longer stopping distance minus the shorter stopping distance) to avoid a collision during an emergency stop of the vehicle. It is further assumed that, in an embodiment, the autonomously driven vehicle will have a faster response time than the manually driven vehicle. Therefore, in an embodiment, the manually driven vehicle may add an additional buffer to its stopping distance to account for the additional response time required for manual stopping relative to autonomous stopping. In an embodiment, a manually operated vehicle with automatic emergency braking enabled may also be distinguished so that emergency braking is faster than a fully manually operated vehicle, where the braking distance may not increase or barely increase relative to the braking distance for a fully autonomous vehicle.

[0123] For reference Fig.11 The braking distance may be determined as described and / or as described below. The braking distance may utilize information from the autonomous vehicle external sensors 1102, the autonomous vehicle internal sensors 1104, the autonomous vehicle capabilities 1106, the external V2X inputs 1108, and the autonomous vehicle motion state 1110, which includes the current motion station, such as speed and heading, and the future expected motion and heading. In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle capabilities may be based on empirical test data (such as factory test data) for the brand and model of the autonomous vehicle, or may be based on measured performance data of the autonomous vehicle, or may be based on a formula, such as by formulating one or more of the formulas for the braking distance specified herein. In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle capabilities may also be based on empirical test data, which is modified based on the current vehicle motion state 1110 and information from the autonomous vehicle internal sensors 1104 and the autonomous vehicle external sensors 1102. For example, in an embodiment, the brand and model of the car may be tested at various speeds using stock tires and tire inflation to determine the stopping distance and stopping distance curve at various speeds based on the speed of the assumed stock tires and standard road surface. In an embodiment, the stopping distance curve may be stored as a table, where the stopping distance for a given speed may be interpolated based on entries at higher speeds and entries at lower speeds. In an embodiment, each stopping distance may be fitted in an equation or otherwise associated with a speed. This may be done in a table or in an equation, where the speed of the vehicle and in some embodiments other factors and / or measurements are input into the equation or table, and the corresponding estimated stopping distance is output from the equation or table. Another consideration may include the reaction time of the vehicle once the decision to stop is made and / or the human reaction time in the case of manually operating the vehicle. If reaction time is considered, the speed of the car multiplied by the reaction time is added to the estimated braking distance. The braking distance is composed of the reaction time for initiating braking multiplied by the speed, which is added to the distance required to stop the movement of the car once the braking is initiated. Typically, the distance required for the car to stop is related to the square of the speed. It is also related to the road slope, road surface conditions, vehicle load / weight, and the condition and type of brakes used. Because road conditions and other environmental factors are also involved, the braking distance may be different and may need to be adjusted for changes in the environment (such as ice or snow or water on the road). In an embodiment, the braking distance d B The equation can be expressed as follows B =(t R *v)+(v 2 / k*f R *f L *f B ), where t R is the reaction time, v is the speed, f R is a function of road conditions and slope, fL is a function of vehicle load, f B is a function of the nominal performance of the brake and the current brake state (level of wear, etc.), and k is a scaling factor, which in some embodiments is derived through empirical testing. k*f R *f L *f B is an estimate that takes into account road friction, brake effectiveness, and mass. A simpler but potentially less accurate estimate: You can also use f R 、f L and f B The change of d B =(t R *v)+(v 2 / 2ug), where u is the friction coefficient and g represents gravity.

[0124] In some embodiments, effects related to tire traction, tire inflation, or load, or other effects, may also have different degrees of impact at different speeds (i.e., may also have nonlinear effects), or in some embodiments, may be estimated using a linear model, or in some embodiments, represented by a constant factor (e.g., a wet road factor relative to a dry road factor). The estimated stopping distance may be adjusted via direct input into the equation or via modification of the stopping distance output for various sensor inputs. For example, stopping distance decreases as tire pressure decreases due to more contact with the road surface. However, drainage also decreases as tire pressure decreases due to tire deformation. Thus, in dry conditions, stopping distance may be increased due to an over-inflated tire or decreased due to an under-inflated tire. In embodiments, to be conservative, the effect of increasing stopping distance may be considered, but the effect of decreasing stopping distance may be ignored or de-weighted / de-emphasized relative to its effect. In wet conditions, under-inflated tires can increase the risk of skidding, and in embodiments, tire pressure sensors can be used to detect under-inflated conditions, where the pressure is less than a threshold pressure or less than a recommended pressure by a certain threshold, which can be used to add additional distance to the stopping distance based on the increased likelihood of skidding or otherwise sliding on the road surface. Similarly, inputs from tire traction sensors such as anti-lock brake sensors, traction control sensors, and all-wheel drive traction sensors can be used to detect slippery surfaces and loss of traction to the tires, and can trigger a preset increase in braking distance or can increase braking distance based on a measured degree of road slip / lack of traction. In embodiments, temperature can be used to modify stopping distance. For example, warmer temperatures can affect the softness of the tire tread and increase traction on the road surface, while colder temperatures can harden the tire surface and reduce tire traction, thereby increasing stopping distance in cold weather. In addition, in the case of combining sub-freezing temperatures with the detection of moisture, precipitation, or high humidity, the road surface may be slippery or icy and the stopping distance may be increased. In an embodiment, deceleration capability may be measured based on speed reduction relative to a given applied braking force during standard driving conditions, and the braking distance may be re-determined and / or the equation or table may be recalibrated and / or compensation factors may be added or subtracted based on the currently measured braking performance. It should be understood that other factors such as those provided by autonomous vehicle external sensors 1102, autonomous vehicle internal sensors 1104, autonomous vehicle capabilities 1106, external V2X inputs 1108, and autonomous vehicle motion state 1110 may also be considered by those skilled in the art, and the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0125] At step 2320, the autonomous vehicle receives a second message from a second vehicle, wherein the message includes an identification data element for the second vehicle, an autonomous vehicle state data element for the second vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the identification step may be used as a reference for further communications directly with the second vehicle and for negotiations and requests between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle. Similarly, when creating space for the autonomous vehicle to merge into a lane, the first vehicle and the second vehicle may use the identification data element to negotiate and coordinate responses to the autonomous vehicle's request to merge into a lane.

[0126] It should be understood that in some embodiments, the first message and the second message may be broadcast messages that can be received and utilized by nearby vehicles, while the request, confirmation, and negotiation messages may be sent directly between the affected vehicles. Other embodiments may utilize only broadcast messages or only point-to-point messages or various combinations thereof. In an embodiment, it is further appreciated that the first message and the second message may cover more than one message and / or multiple message steps and may be divided according to the various protocols supported by the vehicle. In an embodiment, some or all point-to-point request, confirmation, and negotiation messages may be encrypted for privacy between negotiating vehicles, where the negotiating, requesting, and confirming vehicles all have appropriate public and private keys. In an embodiment, such as in the case where a vehicle merges into a lane between two other vehicles, the communication may be shared by more than two vehicles to increase coordination between the affected vehicles, and in some embodiments, the communication is also shared by vehicles adjacent to (e.g., in front and behind) the affected vehicle.

[0127] In step 2330, the autonomous vehicle determines a target space based at least in part on the size of the autonomous vehicle, an autonomous vehicle state data element for the first vehicle, an autonomous vehicle state data element for the second vehicle, a braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the determination of the target space may be further based on a negotiation between the affected vehicles and may affect the size of the target space and the placement of the target space relative to the three vehicles. In this embodiment, for example, if the first vehicle has no obstacles in front of it and the second vehicle has another vehicle behind it, the first vehicle may accelerate to increase the spacing between the first vehicle and the second vehicle, and the autonomous vehicle may accelerate or decelerate appropriately to merge into the open target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

[0128] In step 2340, the autonomous vehicle sends a third message to the first vehicle requesting a target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle. As discussed above, in embodiments, the third message may be point-to-point between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle, or in embodiments, it may be broadcast and received by the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or it may be multicast to the first vehicle and the second vehicle. If the request for the target space for lane merging is broadcast or multicast to both the first vehicle and the second vehicle, the request may utilize the third message identifying the first vehicle and the second vehicle as the message recipients for the request, thereby eliminating the need for the fourth message in step 2350.

[0129] In step 2350, the autonomous vehicle sends a fourth message to the second vehicle, requesting the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle. As discussed above, in some embodiments, the third and fourth messages may be combined into a single request message that specifies the first vehicle and the second vehicle as recipients, in which case the fourth message need not be sent.

[0130] In step 2360, the autonomous vehicle receives at least one response from the fifth message of the first vehicle or from the sixth message of the second vehicle or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, at least one response may grant permission for the autonomous vehicle to merge between the first and second vehicles. In an embodiment, at least one response may specify timing and the relative position between the vehicle and the first vehicle and / or the second vehicle to enable the autonomous vehicle to initiate a merge. Additional message delivery may be required to coordinate the movement and spacing between the autonomous vehicle and the first and / or second vehicles during and after the merge. In an embodiment, although the first and second vehicles may communicate before and during the merge, the first vehicle or the second vehicle or both the first and second vehicles may switch the communication between each other to the autonomous vehicle during or after the completion of the merge, so that each vehicle maintains communication with the vehicle immediately before or after it.

[0131] In step 2370, the autonomous vehicle is manipulated into the target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on at least one response received. In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle will negotiate with the first vehicle and the second vehicle using appropriate messaging to determine the spacing between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle and the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle during and after the lane merge. In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle may receive communications about when to perform a lane change from the first vehicle or the second vehicle or from both vehicles and may provide confirmation when the lane change is completed. Various conditions such as bad weather conditions or bad road conditions may be used to additionally affect the target rate or timing of lane merging and / or the spacing between the target vehicle and the autonomous vehicle for performing lane merging and / or the spacing between the autonomous vehicle and the first and / or second vehicles after the lane merge. In an embodiment, messaging, especially from a vehicle ahead of the first vehicle or also from other surrounding vehicles, may also modify the timing of merging due to lane obstacles such as potholes or due to slow traffic in the target lane, each of which may make it difficult to merge safely and / or make it difficult for the first vehicle and the second vehicle to create a target space for merging.

[0132] exist Fig.24 In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle communicates with the vehicles in front of and behind it to request a safe spacing between the autonomous vehicle and the vehicle in front of the autonomous vehicle (referred to herein as the first vehicle for discussion purposes) and the vehicle behind the autonomous vehicle (referred to herein as the second vehicle for discussion purposes). In an embodiment, the vehicle may be part of a platoon where the vehicle will coordinate spacing with the rest of the platoon, or in an embodiment, the three vehicles may travel individually and coordinate only with each other. In an embodiment, communication between vehicles is used to support lane changes. Fig.23 Support for vehicle spacing Fig.24 may be similar between, where both activities require similar messaging, information, negotiation, and responses from the current or targeted leading and following vehicles, and are generally referred to as Fig.23 Discussion and Fig.24 Related and vice versa.

[0133] exist Fig.24 In the embodiment, it should be understood that messages can be sent and received via the wireless transceiver 930 and the antenna 932, and can be directed by the processor 910 and / or utilize the DSP 920 and / or store data and instructions in the memory 960, such as Fig. 9. It will also be appreciated that various sensors 945, accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers 940, cameras 935, LIDAR 950 and / or systems 955 and / or externally provided information received via wireless transceiver 930 or by other means are used to determine braking distance and other data elements. It will further be appreciated that various controls, actions and / or manipulations and analyses used to determine controls, actions and / or manipulations may be directed or performed by processor 910 and / or DSP 920 using data and / or instructions in memory 960, and that processor 910 and / or DSP 920 using data and / or instructions in memory 960 may interact with various systems 955 and / or power and drive systems 975 and / or other systems, such as Figures 9 to 11 Described in .

[0134] exist Fig.24 In the embodiments, it should be understood that the first message and the second message may be broadcast messages that can be received and utilized by nearby vehicles, while the request, confirmation, and negotiation messages may be sent directly between the affected vehicles. For example, the third message and the fourth message may be point-to-point messages from the autonomous vehicle to the first vehicle and to the second vehicle, respectively. Other embodiments may utilize only broadcast messages or only point-to-point messages or various combinations thereof. In embodiments, it is further appreciated that the first message and the second message may cover more than one message and / or multiple message steps, and may be divided according to various protocols supported by the vehicles. In embodiments, some or all point-to-point request, confirmation, and negotiation messages (such as Fig.24 The third and fourth messages) may be encrypted for privacy and / or security between the negotiating vehicles, where the negotiating, requesting, and confirming vehicles all have appropriate public and private keys. In embodiments, such as where a vehicle merges into a lane between two other vehicles or where a vehicle modifies the spacing in front and behind it, the communication may be shared by more than two vehicles to increase coordination between the affected vehicles, and in some embodiments, the communication is also shared by vehicles adjacent to (e.g., in front and behind) the affected vehicle. In embodiments, messaging between vehicles may be sent as basic safety messages (BSMs) or cooperative awareness messages (CAMs) or by utilizing other messaging protocols supported by wireless transceiver 930.

[0135] In step 2410, the autonomous vehicle receives a first message from a first vehicle, wherein the first message includes an identification data element for the first vehicle and an autonomous vehicle state data element for the first vehicle or a braking distance data element for the first vehicle or a combination thereof. Fig.23, messaging between vehicles may be sent as basic safety messages (BSM) or cooperative awareness messages (CAM) or by utilizing other messaging protocols supported by the wireless transceiver 930. In an embodiment, messages may be broadcast, multicast, or point-to-point or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, information and / or status messages such as the first message and the second message may be implemented as broadcast messages or point-to-point messages to neighboring cars or as multicast messages to neighboring cars. Request, confirmation, negotiation, and response messages may be point-to-point between the affected parties or may be broadcast or multicast with the name of the target vehicle; for example, here the third message and the fourth message may be point-to-point between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle and between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle, respectively. The above description of Fig.23 The derivation of the braking distance for the vehicle is discussed, as is the relationship of the braking distance to various conditions and inputs and to the capabilities of the autonomous vehicle.

[0136] At step 2420, the autonomous vehicle receives a second message from a second vehicle, wherein the second message includes an identification data element for the second vehicle and an autonomous vehicle state data element for the second vehicle or a braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or a combination thereof. The second message may be sent as a broadcast or multicast message for use by neighboring cars, or may be sent point-to-point to neighboring vehicles.

[0137] In step 2430, the autonomous vehicle determines a first target space between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle based on the autonomous vehicle state data element for the first vehicle, the autonomous vehicle state of the autonomous vehicle, the braking distance data element for the first vehicle, or the braking distance of the autonomous vehicle, or a combination thereof. It should be understood that other factors may also be considered, such as road surface, water on the road, weather conditions, tire pressure, surrounding traffic, and road hazards. It should be understood that this list is not comprehensive, and reference is made to Fig.23 and Fig.11 Further discussion can be found in the discussion of In some embodiments, the determination of the first target space can be performed in the autonomous vehicle or in the first vehicle or collaboratively between the two vehicles.

[0138] In step 2440, a second target space between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle is determined based on the autonomous vehicle state data element for the second vehicle, the autonomous vehicle state of the autonomous vehicle, the braking distance data element for the second vehicle, or the braking distance of the autonomous vehicle, or a combination thereof. As with step 2430, it should be understood that other factors may also be considered, such as road surface, water on the road, weather conditions, tire pressure, surrounding traffic, and road hazards. It should be understood that this list is not comprehensive, and reference is made to Fig.23 and Fig.11Further discussion can be found in the discussion of In some embodiments, the determination of the first and second target spaces can be performed in the autonomous vehicle or in the first vehicle or collaboratively between the two vehicles.

[0139] In step 2450, the autonomous vehicle sends a third message to the first vehicle, requesting the first target space between the first vehicle and the autonomous vehicle. However, it should be appreciated that neighboring vehicles may initiate target space checks and modifications of inter-vehicle spaces, or both may collaboratively initiate target space checks and modifications. In terms of intent and content of the exchange, Fig.24 Step 2450 is similar to Fig.23 Step 2340.

[0140] In step 2460, the autonomous vehicle sends a fourth message to the second vehicle, thereby requesting a second target space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle. Fig.24 Step 2460 is similar to Fig.23 Step 2350.

[0141] In step 2470, the autonomous vehicle receives at least one response from the fifth message of the first vehicle or from the sixth message of the second vehicle, or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, at least one response grants permission for the autonomous vehicle to adjust positioning to create and / or coordinate a first target space between the first vehicle and the autonomous vehicle or a second target space between the first and second vehicles, or a combination thereof. Additional messaging may be required to coordinate movement and spacing between the autonomous vehicle and the first and / or second vehicles.

[0142] In step 2480, based on the at least one response received, the autonomous vehicle maneuvers as needed to manage a first target space between the autonomous vehicle and the first vehicle and a second target space between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle.

[0143] exist Fig.25In an embodiment, an autonomous vehicle interacts with a roadside unit (RSU) that controls intersection entry to request and receive permission to enter an intersection. In an embodiment, if the determined braking distance of the autonomous vehicle is greater than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the approaching intersection (i.e., the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection is insufficient for the autonomous vehicle to stop before the intersection given the determined braking distance), the RSU may grant intersection entry to the autonomous vehicle on a priority basis to other vehicles that are able to stop safely before the intersection. This can include priority over other vehicles that would otherwise have greater priority than the autonomous vehicle, such as emergency vehicles (police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, etc.). If the determined braking distance of the autonomous vehicle is less than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the approaching intersection (i.e., the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection is sufficient for the autonomous vehicle to stop before the intersection given the determined braking distance), the RSU may request the autonomous vehicle to stop before the intersection (i.e., the RSU does not grant intersection entry to the autonomous vehicle, but instead requests the autonomous vehicle to stop), so that the RSU can grant intersection entry to vehicles that have greater priority than the autonomous vehicle (e.g., emergency vehicles, such as police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, etc.) and are closer to the intersection or cannot stop before entering the intersection, or various combinations thereof.

[0144] exist Fig.25 In the embodiment, it should be understood that messages can be sent and received via the wireless transceiver 930 and the antenna 932, and can be directed by the processor 910 and / or utilize the DSP 920 and / or store data and instructions in the memory 960, such as Fig. 9 . It will also be appreciated that various sensors 945, accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers 940, cameras 935, LIDAR 950 and / or systems 955 and / or externally provided information received via wireless transceiver 930 or by other means are used to determine braking distance and other data elements. It will further be appreciated that various controls, actions and / or manipulations and analyses used to determine controls, actions and / or manipulations may be directed or performed by processor 910 and / or DSP 920 using data and / or instructions in memory 960, and that processor 910 and / or DSP 920 using data and / or instructions in memory 960 may interact with various systems 955 and / or power and drive systems 975 and / or other systems, such as Figures 9 to 11 Described in .

[0145] exist Fig.25In an embodiment, the RSU may also provide information to the autonomous vehicle via point-to-point transmission or via local wireless broadcast, such as traffic information, road obstacle information, weather information, road surface information, pedestrian warnings and / or other information related to the environment near the RSU. The RSU may also have non-vehicle inputs such as radar, LIDAR and camera inputs that can be used to independently check traffic flow and direction, weather conditions, road conditions (thin ice, wetness, etc.). The autonomous vehicle may consider the information provided by the RSU to determine data elements. For example, when determining the braking distance for the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle may consider weather, road surface and other conditions that may be received from the RSU as data elements via wireless messages and affect the braking performance of the autonomous vehicle.

[0146] In step 2510, the autonomous vehicle determines its braking based on information from autonomous vehicle external sensors, autonomous vehicle internal sensors, autonomous vehicle capabilities, or external V2X inputs, or a combination thereof. Fig.23 Discussed determining the braking distance. For example, the initial value of the braking distance may be based on a lookup table of braking distances that are based on speed. For speed values ​​between table entries, the braking distance may be interpolated. For example, if you have a lower speed V1 associated with the braking distance B1 and a higher speed V2 associated with the braking distance B2 and the speed V3 is between V2 and V1, such that V2>V3>V1, then B3 (the braking distance associated with speed V3) may be expressed as (V3-V1) / (V2-V1)*(B2 B1)+B1. In other embodiments, speed and braking data having a nonlinear relationship may be fitted as a curve. Notably, the stopping distance increases at a faster rate as speed increases, and therefore, in embodiments, the speed and braking data may be plotted as a nonlinear equation or it may be conservatively simplified to a linear equation, which in embodiments may produce excess braking distance at lower speeds. In addition, the initial speed prediction may be modified to take into account other factors, such as excess vehicle weight, road surface, weather conditions (snow or ice on the road). In an embodiment, road or weather conditions may be handled by modifying the initial braking estimate to add additional braking distance to account for weather, road irregularities, loose road surface (gravel, dust or sand), ice or water on the road, and other factors that will slow the vehicle down. In an embodiment, a predetermined amount may be added to the stopping distance based on each condition, such as adding a margin to the estimate based on conservative empirical data. In an embodiment, the table or curve may be modified, or there may be a different table or curve, to account for degraded stopping conditions. In an embodiment, a measure of wheel slip (such as a traction control metric), an all-wheel drive anti-lock braking measure of wheel slip, and / or an adhesion friction coefficient (adhesion between the road and the tire) may be used and / or considered when modifying the amount of additional braking distance added to the initial braking distance (i.e., the nominal condition braking distance).

[0147] In step 2520, the autonomous vehicle sends a first message, wherein the message includes an identification data element or a vehicle type or a vehicle priority or a combination thereof for the autonomous vehicle and a braking distance data element for the autonomous vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle type may specify in a non-limiting example whether the vehicle is a passenger car, a transport truck, an emergency vehicle, or another vehicle type. In some embodiments, the vehicle priority may include an indication of priority, such as whether the vehicle is in an emergency state, in a time-critical situation, in a moderately time-sensitive situation, or in a non-time-sensitive situation. In some embodiments, the vehicle priority may include an indication of a financial transfer, wherein the highest bidder may obtain intersection entry priority relative to the lower bidder. In some embodiments, the vehicle state may include a numerical value or an ordered sequence (such as 1 to 5 or A to F) representing relative priority. In some embodiments, the autonomous vehicle may also send an autonomous data element regarding whether the vehicle is operated autonomously, so that response time or other factors related to autonomous operation may be considered. In some embodiments, the autonomous vehicle may send positioning information and / or speed forward direction information. In some embodiments, the autonomous vehicle may include other relevant data elements in the message, such as a slippery road indicator and / or a measurement of road / tire slip and / or adhesion. In some embodiments, the autonomous vehicle message may include data elements for surrounding traffic indications, such as whether there are vehicles in front of, behind, and / or to the side of the autonomous vehicle. In some embodiments, the autonomous vehicle message may include an emergency, status, or priority flag that may be used to increase the priority of the autonomous vehicle entering the intersection. In some embodiments, the autonomous vehicle message may include observation data and / or data received from neighboring cars, such as data about the status and / or emergency status of neighboring vehicles. The message may be sent directly to the RSU, for example, via a point-to-point message, or the message may be broadcast along with data elements corresponding to identification data for the autonomous vehicle and braking distance data for the autonomous vehicle. As Fig.23 , messaging between the autonomous vehicle and the RSU may be sent as basic safety messages (BSM) or cooperative awareness messages (CAM) or by utilizing other messaging protocols supported by the wireless transceiver 930. In an embodiment, messages may be broadcast, multicast, or point-to-point or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, information and / or status messages may be implemented as broadcast messages or point-to-point messages to neighboring cars or as multicast messages to neighboring cars and / or roadside units. Request, confirmation, negotiation, and response messages may be point-to-point between the affected parties or may be broadcast or multicast with the name of the target vehicle. The above description of Fig.23 The derivation of the vehicle's braking distance and the relationship of the braking distance to various conditions and inputs and to the autonomous vehicle's capabilities are also discussed.

[0148] In an embodiment, a roadside unit (RSU) may automatically assume that a vehicle approaching an intersection (such as an autonomous vehicle) is requesting an intersection entry. In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle may send a message to the RSU requesting an intersection entry. In some embodiments, the RSU may assume that a vehicle approaching an intersection is requesting an intersection entry, and therefore monitor the approaching vehicle distance, speed, stopping distance, priority, and / or other factors when determining an order of priority to grant an intersection entry.

[0149] In step 2530, the autonomous vehicle receives a second message from a roadside unit (RSU) based at least in part on the braking distance for the autonomous vehicle, which includes one or more instructions for the intersection entry of the autonomous vehicle. In an embodiment, the second message may include an instruction to grant or deny permission to enter the intersection, wherein the permission is based at least in part on the braking distance for the autonomous vehicle. In an embodiment, the second message may specify an approach speed to the intersection, which in an embodiment may be associated with the granting of permission to enter the intersection. In an embodiment, the approach speed may be determined so that other vehicles cross the intersection before the autonomous vehicle crosses the intersection. In an embodiment, the approach speed may be determined so as to maximize the traffic flow through the intersection. In an embodiment, the second message may be a broadcast signal status message. In an embodiment, the second message may be a point-to-point message. In an embodiment, if the autonomous vehicle stopping distance exceeds the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection, the RSU may grant the autonomous vehicle an increased priority for intersection entry and / or for intersection entry. In an embodiment, if the autonomous vehicle stopping distance is less than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection (i.e., the autonomous vehicle is able to stop or at least slow down before the intersection) and a higher priority vehicle requests entry into the intersection, or if a vehicle closer to the intersection or waiting at the intersection requests entry into the intersection, the RSU may deny the autonomous vehicle entry into the intersection and instead request the autonomous vehicle to stop at the intersection while offering intersection entry to other vehicles. In an embodiment, if the autonomous vehicle stopping distance is less than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection (i.e., the autonomous vehicle is able to stop or at least slow down before the intersection) and other vehicle types request entry into the intersection, particularly if public or other policies indicate that certain vehicle types are favored over other vehicle types, the RSU may deny the autonomous vehicle entry into the intersection and instead request the autonomous vehicle to stop at the intersection or approach slowing down while offering intersection entry to other vehicles of other types. For example, a common policy may favor public transportation vehicles such as buses and trains or larger vehicles such as larger trucks that use more energy to start and stop for transportation with minimal stops; under this policy, public transportation vehicles and / or larger vehicles may have priority over passenger cars to enter the intersection. Similarly, high occupancy vehicle types (or states) may have priority over low occupancy vehicle types (or states). In an embodiment, the second message may be a broadcast signal status message from the RSU or the second message may be a point-to-point message from the RSU to the autonomous vehicle, which grants or denies intersection entry to the autonomous vehicle.

[0150] In step 2540, the autonomous vehicle may control the intersection entry of the autonomous vehicle in response to one or more instructions received from the RSU. In an embodiment, based on the second message, the autonomous vehicle may receive in the second message an instruction to enter the intersection or stop before the intersection to wait for the RSU to grant the intersection entry. In an embodiment, the second message may include an instruction from the RSU to stop or continue to move from the autonomous vehicle, and may further include a request to modify the vehicle speed when the autonomous vehicle approaches the intersection. In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle may receive from the RSU an instruction to slow down or otherwise modify its speed (rather than stop) before the intersection to allow other vehicles to cross the intersection before the autonomous vehicle reaches the intersection. In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle may receive from the RSU an instruction to accelerate to cross the intersection before other vehicles. In an embodiment, the RSU may send a target approaching speed to the intersection to the autonomous vehicle, so that the autonomous vehicle may approach the intersection at a speed slower or faster than the current autonomous vehicle speed. In an embodiment, the autonomous vehicle may stop at the line dividing the intersection to wait for permission to enter the intersection.

[0151] In various embodiments, an autonomous vehicle may be illustrated by vehicle 1000 (e.g., as shown in FIG. Figures 9 to 11 The autonomous vehicle may be autonomous or may have an autonomous mode and a manual mode, or may have semi-autonomous features such as automated lane control (e.g., where the autonomous vehicle can automatically stay in a lane or request a lane change / merge into another lane or can automatically stop or automatically avoid road obstacles) but may otherwise be driven manually.

[0152] In various embodiments, and as discussed above, the vehicle 1000 may utilize positioning technology in conjunction with the brake pads and brake state monitoring system to estimate braking distance (and / or, in embodiments, braking effectiveness at different speeds), which may be estimated at multiple speeds (as may be measured by a positioning system and / or a speedometer, wheel monitor, etc.). Braking distance and / or performance versus speed may be used to create a table of braking distances based on speed and / or equations appropriate for braking data at different speeds, which may be used to estimate braking distance. Braking distance may be regularly and periodically updated based on changing input parameters including changes in speed and position.

[0153] In various embodiments and as discussed above, the vehicle 1000 may utilize a positioning system to determine a location that may be communicated to adjacent and / or nearby vehicles in a location data element. The vehicle 1000 may use the location to determine vehicle movement (e.g., when to merge lanes), or to determine spacing between vehicles. The vehicle 1000 may exchange location information with adjacent or nearby vehicles to negotiate and coordinate movements such as lane changes and adjust spacing between vehicles.

[0154] In various embodiments, and as discussed above, vehicle 1000 (e.g., vehicle A 1280 and vehicle B 1290) may have circuitry and processing resources that are capable of obtaining position-related measurements (e.g., for signals received from GPS, GNSS, or other satellite positioning system (SPS) satellites 1210, WAN radio transceiver 1220, or WLAN or PAN local area transceiver 1230 and potentially calculating a fixed position or estimated position of vehicle 1000 based on these position-related measurements). In the example currently shown, the position-related measurements obtained by vehicle 1000 may include measurements of signals (1212) received from satellites belonging to an SPS or global navigation satellite system (GNSS) (1210) (such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, or BeiDou), and / or may include measurements of signals (such as 1222 and / or 1232) received from ground-based transmitters (e.g., such as WAN radio transceiver 1220) fixed at known locations. The vehicle 1000 or the location server 1260 may then obtain a position estimate for the vehicle 1000 based on these position-related measurements using any of several positioning methods, such as, for example, GNSS, Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), Advanced Forward Link Trilateration (AFLT), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) or Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID), network triangulation, received signal strength indication (RSSI), or a combination thereof. In some of these techniques (e.g., A-GNSS, AFLT and OTDOA, RSSI), pseudoranges, ranges, or timing differences may be measured at the vehicle 1000 relative to three or more ground-based transmitters at known locations or relative to four or more satellites with accurately known orbital data, or a combination thereof, based at least in part on pilots, positioning reference signals (PRS), or other positioning-related signals transmitted by transmitters or satellites and received at the vehicle 1000. The server may provide positioning assistance data to the vehicle 1000, which includes, for example, information about the signal to be measured (e.g., signal timing and / or signal strength), the location and identifier of the ground transmitter, and / or signal, timing and orbit information for GNSS satellites to facilitate positioning technologies such as A-GNSS, AFLT, OTDOA, and E-CID. For example, the location server 1260 may include an almanac indicating the location and identifiers of wireless transceivers and / or local area transceivers in one or more specific areas (such as a specific location), and may provide information describing signals transmitted by a cellular base station or AP or a mobile ground transceiver, such as transmit power and signal timing.In the case of E-CID, the vehicle 1000 may obtain measurements of signal strength of signals received from the WAN wireless transceiver 1220 and / or wireless local area network (WLAN) or PAN local area transceiver 1230 and / or may obtain round trip signal propagation time (RTT) between the vehicle 1000 and the WAN wireless transceiver 1220 or wireless local area transceiver 1230. The vehicle 1000 may use these measurements along with assistance data (e.g., terrestrial almanac data or GNSS satellite data, such as GNSS almanac and / or GNSS ephemeris information) received from the location server 1260 to determine the location of the vehicle 1000 or may communicate the measurements to the location server 1260 to perform the same determination.

[0155] In various embodiments, the position may be determined in various ways, as described above. For example, in an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 may determine its position using GNSS satellite signal measurements, ground transmitter signal measurements, or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 may determine its position using LIDAR, radar, GNSS, sensors, and various combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 may determine its position (wheel scale, steering direction, etc.) using accelerometers and / or gyroscopes and various sensors to determine the distance and direction traveled from the last determined position via dead reckoning. In an embodiment, the vehicle 1000 may determine its position using a combination of signals and sensors; for example, the position may be determined using various signal measurements from GNSS and ground transmitters and then updated using dead reckoning. Various signal measurements from the determined position may be taken from visible transmitters to obtain an indication of the distance of the transmitter from the determined position. The distance indication may include signal strength or round trip time or arrival time or other distance estimation methods. New signal measurements may be made at the new determined position. By combining indications of the distance to any given transmitter taken from multiple locations, whether by one device or by multiple devices, the location of a transmitter such as a WAN wireless transceiver 1220 or a WLAN or PAN local area transceiver 1230 can be determined. The location of the transmitter can be determined on the vehicle 1000 or on a crowdsourcing server or on a location server 1260 or other network-based server.

[0156] Vehicles (e.g. Figure 2The vehicles 1000 in FIG. 1200 , for example, vehicle A 1280 and vehicle B 1290 , may be referred to as devices, cars, trucks, motorcycles, flying devices (such as airplanes or drones), wireless devices, mobile terminals, terminals, mobile stations (MS), user equipment (UE), SUPL-enabled terminals (SET). Typically, although not necessarily, the vehicle may support wireless communications such as using V2X, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, CDMA, HRPD, Wi-Fi, BT, WiMAX, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5th Generation Wireless (5G) or New Radio Access Technology (NR), V2X communication protocols, etc. The vehicle may also use, for example, a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth, etc. TM Wireless communication is supported by a personal area network (PAN) such as ZigBee, DSL, or packet cable. In an embodiment, the vehicle may support the transmission of a basic safety message (BSM) including various data elements, such as a data element depicting that the corresponding vehicle is autonomously driven. In an embodiment, the vehicle may support the transmission of an ETSI cooperative awareness message (CAM), which, for example, in an embodiment includes various data elements, such as a data element depicting that the corresponding vehicle is autonomously driven.

[0157] An estimate of the position of a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 1000) may be referred to as a position, position estimate, position fix, fix, position, position estimate, or position fix, and may be geodetic, thereby providing a position coordinate (e.g., latitude and longitude) for the vehicle, which may or may not include an altitude component (e.g., altitude, surface height or height above ground or above ground or below ground). Optionally, the position of the vehicle may be expressed as an urban location (e.g., expressed as a postal address or the name of a certain point or small area in a building (such as a specific room or floor)). The position of the vehicle may also be expressed as an area or space (defined geographically or in urban form) in which the vehicle is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67% or 95%). The position of the vehicle may also be a relative position, which includes, for example, a distance and direction defined relative to a certain origin at a known location or a relative X, Y (and Z) coordinate, which is defined geographically or in urban terms or with reference to a point, area, or space indicated on a map, floor plan, or building plan. In the description contained herein, use of the term location may include any of these variations unless otherwise indicated.

[0158] Throughout the specification, references to "one example," "example," "some examples," "in an embodiment," or "exemplary implementation" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that feature and / or example may be included in at least one feature and / or example of the claimed subject matter. Thus, the phrases "in one example," "example," "in some examples," or "in some implementations," or "in an embodiment," or other similar phrases that appear throughout the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same feature, example, and / or limitation. In addition, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined or modified in one or more examples and / or features and in various embodiments. The specified embodiments are not intended to be limited with respect to the embodiments that may vary in detail; those skilled in the art will recognize that other, unspecified embodiments may also be used with or to modify the described embodiments.

[0159] Some parts of the detailed description included herein are presented according to the algorithm or symbolic representation of the operation of the binary digital signal stored in the memory of a specific device or a special computing device or platform. In the context of this particular specification, once the term specific device, etc. is programmed to perform a specific operation according to the instructions from the program software, it includes a general-purpose computer. Algorithmic description or symbolic representation is an example of a technology used by ordinary technicians in signal processing or related fields to convey the essence of their work to other technicians in the field. Algorithms are here and generally considered to be a self-consistent sequence of operations or similar signal processing that lead to desired results. In this context, operations or processing involve physical manipulation of physical quantities. Generally, although not necessarily, such quantities can take the form of electrical or magnetic signals that can be stored, transmitted, combined, compared or otherwise manipulated. It has been proven that sometimes in principle, for general reasons, such signals are referred to as bits, data, values, steps, symbols, characters, items, numbers, etc. It is convenient. However, it should be understood that all of these or similar terms will be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless otherwise specifically noted, it will be apparent from the discussion herein that it should be understood that throughout the specification, discussions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," etc. refer to actions or processes of a specific apparatus such as a special purpose computer, special purpose computing apparatus, or similar special purpose electronic computing device. Thus, in the context of this specification, a special purpose computer or similar special purpose electronic computing device is capable of manipulating or transforming signals, which are typically represented as physical electrical or magnetic quantities in a memory, register, or other information storage device, a transmitting device, or a display device of a special purpose computer or similar special purpose electronic computing device.

[0160] The wireless communication technology described herein can be combined with various wireless communication networks, such as wireless wide area network ("WAN"), wireless local area network ("WLAN"), wireless personal area network (PAN), etc. The terms "network" and "system" can be used interchangeably in this article. WAN can be a code division multiple access ("CDMA") network, a time division multiple access ("TDMA") network, a frequency division multiple access ("FDMA") network, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access ("OFDMA") network, a single carrier frequency division multiple access ("SC-FDMA") network, a long term evolution ("LTE"), a fifth generation ("5G"), or any combination of the above networks, etc. A CDMA network can implement one or more radio access technologies ("RAT"), such as cdma2000, broadband-CDMA ("W-CDMA"), to name just a few radio technologies. Here, cdma2000 can include technologies implemented according to IS-95, IS-2000, and IS-856 standards. A TDMA network may implement a Global System for Mobile Communications ("GSM"), a Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System ("D-AMBP"), or some other RAT. GSM and W-CDMA are described in documents of a consortium named "3rd Generation Partnership Project" ("3GPP"). CDMA2000 is described in documents of a consortium named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" ("3GPP2"). 3GPP and 3GPP2 documents are publicly available. In one aspect, a 4G Long Term Evolution ("LTE") communication network may also be implemented in accordance with the claimed subject matter. A WLAN may include an IEEE 802.11x network, and a PAN may include a Bluetooth network, IEEE 802.15x, including, for example, a Zigbee network. The wireless communication embodiments described herein may also be used in conjunction with any combination of a WAN, a WLAN, or a PAN.

[0161] On the other hand, as previously mentioned, a wireless transmitter or access point may include a wireless transceiver device for extending cellular telephone service to a business or home or vehicle. In this embodiment, one or more vehicles may communicate with the wireless transceiver device, for example, via a code division multiple access ("CDMA") cellular communication protocol.

[0162] The technology described herein can be used with a satellite positioning system ("SPS"), including any one of several global navigation satellite systems ("GNSS", such as the Global Positioning System "GPS", the Russian GLONASS system and the European Union Galileo system, and the Chinese BeiDou and BeiDou-2 systems) and / or a combination of GNSS. In addition, such technology can be used with a positioning system that utilizes a ground transmitter that acts as a "pseudo-satellite" or a combination of a SV and such a ground transmitter. The ground transmitter may, for example, include a ground-based transmitter that broadcasts a PN code or other ranging code (e.g., similar to a GPS or CDMA cellular signal). This transmitter may be assigned a unique PN code to allow identification by a remote receiver. The ground transmitter may, for example, be useful in enhancing the SPS in situations where the SPS signal from the orbiting SV may not be available, such as in tunnels, mines, buildings, urban canyons, or other enclosed areas. Another embodiment of a pseudo-satellite is referred to as a radio beacon. The term "SV" as used herein is intended to include ground transmitters that act as pseudo-satellites, equivalents of pseudo-satellites, and possibly others. As used herein, the terms "SPS signal" and / or "SV signal" are intended to include SPS-like signals from ground-based transmitters, including ground-based transmitters that act as pseudolites or the equivalent of pseudolites.

[0163] In the foregoing detailed description, numerous specific details have been set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, methods and devices known to those of ordinary skill in the art have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the claimed subject matter.

[0164] The terms "and," "or," and "and / or," as used herein, may include a variety of meanings that are also contemplated to depend, at least in part, on the context in which such terms are used. Generally, "or," when used with an associative list such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C (used herein in an inclusive sense) as well as A, B, or C (used herein in an exclusive sense). Additionally, the term "one or more," as used herein, may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in the singular, or may be used to describe a plurality or some other combination of features, structures, or characteristics. It should be noted, however, that this is merely an illustrative example, and claimed subject matter is not limited to this example.

[0165] While what is presently considered to be exemplary features has been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various other modifications may be made, and equivalents may be substituted, without departing from the claimed subject matter. Additionally, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation to the teachings of the claimed subject matter without departing from the central concept described herein.

[0166] Therefore, the claimed subject matter is not intended to be limited to the disclosed examples; such claimed subject matter may also include all aspects falling within the scope of the claims and their equivalents.

[0167] For embodiments involving firmware and / or software, the methods can be implemented with modules (e.g., programs, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. Any machine-readable medium that tangibly embodies instructions can be used to implement the methods described herein. For example, software codes can be stored in a memory and executed by a processor unit. The memory can be implemented within the processor unit or outside the processor unit. As used herein, the term "memory" refers to any type of long-term, short-term, volatile, non-volatile, or other memory, and is not limited to any particular type of memory or a particular amount of memory, or the type of medium on which the memory is stored.

[0168] When implemented in firmware and / or software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable storage medium. Examples include computer-readable media encoded with a data structure and computer-readable media encoded with a computer program. Computer-readable media include physical computer storage media. The storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, FLASH, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage media, semiconductor storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer; as used herein, disks and optical disks include compact disks (CDs), laser optical disks, optical optical disks, digital versatile disks (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray disks, wherein disks typically reproduce data magnetically, and optical disks reproduce data optically by means of lasers. The above combinations should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0169] In addition to being stored on a computer-readable storage medium, instructions and / or data may also be provided as signals on a transmission medium included in the communication device. For example, the communication device may include a transceiver having signals indicating instructions and data. The instructions and data are configured to cause one or more processors to implement the functions outlined in the claims. That is, the communication device includes a transmission medium having signals indicating information for performing the disclosed functions. At a first time, the transmission medium included in the communication device may include a first portion of information to perform the disclosed functions, and at a second time, the transmission medium included in the communication device may include a second portion of information to perform the disclosed functions.

Claims

1. A method for autonomously controlling a vehicle to enter an intersection, comprising: determining, by the autonomous vehicle, a braking distance for the autonomous vehicle based on vehicle external sensors, vehicle internal sensors, vehicle capabilities, or external V2X inputs, or a combination thereof; Sending a first message from the autonomous vehicle to a roadside unit RSU, wherein the first message includes an identification data element for the autonomous vehicle, a vehicle priority, and a braking distance data element for the autonomous vehicle; receiving, at the autonomous vehicle, a second message from the RSU based at least in part on the braking distance for the autonomous vehicle, the second message comprising one or more instructions regarding intersection entry for the autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more instructions comprise instructions to grant or deny authority to enter an intersection, the authority being determined based on a comparison of the braking distance determined by the autonomous vehicle and a distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection, wherein: the autonomous vehicle being granted increased priority for intersection entry if the determined braking distance of the autonomous vehicle is greater than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection; and If the determined braking distance of the autonomous vehicle is less than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection, the autonomous vehicle is requested to stop before the intersection based on a comparison of vehicle priorities between the autonomous vehicle and other vehicles; and The intersection entry of the autonomous vehicle is controlled in response to the one or more instructions received from the RSU.

2. The method for intersection entry according to claim 1 further includes sending a third message from the autonomous vehicle to the RSU before the second message, thereby requesting intersection entry.

3. The method for entering an intersection according to claim 1, wherein: The braking distance for the autonomous vehicle is determined based at least in part on a speed of the autonomous vehicle.

4. The method for entering an intersection according to claim 3, wherein: The braking distance for the autonomous vehicle is determined based at least in part on tire pressure or tire traction data, or a combination thereof, for the autonomous vehicle.

5. The method for entering an intersection according to claim 1, wherein: The braking distance for the autonomous vehicle is shorter in autonomous mode than in manual mode.

6. The method for entering an intersection according to claim 1, wherein: The first message is a broadcast message.

7. The method for entering an intersection according to claim 1, wherein: The first message is a point-to-point message.

8. The method for entering an intersection according to claim 1, wherein: The first message is a basic security message or a cooperation aware message.

9. An autonomous vehicle comprising: one or more wireless transceivers; Vehicle interior sensors; Vehicle external sensors; Memory; as well as one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more wireless transceivers, the interior vehicle sensors, the exterior vehicle sensors, and the memory; Wherein, the one or more processors are configured to: determining, by the autonomous vehicle, a braking distance for the autonomous vehicle based on the vehicle external sensors, the vehicle internal sensors, vehicle capabilities, or external V2X inputs, or a combination thereof; sending a first message from the one or more transceivers to a roadside unit RSU, wherein the first message includes an identification data element for the autonomous vehicle, vehicle priority, and a braking distance data element for the autonomous vehicle; receiving, at the autonomous vehicle, a second message from the RSU using the one or more wireless transceivers based at least in part on the braking distance for the autonomous vehicle, the second message comprising one or more instructions regarding intersection entry for the autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more instructions comprise instructions to grant or deny authority to enter an intersection, the authority being determined based on a comparison of the braking distance determined by the autonomous vehicle and a distance from the autonomous vehicle to the intersection, wherein: the autonomous vehicle being granted increased priority for intersection entry if the determined braking distance of the autonomous vehicle is greater than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection; and If the determined braking distance of the autonomous vehicle is less than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection, the autonomous vehicle is requested to stop before the intersection based on a comparison of vehicle priorities between the autonomous vehicle and other vehicles; and The intersection entry of the autonomous vehicle is controlled in response to the one or more instructions received from the RSU.

10. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to send a third message from the one or more wireless transceivers to the RSU prior to the second message, thereby requesting intersection entry.

11. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The braking distance for the autonomous vehicle is determined based at least in part on a speed of the autonomous vehicle and empirical stopping distance data associated with the speed of the autonomous vehicle.

12. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 11, wherein: The braking distance for the autonomous vehicle is determined based at least in part on tire pressure or tire traction data, or a combination thereof, for the autonomous vehicle.

13. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The braking distance for the autonomous vehicle is shorter in autonomous mode than in manual mode.

14. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The first message is a broadcast message.

15. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The first message is a point-to-point message.

16. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The first message is a basic security message or a cooperation aware message.

17. An autonomous vehicle comprising: means for determining, by the autonomous vehicle, a braking distance for the autonomous vehicle based on vehicle external sensors, vehicle internal sensors, vehicle capabilities, or external V2X inputs, or a combination thereof; means for sending a first message from the autonomous vehicle to a roadside unit RSU, wherein the first message comprises an identification data element for the autonomous vehicle, a vehicle priority, and a braking distance data element for the autonomous vehicle; means for receiving a second message from the RSU based at least in part on the braking distance for the autonomous vehicle, the second message comprising one or more instructions regarding intersection entry for the autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more instructions comprise instructions to grant or deny authority to enter an intersection, the authority being determined based on a comparison of the determined braking distance for the autonomous vehicle and a distance from the autonomous vehicle to the intersection, wherein: the autonomous vehicle being granted increased priority for intersection entry if the determined braking distance of the autonomous vehicle is greater than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection; and If the determined braking distance of the autonomous vehicle is less than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection, the autonomous vehicle is requested to stop before the intersection based on a comparison of vehicle priorities between the autonomous vehicle and other vehicles; and Means for controlling the intersection entry of the autonomous vehicle in response to the one or more instructions received from the RSU.

18. The autonomous vehicle of claim 17, further comprising means for sending a third message from the autonomous vehicle to the RSU prior to the second message to request intersection entry.

19. The autonomous vehicle of claim 17, wherein: The first message is a broadcast message.

20. The autonomous vehicle of claim 17, wherein: The first message is a point-to-point message.

21. The autonomous vehicle of claim 17, wherein: The first message is a basic security message or a cooperation aware message.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions for causing one or more processors on an autonomous vehicle to: determining, by the autonomous vehicle, a braking distance for the autonomous vehicle based on vehicle external sensors, vehicle internal sensors, vehicle capabilities, or external V2X inputs, or a combination thereof; Sending a first message from the autonomous vehicle to a roadside unit RSU, wherein the first message includes an identification data element for the autonomous vehicle, a vehicle priority, and a braking distance data element for the autonomous vehicle; receiving, at the autonomous vehicle from the RSU, a second message including one or more instructions regarding an intersection entry for the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the braking distance for the autonomous vehicle, wherein: The one or more instructions include instructions to grant or deny authority to enter an intersection, the authority determined based on a comparison of the braking distance determined by the autonomous vehicle and a distance from the autonomous vehicle to the intersection, wherein: the autonomous vehicle being granted increased priority for intersection entry if the determined braking distance of the autonomous vehicle is greater than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection; and If the determined braking distance of the autonomous vehicle is less than the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the intersection, the autonomous vehicle is requested to stop before the intersection based on a comparison of vehicle priorities between the autonomous vehicle and other vehicles; and The intersection entry of the autonomous vehicle is controlled in response to the one or more instructions received from the RSU.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions causing the one or more processors to send a third message to the RSU prior to the second message requesting an intersection entry.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein: The first message is a broadcast message.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein: The first message is a point-to-point message.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein: The first message is a basic security message or a cooperation aware message.

Images