Intersection trajectory determination and message sending and receiving

Abstract

A method and system for managing the passage of one or more vehicles at a traffic intersection are provided. The method includes: receiving a first message including one or more motion characteristics of one or more vehicles (102a, 102b, 102c) approaching a traffic intersection; forming a motion group (304); grouping a subset of the one or more vehicles (102a, 102b, 102c) into the motion group (304) based on the one or more motion characteristics; assigning a leading vehicle (102c) to the motion group (304); determining a group maneuvering target (320) for the motion group (304) to pass through the traffic intersection; and transmitting a second message including the group maneuvering target (320) of the motion group (304) to the leading vehicle (102c) of the motion group (304), so that the leading vehicle (102c) of the motion group (304) can control the movement of each member vehicle (102a, 102b) of the motion group (304) based on the group maneuvering target (320).

Description

[0001] background

[0002] For autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, vehicle maneuver planning and path planning are determined by the vehicle environment. The environment includes surrounding features such as vehicles, objects, and obstacles. Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (CV2X) is a communication standard for exchanging information about the vehicle environment. CV2X may include communications between CV2X-capable vehicles, and between CV2X-capable vehicles and other CV2X-capable entities such as infrastructure-based devices (commonly referred to as roadside units (RSUs)), pedestrians, cyclists, or other road users. CV2X may use cellular-based communications such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), fifth generation (5G), and / or other cellular technologies in direct communication mode as defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

[0003] Traffic messaging technologies such as CV2X can be particularly useful for traffic intersection management for both autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles. For example, with such management, vehicles can pass through intersections without stopping or with reduced delays, thereby reducing travel time and fuel consumption. Problematically, current solutions for intersection management messaging are inefficient in providing effective intersection management, especially for large numbers of vehicles.

[0004] Brief Overview

[0005] The technology described herein solves these and other problems by providing a hybrid control mechanism to manage the passage of vehicles at traffic intersections. In the hybrid control mechanism, a management system (such as a roadside unit (RSU)) as a part of the infrastructure components of the management intersection can group these vehicles into one or more movement groups based on the motion characteristics of the vehicles approaching the traffic intersection. The management system can also select a leading vehicle for each movement group in the one or more movement groups. The management system can coordinate the passage of each movement group at the traffic intersection by transmitting a group manipulation target to the leading vehicle of each movement group. The leading vehicle of each movement group can determine the vehicle manipulation target of each member vehicle in the movement group based on the group manipulation target, and coordinate the passage of each member vehicle in the movement group at the traffic intersection based on transmitting the vehicle manipulation target to each member vehicle. The communication of group assignment, group manipulation target and vehicle manipulation target can be based on the message using CV2X.

[0006] According to the present description, an example method for managing the passage of one or more vehicles at a traffic intersection implemented by a management system (such as an RSU) includes: receiving a first message about one or more motion characteristics of one or more vehicles approaching a traffic intersection; forming a motion group; grouping a subset of the one or more vehicles into the motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; assigning a lead vehicle to the motion group; determining a group maneuvering target for the motion group through the traffic intersection; and transmitting a second message including the group maneuvering target of the motion group to the lead vehicle of the motion group so that the lead vehicle of the motion group can determine the vehicle maneuvering target of each member vehicle of the motion group through the traffic intersection based on the group maneuvering target of the motion group, and transmitting a third message including the corresponding vehicle maneuvering target to each member vehicle of the motion group.

[0007] According to the present description, an example method for managing the passage of one or more vehicles at a traffic intersection implemented by a vehicle approaching a traffic intersection includes: transmitting a first message indicating one or more motion characteristics of the vehicle to a management system by the vehicle, so that the management system can assign the vehicle to a motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; receiving a second message from the management system, the second message indicating that the vehicle is assigned to the motion group and indicating a group maneuvering target of the motion group; determining whether to accept the assignment to the motion group based on comparing the target maneuver of the vehicle through the traffic intersection with the group maneuvering target of the motion group; transmitting a third message indicating acceptance to the management system based on determining that the assignment to the motion group is to be accepted, so that the management system can group the vehicle into the motion group; and receiving a fourth message indicating one or more attributes of the motion group from the management system after transmitting the third message, the one or more attributes including at least one of the following: one or more member vehicles of the motion group including the vehicle, the leading vehicle of the motion group, or the group maneuvering target of the motion group.

[0008] Example devices, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions for performing the foregoing methods are also described. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example scenario for managing traffic intersections is explained.

[0011] Figure 2A and Figure 2B Explains an example approach to managing traffic intersections.

[0012] Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C , Figure 3D , Figure 3E and Figure 3F An example of a hybrid control mechanism for managing traffic intersections is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Illustrate example components of a traffic intersection management system.

[0014] Figure 5 Example components of a vehicle management system are illustrated.

[0015] Fig. 6A , Figure 6B and Figure 6C An example method for managing the movement of vehicles at a traffic intersection is explained.

[0016] Fig. 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 7C Explains the implementation Figure 3A – Figure 6C An example of a system architecture with an example of a hybrid control mechanism.

[0017] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a mobile computer system.

[0018] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a stationary computer system.

[0019] Similar reference numerals in the various drawings indicate similar elements according to certain example implementations. In addition, multiple instances of the element can be indicated by adding a letter or hyphen and a second numeral after the first numeral of the element. For example, multiple instances of element 110 can be indicated as 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, etc. or as 110-A, 110-B, 110-C, etc. When only the first numeral is used to refer to such an element, it will be understood as any instance of the element (for example, the element 110 in the previous example will refer to elements 110-1, 110-2 and 110-3 or to elements 110-A, 110-B and 110-C).

[0020] Detailed Description

[0021] Several illustrative embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. Although specific embodiments are described below in which one or more aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented, other embodiments may be used and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure or the spirit of the appended claims.

[0022] Management of traffic intersections may include collecting information about expected / target trajectories of vehicles approaching the traffic intersection and scheduling the passage of vehicles at the traffic intersection based on the expected / target trajectories of these vehicles. Management may be based on reducing or minimizing the total time it takes for vehicles to pass through the traffic intersection.

[0023] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example scenario for managing a traffic intersection 100 is illustrated. Figure 1A In the example, vehicles 102a, 102b and 102c are coming from the west (at Figure 1A ) approaches intersection 100 and intends to turn north through the intersection along trajectory 104 (indicated by "W" in FIG. Figure 1A ), and vehicles 106a and 106b approach intersection 100 from the north and intend to pass through intersection 100 along trajectory 106 to the south (at Figure 1A Indicated by "S" in the figure. Figure 1A 104 and 106a-b intersect, the maneuvers of the vehicles 102a-c and 106a-b may be coordinated and based on other strategies to avoid collisions at the intersection 100. For example, to reduce the total amount of time that the vehicles 102a-c and 106a-b spend waiting for and passing through the intersection 100, the vehicles 102a-c may be controlled to stop or slow down when approaching the intersection 100 from the west, while the vehicles 106a and 106b may be controlled to move through the intersection 100 along the trajectory 104, because the vehicles 102a-c may take longer to move through the intersection 100 than the vehicles 106a-106b. After the vehicles 106a and 106b have moved through the intersection 100, the vehicles 102a-102c may be controlled to move through the intersection 100 along the trajectory 104. In some examples, vehicles 102a-c may also be controlled to move through traffic intersection 100 ahead of vehicles 106a-b based on, for example, that vehicles 102a-102c have a higher priority than vehicles 106a-106b (eg, vehicles 102a-102c are emergency vehicles).

[0024] Figure 1B Another example scenario for managing a traffic intersection 100 is illustrated. Figure 1BAs shown in FIG, vehicles 102a-102c approach the intersection 100 from the west and intend to move eastward along trajectory 114, while vehicles 106a-106b approach the intersection 100 from the south and intend to turn west at the intersection 100 along trajectory 118. Since trajectory 114 does not intersect trajectory 118, vehicles 102a-102c do not need to slow down to allow vehicles 106a-106b to move through the intersection 100, and vice versa. Therefore, vehicles 102a-102c and 106a-106b can be controlled to move through the intersection 100 without stopping to minimize the total travel time of vehicles 102a-c and 106a-b when passing through the intersection 100.

[0025] Traffic messaging technologies such as CV2X may be particularly useful for managing traffic intersections for both autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles. Figure 2A and Figure 2B An example arrangement for managing the maneuvering of vehicles through a traffic intersection 100 is illustrated. Figure 2A A distributed mechanism 120 is illustrated in which each vehicle approaching the traffic intersection 100 (such as vehicles 102a, 102b, 106a, and 106b) can communicate with each other to perform inter-vehicle negotiations, and each vehicle can schedule its own maneuver through the traffic intersection 100 based on the results of the inter-vehicle negotiations. Figure 2A In the embodiment, vehicle 102b can establish communication links 130, 132, and 134 with vehicles 102a, 102b, and 106a, respectively. Communication links 130, 132, and 134 can be based on the CV2X standard. Vehicle 102b can exchange information about the expected trajectory (e.g., Figure 1A trajectories 104 and 108) and negotiate a scheduled maneuver (e.g., speed, trajectory, etc.) through the traffic intersection 100 based on information exchanged over the communication link via CV2X messaging, as defined by a standards organization such as the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) or the European Telecommunications Standards Institute Intelligent Transport Systems (ETSI), etc.

[0026] Although Figure 2A The distributed mechanism 120 in the embodiment can improve efficiency by distributing the scheduling operations across various vehicles, but this arrangement also has some limitations. Specifically, the distributed mechanism 120 may require a large number of messages to be exchanged between various vehicles, which may cause a severe load on the communication and computing systems at the vehicles. For example, as described above, a vehicle needs to communicate with other vehicles approaching the traffic intersection 100 to negotiate its maneuver through the traffic intersection 100. Message exchanges may be required at each step of the negotiation, which may result in a large number of messages being exchanged and a severe load on the communication and computing systems at the vehicles.

[0027] Additionally, trajectory deadlock may be a potential problem in the distributed mechanism 120 if a large number of vehicles are involved. For example, each vehicle may have a different intended trajectory, priority, etc., which may take a long time to determine a maneuvering arrangement through the traffic intersection 100 that resolves the conflicting requirements of the vehicles involved. Since vehicles may need to wait or even stop before determining the maneuvering arrangement, the distributed mechanism 120 may increase delays in vehicle maneuvers and slow down traffic. The problem of trajectory deadlock is further exacerbated when, for example, the attributes of a vehicle (e.g., priority, intended trajectory, speed, direction of movement, etc.) change during the determination of the maneuvering arrangement, which may result in a chain reaction of trajectory adjustments for the remaining vehicles and may result in trajectory deadlock if no adjustments are made to accommodate the changed attributes of the vehicle.

[0028] Figure 2B A centralized mechanism 140 for managing the maneuvering of vehicles through a traffic intersection 100 is illustrated. Figure 2B As shown in FIG. 1 , a management system (such as a roadside unit (RSU) 141) as part of the infrastructure components managing the intersection can establish communication links 142, 144, 146, and 148 with vehicles 102a, 102b, 106a, and 106b, respectively. The communication links 142, 144, 146, and 148 can be based on the CV2X standard. The RSU 141 can receive information on the expected trajectories of these vehicles via the communication links and control the individual maneuvers of each vehicle based on these expected trajectories to avoid collisions and speed up the movement of vehicles through the traffic intersection 100. The RSU 141 can directly control the individual maneuvers of each vehicle through the traffic intersection 100 via messaging on the communication links (e.g., CV2X, SAE, ETSI, etc.).

[0029] Although Figure 2B The centralized mechanism 140 in the embodiment can reduce the possibility of trajectory deadlock by having a single management system decide the maneuvers of each vehicle, but the centralized mechanism 140 may impose a significant computational burden on the RSU, especially in the case where the RSU controls a large number of vehicles moving through the traffic intersection 100. In addition, the centralized mechanism 140 may cause inefficiencies when, for example, the RSU communicates with and controls each vehicle having the same intended trajectory through the traffic intersection 100 individually.

[0030] Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C , Figure 3D , Figure 3E and Figure 3F A hybrid control mechanism 300 is illustrated that can address at least some of the above-mentioned issues. Figure 3A As shown in , a management system (such as RSU 302) as part of an infrastructure component managing a traffic intersection 100 can form one or more motion groups. RSU 302 can form a new motion group based on different criteria. For example, RSU 302 can form a new motion group periodically, when the number of unattached vehicles (e.g., vehicles that are not assigned to any motion group) within a predetermined distance from the traffic intersection 100 and approaching the traffic intersection 100 exceeds a threshold, etc. As will be described below, RSU 302 can also form a new motion group when a vehicle refuses to be grouped into a specific motion group, and RSU 302 can form a new motion group for the vehicle.

[0031] After forming the one or more motion groups, the RSU 302 may assign each vehicle approaching the intersection to the one or more motion groups based on certain motion characteristics. Figure 3A In the example, RSUs 302 may form a motion group 304 and may be associated with vehicles 102a-102c based on, for example, having the same expected trajectory (e.g., Figure 1A The vehicles 102a-102c are assigned to the motion group 304 based on the expected trajectory 104). In addition, the RSU 302 can also form a motion group 306 and assign the vehicles 102a-102c to the motion group 304 based on, for example, that the vehicles 106a-106b have the same expected trajectory (e.g., Figure 1A The RSU 302 may assign vehicles 106a-106b to a motion group 306 based on the trajectory 108 of the vehicle. If each vehicle accepts its group assignment, the RSU 302 may finalize the motion group and group each vehicle into the motion group based on the assignment. If a vehicle rejects the original group assignment (e.g., because the group maneuver of the motion group conflicts with the target maneuver of the vehicle), the RSU 302 may create a new motion group and assign the vehicle to the new assignment of the new motion group. The RSU 302 may also create a separate motion group for the vehicle that rejected the original group assignment.

[0032] After the movement group is formed and each vehicle is grouped into the movement group, the RSU 302 may also select a leading vehicle for each movement group based on various criteria. For example, the RSU 302 may select the vehicle 102c as the leading vehicle of the movement group 304 based on the fact that the vehicle 102c is closest to the traffic intersection 100 among all the member vehicles of the movement group 304 when the movement group 304 is formed, or the vehicle 102c is the vehicle that leaves the traffic intersection 100 first in the movement group 304. In addition, the RSU 302 may also select the vehicle 106b as the leading vehicle of the movement group 306 based on the fact that the vehicle 106b is closest to the traffic intersection 100 among all the member vehicles of the movement group 306 when the movement group 306 is formed, or the vehicle 106b is the vehicle that leaves the traffic intersection 100 first in the movement group 306. As another example, the RSU 302 may also select a vehicle as the lead vehicle for a sports group based on, for example, the vehicle's computing and communication capabilities that enable the vehicle to manage maneuvers of each member vehicle within the sports group, as will be described below.

[0033] After each vehicle is grouped into a motion group, RSU 302 can control the movement of the vehicle via a double-layer control mechanism. Specifically, as a first-layer control mechanism, RSU 302 can determine the group manipulation target of the motion group through the traffic intersection 100 by transmitting a message indicating the group manipulation of each motion group to the leading vehicle of each motion group. The group manipulation target of the motion group can schedule the movement of the motion group as a whole. As a second-layer control mechanism, the leading vehicle of each motion group can control the individual manipulation target (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle manipulation target") of each member vehicle in each motion group to meet the group manipulation target. The leading vehicle can also report the current motion state (e.g., speed, direction, position, etc.) of the motion group back to RSU 302 as a whole, which allows RSU 302 to adjust the group manipulation target of the motion group based on the reported motion state of the motion group as needed. Communication of messages indicating motion groups, group maneuvers for each motion group, and maneuver targets for each member vehicle within each motion group may be based on messaging (eg, CV2X, SAE, ETSI, etc.).

[0034] The group manipulation target of a motion group may schedule the movement of the motion group as a whole. For example, the group manipulation target may control the movement of reference point 314 of motion group 304, the movement of reference point 316 of motion group 306, and so on, rather than the individual movement of member vehicles within the motion group. Figure 3AIn the example of , the reference point can be the midpoint of the motion group. In some examples, multiple reference points can also be defined for the motion group to track the group manipulation of the motion group. The group manipulation target of the motion group can include, for example, the moving direction of the motion group (e.g., based on the reference point), the time scheduling of the position of the motion group when the motion group passes through the traffic intersection 100 (e.g., based on the reference point), which lane the motion group should move to after the motion group leaves the traffic intersection 100, etc. RSU 302 can determine the group manipulation target of the motion groups 304 and 306 to avoid trajectory conflicts between the motion groups 304 and 306 (e.g., reference points 314 and 316 are in the same position at a specific time). In addition to avoiding trajectory conflicts, RSU 302 can also determine the group manipulation target to minimize the total travel time of the motion groups 304 and 306 when passing through the traffic intersection 100, give higher priority to a specific category of vehicles (e.g., emergency vehicles), etc.

[0035] Figure 3B An example of a group manipulation target of motion groups 304 and 306 is illustrated. Figure 3B As shown in , group maneuvering goals 320 and 322 of movement groups 304 and 306 , respectively, may define a sequence of positions of reference points 314 and 316 with respect to time, and which lane each movement group should enter after exiting traffic intersection 100 . Figure 3B The group manipulation targets 320 and 322 in may correspond to Figure 1A As part of the group maneuvering goal 320, the RSU 302 may determine that the motion group 304 will move from west to east toward the intersection 100 at a relatively slow speed between times T0 and T3. In addition, the RSU 302 may determine that the motion group 306 will move from north to south through the intersection 100 at a relatively high speed to leave the intersection 100 at time T3. After time T3, the motion group 306 should have left the intersection 100 and entered lane A, while the motion group 304 will enter the intersection 100. At time T10, the motion group 304 will leave the intersection 100 and enter lane C. There is no scheduled position for the motion group 306 at time 100s because the motion group 306 has left the intersection 100 at time 40s and is no longer managed by the RSU 302 at time T10.

[0036] Reference Figure 3C, after the RSU 302 determines the group maneuvering goal 320 for the motion group 304, the RSU 302 may transmit a message containing the group maneuvering goal 320 to the vehicle 102c (which is the lead vehicle of the motion group 304). Based on the group maneuvering goal 320, the vehicle 102c may determine the vehicle maneuvering goal of each member vehicle (including the vehicles 102a, 102b, and 102c) within the motion group 304 to achieve the group maneuvering goal 320. The vehicle maneuvering goal may include, for example, the direction of movement of the member vehicles, the time schedule of the positions of the member vehicles, which lane the member vehicles should move to after the motion group leaves the traffic intersection 100, etc. Each member vehicle within the motion group may also report its motion state (e.g., speed, direction, position, etc.) back to the lead vehicle, which may adjust the vehicle maneuvering goal of the member vehicle as needed based on the motion state reported by the member vehicle.

[0037] Figure 3D An example vehicle maneuver goal for vehicles 102b and 102c determined by vehicle 102c based on group maneuver 320 is illustrated. Figure 3D As shown in , vehicle 102c can schedule vehicles 102b and 102c to move in a formation in which each vehicle is separated from each other by a distance d and each vehicle moves at the same speed v as reference point 314, so that the position of reference point 314 at a particular time satisfies the position defined in group maneuvering goal 320 for that particular time. In the event that a member vehicle detects an obstacle (such as obstacle 324), vehicle 102c can also adjust the vehicle maneuvering goal of the member vehicle. Adjustment of the vehicle maneuvering goal can include adjusting the trajectory (e.g., trajectory 326) of the member vehicle to avoid the obstacle, and then adjusting the speed and direction of movement of the member vehicle to return to its formation position to maintain the formation, so as to ensure that the position of reference point 314 of the moving group 304 at the next point in time will satisfy group maneuver 320.

[0038] Return to reference Figure 3C , vehicle 102c may transmit a message including vehicle maneuvering goal 340 to vehicle 102a and transmit a message including vehicle maneuvering goal 342 to vehicle 102b. Vehicle maneuvering goals 340 and 342 may be determined based on group maneuvering goal 320, such as Figure 3DAs described in. Each of vehicles 102a and 102b can also transmit sensor data 350 and sensor data 352 back to vehicle 102c respectively. Sensor data can represent the sensing result of the traffic environment in which vehicles 102a and 102b are located. If the sensor data from a vehicle indicates an obstacle, then vehicle 102c can adjust the vehicle handling target of the vehicle (e.g., the time scheduling of the position) to adjust the trajectory of the vehicle, and transmit a message containing the updated vehicle handling target to the vehicle. From the time when the sports group is formed to the time when the sports group terminates, the leading vehicle of the sports group can continuously receive reports on the motion state (e.g., speed, direction, position, etc.) and sensor data of the member vehicles in the sports group. The leading vehicle can adjust the vehicle handling of each member vehicle in the sports group based on these reports.

[0039] When all member vehicles in the movement group have left the traffic intersection 100 , the movement group may terminate. Figure 3E and Figure 3F An example operation of the movement group 304 is illustrated as the movement group 304 leaves the traffic intersection 100. Figure 3E As shown in FIG. 1 , when the movement group 304 passes through the traffic intersection 100, even after the leading vehicle 102 leaves the traffic intersection 100, the leading vehicle 102c can still set the vehicle maneuvers of all member vehicles in the movement group 304. Figure 3F , after the last member vehicle within movement group 304 (vehicle 102a) leaves traffic intersection 100, movement group 304 may terminate, and lead vehicle 102c no longer controls the vehicle maneuvers of vehicles 102a and 102b.

[0040] Figure 3A-3F The hybrid control mechanism 300 in can improve the efficiency of managing the maneuvering of vehicles through traffic intersections. For example, compared to a distributed mechanism (wherein each vehicle communicates with all other vehicles to perform inter-vehicle negotiation and schedules its own maneuvering through traffic intersections based on the inter-vehicle negotiation results), in a hybrid control mechanism, each vehicle only needs to communicate with the leading vehicle in the motion group (after the motion group is formed) to determine the maneuvering of the vehicle. This arrangement can reduce the number of trajectories (of different vehicles) considered when determining the maneuvering of the vehicle, as well as the communication and processing performed by each vehicle when determining the maneuvering. In addition, the risk of trajectory deadlock can be reduced, because each member vehicle in the motion group is likely to have the same or very similar trajectory through the traffic intersection and is unlikely to have conflicting trajectory requirements.

[0041] In addition, compared to a centralized mechanism (where the RSU controls the individual maneuvers of each vehicle approaching a traffic intersection), the hybrid control mechanism 300 can also simplify the processing logic and the computational and communication load in the RSU. Specifically, as described above, the RSU only needs to schedule and track the group maneuvers of each motion group as a whole (e.g., based on the movement of a reference point for scheduling the motion group), rather than scheduling the movement of each vehicle. As the number of trajectories tracked and controlled by the RSU is reduced, the processing complexity and the computational and communication load in the RSU can also be reduced.

[0042] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Example internal components of a traffic intersection management system 400 are illustrated. The traffic intersection management system 400 may be part of an infrastructure component that manages a traffic intersection and may be part of the RSU 302. Figure 4A As shown in , the traffic intersection management system 400 may include a motion group management module 402, a group maneuvering target management module 404, and a wireless communication module 406. In some examples, each of these modules may be implemented as a hardware circuit, such as as part of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. In some examples, each of these modules may be a software instruction executable by a computer processor.

[0043] The motion group management module 402 can handle the formation of the motion group and the termination and the assignment of the vehicle to the motion group. Specifically, the motion group management module 402 can form one or more motion groups based on different criteria. For example, the motion group management module 402 can periodically form a new motion group. As another example, when the number of the unattached vehicle (for example, the vehicle that is not assigned to any motion group) in the predetermined distance from the traffic intersection and approaching the traffic intersection exceeds the threshold value, the motion group management module 402 can form a new motion group. As another example, when a vehicle refuses to be grouped in a specific motion group, the motion group management module 402 can form a new motion group, and the motion group management module 402 can form a new motion group for the vehicle.

[0044] In addition, movement group management module 402 can assign vehicles to these one or more movement groups based on some motion characteristics (such as vehicles have identical expected track).If each vehicle accepts its group assignment, then movement group management module 402 can finally determine movement group and group each vehicle in the movement group based on this assignment.If at least one vehicle refuses original group assignment, then movement group management module 402 can create new movement group and the new assignment of vehicles to new movement group.Movement group management module 402 can also create independent movement group for the vehicle that refuses original group assignment, as mentioned above.After finally determining movement group and vehicle assignment, movement group management module 402 can assign leading vehicles for each movement group based on for example the following: when movement group forms, leading vehicles from the position of traffic intersection, leading the ability of vehicles etc.

[0045] In addition to sports group formation and vehicle assignment, sports group management module 402 may also maintain data structures 410 to track sports groups. Figure 4B An example of data structure 410 is illustrated. Figure 4B As shown in, sports group management module 402 can be for each sports group (for example, sports group 304 and 306) assigned sports group identifier and for each member vehicle of each sports group assigned vehicle identifier (for example, the vehicle 102a-102c of sports group 304, the vehicle 106a-106b of sports group 306 etc.).Sports group management module 402 can also determine the state of each sports group, such as whether sports group is active or whether sports group will terminate due to all members vehicles of this sports group through traffic intersection.In the situation that sports group will terminate, sports group management module 402 can stop the communication with the leading vehicle of sports group and will reallocate the sports group identifier of terminated sports group to new sports group.

[0046] In addition, the group manipulation target management module 404 can determine and track the group manipulation target for each active motion group in the data structure 410. The group manipulation target management module 404 can determine the group manipulation target based on the expected manipulation of the motion group to avoid the trajectory conflict between each motion group, minimize the total travel time of the motion group when passing through the traffic intersection, give priority to the means of transportation (e.g., emergency vehicles) of a specific category, etc. For example, in the case where there is a potential trajectory conflict between two motion groups, the group manipulation target management module 404 can slow down or even stop the movement of the first motion group to allow the second motion group to pass through the traffic intersection (in the case where doing so can reduce and minimize the total travel time experienced by the first and second motion groups, in the case where the second motion group has a higher priority, etc.). The group manipulation target management module 404 can also receive a report from the leading vehicle of each active motion group, to determine whether the group manipulation target of each motion group is met based on, for example, whether each motion group arrives at a predefined position at a scheduled time according to the group manipulation target of the motion group. If the group steering goal is not met, the group steering goal management module 404 may update the group steering goal or other group steering goals to avoid potential trajectory conflicts and collisions due to one or more motion groups not meeting their group steering goals.

[0047] The wireless communication module 406 enables the motion group management module 402 and the group manipulation target management module 404 to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle about, for example, group assignment, the state of the motion group, the group manipulation target, the motion state of each motion group, etc. The wireless communication can be based on CV2X message transmission, SAE message transmission, ETSI message transmission, etc. The wireless communication module 406 can support both unicast and broadcast of messages. For example, the motion group management module 402 can broadcast the motion group assignment to all vehicles approaching the traffic intersection. In addition, the motion group management module 402 can receive the acceptance / rejection of the motion group assignment from each vehicle via a unicast message. The group manipulation target management module 404 can also communicate with the leading vehicle of each motion group via a unicast message (for example, transmitting the group manipulation target, receiving the motion state of each motion group, etc.).

[0048] Figure 5 Example internal components of the vehicle management system 500 are illustrated. The vehicle management system 500 may be implemented in a vehicle, such as one of the vehicles 102a-102c and 106a-106b. The vehicle management system 500 may be implemented with Figure 4A and Figure 4B The traffic intersection management system 400 cooperates to manage the maneuvering of vehicles through the traffic intersection. Figure 5As shown in FIG. 5 , the vehicle management system 500 may include a motion group module 502, a vehicle maneuvering module 504, a sensor module 506, a vehicle reporting module 508, and a wireless communication module 510. In the case where a vehicle is selected as a lead vehicle, the vehicle management system 500 may include a vehicle maneuvering target management module 512 and a management reporting module 514. In some examples, each of these modules may be implemented as a hardware circuit, such as as part of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. In some examples, each of these modules may be a software instruction executable by a computer processor.

[0049] The motion group module 502 can manage the operation of the vehicle in the motion group. Specifically, the motion group module 502 can receive the assignment to the motion group from the traffic intersection management system 400, and determine whether to accept the motion group assignment. The motion group module 502 can reject the motion group assignment based on various criteria. For example, if the group manipulation of the motion group conflicts with the target manipulation of the vehicle, the motion group module 502 can reject the assignment. This may occur when the group manipulation of the motion group, for example, is slower than the target manipulation of the vehicle and / or has different tracks with the target manipulation of the vehicle. As another example, the vehicle is an emergency vehicle and can not be kept in the formation with other vehicles in the motion group, because the vehicle must pass through the traffic intersection in the shortest possible time. In such cases, the traffic intersection management system 400 can form a motion group that only contains emergency vehicles, and the motion group module 502 can reject the assignment until the assignment indicates that the motion group only includes the vehicle.

[0050] The vehicle maneuvering module 504 can control the movement (e.g., speed and direction) of the vehicle based on, for example, the vehicle maneuvering goal set by the lead vehicle. For example, based on the target position at a future time indicated in the vehicle maneuvering goal, the vehicle maneuvering module 504 can control various components of the vehicle (e.g., steering, engine throttle, motor speed, etc.) to control the movement of the vehicle so that the vehicle can reach the target position at the future time.

[0051] The sensor module 506 can interface with various sensors of the vehicle, such as a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, to generate sensor data of the traffic environment of the vehicle. The sensor module 506 can detect, for example, obstacles, other vehicles, etc. in the trajectory of the vehicle. The sensor module 506 can also interface with a position sensor (e.g., a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), etc.) to obtain a position measurement output.

[0052] The vehicle reporting module 510 can report the sensor data collected by the sensor module 506 to the leading vehicle. The vehicle reporting module 510 can also transmit the vehicle's motion state and the vehicle's intended maneuver (e.g., target moving direction, target lane to move to after moving through the intersection, etc.). The transmission of the motion state and intended maneuver can go to the leading vehicle, to the intersection management system 400, etc.

[0053] In the event that a vehicle is selected as the lead vehicle of a movement group, the vehicle management system 500 may include a vehicle maneuvering goal management module 512 to determine a vehicle maneuvering goal for each member vehicle in the movement group. The vehicle maneuvering goal may be determined based on the group maneuvering goal received from the traffic intersection management system 400, for example, to maintain the formation of the member vehicles in the movement group, as described above in Figure 3D . The vehicle handling module 504 can also update the vehicle handling target based on the sensor data from the sensor module 506 (of the same vehicle) or from the vehicle reporting module 510 (of other vehicles). In addition, the vehicle management system 500 can also include a management reporting module 514 to determine the motion state of the motion group (e.g., the moving speed and direction of the reference point of the motion group, the position of the reference point, etc.), and report the motion state of the motion group to the traffic intersection management system 400, so that the traffic intersection management system 400 can update the group handling target of the vehicle and / or the group handling target of other vehicles. This update can be performed, for example, to avoid vehicle collisions caused by the motion group not meeting the group handling target.

[0054] The wireless communication module 510 enables the motion group module 502, the vehicle reporting module 508, the vehicle manipulation target management module 512 and the management reporting module 514 to wirelessly communicate with, for example, the traffic intersection management system 400, other vehicles, etc. The wireless communication can be based on CV2X message transmission, SAE message transmission, ETSI message transmission, etc., as with the wireless communication module 406 in the traffic intersection management system 400. The wireless communication module 510 can also support both unicast messages and broadcast messages. For example, the unicast message can be used for, for example, from the traffic intersection management system 400 to the leading vehicle transmission group manipulation target, from the leading vehicle to the traffic intersection management system 400 to report back the motion state of the motion group, from the leading vehicle to the member vehicle transmission vehicle manipulation target, the member vehicle motion state is reported back to the leading vehicle, etc. In addition, the broadcast message can be used to transmit the motion state and expected manipulation of the vehicle when the vehicle approaches the traffic intersection and before the vehicle is grouped into the motion group. The broadcast message can be used by the traffic intersection management system 400 to form a motion group and assign the vehicle to the motion group.

[0055] Fig. 6A , Figure 6B and Figure 6C Flowcharts illustrating example methods for managing vehicle movement through an intersection, including exchanging messages between a vehicle management system 500 of a vehicle approaching an intersection and an intersection management system 400 managing the intersection. These messages may include, for example, CV2X messages, SAE messages, ETSI messages, and the like.

[0056] Fig. 6A An example method 600 for forming a motion group is illustrated. At step 602, the vehicle reporting module 508 of each vehicle approaching the traffic intersection can broadcast a message including the motion state of each vehicle and the expected motion of each vehicle at the traffic intersection. The motion state can include, for example, the speed and direction of motion of the vehicle, the position of the vehicle, etc. The expected motion of the vehicle can include, for example, the target steering direction (e.g., the turning direction) at the traffic intersection, the target lane to move to after the vehicle moves through the traffic intersection, etc.

[0057] In step 604, upon receiving the motion state and expected motion message, the motion group management module 402 of the management system may determine one or more motion groups. As part of step 604, the motion group management module 402 may form a motion group based on the number of vehicles approaching the intersection and within a predetermined distance from the intersection exceeding a threshold. The motion group management module 402 may also assign vehicles to the one or more motion groups based on common motion characteristics of the vehicles (e.g., having the same target steering direction at the intersection).

[0058] At step 606, the sports group management module 402 of the management system may transmit a message including a group formation request to the vehicle management system 500 to request the vehicle to approve the assignment of the vehicle to the sports group. The group formation request may include group maneuvering information of the sports group, such as the maneuvering direction at the traffic intersection, the target lane to move to after leaving the traffic intersection, and the like.

[0059] In step 608, the motion group module 502 of each vehicle can determine whether to accept the group formation request. The motion group module 502 can refuse the motion group assignment based on various criteria. For example, if the group manipulation of the motion group conflicts with the target manipulation of the vehicle, the motion group module 502 can refuse the assignment. This may occur when, for example, the group manipulation of the motion group is slower than the target manipulation of the vehicle and / or has different tracks with the target manipulation of the vehicle. As another example, the vehicle is an emergency vehicle and can not be kept in the formation with other vehicles in the motion group, because the vehicle must pass through the traffic intersection in the shortest possible time. In such a case, the traffic intersection management system 400 can form a motion group that only contains emergency vehicles, and the motion group module 502 can refuse to assign until the assignment indicates that the motion group only includes the vehicle.

[0060] At step 610, the motion group module 502 of each vehicle may transmit a message including a group formation response back to the motion group management module 402. The group formation response may indicate whether the group formation request is accepted or rejected, and if the request is rejected, the reason for rejecting the request. Reasons may include, for example, that the group maneuver is incompatible with the target maneuver of the vehicle, that the vehicle has a high priority (e.g., is an emergency vehicle) and cannot be grouped with other non-emergency vehicles, etc.

[0061] At step 612, the motion group management module 402 of the management system may determine whether a rejection response is received. If a rejection response is received, the motion group management module 402 may return to step 604 to re-form the motion group based on the rejection reason. For example, the motion group management module 402 may form a motion group to include only emergency vehicles. The motion group management module 402 may also reassign the vehicle to a different motion group based on the target maneuver of the vehicle, and then transmit a revised group formation request to the motion group module 502 of the vehicle.

[0062] On the other hand, if no rejection response is received, the sports group management module 402 may proceed to step 614 to finally determine the grouping of the vehicles in the one or more sports groups and update the Figure 4B The data structure 410 of the sports group is used to track the sports group. For example, the sports group management module 402 can assign a sports group identifier to each sports group and assign a vehicle identifier to each member vehicle of each sports group. The sports group management module 402 can also determine the state of each sports group, such as whether the sports group is active, or the sports group is to be terminated because all member vehicles of the sports group have passed the traffic intersection.

[0063] Additionally, as part of finalizing the grouping of vehicles at step 614, the group maneuvering goal management module 404 may determine and track group maneuvering goals for each active motion group in the data structure 410. The group maneuvering goal management module 404 may determine group maneuvering goals to avoid trajectory conflicts between motion groups, minimize the total travel time of motion groups when passing through a traffic intersection, give priority to certain categories of vehicles (e.g., emergency vehicles), etc. For example, in a situation where there is a potential trajectory conflict between two motion groups, the group maneuvering goal management module 404 may slow down or even stop the movement of the first motion group to allow the second motion group to pass through the traffic intersection (if doing so can reduce or minimize the total travel time experienced by both the first and second motion groups, if the second motion group has a higher priority, etc.).

[0064] At step 616, the sports group management module 402 can select a lead vehicle for each active sports group. The selection can be based on, for example, the lead vehicle being closest to the intersection when the sports group is formed, the lead vehicle having the communication and computing capabilities to manage the maneuvers of member vehicles within the sports group, and so on.

[0065] In step 618, the sports group management module 402 can broadcast a message including the attributes of the sports group based on the information in the data structure 410. The attribute includes the identifier of the sports group, the identifier of the member vehicles of the sports group, the identifier of the leading vehicle of the sports group, and the initial group manipulation target of the sports group generated by the group manipulation target management module 404. The message can prepare subsequent traffic intersection management operations for each vehicle approaching the traffic intersection. For example, according to the message, each non-leading member vehicle of the sports group and the leading vehicle identifier and the member vehicle identifier of the sports group can identify each other based on the group identifier of the sports group and the leading vehicle identifier and the member vehicle identifier of the sports group. As the result of identification, the leading vehicle can set up a unicast communication channel with each member vehicle in the sports group to transmit the vehicle manipulation target and the vehicle motion state and sensor data. The leading vehicle can also receive the initial group manipulation target of the sports group to determine the vehicle manipulation target of the vehicle in the group. The initial group manipulation target can be adjusted in the subsequent traffic intersection management operation.

[0066] Figure 6B An example method 620 for managing the maneuvering of vehicles through a traffic intersection after finalizing a movement group is illustrated. The method 620 may include exchanging messages between the vehicle management system 500 of the vehicles of the movement group and the traffic intersection management system 400. These messages may include, for example, CV2X messages, SAE messages, ETSI messages, and the like.

[0067] At step 622, the vehicle reporting module 508 of each member vehicle of the motion group transmits a message about the motion state and sensory data of the member vehicle to the leading vehicle of the motion group. The motion state may include, for example, the speed and direction of movement of the member vehicle, the location of the member vehicle, the intended / targeted maneuver of the vehicle (e.g., where the vehicle is heading), etc. The sensory data may include, for example, whether an obstacle or another other vehicle is detected near the vehicle, whether the obstacle / the other other vehicle is along the trajectory of the vehicle, etc.

[0068] In step 624, the management report module 514 leading the vehicle can determine the motion group state information of the motion group based on the motion state and the sensed data reported by each member vehicle of the motion group.The motion group state information can include the motion state of the motion group as a whole.The motion state of the motion group can include the expected / target manipulation (for example, where the motion group is heading) of the moving speed and direction of the motion group, the position of the motion group, the motion group, etc. of the motion group.The motion group state information can also include the state of the motion group, which can indicate that for example the motion group is active or has terminated.

[0069] In step 626, the management reporting module 514 of the leading vehicle of each sports group can transmit a message including the sports group state information to the management system. The message can include the sports group state information (the sports group's sports state, the sports group's state, etc.), the sports group's identifier, and the sports group's leading vehicle identifier. The management system can only accept messages with the leading vehicle identifier and the sports group identifier that the management system tracks in the data structure 410.

[0070] In step 628, the group maneuvering target management module 404 of the management system can determine the group maneuvering target of each movement group based on the movement group state information reported by the leading vehicle of each movement group. The group maneuvering target management module 404 can determine the group maneuvering target based on the expected maneuvering of the movement group to avoid trajectory conflicts between the movement groups, minimize the total travel time of the movement group when passing through the traffic intersection, give priority to the vehicles of a specific category (e.g., emergency vehicles), etc. For example, in the case where there is a potential trajectory conflict between two movement groups, the group maneuvering target management module 404 can slow down or even stop the movement of the first movement group to allow the second movement group to pass through the traffic intersection (in the case where doing so can reduce and minimize the total travel time experienced by both the first and second movement groups, in the case where the second movement group has a higher priority, etc.).

[0071] At step 630, the group maneuvering target management module 404 of the management system may transmit a message including the group maneuvering target of the movement group to the leading vehicle of each movement group. The group maneuvering target may include, for example, the direction of movement of the movement group (e.g., turn left, turn right, go straight, etc.), the time schedule of the position of the movement group when the movement group passes through the traffic intersection, which lane the movement group should move to after the movement group leaves the traffic intersection, etc. The message also includes a group identifier, and the leading vehicle of the movement group may only accept the group maneuvering message from the management system when the group maneuvering message includes the identifier of the movement group.

[0072] In step 632, the leading vehicle can transmit back to the management system a message including a confirmation of the group manipulation target message. In step 634, the group manipulation target management module 404 can determine whether the confirmation indicates acceptance or rejection of the group manipulation target. There are various scenarios in which the group manipulation target message is rejected. For example, the message may carry an incorrect group identifier. As another example, the group manipulation target conflicts with the target / expected manipulation of the motion group (for example, the motion group includes emergency vehicles and the group manipulation target cannot provide the rapid movement required by the emergency vehicle), etc. If the group manipulation target is rejected, the group manipulation target management module 404 can repeat the group manipulation target determination and update the group manipulation target of the motion group in consideration of the rejection reason. On the other hand, if the group manipulation target is not rejected, the group manipulation target management module 404 can track whether the motion group meets the group manipulation target in step 636.

[0073] If the lead vehicle accepts the group maneuvering goal from the management system, the vehicle maneuvering goal management module 512 may determine the vehicle maneuvering goal of each member vehicle within the movement group based on the group maneuvering goal at step 638. The vehicle maneuvering goal may include, for example, the direction of movement of the member vehicles (e.g., turn left, turn right, go straight), the time schedule of the position of the member vehicles, the target lane to which the member vehicles are to move after leaving the traffic intersection, etc. The vehicle maneuvering goal may be determined based on the group maneuvering goal to, for example, maintain the formation of the member vehicles in the movement group, as described above in Figure 3D Described in .

[0074] In addition, the member vehicles may also periodically report their motion states (e.g., moving speed and direction, position, etc.) and sensory data (e.g., whether an obstacle is detected) to the lead vehicle. The vehicle maneuvering goal management module 512 may also adjust the vehicle maneuvering goals of the member vehicles based on the motion states and sensory data to, for example, avoid obstacles, and then adjust the moving speed and direction of the member vehicles to return to their formation positions to maintain the formation, as described above in Figure 3D Described in .

[0075] At step 640, the vehicle maneuvering goal management module 512 of the leading vehicle of the sports group may transmit a message including the vehicle maneuvering goal to each member vehicle of the sports group (except the leading vehicle). The message also includes an identifier of the member vehicle that is the target recipient of the message. A member vehicle may accept the message only if the message includes the identifier of the member vehicle.

[0076] At step 642 , the motion group module 502 of each member vehicle may transmit a message back to the lead vehicle including an acknowledgment of the vehicle maneuver target message.

[0077] In step 644, the vehicle handling target management module 512 can determine whether the confirmation indicates acceptance or rejection of the vehicle handling target. There are various scenarios in which the vehicle handling target message is rejected by the motion group module 502. For example, the message may carry an incorrect vehicle identifier. As another example, the vehicle handling target conflicts with the target / expected handling of the vehicle (for example, the vehicle handling target does not take into account the latest sensor data indicating obstacles). If the vehicle handling target is rejected, the vehicle handling target management module 512 can repeat the vehicle handling target determination in the case of considering the rejection reason, and update the vehicle handling target of each member vehicle of the motion group. On the other hand, if the vehicle handling target is accepted, the vehicle handling target management module 512 can track whether each member vehicle meets its vehicle handling target based on the motion state reported by each member vehicle in step 646, and the vehicle handling module of each member vehicle can realize the corresponding vehicle handling target (for example, based on control steering, engine throttle, motor speed, etc.) in step 648.

[0078] Figure 6C An example method 650 for managing vehicle exit from an intersection is illustrated. The method 650 may include exchanging messages between the vehicle management system 500 of the vehicles of the moving group and the intersection management system 400. These messages may include, for example, CV2X messages, SAE messages, ETSI messages, and the like.

[0079] At step 652, the vehicle reporting module 508 of each member vehicle of the sports group transmits a message about the motion status and sensory data of the member vehicle to the leading vehicle of the sports group, such as Figure 6B The same as in step 622.

[0080] At step 654, the vehicle handling goal management module 512 of the leading vehicle of the motion group can process the motion state (e.g., position) of the member vehicles of the motion group to track whether each member vehicle meets its vehicle handling goal. The vehicle handling goal management module 512 can then determine at step 656 whether all member vehicles in the motion group have left the traffic intersection. If not all member vehicles of the motion group have left the traffic intersection, the vehicle handling goal management module 512 can continue to track the vehicle handling goals at step 654.

[0081] On the other hand, if all member vehicles of the sports group have left the traffic intersection, the vehicle maneuvering goal management module 512 may determine that the sports group is to be terminated at step 658. The vehicle maneuvering goal management module 512 may transmit a message including a sports group termination notification to each member vehicle of the sports group at step 660. The vehicle maneuvering goal management module 512 may also transmit a message including a sports group termination notification to the management system at step 662.

[0082] On the vehicle side, based on receiving the motion group termination notification, the motion group module 502 can stop accepting further messages about the vehicle maneuvering target from any vehicle in step 664 until the vehicle accepts the assignment of a new motion group when it approaches the next traffic intersection. In addition, on the management system side, based on receiving the motion group termination notification, the motion group management module 402 can update the state of the motion group in the data structure 410. The motion group management module 402 can also assign the motion group identifier to the new motion group and stop communicating with the leading vehicle in step 666.

[0083] In some examples, the above FIG. 3A to FIG. 6C The hybrid control mechanism described in can be implemented in the V2X application layer. Fig. 7A An example of a V2X application client server architecture 700 is illustrated. Fig. 7A As shown in FIG. 7 , the V2X application client server architecture 700 includes a V2X client 702 and a V2X server 704 that can communicate via a cellular network 706. The V2X client 702 can be a UE and can be part of a vehicle, part of a traffic intersection management system, etc. For example, the traffic intersection management system 400 can be implemented as the V2X client 702. In addition, the vehicle management system 500 can also be implemented as the V2X client 702. On the other hand, the V2X server 704 can perform various functions to support the operation of the traffic intersection management system 400 and the vehicle management system 500, such as receiving and transmitting data, service configuration, providing data security, etc.

[0084] In some examples, the hybrid control mechanism may be implemented via a functional architecture with VAL (Vertical Application Layer) and SEAL (Service Enabling Application Layer) as defined in 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Working Group SA6 and Technical Specifications (TS) 23.434 and TS 23.286. Figure 7B An example functional architecture diagram 710 illustrating a V2X application layer functional model. Figure 7BAs shown in , the V2X application layer functional entities of the V2X UE and the V2X application server are grouped into the V2X application-specific layer and the VAE (V2X application enabling) layer. The VAE layer provides VAE capabilities to the V2X application-specific layer. The VAE layer can be regarded as an instance of VAL for V2X services. In addition, SEAL provides general group management services for the V2X application-specific layer and the VAE layer, and may include procedures and information flows such as motion group formation, update of member vehicles in each motion group, and motion group termination. Reference Figure 7C , V2X application layer messages can be Figure 7B The V2X application layer function entity of the leading vehicle and the traffic management system (e.g., RSU 302) is transmitted to perform the following operations: FIG. 3A to FIG. 6C The hybrid control mechanism described in .

[0085] Figure 8 An embodiment of a mobile computer system 800 that can be utilized as described above in this document is illustrated. For example, the mobile computer system 800 may include a vehicle computer system that is used to manage one or more systems related to navigation and / or autonomous driving of a vehicle and to communicate with other onboard systems and / or other transportation entities. The mobile computer system 800 may be used to perform Figure 6A-6C One or more functions of methods 600, 620 and 640. It should be noted that Figure 8 It is intended only to provide a generalized description of the various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. Figure 8 The illustrated components may be localized into a single physical device and / or distributed among various networked devices that may be located at different physical locations on a vehicle.

[0086] The mobile computer system 800 is shown as including hardware elements that may be electrically coupled via a bus 805 (or may be in communication in other ways as appropriate). The hardware elements may include a processing unit(s) 810, which may include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors, one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processing (DSP) chips, graphics acceleration processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.), and / or other processing structures or devices. Figure 8As shown in , some embodiments may have a separate digital signal processor (DSP) 820 depending on the desired functionality. Position determination and / or other determinations based on wireless communication may be provided in the processing unit(s) 810 and / or the wireless communication interface 830 (discussed below). The mobile computer system 800 may also include one or more input devices 870, which may include devices related to user interface (e.g., touch screen, touch pad, microphone, key(s), dial(s), switch(s), etc.) and / or devices related to navigation, autonomous driving, etc. Similarly, one or more output devices 815 may be associated with interacting with a user (e.g., via a display, light emitting diode(s) (LED), speaker(s), etc.) and / or devices related to navigation, autonomous driving, etc.

[0087] The mobile computer system 800 may also include a wireless communication interface 830, which may include but is not limited to a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device and / or a chipset (such as Devices, IEEE 802.11 devices, IEEE 802.15.4 devices, WiFi devices, WiMax devices, WAN devices and / or various cellular devices, etc.), etc., which can enable the mobile computer system 800 to communicate with other transportation entities (e.g., RSUs, other vehicles, etc.). Communication can be performed via one or more wireless communication antennas 832 that send and / or receive wireless signals 834. The wireless communication interface 830 can be Figure 4A and Figure 5 Part of the wireless communication modules 406 and 510.

[0088] The mobile computer system 800 may further include sensor(s) 840. The sensor(s) 840 may include, but is not limited to, one or more inertial sensors and / or other sensors (e.g., accelerometer(s), gyroscope(s), camera(s), magnetometer(s), altimeter(s), microphone(s), proximity sensor(s), light sensor(s), barometer(s), etc.). The sensor(s) 840 may be used, for example, to determine certain real-time characteristics of the vehicle, such as position, speed, acceleration, etc. The sensor(s) 840 may be used in conjunction with Figure 5 The sensor module 506 is docked.

[0089] Embodiments of the mobile computer system 800 may also include a GNSS receiver 880 that is capable of receiving signals 884 from one or more GNSS satellites using an antenna 882 (which may be the same as antenna 832). Positioning based on GNSS signal measurements may be used to determine the current location of the vehicle, which, as discussed above, may be used as a trigger to determine and / or send an ITM as described herein. The GNSS receiver 880 may extract the location of the mobile computer system 800 from GNSS satellites of a GNSS system, such as a global positioning system (GPS) and / or similar systems, using conventional techniques.

[0090] The mobile computer system 800 may further include and / or be in communication with memory 860. The memory 860 may include, but is not limited to, local and / or network accessible storage, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices (such as random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM)), which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data storage, including but not limited to various file systems, database structures, and / or the like.

[0091] The memory 860 of the mobile computer system 800 may also include software components ( Figure 8 ), these software elements include operating systems, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code (such as one or more applications), which may include computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or may be designed to implement methods provided by other embodiments, and / or configure systems provided by other embodiments, as described herein. By way of example only, one or more procedures described with respect to the method(s) discussed above may be implemented as code and / or instructions in memory 860 that can be executed by mobile computer system 800 (and / or processing unit(s) 810 or DSP 820 within mobile computer system 800). In one aspect, such code and / or instructions may then be used to configure and / or adapt a general purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations according to the described methods.

[0092] Fig. 9 An embodiment of a stationary computer system 900 is illustrated that may be used and / or incorporated into one or more components of a stationary transportation entity, such as an RSU or other stationary infrastructure equipment. Fig. 9 Provided are methods that can be performed by various other embodiments (such as Figure 6A-6C Schematic illustration of one embodiment of a fixed computer system 900 for implementing the method described herein. It should be noted that Fig. 9It is intended only to provide a generalized description of the various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. Fig. 9 Broadly explains how individual system elements can be implemented in a relatively separate or relatively more integrated manner. In addition, it can be noted that Fig. 9 The illustrated components may be localized into a single device and / or distributed among various networked devices that may be located at different physical or geographic locations.

[0093] The fixed computer system 900 is shown as including hardware elements that may be electrically coupled (or may be in communication in other ways as appropriate) via a bus 905. The hardware elements may include (a) processing unit(s) 910, which may include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors, one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processors, etc.), and / or other processing structures, which may be configured to perform one or more methods described herein (including those related to Fig. 9 The fixed computer system 900 may also include: one or more input devices 915, which may include but are not limited to a mouse, a keyboard, a camera, a microphone, etc.; and one or more output devices 920, which may include but are not limited to a display device, a printer, etc.

[0094] The fixed computer system 900 may further include (and / or be in communication with) one or more non-transitory storage devices 925, which may include, but are not limited to, local and / or network accessible storage, and / or may include, but are not limited to, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices (such as RAM and / or ROM), which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data storage, including, but not limited to, various file systems, database structures, and / or the like.

[0095] The stationary computer system 900 may also include a communication subsystem 1030, which may include support for wired communication technologies and / or wireless communication technologies (in some embodiments) managed and controlled by a wireless communication interface 933. The communication subsystem 930 may include a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device and / or a chipset, etc. The communication subsystem 930 may include one or more input and / or output communication interfaces, such as a wireless communication interface 933, to allow data and signaling to be exchanged with a network, a vehicle and other mobile devices, other computer systems, and / or any other electronic device described herein.

[0096] In many embodiments, the fixed computer system 900 will further include a working memory 935, which may include RAM and / or ROM devices. The software elements shown as being located within the working memory 935 may include an operating system 940, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code (such as, application(s) 945), which may include computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or may be designed to implement methods provided by other embodiments and / or configure systems provided by other embodiments, as described herein. By way of example only, one or more of the procedures described with respect to the methods discussed above (such as with respect to Figure 6A-6C The methods described) may be implemented as code and / or instructions that are (e.g., temporarily) stored in working memory 935 and that can be executed by a computer (and / or a processing unit within a computer, such as processing unit(s) 910); in one aspect, such code and / or instructions may then be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations according to the described methods.

[0097] The set of instructions and / or codes may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s) 925 described above. In some cases, the storage medium may be incorporated into a computer system, such as a fixed computer system 900. In other embodiments, the storage medium may be separate from the computer system (e.g., removable media, such as an optical disk), and / or may be provided in an installation package so that the storage medium may be used to program, configure, and / or adapt a general-purpose computer having the instructions / code stored thereon. The instructions may take the form of executable code (which may be executed by the fixed computer system 900) and / or may take the form of source code and / or installable code, which takes the form of executable code when compiled and / or installed on the fixed computer system 900 (e.g., using various general-purpose compilers, installers, compression / decompression utilities, etc.).

[0098] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial modifications may be made depending on specific requirements. For example, customized hardware may also be used, and / or specific elements may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or both. In addition, connections to other computing devices (such as network input / output devices) may be employed.

[0099] With reference to the accompanying drawings, the components that may include memory may include non-transient machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any storage medium that participates in providing data that enables a machine to operate in a particular manner. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media may be involved when providing instructions / codes to a processing unit and / or other devices for execution. Additionally or alternatively, machine-readable media may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / codes. In many implementations, computer-readable media are physical and / or tangible storage media. Such media may take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example: magnetic and / or optical media, any other physical media with hole patterns, RAM, PROM, EPROM, FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cassette, carrier waves described below, or any other media from which a computer can read instructions and / or codes.

[0100] The methods, systems and devices discussed herein are examples. Various embodiments may appropriately omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components. For example, features described with reference to certain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in a similar manner. The various components of the accompanying drawings provided herein may be embodied in hardware and / or software. Moreover, technology may evolve, and therefore many elements are examples, which do not limit the scope of the present disclosure to those specific examples.

[0101] It has proven convenient at times, primarily for reasons of common usage, to refer to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, terms, quantities, numbers, and the like. However, it should be understood that all of these or similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless specifically stated otherwise, as will be apparent from the above discussion, it should be appreciated that throughout this specification, discussions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," "ascertaining," "identifying," "correlating," "measuring," "performing," and the like refer to the actions or processes of a specific apparatus, such as a special-purpose computer 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 that are typically represented as physical, electronic, electrical, or magnetic quantities within a memory, register, or other information storage device, transmission device, or display device of the special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device.

[0102] As used herein, the terms "and" and "or" may include various meanings that are also intended to depend at least in part on the context in which such terms are used. Generally, "or", if used in association with a list, such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C (inclusive meanings are used here) as well as A, B, or C (exclusive meanings are used here). In addition, 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 certain combination of features, structures, or characteristics. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example, and the subject matter claimed is not limited to this example. In addition, the term "at least one of", if used in association with a list, such as A, B, or C, may be interpreted to mean any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, AB, AA, AAB, AABBCCC, etc.

[0103] Several embodiments have been described, and various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the above elements may be components of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over the application of the various embodiments or otherwise modify the application of the various embodiments. In addition, several steps may be taken before, during, or after considering the above elements. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for managing the passage of one or more vehicles at a traffic intersection, comprising: receiving a first message including one or more motion characteristics of one or more vehicles approaching the traffic intersection; Forming sports groups; grouping a subset of the one or more vehicles into the motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; assigning a lead vehicle to the sports group; determining a group maneuvering target for the movement group to pass through the traffic intersection; as well as transmitting a second message including the group maneuvering target of the sports group to the leading vehicle of the sports group, so that the leading vehicle of the sports group can perform the following operations: determining a vehicle maneuvering target for each member vehicle of the movement group to pass through the traffic intersection based on the group maneuvering target of the movement group, and A third message including a corresponding vehicle maneuver goal is transmitted to each member vehicle of the sports group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: The one or more motion characteristics include at least one of: a targeted maneuver of the one or more vehicles through the traffic intersection, a position of the one or more vehicles, or a motion state of the one or more vehicles; and Wherein grouping the subset of the one or more vehicles into the motion group is based on one or more motion characteristics of the subset of the one or more vehicles having one or more common characteristics.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: assigning each vehicle in the subset of the one or more vehicles to the motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; transmitting a fourth message to each vehicle of the subset of the one or more vehicles, the fourth message indicating assignment of the vehicle to the motion group and the group maneuver target of the motion group; as well as In response to receiving a fifth message from each vehicle of the subset of the one or more vehicles indicating acceptance of assignment of the vehicle to the sports group: grouping the subset of the one or more vehicles into the movement group; assigning the leading vehicle to the sports group; as well as A sixth message is transmitted to each vehicle of the subset of the one or more vehicles indicating a property of the sports group, the property comprising at least one of: a member vehicle of the sports group, the lead vehicle of the sports group, or the group maneuvering target of the sports group.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a status of the sports group from the lead vehicle of the sports group; as well as The group manipulation target is determined based on a state of the motion group.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein: The state of the motion group includes at least one of the following: a position of the motion group, a motion state of the motion group, or whether the motion group has terminated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein: The group maneuvering target of the motion group includes at least one of: a time schedule of the motion group's position through the traffic intersection, a moving direction of the motion group, or a target lane to which the motion group is to move after passing the traffic intersection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein: The group maneuvering target of the motion group is determined based on at least one of: a priority of the motion group among a plurality of motion groups approaching the traffic intersection, or a total time taken by the plurality of motion groups to pass through the traffic intersection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein: The lead vehicle of the sports group is selected based on the one or more motion characteristics indicating that the lead vehicle is closest to the traffic intersection among all member vehicles assigned to the sports group when the sports group is formed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein: The assignment of the lead vehicle of the moving group is static between a first time the moving group is formed and a second time the moving group is terminated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein: The vehicle maneuvering target of each member vehicle of the movement group includes at least one of the following: the time schedule of each member vehicle's position through the traffic intersection, the target movement direction of each member vehicle, or the target lane to which each member vehicle is to move after passing the traffic intersection.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: associating a group identifier with the sports group; receiving a seventh message from the leading vehicle of the sports group, the seventh message indicating that the sports group has terminated based on all member vehicles of the sports group having left the traffic intersection; as well as In response to receiving the seventh message, the following operations are performed: terminating communications with the lead vehicle; as well as The group identifier is disassociated from the motion group to allow the group identifier to be associated with a second motion group of vehicles approaching the traffic intersection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein: The method is performed by a component of a road side unit (RSU).

13. The method of claim 1, wherein: The first message, the second message and the third message are cellular vehicle to vehicle network (CV2X) application layer messages.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein: Each of the first message, the second message, and the third message includes an application layer message defined by a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) message or a European Telecommunications Standards Institute-Intelligent Transport Systems (ETSI-ITS).

15. A method for managing the passage of vehicles at a traffic intersection, comprising: transmitting, by the vehicle, a first message including one or more motion characteristics of the vehicle to a management system to enable the management system to assign the vehicle to a motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; receiving a second message from the management system, the second message indicating that the vehicle is assigned to the sports group and indicating a group maneuver target for the sports group; determining whether to accept the assignment to the sports group based on comparing the target maneuver of the vehicle through the traffic intersection with the group maneuver target of the sports group; transmitting a third message indicating acceptance to the management system based on determining that the assignment to the sports group is to be accepted, so as to enable the management system to group the vehicles into the sports group; as well as Based on the second message indicating acceptance, a fourth message indicating attributes of the sports group is received from the management system, the attributes including at least one of: one or more member vehicles of the sports group including the vehicle, the lead vehicle of the sports group, or the group maneuvering target of the sports group.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein: The one or more motion characteristics include at least one of: the target maneuver of the vehicle through the traffic intersection, the position of the vehicle, or a motion state of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein: The fourth message indicates that the vehicle is selected as the lead vehicle of the sports group; and The vehicle is selected as the leading vehicle of the sports group based on the vehicle being closest to the traffic intersection among all member vehicles assigned to the sports group when the sports group is formed.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: determining a status of the motion group; as well as The status of the motion group is communicated to the management system to enable the management system to determine the group manipulation target of the motion group.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein: The state of the motion group includes at least one of the following: a position of the motion group, a motion direction of the motion group, a motion state of the motion group, or whether the motion group has terminated.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: receiving a fifth message from each member vehicle of the sports group, the fifth message indicating at least one of: a location of each member vehicle, a motion state of each member vehicle, or sensor data collected by each member vehicle, wherein the location of the sports group is determined based on the location of each member's vehicle; and The motion state of the motion group is determined based on the motion state of each member's vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein: The group maneuvering target of the motion group includes at least one of: a schedule of a position of the motion group passing through the traffic intersection, a target motion direction of the motion group, or a target lane to which the motion group is to move after passing through the traffic intersection.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: determining a vehicle maneuvering goal for each member vehicle based on the group maneuvering goal for the sports group and a fifth message from each member vehicle; as well as A sixth message indicating a vehicle maneuvering goal of each member vehicle is transmitted to each member vehicle to control the movement of each member vehicle.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein: The vehicle maneuvering target of each member vehicle of the movement group includes at least one of the following: the scheduling of the position of each member vehicle through the traffic intersection, the target movement direction of each member vehicle, or the target lane to which each member vehicle is to move after passing the traffic intersection.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising: determining, based on the current position of each member vehicle, that all member vehicles of the sports group have passed through the traffic intersection; as well as A seventh message is transmitted to all member vehicles and the management system to indicate termination of the sports group based on determining that all member vehicles of the sports group have passed the traffic intersection.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising: receiving, from a lead vehicle of the sports group, an eighth message including a vehicle maneuvering goal, the vehicle maneuvering goal being determined based on the group maneuvering goal from the management system; determining whether to accept the vehicle maneuver target based on comparing the target maneuver of the vehicle through the traffic intersection with the vehicle maneuver target; as well as The movement of the vehicle is controlled according to the vehicle manipulation target based on accepting the vehicle manipulation target.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein: The vehicle maneuvering goal includes at least one of: a schedule for the vehicle's position to pass through the traffic intersection, a target direction of motion for the vehicle, or a target lane to which the vehicle is to move after passing through the traffic intersection.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising: A ninth message indicating acceptance of the vehicle manipulation target is transmitted to the leading vehicle.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein: The management system is part of a road side unit (RSU).

29. The method of claim 15, wherein: The first message, the second message, the third message and the fourth message are cellular vehicle to vehicle network (CV2X) application layer messages.

30. The method of claim 15, wherein: Each of the first message, the second message, the third message, and the fourth message includes an application layer message defined by a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) message or a European Telecommunications Standards Institute-Intelligent Transport Systems (ETSI-ITS).

31. A device for managing the passage of one or more vehicles at a traffic intersection, the device comprising: Wireless communication interface; Memory; as well as one or more processing units communicatively coupled to the memory and the wireless communication interface, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to: receiving, via the wireless communication interface, a first message regarding one or more motion characteristics of one or more vehicles approaching a traffic intersection; Forming sports groups; grouping a subset of the one or more vehicles into the motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; assigning a lead vehicle to the sports group; determining a group maneuvering target for the movement group to pass through the traffic intersection; as well as transmitting a second message including the group maneuvering target of the sports group to the lead vehicle of the sports group via the wireless communication interface, so that the lead vehicle of the sports group can perform the following operations: determining a vehicle maneuvering target for each member vehicle of the movement group to pass through the traffic intersection based on the group maneuvering target of the movement group, and A third message including a corresponding vehicle maneuver goal is transmitted to each member vehicle of the sports group.

32. A device for managing the passage of vehicles at a traffic intersection, the device comprising: Wireless communication interface; Memory; as well as one or more processing units communicatively coupled to the memory and the wireless communication interface, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to: transmitting, via the wireless communication interface, a first message regarding one or more motion characteristics of the vehicle to a management system to enable the management system to assign the vehicle to a motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; receiving a second message from the management system via the wireless communication interface, the second message indicating that the vehicle is assigned to the sports group and indicating a group maneuver target for the sports group; determining whether to accept the assignment to the sports group based on comparing the target maneuver of the vehicle through the traffic intersection with the group maneuver target of the sports group; transmitting, based on determining that the assignment to the sports group is to be accepted, a third message indicating acceptance to the management system via the wireless communication interface to enable the management system to group the vehicles into the sports group; as well as A fourth message indicating properties of the sports group is received from the management system via the wireless communication interface, the properties including at least one of: one or more member vehicles of the sports group including the vehicle, a lead vehicle of the sports group, or the group maneuvering target of the sports group.

33. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving a first message including one or more movement characteristics of one or more vehicles approaching a traffic intersection; means for forming a movement group; means for grouping a subset of the one or more vehicles into the motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; means for assigning a lead vehicle to the sports group; means for determining a group maneuver target for the movement group through the traffic intersection; as well as means for transmitting a second message including the group maneuvering target of the sports group to the leading vehicle of the sports group so as to enable the leading vehicle of the sports group to: determining a vehicle maneuvering target for each member vehicle of the movement group to pass through the traffic intersection based on the group maneuvering target of the movement group, and A third message including a corresponding vehicle maneuver goal is transmitted to each member vehicle of the sports group.

34. An apparatus comprising: means for transmitting a first message including one or more motion characteristics of a vehicle to a management system to enable the management system to assign the vehicle to a motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; means for receiving a second message from the management system, the second message indicating that the vehicle is assigned to the sports group and indicating a group maneuver target for the sports group; means for determining whether to accept the assignment to the sports group based on comparing the target maneuver of the vehicle through the traffic intersection with the group maneuver target of the sports group; means for transmitting, based on determining that the assignment to the sports group is to be accepted, a third message to the management system indicating acceptance to enable the management system to group the vehicles into the sports group; as well as A device for receiving a fourth message indicating attributes of the sports group from the management system based on acceptance of the second message indication, the attributes including at least one of: one or more member vehicles of the sports group including the vehicle, the lead vehicle of the sports group, or the group maneuvering target of the sports group.

35. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receiving, via a wireless communication interface, a first message of one or more motion characteristics of one or more vehicles approaching a traffic intersection; Forming sports groups; grouping a subset of the one or more vehicles into the motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; assigning a lead vehicle to the sports group; determining a group maneuvering target for the movement group to pass through the traffic intersection; as well as transmitting a second message including the group maneuvering target of the sports group to the lead vehicle of the sports group via the wireless communication interface so that the lead vehicle of the sports group can perform the following operations: determining a vehicle maneuvering target for each member vehicle of the movement group to pass through the traffic intersection based on the group maneuvering target of the movement group, and A third message including a corresponding vehicle maneuver goal is transmitted to each member vehicle of the sports group.

36. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: transmitting a first message of one or more motion characteristics of a vehicle to a management system via a wireless communication interface to enable the management system to assign the vehicle to a motion group based on the one or more motion characteristics; receiving a second message from the management system via the wireless communication interface, the second message indicating that the vehicle is assigned to the sports group and indicating a group maneuver target for the sports group; determining whether to accept the assignment to the sports group based on comparing the target maneuver of the vehicle through the traffic intersection with the group maneuver target of the sports group; transmitting, based on determining that the assignment to the sports group is to be accepted, a third message indicating acceptance to the management system via the wireless communication interface to enable the management system to group the vehicles into the sports group; as well as A fourth message indicating properties of the sports group is received from the management system via the wireless communication interface, the properties including at least one of: one or more member vehicles of the sports group including the vehicle, a lead vehicle of the sports group, or the group maneuvering target of the sports group.

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